The Weekend-Snaps of the Dragon Giveaway plus Hop!

As some of you may know I will be hosting MY FIRST EVER GIVEAWAY here next weekend. From Friday 6th July- Sunday 8th August (the giveaway itself will run longer). I had to change the date from this weekend because I won't be around to look after it properly. Its will be a mini event over the three days:

The Weekend-Snaps of the Jeremy

It will focus on the book The Jeremy-Snaps of the Dragon, it's author Jo S. Wun and culminate in a giveaway!

To have a chance at winning-there's a little competition...well things must be kept a lil interesting after all. Also look out for the button I'm making in my sidebar too!


Book Blogger Hop time!

Book Blogger Hop courtesy Crazy for Books

Friday is for Fairytales: The Little Mermaid

Friday is for Fairytales is a meme hosted by Irena at This Miss loves to Read. It' simply a post every Friday that is connected to the world of fairytales. It can be anything.... a review, a character description or your own fairytale experience.  For more details on this meme, Check out Irene's first fairytale post: Sleeping Beauty.

Let’s celebrate fairytales and share our love for them. 

My Post is about: The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson

This is one of my favourites and by my favourite fairy tale author. The Little Mermaid was also my first- it introduced me to fairy tales and the world on fantasy properly.

I remember how grown up I felt. It was't me being all hooked on just Disney's versions of fairy tales any more (as much as I do enjoy Disney).

It is the simple tale of unrequited love and the journey to make that love known and reciprocated. What I lurve about it-is the many themes within the story. It's also about self acceptance, and taking a chance even if it means literally being a fish out of water.

I am an island girl and lurve swimming. My swimming skills were pretty good ever since a child. I'm no Olympic champion and am only good at freestyle and whatever moves I whack in myself but was known as the little fish when out with friends or family as child-which was then upgraded to Mermaid. Good times!


I lurve the idea of Merpeople-Half human half finish- the best of two words. It is said we know more about the moon than the sea...so who knows anything's possible.

The Mermaid herself stands out for her purity and nobility. Even when she had the chance to kill the prince and become a mermaid again, she held fast to her truth and met her fate with her head held high.


There are so many adaptations of this tale; from Disney, Splash to Aquamarine (to name a few). But Anderson's version is the one I lurve most. It is of course from this original piece of work that all these versions stem. All others end in true "happily ever after" fashion- the mermaid has her prince. In the original tale by Hans the mermaid does not- she is turned to foam, then transformed into a Daughter of the Air. Too sad an ending some say and sometimes I agree, had he known she was the one who rescued him it would be different.


I lurve this version because it's true to life. Things don't always go the way we want it too but it turns out to be in our favour. She gained eternity. Life is a basket of mixed treats. Some good, bad, downright horrid to the exquisitely pleasant. I believe this tale truly represents that. Therefore it will always have my love and so too the rest of Hans Christian Anderson's work.

I absolutely adore this painting!

FY1: Book Blog Hops, Follow Friday and Giveaway Coming Soon!

I will be hosting MY FIRST EVER GIVEAWAY here next weekend. From Friday 30th July- Sunday 1st August (the giveaway itself will run longer).Its will be a mini event over the three days:

The Weekend-Snaps of the Jeremy

It will focus on the book The Jeremy-Snaps of the Dragon, it's author Jo S. Wun and culminate in a giveaway!
To have a chance at winning-there's a little competition-so it promises to be fun! I'm very excited about too! Also look out for the button I'm making in my sidebar too!


Now on to Friday's usual business-the getting to know new Book Blogs/bloggers or ones you've not yet discovered business. Click each link posted for the rules and how to's to join in the fun!

Follow My Book Blog Friday a la Rachel aka the Parajunkee

Book Blogger Hop courtesy Crazy for Books

DISCLAIMER:

The Hop isn't just for you to throw your link in there and not visit any other blogs.  It's all about networking and finding new blogs that are of interest. So, in the spirit of the Hop, try to make some time to visit other blogs and don't post your link if you are not planning on visiting other blogs in the Hop that week.  This is a weekly event, so if you don't have time this week, that's fine!  We'll see you next week!

