In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi the storysiren. This is where us bloggers get a chance 

to show you what we got this wk! Bookish related of course!

Some people *coughs* Loretta *coughs* were asking me where my IMM was. Well...YouTube ate the first one! THe second one I looked like a silent but enthusiastic fan girl. I'm hoping third time is the charm! I'm honestly so exhausted, that if it's not, thats as good as it's gonna get! So without further ado...

Borrowed from the Library

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Peble

Dirty Little Secret by C.J. Omololu

For Review

Winter Town by Stephen Emond

DJ Rising by Love Maia

Bought

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Caroly Mackler

Gifted

Kindle Fire! Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Thanks Dad :)

And last but not least, an IMM by The Princess of Storyland ( oh yeah! Thats me!) wouldn't be an IMM without a few stills! 

Seriously YouTube??? You ATE my video??? Yeah, thanks for that! *sighs*

Totally fell asleep waiting on video 3 to upload. Third time's the charm! Right?

I totally <3 the Library!

I TOTALLY Squeed when this came in the mail! Wouldn't you???

Practicing my French! Oui?

Too tired to even hold my head up at this point!

Good Night folks!

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! Leave me a comment and let me know what you got in your mailbox this week or leave me a link to yours! I LOVE IMM's! Don't forget to enter my November giveaway for a finished copy of The Pledge by Kimberly Derting!

Wintergirls

location: home

mood:  sleepy

watching: Scarecrow and Mrs. King Season 1 ( mom has me hooked now!)

music: none

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Release Date:  March 19,2009

Publisher: Penguin

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 288

Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Intrest: Young Adult
Challenge: 2011 Reading Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.

“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.I am that girl.I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.

Many years ago I was watching a movie on lifetime ( yes, I am a lifetime movie addict!) called Speak with a very young Kristen Stewart. For some reason that movie haunted me, but in an incredible way! I quickly picked up the book and devoured it just as quickly and ferociously as I did the movie. I was completely mesmerized by Laurie Halse Anderson's writtng and have been ever since then!

Wintergirls has been on my TBR list for quite some time and I am so glad I finally made the time to read it. In a writing style all Laurie's she totally captivates you with the story and takes you into the struggles of teen girls with eating disorders.

Growing up I knew so many young girls with this horrible self image problem. In a society so hung up on image, I think this is an issue that has only gotten worse with time! Unfortunately with very serious and deadly consequences.

I loved how Laurie tackled this very serious issue, in a way that no one else can! She really gets inside the heads of any young girl with a body image issue in such a way that is bone chilling! With so many girls and women suffering from these problems, I am so glad someone wrote a very honest and gritty look into eating disorders, and their deadly consequences! A definate must read!

Yet another amazing book by Laurie Halse Anderson! In my book she can do no wrong. This is a definately must read, especially if you know anyone who is battling with an eating disorder. You won't regret picking this book up!

November Giveaway

Hey Everyone!

I hope November has been an incredible month for everyone. It's about to get even better! Thanks to the awesome folks at Simon and Schuster for providing a finished copy of Kimberly Derting's amazing new book The Pledge. Trust me when I say, this is one book you don't want to miss!

I honestly didn't think I was going to have a giveaway this month, so a big thank you to the Simon and Schuster team for making this giveaway possible! I'm so excited about this one, because its such an awesome book!

Please enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win a copy of The Pledge. There will only be one winner, so make sure you take advantage of the extra ways to enter and goodluck!

How To Rock Braces and Glasses

location: home

mood: SHOPPING!!!

watching: Keeping Up Appearances

music: none

How To Rock Braces and Glasses

Release Date:  October 24, 2011

Publisher: Poppy

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 336

Format: ARC
Source: ARC
Intrest: Young Adult
Challenge: 2011 Reading Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

Super-stylish and uber-harsh, Kacey Simon is the social dictator of Marquette Middle School. She's BFFs with the prettiest girls, and she even hosts her own TV segment dispensing advice and the cold, hard truth to her classmates -- whether they want to hear it or not.

But then an eye-infection and a visit to the dentist leave her with coke-bottle glasses, a mouth full of metal, and... a littthp. Dismissed by her popular friends, she falls so far down the social ladder she can barely see the top, even with her magnifying specs.

