Charm Design Bags and Totes $50 gift card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Charm Design Bags and Totes $50 gift card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Becky Mae Poppy Fields Necklace and Earring Set GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Becky Mae Poppy Fields Necklace and Earring Set GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Lawn Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Lawn Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Poppy Boutonniere Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!

Poppy Boutonniere Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!

Oh gosh.

I feel like the WORST book blogger ever! I haven't updated in about 20 days... August has been so busy busy busy!

I was off at a Business Camp thing that was INCREDIBLY fun for about a week, and have been hanging out with friends way too much since one of them is from Korea, and August is his last month here. Actually, he's leaving Saturday :( so my brother and I wanted to make sure we have lots of memories together with him before he goes back to Korea..

AND, I've been incredibly stressed from my summer homework! Ahh, less than 2 weeks until school starts again, and I STILL haven't finished my AP Euro or my Honors English homework. Actually, I've barely started! All I've done is read the book for English, Fahrenheit 451, but haven't done any of the writing assignments. By the way, Fahrenheit 451 is a REALLY amazing book.

Plus, I am STILL to write a review for The Sacred Sin, but I have no idea when I'll have time to even finish the book. I feel incredibly horribly because I first promised the author I'd finish it by the end of July, then emailed him that I would finish it by the end of August. And now that the end of August is coming up, I'm pretty sure I can't even finish it by then because I have all this summer homework to catch up on! Plus my family and I are going to be on vacation until Sunday.

Oh dear, things are not looking very well for me.. I haven't even read a book for actual leisure for a month now! I started The Sacred Sin, but that was awhile ago so now I feel like I need to restart it since I sort of forgot what happened and I need to be re-sucked into the book. :(

Wake by Lisa McMann Review

If really been slacking off with this book blog haven't I? Sorry everyone! When I promised that I would do lots more for the blog in the summer I didn't expect for even my summer to be hectic. Next week I'm off to Washington Business Week and I've been real busy getting ready for that lately. Anywho, on the the review!

Product Description:
Not all dreams are sweet.

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

Review:
In this book, in just a couple times, I was a little confused. As the product description says, she starts to become a "participant" in the dreams and that's when I got puzzled as to how the heck she got in them. They kind of explain it through context I guess, but it was odd. The plot was very very interesting though, and I have to give Lisa McMann kudos for writing a great story. Nevertheless, I somewhat felt like the story had depth to it--Janie's problem with that nightmare gets resolved a bit to easily for my taste. Plus her relationship with Cabel was too predictable for me. I definitely say that I'm a fan of Cabel, but their love interest was so obvious from the beginning because you can tell their relationship was set up from the first mention of Cabel.

Plus, I have to say that I actually had high expectations for this book since so many people love it. I say it's a good read, but it's not a favorite of mine or anything. It had a great idea and story, but lacked depth and unpredictability. However, I love Lisa McMann's style of writing for the book, so that's a huge plus! There were definitely some high and low points of the book--parts that kept you up at night reading, and other parts that made you not care so much and fall asleep. I'm still looking forward to reading Fade though, as I hear that it's really good as well.

3.75 smiles out of 5 smiles

If I Stay by Gayle Forman Review

Product Description:
"Just listen," Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel. I open my eyes wide now. I sit up as much as I can. And I listen. "Stay," he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones. Stay true to her first love--music--even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then, one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.


Review:
Wow. I must say that this is one of the most interesting books I've read. I've never read a book with the type of concept that was brought up in If I Stay. As it says in the product description, Mia is faced with a hard decision. Actually, for me it took awhile to understand what exactly she is trying to decide, but that is most likely just because I was a bit slow haha. During the beginning I was slightly confused because she was out of her body (don't worry, this isn't really a spoiler because it happens very early on in the book) and she was able to look at herself. But as the story progresses, you really start to understand everything. It might be a little odd, maybe even slow-paced, to some people because the whole book takes place practically over one night/day, but to me the slow pace didn't bother me at all.

Personally, I tend to like books with some depth and meaning, and books that require a bit of thinking. This book definitely meets those standards, and I love the way that Gayle Forman wrote it. Honestly, I got teary-eyed and cried a little while reading the book because Gayle Forman describes Mia's point-of-view so well, which makes me feel very close and personal with all the characters--a big plus in my view of a good book. I started rooting for Mia's boyfriend, Adam, a lot because I felt like I would want a person like him to be in my life :) He really cared for Mia, and as the more I read the book the more I was on his side. Defintely one of the best books I've ever read.

5 out of 5 smiles!

Oh dear,

I haven't posted a review in a while! Sorry about that, it's been so incredibly hot these past couple weeks where I live and my house doesn't have air conditioning which means I'm always out doing something else haha. Not being at home means I'm not on the computer as much! Darn the hot weather :( I love the sun and the heat when I'm outside, but inside.. it's killer. Anywho, I shall post/work on my reviews for If I Stay, Wake, and Charmed Thirds right now! I don't think I'll post them all at once though.. haha.

Everyone else having a good summer?

I didn't die!

Hello! I've been kind of busy lately with dance team events and very messed-up sleeping habits so sorry for being so inconsistent with this blog! I assure you, I will try harder to keep this thing moving!

Anywho, yesterday I started my review on If I Stay by Gayle Forman but partway through I got incredibly sleepy.. haha. Like I said before, my sleep schedule has become very whack.

