Contest #17

This contest at Just Blinded Book Reviews is a massive contest! If I found out I won this, I would jump around my room screaming at the top of my lungs! One winner, lots and lots of prizes. Details at website.

Website: www.justblindedbookreviews.com.

-Kelsey

Contest #16

There's a contest at the Bloody Bookaholic, who I haven't heard of before this contest, but I'm glad I did. 7 winners, and up to 28 books. Details at the website.

Website: www.bloodybookaholic.blogspot.com.

-Kelsey

Contest #15

There's a contest going on over at Handle Like Hendrix to win a copy of Liar by Justine Larbalestier. (Every time I spell her last name, I spell it wrong, except this time I got it right!) Contest ends March 29.

Website: www.callier.blogspot.com.

-Kelsey

Contest #14

I found a really cool contest with LOTS of prizes. It's at The Book Faery Reviews blog, which I've never heard of before, but sounds really awesome. (That might be because faeries are really awesome!)

Website: www.tbfreviews.net.

-Kelsey

Contest #13

There are SO MANY contests going on for Wherever Nina Lies, and I really hope I win one so I can read and review it on here. I'd love to give my opinion on it, especially since this is the author's first book.

Here's another contest to win it: http://www.booklovercarol.com/2010/02/wherever-nina-lies-giveawaypromotion.html.

-Kelsey

Contest #12

I've recently heard about this book blog through a tweet mentioning a contest. The blog is The Book Junkie's Bookshelf, and the layout is really cute! The contest is for winning a copy of First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader.

Website: http://thebookjunkiesbookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/02/first-daughter-review-and-giveaway.html?showComment=1267235284571_AIe9_BH8viw6jkDz-koWYlch5oMX69_nK-u55YEv3MSvYFzItwN98ov2i4PeVj2hP2uISaERZCjufTepR00D3KDkri0Qf40PgU9A9H5i8no_PigPvdT_sH0Vml1zxv-CmvviTt1JZUkMvXPcoJoAsw8kkDeSw3v9gG2T8lNtIbGZrBcfMJ2dv2hIvtvdLWxd4G2uBsQv4CWt3jwd7_-D9rsnOQX0tmmK6VAdG9sEOZytUbWblxNUTXvtnsugUKM-Hv2AO7NftM1f#c5529518894309637260.

-Kelsey

YA book review: Archenemy

Discover the fate of Wonderland- and imagination itself- in this riveting conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy. The Heart Crystal’s power has been depleted, and Imagination along with it. The people of Wonderland have all lost their creative drive, and most alarmingly, even Queen Alyss is without her powers. There is some comfort in the fact that the vicious Redd Heart seems to be similarly disabled. Amazingly, she is attempting to team up with her enemy, Alyss, in order to reclaim Wonderland from King Arch. Alyss might have no choice but to accept Redd’s overtures, especially when she begins to receive alarming advice from the caterpillar oracles.

(Spoilers included)
I'm really sad that I'm finished with The Looking Glass Wars trilogy. I've immensely enjoyed this series from page one. Even though I loved the second and third book, the first is still my favorite. In the conclusion, I liked how Beddor tied everything together with the oracles, freedom of Imagination, and the Heart Crystal.

The reason I'm not giving Archenemy a full five stars is because of a part of the ending. The deal with King Arch isn't sitting well with me. It might be because I like series to end happy with absolutely NO loose ends, otherwise the books don't seem like they're REALLY at an end. King Arch is still alive...I'm not sure why Beddor wrote it like that. When I end a book or a series of books, the bad characters should be definitely, certainly, unquestionably DEAD. (Either that or severely punished.) Maybe because he was meaning King Arch to be a real person who's alive today? Read the paragraph and see if it doesn't remind you of someone famous (or infamous):

"...a man who had once been a conquering king - at present one of Earth's anonymous multitudes but who, with his outsized ambition, his skills of manipulation and self-promotion, would one day be as recognizable to millions of Americans as he was to Alyss Hart."

I don't know about you, but I have a specific person in mind. I'd really like to ask Beddor about that paragraph and what he intended by writing it.

Contest #11

WOW! Dark Faerie Tales is hosting a huge giveaway with lots of winners and lots of books: my kind of contest! Contest ends March 21. List of books to win is in the post.

Website: http://darkfaerietales.com/500-followers-contest.html.

-Kelsey

Contest #10

At Tales of the Ravenous Reader, there's a contest to win A Token of Darkness by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. I've read some of her other books, and she is good! I recommend picking up her books and checking them out. There are going to be FIVE WINNERS.

Website: http://lushbudgetproduction.blogspot.com/2010/02/token-of-darkness-giveaway.html.

