happy halloween

this is me on halloween when i was about 3 years old (i think).

how cute was i?!?

too bad

i didn't reach 200 followers in 48 hours, like i had hoped. but i got pretty darn close with 180+ followers! thanks to everyone who has passed on the word and followed me. i'm sticking with the $15 amazon email gift card, and i have more giveaways coming up soon, so stick around! :)

3 more hours...

if i reach 200 followers in the next 3 hours, i will be increasing my giveaway to a $20 amazon email gift card!

click here for more details

october 28 - btt

haven't done this in awhile...

here's today's question from booking through thursday:

In honor of Halloween this weekend:

What reading skeletons do you have in your closet? Books you’d be ashamed to let people know you love? Addiction to the worst kind of (fill in cheesy genre here)? Your old collection of Bobbsey Twin Mysteries lovingly stored behind your “grown-up” books? You get the picture … come on, confess!

here's the thing: i love children's lit. since i have an MSEd in Literacy B-6, i've spent the past 7+ years of my life reading and analyzing children's lit. i'm (almost) 25 years old and i can easily curl up in a chair to enjoy Septimus Heap or Dear America.

i also read some inspirational novels, but only by select authors. in college, i used to hate reading those out in the open. i would actually hide them inside a textbook.

what are your reading skeletons?

Spooktacular Giveaway UPDATE

UPDATE: i am writing this now at 4 pm on thursday and i have hit 150 followers! the amazon email gift card is now $15. if i gain 50 more followers in 25 hours, i'll increase it to $20!!



never in my WILDEST dreams would i have imagined that my little book blog here would gain 130+ followers in just over 2 days. all because of one little giveaway for a $10 amazon email gift card.

well, now that my follower list is getting bigger, i'm thinking that my giveaway should get a little bigger.

it's currently shortly after 5:30 pm EST on wednesday. if i get 150 followers by this time tomorrow, which is 5:30 pm EST on thursday, i'll increase the gc amount to $15.


it gets better... if i get 200 followers by this time in 2 days, which is 5:30 pm EST on friday, i'll increase the gc amount to $20.

just IMAGINE all the books you could get from amazon with $20. *drools*

so, yea, go tell your friends to enter. you don't have to have a book blog to enter. heck, you don't even have to HAVE a blog, any blog at all. the ONLY requirement is that you follow this blog and have a valid email address.


what are you waiting for?!?!




please note that this is NOT the giveaway post.
CLICK HERE to enter the giveaway.

Spooktacular Giveaway!

i am participating in the Spooktacular Book Blog Giveaway Hop that is being run by Kathy over at i am a reader, not a writer.



For my first book blog giveaway, i am starting small:

a $10 email gift card from Amazon!
like i said, i'm starting small. but still, $10 can go a long way! my fiance and i used a $10 amazon card to get 2 used books for him and a wedding planning book for me. not too shabby!

how to enter:
i don't want to make this difficult for you. to enter, simply follow me and then leave a comment with your email address. if you follow me, but don't leave a comment, how will i know you want to enter?!

so that's it, 2 steps.

step 1: follow me (gfc or blogger)
step 2: leave a comment with your email address.

DONE!

okay, go click follow. it's over there, to the left.

this was supposed to be US only, but it's through email. so international bloggers can enter, too!

oh, and don't forget to check out all of the other blogs that are giving away fun stuff. (but first, make sure you follow me and comment here!)

Spider Bow giveaway

I am having another giveaway
on my main blog, Artistically Amy.
It is for a spider bow
from the Avery Bowtique.
CLICK HERE
to read more details and enter!

Book Review: Prisoners in the Palace

Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl

London, 1838. Sixteen-year-old Liza's dreams of her society debut are dashed when her parents are killed in an accident. Penniless, she accepts the position of lady's maid to young Princess Victoria and steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above. Is it possible that her changing circumstances may offer Liza the chance to determine her own fate, find true love, and secure the throne for her future queen?

Meticulously based on newly discovered information, this riveting novel is as rich in historical detail as Catherine, Called Birdy, and as sizzling with intrigue as The Luxe.[Source]

I received this book for review from the publisher through 1 ARC Tours. I chose to join this tour because I love historical fiction and I love royalty novels.

The book starts off shortly after Liza's parents have died, so it jumped right into the conflict. An up-and-coming debutante has been left penniless, with no family or friends to turn to. Luckily, Liza has been raised to be independent and quick-thinking...

Or so I thought. This girl is witty enough to negotiate with the hotel owner and prevent him from selling her possessions, but she's too naive to hold her tongue when addressing a potential employer.

Liza smartened up over the course of the book, and formed some vital friendships. Most obvious, of course, is her friendship with Princess Victoria. But there was also Boy and Will, and the unexpected alliance with Lehzen. Without those friendships, Liza surely would have ended up like Annie.

As for Simon, well, I did NOT see that coming! When I did a quick reread, I saw the signs, although only because I knew what to read for. I don't want to ruin the ending for anyone, but I will warn you to read all the dialogue VERY CAREFULLY.

I liked that this book jumps right in with conflict and struggles, so no pages are wasted on developing problems for characters to solve. The problems are presented almost immediately. I also loved the theme of the unexpected friendships. However, overall, I felt the book was lacking something. It doesn't jump out as a romance, or a mystery, and the historical fiction aspect needs something else to back it up.

Rating:

"urban fantasy is hot"

have you noticed the obsession with vampires and werewolves? are you confused as to why readers are becoming more and more obsessed with fantasy and paranormal novels? carolina over at carol's prints wrote up a little post on her opinion as to why this trend is increasing in popularity, appropriately titled "urban fantasy is hot."

Book Review: Shiver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future. [Source]

I was a little late to jump on this bandwagon – The Werewolves of Mercy Falls. I knew it was hugely popular, so I decided to buy and read the first one to see what the fuss was all about.

Oh, I am so glad I did! Shiver is, by and far, the best YA book I have read in a LONG time.

I was hooked right from the very first page. Each chapter is either from Grace or Sam’s point of view. There is a hint of foreshadowing right on the first page of each chapter, as there is a little number under each chapter title. The numbers tell you the temperature, which gives you an idea of how Sam is feeling. Of course, this creates a lot of suspense for the reader, which means the reader never wants to put the book down.

I was reading so fast that I got confused by all the different werewolves. Several times, I had to force myself to slow down and reread so I wouldn’t miss anything important.

When I got to the accident, I can only imagine how my face must have looked – eyes wide, mouthing, “No, no, please, no!” I was bawling like a baby by the end of that chapter. I had to put the book down and go grab a box of tissues so I could keep reading. I was so in love with Sam that Grace’s pain became my own. And what she did to the guitar – ohmigosh, it made me cry even harder.

I was left with several questions when the book ended, but I expected that to happen, since I knew that this is Book 1 in a trilogy. I can’t wait to find out what happened with Olivia… And the new recruits. If I had read this before publication of the other books, I would have said that the trilogy looks very promising. It’s a good thing Book 2 has already been published – I am going to go get it right away!

Rating: 5 hearts!

upcoming events!!

great news! i'll be taking part in two giveaway blog hops in the next 2 months, one for Halloween and one for Thanksgiving.

the first one is the Spooktacular book blog giveaway hop.
that'll be 10/25 - 10/31.


the next one is the Gratitude Giveaway,
which is a follower appreciation hop.
that'll be 11/17 - 11/27.


both of them are being hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. both of these giveaways will require you to be a public follower of my blog through GFC/blogger. subscribe now so you don't miss out!