www.BookHoundsYA.net

You'd have to have, like, a lentil for a soul to hate wiener dogs. ~Zuzana from The Daughter of Smoke & Bones by Laini Taylor


Monday, December 31, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Giveaway Hop! Win THE SPINDLERS by LAUREN OLIVER







Welcome to the  HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Giveaway Hop! 


This hop is hosted by: 
I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (HERE
Bab's Book Bistro (HERE)




There are over 200 blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts January 1st and and ends on January 7th,  midnight. 



HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER:









Want to win this ARC book?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address within the free shipping areas of The Book Depository.
Contest ends on 1.7.13 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Void where prohibited.
This giveaway is sponsored by me and ONE book is available.

Complete the below form 

Follow Me
Extra Entries
+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE 
+1 Like BookHounds on Facebook HERE 
+1 Follow my reviews on Goodreads HERE
(I am at my limit of friends!)



Sunday, December 30, 2012

Stacking the Shelves December 30, 2012 IMM




Stacking the Shelves is a weekly post by TYNGA'S REVIEWS showcasing your new books!
Links go to Goodreads!

For Review:


by 

Friday, December 28, 2012

Book Winners! @Ocedday




AND THE WINNER IS:

END OF THE WORLD -- Velveteen

MEL

MIDWINTER EVE -- Hallowed

sayomay
An email has been sent to the lucky person named above
The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Thanks to all who entered. 
PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOR THE EMAIL FROM BOOKHOUNDS @ HOTMAIL REQUESTING YOUR MAILING ADDRESS!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

GIVEAWAY! Best of 2012 WIN EVERY DAY by DAVID LEVITHAN







Welcome to the BEST OF 2012  Giveaway Hop! 


This hop is hosted by: 
I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (HERE




There are over 100 blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts December 27th and and ends on December 31st,  midnight. 



HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER:









Want to win this book?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address within the free shipping areas of The Book Depository.
Contest ends on 12.31.12 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Void where prohibited.
This giveaway is sponsored by me and ONE book is available.

Complete the below form 

Follow Me
Extra Entries
+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE 
+1 Like BookHounds on Facebook HERE 
+1 Follow my reviews on Goodreads HERE
(I am at my limit of friends!)



Waiting on Wednesday SCARLET by Marissa Meyer


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at  Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:




Book Description

February 5, 2013 Lunar Chronicles (Book 2)


Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.


Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Happy Holidays!




The dachshund of mass destruction got a booster seat for car rides! 



She was less thrilled about the new camera I got since it means a lot more pictures. 



My son had a jigsaw puzzle made with some of my favorite PhoDOGraphy pictures -- very cool!


Sunday, December 23, 2012

Stacking the Shelves December 23. 2012 IMM




Stacking the Shelves is a weekly post by TYNGA'S REVIEWS showcasing your new books!
Links go to Goodreads!

For Review:



by 

Friday, December 21, 2012

BookHounds Review THE SPINDLERS by LAUREN OLIVER


Book Description

October 2, 2012 8 and up3 and up

One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not. In fact, he was quite, quite different.
When Liza's brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul.
She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him.
To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rats, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids . . . as well as terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers' nests, where she encounters the evil queen and must pass a series of deadly tests—or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.

About the Author
Lauren Oliver captivated readers with her first novel, the New York Times bestseller Before I Fall, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. She followed that up with Delirium, the first book in her New York Times bestselling trilogy, which continued with Pandemonium. Oliver is also the author of Liesl & Po, a book for middle-grade readers, which received three starred reviews and was described as "a gorgeous story—timeless and magical" by Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead. A graduate of the University of Chicago and NYU's MFA program, Lauren Oliver lives in Brooklyn, New York.

SOURCE:  AMAZON VINE

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Liza's baby sitter, Anna, has told her tales about the Spindlers, spider-like creatures that live below and steal the souls of unsuspecting children which they feast on.  She knows the telltale signs, such as not acting normal, which in her little brother's case means brushing his teeth without complaint, going to bed without an argument and just generally behaving.  So when these things start happening, she knows without a doubt that Patrick's soul has been stolen.  Much like Alice in Wonderland, Liza discovers a passageway that sends her Below into the land of under-dwellers.  

