Blogiversary Giveaway #14: The Dark City by Catherine Fisher

  I have not had a chance to read the Relic Master series yet, but it looks great! Enter to win a new copy of The Dark City by Catherine Fisher!

 

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

"Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a secret relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be tested beyond their limits. For there are monsters-some human, some not-that also want the relic's power and will stop at nothing to get it."

Fill out the FORM to enter!

Book condition: Hardcover, New

Giveaway Rules:
- Must be over 13 years old
- Must be GFC follower
- Must have valid US Mailing Address
(Sorry Int followers, there will be some giveaways for you too!)
- Need to fill out the form for entry to count
- Giveaway ends July 31, 2011 at midnight
- Winner will be chosen randomly with help from Random.org

Blogiversary Giveaway #13: Angels and Demons

Enter to win a copy of Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

 

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

"An ancient secret brotherhood.  A devastating new weapon of destruction.  An unthinkable target.

When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati...the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth. The Illuminati has now surfaced to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy -- the Catholic Church.

Langdon's worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican's holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces they have hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.

Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair...a clandestine location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.

An explosive international thriller, Angels & Demons careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war."

Fill out the FORM to enter!

Book condition: Paperback copy, well loved

Giveaway Rules:
- Must be over 18 yrs old
- Must be GFC follower
- Must have valid US Mailing Address
(Sorry Int followers, there will be some giveaways for you too!)
- Need to fill out the form for entry to count
- Giveaway ends July 31, 2011 at midnight
- Winner will be chosen randomly with help from Random.org

In My Mailbox (25)

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly Meme hosted by The Story Siren!

This is what I received this week! I blame my excessive purchases on the Borders clearance sale and Kindle's current ebooks sale!

In My Mailbox:

 

    

 

 

Prize

Enclave – Ann Aguirre

 

Purchased

How to Slay a Dragon – Bill Allen

TimeRiders – Alex Scarrow

Behemoth – Scott Westerfeld

Stargazer – Claudia Gray

 

Blogiversary Giveaway #12: The Secret Life of Bees

Enter to win a copy of The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

 

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

"Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love--a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come."

Fill out the FORM to enter!

Book condition: Paperback copy, gently used

Giveaway Rules:
- Must be over 13 yrs old
- Must be GFC follower
- Must have valid US Mailing Address
(Sorry Int followers, there will be some giveaways for you too!)
- Need to fill out the form for entry to count
- Giveaway ends July 31, 2011 at midnight
- Winner will be chosen randomly with help from Random.org
 

Scoot's Ramblings: Bears-in-books

Did you know that Winnie-the-Pooh will turn ninety this summer? I found this out via the article below in Shelf Awareness today:

"Want to feel old? Winnie-the-Pooh turns 90 on August 21. If you'd like to send him a birthday card, the New York Public Library will be celebrating his birthday at the Library's Children's Center at 42nd Street all month and is accepting cards on Pooh Bear's behalf. It's an appropriate destination, since Christopher Robin Milne's "original Winnie-the-Pooh doll set--including Winnie, of course!--is at the Library, on view in the Children's Center, in a special room surrounded by art of the 100 Acre Wood!"'

 

Reading about Winnie's upcoming birthday got me thinking about bears-in-books from my childhood.  Winnie is an obvious fan favorite, but as I was growing up I spent a lot of time with other fictional bears. For instance, Paddington!! I love his politeness, overcoat and obsession with marmalade sandwiches.  Also, who could forget the Berenstain Bears?!  I am pretty sure their entire collection of books was in our home.  I didn't realize until I was older that the books were teaching me things like manners or responsibility as well as entertaining me. What is it about bears that make them such great book characters?  I think we just can't resist their cuddly cuteness factor.

What fictional bears did you love as a child?