Tag: Lauren Oliver

Road Trip Wednesday: Best Book of January

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{Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway‘s contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered.

This week’s question: What was the best book you read in January?}

First of all, I can’t believe that January is gone, let alone have a “best of” for it. I’ve been so tunnel-vision-y with My Plan to finish this draft of WIP2 (which is still not done, ahem) on top of the everyday fires I had to put out responsibilities that I had to take care of for the paythebills job (main reason why WIP2’s current draft isn’t done yet), that even though I wanted to read so. Many. Awesome. Books. I just couldn’t.* I had to do the Grown Up Thing and Prioritize. *pout*

So, despite acquiring a bunch of books, most of which were sponsored by my friends and family via birthday presents (THANK YOU ALL!), I only really read three books: Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake; Pandemonium, by Lauren Oliver; and The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green. (If you KNEW how quickly I devoured books you would be shocked, SHOCKED by this paltry number!)

I know this is a cop-out answer, but considering I prioritized my life to read these books, I would say ALL THREE were truly awesome. Plus, since they were distinctively different genres/styles, they all fed different Book Cravings that I’d been jonesing for.

If I must, MUST choose one, I would HAVE to choose The Fault in Our Stars, since that book is so life-changing AMAZING. (The fact that I’m choosing to spend my meager pennies to buy another copy to giveaway would ALSO be a great indicator to how much I loved it, I would imagine!)

I will eventually come to the point where I can read more science fiction and fantasy, the genre of my heart, but I am waiting till this draft is winging its way to my crit partners before I indulge. (See how Grown Up I am? See??)

So, what was the best book YOU read in January?

[*Waiting in the wings for me to finish WIP2 are Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi, Legend, by Marie Lu, 77th Shadow Street by Dean Koontz, Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, and 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. I. So. Can’t. Wait!]

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Celebrating My Love

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Happy Birthday Love Heart

Image by Status Frustration via Flickr

Tomorrow is my dear husband’s birthday, and, in honor of The Hubs, and the fact that I love him and all that 😉 , I’m giving away a copy of Ally Condie’s Matched and Lauren Oliver’s Delirium.

The Books

First, a little bit about these books…

Matched, from Goodreads:

“Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.”

Delirium, from Goodreads:

“Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love — the deliria — blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.”

Now, I know that both of these books are set in dystopian worlds with authoritative governments that divine a citizen’s life partner.  But, let’s focus on the fact that each main character CHOOSES whom she loves, and draw the parallel from there. 😉

The Rules*

So, the giveaway will be pretty straightforward.

It’s open from now till Saturday, April 9, 2011, 11:59PM EST, and I will ship to addresses within the continental US to wherever the Book Depository ships (please see if your country is listed here).

There will be two winners.  The first winner gets first choice of either book; the second winner will get the other one.

Whoever wants to participate, leave me a comment (one entry/comment per person, please).  (For bonus entries, stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog post.)

I will pick the two winners via random.org (unless some bonus entries sway my secret panel of judges otherwise).  Obviously, it’s important that I know your email, or other reliable way to contact you.  If I can’t get a hold of you within 24 hours, I will choose someone else.

That’s it!

If you don’t want to participate in the giveaway, but just want to say hi and wish my husband a happy birthday, feel free to do so as well! 😉

Thank you for celebrating with me, and good luck!

*Any questions about rule details, please contact me to let me know!