Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Book Bargains!

Here are some sweet book deals I found online...

Books I have read and recommend:
  • Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker Series #1) by Jenna Black for $2.99 on Nook or Kindle  
  • Sunshine by Robyn McKinley (paperback) for $3.60 at Amazon
Books I haven't read yet but look intriguing:
  • EON by Alison Goodman (paperback) for $4.00 at Amazon
  • Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren (paperback) for $4.00 at Amazon
  • Bright of the Sky by Kay Kenyon for FREE on Kindle
  • Branded by Keary Taylor for .99c on Nook or Kindle


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Starcrossed (ARC)


Author: Josephine Angelini
Genre
: Young Adult – Urban Fantasy/Mythology
Publication Date
: May 31, 2011
Publisher:
 Harper Teen
Age Range
: Young Adult
Pages
: 496
Date Scoot Read:
May 2011
Source
: ARC from Author for review.

Scoot's Rating
: 9-  Great read! Couldn’t put it down.

Synopsis (via Goodreads)
: How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Scoot’s Review:
All Helen wants to do is blend in with the crowd; in fact too much attention makes her literally sick to her stomach. However, not standing out is tough when you are smart, athletic, tall and beautiful.  Regardless Helen does everything she can to downplay her attributes until in one split second everything changes; she meets Lucas Delos.  The Delos family has moved onto Nantucket Island and for reasons she can’t understand it fills Helen with rage.  Confused and struggling for control of her life Helen turns to the Delos family for help.  Working together Helen discovers truths about herself she never would have guessed and finds both love and tragedy.  Starcrossed is the best modern mythology storyline I have read to date. In some modern mythology novels I have read I felt like I needed some kind of Greek mythology handbook to read with it to understand half of the story, but with this novel I never felt that way.  I enjoyed the mythological elements and I was easily able to follow along with Helen on her journey of discovery.  I really enjoyed this novel and how well it was developed and executed.  The story quickly reeled you in with great writing and characterization and then kept you hooked with a fast paced plot. The pacing of the story was done well and the story was long enough to have time to develop without feeling rushed. I enjoyed Helen’s personality, so she was easy to rally behind as the lead character.  The other story leads and supporting characters were also well developed and I liked getting to know them throughout the novel and am definitely looking forward to continuing to their stories in the next book.  The romantic elements of the novel didn’t feel rushed or overdone, they felt natural.  Besides the main romance for Helen there were smaller romances in the works that I enjoyed watching develop.  This story has a well woven plot with plenty of directions for the author to take in the future.  Overall I was very pleased with this novel and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.  This book releases today so when you have a chance find a copy and read it!

  • Check out my character interview with Claire -Helen’s BFF- here!
  • Make sure to follow the Starcrossed Book Tour here for your chance to win a Kindle3 wifi! The tour ends Friday, so go quickly!
  












 

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Friday, May 27, 2011

Armchair BEA: Blog Blog Blog

Today's Armchair BEA topic is putting the focus on the blog portion of book blogging!

How do I balance life and blogging?  Basically what I feel my blog comes down to is fun.  It comes down to whether or not I enjoy it.  If I get to the point where blogging is not enjoyable it feels like work, and I don't like work.   So when it comes to the blog I just try to make it simple and entertaining for myself.  I try not to get overcommitted to things or overwelm myself with deadlines or requirements. Basically I do what I want with my blog, when I want.  No stress!  For me real life always takes priority over the blog and the blog is just another one of my many hobbies that keeps me entertained.  I find it really enjoyable, but don't let it take over my life.  However I do find myself reading even more than I used to before I started blogging, but that might be due to other changes in life as well. Being graduated from College = more free time!

As for any technical blogging tips I recommend scheduling posts in advance.  When you are in the mood to write reviews write up a storm and then set up the posts to be posted in the future.  Then watch in amazement as your blog runs on its own and you can take some time off.  Also, I recommend not cluttering up your blog too much. No one likes arriving on a webpage that freezes their computer or makes it really slow.  I try to make sure my page doesn't slow anyone down, because lets face it - we are in the instant gratification type of world and if they can't see my blog in an 'instant' they won't sit around waiting for it.

