And We Have a WINNER!!

Well.

It was sooooo hard for me to choose. The comments you guys left were fabulous! (If you missed out, you can read them here.) And I must thank you because I smiled and laughed, reading all of your answers :) So, THANK YOU! You guys are awesome.

But, alas! Laura's only given me "rights" to ONE book. *nudge nudge* Laura? :)

And the winner is...

Wait for it...

*cues drum roll*

CHRIS PHILLIPS

Who, poor sap, was actually stripped of his award. Read his confession for yourselves...


"I was stripped of my Professor of the Year award at Hogwarts for perfecting a Patron-Us charm that turns water into Patron'. Mr. Filch is sleeping in for some strange reason."


Thanks to everyone who participated...I had so much fun reading. :)

Book Giveaway Contest!!

Today's post is in honor of an amazing writer and dear friend Laura Josephsen and the release of her fabulous, witty book, Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School), which was so fun to read that I finished it in one afternoon. :D ( I mean...the title is funny enough, eh?)

Sephie (short for Persephone) is in high school. *cringes* And as the oldest of six girls, she's got a huge weight on her shoulders: being the role model. Up until now, she hasn't been that concerned about it. They may bicker and fight and home life might resemble a mini-maelstrom, but at the end of the day, they would do anything for each other. (And Laura's got you loving them so much, you'd do anything for them, too!)

But Sephie's world begins to change, and we watch her take on hard challenges and grow stronger because of them.

Confessions contains a myriad of timeless themes we deal/dealt with in adolescence (and adulthood); it's about family and friendship and unconditional love and forgiveness and finding the strength inside yourself. Full of humor, love, and struggle, Confessions is a great reminder of what matters most in this life.

This is the first story I've read of Laura's, and I'll definitely be reading more of her work. She's got talent for writing engaging characters and for creating many laugh out loud moments - which I love. Thanks, Laura, for a great read!

Now...for the goods (you know that's really what you're here for :)  )

Laura's offered to give away a free, signed copy of her book to one lucky winner!

Here are the rules/stipulations/annoying-fine-print:

(1) You must be a follower of this blog.

(2) Most clever/unique/funny answer wins.

(3) "Retweets" and "blog reposts" get extra points :D

Please repost as a comment with blanks filled in (I couldn't help myself...):

You were awarded Professor of the Year at Hogwarts (yay you!) because you discovered ____(certain spell/charm/curse)__ which ___(what does it do?)__. And Mr. Filch __(his sentiment towards you).

Now...GO! Contest closes at 7PM, PST Wednesday, Aug 3rd, and the winner will be announced Friday, August 5th!

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

WARNING: If you have NOT read the previous Iron Fey novels by Ms. Kagawa, and have any intent on doing so, read the following at your own risk...for, here there be spoilers. :)

I've just had the pleasure of reading Ms. Kagawa's final installment in her New York Times bestselling series, IRON FEY, and all I can say is...WOW.

Ms. Kagawa wasn't lying to us. If we thought we knew Ash before, we hadn't seen anything yet! And you'll be even more in love with him when you've read his story. Just you wait Team Ash...you're in for a treat! *fans face*

If you remember, The Iron Queen left us emotionally conflicted (um, utterly distraught? ready to throw my Kindle?). We were relieved the war between Winter, Summer, and Iron ended and the Nevernever would survive, but there was just one little, itty bitty catch. Ash, our beloved Winter Prince, realizes he can't be with the woman he loves without it physically killing him. He simply cannot exist as a Fey in Meghan's Iron Kingdom (remember dear friends, iron is toxic to faeries). So, what does our dashing knight in shining armor do? Well, he sets out on a quest to find a way to be with the woman he loves, and, in the process, discovers that in order to be with her, he must become mortal.

*gasp*

The Iron Knight begins with Ash and the infamous and seemingly omnipresent Puck (who's just as hilarious and flippant as ever) seeking out a particular, annoying cat in hopes of finding a way for Ash to become mortal. What the Winter Prince needs is a soul, and the journey to gaining that soul is treacherous and agonizing and full of heart-wrenching discoveries.

With Puck and a few other surprise (ahem!) guests at his side, Ash faces his haunting past. We finally begin to understand the "ice" in "Ice-boy." Ms. Kagawa's writerly skill and prowess forces us to live Ash's torment and agony. We feel the weight of his decision and we are devastated when he finally discovers what he must sacrifice in order to be with Meghan Chase.

Filled with adventure, suspense, humor, and romance, The Iron Knight is sure to leave the reader completely satisfied. It is a perfect and beautifully crafted ending to the Iron Fey Series, and while I'm still coming down from my happy cloud, I'm sad to part with Ms. Kagawa's rich and exciting Fey world.

That is...for now. :) She's announced a SECOND Iron Fey trilogy starring Meghan's younger brother, Ethan. It'll take place several years after the first trilogy.

Thank you, Julie Kagawa, for introducing us to such a wonderful group of "friends" and sharing their fantastic journey with us. Can't wait for more!

The Iron Knight will be released in October 2011!




*If you like YA Fantasy, check out my book, GAIA'S SECRET. The sequel is coming soon!


Here's a link to my review for the rest of The Iron Fey series

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Gorgeous Cover!

I'll start with this. Ready? Picture it....

London.