With nowhere else to turn, Kacey has to hang with her nerdy neighbor and a boy who walks to beat of his own drum -- or rather, to the beat of the drummer in his band. Zander wants Kacey to be their lead singer, but she's determined to reclaim her throne. Will she climb back to the top? Or will she discover that hitting rock bottom kind of... rocks?

As usual I picked this book based off of the adorable cover and was excited to read something by an author that was new to me, Meg Haston. This book proved to be just as cute as the cover, and I found myself liking it so much more than I thought I would!

This is the story of Kacey Simon, the teen queen of her school! Kacey is pretty, popular, super talented, and the go to girl for advice on anything from wardrobe, boyfriends, to what to eat for lunch. Kacey prides herself on giving her honest opinion, but it often comes off more harsh than helpful. Surrounded by the most popular girls in school as her bff's,  with the lead in the school play tucked securely under her belt, and the cutest boy in school, Kacey is on top of the world. Then tragedy strikes! An innocent accident leaves Kasey with hideous braces and her very own pair of geek glasses. Is Kacey popular enough to withstand this social suicide? Or is this Mean Girl in for a taste of her own medacine?

At first I really hated Kacey's character. I mean, does she honestly think she's being helpful and not hurtful? If I ever talked like that my mother would wash my mouth out with soap! But for some reason, everyone just seems to take what Kacey says in stride. Is it because they are scared of her or desperately trying to impress her? Maybe its a little of both!

Needless to say I definately couldn't help but chuckle when Kacey gets a taste of her very own medacine, from none other than her bff Molly! You'd think after the humiliation she suffers (come on was the YouTube video not embarassing enough?) she would have a new outlook on life! Instead Kacey with a little help starts plotting her claim to fame. This Mean Girl is desperate and will do just about anything to get back on top! 

How To Rock Braces and Glasses reminds me of those all too familiar highschool days! Full of crushes, late nights, best friends, sleep overs and Mean Girls! 

Meg did a great job writting a realistic tale of highschool drama, with a dash of humor and a slice of humble pie! I can't wait to read more by this incredible author!

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi the storysiren. This is where us bloggers get a chance 
to show you what we got this wk! Bookish related of course!

Borrowed From the LIbrary
Crossed by Ally Condie
Sheltered by Harlan Coben
The Help by Katherine Stockett
Past Perfect by Leila Sales


Random Acts of Kindness
Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma 
-Thank you to Loretta at Between the Pages
The Pledge Swagpack by Kimberly Derting
- Thank you to AMY ( I am sooo sorry I kept calling you Amber! This is what comes of filming after midnight! =/ You know I <3 you!!! ) at Book Loving Me
Kindle Fire
- Thank you Pops! I LOVE it!!! I squeed when it came in the mail! :)

WonMoon Coin by Richard Due and Carolyn Arcabascio

Bought
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ( autographed! Eeek!)
Jenny Pox by JL Bryan  (it's FREE on Kindle so get a copy!!)
I Am Become Death by Roco Ryg ( its also free on Kindle!!!)
Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe ( I've been DYING for this bk but its Kindle only. The cover is gorgeous and I can't wait to start reading it!

This is literally the look on my face when I got my Pledge swag pack in the mail! lol

Thanks Amy!!! You made my day Chica! <3

Thank you Loretta! I'll let you know what I think about it! :)

Gotta take some time out to fix the hair! haha You know you do it too so hush!

Squeee!!! A signed copy of The Night Circus! *cheers and throws confetti*

So a LOT of people have been telling me they LOVE the still shots on my IMMs. So let me know in the comments which you like better. Still shots versus vlog, or both? You can decide how my IMMs will be done! So don't forget to vote and let me know and whichever gets the  most votes wins!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my IMM this wk. Leave me a link in the comments to your IMM, I'd love to see it. I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and happy reading!

2012 TBR Pile Challenge

We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they're gifted to us.. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we'll finally decide to pick them up..

Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you've been telling yourself you'll read next time you'll get a chance.. This is your chance! 

This is my very first time participating in the TBR Pile Challenge and I am VERY excited about it! Here is my list of books I am going to dust off and read during 2012. My goal is to read 2 bks off of my TBR pile each month. So this is just a short list of some books from my TBR list I really want to squeze in.