I also finished the book Wake by Lisa McMann yesterday, so I'll get a review on that soon too. Hopefully I can have a giveaway or something soon. The only problem is that I'm pretty much broke so I don't want to be spending money on shipping.. I know it's only a couple dollars across the US but still, I need to be saving up! Fees for the dance team for uniforms, shoes, etc. is a few hundred dollars... :(

Okay, bye!

Asian Dramas!

Hello world! Okay, so I've been slacking a bit with book reviews, but I have an excuse! I was watching a Korean drama haha. And if you've ever watched Asian dramas, you know just how time-consuming and addicting they are.

So, I was watching the Korean drama Boys Before Flowers. I must say, I think it's probably my favorite drama! I've seen the Japanese version that came out earlier, called Hana Yori Dango & Hana Yori Dango 2, but I like this Korean version better. I've never read the manga before, so I don't know which one follows the original story more accurately, but the Korean drama entertained me a lot. Not saying that the Japanese one was bad, because that drama was my favorite until I saw the Korean version.

Here's a sypnosis of Boys Before Flowers (Kor. version) from DramaWiki:
Jan Di is an average girl whose family owns a dry cleaning store located near the luxurious and well known Shin Hwa College. Jan Di meets the four richest and most spoiled boys known as the F4. After saving a boy from jumping off the roof of Shinhwa High School, she is admitted into the school on a swimming scholarship. Jan Di tries to avoid confrontation with the F4 at all cost because she knows what happens to those that stand against them. However, when Jan Di's friend, Oh Min Ji, accidentally gets ice cream on the leader of the F4's shoes, she's forced to declare war on the leader of the F4, Goo Joon Pyo.

Here's my little say on this drama if you ever plan on watching it (which I definitely suggest you should!):
I have to first give major thumbs up to those Korean drama producers, it seems like they're always the best at dramas! There were plenty more elements of the story compared to Hana Yori Dango, and I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster, which can be very frustrating but keeps you captivated and satisfied in the oddest way. But in the end, I enjoyed it a lot! I honestly would be watching this at about 2am, and each episode is an hour. So I would think to myself, "Oh, I'll just see one episode and sleep at 3am." Boy, was I wrong. I ended up sleeping at 6am just because it was so addicting! It is extremely hard to tear your eyes away from the computer when the drama just leaves you craving for more, more, MORE! I ended up sleeping because I wanted to fall asleep before my parents woke up and found me awake haha. Anywho, I guess I can't really say what are my favorite parts and such because that would spoil the drama very much. The sypnosis above pretty much takes place in like the first episode, out of the 25. Because so much happens in each episode and there are so many events and twists in the plot, it's REALLY good.

So since I can't really give anything away, I'll just say my little take between the Japanese and Korean version:
-If you like a faster paced, more to-the-point plot, I would suggest watching the Japanese version, Hana Yori Dango 1 & 2. Korean dramas always tend to move a bit slower (in my experience).
-If you like a more variety of things happen that takes your heart up and down, I would suggest the Korean version. There's more plot twists and elements in it that don't occur in the Japanese version. For me, I liked these other elements a LOT, even though they leave you feeling extremely sad or disappointed at some parts.
-By the end of the whole series, I would say I was more satisfied with the Japanese version because you feel only happy and nothing else. For the Korean version, I guess I was more happy but then at the same time you still feel a hint of sadness. Haha hard to explain if you don't see both.

If you watch both of them like me, I would suggest watching the Japanese version first and then the Korean version, because if you do it the other way around, you'll probably feel like the Japanese version was missing parts.

10 smiles out of 5 smiles! Yes! It was that good!

and if you don't know where to watch these things with English subtitles, mysoju.com is a good site. I usually download mine off of Veoh or find it on the D-Addicts forum and download the episode and subtitles separately and watch it on VLC player, because then they are much better quality.

Head on Over to...

Class of 2K9!



There's a contest going on over there for TWELVE books! Including books like Breathing, Shrinking Violet, etc.

Go enter! NAO! :D

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen...

WAS SO AWESOME!



I had been excited and anticipated this movie for THE longest time! And oh boy, the movie did not disappoint. I was totally captivated in the movie the whole 2 and a half hours. In fact, I'm gonna watch it again this Sunday with some friends in IMAX instead.

Unlike other action/adventure movies, this one wasn't very predictable, which made me very happy haha. Actually, there were a couple of parts where I was just like, "AHHHH NO!" or "O____O" or "T_____T" or "GASP" inside my head because I didn't expect it to happen. Woot woooooo!

Okay, I don't have much to say just because I'm still in fan-obsession mode. Which means I'll just say nonsense that shows how much I love the movie but not any reasons for my love of it.

Oh, and before I didn't care for Shia Labeouf very much but now I find him attractive/hawt haha.






Is it just me or does he still sometimes remind of you of way back when he was a litto kiddo on Even Stevens?

:0

I've decided to not do reviews on: Cruel Summer, When It Happens, Keeping the Moon, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants! :O Why? Because I read them all like a whole month or more ago and so now none of the stories are fresh in my mind which means I'd do crappy, non-thorough reviews on them. Haha that's what happens when the last month of school is filled with so much stress and finals that it eats your brain.

And you would not believe how much I'm sleeping during the daytime despite getting plenty of sleep at night! Much needed sleep to make up for lots of sleep deprivation throughout the school year. And my laziness has carried on with me into the summer break even though I have more time--I'm too lazy to scroll down my Blogspot feed to see what various posts the blogs I follow are putting up. Which kind of makes me sad because I haven't been entering giveaways so that means I don't win any free books :( My mailbox has been lonely.

