I'm giving away an ARC of this book by National Book Award winner Pete Hautman. It's about Kelleigh, a girl who--when bored, sick of her family and wishing she had a different kind of life--starts stealing cars. So, you know, the title's pretty accurate.Just tell me in the comments what your favorite gift--given or received--was this holiday season. Then you're entered to win.
I think my favorite was the copy of A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban that I gave to my niece. I read it right before I wrapped it--I had to! It was really good.
Happy New Year!
Win-It Wednesday
Win-It Wednesday: Holiday Hiatus
Last week's winners of the fabulous Tamora Pierce's books are: babygirlG (Trickster's Choice) and Raelena (Trickster's Queen)! Send me your addresses for the books!Now, go forth and hit a bookstore for those last-minute gifts. Need I remind you of indiebound's lovely reason why?
They're wittier than I am, but here's mine: Giving someone a book gives them a whole world of adventures and people to meet and places to go and emotions to work through. I dare you to think of a more fulfilling way to spend a few bucks.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be gone for a few days. I have some major Chapel Hilling to do--Linda's cheese fries, flying burrito salsa, Allen & Son BBQ, the Carolina Inn Christmas displays (why is most of my nostalgia food-related?), and high school friends.
Happy Holidays, everyone!
Win-It Wednesday: Trickster's Choice + Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce
Okay, so these two books are epically awesome, and tonight on readergirlz, we'll be chatting LIVE! with Tamora Pierce from 9pm-10pm EST (that's 6pm Pacific). You can learn all about the books and the legendary TP on readergirlz, too.
Here's how you can win:
1. To enter for Trickster's Choice, just leave a comment below and tell me what book you most want for the holidays. (Post your wishlist on Raschel's contest too--still going on!).
2. To enter for Trickster's Queen, you've got to show up at the chat tonight. Even if you lurk (I'll believe you if you say so). Just tell me in the comments that you were there.
I'll pick one winner for each book next Wednesday, at random from the qualifiers. To enter both contests, just post your wish list and attend the chat. Easy!
Happy Wednesday.
Win-It Wednesday: Hotel Hiatus
I loved hearing about the time periods you like to read about--so fun! Now, at random, the winner of Sarah MacLean's fabulous The Season is... Beth! Send me your address, B.
I am traveling this week (in cold but sunny LA!). I just had breakfast with the awesome producer who is working hard on Violet-for-TV (fingers crossed 1,000x). There's a farmer's market outside my hotel where I got strawberries and chocolate milk to snack on as I finish up my draft of Small Town Sinners. (See messy hotel room pic -- I love having good snacks!)
This is all to say that Win-It Wednesday is on a pause this week, but I'll be back next week with a massive holiday contest that involves books and beauty products and other fun and exciting prizes. Promise.
Happy Wednesday!
Win-It Wednesday: The Season by Sarah MacLean
Last week's thankful-for-coffee winner of The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas is... Jamie! Send me your address, J.
This week, I'm giving away a copy of Sarah MacLean's The Season. Some of you may have read this one already, but if you haven't, you should know that it's a treat! Think the London Season (i.e. social debut time) in Regency England, three whip-smart girls who are BFFs, dashing suitors and a murder. Love, mystery, friendship, witty banter... what more is there in life? The Season is a bubbly ride from beginning to end. I could hear the accents in my head as I read. Such fun!
Also, Sarah does these great interviews on her blog called "Inside the Characters' Studio" where she interviews book characters. The lastest is Paris Pan from Cynthea Liu's Paris Pan Takes the Dare.
To enter to win, let me know in the comments which era you best love reading or writing about. For me, I'm all contemporary in the writing--and I mostly read contemporary novels too--but I think it's really fun to dip into historical fiction like The Season, and even futuristic novels (Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series is one of my favorites). You guys?
I'll announce a winner and a new contest next Wednesday, as usual. Good luck!
Win-It Wednesday: The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas
The winner of Elizabeth Scott's Perfect You is... Sue Mickelson! Send me your address, Sue. Thanks for all the talk of great fictional friendships -- I have a ton of new books on my to-read list now... eek.
