Giveaway: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children has recenlty been named a New York Times Best Seller! Why? Because it's an amazing book! Here's your chance to win a copy of the book and a poster of Ransom Riggs' book...all your have to do is watch the trailer and comment somewhere either on the book trailer (YouTube), Rigg's blog, on his twitter, OR on my review of the book. *Please be sure to use both our twitter user names @morganluvsbooks and @randsomriggs so I can keep track of the tweets!* If you comment more than once, you can get extra points! Okay birdies, you know what to do.

Watch the Book Trailer
Read My Review

...............

Enter the Giveaway

Winners of A Novel Idea Giveaway

And the four winners for my Novel Idea Giveaway are:

Jackie Noel

April X

Janessa Yu

Jessica Shover

If you're one of the winners please, email me with your choice of books from the grab pile. Please be sure to list all of them in the order you want most! Jackie gets firsts picks then so on.

Thanks for entering guys! Happy reading...

A Novel Idea Giveaway: Celebrating Two Years

Books and Literature for Teens (BLT) has been online since February 19, 2009–I'm celebrating two years! To give back to my fellow readers who have been reading my posts for over *two years*, I'm hosting a big event to say thank you and to giveaway some great books by some awesome authors. So without further ado...what are you waiting for? ENTER!

*Click on the pictures above for a complete view of books up for grabs (right) and the official poster/flyer (left).

.Entry Rules.

• If you're reading this, then you're on the right track!
• MUST BE A FOLLOWER OF BLT

You can do this by clicking the "follow" button to left which allows you to get updates via Google reader, by entering your email address to get email updates (which is best if you don't blog), or by subscribing via feeds.

• Provide mailing address (with parent's permission if you under 13 yrs.)

.Giveaway Info.

• FOUR WINNERS - 1st person will get their pick, 2nd person will get their pick and so on
• US RESIDENTS can enter only
• We have a total of EIGHT BOOKS up for grabs–there is a possibility it could grow!
• DEADLINE: April 2, 2011, est 12 am May 2nd, 2011, EST 12 am

.Extra Points Anyone?.

You may earn extra points by doing the following:

• SPREADING THE WORD via blogging OR by printing off a flyer and giving it your local library or book club. 
• To print off the official poster/flyer, please CLICK HERE. On google docs: go to File>Print PDF. If you have trouble with printing, please email me and I'll send you a pdf file.
• A total of 2-5 extra entries will be rewarded to anyone who participates in promoting

(CONTEST IS CLOSED)

Winner of A Giveaway for a Teenage Nomad

The winner of a brand new copy of Songs for a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson is:

Nancy D.

Thanks for entering and stay tuned for more giveaways very soon! 

Winners of The Nightmarys!

The winners of the 3 copies of The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki are:

Orchid F.

of Haunting Orchid

Erin (Bookish in a Box)

of Bookish in a Box

Maddie McP.

Thanks for entering! Don't forget to stayed turned for A Song for A Teenage Nomad's giveaway deadline coming up on Sunday.... if you haven't entered my other contest, please click {here}

Reader Rally: Contest Reminders and Swap Update

. Contest Reminders .

Just an update to remind you that both my current contests' deadlines are comin' up fast! If you haven't had a chance to enter, now's the time... all you have to do in order to enter is comment :) 

• The Nightmarys Giveaway (3 copies)
• A Giveaway for a Teenage Nomad (win Songs for a Teenage Nomad)

*Both contests are open to BLT followers/subscribers only.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Swap Page Update <

There has been an update on my swap page... if you would like to swap books with me, please {click here} to view available books for trade. I try to keep it updated often, but some things I post go pretty fast. Currently, the newest book for trade is Dream Journal. 

A GIVEAWAY for a Teenage Nomad

Now that you've read my review of Songs for a Teenage Nomad, it's time for you to read it yourself! Follow the instructions below to enter the giveaway:

Contest Rules:

• Must be a follower/subscriber of Books and Literature for Teens
• Open to American and Canadian residents only
• Giveaway ends Oct. 3rd, midnight EST
• Winner (1) will be chosen at random from random.org's generator
• Book will be mailed from Sourcebooks; please allow 2 weeks before arrival in your mailbox
• The following information entered in the form will not be shared by a third party.

In Order To Enter, Please:

• Leave a comment on my review of {Songs for A Teenage Nomad} 
• Fill out this Form

An Interview with Dan Poblocki and a GIVEAWAY

Interview with Dan Poblocki,

Author of Stone Child & The Nightmarys

Your first story “spark” for THE NIGHTMARYS was when you had a dream about two similarly dressed girls and later saw some Victorian photographs of white veiled girls from a friend. Where did your story ideas go from there?


