Liv's BDAY contest!

Liv is holding a prettyyyyyyyy big contest.

Check her blog for more details.

You could win one of three prize packs!


Quote of the Day:

Their prison is only in their minds, yet they are in that prison, and are so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out.
-- C. S. Lewis (The Last Battle)

Contest: Cynsations and The Juliet Club

Hey guys! Now, I'm not breaking the schedule. I just found out about this contest, and it ends before my now-normal time to post contest links. So, here you go!

Cynthia Leitich Smith is giving away a copy of The Juliet Club on her blog, Cynsations. Make sure to tell her what your favorite Shakespear quote is.

If you enter, leave a comment on this post from now until June 16th (which is the day that her contest ends) telling me your favorite Shakespear quote, and you'll get an extra entry to le concours de mystère (with the help of my French book and an online translator, mystery contest).

If the scheduled post thing's working correctly, I'll be taking the ACT again at this time. Cross your fingers for a better score (not like I need a better one, anyways. lol)

Only a week until FBLA Nationals. I'm so nervous. Our school has a tradition that mustn't be broken.

Is anyone else going? Let me know :]

More Randomness... Yay!

Okay, I'm bad. I know. I just gave you a schedule and I already broke it. I'm disappointed in myself. Bad Megan! *slaps hand*

I've been reading; don't get me wrong. I just have written the reviews for them yet. There hasn't been much time between setting up that awesome new feature for you guys, work, and parliamentary practice (nationals is just a week away! eek). And if you don't know what that is, believe me. You don't want to know.

So, I'm going to try to crack down over the weekend (in between taking the ACT for the gazillionth time and work) to write some reviews for your reviewing pleasure. Some reviews for you to look forward to:

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle
The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
Roots and Wings by Many Ly
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
The Fold by An Na

AND I'm not going to disappoint you further. I did say that Fridays were going to be about my contests and/or extra entry opportunities. So! If someone can fix my problem with the stupid drop down arrow thingy not working. (see in my TBR list, that arrow thingy? I want one of those that will actually bring me to the review, instead of just listing them.) You'll get three extra entries if you can help me with this.

Contest: Mystery Prize # 1

Woohoo! I told you I had it in my mind to have another contest :]

This is the start of a series of contests.

However, unlike most contests, you won't know the prize of this one. Just that it's a book.

Ways to enter:
1) Leave me a comment ON THIS POST about your favorite book-turned-movie movie :]
2) Blog about this contest and link me.

You may be able to get extra entries in other ways, but you won't know if you're getting them or not. Just know that it's not favoritism--if one person gets extra entries doing a specific thing, anyone else who does that specific thing will also get extra entries.

I've got no definite end to this contest; it'll just end when one day I post and say "contest has ended" and announce a winner.

Please take notice:

Since this is a series of contests, if you win, you're not eligible to win in the immediately following mystery prize contest. So let's say you won the first one, so you can't win in the second one. But you can try again in the 3rd. If you're confused, just tell me lol and I'll try to make it clearer.

AND as a further note: Each mystery prize will probably be different, so don't rely on what others tell you about the prize.

Thanks! Now get to entering my contest :]

Oh, and I almost forgot. The odd numbered Mystery Prize contests are open to everyone, and the even numbered ones are limited to U.S. people.

Sorry I couldn't open all of them to everyone, but it gets pretty expensive mailing out of country all the time.



Oh, and I just finished reading The Summoning from Harper Teen's First Look. It was awesome! Just as a note if any of you got a copy, also.

//EDIT//

I forgot to mention!

Tasha
Chelsea
Lauren
Booksandlove

You all already have an extra entry, if you choose to enter this contest for replying to my post about the contest ideas. Thanks, guys! They were helpful.

Contest: The Elite

Both The Book Vault and Book~Adorer are giving away copies of The Elite!

And, if you haven't already, go enter Teen Book Review's contest with author Daphne Grab's guest blog to win a copy of Alive and Well in Prague, New York.