I don't like to limit myself on what I read, so I haven't narrowed my blog down to a particular genre. Although I don't blog about a particular genre of books I do read a lot more YA than Adult titles.  So my site tends to cater more to YA reads.  I also prefer to read books with any type of fantasy, paranormal, steampunk or dystopian elements because that is what I enjoy.  I like a lot of fiction with my fiction, I get enough real life in the real world.  I am also always looking out for that "happily ever after".  I prefer happy books.  Bring me a book that has magic and a happily ever after and I am hooked.  Love!


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Thursday, May 26, 2011

Armchair BEA: Nurturing Relationships - FAIL.

I couldn't resist. lol.
So today's hot topic at Armchair BEA is on Nurturing Book Blogging Relationships!

Honestly, I am not your best source of information for this topic. I haven't really gone out of my way to build a relationship with a particular publisher, author, blogger, or bookstore.  I just kind of coast along, blogging away, and hope things will fall into my lap.

Does that make me totally lazy? Yes, yes it does. 

I have on occasion sent a request letter to a publisher for an ARC, but have never gotten any response.  I much prefer to be approached by an Author or Publisher for a review or to join a book tour so I don't feel like I am begging for books. =)   However, I am an avid user of NetGalley and LOVE that site.  If you are a book blogger and haven't looked into joining NetGalley yet you should really go check it out!

I don't think there is really any kind of secret to approaching bloggers or authors... just be yourself! If they like you great - if not - life goes on. Right?  As I have said before, generally everyone is super friendly and as long as you are respectful and honest you will find your niche in the book blogging world!


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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Armchair BEA: Networking

Meeting awesome people is one of the many fringe benefits of the book blogging world.  When I first started my book blog I didn't know anyone else with a book blog and was a total newbie.  I was lucky enough to find a couple of places to network and meet other bloggers online (by basically stalking awesome blogs) pretty quickly.  Now, nearly a year later I have gotten to know so many fabulous bloggers! 

How did I meet these bloggers? I met them through networking! By visiting their blogs, making meaningful comments, joining memes or blog hops, tweeting, updating book related sites (Goodreads, LibraryThing), joining book blog tours, posting a lot on my own blog and more.  Basically I just perused and participated in the book blogging community and found great people with similiar tastes.  It has been a lot of fun!  Honestly most everyone in the book community is super nice and easy to work with. Everyone has been very friendly and helpful, and I really have appreciated that.


Below are some great bloggers you should check out if you haven't already met them!


AReadersRecord.blogspot





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Waiting On Wednesday (35) & Clockwork Prince Cover Reveal!

Time for the"Waiting On Wednesday" weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Waiting on Wednesday spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
To be Published: December 6th 2011 by Simon & Schuster

In Clockwork Prince, with Mortmain vanished and the clock counting down on how long Charlotte can keep control of the Institute away from Benedict Lightwood, Will, Jem and Tessa must dig into Mortmain’s past to predict what he will do in the future, But secrets about Mortmain aren’t all they find buried — Tessa begins to uncover the truth about her own birth, and the ghosts of Will’s past return to haunt him. As Tessa grows closer to Jem, and Will is driven further toward the brink of madness by jealousy and guilt, will they discover the truth in time to halt the next phase of Mortmain’s evil plan?

________________

This is the second novel in The Infernal Devices trilogy.  I am curious to know what happens next, and I LOVE this cover! Jem is my favorite.  

What book are YOU waiting on?

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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Airmchair BEA: Best of 2011

2011 is really going to be a year of AWESOME.  This year will bring us many highly anticipated series conclusions, as well as some fabulous new series beginnings.  I can't wait to get my hands on all of them!!  Below is my list of top reads for 2011.


Stand Alones...
A Monster Calls
by Patrick Ness from
Candlewick Press
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater from Random House


Series Newbies...

Divergent
by Veronica Roth from
Harper Collins/Katherine Tegen Books
Shatter Me
by Tahereh Mafi from
Harper Teen
Magic Most Foul
by Leanna Renee Hieber from Sourcebooks Fire
The Girl in the Steel Corset
by Kady Cross from Harlequin

Series Continuations...
Crossed
by Ally Condie from
Penguin/Dutton
Red Glove
by Holly Black from Margaret K. McElderry
The Gray Wolf Throne
by Cinda Williams Chima from Disney Hyperion
Supernaturally
by Kiersten White from Harper Teen

Series Conclusions...