-Kelsey

Contest #9

Contest at Steph Bowe's Hey! Teenager of the Year blog to win one of 3 prizes:

1. A blog or website design by Steph (a custom graphic header, buttons and a new background/layout)
2. A query critique & a first five pages critique from Steph!
3. ARCs of No and Me by Delphine De Vigan and The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

I would LOVE to win either number 1 or 3.

Website: http://heyteenager.blogspot.com/2010/02/contest-win-arcs-critique-blog-makeover.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HeyTeenagerOfTheYear+%28Hey%2C+Teenager+Of+The+Year%29.

-Kelsey

Contest #8

Reverie Book Reviews is hosting a giveaway for Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, which I REALLY want to read. The cover of the book is about the coolest cover I've ever seen. One winner will get a hardcover copy and a bookmark and a poster! And I need some book posters, too. My walls are looking a little sparse.

Website: http://reveriemedia.blogspot.com/2010/02/incarceron-by-cathrine-fisher-giveaway.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reveriemedia3+%28Reverie%29.

-Kelsey

Contest #7

Contest at The Book Faery to win all four books of the Succubus Shadows series. I haven't tried this series yet, but I've heard of them, and they sound pretty cool! Only one winner. You can also earn lots of extra entries in this contest. Contest ends March 19.

Website: http://book-faery.blogspot.com/2010/02/giveaway-georgina-kincaid-series-by.html.

-Kelsey

Contest #6

The Library Lounge Lizard is having another contest. This one is to win a paperback copy of Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten. There will be three winners and the contest ends March 9. You can earn extra entries, which is why I'm posting this on my blog!

Website: http://www.libraryloungelizard.com/2010/02/wherever-nina-lies-online-giveaway.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LibraryLoungeLizard+%28Library+Lounge+Lizard%29.

-Kelsey

Contest #5

Free Book Friday Teens has one contest every week. Contest winners are posted on Friday, and the next week's contest is posted the next day. The founder of the website is actually an author herself: Jessica Brody. There is usually more than one contest winner, so there is a better chance of winning! I've been entering every week for a while and haven't won one yet, but I will eventually!

Website: http://teens.freebookfriday.com/

Contest #4

I found out about this website via The Library Lounge Lizard. Website: http://www.yabookscentral.com/cfusion/index.cfm?fuseAction=home.contests.

Currently, they have two book-related contests going on. You have to answer a question relating to the book, so it's a little more work than just entering your name, email, and address, but it'll be worth it if you win! After you enter, you will receive a confirmation email at the address you entered in the contest form.

-Kelsey

YA book review: Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident

Artemis is at boarding school in Ireland when he suddenly receives an urgent video e-mail from Russia. In it is a plea from his father, who has been kidnapped by the Russian Mafiya. As Artemis rushes to his rescue, he is stopped by Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police. But this time, instead of battling the fairies, he is going to have to join forces with them if he wants to save one of the few people in the world he loves.

I have to admit that the first book of the Artemis Fowl series didn't impress me all that much. So I lagged behind in ordering the second book from the library, but I finally did. This was my reaction through the whole book: WOW, this is so much better than the first one! I don't remember the specifics of Artemis Fowl book 1, so I can't say why exactly I didn't like it.

This book was non-stop action from page 1. This book made me read late into the night, and I hated to put the book down. I even took it on the treadmill with me. Besides the action, another reason why I love this book is the characters. I liked everyone in the book, but Holly Short was probably my favorite. She is one feisty elf! She has a non-stop supply of witty comebacks and humor, and plus she knows how to put people in their place (with the use of a fist). I'm definitely drawn to the kick-ass girl type, evidenced by another one of my favorite characters in Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor: Homburg Molly. The writing of this book was superb. I love a book with plenty of humor, and this one was stocked with it.

After finishing the book, I was glad that I didn't give up after the first one, and I will continue reading the series.

Looking forward to...#1

Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pegasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication.

But it’s different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close—so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo—and possibly to the future safety of their two nations.

This book looks really good. I think it's because I've always had a soft spot for Pegasus. When I was little, I had this small plastic Pegasus that changed from purple to pink when I left it in the freezer. I carried it around a lot, I loved it so much. I also had this poster of Pegasus flying in a blue, starry sky. I had it hanging in my old room for as long as I could remember. I still hang it up sometimes in the room I have now. Later on, I found Pegasus posters at a garage sale from the same artist! I was so happy, so I hurried up and grabbed one before anyone else took it. (There was no one else at the sale.)

Anyway, so that's my Pegasus story. As far as I know, there haven't been any books that have cast a Pegasus as the object of a girl's love. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to reading this book. I'll have to add it to my future reads and sometime I'll get around to ordering it from the library.

