#Reading Cram Read-a-thon Kick Off--TBR Challenge!

Dana from Danasquare and I are hosting a read-a-thon!  It is called the End of the Year 2013 Reading Cram, and will run from Dec. 9-22nd!

If you are anything like me you have a huge stack (or even bookcases) full of book you haven't read. Did you have a goal for how many books you wanted to read during the year? Are you behind like I am? 

Then this is the perfect time to read as much as you can before the new year! 

You can still sign up HERE

And now, let't get this show on the road!!

TBR Challenge

Today's challenge is super easy!  All you need to do is to create a TBR list for the read-a-thon!  You may post is on your blog, Tumblr, Facebook, or you may make a video on YouTube, or you can even just create a bookshelf for it on Goodreads!  Make sure you link below to be entered!  We are very informal here, so you don't have to stick to this list, and there is no set amount that you have to read. Your goals are up to you!

And to be a qualified winner, you must be signed up for the read-a-thon and you must follow Dana and this blog!

My TBR

My pile for this read-a-thon is extensive.  I usually try to read 10 books a week for a read-a-thon, so my goal is 20 books.  I will pick from the following lists!

First of all, I have a ton of ARCs I need to review...23 of them!  So I'm going to try to concentrate on these!

One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Hereafter by Kate Brian

Indelible by Dawn Metcalf

A Spark Unseen by Sharon Cameron

Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Countdown by Michelle Rowan

Ink Is Thicker Than Water by Amy Spaulding

Red River by Kelly Van Hull

Tent City by Kelly Van Hull

Definitely Maybe In Love by Ophelia London

Begin With Goodbye by Lilly Wright

Reality Boy by A.S. King

Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones

Love Tink by Elle Strauss

Parasite by Mira Grant

The Girl Who Was On Fire by Leah Wilson

The Panem Companion by V. Arrow

I also have a few books off my shelves that I would like to try to get to!

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (reread)

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Now its your turn!  Enter your link for your TBR on the linky below!  And then fill out the Rafflecopter for a chance to win your choice of one of my favorite books from 2013! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Haul 12/7/13

Another week, another book haul!  This week I did not get a single physical book!!! I saved my shopping to Christmas presents for the kiddos!  But I hid the jackpot on ebook deals, and well as receiving several eARCs!

Here we go!!

For Review

ebooks I bought

Not a bad haul!!

What did you get this week?

A Surprise for a Wonderful Friend!

Many of you know that I am a big fan of YA author David Estes.  You may also know that he's a good friend of mine!  And you may know that he has some of the bestest and most loyal fans ever!! But you may not know who his biggest fan is!

That would be his beautiful wife, and best friend Adele.  Adele does so much for David, and is actually the person who got him to write in the first place!  I don't think she ever gets enough credit!

SO....this is a little gift that his fan club came up with for both David and Adele!!!

Because you both shine so bright, for each other and everyone to see, we have named a star for you!

David's Adele

Where it is located

And here are the details of the star on the website!

Message from Karen:

David and Adele, I hope you know how much your friendship means to me...! To all of us, actually! Every time you look up at the stars, and you happen to gaze over towards Orion's belt, KNOW... Know that you are loved by each other... and by all of us! Thank you for everything you have given to us! You. Are. Our. Star!

Message from Jenny:

David and Adele, I feel so blessed to have you both as friends in my life!  You are both amazing people, and this is just a small token to let you know how much all of us love you!  Keep on shining!

Message from Tessa:

Hi David and Adele! It would be awesome if you guys lived in Hawaii!  If I visited you, we could go surfing together and look for your star at night!  Toodles!

Message from Dre:

Message from Kelly:

David, it's only a matter of time before the world realises how brightly your star shines. We're all so proud of you.

We love you guys!

Gifted from Jenny, Karen, Dre, Cheer, Alana, Nelly, Terri, Kelly, Lola, Rachel, Meaghan, Michael, Jen, Brooke, Linn, Tana, Jeann, Ruby, Think, Tracy, Redfox, Kayleigh, Dnicole, Madison, Gretchen, and Martha

Book Haul for Late November

It feels like its been forever since I've posted a book haul on my blog!  I've been doing them all on my YouTube channel.  But I've gotten so behind in my videos, I've decided I'm not recording any more until I am caught up.  But I still wanted to share, so here we go!  This covers about the last week or so.

Also, I wanted to make a couple of quick announcements/reminders.  

Danasquare and I are hosting a read-a-thon from Dec. 9-22nd.  Its all about getting all your reading and challenges done before the end of the year.  Look for the graphic on my right hand sidebar to sign up or get more info.  #readingcram

Also, my favorite Goodreads group (that I'm now a mod of--YAY!) is hosting several awesome upcoming Author Q&As!  Check out my right side bar for that graphic!!  And we are still working on booking even more authors for everyone to chat with!  So far, we've done Jennifer A Nielsen, Ilsa J. Bick, and Marissa Meyer, and they have been a blast!

