MegaGiveaway Number Two

There's an awesome contest happening over at Teens Read and Write and can be found here.

There's an awesome list that's being added to as followers are added. Here's what they've said about it:

First Place Winner - First Choice of 4 Books

Second Place Winner - Second Choice of 3 Books
Third Place Winner - Third Choice of 2 Books

Fourth Place Winner - Fourth Choice of 2 Books

The best part is that WE'LL ADD MORE WINNERS!

As we

get more followers we will add more winners and books. We have 500 followers as of now but...
- When we hit 525 followers, we'll add more books and 2 more winners (who can choose 1 book each)- Then for every additional 25 followers that are added after that, we'll add more books and 2 more winners.For instance - at 525 Followers, we'll have First, Second, Third, and Fourth place plus 2 winners of one book each.
- at 550 Followers, well have First, Second, Third, and Fourth place, plus 4 winners of one book each
- at 575 Followers, we'll have First, Second, Third and Fourth place, plus 6 winners of one book each.

As you can see, there's a lot of winners, and a lot of books to be won!

Here's the initial list:

1) Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
2) The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
3) Fallen by Lauren Kate
4) Darklight by Lesley Livingston
5) Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
6) City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
7) Wish by Alexandra Bullen
8) Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
9) Sceptor of the Ancients by Derek Landy
10) Candor by Pam Bachorz
11) Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley
12) The EverAfter by Amy Huntley
13) Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser
14) Invisible Lines by Mary Amato

There are some great titles on there, so be sure to enter now!!!

Inglourious Basterds: Movie Review

Inglourious Basterds
Directed by: Quenten Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, and Diane Kruger

Synopsis:

A group of hardened Nazi killers stalk their prey in Nazi-occupied France as a Jewish cinema owner plots to take down top-ranking SS officers during the official premiere of a high-profile German propaganda film. As far as Lt. Aldo Raine (aka Aldo the Apache", Brad Pitt) -- is concerned, the only good Nazi is a dead Nazi. Raine's mission is to strike fear into the heart of Adolf Hitler by brutally murdering as many goose-steppers as possible, or die trying. In order to accomplish that goal, Lt. Raine recruits a ruthless team of cold-blooded killers known as "The Basterds" which includes baseball-bat-wielding Bostonian Sgt. Donnie Donowitz (aka "The Bear Jew," Eli Roth) and steely psychopath Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger), among others. When the Basterds' secret rendezvous with turncoat German actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) goes awry, they learn that the Nazis will be staging the French premiere of "The Nation's Pride," a rousing propaganda film based on the exploits of German hero Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl), at a modest theater owned by Jewish cinephile Shoshanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), posing as a Gentile after the brutal murder of her family by the ruthless Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). As the Basterds hatch an explosive plan to take out as many Nazis as possible at the premiere, they remain completely oblivious to the fact that Shoshanna, too, longs to bring the Third Reich to its knees, and that she's willing to sacrifice her beloved theater in the process.
--Jason Buchanan

This movie was awesome. I loved it. The scenary and detail that Tarantino put into this film were really good. He showed the smallest details, which I adored.

Now, this movie isn't for everyone, and it's not supposed to be historically accurate, so don't watch it thinking it's going to be like your regular WWII movies, because it's far from it.

Brad Pitt's character made me laugh, but I think the two that really stole the show for me were Laurent and Waltz. They were fabulous. They delivered their dialouge perfectly, their postures and physical timing was great. Without these two actors, I don't know how the show would've been. They were both just perfect for their characters.

This movie is pretty long, running at two hours and about thirty minutes, but it doesn't feel that long. Tarantino is great at keeping the audience entertained and wanting more. I'm definitely going to be buying this movie, and highly recommend it. It's not even the plot that sold me, it was how he filmed it. The end product is just...dazzling, almost. A great movie I'm definitely going to be buying.

My rating: 8/10

New Contest From Book Bound!

