Spies, Thieves, and Diplomats GIVEAWAY [CLOSED]

Ally Carter's books are some of my favorites because they are always about strong girls in action. They are fun, have bits of swoon, and are always an adventure.

One of the common premises in Ally's books is they tend to feature teenage girls involved in or at war with 'the family business.' In the Gallagher Girl series, 'the family business' is espionage. In the Heist Society series, it's thievery. And in Ally's newest book, All Fall Down, the first in the Embassy Row series, it's diplomacy.

From Goodreads:

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love.

From Goodreads:

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

From Goodreads:

A new series of global proportions -- from master of intrigue, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter.

This exciting new series from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay--in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.

So using these themes, I've come up with a little game based on the classic Kiss/Marry/Kill. Using celebrities/fictional characters/well-known entities, who would you spy on and why, who would you steal from and why, and who would you befriend and why?

Here are my answers:

I would SPY on Jennifer Lopez to get her workout routine.
I would STEAL Darcy's country estate, Pemberley, because it's gorgeous.
I would BEFRIEND Anna Kendrick because she is hilarious.

Whether you are already a fan or new to the books, now is your chance to win two signed novels by Ally Carter. First, check out my Giveaway & Rules page and then fill out the Rafflecopter widget below. There will be one winner and the giveaway ends at 11:59pm on February 16th.

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From Where I'm Standing [17] - Ally Carter

I have been a fan of Ally Carter for the past seven or eight years. I found the audio book of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You on sale, bought it, and discovered YA lit was a thing that I enjoyed. Along with Harry Potter and Twilight, I credit Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl series for getting me in to reading YA again.

The last time Ally Carter visited Tennessee, she only had a stop in Memphis, which is too far away for a day trip, so I was beyond elated to see that Chattanooga had been added for this latest tour to celebrate the release of Ally's first Embassy Row novel, All Fall Down. Not only did it make it possible for me to meet Ally and get some of my books signed, but it also gave me an excuse to see my blog bestie Hannah, of The Book Vortex.

Ally Carter answering fan questions.

Ally Carter signing books.

The event wasn't set up in the best way (no chairs at all!), so Ally spoke briefly about All Fall Down and then took a few questions. There were lots of students from local schools present, and many of them looked like they had dressed up as Gallagher Girls because they were wearing their private school uniforms. Meeting Ally was so much fun, and I'm glad Hannah came along, as we got to hang out quite a bit and catch up (and a thank you to her for taking pictures!).
 

Hannah and Me

Me and Ally Carter

If you want to win two books signed by Ally Carter, just head on over to this post!

Thanks for visiting!

Goodbye Hiatus; Hello Giveaway! [CLOSED]

Details:

Giveaway will run from 5/30/14 to 6/13/14 and is US only.

Three winners will be chosen via the Rafflecopter widget.

Please read further rules here.

Hourglass Prize Pack

*signed* paperback of Hourglass by Myra McEntire [review]

paperback of Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita [Goodreads]

paperback of On Location by Jen Calonita [Goodreads]

paperback of The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff [review]

paperback of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin [Goodreads]

hardback of The Dark Divine by Bree Despain [review]

hardback of Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King [Goodreads]

The Darkest Minds Prize Pack

*signed* ARC of The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken [review]

paperback of Cut by Patricia McCormick [review]

paperback of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling [Goodreads]

paperback of The Light by D.J. MacHale [Goodreads]

paperback of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter [Goodreads]

hardback of The Lying Game by Sara Shepard [review]

hardback of Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan [Goodreads]

Defiance Prize Pack

*signed* hardback of Defiance by C.J. Redwine [review]

paperback of If I Stay by Gayle Forman [Goodreads]

hardback of The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard [Goodreads]

hardback of The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams [Goodreads]

hardback (formerly library bound) of Wings by Aprilynne Pike [Goodreads]

hardback of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater [Goodreads]

hardback of Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta [Goodreads]

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Good luck!

T10T [5] - Top Ten REWIND: Fave Authors

T10T [4] - Books I Loved Before Becoming a Blogger

Ink Anticipation [8] - February 2013

This old feature has a new use!
Ink Anticipation is now for sharing what books I am looking forward to that will be released during the following month. Clicking on a book cover will either take you to the book's Goodreads page or to my review. Don't forget to share your most anticipated releases in the comments!

February 5th

February 12th

February 19th

February 26th

Why I Love YA (+ giveaway from Beth Revis)

My high school library was tiny and outdated. It was one room, about the size of a standard classroom, and held all the different kinds of books you were supposed to find in a full size library, complete with card catalog cabinet and giant dictionary open on a pedestal, which only took up valuable space.