Contest: How NOT to be Popular

Steph at Reviewer X is giving away a copy of How NOT to be Popular. Just give her your best tip on... well, how not to be popular. lol. You can say I referred you, if you want :]

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On other news, to make up for my lack of reviews last week, I've got a whole bunch of reviews planned for all you lovely people this week!

And, if anyone's good at html-y things, shoot me an email please! I need some help. lol

Contest: Francey

And another awesome contest from And Another Book Read! This time, she's giving away a copy of Francey. It sounds awesome (judging from her review), so go enter! now!

AND on another note, I know I just had a contest, but I'm already thinking of another one. Give me your imput! Do you think I should hold another contest? What should I give away? What should the special event be? (100th post, someone's birthday, etc)

Keep in mind that I already have an idea of what I'll do for the next one, so this is for future reference.

I'd love some feedback from all you awesome people :]

And who knows? Maybe your suggestions will earn you early entries to my next contest.... I'll never tell ;]

Contests: June 2

Yeah, so what? I labeled it with a date. Simply because I have a bunch to post about! YAY!

Shooting Stars Mag is at it again! The last book for the Mark it up May contest is The Death of Jayson Porter. Check it out.

Hope at Hope's Bookshelf is giving away a CD of songs relating to Siobhan Vivian's A Little Friendly Advice, and some cute buttons to boot!

The Book Vault is giving away two copies of The Swan Kingdom. It's their first contest, so go and show them a little support!

Keri Mikulski enjoyed her YAY for YA May contest so much, she's having another one this month! Her YAY for YA June contest books that you have a chance of winning are That Summer and A Bad Bride's Tale.


This weekend was the grand opening of Chelsea's new website! Most of you know Chelsea from her blog, The Page Flipper. And what better way to celebrate a website opening than with an amazingly awesome contest! And might I add, I helped decide what the prize would be, so you should feel special :] An Ultimate Reading Kit could be yours!

Oh, and just for you to know, I saw 12 Stones in concert yesterday.

They were amazing. brilliant. awesome. a great live show!

If you've never heard of them, you should totally check them out. Like, seriously. You're missing out if you haven't. They're so interactive with the audience. It was wonderful!

Review: A Northern Light

A Northern Light

Jennifer Donnelly

This is 1906. Matilda “Mattie” Gokey’s family seems to be falling apart. After the death of her mother, the responsibility of holding the family together falls on Mattie’s shoulders. She constantly has to worry about her younger sisters and their shenanigans. Her older brother ran away, and her father expects Mattie to help him on the farm. But, Mattie, a writer at heart, is determined to get her high school diploma, especially since her mother wanted her to get it so badly before she died.

She has such great potential. Even her teacher believes that she could become a great writer. That’s why she sends Mattie’s stories to a college. While waiting for her letter back from the college, Mattie receives the attention of Royal, one of the boys next door. And when Mattie gets a letter from the college offering her a scholarship, she knows she will never be able to go.

Even though he doesn’t like it, when their family becomes desperate for money, Mattie’s dad allows her to work at the hotel in town. So when a guest gives her a bundle of letters and asks her to burn them, Mattie finds it strange, but not more unusual than she has seen. Then they pull the body of the guest out of the lake. And the letters could make all the difference.

This book was actually recommended to me by a friend multiple times. So, when I got the chance to pick it up, I did, and I wasn’t disappointed. Jennifer Donnelly’s portrayal of historical fiction piqued my interest. It didn’t take long for the rest of the story to suck me into its whirl of romance and mystery. I loved Mattie’s character, especially since she loved to read.

Contest: More Mark Up May Contests

Shooting Stars Mag is hosting THREE Mark Up May Contests at the same time!

Marked up copy of Tantalize.

Marked up copy of Violet on the Runway.

Marked up copy of either Such a Pretty Girl or Leftovers.

Need more of an incentive to sign up for these awesome contests? You got it! If you enter one or more of these contests, e-mail me at darklaceoflight@aol.com and tell me! You can get another entry to my Otherspace contest this way!