That's right, there's another awesome contest going on, and it's happening over at Book Bound. You can find all the information here, like how to enter. Here are the list of prizes so far:

1. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
2. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
3. Fallen by Lauren Kate
4. The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
5. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
6. Eyes Like Stars: Theatre Illuminata, Act I by Lisa Mantchev
7. The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger
8. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
10. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
11. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
12. Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins
13. The Awakening (Darkest Powers, Book 2) by Kelley Armstrong
14. Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
15. City of Glass (Mortal Instruments) by Cassandra Clare

And this is how it works:

1st Prize: Five (5) books of choice
2nd Prize: Four (4) books of choice
3rd Prize: Three (3) books of choice
4th Prize: Two (2) books of choice
5th Prize: One (1) book of choice

Go check it out as soon as possible and be sure to follow, because it's a great blog (:

--Faith

Frenchy Contest

I've found an adorable new blog to follow called The Book On The Hill.

There is an awesome contest going on, with great prizes. See for yourself!

Prizes:

- 2 books (1 stack)

- Bonus Book : My Life in France by Julia Child (see below for information)

- 1 bookmark (Editions de Mai – French artist Anne Laval)

- 1 badge (La Marelle en Papier – French designer Miss Clara)

- 1 notebook “Le Chocolat élimine tous mes tracas” (French artist Anne Laval)

- 2 magnets (Le Chat Noir and Moulin Rouge)

To enter, simply go here and fill in all the necessary blanks! And while you're there, be sure to click the follow button (;

--Faith

Book Bag #2

I got quite a few new books yesterday, I’m excited to read all of them!!

I’ll start with the classics first:


Agnes Gray by: Anne Brontë


Synopsis:
Agnes comes from a respectable middle-class family, but their financial reverses have forced her to seek work as a governess. Pampered and protected at home, she isunprepared for the harsh reality of a governess’s life. At the Bloomfields and later the Murrays, she suffers under the snobbery and sadism of the selfish, self-indulgent upper-class adults and the shrieking insolence of their spoiled children. Worse, the unique social and economic position of a governess—“beneath” her employers but “above” their servants—condemns her to a life of loneliness.

Villette by: Chartlotte Brontë

Synopsis:
Charlotte Brontë’s last and most autobiographical novel, Villette explores the inner life of a lonely young Englishwoman, Lucy Snowe, who leaves an unhappy existence in England to become a teacher in the capital of a fictional European country. Drawn to the school’s headmaster, Lucy must facethe pain of unrequited love and the question of her place in society.

Madama Bovery by: Gustave Flaubert

Synopsis:
The novel tells the story of Emma Bovary, a doctor’s wife bored and unfulfilled by marriage and motherhood. She embarks upon a series of affairs in search of passion and excitement, but is unable to achieve the splendid life for which sheyearns. Instead, she finds herself trapped in a downward spiral that inexorably leads to ruin and self-destruction.

The Great Gatsby by: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Synopsis:
The mysterious Jay Gatsby embodies the American notion that it is possible to redefine oneself and persuade the world to accept that definition. Gatsby's youthful neighbor, Nick Carraway, fascinated with the display of enormous wealth in which Gatsby revels, finds himself swept up in the lavish lifestyle of Long Island society during the Jazz Age. Considered Fitzgerald's best work, The Great Gatsby is a mystical, timeless story of integrity and cruelty, vision and despair.

1984 by: George Orwell

Synopsis:
Orwell's final novel, 1984, is the story of one man's struggle against the ubiquitous, menacing state power (“Big Brother”) that tries to dictate nearly every aspect of human life. The novel is a classic in anti-utopian fiction, and a trenchant political satire that remains as relevant today as when it was first published.

Fahrenheit 411 by: Ray Bradbury

Synopsis:
Guy Montag was a fireman whose job it was to start fires...

The system was simple. Everyone understood it. Books were for burning...along with the houses in which they were hidden.

Guy Montag enjoyed his job. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs nor the joy of watching pages consumed by flames...never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid.

Then he met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think...and Guy Montag suddenly realized what he had to do!

Now for the more modern books I got:

Beloved by: Toni Morrison

Synopsis:
Staring unflinchingly into the abyss of slavery, this spellbinding novel transforms history into a story as powerful as Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.

