The Friday 56, Sea-Hawk

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


This week the book closest to me is Sea-Hawk by Rafael Sabatini. I happen to like books about pirates and Sabatini's Captain Blood was good so I thought I would give this one a try too. So far so good.


"But since I would not that any evil consequences might attend your action, I am come to lay proof before you that you have acted more rightly even than you think, and that I am not the slayer."

"You are not?" ejaculated Master Baine in amazement.

Not the answer I would want to get if I told someone I wasn't a killer.

The Devil's Company

Luxury Reading is giving away a hardcover copy of The Devil's Company by David Liss. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment with your email address but there are plenty of ways to get extra entries so make sure you read the rules to find out how. You have to live in the US or Canada to enter. The contest is open until August 14th.

Twinkle Twinkle

Hachette is at it again. This time they are giving everyone a chance to get their hands on a copy of The Blue Star by Tony Earley. If you are interested in getting a copy yourself there are several places you can go.

Drey's Library will give away up to 5 copies. Enter by August 12th.

My Life in Not so Many Words has 5 copies. Enter by August 15th.

Peeking Between the Pages has 5 copies. Enter by August 15th.

Joystory has 5 copies. Enter by August 22nd.

Cheryl's Book Nook has 5 copies. Enter by August 29th.

The books are from Hachette so they are open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes allowed.

And as always make sure you read the rules for entry at each site. Good luck!

Humpty Dumpty Vocab

Once again I ran into a book that had me reaching for the dictionary. This time it was Humpty Dumpty: An Oval by Damon Knight.

Widdershins – in a left-handed, wrong, or contrary direction

Lysing – to cause to undergo lysis

so I needed to look up-
Lysis – the gradual decline of a disease process (as fever)

Volute – a spiral or scroll-shaped form

Conge – a formal permission to depart
- a ceremonious bow

Plaice – any of various flatfishes

Jalousie – a blind with adjustable horizontal slats for admitting light and air while excluding direct sun and rain

Bibelot – a small household ornament or decorative object

Actinic – of, relating to, resulting from, or exhibiting chemical changes produced by radiant energy especially in the visible and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum

Verbena – any of numerous garden vervains of hybrid origin widely grown for their showy spikes of white, pink, red, or blue flowers which are borne in profusion over a long season

Pantechnicon – short for pantechnicon van (Okay, I'm still not sure. Some sort of transportation anyway. If you're really interested the article at wikipedia might help.)

Odalisque – a female slave
- a concubine in a harem

Oleaginous – resembling or having the properties of oil
- marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality

Courgette - zucchini

Knobkerrie – a short wooden club with a knob at one end used as a missile or in close attack especially by Zulus of southern Africa

Dernier cri – the newest fashion

Cloche – a transparent plant cover used outdoors especially for protection against cold
- a woman’s close-fitting hat usually with deep rounded crown and narrow brim

Boluses – a rounded mass; a large pill; a soft mass of chewed food
- a dose of a substance (as a drug) given intravenously; a large does of a substance given by injection for the purpose of rapidly achieving the needed therapeutic concentration in the bloodstream

Dado – the part of a pedestal of a column above the base; the lower part of an interior wall when specially decorated or faced; the decoration adoring this part of a wall
- a rectangular groove cut to make a joint in woodworking

Bolide – a large meteor; fireball: especially one that explodes

All the definitions came from Webster.com.

The Lost Dog

Don't worry. I didn't lose my dog. It's much better news than that. It's a chance to win a free book. The Lost Dog by Michelle de Kretser to be exact.

If you would like a chance or two to win a copy you can go to:

The Tome Traveller's Weblog where there are 5 copies up for grabs. Enter by August 12th.

Peeking Between the Pages where there are 5 more copies for you to win. Enter by August 15th.

Joystory for a chance at 5 more copies. Enter by August 22nd.

Chick with Books also 5 copies to give away. Enter by August 22nd.

Cheryl's Book Nook has 5 copies to give away as well. Enter by August 29th.

All are open to the US and Canada only. No PO boxes.

Make sure you read the rules at each blog to find out how to get your chance to win and how to get extra entries.

Good luck!

Ravens

Want a copy of Ravens by George Dawes Green?

Bookin' with Bingo has 5 copies to give away. Enter by August 4th. Open to the US and Canada, but no PO boxes.

A Sea of Books is giving away 3 copies. Enter by August 8th. These are coming from Hachette so you have to live in the US or Canada, no PO boxes.

Bermudaonion's Weblog has an autographed copy to give away. Enter by August 9th. Open worldwide.