But luckily I have much, MUCH more time to read and review books now :) And tons of overdue ones from the library that I must read...

Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty Review

Product Description (from Amazon):
Jessica Darling, the lovably cynical heroine of Sloppy Firsts (2001), is about to begin her final year of high school. She is not looking forward to it. Her best friend, Hope, has moved away, leaving her with only budding-movie-star Bridget to confide in. She also is doing her best to forget Marcus Flutie, the oh-so-sexy guy who captured her heart the year before, only to break it. Jessica has resolved to apply to Columbia University, but after the 9/11 attack, she's doubly certain her parents won't hear of her going to school in New York City. She's flattered by the attentions of Len Levy, a hot brainiac, who just might be the one to drive Marcus from her mind, not to mention relieve her of her virginity. As the time to graduation ticks down, Jessica discovers she knows less about Bridget, Marcus, and the other people who surround her than she thought she did. Smart, tentative, and funny, Jessica is a likable and wry observer of the competitive, gossipy high-school world. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review:
I actually really enjoyed this book! Sloppy Firsts left me with a total cliffhanger so I was so eager to read Second Helpings, and it did not disappoint! I admit that the beginning moved a little slow for me and I somewhat wished I could have just skipped the whole beginning when Jessica attends the writer's workshop, but I guess that part is pretty crucial for the story. The plot was very realistic in the sense of all the high school drama, and all the denial that Jessica goes through. I really, really like Marcus Flutie! Anyone who knows me knows that I DESPISE anyone who does or has done drugs, but I like Marcus :) He seems like a person I would really want as a friend, just because he seems so random and intellectual to talk to. The world needs more people like him! Anyways, Second Helpings keeps you interested in all the drama that happens at Pineville High, from Jessica's sucky love life to Sara's increasing weight. McCafferty has a way with words and really knows how to convey the thoughts of a high schooler. Everything is written very naturally, and I can imagine myself thinking in the same kind of words (but not the same thoughts!). Contrasting with Sloppy Firsts' cliffhanger ending, Second Helpings ends with more closure, like... a real ending. But the book still leaves me drooling for Charmed Thirds. It makes me happy to know that there are still 3 books in the series for me to read :)

4.5 out of 5 smiles

Kiss Me Kill Me by Lauren Henderson Review

I expected the book to have a lot of romance in it like so many other young adult literature but was surprised that there was a huge mystery and suspense element added to the plot, in a good way. I think that made the story much more captivating so it was hard for me to put the book down. When Dan dies in the beginning of the novel, I honestly didn't understand why he suddenly suffocated. But then Henderson does a great job of subtly giving clues to his death. The reason I don’t give the book a full 5 smiles is because I wish the characters were better analyzed and described, since they were only seen through the main character’s eyes and not anyone else’s. Plus, I find it kind of hard to relate to since no one in the novel seems like anyone I know in real life. For example, in the book Plum is the "queen" of the school and pretty much control anyone, but my school doesn't have any "popular girl" that's like that or anything. I really cannot wait to read the sequel of the book though! Haha I was disappointed in t=he end of the novel when I realized I have to wait for the mystery to be resolved in the next books.

3.75 out of 5 smiles

Summer Vacation! Woohoo school's out!

Oh goodness, when is the last time I blogged! Especially on a book review.. I am a horrible person! Oh well, now that school is finally OUT (yay!) I have more time for my blog. I'll post up one right after I write this post up. I have this huge TBR pile in my room, majority of them being books I checked out at the library. I think at least half of those are overdue and a six are considered "lost".. haha. Luckily the library doesn't charge you for each day it's overdue, as long as you return it. The only reason I want to return mine is because that way I can check out more books :) Better catch up on my reading!

So who else is excited for summer? I am for sure!

Oh, and I REALLY want to read Perfect Chemistry, and luckily a teacher I volunteered for this past school year gave me a $10 gift card to Barnes & Nobles! How exciting!

Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix Set Free Contest Ends Tomorrow!

Better hurry and enter for this one, before the deadline tomorrow! The prizes include...

An original framed brushpainting by Cindy Pon + a copy of Silver Phoenix
or
a $100 Gift Card to a book store of your choice + a copy of Silver Phoenix


Isn't that all just incredibly awesome? Honestly, I don't know which is better, because although I'm a huge fan of books, a $200-$400 painting sounds wonderful! I'm a big fan of art too, oh boy this contest is exciting. Haha I know I'm posting this blog for the contest kind of late, but I figure I should do it before the deadline! To also remind anyone who's forgotten to enter too :)

Cover of Silver Phoenix:Isn't that beautiful?

Here's a very gorgeous trailer of it too! I love the background music!



So what are you waiting for? Go check it out at Cindy Pon's website right over..... HERE!

Perfect Chemistry over at...

The Book Resort! Oh my gosh, I want to read this oh so very badly, it's number one on my wish list of books. I've heard AMAZING things of this book so yeah. And it sucks because my local library has a copy but there are so many holds on it, it'll take forever for me to finally get it. Anyways, you should all enter the giveaway because you can win this book! The giveaway ends June 12.

Vintage Earrings Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!

Vintage Earrings Tutorial and GIVEAWAY!!!!

Vote for Me?

