Saturday, May 30, 2015

Vote on June's #WednesdayYA book club read!


For June's club pick, Liz and I each chose two books we wanted to read, and let you vote on them. Now, our winners are going head to head, with Spell Bound (my pick) going up against The Boyfriend List (Liz's pick). Here they are below, as well as their synopses; take a look and hop over to instagram to let us know which one we should read!

*If you don't have instagram, feel free to vote here in the comments. =)




ABOUT SPELL BOUND:
Get It | Add It
Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

ABOUT THE BOYFRIEND LIST:
Get It | Add It
Ruby Oliver is 15 and has a shrink. She knows it’s unusual, but give her a break—she’s had a rough 10 days. In the past 10 days she:
lost her boyfriend (#13 on the list),
lost her best friend (Kim),
lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket),
did something suspicious with a boy (#10),
did something advanced with a boy (#15),
had an argument with a boy (#14),
drank her first beer (someone handed it to her),
got caught by her mom (ag!),
had a panic attack (scary),
lost a lacrosse game (she’s the goalie),
failed a math test (she’ll make it up),
hurt Meghan’s feelings (even though they aren’t really friends),
became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)
and had graffiti written about her in the girls’ bathroom (who knows what was in the boys’!?!).
But don’t worry—Ruby lives to tell the tale. And make more lists.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

MAY BOOK HAUL | 2015

I owe you guys a Florida vlog, but it's taking FOR-EV-ER to edit, so I thought in the meantime, I'd tide you  over with a book haul -- and surprise pink hair!  ...which you would already know about if I'd gotten the vlog up in time. (Oops)
Let me know your take on my month of books in the comments, and if you've done an awesome haul or video lately, leave a link and I'll try to check it out!



THE BOOKS:
Doodle Lit
A Curious Tale of the In-Between
The Gospel of Loki
The Divine
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace & Babbage
The League of Regrettable Superheroes
The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook
Lizard Radio
Guys Read: Terrifying Tales

ALSO MENTIONED:
Wither
Chocolat
Charles Babbage
Ada Lovelace
Difference Engine


Friday, May 22, 2015

Review & Giveaway: The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey | blog tour

Today I'm part of the blog tour for Melissa Grey's debut fantasy, The Girl at Midnight. (In fact, I believe I'm wrapping up the tour, so if you want to know what others thought, particularly those more favorable, there should be plenty more reviews for you to check out by now!)
Check out my thoughts on the book, for what they're worth, below, and then make sure to stick around and enter to win!

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey
Get It | Add It
[Urban?] Fantasy, 368 pages
Published April 28th 2015 by Delacorte Press
Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.


It's been a good long while since I've had to do one of these, but: This is a DNF review. That means I did not finish this book, and am going to attempt to tell you why, so if these types of reviews are not your cup of tea, or you don't think someone is able to form an opinion without having seen a book through to the last page, then you'd probably be better suited looking elsewhere (and I won't blame you -- there are plenty of glowing reviews out there).  But for those of you who are curious to hear my thoughts, or wonder why I couldn't see this one through, I'm going to do my best to lay that out, and I want to start by telling you a bit about me as a reader:
1) I try my best to give a book multiple chances when it's not working for me -- I don't have a super happy DNF trigger finger (though it does itch from time to time).
2) BUT that said, I know myself as a reader, and I know when I'm unlikely to enjoy a book. Life is short, and I've grown unwilling to force myself to finish something that I'm not enjoying.
3) A book doesn't have to be horrible for me to DNF it. Actually, it's more common that I'll give up because I'm indifferent; if I am truly hating a book, I might finish it out of spite, just to be able to fully explain why I loathe it so. But indifference is often the death knell...
4) When I've decided to DNF a book, and still "review" it, I try to make sure I've read enough of it to feel like I've got a handle on the things I want to say, and a clear indication that it's probably going to remain so throughout the book. In this case, I stopped at about 25% of the way through, which is a bit shy of the 100 page mark.