1.) Extraordianry by Nancy Werlin

2.) Wither by Lauren DeStefano
3.) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

4.) Pretty Little Liars bk 1 by Sarah Shephard

Leave me a comment and let me know if you will be participating in the TBR Pile Challenge this year and a link to your list of books you will be reading if you have one! Even if you aren't participating let me know what books you really want to try to read from your TBR pile this next year.

2012 Debut Author Challenge

Ok so the 2012 Debut Author Challenge start up is right around the corner! I waited too late to sign up last year, and I really miseed it! I had participated in past years, but this is the first year I will be blogging AND participating!

If your intrested in signing up or learning more about it, click on the button above and head on over to The Story Siren's blog to check it out and sign up!

Here is my list of books to read for the 2012 challenge. These are the ones I am DYING to read. I may read more or less, it just depends!

1.) Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
2.) Everneath by Brodi Ashton
3.) Fracture by Megan Miranda
4.) Cinder by Marissa Meyer
5.) Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
6.) Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
7.) The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
8.) A Breath of Eyre by Eva Marie Mont
9.) Of Posiedon by Anna Banks
10.) The Selection by Keira Cass
11.) Harbinger by Sarah Wilson Etienne
12.) The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker

Let me know if your participating in DAC 2012 and leave me a link to your start up post. I'd love to see what your going to be reading!

The Pledge

location: home

mood:  sleepy

watching: Felicity season 3 ( I love 90's flash backs!)

music: none

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Release Date:  November 15, 2011

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 336

Format: ebook
Source: ARC
Intrest: Young Adult
Challenge: 2011 Reading Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

In the violent country of Ludania, the language you speak determines what class you are, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place—looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she’s been hiding her whole life. Her only place of release is the drug-filled underground club scene, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she’s never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. Through a series of violent upheavals, it becomes clear that Charlie herself is the key to forcing out the oppressive power structure of her kingdom….

The Pledge is the story of 17 year old Charlie, who is hiding an incredible secret from the world. With the help of her parents, Charlie hides the fact that she can understand any language spoken, even those outside of her class. If her secret gets out, she could loose her very own life! The Royal Queen will do anything to silence Charlie once and for all. Even if that means hurting the people Charlie loves the most! In a desperate attempt to protect her family and keep them safe from harm, Charlie dives into the underground world with the handsome and mysterious guy Max she met at a club. Is Max really who she thinks, and can she truly trust him? Are there more secrets her parents have kept hidden from her in order to protect her?

I have always wanted to read Kimberly Derting's series, The Body Finder, but haven't been able to just yet. I was excited about reading this new series of hers, The Pledge!

The story progresses at a quick but steady pace, growing more frantic towards the end. I found myself reading as fast as I possibly could at the end, so I could get to the next page to see what happens next! This book has mystery, suspense, action, romance a missing princess, and so much more!

This was a unique and thrilling dystopian, and an incredible start of a brand new series! It does have a cliff hanger at the end, but don't worry! Not the kind where you want to throw the book across the room and scream in frustration! But the kind that leaves you eager to find out what happens next! I personally look forward to doing just that!

In My Mailbox (7)

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi the storysiren. This is where us bloggers get a chance 
to show you what we got this wk! Bookish related of course!

Random Act's of Kindness 
Pretty Little Liars Box Set- Bks 1 to 4 by Sara Shephard
Love Story by Jennifer Echols
Thank you so much to my friend Loretta at Between the Pages You rock my socks!


Borrowed from the Library
Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton
As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson


For Review
Rock On by Denise Vega
The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
How to Rock Braces and Glasses by Meg Haston
Thank you Sam at Peace Love and Ya for the awesome books and it was wonderful meeting you!


Book Swap
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
Thank you to Amanda at Letter's Inside Out for swapping with me! :)


Don't Breathe a Word
Thank you to Candace at Candace's Book Blogand also Alexa at Pages of Forbidden Love

Thank you to Sam at the Bay City Library! Check out her blog HERE

 Thank you sooo much to Loretta at Between the Pages! Your a doll! :)

 Thank you t Amanda at Letters Inside Out for taking Shatter Me off of my hands! ;)

And last but not least, thank you to Candace at Candace's Books Blog and Alexa at Pages of Forbidden Love

Leave me a comment and let me know what you got in your mailbox this week. I hope your all having a fantastic week and happy reading!