Time travel.

History.

Dark haired hottie. *sigh* 

Is it a wonder I finished it in an afternoon? :)

German author Kerstin Gier managed to combine all elements in the first of her Ruby Red Trilogy! (translated to English this past May)

For 16 year-old Gwyneth, time-travel is real. At least that's what she's always been told. Her family had the fortunate (or unfortunate) circumstance of inheriting the gene. And, as predicted by Sir Isaac Newton, this gene would appear for the last time in her cousin, Charlotte. Charlotte was prepared all along for the day her time-traveling gene would express itself. The only problem is, the gene doesn't express itself in Charlotte, it shows up in Gwyneth. And the unsuspecting Gwyneth is thrust into 18th Century London with sneakers and her cell phone.

To make matters worse, she's got a time-traveling "guardian", 19 year-old Gideon de Villiers, who is arrogant, condescending, and...gorgeous. And the more the pair travel to the past, the more they realize they are part of a plot that could get them killed.

Unlike most "first books in a series" I've read, this one isn't a "stand alone". Nothing is really resolved. Throughout the book, the mystery builds and builds (I still don't really know what's going on), the ending is a romantic cliffhanger, and you are left desperate for the sequel (which, by the way, there is a teaser Chapter 1 at the end...that doesn't help either).

But, the story was so much fun - hilarious at times! - and I would recommend it to anyone wanting any of the said elements above. As for me, I'm impatient for Spring 2012!

Happy Reading!

Find it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Red-Trilogy/dp/0805092528


*If you like YA Fantasy, check out my book, GAIA'S SECRET. The sequel is coming soon!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Okay, I downloaded this on my Kindle while Ben and I were at the pool one afternoon and finished it later that night! (Ben...THANK YOU for understanding!) Could not put it down!

Anna and the French Kiss is about a girl named - you guess it - Anna. Anna Oliphant, in fact, (poor girl) is from Atlanta and is "forced" to attend a boarding school in Paris her senior year of high school. (Yes, forced. She doesn't know a lick of French.) The story follows her as she struggles NOT to stand out as both the new kid and an American (not that she's not proud, she just wants to blend in), while discovering herself as she tries not to fall in love with the beautiful French-American boy with perfect dark hair and a charming British accent, Etienne St. Clair. *swoons* After all, everyone adores him and he's already got himself a girlfriend. He's just giving her his undivided attention because he's a really nice guy...right?

Perkins paints a vivid picture of Paris - the culture, the sights, the smells, the language - in a way that makes you forget you aren't actually there (and makes you somewhat sad when you realize you're not). What I also love about this story is the writing. Perkins' voice is so strong and engaging - it was one of the reasons I couldn't put the book down, as well as wanting to know what happened between Anna and Etienne St. Clair. *swoons again*

I will not give any more away... :)

For any of you in the mood to be transported to Paris (yes please!) and for a charming love story (don't let my use of "charming" fool you. Anna is spunky, smart, funny, feisty...awesome!), read this! Just make sure you don't have any pending engagements first. :)

Happy reading!

***If you like YA Fantasy, check out my book, GAIA'S SECRET. The sequel is coming soon!

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

The reason I picked up this story was because of it's author. Don't get me wrong, the titles in the 1800's leave nothing to the imagination. They tell you exactly what the story is about. Besides, how can a book about princesses and goblins be boring?

But I'll return to my first point. George MacDonald was a favorite of JRR Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (all time favorite author's of mine) and Lewis Carroll, so I simply had to check him out for myself.

On the surface, The Princess and the Goblin is a fantastical adventure. All the elements of Fantasy: monsters (the horrid, malevolent goblins and their terrifying pets), dark tunnels beneath the earth, murderous plots of revenge, Princesses, Kings and Queens, a 'fairy godmother'. But what I appreciated most about the story were the strong moral and spiritual themes that George MacDonald wove into the very fabric of the plot and characters. After all, he was a pastor.

Our heroine is Princess Irene and our hero is the simple son of a miner, Curdie. Although, MacDonald makes a point to inform the reader that Curdie has the courage and bravery of a King, which makes him one despite his 'class'. Curdie works in the mines and discovers the goblins evil plot, while the Princess makes a discovery of her own: her great-great-great-great grandmother lives up the old stairs in her house. It's just that Princess Irene is the only one that can see her. The Grandmother is beautiful, despite her old-old-old age and can appear as a light in the sky, and gives the Princess a gift of thread, which eventually leads our heroine to saving the hero. And together, the Princess and Curdie save the entire palace from disaster at the hands of the Goblins.

MacDonald puts great emphasis on believing in the things that are unseen--having faith and trusting in that faith to guide and protect you (through the Grandmother). And it takes a childlike innocence to accept it. Irene has a disposition to accept more readily while the hero, Curdie, has to learn to accept--which he eventually does. MacDonald used the Princess as model of virtue: always telling the truth, admitting when you're wrong, and keeping your word.

The style of writing is so conversational, I felt as if I were sitting at the fire with my legs crossed sipping hot cocoa while my grandfather was reading me a story. This is definitely one I'll be sharing with my kids some day (should we have them). It has a sequel, The Princess and Curdie, which I plan to read soon. The adventures and themes are timeless and I would recommend this to anyone wanting to escape into the heart of childlike innocence.