So, all of that said, these are the reasons that I just couldn't bring myself to keep reading:

*It does feel overly reminescent of other things out there, most notably Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It's not that DOSAB was so wholly original in every element, because I'm sure there were things in it that seemed unique but had been done before. There's nothing new under the sun, and all that. But there are times that this feels like a straight knock-off: not just influenced by, but actively used as a format /slash/ jumping-off point. When I love a book the way I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone, comparisons to it can go two ways: either, 'yay! hopefully that'll be really good!' OR 'it can't even compare, I already know it.' When a book is as stylistically strong as, well, any of Laini Taylor's books, it's likely that the comparison will go the second way, and not work out in its favor. If, the entire time you're reading something, you're comparing it to something else that was excellent, then it's bound to suffer in comparison. If someone does something exceedingly skillfully, and then someone else does nearly the same thing, but less so, all of the flaws are going to stand out FAR more than they would have otherwise. ***Weird Misty Food Analogy in 3...2... If you've only ever had Rice-a-Roni, it's fine. But then if one of the world's top chefs makes you a delicious plate of risotto, and then someone hands you a plate of the Rice-a-Roni you were used to, and calls it risotto, it's probably going to make you a little angry. You've had it before, and you know how much better it could be...
It may seem unfair to compare it to someone else's book, and honestly, it probably is. But sometimes these things stand out, and when they're so reminiscent as to seem like they're maybe ripping off that other book, it bears mentioning. (FYI, I've seen people compare it to other books as well, and say much the same thing, so something to bear in mind, especially if you've read one of the books it's compared to, namely Daughter of Smoke and Bone, the Grisha series, and The Mortal Instruments. If you haven't read these books, the similarities will be lost on you, so you may like it much better than I.)

*Probably the biggest issue: I couldn't help but find it cheesy. Everyone has different triggers and levels of tolerance for this, so the things that bothered me may not bother you. BUT I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit more than I'd like, especially for the amount of pages I read. I found the names cheesy (the types of names I would have come up with and been very pleased indeed with myself in middle school); I found the setup and the way the conflict between these two factions was kind of talked around a good bit before it was actually addressed, and I found it cheesier when we were given info, always in very obvious setups and clumsy attempts to work the info-dumping into dialogue. (This is generally something I appreciate, but it's gotta be subtle. This ... was not.) And I found cheesiest of all the main character, Echo; her interactions with others, and really, her entire being. And I felt this was likely to get worse.

*And it was this cheesiness that lead to the death knell: I was indifferent. I couldn't connect, and there came a time that I just had to admit to myself that I'd been putting off reading it for a month, and hadn't been reading anything else because I didn't want to let myself get sucked away and find excuses not to finish it, and that it was just dragging down my reading pile for the month of May, when really, did I even care what happened? I did not. I couldn't make myself care about these characters and their war, and their search for the "firebird;" I couldn't get past the jarring way that their otherworldly and high-fantasy selves didn't mesh with their uber-modern, carefree styles of interaction, and how I was never quite able to believe in any of them, at any time, enough to take a leap into the world and begin building my willing suspension of disbelief. I just couldn't.

And so that is why I had to give up. I am hoping that if I set the book to the side for a good long while, enough to clear my head of it and reconcile myself to what it actually is, versus what I was hoping it was, that I can come back to it and try again. Maybe like it more than I have this time around. Maybe even enjoy it. I'm borderline curious to see what is actually going on in this world, and I want to know what the fuss was about for my friends that have read and loved this. But for now, I know that any further reading is just going to make me resentful, and ruin any chances of me liking this down the road, so I've got to let it go. For now, at least.

But if that hasn't scared you off, and you're still excited to read it (and why not? You may love this!), then I do wish you the best of luck in this . . .
****GIVEAWAY****
The awesome folks at Penguin Random House, who sent me this book to review, have offered up 2 copies of The Girl at Midnight to two lucky readers!
This giveaway is open in the US and CAN, and ends May 29th at 11:59pm EST.
Fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.
Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Kids Comics Q&A Blog Tour: Craig Thompson, author of Space Dumplins


Though some of you may not be aware, the month of May plays host to Children's Book Week (this year, May 4-10), in which organizations, booksellers, librarians, teachers and yes, even the humble blogger, come together to celebrate and encourage reading and literature for kids. Started in 1919, and organized by Every Child a Reader, Children's Book Week is, in fact, the longest-running literacy initiative in the US, clocking in at nearly a century! So of course I am very happy to taking part in a very special Children's Book Week blog tour in which over 30 different blogs host special Q&As between comics authors Rafael Rosado & Jorge Aquirre (Dragon's Beware) and a whole host of fellow comics authors & illustrators! All in the name of the glory of kidlit. =D

For my stop, Rafael & Jorge sat down to chat with Craig Thompson, author of Space Dumplins (maybe the cutest name ever), which I do hope you'll enjoy. But before you dive in, I encourage you to check out the CBW website and list of events, so you can see if there's anything happening in your area (and get involved!), and even more so, I encourage you to share your favorite books with kids in your life, not just during the yearly Children's Book Week, and not just during the month of May, but always, at absolutely every opportunity that comes your way. . .



