My -belated- Birthday Giveaway!

Well, as I had mentioned, my birthday was on May 26, 2010, but I have been completely distracted that I have not had much time to get this giveaway up and going.

What I’m giving away:

The first winner will receive their choice of one of the packs below.  The second winner will receive their choice of a single book or the other pack.  For every 10 people who enter, I will add another winner and another single book.  Please let your friends know and increase your chances of winning and prizes available.

The packs are as follows:

• The Uglies Series: includes Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras by Scott Westerfeld.

Here is the product description: All Tally ever wanted was to become pretty; she ended up changing the whole world just by her efforts of trying to become all she ever dreamt of. Yet, once she learns that all she ever wanted isn’t what she wants; to be mind-controlled, she knows it’s up to her to save society from falling into her city’s clutches.The Uglies series is a book series by Scott Westerfeld for ages 12 and up. The story follows a teenage girl named Tally Youngblood who lives several centuries from now in a futuristic city where you’re a “littlie” until you turn twelve, when you go to live in an ugly dorm. Uglies are educated into thinking they’re hideous until they turn 16, when they get an operation that turns them into beautiful “Pretties.” Right after the operation, they are “New Pretties”: self-absorbed fools whose only purpose in life seems to be to party. “Middle Pretties” have picked their professions and gone through a second, minor operation that makes them look older and wiser; “Late Pretties,” or “Crumblies,” are parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. The point of these operations is to stop wars and disagreements among people just because they look different from one another.

• Books 1-4 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When his mom tells him the truth about where he came from, she takes him to the one place he’ll be safe–Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island). There, Percy learns that the father he never knew is actually Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon Percy finds himself caught up in a mystery that could lead to disastrous consequences. Together with his friends–a satyr and other the demigod daughter of Athena–Percy sets out on a quest to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

The Sea of Monsters After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly calm. But things don’t stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders which protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner by the Cyclops Polyphemus on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters–the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia–only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new nameL: the Bermuda Triangle. Now Percy and his friends must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family–one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon’s son is an honor or simply a cruel joke…

The Titan’s Curse When Percy Jackson receives a distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he’ll need his powerful demigod allies, Annabeth and Thalia, at his side; his trusty broze sword Riptide; and… a ride from his mom. The demigods race to the rescue, to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two new powerful half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. But that’s not all that awaits them. The Titan lord, Kronos, has set up his most devious trap yet, and the young heroes have unwittingly fallen prey. Hilarious and action-packed, this third adventure in the series finds Percy faced with his most dangerous challenge so far: the chilling prophecy of the Titan’s curse.

The Battle of the Labyrinth Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun.  But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to diabolical.

In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos’s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth—a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. Full of humor and heart-pounding action, this fourth book promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet.

The single books are:

• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater Starred Review. Grade 9 Up—Grace, 17, loves the peace and tranquility of the woods behind her home. It is here during the cold winter months that she gets to see her wolf—the one with the yellow eyes. Grace is sure that he saved her from an attack by other wolves when she was nine. Over the ensuing years he has returned each season, watching her with those haunting eyes as if longing for something to happen. When a teen is killed by wolves, a hunting party decides to retaliate. Grace races through the woods and discovers a wounded boy shivering on her back porch. One look at his yellow eyes and she knows that this is her wolf in human form. Fate has finally brought Sam and Grace together, and as their love grows and intensifies, so does the reality of what awaits them. It is only a matter of time before the winter cold changes him back into a wolf, and this time he might stay that way forever. Told from alternating points of view, the narrative takes a classic Romeo & Juliet plot and transforms it into a paranormal romance that is beautiful and moving. Readers will easily identify with the strong, dynamic characters. The mythology surrounding the wolf pack is clever and so well written that it seems perfectly normal for the creatures to exist in today’s world. A must-have that will give Bella and Edward a run for their money.—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY END –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
• Maximum Ride (graphic novel) by James Patterson Grade 8 Up–Hiding out in the wilderness of Colorado, Max Ride, 14, and her ragtag family of mutant kids think they&’re safe from the clutches of &The School,& a secret government lab that has erased their memories and turned them into human/bird creations. When Angel, the youngest of them, is kidnapped by the &Erasers&–cruel half-man/half-wolf enforcers for &The School&–Max and several of the kids set off in search of her. Despite outwitting them in several instances, the Erasers are able to intercept them. But all is not as it seems when Max is released from her confinement only to be told the secret of her origin–that she was created to save the world. The story is based on Patterson&’s popular &Maximum Ride& series (Little, Brown), and Lee does a superb job of translating his text into attractive manga-style illustrations. Although the narrative is a bit slow at first, the action quickly picks up and is bound to keep readers turning the pages. Bridging the gap between contemporary YA fiction and manga/manhwa, Maximum Ride is a fine first choice for sci-fi/thriller-heavy collections.–Dave Inabnitt, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
• Cut by Patricia McCormick