Review: Becoming Chloe

Becoming Chloe

Catherine Ryan Hyde

Jordy is a runaway in New York City. Why he ran away is a secret hidden in his past. He does not worry about anyone else but himself… that is, until he meets Chloe. The circumstances of their first meeting were strange and even horrifying, but they linked Jordy and Chloe into a most unusual relationship.

They are teens on their own in a big city. How much harder could it get? Apparently, it could get much harder when Jordy realizes Chloe is suffering from depression. She even wants him to let her go. However, Jordy convinces Chloe to go on a cross-country trip with him to prove that the world is beautiful and witnesses their lives change in the process.

Becoming Chloe was such a thought provoking novel. While Hyde’s character Jordy seemed older than what he really was, Chloe was just the opposite. She had an almost childlike innocence around her. However, Chloe amazed me again and again with her strength and knowledge. I continued to be drawn into pondering the deep discussions that I would not have expected from a novel such as this. Catherine Ryan Hyde’s writing did not fail to deliver with this great novel.

Review: The Host

The Host

Stephenie Meyer

Imagine a world without war, without conflict, no speeding, and no law breaking. Sounds like a perfect world, right? Well, this perfection comes at a price. The world has been taken over by souls, intent on fighting the humans internally and externally. They would take over the human minds, pretending to be the same while the rest of the world was conquered.

This was Wanderer’s ninth life placement into a living creature. She knew what to expect. However, she was taken by surprise when she found out that not only did her host Melanie not fade from existence as is common, but she actively fought the invasion of her mind. She didn’t win, though. They almost never do. Wanderer begins to surprise even herself when she and Melanie make an unusual friendship while searching for Melanie’s brother Jamie and the man that she loves.

We all knew that Stephenie Meyer is an amazing author, unless you’ve been living underneath a rock for the past few years. Every one of her young adult novels has made the best sellers list. However, her debut into the Adult Fiction world with The Host blew my mind. It was wonderfully written, brilliant, sweet, and extremely emotional. I could barely put it down! I recommend you go immediately and get a copy if you haven’t done so already.

Now, I know I don't normally review adult fiction on my blog, but you'll have to forgive me for my deviation from young adult for this book. It was just that great :]

Clarification for Otherspace Contest: You have to comment on the original post to be entered and for any other comments to count. Thanks!

Review: Take Me There

Take Me There

Susane Colasanti

We all have our problems. Some of us are better at hiding them than others. Some of us wear our hearts on our sleeves, however. Such is the case with Rhiannon. When her boyfriend Steve breaks up with her, all she can think of is: why? Why did he break up with her? What did she do wrong? Even through her sadness and suffering, she devises a plan she thinks will help her get Steve back. After all, didn’t he say he wished she was more spontaneous?

Rhiannon and Nicole could not have been more alike. They even go through the same experiences at the same time. But in Nicole’s case, she was the one who ended the relationship with her boyfriend Danny. She can’t even bother to explain. Of course not. That would require delving deep into her past, which she isn’t ready for yet.

And James, Rhiannon’s best friend. He tries so hard to deny it, but the facts are staring him right in the face about Rhiannon and him. So what is he going to do about it?

Susane Colasanti brings her readers an unusual perspective when it comes to her novel Take Me There. The reader gets the chance to not only explore this story through first person, but they also get the chance to understand each character more in-depth. It was a wonderfully done novel.

Don't forget! Enter my Otherspace Contest!

Contest: Otherspace at... Here!

This is my 50th post!

So guess what that means...

YAY! Another contest! *everyone gets excited*

This one's prize?
an ARC copy of Otherspace by David Stahler, Jr.

How to enter:
Leave me a comment telling me which book I should tackle next and why.

(WARNING: Make sure I haven't already posted a review for the book that you're going to say or have it on my to be read list on the side of the blog. Your entry WILL NOT count if the book was reviewed or already listed.)

Want more entries? Of course you do!
Here are some other ways to get entries:

1) Blog about my contest and send me a link.

2) Leave a comment on any future post until the end of the contest. The comment has to be relevant to the post. NO SPAMMING/BUMPING.