There she meets Mirabelle, a rat, who helps Liza make her way to the Spindler's nest and save her brother's soul.  There are challenges to the journey and you wonder whether Liza has it in her to save her brother.  This page turning adventure would be a pleasure to read out loud and reminded me a bit of The Tale of Despereaux and Spiderwick Chronicles  .   I really enjoyed Liza and her imagination.  There are also lots of wonderful characters involved and this would be a wonderful gift for a youngster just starting chapter books.


Thursday, December 20, 2012

GIVEAWAY Mid-Winters Eve Blog Hop WIN HALLOWED by CYNTHIA HAND







Welcome to the MID-WINTERS EVE Giveaway Hop! 


This hop is hosted by: 
I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (HERE
Oasis for YA (HERE)



There are over 100 blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts December 14th and and ends on December 21st,  midnight. 



HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER:









Want to win this book?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address within the free shipping areas of The Book Depository.
Contest ends on 12.27.12 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Void where prohibited.
This giveaway is sponsored by me and ONE book is available.

Complete the below form 

Follow Me
Extra Entries
+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE 
+1 Like BookHounds on Facebook HERE 
+1 Follow my reviews on Goodreads HERE
(I am at my limit of friends!)



Giveaway & Review STONES TO ASHES by KAILIN GOW @kailingow



The Alchemists Academy Book 1: Stones to Ashes by Kailin Gow

What do you learn here...at the Academy? Wirt asks. Magic? The responsibility to use your powers responsibly? Uh...something like that, his roommate Spencer said. More like how to rule worlds. Wirt, is used to being shuffled from foster home to foster home, adopting a devil-may-care attitude toward the world along the way. Now he s in a school he can t escape, learning to develop his latent magical abilities, for what use, he doesn't know...to save his world or to destroy it...



Purchase
Amazon * Barnes & Noble


SOURCE:  AUTHOR

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Foster kid, Wirt inadvertently discovers he has magical ability when he is threatened by three boys with bodily harm and escapes when he disappears.  The only problem is that he doesn't really believe in magic, so when he lands in a giant tree house that is home to a magical academy.  The academy trains future magicians to help the rulers of all hundreds of worlds that overlap.  There he is admitted to the academy on scholarship and soon makes a home among the students. He makes fast friends with three:  Spencer, the smart, rich kid who takes him under his wing and the brilliant Alana, another scholarship student who is assigned to help Princess Priscilla rule in the future.  

These teens attend classes much like the ones in Hogwarts and have teachers that help them work through spells and transformations. As Wirt becomes used to the idea of magic, things start to go wrong at the school.  Magical items entrusted to the school are disappearing and with the finances there in disarray, the kids are set out to find a missing chalice that has mythical powers.  Their quest takes them through many obstacles and trails. Spencer makes Wirt realize that he has worth and that he is wanted at the school, something he has never felt before in all his foster homes.  

Alana also plays a part in welcoming Wirt and I can't wait to see where their relationship goes.  She is smart and witty.  Priscillia doesn't play that much of a role in this one but I can see her coming into her own.  I really enjoyed this one and I have been meaning to read something by Gow for awhile after meeting her at the Orange County Children's Book Fest.  I am sure that this one won't be my last.  Parents:  not much to worry about here and other than a kiss and not much violence, this should be alright for even the youngest teens.






Excerpt from Stones to Ashes

Wirt screwed his eyes shut, wishing fervently that he was somewhere, anywhere else. Right now, being back with Joan and Peter was looking an awful lot more appetizing. First, though, he had to find some way to get out of here…

Wirt doubled up as his stomach suddenly cramped. For a moment, he though he had been hit, but that hypothesis went by the wayside as the feeling spread to every muscle in his body at once. As far as Wirt knew, and thanks to some of his earlier misadventures he did know, not even three people could manage to hit you everywhere simultaneously. Wirt forced his eyes open, and then quickly shut them again, because the golden radiance surrounding him was simply too bright to look though. Around him, the gasps of the three bullies were clearly audible.

“He’s glowing, Rich. Why is he glowing?”

“How should I know? Look, just grab him.”

“You grab him. He could be radioactive or something, the way he’s glowing.”

“Oh, so it’s all right for me to grab radiation boy, is it?”

The sounds of a scuffle came to Wirt, but they were quickly replaced by silence. He didn’t really care, because by now the unpleasant sensation running through his body had reached unbearable levels, feeling as though every scrap of him were being pulled in a different direction.