Originally, I meant The Nightmarys to be a story from the perspective of Abigail, a girl who was haunted by a group of phantoms in white dresses.  Every time I started writing though, her story just stalled.  I didn't know why... It was impossible to continue.  Even so, I tried four different times (forty pages each time!) before I realized that I needed to approach The Nightmarys from the perspective a different character.  So I created Timothy. I felt Timothy was a better entrance into "The Haunting of Abigail Tremens," than Abigail herself.  As he learns about the strange new girl in the school, so does the reader.  At the beginning of the story, he is drawn to the mystery of her personality, and soon, Abigail becomes a fresh and surprising threat.  And of course Timothy has his own set of problems... The rest of the novel grew from the push and pull of these two haunted kids.  

Both of your books have a hint of ancient “dark magic” in them; why and how did you choose the “Goddess of Chaos” and the fear-controlled tooth?

I was partly inspired by the Gothic horror tales of H.P. Lovecraft.  What he is known for, besides using the theme of "ancient dark magic," is inventing a pantheon of evil gods, at the center of which is tentacled sleeping-demon called Cthulu who has the power to drive humans mad simply by looking upon them.  Or something like that... Lovecraft lived most of his life in Providence, Rhode Island, the city where I was born, and many of his stories were set there.  New England has always inspired me with its old houses, its history, its battle scars.  Obviously, some places in New England can be quite creepy.  In one Lovecraft story, "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," which I quote at the beginning of The Nightmarys, a quiet seaside town holds a dark secret.  The townspeople use a mystical metal which they forge into jewelry to worship a group of monstrous creatures living in the ocean off-shore.  I referenced this concept of a mystical, almost-alien metal when I created the "ancient artifact" for The Nightmarys.  Taking a note from Lovecraft, I deliberately left the metal's history vague.  It's important for an author to know the history of our mythologies...  But when sharing with the reader, I think a purposeful vagueness regarding origins of chaos, or evil, or whatever goes bump in the night always makes a story scarier; at least it did for Mr. Lovecraft.  

Were there any particular things mentioned in THE NIGHTMARYS that are part of your own nightmares?–besides the nightmarys.

None of the other specific horror elements in the book were from my own dreams... though I did base Zilpha Kindred's laundry room on the one in my old apartment building.  I had a hard time doing laundry down there after writing that scene.  One aspect of the book came directly from my own fears, but it wasn't supernatural in origin.  I don't remember ever feeling more helpless than during the week before my government declared war on Iraq.  I used this memory when creating Timothy's family.  They confront their own belief system after Timothy's brother is injured during an attack overseas.  I tried to stay away from the politics of the issue and respond directly to its emotional effect on my characters' lives.  So to answer your question, I have to say war is one of my worst nightmares.  I can't think of anything more horrific.      

When your characters reach the lighthouse scene towards the end of the book, I couldn’t help but think of how all the clues came together.... very intricate. How in the world do you come up with all these "clues"? Any inspirations?

This one is hard to answer without giving the "clues" away.  I like to use images, objects, and words which might seem benign in one context, but when exposed to a different light, look just a bit tilted, fraught, and possibly dangerous.  I held onto some of them for a long time, waiting for an appropriate story in which I could put them to use. The Nightmarys was that story.  In the end, I tried to imagine how I might intertwine all the various "clues" thematically, and I modified them to fit.    

Does it take a while to put all your ideas together or do you have a planned story in your head? What’s your strategy?

It takes a good long while for me to put the ideas together.  Like I said, I started The Nightmarys several times.  Once I connect with a character, I try to outline as much of the plot as I can, while giving myself permission to be a little loose.  Sometimes straying off-path takes you into new, surprising territory.  Other times, though, you end up lost.  For me, it helps to know where the story needs to finish up.  That way, in the getting there, you can wander all over the place.  However, I do take comfort in knowing I can go back and revise.  

What’s your all-time favorite horror/thriller writer?

John Bellairs wrote my favorite kind of horror novel.  Gothic.  Set in the nineteen-fifties.  Almost parodying popular genre ficiton of the time-period.  The House With a Clock in its Walls.  The Dark Secret of Weatherend.  The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull.  So much fun!  In the end, after the evil-of-the-week was defeated (and it was always defeated), the characters usually drank hot chocolate, kicked up their feet, and got right back to normal life.  For a kid, so much of life at that age can be scary.  John Bellairs's books let me know I can be scared for awhile and then move the heck on.  For real chills though, no one can top Stephen King.  I've read The Shining five times.  