3) Tell a friend. If you don't have a blog and would still like some extra entries, e-mail your friends about this contest, and enter my email address in the cc: area.

4) Refer a Friend. Tell a friend about the contest, and tell them to say that you referred them to this contest!

So get to it! This contest ends on May 31, 2008 at 7:00 P.M. Central Time.

(Sorry, this contest is only open to U.S. residents)

Review: Annie, Between the States

Annie, Between the States

L. M. Elliot

The Civil War was hard on all of them at the time, but Annie seemed to take it personally. As a Southerner living in Virginia, Annie and her mother witnessed enough fighting to last them a lifetime. So when she and her mother save the like of a Union soldier, Annie thinks nothing of it. She is more concerned about her older brother Lawrence in the middle of the fray and her younger brother Jamie whose sights are set to kill all Yankees. She rides out to help the Confederate troops. She holds the family together when her mother falls ill and the Yankees raid their home. But when the Union soldier she once saved appears in Annie’s life again, she has to ask herself what is more important, her heart or her homeland?

I’m usually not a fan of historical fiction, but Annie, Between the States captured me from the first page. L. M. Elliot gave each of his characters something special that is hard to forget after the book is finished. His character Annie especially amazed and inspired me with her bravery and courage to stand up for what she wants and what she believes in. I highly recommend this novel to not only readers everywhere, but also to all girls who seek a book about a woman powerful enough to fight for not only herself but for others, also.

Contest winner announced tomorrow! Get your entry in before tomorrow night!

Contest: Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty

Reviewer X is giving away a copy of Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty to a lucky commenter!

Don't forget! You have until tomorrow afternoon to enter my Frenemies contest! The winner WILL BE announced tomorrow night.

Contest: Mark It Up May 1 from Shooting Stars Mag

Shooting Stars Mag is hosting various contests this month for marked up books. Know what a marked up book is? It's a book with notes written in from the author. Sounds cool? Go to their blog and enter to win a copy of Back Talk by Alexandra Richards and The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren by Wendy Toliver.

Don't forget! It's not too late to enter the Frenemies contest!

//edit//

WOW. I just realized I posted three times today. I'm insane.

Contest from Bookloverreviews

It sounds like the contest bug is biting everyone! Chelsie from Bookloverreviews is hosting her first contest. Go check it out!

Don't forget! There's still time left to enter the Frenemies Contest.

//edit//

GASP! Did you notice? There's a new part of my blog. For those of you who missed my posts about contests, I now have a section on the side bar devoted to contests. So check there for ongoing contests, and I'll update I find new ones or the old ones end.

If you know about a contest that I don't have listed, please bring it to my attention! Thanks!

Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why

Normally, once I read a book, I review it. Now, don't get me wrong, I'll be putting a review up for this book soon, but I just had to say this about Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why: WOW. This novel is amazing. It has easily hands down placed itself as my favorite novel of all time. Go read it, now. Seriously. You won't be disappointed. Review should be up soon.

Don't forget about the contest!

Review: Whistling in the Dark

Whistling in the Dark

Lesley Kagen

It was the summer of 1959 in Milwaukee when things started going bad. Although, for Sally O’Malley, things were already bad to begin with. Her favorite person in the whole world, her Sky King, her dad, died as a result of a car crash. Her mom remarries just two months later to a drunk. But in that summer, things go from bad to worse. Her mom leaves Sally and her sister Troo in the hands of their drunken stepfather when she has to go to the hospital. Sally tries to watch out for her sister all the time since she promised their dad she would. And, the police have found another dead girl. Now, Sally is convinced that she is the next girl on the murderer’s list, but no one will believe her. Will she be able to reveal the truth about the murders, and the truth about herself, before it’s too late?

Lesley Kagen impressed me very much in her wonderful portrayal of the late 1950’s with her novel Whistling in the Dark. This novel also brought to light the racial and ethnic discrimination that was there at the time. While it was not a major focal point of the novel, it forced me to think deeper about the novel, casting a more serious light to this novel about children.

There's still time left! Enter the Frenemies contest here.