Or you can go to A Bookworm's World who is giving away 3 George Dawes Green books (including Ravens). Enter by August 22nd. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.

Make sure you read the rules at each site.

The Friday 56, Who Can Save Us Now?

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.



My sentence this week comes from Who Can Save Us Now? edited by Owen King and John McNally. It is a book of short stories so page 56 puts us in the story The Horses Are Loose by Cary Holladay.

Her mother is a horse penned in a field, but her mother does not have a long clever nose with which to knock a latch loose.

Don't you want to know what is going on? Should I tell you? Okay, well I guess I'll let you know that it is a metaphor and we are not talking about real horses here. Although I think that takes some of the fun out of it.

The Saga of Beowulf Review

The Saga of Beowulf by R. Scot Johns

from the back of the book:

'The Saga of Beowulf is the first complete novelization of the classic 10th century Old English poem Beowulf. Breathtaking in scope and relentless in pace, now follow on the epic quest in this riveting adaptation chronicling the tragic wars of the rising Nordic nations, the endless blood-feuds of their clans, battles with mythic creatures in an ancient heroic age, and the final, futile struggle of one man against the will of Fate that made him a legend.'


The Saga of Beowulf is an epic tale with trolls, dwarfs, dragons, ogres, revenge, true love, epic battles, heroes, magic, curses and everything else you need and want in a true epic. Though it was slow going at first. I was enjoying the story but there are a lot of people, lots of them with similar names, it takes place in several different places, has flashbacks and complex relationships between the characters. There is a lot going on. It was a while before I could keep track of it all to the point where I was just reading the story instead of working out who everyone was. There is a list of proper names in the back that I found very helpful before I had all the names set because it has a sentence or two about who they are. It also has the pronunciation of all the names which was helpful too. A lot of the book is about fights and battles which are often described in bloody, gory detail. But it isn’t all about violence. The characters are well developed and have depth. You get to know them by seeing their backgrounds and personal struggles. So it is also about love of family, friends and country and internal conflict. It is about concepts like bravery, cowardice, strength and honor. The writing is almost lyrical and although I thought it was out of place among people I thought were mostly illiterate when Beowulf said someone had signed their own death warrant, the style of writing and the wording is very fitting to the tale. It somehow makes the tale grander in some way and you sit in rapt attention as the larger than life heroes and their monster infested world comes to life. It tells the entire story of Beowulf’s life and at 640 pages is a long story and not a light read. You have to be willing to put the time in. But if you have any interest in Beowulf or just enjoy good adventure stories I think the time spent will be well rewarded.


If you want to know more about the book you can go here. A lot of research went into this book and you can see the process and how Johns made the decisions on how to translate the source material if you look under adaptation notes.

Is it a vacation?

I’m taking some time off of work next week. I have stopped using the phrase ‘I’m going on vacation’ because then people ask me where I’m going. But I’m never going anywhere. In fact I will probably not get any further than my backyard the entire week. Now this isn’t an ‘oh woe is me I never get to go anywhere’ tale. I don’t want to go anywhere but I also don’t want to keep explaining that I don’t have any plans. Some people seem to find it odd but I think it is perfectly reasonable. My three favorite activities (if you can call them that) are reading, eating and napping. (Yes, I’m lazy I know but there it is.) And I think it makes a lot of sense to want to do what you like best while you are on vacation. But there is more to it than that. I take time off from work to relax. And I don’t find making or following plans relaxing. I’m not opposed to doing things exactly it’s just that I don’t want to feel as if there are things I have to do. If you plan a trip you have to buy the tickets (making sure you get a good price), you have to pack, you have to make sure you don’t miss the plane, and then when you get there you go lots of places and do lots of things because you don’t want to miss anything or waste one moment in this destination that you spent all this time and effort to get to. Even if you just make plans with friends, or to go to see a movie you have to remember that you made the plans, you have to make sure you are up and out of your pajamas, and you have to make sure you are on time. But I want a few days when I don’t have to worry about what time it is, or hear the alarm clock go off, or answer the phone. I want to be able to roll out of bed at 10:00 AM and slump around the house and maybe read or watch TV or surf the internet, or all three, or none at all. Then if I decide to go out or do something I can, or if I decide not to there is no one waiting for me cursing me for not showing up. And then when I go to bed (after watching the late night movie because I don’t have to get up in the morning) I don’t have to feel bad that I didn’t do anything because I have, in fact, accomplished everything I had planned to do. I knew someone who thought it was a waste of a vacation if she didn’t have a trip planned. I think it’s a waste of a vacation if you fill it up with things you feel you have to do. To each their own I guess. Personally I will continue to plan my plan-free vacations.