Burdened with the pressure of believing she is responsible for her brother’s illness, 15-year-old Callie begins a course of self-destruction that leads to her being admitted to Sea Pines, a psychiatric hospital the “guests” refer to as Sick Minds. Although initially she refuses to speak, her individual and group therapy sessions trigger memories and insights. Slowly, she begins emerging from her miserable silence, ultimately understanding the role her dysfunctional family played in her brother’s health crisis.

Patricia McCormick’s first novel is authentic and deeply moving. Callie suffers from a less familiar teen problem–she cuts herself to relieve her inner frustrations and guilt. The hope and hard-won progress that comes at the conclusion of the novel is believable and heartening for any teen reader who feels alone in her (or his) angst. Along with Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and E.L. Konigsburg’s Silent to the Bone, McCormick’s Cut expertly tackles an unusual response to harrowing adolescent trouble. (Ages 14 and older) –Emilie Coulter

JUST ADDED: TWILIGHT THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

Publishers Weekly

The Twilight Saga continues as the world’s most beloved teen vampire story arrives in yet another package: the graphic novel. The story has remained the same: girl meets vampire, girl falls in love with vampire, vampire loves her back and almost gets her killed. Meyers’s trilogy has captured by storm the anguished hearts of teens and romance readers—not to mention the jealous attention of the rest of the publishing industry. With each book in the saga, Meyers has built a devoted audience with an insatiable appetite for her series. Yen Press is clearly capitalizing on that audience with this graphic novel adaptation. The hardcover presentation and price-point signal that the book is intended as a collector’s item and, at its best, another way to relive the Twilight experience. Unfortunately, this first half of the two-volume adaptation of Meyers’s first book brings nothing new to the table. While Young Kim’s paneling isn’t terrible, her pacing is off, and the book reads unevenly. The dialogue is stilted and the characters come across as annoying rather than expressing longing. Twilight: The Graphic Novel reads like a first draft where all the pieces are there, but have yet to meld to one another and actually fit. There are certain angles and physical poses that Kim has not yet mastered, and they stand out starkly in this book. Nevertheless, retailers will be hard-pressed to keep copies of this book on their shelves. (Mar.)

How to enter:

Leave a comment below that includes a way to get in touch with you.  Please make sure that I can find you, or you will be disqualified from the contest.

Want more entries?

+1 for following me on twitter

+5 for being a follower on my blog

+5 for posting about this contest on twitter or facebook (please give me a way to see that you have done so)

+1 for commenting on anything else on my blog

+5 for anyone that says they came because of you (recruiting pays off sometimes )

+1 for adding up your entries into a single comment

Remember for every 10 people who enter a new book and a new winner is chosen.

Winners will be chosen at random and then given 48 hours to respond and make their choices.  Contest ends on July 3. 2010.  US and international applicants are welcome

2010

06/03

CATEGORY

Book Review

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