The Bluest Eye by: Toni Morrison

Synopsis:
Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, prays every day for beauty. Mocked by other children for the dark skin, curly hair, and brown eyes that set her apart, she yearns for normalcy, for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will allow her to finally fit in.Yet as her dream grows more fervent, her life slowly starts to disintegrate in the face of adversity and strife. A powerful examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity, Toni Morrison’s virtuosic first novel asks powerful questions about race, class, and gender with the subtlety and grace that have always characterized her writing.

I really can’t wait to read Toni Morrison’s novels. They sound amazing, and have definitely been on my to read list for quite some time.

This next novel just happened to catch my eye. I thought the cover was gorgeous, and the inside sounding promising, so I picked it up!

The Disappeared by: Kim Echlin

Synopsis:
Across the smoky jazz club, Anne spots Serey, who has been glancing her way for most of the evening. Of course, Anne really shouldn't be in this Montreal nightspot, as she is only 16. Serey is a Cambodian student studying in Canada, having escaped his country during the rise of the Khmer Rouge regime. Anne's mother died when she was only two, and, while her father has done a good job of raising her, the love affair she strikes up with Serey tests their familial bonds. When the borders of Serey's country are reopened, the couple faces challenges, and Serey has to choose between his past and future.

Hush Hush by: Becca Fitzpatrick

Synopsis:
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

This was another novel I just happened to pick up. I love the cover, it’s simple and eye-catching. I really think I’ll like it!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by: Jamie Ford

Synopsis:

In the opening pages of Jamie Ford’s stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families,left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.

This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry’s world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While “scholarshipping” at the exclusive Rainier Elementary, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship–and innocent love–that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. And after Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.

Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko. In the hotel’s dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice–words that might explain the actions of his nationalistic father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.

Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.

Just After Sunset by: Stephen King

Synopsis:
Who but Stephen King would turn a Port-O-San into a slimy birth canal, or a roadside honky-tonk into a place for endless love? A book salesman with a grievance might pick up a mute hitchhiker, not knowing the silent man in the passenger seat listens altogether too well. Or an exercise routine on a stationary bicycle, begun to reduce bad cholesterol, might take its rider on a captivating -- and then terrifying -- journey. Set on a remote key in Florida, "The Gingerbread Girl" is a riveting tale featuring a young woman as vulnerable -- and resourceful -- as Audrey Hepburn's character in Wait Until Dark. In "Ayana," a blind girl works a miracle with a kiss and the touch of her hand. For King, the line between the living and the dead is often blurry, and the seams that hold our reality intact might tear apart at any moment. In one of the longer stories here, "N.," which recently broke new ground when it was adapted as a graphic digital entertainment, a psychiatric patient's irrational thinking might create an apocalyptic threat in the Maine countryside...or keep the world from falling victim to it.
Just After Sunset -- call it dusk, call it twilight, it's a time when human intercourse takes on an unnatural cast, when nothing is quite as it appears, when the imagination begins to reach for shadows as they dissipate to darkness and living daylight can be scared right out of you. It's the perfect time for Stephen King.


I also got some new movies. Black X-mas (I love this movie. It’s hilarious XD), Wind Chill, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Orphanage, and Requiem for a Dream.

What I'm Reading: Monday, January 11th

This is a meme I've seen on quite a few blogs I enjoy that I'm going to start taking part of. You can find it over on J.Kaye's Book Blog.

I am currently reading:

Soulless by: Gail Carriger

Books I've finished in the past week:

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by: Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Raises Hell by: Carrie Vaughn

--Faith

Beautiful Creatures Contest!

Synopsis:

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

[from barnesandnoble.com]


Two copies of Beautiful Creatures by: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl are up for grabs over at Blog with Bite!

Details about how you can enter can be found here.

Hurry and enter now because the contest ends January 22nd!!