As suddenly as it had come, the sensation passed. Wirt had to concentrate just to breathe, and he stood like that for long seconds. He didn’t dare open his eyes, at least until it occurred to him that the three older boys might still be there waiting to hit him. That made his eyes snap open so quickly that for a second he couldn’t make sense of anything around him. When he did, Wirt took a step back, and that itself was surprising enough, given that there should have been a chain link fence in the way. Instead, he was standing in the middle of a field, with no sign of any fences anywhere in sight.




Author Kailin Gow

Kailin Gow is the award-winning, international bestselling author of over 80 distinct books.

Kailin Gow is also the President of a media company, a media personality, and has been writing full-time since she was first published. Holding a Masters in communications management and leadership positions in Fortune 500 corporations, she puts her leadership abilities, her experience, and desire to help others into her fiction books. As a result, she has written the forthcoming, Finding the Heroine in You book which is also a national tour. She is a mother and spends whatever spare time she has volunteering at the Red Cross, Battered Women's Shelters, and other organizations.

Currently her Frost Series is in development for a major international MMO Game, and she has over 14,000 and growing Frosters on her facebook fan page.




Links:



Tour Schedule



Book Blast $50 Giveaway Details
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/31/12
*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it for the first person you follow and leave the others blank.

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday NOBODY by JENNIFER LYNN BARNES


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at  Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:



Book Description

January 22, 2013



There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That's why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they're young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute's monitoring. But now they've ID'ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can't make the hit. It's as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are--because no one else can really see them.


Sunday, December 16, 2012

Book Winners! @doodlebugsbooks @candacemom2two





AND THE WINNER IS:


Book Lover's Hop -- Son by Lois Lowry

DoodleBug be sure to stop by Doodlebug's Bookshelf 

Fingerprints of You by Kristen-Paige Madonia

Candace - by sure to stop by Candace's Book Blog 





An email has been sent to the lucky person named above
The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Thanks to all who entered. 
PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOR THE EMAIL FROM BOOKHOUNDS @ HOTMAIL REQUESTING YOUR MAILING ADDRESS!

BookHounds YA Stacking the Shelves December 16, 2012 IMM




Stacking the Shelves is a weekly post by TYNGA'S REVIEWS showcasing your new books!
Links go to Goodreads!


WON!  


How to Lead A Life Of Crime


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Giveaway! END OF THE WORLD Hop WIN Velveteen by Daniel Marks







Welcome to the END OF THE WORLD Giveaway Hop! 


This hop is hosted by: 
I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (HERE
My Life With Books (HERE)



There are over 100 blogs participating and each has their own entry rules and geographic limits, so be sure to read the rules for each one.  This hop starts December 14th and and ends on December 21st,  midnight. 



HERE IS WHAT I HAVE FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER:









Want to win these ARC book?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address within the free shipping areas of The Book Depository.
Contest ends on 12.21.12 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Void where prohibited.
This giveaway is sponsored by me and ONE book is available.

Complete the below form 

Follow Me
Extra Entries
+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE 
+1 Like BookHounds on Facebook HERE 
+1 Follow my reviews on Goodreads HERE
(I am at my limit of friends!)



Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday SCARLET by MARISSA MEYER @MacKidsBooks @marissa_meyer


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at  Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:




Book Description

February 5, 2013 Lunar Chronicles (Book 2)



Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.




GIVEAWAY The Jelly Bean Crisis by Jolene Stockman WIN $100 to Amazon #BookBlast



The Jelly Bean Crisis by Jolene Stockman


A total meltdown. The whole school watching. Now Poppy’s an ex-straight-A with no Plan B.

When Poppy Johnson throws away a full scholarship to Columbia, she can only blame the jelly beans. The yucky green ones? Midnight cram sessions and Saturday’s spent studying. The delicious red? The family legacy: Columbia, and a future in finance. Except now it’s starting to look like Poppy’s jelly bean theory is wrong. School has been her life until, but maybe it’s time to start living now.

Poppy has thirty days to try a new life. No school, no studying. Just jumping into every possible world. Thirty days to find her passion, her path, and maybe even love.

The Jelly Bean Crisis is officially on.





*** Praise for The Jelly Bean Crisis***

"The Jelly Bean Crisis is a heart warming and thought provoking story, especially if you're in the process of figuring out your life!"  - Ajoop On Books!

"This book had me riveted. Completely riveted the entire time. The Jelly Bean Crisis was instant love for me."  - Book Briefs.

"It's a beautifully told story that you'll be thinking about long after you finish reading."  - A Pocket Full of Books.