Who Loves Shakespeare?

Or maybe I should say who doesn't love Shakespeare. Anyway for all you Shakespeare lover out there Carol's Notebook is giving us all another chance to win My Name is Will by Jess Winfield. Carol has 5 copies up for grabs so run over there and get your comment in by July 30th. You can get an extra entry for sharing about the contest. As always it is open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.

The Friday 56, The Lab

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Toyna and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Toyna and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


My sentence comes from The Lab by Jack Heath. I'm going to cheat a little and put up a few more sentences than I'm supposed to.

"There. Your own mother wouldn't recognize you now!" he said "But one last thing..."

If I had a mother, you'd probably be right, Six thought. But you could never guess what my childhood was like.

Yes, Six is his name. I guess being a genetically engineered super child poor Six had no mother. He does have cool powers but I guess that doesn't really make up for it.

Jane Austen Addict

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away Laurie Viera Rigler's books Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict. To enter all you have to do is leave a comment with your email or some way to contact you. You can get an extra entry if you share something from Laurie's guest poet that interested you or answer the question that she asks. Nope, not going to tell you what it is, you have to read the post. Another extra entry if you blog or tweet. You have until August 8th to get all your entries in. Open to the US and Canada.

Did you miss it?

Okay, now I know I already did a post about this but I'm going to do it again anyway. Why? Because I can only assume that no one saw the first one. So I will repeat. The Tome Traveller is having a mega giveaway. You have a chance to win 10 books off a wonderful list. But the number of winners depends on the number of people who enter. Now when there is only one copy of one book and I'm hoping no one will enter so I'll win there are 150 entries by the end of the day. So where did everybody go? You still have time. The contest is open until July 21st. You do have to live in the US though because 10 books can get awful heavy and shipping is expensive.

Galway Bay

Still haven't read Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly? I haven't either. But we are all in luck because A Sea of Books has a brand new, never been read, hardcover copy to give away. Want it? Well get over there and leave a comment with your email address. You can get an extra entry for spreading the word about the giveaway. You have until July 20th to get your entries in. Open worldwide!

The Friday 56, Nobody's Princess

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

My sentence this week comes from Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner.

"Don't say that!" I exclaimed, my face hot. "They did a good job, better than you're doing now."

That's Helen (of Sparta) talking but I just started the book and haven't made it to page 56 yet so I don't know what she's all upset about. I guess I'll find out soon.

Jasmyn

Do you like fairy tales? If you do you should run on over to Shooting Stars Mag where there is a copy of Jasmyn by Alex Bell up for grab. To enter leave a comment about what you would love to see happen after Happily Ever After (pick any fairy tale and make it up.) If you want to get extra entries become a follower, tell them where you heard about the giveaway and/or post about the giveaway somewhere else. But make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry or they could be missed. You have until July 31st to get all your entries in. And this one is open internationally!

Wild Bill Hickok & Calamity Jane Review

Wild Bill Hickok & Calamity Jane: Deadwood Legends by James D. McLaird

I got this book from Librarything's Early Reviewers program months ago before I had my blog but I thought I would post my review for it because it is part of the South Dakota Biography Series as is Seth Bullock: Black Hills Lawman by David A. Wolff which I reviewed recently.

From the back of the book:

'Although Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane spent only a few weeks in Deadwood at the same time, their fame and fate have become intertwined and their relationship legendary. James D. McLaird examines the contemporary accounts that turned these two Wild West wanderers into dime-novel and motion-picture stars.
Contemporary novelists and journalists created an astonishingly strong legacy for both Calamity Jane and Wild Bill, accounting for much of their notoriety. Gun fights, scouting missions, and daring escapes from enemies filled stories about the dashing pair; even their day-to-day existence seems to have been fraught with danger and excitement, teetering on the brink between lawful and unlawful.
McLaird traces the role that writers and the city of Deadwood itself played in the legacies of the infamous couple. Fact and fiction have become so woven together that a definitive picture of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill is almost impossible. Their brief friendship and subsequent burial next to each other in Mount Moriah Cemetery simply added to their legendary status and made them stalwarts of Wild West pop culture and Deadwood mythology.'