The Time Traveling Fashionista

location: home

mood:  sleepy

watching: Felicity season 2

music: none

The Time Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky

Release Date:  April 5, 2011

Publisher: Poppy
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 272

Format: Hardcover
Source: Own
Intrest: Young Adult
Challenge: Debut Author and 2011 Reading Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

What if a beautiful vintage dress could take you back in time?

Louise Lambert has always dreamed of movie starlets and exquisite gowns and longs for the day when she can fill the closet of her normal suburban home with stylish treasures. But when she receives a mysterious invitation to a vintage fashion sale in the mail, her once painfully average life is magically transformed into a time-travel adventure.

Suddenly onboard a luxurious cruise ship a hundred years ago, Louise relishes the glamorous life of this opulent era and slips into a life of secrets, drama, and decadence. . . .

Dreamy and imaginative, The Time-Traveling Fashionista features thirty full-color fashion illustrations to show gorgeous dresses and styles throughout history.

I had just come off of reading quite a few dark books, and needed a bit of a break. This book, full of colorful pages, and gorgeous full page pictures of exquisite fashion, definately gave me the break that I needed!

The Time Traveling Fashionista is the story of 12 year old Louise Lambert, who has a love for vintage fashion. One day Louise recieves an exclusive invitation to shop at a new Vintage store, but it's invite only. Louise goes with the intentions of picking out a dress for a school dance, but gets more than she bargains for! Soon Louise is transported back to 1912 aboard the Titanic in the body of a glamorous hollywood starlet! Louise begins to panic when she realizes what her fate, as well as the entire ships, will be if she doesn't do something to stop the fateful sinking of the Titanic. Will anyone listen to her before it's too late? Can she transport back to 2011 before she goes down with the sinking ship?

The story fly's by quickly, and I read it in one sitting! I thought the story was really cute and loved the vintage glamour aspects as well as the time traveling which made this a unique read!

I adored the splashes of color throughout the book as well as the stunning full page color art of vintage glamour! I'm a fan of the roaring twenties, and anything vintage and thought this book was utterly adorable!

I'm very much looking forward to the second book in the series that will be coming out in April 2012!

If you like vintage fashion, anything Titanic or time travel related you will defanitely want to read this book! I know I'm glad I did! :)

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi the storysiren. This is where us bloggers get a chance 
to show you what we got this wk! Bookish related of course!


Every week when I do my IMM my voice is out of synch with my lips, and you can't hear much of anything I say. lol So trying out something new this week...hope it works. I had to cut my IMM short because someone kept knocking on my door and interupting me. I wanted to mention I'm working on a HUGE project with the girls from Maji bookshelf. Hopefully sometime next week we will be ready to make an announcment so stay tuned! 

Bought
Crossed by Ally Condie
My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody
Sass and Serendipity by Jennifer Zeigler
Vixen by Jillian Larkin
The Time Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky
The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore 

That's all I got in my mail box this week. If you've read any of these books I'd love to know what you thought about them. You can leave me a link in the comments section to your IMM post, or just let me know in the comments what you got this week!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Fall Read-a-thon

Hey Everyone!

This week the girls from Maji Bookshelf and I are hosting a Read-a-thon. We mostly did this for us, but if anyone wants to join in you are absolutely welcome to! :)

The Read-a-thon officialy starts today! Yay!!! *cheers and throws confetti* I am sooo excited! Eeek!

Goals
The last read-a-thon I participated in I was able to read 3 books in a wk! So for this read-a-thon I am upping it to 4! I'd love to do more but one of my best friends is getting married tomorrow, and it might be considered bad manners to read durring the ceremony! lol

I will be making it a goal to visit the blog's of everyone who participates with us and comments on both of our blogs during this period, whether they participate or not!

I will also be making it a goal to only read at least one book off of my netgalley  TBR list!

Books
Crossed by Ally Condie
Never Have I Ever by Sarah Shephard
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Ingenue by Jillian Larkin
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
You Against Me by Jenny Downham
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
Hushed - Net Galley
Cinder - Net Galley
Every Other Day- Net Galley
If I Tell - Net Galley
The Juliet Spell - Net Galley

If you are participating don't forget to leave me a link to your starting post in the comments section.

Now ready, set , and.....gooooooooooo!