This week, I'm giving away a book that I just flew through. It's a completely gleeful read thanks to the funny/smart voice of its heroine. Author Donna Freitas summarized her book in a great interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith thusly: "The Possibilities of Sainthood is the story of Antonia Lucia Labella, a 15-year-old Italian girl from an immigrant family, living in Rhode Island. She has two main desires: 1) to become the first ever official living saint in Catholic history (and she's been writing the Pope in Rome once a month, every month since she was seven, proposing new saint ideas and herself as the ideal candidate); and 2) to land her first kiss."
Ahhhhh! I just want to sigh thinking of it. So sweet! (And it got like 1000+ starred reviews.) Anyway, I bet you can guess what I'm going to ask this week... to enter to win, just comment below and let me know (drumroll, please...) what you're thankful for right this instant!
Me? I'm thankful Onion Rye Bread, because I just ate that with my breakfast and it was seriously the most delicious thing ever. (And family and books and my home and all that, too, of course, but in this instant? Onion Rye Bread!). You?
Win-It Wednesday: Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
So the winner of Alyson Noel's just-released Shadowland is... Raschel! She wrote like 100 6-word memories (as did a few of you guys!) and I had to do a ton of random-number math to pick a winner, but there you go. Send me your address, R. Yay!
This week, I'm giving away a book that came out a while ago but is one of my favorites -- Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott. Elizabeth does love stories like no one else, and this book also has some best-friend drama that rang true and reminded me of some of my own experiences. Sigh. Really great.
Anyway, to enter to win this book, just comment below and tell me about the last book you read where you really liked a friendship angle. Lots of books include love (which is awesome) but I'm especially a fan of writers who get friendship right.
Good luck!
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Win-It Wednesday: Shadowland by Alyson Noel
The winner of a Blood Coven book by Mari Mancusi is... Donna S! Donna, email me your address and let me know which book you'd like (new or old cover!).
This week, I'm giving away of the highly anticipated third book in Alyson Noel's bestselling Immortals series (right after I read it!). You guys probably know about this series, and if you don't, where have you been?! Just kidding--go here to find out more. (Oh, and read the first two books' Cover Stories here and here.)
Now, for your challenge. I know I've talked about SMITHTEENS and the Six-Word Memoir books before, but I went to an amazing reading last night for this book and it refueled my love for Six-Word Memoirs. I even shared mine while I was there:
So today, for your chance to win a copy of Shadowland, share your six-word memoir. Each one you share is an entry, so go nuts if you want multiple entries, and feel free to comment more than once. I'm nosy, so hearing about your lives is fascinating to me.
Here's a video to inspire you. You should also hit up SMITHTEENS and explore if you haven't--there is some amazing writing over there.
Enter away! I'll pick a winner next Wednesday.
Six-Word Memoirs by Teens: The Video from SMITHmag on Vimeo.
Win-It Wednesday: Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell
The winner of last week's Libba Bray contest, chosen randomly, is... Janet Charoensook! Email me your address, JC.
This week, I'm giving away the readergirlz November featured book, Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell. It's a lovely story of two Native American sisters who are sent to an off-reservation school after the death of their mother.
November is Native American Heritage month. But I'm sure you knew that already. (It's okay, I just learned it last year, but I'm so glad to know now!)
Anyway, to enter to win a copy of this lovely novel (which you can read quickly and then discuss on readergirlz all month!), I'm going to ask you to answer a market-research question in the comments: 
Do you play video games? And if so, which ones are your favorites?
I just bought a vintage Nintendo and relived my sixth-grade joy at playing Super Mario Brothers. Yes! But I also want some good suggestions for, um, modern games to play. Dave's are all guns and gore, which is fine, but not totally my thing. Help?
Good luck!
Win-It Wednesday: An Off Year by Claire Zulkey
Last week's winner of Paper Towns is... Katie H! I know you really wanted this one, so remind me of your address and it'll be on its way.
This week, I'm giving away a book that I found raucously hilarious. It's an ARC of An Off Year, by debut author Claire Zulkey. Claire used to write for me at ELLEgirl, so i couldn't wait to see how her novel turned out. And it rules. Seriously, you will laugh all the way through it. I wrote about it for I Heart Daily, so you can find out more there.
To enter to win, just tell me what you'd do with an off year, or, as the Brits say, a gap year. Sometimes I wish I'd taken time between high school and college to travel or write or maybe just wait tables. Do some real world stuff. What would you do with your year?