RAFAEL/JORGE: Hi, Craig, how nice to cyber-meet you. Thanks so much for answering some of our questions.

QUESTION (FROM RAFAEL): I’m a big fan of your Carnet De Voyage book, and I’m super excited about your collaboration with Baudouin. How did that project come about?

Edmond Baudoin and I first met at a comics festival in the Netherlands in 2004, on the tail end of that trip documented in CARNET DE VOYAGE. He spoke no English, I spoke no French, but despite the language barrier, age difference (he’s 33 years older), cultural differences, we instantly bonded as likeminded creative spirits. A decade later, we decided to collaborate on a book and explore both the differences and overlap in our work.

QUESTION: You had a long development process for "Blankets," and "Habbibi." Was it the same for the new book?

SPACE DUMPLINS was written quickly - in a span of three months, including revised drafts, and the process was completely enjoyable. The drawing, however, was just as time-consuming and exhausting as any other book. It took a solid two years to draw the 300 pages. In contrast, it took a full year to write BLANKETS and two years to draw almost 600 pages. HABIBI was the roughest of all - TWO years to write, and FOUR years to draw.

QUESTION (FROM RAFAEL): I really dig the way you drew "Space Dumplins," doing your pencils on a Cintiq, but inking on paper (I penciled/inked "Giants Beware" and "Dragons Beware" on a Cintiq). Can you talk about your decision to draw it this way, as opposed to doing it all digitally? Truth be told, if time wasn’t an issue, I’d do it the way you’re doing!

The first three chapters of SPACE DUMPLINS were all penciled on paper, but I often found myself drawing panels on separate pieces of paper, then cropping and collaging them on a page in Photoshop - which is the way Art Spiegelman works these days, I believe. At that point, it became easier to just “pencil” on a Cinitiq in MangaStudio, which has infinite possibilities for editing composition, then print out blue lines on actual paper. For me, it was important to maintain the tangible, analog side of the process by inking the final lines on paper with India ink and a sable brush. I can’t bear spending all my creative hours on a digital screen.

QUESTION: What are you working on next? Any more collaborations with other super-star Bande dessinée artists?

The collaboration with Edmond Baudoin is my next project. We started on it last summer when I spent two weeks with him in the mountain top village in the south of France he grew up in. This summer, he’s visiting the States and we’ll do the All American Road Trip - from LA to Wisconsin, my home state - hitting the important national monuments like Moab, Zion, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone. Neither of us have been to those places, and we’ll document it all in drawings. The book will end up being a cross between BLANKETS and CARNET DE VOYAGE.

QUESTION: What’s on your nightstand?

HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY is on the nightstand, because I gotta keep bedtime reading light, and Douglas Adams’ sci-fi comedy has been great inspiration for SPACE DUMPLINS. During daylight, I’m reading Cormac McCarthy’s SUTTREE.

Find more of the Kids Comics Q&A tour here!

about SPACE DUMPLINS by Craig Thompson
Get It | Add It
320 pages
Expected publication: August 25th 2015 by GRAPHIX
Highly acclaimed graphic novelist Craig Thompson's debut book for young readers about a plucky heroine on a mission to save her dad.

For Violet Marlocke, family is the most important thing in the whole galaxy. So when her father goes missing while on a hazardous job, she can't just sit around and do nothing. To get him back, Violet throws caution to the stars and sets out with a group of misfit friends on a quest to find him. But space is vast and dangerous, and she soon discovers that her dad is in big, BIG trouble. With her father's life on the line, nothing is going to stop Violet from trying to rescue him and keep her family together.

Visionary graphic novel creator Craig Thompson brings all of his wit, warmth, and humor to create a brilliantly drawn story for all ages. Set in a distant yet familiar future, Space Dumplins weaves themes of family, friendship, and loyalty into a grand space adventure filled with quirky aliens, awesome spaceships, and sharp commentary on our environmentally challenged world.



Friday, May 15, 2015

The Vlog #9: Ice Cream and Murder!