The Death Cure
by James Dashner from
Random House/Delacorte
Inheritance
by Christopher Paolini from
Random House/Knopf 
Goliath
by Scott Westerfeld from
S&S/Simon Pulse
The Savage Grace
by Bree Despain by
Egmont USA
Forever
by Maggie Steifvater from
Scholastic Press


Which books do you think will be the Best of 2011?

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Monday, May 23, 2011

Savannah Grey (ARC)


Author: Cliff McNish
Genre: Young Adult – Adventure/Supernatural
Publication Date: April 1, 2011
Publisher:  Lerner Publishing Group
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages:  272
Date Scoot Read: April 2011
Source
: eGalley from NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group

Scoot's Rating: 4- Mixed feelings.


Synopsis (via Goodreads)
:
15 year old Savannah Grey has never felt she's belonged. She keeps her distance, so she's surprised by her attraction to the new boy Reece. Then strange things begin to happen: nature, it seems, is exerting an overpowering force on the world. Birds behave strangely; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah learns she has supernatural powers. Nature has a purpose for Savannah and her friends. For they are on course to meet the vile and evil Orcrassa, who wants to destroy the world by corrupting nature. And it wants Savannah Grey to help realize its savage intent.

Scoot’s Review:
Strange things have started to happen to Savannah; her throat is making strange mechanical noises and she can’t let anyone too near her.  At a chance meeting she runs into a boy who seems to have similar symptoms.  Struggling to solve the mystery and purpose of their oddness, Savannah and Reece work together against overwhelming forces of opposition.  Nature and monsters collide in this fast-paced supernatural adventure.  I felt like the story was a bit scattered and rushed.  The plot moved too quickly in some places; instant understanding, instant powers, instant – everything, yet at the same time managed to leave you confused.   Savannah and Reece were good leads and their attraction seemed genuine. However, the characters I felt were the most developed and had the most depth were the monsters. They had the strongest emotional pull for me and at one point almost had me in tears. I really enjoyed the small monster sections in between chapters of Savannah with their perspectives.  It was interesting and something you don’t see often.  I was surprised by the big twist in the story and didn’t clue into it until the last moment, so that was enjoyable.  The story and plot seemed to have a lot of potential but felt like it was too scattered and just missing things. Savannah Grey was a blend of loss, love, betrayal, and adventure.  The ending was rather abrupt and I would have been happier to have a little more understanding and closure on the situation. 

  













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Armchair BEA Kickoff: Getting to know me!

Today is the first day of Armchair BEA!  For those of us not able to attend BEA in New York we have the chance to participate in Armchair BEA; BEA events right in the comfort of your own home.  Thank you to all of the Armchair BEA organizers for putting this week together. I am excited to participate!

Each day this week Armchair BEA will provide blogging prompts for the participants and today's prompt is:

Who are you, and how do you Armchair?

If you have never stopped by my blog, welcome to See Scoot Read! My name is Scoot.  I am a self diagnosed book-a-holic.  I love to read and I decided to start this book blog for my own enjoyment. This is basically me turning something I already love into an even bigger hobby. I read Young Adult and some Adult fiction: General, Paranormal, Historical, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Sci-fi, Adventure, Dystopian, etc.!  I also enjoy Children's Mid-Grade books. Along with steady postings of book reviews I regularly post book news, occasional author interviews and giveaways.  Follow me on my journey through the pages!

10 Random facts about Scoot:
I have never posted a picture of myself on the blog, but the legs on the right are mine. :)
1.  TODAY marks 8 years of "happily ever after" with my husband!
2.  My real name is not Scoot, but Scoot has been my nickname since I was a toddler.
3. My favorite color is Pink.
4. My favorite smell is fresh laundry.
5. I have lived in the same state all of my life.
6. My favorite icecream flavor is Chocolate.
7.  I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 24.
8.  My favorite place to vacation is the Beach.
9.  I was the first person in my family to graduate from College.
10. I have a little Yorkie named Charlie.

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Saturday, May 21, 2011

Infinity


Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Genre: Young Adult – Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
Publication Date: May 25th 2010
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages:  448
Date Scoot Read: March 2011
Source
: Audiobook

Scoot's Rating: 8- Really good!

Synopsis (via Goodreads)
: At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.


Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Scoot’s Review:
Nick Gautier is has grown up on the wrong side of the tracks – and his elite private school never lets him forget it.  Struggling to keep his attitude in check while still keeping his pride is tough and Nick struggles to do the right thing just like his Mama would want.  His life takes a turn for the worse when he gets tangled up in a bad situation. Toss in zombie football players at his high school and Nick’s life has gotten out of control.  Thrown into a life he can barely recognize anymore, Nick and his friends struggle to protect themselves and their hometown.  This book was just an all around fun read.  The writing had a lot of personality and humor in it, as well as fast paced action.  The character’s personalities were interesting and there were plenty of plot elements to keep you on your toes.  I have never read Sherrilyn Kenyon’s corresponding adult series, so I came to this story with a totally fresh perspective.  There were a lot of characters introduced, who I believe also feature in her adult series but I don’t feel like you need to read it first to understand what was going on.  I loved Nick – he loved and respected his Mother and he was just an all around good kid.   He wasn’t perfect, but he knew the bar was set high and he strived to achieve it.  He was a witty and strong lead who easily sucked you right into his story.  His smart-aleck comments were cracking me up.  The story had a good blend of action, mystery, romance, and real life situations.  The paranormal elements were occasionally over the top, but the story had enough layering and depth to make this a really good read and I plan to continue the series.  I am curious to know what happens next for Nick and his friends!
















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Friday, May 20, 2011

Starcrossed Blog Tour Stop #5! Win a Kindle 3 and more!



I am totally excited to be the 5th stop on the Starcrossed Blog Tour!  
Starcrossed is a great book and I am excited to share more about it with all of you!



First we will take a look at the author, Josephine, and Starcrossed.  After that I have a special treat for you... a character interview with Helen's best friend Claire!!  

About Josephine Angelini: (website)

Josie was born in a tiny town in Massachusetts called Ashland. When she meets people from Massachusetts and tells them ‘what part’ she hails from, she usually gets one of two answers. The first is: “Ashland. Isn’t that in Oregon?” And the second is: “Did you just say Ass-land?”
Her next stop was about as different from her hometown as it gets without leaving the country. As soon as Josie was legal, she packed a bag and moved to New York City to attend NYU. Somehow, she managed to squeeze in a little higher learning between bartending shifts and graduated with a BFA.
Massively in debt with college loans, she then moved to Los Angeles for reasons that are still a little blurry. Something about the weather was mentioned, and a vague idea to write poetry and find herself. She found that she is a terrible poet, but she never gave up on the writing bit.
Josie still lives in Los Angeles with her husband and now writes YA fiction.




About Starcrossed:  goodreads
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.


Starcrossed Book Trailer:

Character Interview With Claire!
Describe yourself in five words or less.
Awesome genius ninja guardian angel.  

How long have you and Helen been best friends?
Since we were zygotes.  Seriously, our mothers were pals and Lennie and I are convinced we started communicating each other from their wombs.  She’d kick her mom in the kidneys, I’d head butt my mom in the liver—like a fetus Morse code if you will.

Who inspires you?
Aw, man.  Now you’re making me be all serious.  Lennie inspires me.  I just wish she wouldn’t slouch so much.  There’s no excuse for bad posture.

How do you feel about the Delos family moving into town?
Are you crazy?  I’m so excited I’m practically vibrating.  Do you have any idea how small my school is?  We’ve all known each other since first grade so trying to date someone is like trying to convince yourself it’s okay to date your brother.  We had a foreign exchange student once, but she was a girl.  
And I hear there are THREE boys coming to the island-- boys I never saw throw up eggs in second grade or walk around with big boogers hanging out of their noses in fifth or some other such icky episode that’s bound to happen over eleven years of hanging out with someone.  You know.  REAL BOYS for a change.  I can’t talk about it anymore—I get too choked up.

If you could go anywhere in the world with anyone for a day where would you go?
Oh wow.  I just want to warn you that whatever I say right now could be forgotten by tomorrow or replaced by a different boy-Caribbean combination okay?  Okay.  I’d go to Bali with Callan Mcauliffe.  But with my luck, he’d probably end up being boring, or allergic to sand or something and I’d end up back at the News Store with Lennie, eating croissants and spraying each other with silly string in the store room.  That wouldn’t be too bad, either.

Has it been a challenge being the only Asian kid in your school?
Nothing is a challenge for someone as awesome as me.  But yeah, it sucks.  It’s not like anyone is dumb enough to try and make fun of me.  I have a natural gift for figuring out exactly what’s wrong with other people and I have no problem telling them exactly what I think about them to their faces.  I don’t do bullies.  Lennie lets people bully her sometimes and it drives Matt and me crazy.  I wish she’d stand up for herself more.