If you're looking for a smart contemporary YA read, then The Jelly Bean Crisis is for you!



Purchase



***Book Blast Special***
Get your Kindle copy of The Jelly Bean Crisis for 99 cents!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Jelly-Bean-Crisis-ebook/dp/B008PODAAK





Author Jolene Stockman

Jolene Stockman is an award winning writer, speaker, and an expert for Girlfriend Magazine Australia. She is a Master of Neuro Linguistic Programming, and one of the youngest in the world to achieve the Distinguished Toastmaster Award. Jolene lives in New Zealand, and is the author of Total Blueprint for World Domination. The Jelly Bean Crisis is her debut fiction.









$100 Book Blast Giveaway
Ends 12/21/12
*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow Jolene and leave the others blank.

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

GIVEAWAY! 8th Blog Tour Stop SPLINTERED By AG HOWARD @aghowardwrites @abramskids #OfficialSplinteredBlogTour


Eighth stop: Wonderland’s Historical Library (prize post)

On the eighth day of Splintered, we visit Wonderland’s historical library.  A faery as pink as a sunset, with the graceful, long neck of a flamingo, waits at a desk to offer help. Though she’s famous for playing a mean game of croquet, she’s lesser known as the Secret Keeper, thanks to her day job as the librarian of Wonderland.

She sees us and stands—neck opening out like a telescope—to search the upper shelves for the books that hold Wonderland’s forgotten history and darkest secrets.




(caption) Attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dm-set/3464173554/

This being Wonderland, the books in the library aren’t typical books. Actual voices are captured within the pages. You don’t so much read them, as converse with them.  The Secret Keeper pulls down a dusty tome filled with the voices of people who have read and adored Lewis Carroll’s original tale. They’re sorted alphabetically. Turning to the “L” section, the Secret Keeper (SK) proceeds to ask Maggie Lehrman, Amulet’s acquiring editor for Splintered, her thoughts on the two books:

SK: Dearest Maggie, of course I've always known the true story of Wonderland, but I would love your take on the classic Carroll tale and your first reactions to A.G. Howard's Weirdified Wonderland (which is far more accurate, allow me to assure you!)
Maggie: I love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, particularly the marvelous illogic of some of the dialogue and the strange beauty of the poems and wordplay. There's nothing else like it in the world. Carroll's Alice has inspired generations of children's authors, but his original book remains as fresh and strange as ever. What I immediately responded to when reading Anita's take on Wonderland in Splintered was that all those codes and riddles contained meaning and sense, if only we had Alyssa's stubbornness to help unravel them. Splintered respects the madness of Carroll's book while creating something new and strange. (And, unlike Carroll's book, very romantic!) 
SK: Is there a particular character, destination, or scene that got you itching to work with Splintered?
Maggie: Hmmm, tricky question! That's because Splintered is the complete package: There's Anita's brilliant repurposing of Wonderland, the pull Alyssa feels between familiar Jeb and mysterious Morpheus, and the deep emotions Anita taps into. But I have to say, personally, I have considerable fondness for the "walrus" scene. As Anita depicts him, he's grotesque, but also darkly funny and threatening. I knew I was reading something special from the first scene, but it was that tricky octobenus that truly hooked me. Not sure what that says about my personality!
 SK: Describe Splintered in six words or less. 
Maggie: Wonderland is not what it seems. 
SK: Can you share any secrets about the acquisition process as it concerns Splintered? (Strictly for recording purposes, I promise.)
Maggie: Not sure if there any secrets to share, but I will say that many of my co-workers have cornered me to let me know that they couldn't put the manuscript down. That's always wonderful to hear!
 SK: Tell me why you feel readers should make a resolution to pick up Splintered the very moment it hits shelves on January 1st, 2013? 
Maggie: With the excitement of the holidays behind you, this is the perfect book to cozy up to on a cold winter night. 

The Secret Keeper places the book back on its shelf and shoos us out the door. To learn all of the weirdified Wonderland secrets, you’ll have to read Splintered. But if you’re too impatient to wait, there will be an unveiling at Mundie Moms tomorrow … two secrets revealed, one for Splintered, and one for Lewis Carroll’s original Wonderland tale.

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

To thank us for stopping by the library today, Wonderland’s Secret Keeper/ librarian is offering this 4-inch pink flamingo ornament. For a chance to win, leave a comment in the rafflecopter about your favorite Alice in Wonderland character. Tweet this post for extra entries.













a Rafflecopter giveaway

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