So, the first time I uploaded this, I forgot to actually finish editing it and adding in music. Kiiiiinda a crucial element, yeah? I'd say I was jetlagged from my trip, but I was in the same time zone... ;)
Also, sorry this one's up so late in the month! That one I definitely blame on my trip out of town, because I didn't have time to edit it before I left. It's up so late, in fact, that the next video will be the first of the May vlogs! Back to back vlogs, but what can I say: FUN THINGS were happening. =D

Thanks for watching / liking / commenting!

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Cover & Line Reveal of THE WINNER'S KISS + Giveaway!! | blog tour


Hello, all! Today I'm part of a very special, very neat blog tour called "In the Beginning . . ." It's for The Winner's Kiss, the final book in Marie Rutkoski's The Winner's Curse series, and in it, I and 5 other blogs will be revealing the first 6 series' of lines in the book, to give you a little teaser of what's to come. Many of you could probably guess that this is right up my alley, as I've mentioned numerous times that I will often decide what to read, or whether to buy a book, by opening it up and reading the first few lines; if it makes me want to keep reading, then I go with it. And if the first few lines are especially good, my excitement and expectation goes through the roof. I am a huge believer in the importance of first lines! (So this blog tour = kinda perfect for me.)

The cover was revealed on Bustle earlier this week, but I love you, so before we get to my lines, I'm including it here as well. I know this may seem like a silly thing to focus on, what with there being a badass sword, and all, but I love the font for this series!


Now, onto 'my' line;
His head was blessedly empty of stories then. War was coming. It was upon him.
I've gotta say, I got a pretty damn compelling set of lines to reveal. And I love the cadence; they would definitely make me inclined to keep going. How about you? You can keep going tomorrow, as the lines continue over on Supernatural Snark!

But until then, how's about you entertain yourself be entering this. . .
****GIVEAWAY****

To celebrate the cover release for the final book in this series, Macmillan has offered up a hardcover copy of the previous book, The Winner's Crime, to one lucky reader, to help get you prepared for the final book!
Open to entrants in US/CAN only.
Ends May 22nd at 11:59pm EST.
Fill out the Rafflecopter to enter.
Please don't leave any personal information in the comments!
Good luck!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Get It | Add It
Fantasy, 352 pages
Expected publication: March 1st 2016 by Farrar Straus & Giroux


War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it, with the East as his ally and the empire as his enemy. He’s finally managed to dismiss the memory of Kestrel, even if he can’t quite forget her. Kestrel turned into someone he could no longer recognize: someone who cared more for the empire than for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she cared for him. At least, that’s what he thinks.

But far north lies a work camp where Kestrel is a prisoner. Can she manage to escape before she loses herself? As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover unexpected roles in battle, terrible secrets, and a fragile hope. The world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and Kestrel and Arin are caught between. In a game like this, can anybody really win?

Find out more about the first two books by clicking their covers below:
      


See the rest of the lines at these fine blogs:
Tuesday, May 12th – Cuddlebuggery
Wednesday, May 13th – Love is Not a Triangle
Thursday, May 14th – The Book Rat (This is today. You are here. You should know this already, get with the program... ;P )
Friday, May 15th – Supernatural Snark
Saturday, May 16th – YA Bibliophile
Sunday, May 17th – Forever YA

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Review & Giveaway: Exquisite Corpse by Pénélope Bagieu | blog tour


I'm back from vacation, and straight into the swing of things with today's blog tour stop for : Exquisite Corpse by Pénélope Bagieu! This graphic novel is an interesting one that I think may be divisive, which I touched on in my April Rewind. Keep reading to see what I thought, and then enter to win a copy!

Exquisite Corpse by Pénélope Bagieu
Get It | Add It
Contemporary/Graphic Novel, 128 pages
Published May 5th 2015 by First Second
Zoe isn't exactly the intellectual type, which is why she doesn't recognize world-famous author Thomas Rocher when she stumbles into his apartment...and into his life. It's also why she doesn't know that Rocher is supposed to be dead. Turns out, Rocher faked his death years ago to escape his critics, and has been making a killing releasing his new work as "lost manuscripts," in cahoots with his editor/ex-wife Agathe. Neither of them would have invited a crass party girl like Zoe into their literary conspiracy of two, but now that she's there anyway. . . . Zoe doesn't know Balzac from Batman, but she's going to have to wise up fast... because she's sitting on the literary scandal of the century!