Can you recommend a good classic "scary" book to young adults and/or middle graders?

Other than the John Bellairs books I already mentioned, I recommend Wait 'Til Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn, a very creepy story about a ghostly little girl.  And if you can get through the sometimes overly poetic language, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft gives me goosebumps just thinking about what the main character finds in the basement of that old Providence house...  

Will we be seeing another book from you soon? Give us a peek... please?

Yes!   Very soon, in fact.  I have new series called The Mysterious Four coming out in spring of 2011.  The first book is called Hauntings and Heists.  It's about a group of kids who form a mystery club in their small town... They end up stirring up old ghosts and other troubles.  I don't think I'm allowed to share any of it just yet... but I'm really excited about it!

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with us! Can't wait to read your upcoming books...

You can visit Dan's website {here}.

....................................

{Now Enter to Win}

Please read the following to enter to win 1 of 3 copies of THE NIGHTMARYS by Dan Poblocki:

• You must be a follower/subscriber of Books and Literature for Teens
• Giveaway open to US residents only
• Winners (3) will be chosen at random from random.org generator
• Books will be shipped from Random House; please allow at least 2 weeks for arrival in your mailbox
• All information entered in the following form will not be shared by a third party in any way! 

➜Fill out Entry Form
Ends Sept. 30th, midnight EST
(Closed)

Winner of Jennifer Sturman YA Giveaway

The winner of a brand new hardcover copy of And Then Everything Unraveled and a copy of the newly released And Then I Found Out the Truth and a magic 8 ball keychain is..........

Cindy

(from Oodles of Books)

Thanks for entering! Just some fine print here: will be contacting the winner via email; if winner does not respond within 48 hours, another one will be chosen.

And Then I Found Out the Truth by Jennifer Sturman + GIVEAWAY

➜WARNING! This review is of the sequel to And Then Everything Unraveled and may contain spoilers!

Jennifer Sturman's YA debut, And Then Everything Unraveled, really surprised me. It appeared to be a simple, summery beach read but there was more to the book than that. It had depth, an exciting story, and a mystery that was very intricate. By the end of the book, I was eager to find out what happened to Delia and her mother. When I was able to review And Then I Found Out the Truth, I had high expectations that it would all end with a big bang or an exciting ending. I did get a unexpected ending, but the rest of the book was slow, especially when dealing with the mystery. I guess Sturman didn't have much mystery plot left so a lot of things unrelated to Delia's mystery dilemma were added. It was fine for awhile but I was ready move to back onto the focal point of the story. The last couple chapters were rushed and though everything turned out peachy, I just thought And Then I Found Out the Truth didn't live up to the previous book.

Delia and Quinn's relationship definitely steps up a notch and was prominent throughout the novel. I think they made a cute couple even though Quinn seemed a little too perfect at times. Delia's a good heroine but I did get a little irritated at her for thinking Quinn would break-up with her. The humor was also lacking if you compare it to the first book. Delia's aunt Charlie was the most fun character and she seemed distant in Unraveled since her sense of humor and life was everywhere in the first book. I still didn't like the idea of the physic being involved in the case against the oil company–it made everything come together all too conveniently. Overall, even though I didn't enjoy it as much as would have hoped (nor did it live up to its big sister book), if you read the first novel, you have to read this one to find out what becomes of Delia, Quinn, the oil company's dangerous minions, snooty and suspicious Thad, Detective Rafe, Auntie Charlie, and of course, the Flying Monkeys.

Recommendation: Again, you gotta read it to find out what happens to everyone! Ages 12+

This Book is For: Teens who enjoy a little mystery and romance.

This Book is Not For: Teens who are hard-core mystery novel fans–you might get bored

Content: Some mild sensuality. Appropriate for ages 12-13 and up. (PG)

The Last Straw: A teaser from the book:

"You are checking in, yes?" the guy asked as I caught up with him in the entryway.

He wasn't much older than me, with friendly brown eyes. A brass nameplate above his breast pocket identified him as Manuel.

|Pages: 262|Published: July 2010|Publisher: Point|

|Genre: Contemporary fiction, mystery, teen romance|

|Content: Age appropriate (PG)|Age Group: 12+|

|Enjoyed It: 3/5|Content: 4/5|Cover: 4/5|

{Jennifer Sturman YA Mystery Giveaway}

Up for grabs is a hardcover copy of And Then I Found Out the Truth, the new paperback edition of And Then Everything Unraveled, and finally a magic 8 ball keychain. If you haven't read either of Jennifer Sturman's YA books, this is the perfect chance to get both! Good luck and happy reading :)

Special thanks to Point, Jennifer, & Toorja for letting BLT host this contest.