Hello world! Just today I entered a Best Photo contest for a chance to win a Nikon Coolpix camera. I would love it if you voted for me! It's a picture of my baby cousin, Daniel :) Please vote a 10 on my photo, I am in desperate need of a camera! My digital camera was stolen one year ago while at school and ever since I haven't been able to afford another decent one. So it would mean a lot to me if you all voted so I could win first prize! :)


BY THE WAY, this SugarLoot contest site COMPLETELY KILLS QUALITY of the picture! I could have sworn my contrast and darn lighting was different, but it got all funky on the website.. :(

Give me a 10 for Best Photo

MTV Movie Awards

Okay. I'm a little pissed off.
Why did Twilight get so many awards! I mean, I LOVED, and I mean BEYOND loved, the book, but the movie was lame. It was alright in some parts, but overall Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are bad actors! That's right, I said it.

Sorry to all you Robert Pattinson fans, but in my opinion, he's ugly! And his role in the first movie for Twilight was filled with awkward staring. I love Edward Cullen, but I hate Robert Pattinson. I don't get why he won Best Male Actor, his acting is horrible. In my opinion, the guy from Slumdog Millionaire should have won. And don't even get me STARTED with Kristen Stewart winning Best Female Actress. SERIOUSLY. Her acting is incredibly bad. And I know plenty of other people feel the same way. Something about the way she plays Bella annoys me.

Oh, and Best Kiss Scene goes to Twilight as well? Honestly, I thought the kiss between Robert and Kristen was incredibly AWKWARD! Gahhhhh, all of these awards for the cast of Twilight was irritating me.

I honestly wish that Stephenie Meyer got all those awards instead, since really, the only reason the cast won is because Stephenie wrote the story and created such a large fanbase. She deserves all the credit (:

But you know, I'm kind of excited for New Moon this year, because Robert Pattinson will be gone for majority of the movie (thank goodness) and TAYLOR LAUTNER will mostly be in it! YAAAY! <3 Yeah, I'm more of an Edward Cullen fan but I still like Jacob Black, and LOVE Taylor Lautner! *fangirl squeal* Haha, he is so good-looking.

Alrightys, I'm kind of craving to re-read the Twilight series, even though I never ever re-read books. Oh well, since I own them, might as well read them, right?



--
By the way, I still have reviews of Keeping the Moon, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Cruel Summer, and When It Happens coming up sometime soon hopefully! And right now I'm in the middle of Second Helpings so hopefully that'll be up soon too.

Vintage Wedding Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Vintage Wedding Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Reading Personality

Your Reading Personality: Exacting Reader!

Start quiz

The expression 'so many books, so little time!' sums up your life. You love books but you rarely have as much time to read as you'd like - so you're very particular about the books you choose.

----

How true! I seem to never have enough time to read books. I have such a large stack of books from the library that have been in my room for a few months now. Darn homework and school! I've even been neglecting my poor blog :(

Review: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Product Description:
Annabel Greene is the girl who has everything. At least, that’s what she portrays in her modeling shorts. But Annabel’s life is far from perfect. Her friendship with Sophie ended bitterly, and her older sister’s eating disorder is weighing down the entire family. Isolated and ostracized at school and at home, Annabel retreats into silent acceptance. Then she meets Owen—intense, music-obsessed, and determined to always tell the truth. And with his guidance, Annabel learns to just listen to herself and gains the courage to speak honestly. But will she be able to tell everyone what really happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends?

Review:
Oh goodness, I read this book like several weeks ago, so my memory of this book isn't as clear as it should be haha. But I shall try my best! Hmm, let me just first say that I've been a Sarah Dessen fan for a long time now and this book definitely didn't disappoint me! I'm not exactly WHAT it was that was so captivating of the plot, but something of it got me to keep reading and reading. I really liked this book because Owen is such an interesting character and I'm sure at least one piece of Annabel's life can relate to the reader, since so much happens in Annabel's life. For me, I found Owen to be such an intriguing character because he's just so honest. He's not just like those guys in other romance books where he's super good-looking, dreamy, etc. In fact the way he's first described, he seems kind of big and scary and off in his own little world. But his personality and the way he reacts to various things in his life made me love him! Plus, the book keeps you guessing and wondering what's going to happen next. The one thing of the book I didn't like too much is Annabel, except I don't really blame Dessen because I guess that's just how Annabel's character is. Anyways, I just hated how Annabel keeps everything so bottled up inside, and only runs away from her problems instead of facing them. It made me frustrated! That's probably another reason why I like Owen, he made Annabel loosen up a bit ;)

4 smiles out of 5 smiles

You know something crazy I noticed? I haven't written a review since last MONTH! Goodness sakes! Luckily the school year is almost over so I'll be a better book reviewer/blogger once I'm not crushed with piles of schoolwork!

A Few Laughs :)

Hahaha so today I went to failblog.org, and could not stop laughing at a couple of these pictures..

Oh goodness, that sounds wrong on so many levels.. LMAO.
HAHA that story is too hilarious.

I hope I put a smile on your face today!

Blueberry Pie Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Blueberry Pie Refashioned Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

I'm a lame blogger -__-

I never update my blog! I'm a horrible person!
Rawr, school has been killing me with too much work! Especially because teachers seem to never be organized so they pile on and rush a billion assignments since it's near the end of the school year (in about a month! :D). Anyways, I'm pretty sure I'll be way too busy next week to blog too because I have a lot of projects and essays due next week, and being the procrastinator that I am, I think I'll be sleep-deprived too :(

But I pinky promise, a review on "Just Listen" by Sarah Dessen and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by Ann Brashares shall come up soon!

