Giveaways
Erin L. Schneider
Goodreads Giveaway: SUMMER OF SLOANE
Goodreads Giveaway: SUMMER OF SLOANE

Coming Soon: Banned Books Week Giveaway 9/24 - 10/1

As posted on the American Library Associations website, Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read, and the importance of the First Amendment - and this year, will take place from September 24th to October 1st.

Personally, I can't even believe in this day and age, that the censorship and banning of books, still even occurs. As a writer myself, I feel everyone should have the right to read, no matter what the content. Sure not everyone is going to agree. Of course subject matters are going to run the gamut of topics, some of which are purely out there for shock value. But if anyone finds a book in the least bit offensive, there's one very simple thing they can do:

Don't. Read. It. 

But dare you tell me I can't read it. Because as soon as you try, you can rest assured - I'll do whatever I can, to make sure I do.

I know this can be a very touchy subject, one that not everyone is going to agree with me on. But it's classic physchology folks! Tell someone they can't do something and they most certainly will. But give them the choice, give them the educated reasons behind your thoughts, and you may end up with a completely different outcome. And in the end, that's really what it comes down to - the freedom to choose!

So to honor Banned Books Week this year, I'll be participating in I Am A Reader, Not A Writer Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop. You'll have to check back on 9/24 to find out all the specifics - but it'll be a pretty basic point tally system, like you need to be a follower of my website (HINT: higher point value will be given to those who followed my blog prior to 9/24).

And what's up for grabs you might ask? Tsk, tsk, come back on 9/24 to find out! But I will say, there will be several books which have made their way onto the banned list - all of which I've read, and personally believe, have made me the better because of it!

Soooo, won't you come back on 9/24 and check out what's up for grabs? I hope to see you here!

With that, I'll leave you to answer one of these questions:

Do you believe censorship should / shouldn't be allowed? If so, why / why not?

Do you have a favorite book that's on THE LIST? Oh do please share!

My Review: Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Fixing DelilahFixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.
She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love, and self-discovery.

My Review:

I loved Sarah's first novel, TWENTY BOY SUMMER – and immediately dove into FIXING DELILAH, as soon as I'd finished the last page.

The hard-hitting topic this time? Family.

We've all been there before (okay, maybe some of us more than others, but still), dealing with the chaos of related loved ones. This book particularly resonated with me, primarily because it dealt with the relationship between Delilah and her mom, and her mom and her grandmother. On more than one occasion, I felt the sharp pang of familiarity with what was happening between them all - especially when the topic strayed towards her grandmother's depression. A very private and often times alienated subject, depression impacts the lives of so many, yet is often swept under the rug with the hopes it will just go away.

Sarah Ockler definitely has a way with words, along with the ability to weave intense subject matters into an otherwise common story line - and all while not speaking down to the intended audience: the teen reader.

FIXING DELILAH was beautifully written, although I will say TWENTY BOY SUMMER is still my favorite Sarah Ockler read.

View all my reviews

TBR: August 2011

So we've all heard the news that Borders is officially shutting it's doors, for good. I myself, feel this is a sad, sad day in the making, as I remember going to the Walden Books in my neighborhood when I was little, begging my dad to buy me a book. 

But, with the recent announcement of it's upcoming demise, comes something wonderful: CLEARANCE BOOKS!!!

So last weekend, I drug my overly-dramatic hungry husband down to Borders (so hungry, that every few minutes he'd find me, he'd pretend to chew off his arm), did my best at hiding from him, and roamed back and forth down aisle after aisle. Needless to say, 40 minutes later, a husband about ready to pass out, and $90 spent, I found myself with one of the most magnificant To Be Read stacks, I'd seen in a long time.

So, what all did I pick up and add to my ever growing TBR list for August? 


1. TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler

Just finished reading this one - very touching and so far, one of my favorite YA contemps. See my review from yesterday, posted below!

 

 

 

2. FIXING DELILAH by Sarah Ockler

Just started reading this one today; stay tuned for my review!

 

 

 

3. PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White

 

 

 

 

4. NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL by Justina Chen Headley

Justina is a local Seattle author - and one I've definitely been looking forward to reading!

 

 

 

5. POSSESSION by Elana Johnson

Elana and I have traveled around in some of the same writerly circles, for several years. I'm so excited to witness her breakthrough YA novel and can't wait to read this one!

 

 

My Review: TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler

Twenty Boy SummerTwenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

"Don’t worry, Anna. I’ll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won’t say anything?"
"Don’t worry.” I laughed. “It’s our secret, right?"

According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie – she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer.

My Review:

"Weeping is different from crying. It takes your whole body to weep, and when it's over, you feel like you don't have any bones left to hold you up."

My Review: UNCOMMON CRIMINALS by Ally Carter

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society, #2)Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is . . . the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend — the gorgeous Hale — and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

My Review:

Sequels are often tricky. Often pale in comparison to their predecessor. Often try too hard to live up to the success from the first book. And often fail.

Friday Fives: Five (er...10) Favorite First Lines

My recipe for what I'm sure is going to be a great weekend:
- Gorgeous, sunny day here in Seattle - check!
- No rain in sight for d.a.y.s. (oh, God, I may have just jinxed it...oh please no!) - fingers crossed check!
- No work for 48 hours straight. Huh. When you put it that way, it just doesn't seem right. None-the-less, check!
- I bought me some PowerBall tickets - it's $133 meeel-e-un dollaaars (muwahaha!) - that's almost $70 cool mil, if you take the cash lump sum. I believe an offshore account somewhere in the Grand Caymans or Switzerland, is standing at the ready with my name on it. (Someone's gotta win it and I've been practicing REALLY hard!) - that's a seriously BIG CHECK!!! 
- And today's PaperHanger Friday Five topic? Five Favorite First Lines! Total check!