Contest Information:

• Fill out the form below
• Open to US residents only
• Deadline is Monday, July 19th, 12 AM EST

This review is copyrighted ©2010 by Books and Literature for Teens.




Other Reviews: Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf

Winners of The Lonely Hearts Club!

The winners of 3 copies of The Lonely Heats Club by debut author Elizabeth Eulberg are......

Denise (random #56)
Alexa (random #118)
Cathy (random #62)


Congrats guys! I will be sending you an email about your mailing address so please check those inboxes. The books will be sent from the publishing company so it may take a week before they are sent out. Thanks to everyone who entered :)

Winners of the Anniversary Giveaway Bash

The winner of the official Anniversary Giveaway Bash (Round 2) is........

(random #5)

Orchid 

(The Haunting of Orchid P.)

And the winner (and LAST person to enter) of the brand new copy of Audrey Wait! by Robin Benway is........

Mandy

(Mandy Can Read)

Congrats guys, and thanks again for entering! Contests are so much fun--even for the person who is doing the giving-away :)
Didn't win :( Don't worry...... there's more to come when BLT officially celebrates it's blogoversary February 19th, so stay tuned!
Winners: I have sent you an email, so please check those inboxes!<

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg + GIVEAWAY

Love is all you need.... or is it?
Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating, so she vows: no more. She's had one too many bad dates, and has been hurt by one too many bad boys. It's a personal choice...... and soon everybody wants to know about it. It seems that Penny's not the only girl who's tired of the way girls change themselves (most of the time for the worst) in order to get their guys..... or the way their guys don't really care. Girls are soon thronging to The Lonely Hearts Club, and Penny finds herself near legendary for her nondating ways--which is too bad, since the leader of the Lonely Hearts Club has found a certain boy she can't help but like.....

...........................................................

Finally. A book about friends vs. boyfriends; and what a nicely written one too! Even if Eulberg didn't realize or intend for her novel to come out with a message of "friends are more important than guys", it doesn't matter. The Lonely Hearts Club will rock that line from the cover to the very last page.
Lets face it. More than half of us have been there. BFFs or boys? Boys or more boys? It all starts in mid-school around the age of twelve and sadly it stays that way for a long time. No more emails, IM chats (this was before text messaging), no saving seats on the bus. It's sad really, that girls would give up all their good friends for one measly boy who will only end up "dating" you for a record breaking two months. In the end, the unwanted friend comes up with two options: loose 'em or go with the flow. At Penny's high school everybody ends up "going with the flow" and getting boys for themselves; that is, until Penny makes a stand and creates a club that will change her and her friends forever.
In a world of teen books that explore boys, dating, romance, and more boys, it's nice to see a book come along with an alternative outlook to having boyfriends or more importantly, exploring the truth and hurt that comes along with it.
Overall, The Lonely Hearts Club is a great book for teen girls and I'm sure a lot of us will relate and connect with Penny as she takes you on a whirl-wind of a story from dodging jerks, crazy principals, to rocking with the Beatles and finding the right guy. Recommend for teen girls ages 12 and up!

...........................................................

Elizabeth Eulberg was born and raised in Wisconsin before she headed off to New York City to work in the book biz. She lives outside of Manhattan with her three guitars, two keyboards, and one drumstick. While writing her debut novel, she tried swearing off boys forever. It didn't work.

|Pages: 285|Year Published: Jan. 2010|Publisher: Point|
|Genre: Contemporary fiction, chic lit, teen romance|
|Age Group: YA, ages 12+|Buy or Borrow? Both|NEW!
|Content: Some sexual references at the beginning|
|Enjoyed It: 4/5|Content Rating: 4/5|Cover: 5/5|
|Overall|

NEW! Cover Notes: Nice cover Point. Although it doesn't make the book quite POP out of the shelves, it screams femininity and has great detail to look at. Love the shoes. Thoughts anyone?

Dying to read LHC? Already have a copy but want one for your friend or library? Enter my contest to win 1 of 3 copies of Elizabeth Eulberg's hip debut novel. Girls rule!