--Faith

Kitty Raises Hell by: Carrie Vaughn

Synopsis:

Sometimes what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas. Kitty and Ben flee The City That Never Sleeps, thinking they were finished with the dangers there, but the sadistic cult of lycanthropes and their vampire priestess have laid a curse on Kitty in revenge for her disrupting their rituals. Starting at the next full moon, danger and destruction the form of fire strikes Kitty and the pack of werewolves she's sworn to protect.

She enlists the help of a group of TV paranormal investigators - one of whom has real psychic abilities - to help her get to the bottom of the curse that's been laid on her. Rick, the Master vampire of Denver, believes a deeper plot lies behind the curse, and he and Kitty argue about whether or not to accept the help of a professional demon hunter - and vampire - named Roman, who arrives a little too conveniently in the nick of time.

Unable to rely on Rick, and unwilling to accept Roman's offer of help for a price, Kitty and her band of allies, including Vegas magician Odysseus Grant and Kitty's own radio audience, mount a trap for the supernatural being behind the curse, a destructive force summoned by the vengeful cult, a supernatural being that none of them ever thought to face.

[taken from barnesandnoble.com]

I loved this story. It was fast-paced, full of action, well written, with just the right dash of humor in it. It was so much better than the previous novel, which was a huge set up to this one.

It had some awesome returning characters, such as Cormac (my personal favorite) and Odysseus Grant (who is a great character). We also were introduced to five new characters that I hope to see in future novels. Three are from the Paradox PI team--Gary, Jules, and Tina. The fourth is the brother of an earlier character, whose name is Peter.

And then there's Roman. I can just tell he's going to be a big part of the future novels. I won't say much, though, because I don't want to give anything away. All I know is that he is a very interesting character, and I can't wait to learn more about him.

I loved Rick in this novel, but that might be because I'm biased and love his character. I love how Vaughn gives us tiny tidbits into his life in each novel. We're learning about him just as Kitty is, and I really like that. As he starts to trust Kitty more, we get more information!

All in all, I loved this novel. The supernatural baddy that was the main focus of the novel was a twist I had no idea would be introduced. I really liked the spin Vaughn put on it, and think it was well written.

This book sucked me in, and like most of her books, kept me wanting more with each page. I cannot wait to read Kitty and the House of Horrors, which is the latest installement that just came out this month.

If you're a Kitty fan, pick up this book immediately.

My rating: 9/10

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by: Carrie Vaughn

Synopsis:

HONEYMOON IN VEGAS?

Already the alpha pair of Denver's werewolf pack, Kitty and Ben now plan to tie the knot human-style by eloping to Vegas. Kitty is looking forward to sipping fru-fru drinks by the pool and doing her popular radio show on live TV, but her hotel is stocked with werewolf-hating bounty hunters. Elsewhere on the Strip an old-school magician might be wielding the real thing; the vampire community is harboring a dark secret; and the irresistible star of a suspicious animal act is determined to seduce Kitty. Sin City has never been so wild, and this werewolf has never had to fight harder to save not only her wedding, but her very life.

[plucked from barnesandnoble.com]

This definitely isn't my favorite in the series. I think it was really weak compared to her other books. A lot of repetitiveness (I now hate the word froufrou), but it was all right. Certainly not a bad read, but not up to par with the others in the series.

I stand by my opinion that Kitty is a good character. I like her. I feel for her. She's strong-willed, and the voice that Vaughn gave her is reminiscent to Laurell K. Hamiliton's early Anita Blake novels (which someone points out in a blurb). She has that sarcastic kind of voice, and I love that. It certainly works for who she is supposed to be.

I'm still not crazy about Ben. Cormac all the way! Haha.

I loved Evan and Brenda, though. I kind of would love a spin-off featuring them. They're interesting.

I also liked Dom and Grant, they were both pretty strong supporting characters.

The plot was so-so, the ending kind of fell flat until the very last sentence (am I glad I have the next book, or else that cliffhanger would've left me pissed that I had to wait to see what would happen).

All in all, it was an okay read. Didn't take me long to finish, and it was exciting enough. I definitely can't wait to see what happens next in Kitty Raises Hell!

My rating: 7/10