And currently I'm reading Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen too, so by the time I actually have the time to post up reviews, I'll probably have that done too.

Farewell!

Giveaways I Come Across :)

Hope's Bookshelf: I Know It's Over and One Lonely Degree
Debbie's World of Books: Perfect Chemistry ends 05/31
Write For a Reader: The Real Real ends 05/31
Reader Rabbit: Twenty Boy Summer ends 06/02
Fantastic Book Reviews: If I Stay or Jennifer Echols pack
Reviewer X: ALL of Elizabeth Scott's books
Presenting Lenore: Penguin Reality Prize Pack ends 06/03
Reviewer X: Waiting For You ends 05/16
Bonus! Waiting For You sampler

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Fiction Books when it happens take me there

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

KidLit giveaway

Head on over to Kidlit Contest! You get a chance to win Breathing, TMI, or Sliding on the Edge! (:

Deadline is tomorrow!





And win a handbag from Handbag Heaven at Fairy Blog Mother!

Milk Weed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Milk Weed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Persimmon Jewelry Kline Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Persimmon Jewelry Kline Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Brass Hussy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Brass Hussy GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

HUGE Giveaway at Books By Their Cover!

Head on over NOW to Books By Their Cover! Yan is having a giveaway involving 21 books, to celebrate her 150th 149th follower! Great books like Kiss of Life, North of Beautiful, Something Maybe, Twenty Boy Summer, and a lot of other REALLY good books! I'm super excited about this giveaway, because it has a bunch of books that are pretty much on the top of my Wishlist!

If you head on over there and enter, PLEASE SAY MICHELLE KUO REFERRED YOU THERE! Hehe, I'm pretty greedy for entries because I really want some of these books.

(clickie to enlarge)

The giveaway ends July 4th.


You know that this has to be a huge giveaway if I'm leaving a separate blog for it instead of just putting a link for it in my usual monthly blog of giveaways.

Swanki Hats GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Swanki Hats GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Pleated Petal Tank ANTHROPOLIFICATION GIVEAWAY!!!!

Pleated Petal Tank ANTHROPOLIFICATION GIVEAWAY!!!!

Picnic Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Picnic Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

This outfit is VERY adorable! Go enter to win!

Review: Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

Product Description:
There's a difference between falling and letting go.

Lauren has a good life: decent grades, great friends, and a boyfriend every girl lusts after. So why is she so unhappy?

It takes the arrival of Evan Kirkland for Lauren to figure out the answer: She's been holding back. She's been denying herself a bunch of things (like sex) because staying with her loyal and gorgeous boyfriend, Dave, is the "right" thing to do. After all, who would give up the perfect boyfriend?

But as Dave starts talking more and more about their life together, planning a future Lauren simply can't see herself in -- and as Lauren's craving for Evan, and moreover, who she is with Evan becomes all the more fierce -- Lauren realizes she needs to make a choice...before one is made for her.


Review:
Okay, before I say anything about the book, I want to say I read this book the day after I finished Going Too Far. And personally I love "deeper" books, so this book was incomparable with Going Too Far...

Ahem, anyways. So I actually found this book to be somewhat... boring. I loved Elizabeth Scott in the book Perfect You, but then after reading such a deep book like Going Too Far, Bloom felt so.. typical. Girl goes out with guy. Girl actually likes old friend. A bunch of drama happens and in the end girl ends up with guy she actually likes. That's your typical romance novel. In Bloom, not only was the storyline boring for me, but I really disliked the main character! She hurt so many people, I felt so bad for the way she treated her best friend. She lies to so many people, it made me angry. Sure, it makes way for a happy ending, but a person is left heartbroken, and another person feels incredibly hurt. Not my idea of the happiest ever after in my mind. But if you're looking for a light read, or if you've never read Elizabeth Scott's books, I guess this is a good place to start. I don't know, but I just liked Perfect You better. This one was a bit too dull for me.

But I'm still a fan of Elizabeth Scott!

2 smiles out of 5 smiles.

Review: Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Product Description:

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over....


Review:
I have to say that this book was utterly AMAZING! I read the whole book in just one sitting. Going Too Far is not your typical romance novel--it's hard for me to really say why, but trust me, IT'S GOOD. The book was incredibly well-written, and the characters felt so real. I feel like I know John and Meg personally now, because their behaviors and attitudes are so greatly conveyed throughout the story. I must mention that a couple parts really shocked me, which doesn't happen all-too-often because many books that have romance in it can get very predictable. The emotions felt throughout the book just makes the book so appealing and addicting to read. I can't think of anything bad about the book, so that HAS to be a good thing.

5 smiles out of 5 smiles

Okay, so I guess this isn't a very good review, because I really don't want to give ANYTHING away. Just trust me, you'll definitely a GREAT book. It's officially one of my favorite books now.

Musical Fidelity, a poem of mine :)

Musical Fidelity

Strumming an ivory-colored guitar with

Skinny fingers, the nails a bit too long

Comes forth sounds far from cacophony. A

Lone, raspy singing voice, speaking of pains and pleasures

Too hard to convey through words solely. He yells to

Turn that discord to a near-silent level, too quiet for anybody

To hear. For she is never heard, never is she a top priority.