I know many people have said they like Robin McKinley's books, but she's not one of my favorite authors. The first time I read Sunshine, I liked it, but the second time through I stopped half-way. Some of the fantasy part in it didn't really make sense. Yeah, it's fantasy and it's not supposed to make sense, but the reader is supposed to be able to understand the rules of the author's fantasy world and I just...didn't. I also tried to read Beauty, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but I couldn't get into that either.

I hope that her new book Pegasus is better than what I've seen so far.

-Kelsey

Contest #3

For an extra entry into The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really)'s (ha! that made me laugh) contest, I'm posting a blog about it, in addition to tweeting and commenting. What I don't do for these contests! It's an addiction I tell you!

Here's the link: http://theundercoverbooklover.blogspot.com/2010/02/birthday-bash-contest-international.html

-Kelsey

Contest #2

To gain an extra entry, I'm posting a link to Brooke Reviews: A Fantasy and Science Fiction Review Blog's contest to win one of 8 books. There will be five winners, and I REALLY hope I win this, because one of the books is The Looking Glass Wars, which I still can't believe I don't own yet! But I haven't found it at The Half-Price Bookstore, and I'm cheap so I won't go out and buy one full-price for $8.

I love fantasy and some SF, so this blog is just for me! Seriously, anything fantasy that looks good, I pick it up and scarf it down. Some of them are awesome, some not so much.

Here's the link: http://reviewsbybrooke.blogspot.com/2010/02/its-my-blogiversary.html

-Kelsey

YA book review: Seeing Redd

Wonderland finally seems as if it’s getting back to normal. Queen Alyss is back on the throne, and reunited with her childhood sweetheart, Dodge. But the fight for Wonderland is far from over. King Arch, in nearby Boarderland, is conniving to overthrow everything for which Alyss and her friends have fought so hard. Even worse, King Arch has found an ally in the recently returned Redd, who has been biding her time and gathering new and evil assassins in the Catacombs of Paris. With enemies circling and danger looming, someone close to Alyss lets her down—and threatens the future of Wonderland forever.

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor is yet another look into Alyss' fantasic thrill-ride Wonderland. Ever since I've read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, I keep on wanting to go back into her amazing world where nothing makes sense. Beddor makes that possible with his Looking Glass Wars trilogy, of which Seeing Redd is the second. He takes on the risk of offending millions of Lewis Carroll fans by writing this series, but as far as I'm concerned Beddor's Looking Glass Wars trilogy is a great addition to Alice-in-Wonderland inspired fiction. Seeing Redd was never dull, except in very rare moments when King Arch got a little winded in his semi-long monologues. There are some sequels that I've read that are not as imaginative as the first, but Seeing Redd defies that stereotype and takes us on a journey through the written word. The plot just keeps getting better and better, such as a look into Hatter Madigan's family life, Alyss and Dodge's continued relationship, and Redd's devious mind at ceaseless work. If the second book is any indication, Archenemy, the third and last of the trilogy, is going to be the best yet.

YA book review: The Devil's Breath

The boarding school that 15-year-old Max Gordon attends is already a bit mysterious—it seems every student is a budding 007 or Indiana Jones—but the mystery kicks into higher gear when Max barely eludes an assassin’s bullet. In a setup worthy of Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider, Max soon finds that his father, himself a globe-trotting adventurer, has gone missing in the Namibian desert. Max is instantly on the trail, teaming with a young Bushman named !Koga to survive the dangers of the wilderness and defeat ecological tragedy at the hand of the insidious Shaka Chang. The action is relentless: car chases spill over into hand-to-hand combat, cataclysmic weather breaks only to reveal killer scorpions (or baboons or crocodiles). Gilman has a flair for making the preposterous seem possible. It helps that he gives Max plenty of mental and physical bruises along the way, and keeps his adult characters every bit as sharp as his hero. This is the first in a planned series of Max Gordon books appearing under the moniker of “Danger Zone.” Grades 7-12. --Daniel Kraus

The Devil's Breath by David Gilman was fast-paced, exciting, and it drew me into the plot and characters. I enjoyed the fantasy aspect of the book: Max turning into a bird. However, for some reason, I didn't like this book as much as others. It's not one of my all-time favorites, although the book is definitely worth reading.

The Story Siren contests

http://www.thestorysiren.com/ has a lot of contests going on pretty much all the time, so it's worth checking it out. I've actually won a book from there! Which I was so surprised, because I rarely win things. Right now, The Story Siren has two contests to win Token of Darkness and Sing Me to Sleep.

-Kelsey

Contest #1

There's a contest at In Which a Girl Reads to win any book you choose that is under $20! Here's the URL: http://inwhichagirl.blogspot.com/2010/02/400-followers-giveaway-international.html.

Wow! I have to think about what book I would want. I think I would've chosen City of Ashes in trade PB, but it's not out yet. I'm not sure when the date is when it's in stores.

So check the contest and the blog out!

-Kelsey