How to Enter

• Fill out this Form

Who Can Enter

• Anyone living within the USA (ships from publishing company)

Deadline - Feb. 8th, 12 pm EST (winners announced next day)

CONTST UPDATE: Calling All Canadian and International Residents

After some consulting and some scheming (hehe), I've decided to make my Anniversary Giveaway Bash open to Canadian and international residents! Hooray! What you will have to do though, in order to enter, is agree to pay for shipping. All that you have to do is send me a international money order (must have 9 digits to be legal) and after the money has cleared into the banking account, I'll pack your books and send them strait to you. To give you an idea what shipping costs, here are some links to the US Postal Service International Price Calculator:
(Priority Mail Inter. Flat Rate Box Small)
Canada - $11.45
Australia - $13.45
Great Britain - $13.45


I will ship to any country whether it's Spain, Mexico, or China, just make sure you promptly send out the money order (and correct amount). Always remember that the contest books are written in English. Hope to see you over-the-ponders entering my contests. Have a questions about this? Email me at thefirstlibrarian@yahoo.com

Anniversary GIVEAWAY Bash (Round 2) - CLOSED

Well here it is, as promised, my second giveaway leading up to BLT's 1st Anniversary on Feb. 19th. This month I'm giving you choice to win three books of your choice! Please read the giveaway rules/info carefully so that you understand the contest and help me get to 200 followers!

1 winner will get to choose 3 books out of the Grab Pile:

(left to right): The Sweet Life of Stella Madison by Lara M. Zeises
A Pearl Among Princes by Coleen M. Paratore (ARC)
 Panama by Shelby Hiatt (ARC)
Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin (ARC)
The Real, Real by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus (sighed by both authors!)

All these books are 2009 releases!!

How to Enter:

• Fill out This Form

More Winners & Books?

• There will be ONE winner who can choose 3 books from the Grab Pile Above
• If I get 200 followers by the deadline I will add a SECOND winner who can claim the remaining two books. All winners will be chosen at random.
• The person who is the 200th follower gets a brand-new hardcover copy of Audrey Wait by Robin Benway!!!

Who Can Enter?

• USA residents and International residents. For more info about mailing to international residents click here.
• Followers, you must be/become a follower or eReader/email subscriber to BLT

Deadline: February 2, 12 pm EST.

WINNER of I-Spy Bash Contest Round 1! (REPOST)

The winner of my 1st Anniversary I-Spy Bash Contest (Round 1) is.................

Elie of Ellz Reads
So sorry, there was a bit of a mix up with names and blogs on my contest form. The winner is Elie of Ellz Reads not Eli of The Tainted Poet. So sorry :(

Congrats Eli! I will be sending you an email! Thanks everybody for entering my contest. If you didn't win this time, there's always next month. Yep, that's right, I'm celebrating BLT's 1st anniversary by holding a contest every month leading up to Feb. 19th. The next contest coming up in January is gonna be even better.....I promise! So stay tuned.
Wondering what books are featured in the ornaments above? Well, here's a list of the correct books:
(Left to right)


A Sweet Disorder by Jacqueline Kolosov
The Ancient Ocean Blues by Jack Mitchell (only one person got this one right!)
Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
Ruined by Paula Morris
Eli the Good by Silas House

1st Anniversary I-Spy Bash Contest: Round 1 - CLOSED

On February 19th of 2010 BLT will be celebrating its 1st anniversary of being on the web!!! To celebrate this momentous occasion I was going to hold one giant giveaway, but instead (me and my sister) came up with an idea to host three "smaller" giveaways each month leading up to February 19th! Since starting BLT almost a year ago, I only dreamed and hoped that I'd get 100+ followers, review books for publishers/authors, post reviews twice a week, etc., but thanks to the support I get from fellow bloggers, my followers, and authors themselves, I am extremely glad I stuck with it for this long. I hope I can continue running BLT for as long as possible. So, now that I have had the full blogging experience, it is time for me to give back to my readers and other fellow book lovers.....

1 winner can choose 2 books from the Grab Pile:

Fever Season by Eric Zweig (ARC)

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble (ARC)

The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus (signed copy)
(review coming soon!)

Breathless by Jessica Warman

How to Enter My Anniversary Bash
Wondering what the header on my blog is all about? Well, the contest has everything to do with those pictures. Each little image is part of a book cover. You must find the book and name the title in order to enter/win the contest. The people who guessed the most right will be counted up and then the winner is randomly picked.
1) Must name at least 3 book titles that go with the pictures
Hint: Some of the books can be found here on BLT.


Who Can Enter
1) You must become a follower
2) Only US and CAN residents


DEADLINE - December 25th 12 pm EST.

If I can get thirteen more followers by the 25th, I will add another winner who can choose 1 book from the Grab Pile!

Understand everything? Think you've found some of the books that match the pictures? Great, now fill out the following form:

Please note that one of the questions is for a survey and therefore does not have to be answered; if you are under 13 years of age, please be sure you have your parent's permission to enter this contest :)

Fill Out This Form (closed)

If there is anything wrong with the form or the link, please email me at thefirstlibrarian@yahoo.com and I will give you the questions you have to answer to order to enter!