Creativity at its best, for people to hear visually, yet

Everyone shuns this bohemian behavior. Why is she never

Given a second look? Melodies are left behind as

Technology and business march forward. Narrow-minded parents

Speak of the medical field, fields of law, yet

At the thought of rhythms and tunes they are utterly

Mute. Dreams of musicality, her beloved future slowly

Fade into a world nonexistent. Despite this losing battle

For wings to fly toward a lyrical heaven, she continues

To stay devoted.

To stay faithful.

Remain steadfast

To a force named Music.

This is the poem I submitted to the Scholarship Poetry Contest a couple months ago. And guess what! I was a Topical Winner! Okay, so I guess I'm not a regional winner, nor am I going to be selected for the actual scholarship money, but still, this award is still an honor to me :) Less than 2% of all of the entries they got were Topical Winners, which I have to say I'm really proud of since there are typically more than 500,000 entries per year. And since I'm a Topical Winner, I get to have my poem published in their annual anthology (a collection of poems, a minimum of 144 pages). Haha okay, so I guess having a 20-line poem in a 144+ page anthology isn't all too special, but eh, I'm still extremely happy! Because honestly, I spent 20 minutes writing my poem. Then I submitted it. Haha maybe next year when they have the contest again, I'll spend more time and effort on it and will hopefully at least get to be a regional winner (there's only about 500 regional winners each year). YAY! Okay, so much excitement!



Oh, and sorry I haven't really posted anything for a really long time. I've been buried in schoolwork and have been busy with a lot of other matters. Applying for various scholarships and such haha.

HUGEEEE giveaway!

Grand Prize: $100 GC to Amazon.com
Runner Up: $25 GC to B&N and a box of surprise paperbacks and other goodies (like chocolate, bath goodies, ect). This is going to be a NICE prize!
Runner Up: $25 GC to B&N and a box of surprise paperbacks and other goodies. (same as above)

Plus chances to win books (almost) every day for a month!

Go to http://www.anyabast.com/blog/ for details on how to enter.

Reader's Choice Awards

Ello all! Right now at YA Reads, there is something called the Reader's Choice Awards going on. There, you can win one of 3 prize packs. And guess what? All you have to do is vote a few times! Here are the details, copied from the website:

Win 6 books by voting for your favorites!

3 people will be randomly picked. 1 U.S. winner and 2 International.

The prizes are six of the nominated books courtesy of the authors.

Prizes for 1 non U.S. winner:

Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

Prizes for 1 International winner:

The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb
Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten

Prizes for 1 U.S. winner:

Fade by Lisa McMann
The September Sisters by Jillian Cantor


To enter:

1. Vote on each categories here:

http://www.yareads.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=105


2. Answer the following questions in this thread together with your name, email address, and what prize you are gunning for (International or U.S.).


Best Book Blogger:
Nominate a book blogger for next month:
Nominate a book released on March '09:


If you're not comfortable showing your email addy to the public, email us at yareadscontest (at) gmail (dot) com with your name (you still have to post on this thread, just w/out the email).


3. For additional entries, you can do 1 or more or all of these:

-post about the contest on your blog
-leave a link on your sidebar telling people about the contest


Tell us which of these things you did and post the link for proof.

_______________________________________

Not only will you get a chance to win awesome books, you will also be supporting your favorite authors.

Contest ends on April 30, 2009.




Soooo, want to enter? Just click right here and start voting!

Win a Kindle 2 at Get Glue!! :0

Boogie on over to Get Glue's blog to enter to win a KINDLE 2! GetGlue.com is an awesome site that helps keep track of sites you visit about movies, books, etc. and connects you with people who look at the same thing.

Also, you can get points each day, by tweeting and inviting other people to join in on this contest! The 4 people who accumulate the most points receive a $25 Amazon gift card! How awesome is that!

So make sure you tell everyone you know about this one! If you enter, please tell me :) I'd appreciate getting some extra entries myself, haha.

The winner will be selected on April 10, so get tweeting! :)

April Giveaway Links

Yay, lucky for you I update this whenever I find another giveaway around the blogosphere! It's mostly book giveaways, but sometimes you find giveaways for some other random items too :) Good luck and hope you win something!

If there is no "ends..." after the link, it means that the deadline is not mentioned on that blog.

And I know some of the "ends..." dates are still listed even though they've passed, but I keep them on here until the winner of the contest is announced on that person's blog. Or I might just be too lazy or busy to check back on the links ;)

-Win Wish You Were Here at Harmony Book Reviews
-Win a whole lotta books at Reader Rabbit ends 04/29
-Win The Summer I Turned Pretty at Cupcake Witch ends 04/10
-Win a Spa-at-Home kit at Momtrends ends 04/30
-Win 4 books at WORD for Teens
-Win Shrinking Violet at Shooting Stars Mag ends 04/30
-Win 3 Jennifer Echols books at Bookluver-Carol's Reviews
-Win Cracked Up to Be at Reader Rabbit
-Win Crest Whitestrips at Momtrends winner announced 05/09

Contest alert!

Bree Despain is holding a contest over at her blog! There are lots of prizes, so you should go enter over there! :)

One thing though! Make sure you tell her that Michelle Kuo sent you over there in your comment when you enter! Have fun! The contest ends on April 3, or in other words this Friday.