I read everything I could get my hands on, from Catch-22 to Dick Francis's horse related English mysteries, to thrillers by David Baldacci, and to the stuff that was YA before YA was a thing, like Lois Duncan's books.

I love Lois Duncan. Those were the ones I wanted more of and could hardly find. I could read all the adult mysteries and literary fiction I wanted, and I enjoyed them, but they did not speak to me.

Even now, they do not speak to me. They are good books, to be sure, and can be nice escapes for me. But I will never be a CIA agent tracking down a serial killer. I will never be a man in a war. More than likely, I won't even be a woman embroiled in a life or death mystery, à la Mary Higgins Clark.

But I have been a teenager.

I think it is safe to say that the feelings associated with adolescence -- discovering things about yourself, trying things for the first time, finding your place in the world, longing for something more, wanting freedom -- those are not things you grow out of. They start in those important teenage years, but we never stop dealing with those issues. They may shift and change over time, but they never really go away.

When I dropped out of college at 21, I moved back home, full of anxiety and severely depressed. I got a good full time job that I was horrible at and eventually I felt miserable every single day. One of the perks of that job was that we could listen to audio books or music while working, and one of the ladies had a binder or two full of books on CD. I listened to a lot of adult books and they entertained me enough to keep my mind focused while at work.

But then I bought a YA audio book at the bookstore because it was on sale. The premise sounded cute so I thought I would try it. It was like a breath of fresh air after being trapped under ground for years on end.

Then someone gave me Twilight and Harry Potter. Not only was I entertained but I was enthralled. These books gave me something to be excited about because I could see myself in these stories in a way I could not with the adult books.

That is why I love YA. I can relate. I can relate because I have been through those feelings, those life-altering events that sometimes take place only within, and I may still be going through them now though in a slightly different way.

I will never be a teenage spy like in Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl series, that YA audio book I picked up at the store, or a teenage art thief like in her Heist Society series, but I know what it is like to be good at something and not sure you want that for your life.

I will never be a teenage cancer patient, but I do know what it is like to not understand the things happening to you, to be sick in a way no one else seems to understand, and what it is like to lose someone you love dearly, like in The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

I was not a girl who had to deal with physical abuse from a boyfriend, but I did know what it was like to lose my way, which is why Sarah Dessen's Dreamland hit home for me so much when I read it in high school. I have not read one of those thrillers or mysteries that I used to read in high school in years, but I have and will read any of Dessen's books I can get my hands on.

This is why I love YA. No matter the story, the setting, even the genre label, YA is what I love to read because it speaks to me, to the me that was a teenager, to the me that is still growing as a person and has a human being.

And now that I have been all sentimental, time for the fun stuff!

Because Beth Revis loves YA, she is going to give one lucky winner an entire library of signed YA books!

Just click the graphic below to enter!

Authors from A to Z: C

Authors from A to Z is a posting challenge hosted by

Heather at Proud Book Nerd. The challenge is simple: each day for the month of June (except Sundays) share your favorite authors whose last name corresponds to the letter for that day.  
For more info, click the photo.

How I'm participating in the challenge:

This year I am going to try to highlight just one author each day that I am really taken with. If I can't come up with one, it may be a book, a song, or a surprise!

C = Ally Carter

Ally Carter has been and continues to be one of my favorite YA authors ever. Her books, which include the Gallagher Girl series and the Heist Society series, are clean, fun, and smart. I don't know how she comes up with the stories she does (it would hurt my head to figure that stuff out!) but I love them.
Right now I'm looking forward to the third Heist Society book, which will release in 2013, because I don't really want to think about the next Gallagher Girl book, as it will be the last (V_V).

Besides her amazing books (which are responsible for getting me back into reading YA), I love that Carter offers up so much help and information on her website for aspiring authors. If you're interested in becoming an author, especially if you write YA, I recommend the For Writers section of her blog.

Favority-Fave Reads of 2011

Yes, this is my favorite books of 2011 post, and I'm sliding it into the blogosphere right ahead of the New Year. Click the covers to go to each title's Goodreads page.  The list is separated up but the books are not in any particular order, so without further ado:

Favority-Faves: Debuts and Firsts in a Series Published in 2011

Hourglass by Myra McEntire - Debut (Full Review)
This book had everything you look for in Paranormal YA and a lot that hadn't been seen before. I loved Emerson and her boys and can't wait to slip back into their world in 2012!

 The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab - Debut (Full Review)

Everything about this book, from the writing to the characters to the setting, is amazing and lovely. No matter what Schwab writes in the future, I'm reading it.

