I'd like to congratulate Pricilla Pomeroy who won my Five Year Blogoversary Giveaway! She has provided her mailing address so her books will be arriving shortly.
Thanks to everyone who entered.
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Reminder: Last Day to Enter my Giveaway!
In case you're interested, just thought I'd put this out there again. Giving away two books. Details about my giveaway are here.
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
Friday, November 20, 2015
Blogoversary! Annette's Book Spot is Five Years Old!
So it IS my 5th Blogoversary. I'm not a part of that celebration, but I have already acquired books for my giveaway, so let's celebrate!
I'm giving away two books to one winner. The Diviners, by Libba Bray (paperback) and The Testing, by Joelle Charbonneau (hardback.) I really like the simplicity of using Google forms for entries. No hoops to jump through. You don't need to follow or comment or tweet. (Although all of that would be appreciated.) Just one entry per person please. Contest closes on November 29 at midnight. The winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond with their address. Good luck!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Book Review and Giveaway: Notorious, by Allison Brennan @Allison_Brennan
Max is an interesting character. She's colorful, tough, and determined. She's up against her family in Notorious because she's back home trying to solve an old murder -- and the victim happened to be her best friend.
Max is an investigative reporter who has a TV show, so she's recognizable to many. She returns back to California, to her home town, to attend the funeral of one of her high school friends who committed suicide. Kevin was accused of murdering one of their friends. He was tried but not convicted because of a hung jury. Kevin has lived with this for years, and Max was the only one who truly believed he was innocent.
Also, when Max is recognized in the airport, she is approached by some people who want her to investigate the murder of their grandson, which also happened to occur in the same town.
So Max can't help but become twisted up in these cases, and also involved with a sexy police officer who she is helping with the investigation (much to his chagrin.) She pisses off a lot of people, but she's feisty and keeps on digging until she gets to the truth.
The pacing of Notorious is excellent. It moves quickly, and keeps you guessing as the plot twists and turns and ends up in places you would never guess. I'm interested to read more stories about Max. She kept referring to a college friend who was murdered and the killer was never convicted. I'm assuming she's going to tackle that case in a future book. I hope the sexy police officer comes along....
Add Notorious to your list of fun, intricate murder mysteries. You won't be disappointed. Although this is an adult book, high school students will really enjoy this one too.
Published by Minotaur Books, March 25, 2014
eARC obtained from NetGalley and the publisher
336 pages
Rating:4.5/5
NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!
Monday, December 16, 2013
Book Tour and Review: Neverwas, by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed & Larkin Reed
My Review:
I rarely read book blurbs. So, when I agreed to read Neverwas, I didn't know what I was getting into! I didn't remember details of Amber House, so when I started reading Neverwas, I was a bit confused. The world was different. The house was the same, but the country, the politics, and the personalities of some of the characters was totally different.
Then Sarah started having visions and receiving messages that were telling her things were wrong. Things were not the way they were supposed to be, and I realized that we are now in an alternate universe. How cool!
I won't go into too many details of this strange world, but the Nazis won the war, and there's no such thing as civil rights. But, some things are good! Sarah's parents get along great, and her mom has no intention of selling Amber House.
Jackson is helping Sarah to interpret her visions, and they decide that they must try to do something to make the world go back the way it was. Sarah has to figure out what she needs to change in the past, then she and Jackson have to figure out how to do it.
This quest is very exciting, but sometimes the solutions came a bit to easily (although not ALL the time!) I found the details of all the ancestors and what each of them did to be a little bit difficult to follow, but those details aren't really important. There's only a couple of people from the past that end up being critical to the events that changed the world.
I wish I would have been able to read Amber House again, right before Neverwas. You really need to read them in order, and I would have liked the details of Amber House to have been a bit more clear in my mind. I definitely recommend this series to teens who like a little paranormal adventure. We have ghosts, time travel, and visions (both past and present) to keep you entertained while you are visiting Amber House.
Don't leave yet! Scroll down to see my puzzle piece for the tour -- you can win a signed first edition copy of Neverwas!
Published by Arthur A. Levine Books, January 7, 2014
eBook obtained from the author
320 pages
Rating: 4/5
Here's my puzzle piece:
In NEVERWAS, Sarah must piece together the mystery of her forgotten past with the help of clues left behind by her great-grandmother, Fiona Warren. For readers interested in the chance to win a signed first-edition hardback of NEVERWAS -- with an exclusive hint for what's in story for Sarah in the final book, OTHERWHEN, hidden inside -- visit each blog on the tour for the month of December, collect the various lines from the poem, arrange them in the proper order, and submit the final sonnet by New Year's Day for a chance to win the special copy of NEVERWAS! Submit your poem to: http://www.amberhouseblog.com
Visit these blogs to find previously posted puzzle pieces on the tour:
Visit these blogs to find previously posted puzzle pieces on the tour:
Tomorrow's tour stop is:
About the authors:
KELLY MOORE is a New York Times best-selling author, former litigator, and single mother of three. Her latest project, the young adult fiction series THE AMBER HOUSE TRILOGY, co-written with her two daughters and based loosely upon her own family history, examines fourteen generations of Maryland women and their ties to the past, present, and future. The first book in the series was nominated for the 2014 Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award for its realistic portrayal of characters with autism; Moore is outspoken about her inclusion in the autism spectrum, and is dedicated to autism awareness.