Sophomore Switch Trailer

You all should go check it out! I actually just finished reading the ARC of it, and it was really good! :) Also, you should head on over to Abby Mcdonald's blog to go win a prize pack + a hardcover edition of Sophomore Switch! :)

Operation Teen Book Drop, TBD '09, Press Release

For more information contact:

Sara Easterly, Publicist for readergirlz

Sara Easterly & Friends

sara@saraeasterly.com

206-632-8588

READING STIMULUS PLAN FOR HOSPITALIZED TEEN PATIENTS
LAUNCHES JUST IN TIME FOR “SUPPORT TEEN LIT DAY” APRIL 16

Despite economic downturn, generous publishers have donated
thousands of young-adult books for readergirlz, Guys Lit Wire, and YALSA
to deliver to teens in America’s top pediatric hospitals

March 17, 2009 (Seattle, Wash.) – Teen patients in pediatric hospitals across the United States will receive 8,000 young-adult novels, audiobooks, and graphic novels next week as readergirlz, Guys Lit Wire, and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) celebrate the third annual Support Teen Lit Day on April 16.

In its second year, “Operation TBD” (short for Teen Book Drop), puts free books donated by 18 book publishers into the hands of many teens most in need of escape, inspiration and a sense of personal accomplishment. Books with exceptional characters and fabulous stories can provide just that for teens and their families dealing with difficult, long-term hospital stays.

At a time when philanthropic giving is down, readergirlz co-founders have been inspired by overwhelming industry support for Operation TBD. “readergirlz is always looking for innovative ways to connect teens with literature, “ said Dia Calhoun, co-founder of readergirlz and acclaimed young-adult author. “We’re honored that publishers have supported this goal by giving so liberally this year.”

Operation TBD also aims to encourage all teens to choose reading for pleasure as a leisure activity, over other entertainment options. Inciting the broader teen community to participate in Operation TBD in its drive to spur reading on a national scale, readergirlz has launched a trailer on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/readergirlz) inviting teens and YA authors to leave a book in a public place on April 16. When visiting www.readergirlz.com, participants can download bookplates to insert into the books they’ll leave behind, which explain the surprise to the recipient and tell them to read and enjoy.

“This event is such a special one because it not only raises awareness about teen literature, but it also truly helps those teens most in need. Teens facing illnesses will be able to find an age- appropriate new book to read while in the hospital — teen books matter and not just any old book will do,” said Sarah Cornish Debraski, YALSA president. “Our thanks to the publishers, readergirlz, and Guys Lit Wire. It’s wonderful to unite with these organizations to forward this cause.”

Participating book publishers who have donated books or audiobooks include Abrams Books, Bloomsbury/Walker Books, Candlewick Press, Full Cast Audio, Hachette Book Group, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Hyperion, Milkweed, Mirrorstone Books, Orca Book Publishers, Peachtree Books, Perseus Book Group/Running Press, Random House, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Soft Skull Press & Red Rattle Books, TOKYOPOP and Tor/Forge/Starscape/Tor Teen.

“Putting the right book into the hands of a teen can turn that teen into a reader for life, “ said Suzanne Murphy, VP and Group Publisher, Scholastic Trade Book Publishing. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to help Operation TBD show teens firsthand just how much fun reading can be.”

Pediatric hospitals that have signed up to receive books include Phoenix Children's Hospital (Phoenix, Ariz.), Rady's Children's Hospital (San Diego, Calif.), Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Children's Hospital and Research Center (Oakland, Calif.), All Children's Hospital (St. Petersburg, FL), Children's Memorial Hospital (Chicago, Ill.), UM C.S. Mott Children's Hospital (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics (Kansas City, MO), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital & Health Center (Tacoma, Wash.) and Seattle Children's Hospital.

“Our teen patients here at Seattle Children’s loved the books donated through the Operation Teen Book Drop last year,” said Kim Korte, Child Life Manager, Seattle Children’s Hospital. “Books are a wonderful avenue for our patients to be distracted from the pain and stress of hospitalization. We are always in need of books and greatly appreciate the generosity of the publishers who donated.”

Everyone who participates in Operation TBD is invited to celebrate at the TBD Post-Op Party on April 16 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time on the readergirlz blog: http://readergirlz.blogspot.com.

About Support Teen Literature Day

For the third consecutive year, Support Teen Literature Day will be celebrated April 16, 2009 in conjunction with ALA’s National Library Week. Librarians all across the country are encouraged to participate in Support Teen Literature Day by hosting events in their library. The purpose of this new celebration is to raise awareness among the general public that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today’s teens. Support Teen Literature Day also seeks to showcase award-winning authors and books in the genre as well as highlight librarians’ expertise in connecting teens with books and other reading materials.

About the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, visit www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390, or email, yalsa@ala.org.

About readergirlz

readergirlz is the foremost online book community for teen girls, led by five critically acclaimed YA authors—Dia Calhoun (Avielle of Rhia), Holly Cupala (A Light That Never Goes Out) Lorie Ann Grover (Hold Me Tight), Justina Chen Headley (North of Beautiful), and Melissa Walker (the Violet series). readergirlz is the recipient of a 2007 James Patterson PageTurner Award.

To promote teen literacy and leadership in girls, readergirlz features a different YA novel and corresponding community service project every month. For more information about readergirlz, please visit www.readergirlz.com and http://readergirlz.blogspot.com, or contact divas@readergirlz.com.

About Guys Lit Wire Guys Lit Wire brings literary news and reviews to the attention of teenage boys and the people who care about them. Working to combat the perception that teen boys aren’t as well read as teen girls, the organization seeks out literature uniquely targeted toward teen male readers in hopes of bringing attention of good books to guys who might have missed them.