What are your hobbies or what do you like to do in your free time?
I like to read.  I know, I know.  I’m a geek.  I’ve made peace with that.  I also run track even though I don’t really like running.  I mostly do it because Lennie does it.  
Don’t tell anyone this, okay?  I take calligraphy lessons from my grandma, too.  Like, ancient Japanese calligraphy.  I’m even starting to learn how to make my own brushes and paper.

Having lived their your whole life, do you like living on Nantucket Island?
Born and raised on ‘ACK.   I like it, even if it is a little hard being surrounded by white people all the time.  Most of them are okay.  ;)

You have a great personality and a lot of spunk, what are you hoping to be “when you grow up”?
I have no idea, and thank you for bringing it up.  Every morning my parents ask me “What are you going to do with your life?”  “What are you going to major in at college?” and every morning I tell them something different.  Today I told them I was going to major in horse-breaking.  They are not pleased that I haven’t answered “doctor” or “lawyer” or “computer programmer” yet.
The truth is, I have no idea what I’m going to do.  But I promise it will be spectacular.

What is your favorite memory of you and Helen?
My favorite memory!  Okay, one time in fifth, Gretchen, Helen, and I were all playing hide and seek at Gretchen’s house.  Helen was it.  She found me first and then she and I went to look for Gretchen together.  Turns out, Gretchen had to go to the bathroom half way through the game.  
So I dare Helen to pull the door open a crack, not all the way so we’d see anything, just a bit so Gretchen would freak out and scream that she was in there and all that.  But Helen pulled a little too hard.  She ripped the door off the hinges on accident.  And there was Gretchen—beauty queen girl that was always bragging about which pageant she’d just won—sitting on the can and picking her nose at the same time.  Priceless.
Well, Gretchen freaked out.  She stopped being both our friends and ever since then she’s sort of had this thing against Len and me, but mostly Lennie.  I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that hard in my life.  I never liked Gretchen—she’s just not a good person.  I’m glad she and Lennie stopped hanging out because that means I don’t have to hang out with her either.

Thank you so much Claire! It was great getting to know you better. :) 

 Now what you have all been waiting for... the Kindle Giveaway!

Contest rules for the Kindle give-away
  • In order to enter to win a Kindle3 WiFi, including a copy of Starcrossed, a personal letter from Josie to the winner and covered in a GelaSkin of Starcrossed's cover art, you must collect the pink highlighted words from Lucas's love letter to Helen that are provide each day at the individual tour stops.  The daily words can be joined together in sequential order to create the winning secret message.  Once you've constructed the winning secret message, you will need to enter that message on Starcrossed's tour home page.
  • No purchase, affiliation, status as follower to a certain blog or any other association is required to enter.
  • Full rules for the contest can be found at the Starcrossed tour home page.
  • Winner of the Kindle give-away will be announced on Josie's homepage on Tuesday, June 7th.

Here is the 5th piece of Lucas's letter to Helen! 
Make sure to visit each blog throughout the tour and collect the pink highlighted words in each letter snippet! At the end of the tour, you should have a secret message to enter at Starcrossed's tour home page!

Tour Stops:
Monday May, 16th - Bewitched Bookworms/ Tour Kick-off!

Tuesday, May 17th - Becky,  Stories & Sweets
Wednesday, May 18th - Elie, Ellz Reads
Thursday, May 19th - Heidi, YA Bibliophile
Friday, May 20th - See Scoot Read / Character Interview with Helen's BFF Claire

Monday May, 23th - Missie, The Unread Reader / "When I'm not Writing"
Tuesday, May 24th - Savanna, Books with Bite
Wednesday, May 25th - Natalie, The Mindful Musings / Character Interview with Helen
Thursday, May 26th - Heather, Buried in Books /Interview with Josie
Friday, May 27th - Nely, All about {n} / "Josie's Bookcase"

Monday May, 30th - Candace, Candace's Book Blog / Interview with Josie
Tuesday, May 31st (Starcrossed Book Birthday!) - Kristi, The Story Siren / Vlog post by Josie
Wednesday, June 1st - Small Review
Thursday, June 2nd - Jenny, Supernatural Snark / Character Interview with Lucas
Friday, June 3rd - Cynthia - A Book About Nothing

Tuesday, June 7th: Announcement of the big prize winner on Josie's Blog!

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