Shine

location: home

mood:  sleepy

music: Black Eyed Pea's ( thanks Loretta! )

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Release Date:  May 1, 2011

Publisher: Amulet Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 376

Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Intrest: Young Adult
Challenge: 2011 Reading Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

2011 has been an amazing year in the YA book genre. I've read many amazing books this year, but very few incredible books that have a truly incredible message that everyone needs to hear! But that is exactly what I found with Shine by Lauren Myracle!

I am a huge Lauren Myracle fan and have been reading her books since I was a teen! This book, is so diffrent from anything I've ever read by her. She proves what an incredible and talented author she is!

Shine is the story of Cat, who has grown up in a very small country town in the south. Something traumatic has happened in Cat's life, that she has kept to herself and not told anyone about. Cat has withdrawn from all of her friends, and kept this secret to herself. To her shock, she learns that her best friend Patrick has become the victum of a horrible and brutal hate crime. The local police chalk what happened to Patrick, up to a gay hate crime comitted by out of towners driving through. With the police not doing much to bring justice to Patrick, Cat is determined to track down his attacker if its the last thing she does! Will Cat be able to overcome her own struggles in order to help Patrick? Or will the attacker silence Cat for good before she can   find justice for her best friend?

I would first off like to start with a disclaimer of sorts, and let you know that although this book is in the YA genre, it has some very mature content. Involving drugs, gay hate crime, and sexual abuse. Even though it has some pretty heavy mature content, it is very much what teens are facing on a regular basis!

I am a Texas girl, born and raised. When I started reading this book I immediately thought, oh here we go again, yet ANOTHER book making small town southerner's look like druggie rednecks. But I couldn't be more wrong! This book was so realistic about what life is like in small southern towns. I'm not sure why, but drugs always seem to be extremely problamatic, even putting little towns like the one I live in on the media's map!

Lauren was brutally honest in this book about how drugs can affect someone's life. How they have the power to take over someone's life competely and destroy the youth and innocence of so many lives! I wish I could take this book to the local high school, where undercover drug busts resulted in over 17 kids arrested on a single day landing us in the media spotlight ( and sadly this has happened more than once in the past 4 months!) and hand them out to all the students!

I also appreciated that this book addressed the issue of gay hate crimes. It seems that crimes such as the one in this book, are far too often splashed across the 10 o'clock news. This book shone a light on this problem, and how it affects the victim, their family, friends, and even their entire community! Crimes as hateful, and violent as this one can shock a very town right to its core!

Shine, isn't just the tale of a best friend trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her best friend. It is so much more! This book address so many problems that teens face on a daily basis and has a great message!

In a genre full of vampires, werewolves and witches, this book truly Shines! Thank you Lauren Myracle for writing a truly breathtaking novel that addresses so many of the social issues facing our teens on a daily basis!

The Princess of Storyland & Maji Bookshelf Fall Readathon

Hey guys! As many of you know I LOVE readathons! It's a great way for me to push myself and get some much needed reading done! I participated in 2 in October and LOVED it! Juhina from Maji Bookshelf and I decided to host our own readathon this month! Mostly we started this because there weren't any readathons going on durring the time of Juhina's break from uni. So we decided to make our own! You guys are more than welcome to join us in our  Read-a-thon, we would love to have you! :)

Thank you Juhina for making us this super cute button! I love it!!! :)

Now as you can tell, this Read-a-thon will start tomorrow November 3 through November 10th! There is no need to read 24/7 just whatever you can manage!

1. Set a goal of how many books you would like to read durring the Read-a-thon. Try to aim for a little bit more than you normally would! 
2. List the books you want to read, so we can compare and go oh-la-la over your picks!
3. Comment here or on Maji Bookshelf that you want to participate. We aren't expecting anyone else to join in, but you are more than welcome to if you'd like!
4.Post an update every day or whenever you have time and happy reading! :)

Here are a few of my picks for the Read-a-thon

I will put up my Fall Read-a-thon post tomorrow when it starts with my full list and goals! 

P.S. We are planning a  BIG Read-a-thon towards the begining of the year so stay tuned for that!

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill atBreaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week what I am eagerly awaiting is Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

The cover is super cute! The story sounds awesome and this book is told in verse! What could be better? :)

Don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know what your WOW pick is this wk or leave a link to your own WOW post! 

Happy Reading!