As I'd mentioned in my rewind for last month, I have a feeling that people are going to end up at opposite ends of the like/dislike spectrum when it comes to this book -- I don't think there will be a lot of middle ground, and it certainly won't be the book for everyone. I, myself, wasn't entirely convinced in the beginning, because I didn't really love the main character, which made me feel a little disconnected from the story, which can then translate to indifference, which is the death-knell of any book. I read something recently about "unlikable" characters that's been bothering me a bit (among other things that I read in the piece, and it's something I want to address in the coming days, because I have things to say), so I want to clarify by this that I don't think you need to have a lovable, huggable main character for a book to be successful, and unlikable can mean a lot of things; some use it to mean poorly written/realized, but when I use it, I'm almost always going to mean, kind of an ass. Zoe's kind of an ass. Her boyfriend is most definitely an ass. Rocher, yep, he's an ass, too. (I like Agathe, though. She gets a pass.) So it's a book peopled with characters that don't necessarily make you love them or root for them, which can leave people feeling ambiguous (or disconnected, as I said), and that's why I think it may be divisive and cause some irritated reactions.

But a book with unlikable characters is still capable of being successful, and developing a rich, interesting world -- plenty of classics and acclaimed books have unlikable characters; some unlikable characters inexplicably become fan-favorites -- so I'm always willing to go with it and see how things turn out, especially when it's as quick a read as this. And fortunately, though I was so hesitant with Zoe in the beginning, and found her to be a bit bratty, the story remains engaging and interesting, and has a streak of honesty (ironic, amidst the dishonesty at the heart of the book) that kept me entertained and pulled along, and I'm glad of that. Because for all that the characters are kinda d-bags, it all became more amusing for me as it went on, all the way up to the twist at the end, which I won't spoil, other than to say, that's another thing that might irritate people, but I found it oddly delightful. It was an absurd little bit of poetic justice that, even though heavy-handed, was so darkly humorous and fitting that I couldn't help but be tickled by it.

I found the simple style and muted colors of the art expressive and charming, and the clean understatedness really worked well with the story. Again, that may not be to everyone's taste, but stylistically, it was distinct and I felt it suited the story, and added to the overall feel. So all in all, there are certainly "outs" to the story -- there are things across the board that may make some readers check out and not like it. But there are plenty of "ins" too, and the expressiveness and personality of the story, characters and style, combined with the poetic justice and humor of the end work together to make it something I actually quite enjoyed, and would recommend -- for the right reader.

And if you think you're the right reader, then you should enter this . . .
****GIVEAWAY****
To celebrate the US release of this French import, the fine folks at FirstSecond have offered up a copy of Exquisite Corpse to one lucky winner!
Giveaway is open to US only (sorry INT'L folks! But as I said, this book is originally French, so to be fair, you've had five years on us to enjoy it out there in the wider world... ;P ), and is open until May 19th at 11:59 pm.
Fill out the Rafflecopter to enter.
Good luck!
And make sure to check out more of the EXQUISITE CORPSE blog tour here, and find more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, May 11, 2015

Review: SKANDAL by Lindsay Smith

In my April Rewind, I promised you guys a full video review of SKANDAL (which seemed only fitting, since I'd done a video review of Sekret, based on requests!).
Here are my thoughts; let me know yours in the comments!

And in case you missed it, you can see my review of Sekret here. =)



ABOUT THE BOOK:
Skandal by Lindsay Smith
Get It | Add It
336 pages
Published April 7th 2015 by Roaring Brook Press
The dramatic sequel to Sekret, this psychic Cold War espionage thriller follows Yulia to Washington, DC, where she fights to discover the truth about her family without losing control of her mind.

My mind is mine alone.

Life in Washington, D.C., is not the safe haven Yulia hoped for when she risked everything to flee communist Russia. Her father is reckless and aloof, and Valentin is distant and haunted by his past. Her mother is being targeted by the CIA and the US government is suspicious of Yulia's allegiance. And when super-psychics start turning up in the US capitol, it seems that even Rostov is still a threat. Ultimately, Yulia must keep control of her own mind to save the people she loves and avoid an international Skandal.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

APRIL 2015 REWIND | Mini-reviews of my April reads!