Ó2009 readergirlz

###

Oh boy, I have been completely exhausted for the past few days. That's why I haven't been able to update my March giveaway blog as much :( Anyways, spring break shall start after school this Friday, so then I'll have much more time to spare. But for now, I am drowning in schoolwork and need to study for a whole bunch of tests and quizzes, and am suffering from a horrible deprivation of sleep -__-" And all of this really sucks because right now those 2 weeks of daily Twilight giveaways at Bookroom Reviews is going on and it's really hard for me to catch up with all of those giveaways!

Oh, and I got my Sophomore Switch ARC yesterday! Yaaay, it's my first ARC ever! I don't know, it just makes me feel all happy that I'm getting to read something before the public does. Hehehe.

I seriously cannot wait for spring break. I really need to have some time off for more sleep and more free time!

Summer of 69 Thrift Store Refashion Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Summer of 69 Thrift Store Refashion Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Vote :)

Sleep On It Brickfish

You all should vote for me! :) It's to win $500 scholarship or cash. And while you're there, go and enter yourself ;)

Vote for me daily! Yay!

Operation TBD!

Operation Teen Book Drop takes place April 16, 2009! Info on this is here.
And readergirlz is having 5 weeks of contests leading up to the day, one contest per week! Click here to enter their contest! :D

:)

Please Vote :)

Hello everyone! I just thought I'd let you all know that I'm entering a contest here:

Share Your Passion Sponsored by Visit Physicians Formula

I'd really appreciate it if you voted for me, so that I can win the prize.

Muntedkowhai%Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Muntedkowhai%Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Paper Crane Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Paper Crane Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

this is like, BEYOND cute!

Baggu Grosgrain Guest GIVEAWAY!!!!

Baggu Grosgrain Guest GIVEAWAY!!!!

Win an iPod Touch!

at Jeremiah Cooper's website!

:)

Cinnamon Sticks giveaway!! (no, not the food)

Head on over to Grosgrain to win some a Cinnamon Sticks gift certificate!

Sunday Laundry Shirt Dress GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sunday Laundry Shirt Dress GIVEAWAY!!!!

Book Giveaway Links for March

These are just a bunch of giveaways I'm finding throughout the month of March. I CONSTANTLY update this as I find more and more giveaways everyday, even a couple that have nothing related to books, like coupons! I'll put this on my sidebar so that you guys can keep checking back :)
**If there is no "ends.." date, it means I'm unsure of the deadline for that contest.

-Win Wish You Were Here at Harmony Book Reviews
-Win You're Amazing at Mrs. Magoo Reads winner announced 04/01
-Win 10 ARCs at The Story Siren ends 04/07
-Win 3 books at Carrie's YA Bookshelf ends 03/31
-Win Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side at Reading Keeps You Sane ends 03/27
-Win 3 books & an Amazon gift card at GreenBeanTeenQueen ends 04/01

-Win Kiss Me, Kill Me and Kisses & Lies at The Not So Closet Geeks ends 03/19
-Win A Little Friendly Advice at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf ends 03/27
-Win up to 3 books at Bookluver-Carol's Reviews ends 04/01
-Win My Life in Pink and Green at Bookworm Readers ends 04/06
-Win Violet on the Runway at Bookworm Readers ends 04/06
-Win What Would Emma Do? at Genevieve's Blog ends 03/31
-Win This Is What I Want To Tell You at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf ends 04/03
-Choice of 3 books at Juiciliciousss Reviews ends 03/28
-Win a Penguin Prize Pack of 11 books! at Presenting Lenore ends 04/05
-Win Sucks to Be Me at Bookworm Readers ends 04/06
-Win Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit? at Unmainstream Mom Reads ends 04/11
-Win a Penelope Poet necklace at Barefoot Mommy ends 04/07
-Win 4 books at Addicted to Books ends 04/29
-Win 200 coupons at Mom Saves Money ends 04/02
-Win Fairy Tale at The B-log Blog ends 04/13
-Win 2 Bard Academy books at Steph Su Reads ends 04/13
-Win Willow at The Story Siren ends 04/02
-Win A Countess Below Stairs at Katie's Book Blog ends 04/19
-Win Dream Girl at Mrs. Magoo Reads ends 04/06
-Win Souvenir or Reunion at The Written Word ends 04/06


The Two Weeks of Twilight Giveaways at Mom on the Random and Bookroom Reviews (there were too many deadlines to keep track of, so I didn't put them down):
-Win Twilight pins at Book Room Reviews
-Win Twilight make-up kit at Book Room Reviews
-Win Twilight-Inspired jewelry at Book Room Reviews
-Win The Host at Mom on the Random
-Win a Twilight iPod cover at Mom on the Random
-Win Twilight the Complete Illustrated Movie Companion at Mom on the Random
-Win a New Moon Necklace at Mom on the Random
-Win an Essence of Twilight set at Mom on the Random
-Win the Twilight DVD (!!!!!!!) at Mom on the Random
-Win The Host at Book Room Reviews
-Win a Twilight iPod cover at Book Room Reviews
-Win Twilight the Complete Illustrated Movie Companion at Book Room Reviews
-Win a Midnight Sun Necklace at Book Room Reviews
-Win an Essence of Twilight set at Book Room Reviews
-Win the Twilight DVD at Book Room Reviews!