I'm of now to follow and hop.

Teaser Tuesday: WAGs at the World Cup

Teaser Tuesdays, is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.It's very easy to get involved. Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page...

NO SPOILERS! SO BE CAREFUL! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teasing this week is WAGs at the World Cup by Alison Kervin. I am fully aware the WC's over, in fact I made the decision to start reading this after the World Cup, I didn't want any WAGs involved in my footy time :D

" 'Shall we go for a cheeky drink?'she says.'I'm a bit bored of driving. Let's get a cab back and I'll pick the car up in the morning.'

Lot's of booze and one cab ride later..." p.90

What's your teaser?

Random Book Love: Matched

Random Book Love: the appreciation/anticipation/affection of a book that I've either read, hope to read (TBR) or is on my wishlist. It tends to happen at random because me setting a time and place to randomly show a book some lurve; defeats the entire idea of all that is random:D 

I'm feeling some lurve for Matched this week. I haven't read it yet though. It's on my wishlist. I lurve the story, the cover and hopefully the book too. It's not out until November but it's getting some love nonetheless.


Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Release Date: 30 November 2010
Publishers: Dutton Juvenile
384 pages, Hardcover
Goodreads

Mini Blurb:
In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.  Cassia has always trusted their choices.  Now she is faced with impossible choices: between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion. 


IMO it sounds fresh, and an out of the box love story- though it's not limited to just love. 


That's it for my Random love sesh today.

Mail on Sunday

AKA In My Mailbox is a look at all the Lit related items...books or otherwise, we've acquired during the week...as always is hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren. 


It's been a while since I've acquired- won, purchased or borrowed a book. It's only one but it will do! I won it in a giveaway courtesy The Sweet Bookshelf, Cheers Mary x


Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw
Goodreads
Official Website: WinterCraft


Mini Blurb:

When Katie Winters' uncle is taken by the wardens of war torn Albion, just as her parents were ten years earlier, she is determined to rescue him.


I absolutely lurve the cover. The title is embossed which  really enjoy. I also lurve the colours used. The greens, blues, purples, pinks pop on the solid black. Another cool feature is the pictures running around the cover. A wheel/circle of smaller images like a mask, a key and waves-to name a few. I've included a few pics I hope they do the cover justice!

The Back-Hope you can the
semi circle/wheel with the images within

Love the colours

TGIF: Book Blogger Hops, Follow Friday and the Weekend.

Want to meet to blogs, improve your networking, make new friends, find new books for your TBR List. Well Friday is the day to do it. Working everyday makes it hard to surf the blogosphere so these two 'memes' really help.

Follow My Book Blog Friday a la Rachel aka the Parajunkee

Go to the above link and get following!!!!

Book Blogger Hop courtesy Crazy for Books

So click the link above to get book blogger hopping.

DISCLAIMER:

The Hop isn't just for you to throw your link in there and not visit any other blogs.  It's all about networking and finding new blogs that are of interest. So, in the spirit of the Hop, try to make some time to visit other blogs and don't post your link if you are not planning on visiting other blogs in the Hop that week.  This is a weekly event, so if you don't have time this week, that's fine!  We'll see you next week!

I'm of now to follow and hop.

Booking Through Thursday: HOT!

A weekly meme where you simply go to Booking Through Thursday, and make a post answering the question or about the topic. It's a discussion meme on lit related matters.


Well, folks, I don’t know about where you are, but right here, it’s HOT.
So … when you think about “hot reading,” what does that make you think of? Beach reading? Steamy romances? Books that take place in hot climates? Or cold ones?


It's mostly hot where I am too, with the odd light shower here and there. Hmm...what exactly is "hot reading"? and more importantly what does hot reading mean to me?

*I'm thinking this as I type-no fore thought here, so this is where I pause to really think about defining hot reading*

Hot reading 
(adj.) 1. an amazing read. A book that caught me and held on till the end. One that even after reading still holds a special place in my heart and on my shelf. One that I go back to whether it's, reading it in its entirety, chapters of favourite scenes.
2. fine ass man reading....a future baby daddy that lurves books as much as me. Simply put...sexy man+book=hot reading.