As some of you may already know, I'm going to be out of town for about a week, so posts may be sporadic.  But I do have a few things scheduled and ready, and this is one of them! Here's a look at what I read in April, and what I thought of it -- and I got through (almost) everything I'd planned! Yay, me! ;)
Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and what some of your hits and misses of April were!



THE BOOKS:
A Court of Thorns and Roses | review
Beastkeeper review
Hold Me Like a Breath | review
Skandal
The Raven Boys
Lying Out Loud
Exquisite Corpse

ALSO MENTIONED:
Silver in the Blood
When the Sea is Rising Red
Fairy Tale Fortnight
#WednesdayYA discussion

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

May's #WednesdayYA book club pick is...


It's that time again!
Those of you who watched last month's #WednesdayYA live show for The Raven Boys will know that Liz was feeling contemporary this month, so she put a good chunk of our shared contemporary reads into a bowl, and pulled out the name of the book we'll be reading this month.
And that book is . . .


A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler
Contemporary, 277 pages
Published May 8th 2010 by Flux 
Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talented artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura's dad left them. Convinced that "creative" equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked—and together may offer an escape from her fears.


We hope you can join us in reading this fairly slim novel. As always, we'll be having a live discussion of the book on the last wednesday of the month, so in this case, May 27th. You can join in on Twitter with the hashtag #WednesdayYA, and/or you can watch along and comment right on youtube. We'll be shooting out the link to that as we get closer to the discussion,  but whether you're able to make it then, or just want to weigh in at any point throughout the month, feel free to @ us with that hashtag and let us know your thoughts!

Friday, May 1, 2015

Fairy Tale Fortnight Winners!!


Before I get into the looong list of FTF 2015 winners, I just want to thank you guys for your patience. It's always a process going through all of the giveaways and validating entries (you'd be amazed how many people can't follow simple directions... or maybe you wouldn't...), but over the entire week since the giveaways ended, I've been relentlessly sick. Kinda makes the sitting up in bed, staring at screen -doing not as easy as it should be. 
BUT you don't want to hear about that, and you've been waiting long enough, so let's get into it. 

Below you'll find the list of all of the giveaways we had this year in Fairy Tale Fortnight, along with the winners, as they're chosen. Sometimes you will see a listed giveaway with no winner announced -- this is because I controlled the raffles for some of the giveaways, and Bonnie controlled others; though I'm still waiting on Bonnie's winners, I'll update them here once I have them.

All of my winners have been emailed, and I tried to list a last initial with each name to cut down on confusion, but if you're unsure if you're the one listed, leave a comment asking or send me an email, and I'll do my best to clarify. All winners have 24 hours to confirm if they no longer wish to receive their prize, at which point, I'll choose a new winner if needed. Otherwise, since addresses have already been gathered on the registration form, I'll go ahead and forward them to the prize-shipping parties. If you've won and you're confident that your information is correct, you don't have to do anything except wait for your sweet, sweet bookmail. =) 
[If your info has changed, or you no longer want your prize, please email me immediately.]

I want to thank you all again for showing up to this year's FTF and diving in with enthusiasm! You guys make the chaos worth it, and I lurve you for it. My fingers are crossed for you that you've won something! Now let's find out if you have...

FAIRY TALE FORTNIGHT 2015 WINNERS!!

Cinderella's glass slipper watercolor
Amanda T

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J Maas
Tiffany H. 

A DEVILISH SUMMER by Shereen Vedam
Stephanie C

SURROGATE SEA prize pack by Danielle E. Shipley
Sarit

RED AUGUST by H.L. Brooks  ebook (x5) 
Paula H 
DeAnne H
Rachael V
Emily R
Natasha S

HOLD ME LIKE A BREATH by Tiffany Schmidt
Bridget H

SILVER IN THE BLOOD by Jessica Day George
Ashley H

THE SLEEPER & THE SPINDLE by Neil Gaiman
Alisha S

THE UGLY STEPSISTER by Aya Ling ( ebook x3)
Lauren K
Danielle D 
Kristen N

THE PRINCESS CURSE by Merrie Haskell
Ellie M 

MECHANICA by Betsy Cornwell
physical arc: Sheila R
e-arc: Michi 

TBA -- 

DORIAN TSUKIOKA prize pack 

THE SILVER WITCH by Paula Brackston (x2)

Month9Books prize pack

GATHERING FROST by Kaitlyn Davis
 
Less Than Three press book of choice

RUMPLED by Lacey Louwagie