Mclaird does a good job of separating the facts from the legends that have been built around these two people. Although the story of their lives is a lot different than the popular myths about them they are still very interesting people in their own right and the author gives you a chance to see how they really were. Mclaird also explored the fantastic stories that were circulating about them and it was interesting to see how the legends and the stories started and grew even long after both had passed on and how those legends affected them during their lifetimes. The book is in two parts, first looking at Wild Bill and then Calamity Jane. It is very well documented and you feel that it is very well researched. I loved all the quotes from contemporary sources like newspapers and diaries. Mclaird carefully stays away from embellishing the stories but the writing doesn’t get dry or dull. I learned a lot of things that I never knew before about both of them and had a good time doing it.

What type of transportation are you?

You Are Walking

You are a calm, peaceful person. You truly enjoy life. You are very down to earth and grounded. You are not easily upset. More than other people, you are able to really stop and smell the roses. You take things at your own speed. You realize that life is a journey, not a race.

What Type of Transportation Are You?

Hmm.. I'm not sure not easily upset fits me but...
So what type of transportation are you? Take the quiz and find out!

Perfection

Drey's Library has 2 copies of How Perfect is That by Sarah Bird to give away. To enter get over there and tell her who you would be if you could be anyone else in the world. You can get extra entries for following and sharing. You have until July 20th to get your entries in. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.

Bookshelf Cleaning Giveaway

At Home With Books needs to make some room on her shelves so she is giving away 4 books. Up for grabs are Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell, The Secret by Beverly Lewis, Frederica by Georgette Heyer and Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. If one of them looks good to you get over there and let her know which one you would like to win. You can get up to 5 entries for doing the usual things like blogging and following and such but make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry. You have until July 30th to get all your comments in. Open to the US and Canada only.

Does this make me a bad person?

I don't know if this happens in your neck of the woods. But around where I work when the weather gets nicer the streets fill up with earnest, eager young people with clip boards who all want you to help them save something. Whales, the children, polar bears, the ice caps, the environment. I don’t know. I don’t slow down to find out. They seem like nice people and I’m sure they are all worthy causes but I, for one, am not slowing down. I go to great lengths to avoid them. It isn’t easy. They seem to be everywhere and while you are distracted by one you run into another. But I have come up with some strategies. I keep my eyes down and pretend I’m digging in my purse for something. I cross the street in the middle of the block when I see them ahead only to have to cross back over later because now I’m on the wrong side of the street. I also use other people as camouflage. I will walk closely behind them so they will get caught and I can slip by unnoticed. And of course there is the ‘sorry, I don’t have time’ brush off. I ease my conscience by saying it is better to just go by and not have them go through the whole spiel when I already know that I’m not going to give them any money or sign up for anything. But really I know that isn’t the reason. I just don’t want to talk to them. I know these people are doing their best for a cause they believe in. And what do I do? I literally walk a block out of my way just to avoid talking to them. But really, all I want to do is walk down the street. I shouldn’t feel obligated to stop, should I? Does it make me a bad person that I don’t even care what cause they’re fighting for? Well, maybe it does. But I don’t plan to lose any sleep over it. I think it is enough of a good deed to take all the fliers people are handing out and politely wait until they can’t see me before I throw them in the trash. Maybe that makes me heartless. But I think I can live with that.

Young Adult Book Challenge

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.
4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.


Okay, I've decided to join another challenge. This time it's the Young Adult Book Challenge. Also hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog. Is it cheating when I only join challenges that I would probably do anyway? Well, whatever. I'm getting a late start so I'm going to cut myself a break. I have already read some YA books this year so I have a good start.


1. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
2. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
3. Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
4. Skinned by Robin Wasserman
5. Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey
6. Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner
7. Maze in the Heart of the Castle by Dorothy Gilman
8. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
9. undiscovered gyrl by Allison Burnett
10. Well Between the Worlds by Sam Llewellyn
11. The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul
12. Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian

My first ever completed reading challenge and I finished with time to spare! I finished the last book on Sept. 13th.

Queen of Happy Endings

Queen of Happy Endings is giving away two books, Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran and Blood Promise by Richelle Mead. You have to be a follower to enter so if you aren't already make sure you sign up. You can get extra entries for blogging and following on Twitter. The contest is open internationally. The winners will be chosen on July 31st so get over there and let her know which book you would like to win.

The Friday 56, The Saga of Beowulf

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


Okay, this week the closest book to me does happen to be the one I'm reading. So my sentence comes from The Saga of Beowulf by R. Scot Johns.

Well protected was this valley, encircled on all sides, and none could here approach without being quickly sighted by the Danish Guard, whose post was in the topmost tower of the Golden Hall, from which vantage all the lands around could easily be seen.

It isn't a very exciting sentence considering that a lot of the book so far has been about people being hacked, hewn, and torn apart. But what can you do?