TUCKER REED is an award-winning fiction and nonfiction writer. She has been recognized on the national level for her short stories, essays and poetry. She is also a notable political blogger and has appeared on CNN, CBS, ABC and HuffPost Live, as well as featured in articles published by TIME magazine, Marie Claire magazine, Ms. magazine, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian, among numerous others.
LARKIN REED is a professional photographer, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in filmmaking. In 2013, Reed established her own multimedia production company, and has subsequently produced and directed several short films.
TUCKER REED is an award-winning fiction and nonfiction writer. She has been recognized on the national level for her short stories, essays and poetry. She is also a notable political blogger and has appeared on CNN, CBS, ABC and HuffPost Live, as well as featured in articles published by TIME magazine, Marie Claire magazine, Ms. magazine, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian, among numerous others.
LARKIN REED is a professional photographer, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in filmmaking. In 2013, Reed established her own multimedia production company, and has subsequently produced and directed several short films.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Book Review and Giveaway: The Trap, by Andrew Fukuda
The Trap is the third book in The Hunt Series. If you haven't read The Hunt and The Prey you should start there. And, you may want to stop reading my review in case of spoilers. (There's a giveaway at the end, though, so don't miss that!)
The Trap picks ups right after The Prey, with our main characters on the train to the palace. I'm really not going to tell you much about what happens, except to say it's NON-STOP. Gene and Sissy and the rest of the Hepers are in danger over and over. The tension continues to build, and there were several times when I thought they were doomed.
So, yea, they are lucky and escape again and again (well, at least some of them do). But each time it's a clever way to escape, and they have to, right? Or else the story would end! So, all is forgiven.
These books are gory, and The Trap is the worst of them. Notice I didn't say "bloody." Duskers don't bleed, but they certainly create a lot of slime. There's puking and all kinds of other nasty, gross occurrences too, so if that bothers you, these books are not for you.
Ashley June reappears and this creates a bit of a love triangle, but nothing overwhelms the story. Frankly, I was so worried about all the characters, I couldn't care less about the romance. Fukuda isn't afraid to kill his characters, which just adds to the tension. And, by the way, The Trap had me so wound up that my neck got stiff as I was reading. I think Mr. Fukuda owes me a massage!
The ending is awesome and unexpected. What a twist! I'm so happy that Fukuda went outside the box -- it just added to my appreciation of this series. The characters are good. The action is good. The lore is exceptional. I highly recommend these books to lots of teens, and I will continue to do so!
Published by St. Martin's Griffin, 11/5/2013
Copy obtained from the publisher
309 pages
Rating: 5/5
Now for the GIVEAWAY! You have from now until November 25th to sign up -- so don't wait!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Book Review and Giveaway: Nutcracker, by E.T.A. Hoffmann, translated by Ralph Manheim, & illustrated by Maurice Sendak
It is weird. I've never seen the ballet, or read or heard this entire story. It's kind of complex. The little girl, Marie, gets a nutcracker for Christmas, and she becomes attached to him. He comes alive, and there's a big battle in her bedroom, involving all her dolls and her brother's hussars.
Godfather Drosselmeier tells her a story about a princess, who gets cursed by a mouse queen, and becomes ugly. The only way she can be released from the curse is to find a boy who can crack the Krakatuk -- a very hard nut, and this man must not wear boots and be unshaven. After many years they find the man, they are so happy they promise him the princess' hand in marriage. He cracks the nut, but then is cursed by the mouse queen and becomes an ugly nutcracker. So the princess doesn't want to marry him.
Long story short, Marie ends up saving the nutcracker. He takes her to a beautiful world made of candy and sweets And there's more, but I won't tell you everything.
It's an "enchanting" tale, of magic, beauty, and some horror too! There's blood. And evil mice.
I can't talk about this book without talking about Maurice Sendak's illustrations, which are very creative and captivating, although he did take some license with the descriptions in the story. The illustrations don't always match, but they are beautiful and definitely look like Sendak's work. There may even be a little homage to Where the Wild Things Are, but I'll let you find that.
Nutcracker would be a great book to add to your collection of children's Christmas books. You have one of those, don't you? Even though my children are all grown up, we still read some of them every Christmas. I've even featured one of MY childhood Christmas books in one of my Monday Memories posts. Pick up a copy of Nutcracker if you get a chance -- if nothing else, just look at the pictures.
Published by Crown, October 30, 2012
Review copy obtained from the publisher
102 pages
And, even better, I'm allowed to offer one copy from Crown Publishers to giveaway to a lucky reader! Just fill in the form below by November 16, and you are entered!
Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2012 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved
Friday, August 3, 2012
Winner! Of my Pushing the Limits Giveaway
Thanks to everyone who entered!