(slang) it is also steamy, arousing, sexy...you know what I mean-reading for the older boys and girls. Not sleazy, steamy.But intelligent, romantic, hot, sophisticated sexy steamy. 
Well there you go the definition of hot reading according to The Sa Toya Dictionary.

Waiting on Wednesday: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Waiting on Wendnesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine and is a weekly event all about upcoming releases we can't wait to get into!


I lurve angels and had no idea about this book until I came across it in a giveaway. While I'm hoping to win the ARC, I am more than happy to pay for it when it's released. I absolutely adore the cover. The ambience, the colour tone and the lurve between the two characters on the cover. I think this is one to watch, sooo on my wishlist and really want to get it.


Halo
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Release Date: 31 Aug 2010
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
496 pages, Hardcover
Goodreads
Blurb courtesy Goodreads:

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

What do you think?

Teaser Tuesday: The Master of Misrule

Teaser Tuesdays, is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.It's very easy to get involved. Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page...

NO SPOILERS! SO BE CAREFUL! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This isn't my current read but it will soon be. This is the second book in The Game of Triumph series, and is called The Master of Misrule by Laura Powell. I am currently reading the first and my teaser for that is here.

"...until the dark flurry thinned...subsided...settled...leaving four empty archways behind.

     The High slumped exhausted, and let the cards fall from his hands." p.150

Random Book Love: The Nanny Returns

Is Random Book Love a feature that will stick? Maybe...perhaps-who knows? One thing that is certain-me setting a time and place to randomly show a book some lurve; defeats the entire idea of all that is random.


The Nanny Returns
Authors: Emma McLaughin, Nicola Kraus
Release Date: 15th Dec 2009
Publishers: Simon & Schuster
This book is the 'sequel' to The Nanny Diaries.
Goodreads

I am taking part in the blog tour for this book hosted by International Blog Tours. I am very excited to be doing so and although I haven't received it yet thought I'd share my excitement for this novel's release.

Blurb at the Back courtesy Goodreads:

Ten years after her original misadventures in babysitting, Nan returns to NYC in this saucy sequel to the phenomenal bestseller The Nanny Diaries. Now married and pondering motherhood herself, the recovering caregiver is about to get a whole new perspective on childrearing. Her trouble former charge bursts back into her life and her new consulting business introduces her to nannying's sophisticated older sister: private school. With the same biting wit and tender heart that marked the original, this long-awaited follow-up skewers the elite culture of "outsourced parenting" on the razor-sharp tip of a 21st-century Mary Poppins umbrella. It's as funny as it is affecting: call it chicklit with a conscience.

What do think....I hope it's as good or even better than the first.

Make Friends Friday

It's all about letting people know who you are, saying 'Hi', 'Hello', a new lesson I'm learning more and more about. Networking spread love, info ad allows us all to make friends and get our voices heard.


I've got a lot of free time today and this weekend. Which means not only will I be making new friends, but PPL will be back on track from now on. With frequent posting, giveaways, general lurve and things of that nature.


So plese bear in mind if you're hopping along or becoming a new follower- I'm changing a few things on my blog's experiencing a glitchy period atm. Just today though, all will be well by tomorrow.


Anyway it's friend making time!

Book Blogger Hop courtesy Crazy for Books

This for all us book bloggers to get to all the other book bloggers that we may not have come across in our bloggy travels. So click the link above to get book blogger hopping.

DISCLAIMER:

The Hop isn't just for you to throw your link in there and not visit any other blogs.  It's all about networking and finding new blogs that are of interest. So, in the spirit of the Hop, try to make some time to visit other blogs and don't post your link if you are not planning on visiting other blogs in the Hop that week.  This is a weekly event, so if you don't have time this week, that's fine!  We'll see you next week!

Follow My Book Blog Friday a la Rachel aka the Parajunkee

Another fantabulous way to get to know new blogs and meet new bloggers.

Well I'm off to follow and hop around!