Pope Joan

Donna Woolfolk Cross stopped by Booking Mama and left not only a wonderful guest post but also an autographed copy of her book, Pope Joan for one lucky reader to win. To enter drop by and leave a comment naming a female historical character you would like to learn more about. You can get extra entries if you blog or tweet about it. You have until July 17th to enter. Open to those with US or Canada mailing addresses only.

Support Your Local Library Challenge

The Support You Local Library Challenge is hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog.

There are three sizes to the challenge.
** The first is to read 12 books from your local library in 2009.
** The second is to read 25 books from your local library in 2009.
** The third is to read 50 books from your local library in 2009.

You decide which one of the three challenges is best for you.

Here are the guidelines:
1) You can join anytime as long as you don’t start reading your books prior to 2009.
2) This challenge is for 2009 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2009.
3) You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

I have decided to go with the second choice and try for 25 books. And since I'm starting late in the year I'm going to list the books I have already read this year.

1. The Robe of Skulls by Vivian French
2. Monster Nation by David Wellington
3. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
5. The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril by Paul Malmont
6. Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb
7. Already Dead by Charlie Huston
8. Empire Falls by Richard Russo
9. The Triumphs of Eugene Valmont by Robert Barr
10. Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway
11. Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
12. Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien
13. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
14. City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers
15. Savvy by Ingrid Law
16. Humpty Dumpty: An Oval by Damon Knight
17. Who Can Save Us Now? edited by Owen King and John McNally
18. Milk Eggs Vodka by Bill Keaggy
19. Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories by Truman Capote
20. Captain Freedom by G. Xavier Robillard
21. Little Sleep by Paul Tremblay
22. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
23. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
24. The Shack by William Paul Young
25. Free For All by Don Borchert

Books I Finished in June

I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle
Surprisingly funny.

City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers
I didn’t realize that the main character was going to be a dinosaur. That will teach me to pay closer attention. It was alright but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I knew what it was going to be going in. It wasn’t quite what I was in the mood for at the time.

Adventurers for God by Clarence W. Hall
Some very interesting stories here. Since it was published in the ‘50s it is more a history of missions than anything else.

Lost and Found by Carol Parkhurst
I could take it or leave it. None of the characters made me really care about them.

The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Scary, evil vampires. They do a good job of setting a creepy mood. A few clichés but nothing that isn’t overcome by the fun of reading the story.

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Not much of a plot but it was funny.

Seth Bullock by David A. Wolff
Informative. You can read my review here.

Savvy by Ingrid Law
A coming of age story with a twist.

Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey
Definitely the Cinderella story but retold so that it was unique in many ways too.

Krono by Charles L. Harness
Pretty standard sci-fi fair but I didn’t see everything coming so it held my interest.

J. Kaye's July Giveaways

It is now July and that means a whole new batch of giveaways on J. Kaye's Book Blog.

For Rivers of Fire by Patrick Carman go here.

For The Dark Planet by Patrick Carman go here.

For the audiobook Priceless Memories by Bob Barker go here.

For the audiobook No Matter What by Lisa Nichols go here.

For The House of Power (Atherton, Book 1) by Patrick Carman go here.

For Magnolias, Moonlight, and Murder (An Ellie Avery Mystery) by Sara Rosett go here.

For the audiobook The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith go here.

For the Patrick Carman's Atherton Trilogy go here.

For Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson go here.

For Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life (Book 1) by Rachel Renee Russell go here.

For the Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell and Purse combo go here.

For Olivia Kidney by Ellen Porter go here.

For the audiobook The Gold Standard by Mike Krzyzewski go here.

For the audiobook The Commission by Philip Shenon go here.

For the audiobook The Choice by Nicholas Sparks go here.

The Rules:
• You must be 18 years or older
• US and Canada residents only
• Winners will NOT be notified by email. The winner will be posted here on July 25, 2009. If you don’t want to miss the announcement post, be a subscriber to the blog.
• Make sure your entry can be distinguished by others who post. Remember, you might not be the only John or Jane commenting below.

There are lots of ways to get extra entries too so make sure you read how. Good luck!

The Iron Hunt

Bibliophiles 'R' Us is giving away a copy of The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu. It looks cool so you should get over and share what's on your TBR list. There are lots of extra entries to be had so make sure you take advantage of all those extra chances. It is open until July 14th. Limited to the US only (postage is expensive!). Good luck!

Vanishing Sculptor

Just Jennifer Reading is giving away a copy of The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul. Want to win it? Well, get over there and leave a comment. Extra entries for following, blogging and tweeting. It is open until July 8th. US residents only.