Now onto the books!

For Review

eBooks

Physical books (library and bought)

 Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye
The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare
Horizon by Alyson Noel
The Infinity Ring #1-4 by James Dashner, Carrie Ryan and Lisa McMann
Inferno by Dan Brown
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (B&N Collector's Edition)
Paris by Edward Rutherfurd
The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
White Fire by Douglas Preston

So not a bad week at all!  What did you get?

A Little Trip Down Memory Lane...

When I was in 8th grade, our family moved to Story City, IA, which was a pretty big culture shock for me.  But I did get something great out of it--attending one of the best academic school in the area, and being taught by some really great teachers!  (As opposed to my previous school in Marion, which had some of the crappiest teachers--at the time, anyways!)

My 8th grade English teacher was Mr. Pierce.  He was the kind of teacher that EXPECTED excellence from everyone in his class.  When we took a test on something he taught, if you missed even one question, you would take it again next week.  You didn't move on until you knew everything he taught.  I arrived just in time for the Greek Mythology unit, which was definitely one of the most memorable things I remember about school.  Mr. Pierce did everything possible to make it fun.

So the other day on Facebook, one of my classmates posted a video of him, and he hasn't changed a bit!  He is an amazing guy, and I thought I would post the video here for all of you to maybe get a little inspired!  Mythology has really been a big theme in books the past few years, and after watching this, maybe you'll understand exactly why I love it so much! Enjoy!



Weekly Social Dose # 9 With Jerry Pierce from Dallas J. Moore on Vimeo.

Destiny by Cindy Ray Hale Blog Tour

This is my stop during the blog tour for Destiny (Destiny Trilogy #1) by Cindy Ray Hale. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours . The blog tour runs from November 5 till November 25, you can view the complete tour schedule on the Destiny blog tour page on the website of Lola's Blog Tours.

Destiny (Destiny Trilogy #1)
By Cindy Ray Hale
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: November 5, 2013

Blurb:
Destiny Clark, a young Mormon girl living in Tennessee, is wildly infatuated with Isaac Robinson, the headmaster's son at her Baptist high school. When they're cast together in the school's production of Les Misérables, Destiny is horrified to find that she has to be publicly humiliated by acting out her true feelings of rejection onstage.
As their rehearsals begin, Destiny realizes the unimaginable: Isaac has developed deep feelings for her despite their religious differences and the fact that he has a girlfriend.
But will they be able to find their place amongst the backbiters of their ultra-conservative world?
Weaving around Destiny and Isaac's alternating viewpoints, Destiny is the first book in a series inspired by the characters of Les Misérables and explores heartbreak, self-discovery, intolerance, and love.

You can find Destiny on Goodreads

You can watch the book trailer here:

About the Author:
Wife. Mother. Writer. Cindy Ray Hale lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with her husband and four children. In addition to being a writer, she’s an avid reader and a social media junkie. She starts her morning by writing with a freshly-blended berry spinach smoothie next to her. She’s obsessed with Les Misérables, playing the piano, and stalking up-and-coming musicians on YouTube. Destiny is her first book and will be available for purchase November 2013.

You can find and contact Cindy here:
- Website
- Website for destiny
- Blog
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Google+
- Pinterest

And there is a tour wide gveaway, here is what you can win:
- A Destiny Swag Pack:including a signed copy of Destiny, a Destiny keychain, a t-shirt that says "I heart Destiny," a Destiny bookmark.
- a $25 Amazon Gift Card
- Camp Boyfriend Swag pack.

For a chance to win enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fire Country by David Estes is FREE on Amazon Nov 12-14th!

Fire Country is the first book in the amazing Country Saga Series by David Estes.  This is seriously one of my favorite YA dystopians ever!  And you can download it for FREE on Amazon from Nov. 12-14th!!! What a steal!

In a changed world where the sky bleeds red, winter is hotter than hell and full of sandstorms, and summer's even hotter with raging fires that roam the desert-like country, the Heaters manage to survive, barely. 

Due to toxic air, life expectancies are so low the only way the tribe can survive is by forcing women to procreate when they turn sixteen and every three years thereafter. It is their duty as Bearers.

Fifteen-year-old Siena is a Youngling, soon to be a Bearer, when she starts hearing rumors of another tribe of all women, called the Wild Ones. They are known to kidnap Youngling girls before the Call, the ceremony in which Bearers are given a husband with whom to bear children with. 

As the desert sands run out on her life's hourglass, Siena must uncover the truth about the Wild Ones while untangling the web of lies and deceit her father has masterfully spun.


Download this wonderful ebook HERE and enjoy!!