 


Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally - Debut (Full Review)
This book caught me off guard by how good it was! It not only had a great premise, but it felt like it was a true story. Contemporary YA is often not my thing so take it from me, this one is worth your time.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick - Debut

I love a good mystery, especially when it involves a great character and a budding romance. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, which is where I am waiting for Patrick's next work.

 


Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson - First in a Series (Full Review)
This is one of the most amazing books I've ever read thanks to the beautiful writing and mind-bending mystery. If you take a chance on any book, make it this one because it is not at all what it seems.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson - First in a Series

Not only did this book have mystery, a quirky MC, and Jack the Ripper, but it was a fun read that made me laugh and gave me chills. The ending has stuck with me and I'm highly anticipating the next in the series.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Debut

I knew this book would be creepy, and I loved every minute of creepy it gave me along with some great characters and a good mystery. The jaw-dropper ending got me right between the eyes, too.

Divergent by Veronica Roth - Debut

I knew Roth could write by reading her blog, and her book did not disappoint. So much action, suspense, heartbreak, and triumph made it a true roller coaster ride I wished could go on and on.

 


Die for Me by Amy Plum - Debut
Despite being a paranormal, I was wary of this book, but it surprised me with how good it was. It sports a great cast of characters, fantastic lore, a powerful romance, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver - First in a Series

I was interested in this book but not expecting to like it due to the focus on romance, but I was wrong! This story had my heart pounding, I felt for the characters, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Favortiy-Faves: Series I Read with a Book Published in 2011

Hex Hall & Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall series (Full Review of First Book)

I loved snarky Sophie and the crazy things that happened in Hex Hall. It was both a lot of fun and full of mystery and magic. Demonglass was a fitting sequel and I loved the darker, more dangerous atmosphere that made the whole book exciting. This series has everything I love in a story with great characters and twisty-turns to boot.

Heist Society & Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Heist Society series

Ally Carter is the queen of high-concept, hands down. I love all the characters in this series, as well as the sophistication and more adult feeling of the novels even though they are still in my favorite section (YA, duh) in the bookstore. These books have lots of heart, are fun, funny, smart, and exciting. This is one series I hope goes on and on and on because it is that good.

Beautiful Creatures & Beautiful Darkness 

 by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 

Caster Chronicles

The atmosphere and endearing main character of this magical series keep me coming back for more. Though these books are (quite, rather, enormously) long and the love interest irritates me more often than I like, I still love them. They have an feel all their own with a cast of characters ranging from quirky to crazy, meaning there's not a dull moment.

The Lying Game & Never Have I Ever  

by Sara Shepard

The Lying Game series

I love the concept of this series and the books are suspense filled rides. They have all the charm and intrigue of the Pretty Little Liars books but in this one, I actually like the main character. I stay on the edge of my seat as the secrets are revealed and suspects are added to or marked off the list. This is one of the best series out there.

Favority-Faves: Books I Read in 2011 Published Before 2011

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
Carter is on my list again, this time for the continuation of a story that really is to blame for me loving YA. This fourth book in the Gallagher Girls series did nothing but ratchet up the suspense, danger, and romance for the girls at the Gallagher Academy. The writing, characters, and plots just get better and better each time.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I was hoping for a happily-ever-after read and Perkins delivered with this fun and well-written contemporary romance. I loved the characters and the setting and am a forever fan of Perkins because of this book. I plan on reading all of her books, but especially the ones that are Anna companion novels.

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan
Tiernan's writing has a way of sweeping me up, and I loved getting lost is the main character's internal struggle for a better life. The history, mystery, and magic in this book drew me in and kept me. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel due out next year.

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

Add boarding school, magic, supernatural powers, mythology, mystery, history, romance, and danger, mix and serve, and you get this book. I thoroughly enjoyed having all my favorite elements in one read. I got caught up in the multifaceted drama and hope there is more to come for the residents of Shadow Hills.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Full Review)
This was a book I was both interested in and didn't want to read because of the concept and subject matter. But I'm glad I did because not only was it well-written, but the powerful message was woven into a carefully crafted narrative. This is one book that is both heartbreaking and hopeful and worthy of your bookshelf.

Trickster's Choice & Trickster's Queen 

by Tamora Pierce

Pierce is my go-to fantasy author and I love all of her books that I've read (so far) set in the land of Tortall. This series upped the intrigue and magic with more great characters and wonderful writing. It was so good I wish it was more than two books!

That's it, quirks! I hope you enjoyed my list and take a chance on some (or many) of these if you haven't read them already. Share your favorites or thoughts on mine in the comments!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!