Back to Annette's Book Spot Homepage Copyright © 2012 Annette's Book Spot. All Rights Reserved
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Announcing My Winners!
Lori, from http://www.writingmyownfairytale.com/ has won: Monument 14
Jinky, from http://booksthattugtheheart.blogspot.com/ has won: Storm
and
Kristina, from http://newborrowedused.blogspot.com/ has won Shadowfell
Congratulations to you all. Thanks for entering. I've emailed you for your mailing address and I'll be getting these to you soon!
Winners were chosen using random.org.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Book Review & Giveaway: Pushing the Limits, by Katie McGarry @KatieMcGarry
It is easy to believe that for certain children with backgrounds in the foster system, and without parental guidance, life just isn't going to work out to a "happily ever after" situation. And this is exactly the case for Echo and Noah.
Echo's mother is bipolar, and has done something so horrible that Echo can't remember -- although she has the scars to prove it. Her father has a new wife, Echo's former nanny, and a new baby on the way. There is a restraining order to keep Echo's mother away. Echo has alienated herself from all her friends.
Noah is in the foster system, and since he beat up his first foster dad (even though it was to keep him from beating on another child), Noah's rights to see his two younger brothers were taken away. Noah wants so badly to graduate, get a job, and be able to care for his brothers, but he has a long way to go.
Echo needs money to fix up a car that belonged to her brother who was killed in Afghanistan. Her social worker, Mrs. Collins, suggests she do some tutoring. And, since Mrs. Collins is Noah's social worker too, she sends him to Echo for tutoring.
So, you can see where this is headed. But it doesn't just jump there. These two both have such huge problems. Echo trying to remember, Noah trying to straighten up and find out who has his brothers. It starts out slowly, with Echo simply confiding to Noah about her scars. They decide to help each other by trying to sneak into Mrs. Collins' office and read their files. There are serious road blocks and side issues that are important. Too many to mention here, but Pushing the Limits is a full story that is quite emotional. You really get to understand what these kids are up against and how they feel.
The side characters add much interest. Echo's dad is definitely not perfect. He's struggling too. As is his wife, who Echo used to love when she was a nanny, but now she hates. Mrs. Collins is a realistic therapist. She makes mistakes too, but she seems to know what she's doing. Both Echo's and Noah's friends (who are polar opposites) spice up the story and add to the confusion that Echo and Noah are experiencing.
Pushing the Limits changes from Noah's to Echo's points of view very abruptly. It took me awhile to recognize the changes, and I believe this was exacerbated by the eARC format. Sometimes the POV changed in the middle of a paragraph! Hopefully this won't be an issue in the finished copy.
I can't say enough about Pushing the Limits. I teared up a bit, and it wasn't even about Echo and Noah; it was at a different part of the book. Even if these situations are unlikely, it makes great fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed Pushing the Limits. I would recommend it to romance fans, especially those who enjoyed books like Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry novels (although I liked this one better than any of those.)
Published by Harlequin Teen, July 31, 2012
ARC eBook obtained from NetGalley
416 pages
Rating: 5/5
Now for the giveaway:
Winner will receive one copy of Pushing the Limits, shipped directly from the publicist. U.S. and Canada Only. You need to be at least 13 years old. You need to fill out the form below, and you need to know that I'm not responsible if the post office loses or damages the books (and I certainly HOPE that never happens!) Giveaway ends August 2, 2012.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
ARC Giveaway Time!
These are all Advanced Review Copies, read once by me.
Monument 14, by Emmy Laybourne
Storm, by Brigid Kemmerer
My review will post tomorrow (July 5, 2012)
Shadowfell, by Juliet Marillier
Giveaway details:
My giveaways aren't about followers, so it's not required. However, if you are interested in the books I'm giving away, then you could be interested in my blog, since those are the types of books I write about. So, at least look it over and consider following.You DO need to be at least 13 years old. You DO need to have a US mailing address. You need to fill out the form below, and you need to know that I will personally be mailing these books to the winners and I'm not responsible if the post office loses or damages the books (and I certainly HOPE that never happens!) Giveaway ends July 20, so sign up NOW! Good Luck!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
ARC Giveaway!
 |
| ARC GIVEAWAY! |
I'm giving away some ARCs I've read and would like to pass on. You can choose which one or ones you would like to win. Just so you know... The Technologists has a plain cover -- not the one pictured below.
Quaranteen, by Lex Thomas Releasing on July 10, 2012
The Girls of No Return, by Erin Saldin. My Review.
The Technologists, by Matthew Pearl. My Review
Remember: NOT the cover pictured!
The Girl of Fire and Thorns, by Rae Carson. My Review
Following isn't necessary, although I'd appreciate it if you would take a look around my blog if you haven't and see if it's something you might be interested in. Thanks!
You DO need to be at least 13 years old. You DO need to have a US mailing address. You need to fill out the form below, and you need to know that I will personally be mailing these books to the winners and I'm not responsible if the post office loses or damages the books (and I certainly HOPE that never happens!) Giveaway ends April 1st, so sign up NOW! Good Luck!
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