Giveaway: Chopsticks

One (1) winner will receive:

-A copy of Chopsticks

-$10 iTunes gift card to experience the Chopsticks app

Giveaway open to US mailing addresses only

Prizing & samples courtesy of Penguin 

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral

CHOPSTICKS was born out of the desire to tell a story with multiple medias, without losing the fundamental truths which make reading fiction an emotional human experience.

The novel’s digital format will still allow you to encounter the lives of Frank and Glory, the characters that fill the pages, but the additional videos, songs and digital links will create a new novel experience.

CHOPSTICKS is a novel, an app, a website. It is a collage of original drawings, objects, text, sounds, and video. It is a love story. It is a mystery. Read it. View it. Experience it.

Book Trailer:

App Demo:

Chopsticks Online: 

Website Chopsticks App

Here's how to enter:

Fill out the entry form here.

Entries left in the comments of this post will not be counted.
The giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S.
You must be 13 years or older to enter this contest.

The giveaway will end April 2nd at 6:59 pm Central Time.

I'm asking for your address straight up. 
I will also email you so you know you have won.  

I will delete the spreadsheet once I have got the winner's information. 

This Week in Books

1. The List by Siobhan Vivian (Review)

2. What I Wore by Jessica Quirk (Amazon)

Lookalikes 155

I think this one goes to Marni, I'm not really a fan of the sideways face, it never seems to look good to me, just awkward. But Ascend has some nice typography! What's really interesting here is that two of the covers are using the same bright blue with their black and white. This is one case I think seeing the original stock photo would help.

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Hardcover vs Paperback 140

Amazon.com:

Perfect, picturesque Orchard Hill. It was the last thing Ally Ryan saw in the rearview mirror as her mother drove them out of town and away from the shame of the scandal her father caused when his hedge fund went south and practically bankrupted all their friends. Now, two years later, Ally’s mother has landed a job back at the site of their downfall, and they’re not exactly receiving a warm welcome. One bright spot, however, is gorgeous, intense Jake Graydon. But it won’t be easy for Ally to be with him—not if his friends (her former friends) have anything to say about it. Ally was hoping to have left all the drama in the past, but some things just can’t be forgotten….

Definitely the hardcover. I think it's a more sophisticated and unexpected (in this genre of books) way to show drama, the aftermath. The paperback has more of a commercial look, there is something about the image on the paperback that is awkward. I think it's the combination of the stiff poses and where the image is cut off, love the handwritten font though!

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

This Week in Books

1. Take a Bow Elizabeth Eulberg (Review)

2. The Husband Hunt Lynsay Sands (Review)

3. The False Prince Jennifer A Nielsen (Review)

4. The Vampire Diaries The Return: Midnight LJ Smith (Review)
5. The Vampire Diaries Stefan's Diaries: The Compelled LJ Smith (Review)

6. The Vampire Diaries The Hunters: Moonsong LJ Smith (Review)

7. The Secret Circle The Divide LJ Smith (Review)

Lookalikes 154

(The Spanish edition of Vampire Diaries:The Awakening by L.J. Smith)

 

Definitely Bree Tanner, as weird as this sounds there is something kind of soothing about the image and the simple black and white and red in this case. The Despertar cover is so zoomed in it's kind of scary (which I guess both of these covers are supposed to be) and that font, looks like it's straight out a cheesy horror movie, no thanks.
 

 Thanks to Kelsey who suggested this lookalike! 

 

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Hardcover vs Paperback 139

Amazon.com:

"It was August. For years it was August . . . . There was heat like wet gauze and a high, white sky and music coming from everywhere at once." 

In the long, hot Illinois summer of 1973, insecure, motherless Jamie falls under the dangerous spell of her older, more worldly cousin Fawn, who's come to stay with Jamie and her uncle as penance for committing an "unmentionable act." It is a time of awakenings and corruptions, of tragedy and loss, as Jamie slowly discovers the extent to which Fawn will use anything and anyone to further her own ends—and recognizes, perhaps too late, her own complicity in the disaster that takes shape around them. 

Here is an interesting H vs P. Same photo and layout but different treatment for the typography. I really like the change that was made to the paperback, it really wakes up the whole cover with the use of some bright bold copy! I also really like the angle that the copy is at, definitely makes it more interesting.

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Lookalikes 153

Ooooh pretty pretty. Ok here is what I would like: the title font from Struck, the girl from Mad Love wearing the outfit from Struck with the stream of hearts from Struck. So I guess that means overall Struck is working better for me. But these are two cute covers!

Thanks to Irish  and Laura who suggested this lookalike! 

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Press Play: January + February

 

JANUARY

nada- my dvr has been blowing up, I think I've been enjoying it too much to watch many movies :(

FEBRUARY

Gnomeo & Juliet

Bedtime Stories

Geek Charming

The First Time

Hardcover vs Paperback 138

Amazon.com:

Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together-and he remembers it all. For all the times that he and Sophia have been connected throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart.

But just when Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally awakens to the secret of their shared past, the mysterious force that has always separated them reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together.

I don't have much of an opinion on these covers, I guess I like the hardcover better it's pretty, the paperback just making me think of like the desert and Star Wars.

Thanks to Katherine who suggested this H vs P!

 

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

This Week in Books

1. When A Scot Loves A Lady by Katharine Ashe (Review)

2. Explorer: The Mystery Boxes edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Review)

3. No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz (Review)

4. Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein (Review)

Lookalikes 152

Cartwheels at the beach, who else is excited for Spring to arrive!!! That Summer wins for a simple and successful composition and some nice pops of color. On the Bobby James cover the title and girl basically take up the same amount of same in the same place, and while that works sometimes here it just creates flatness.

 

Thanks to Kelsey who suggested this lookalike! 

 

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Giveaway: GCB Beauty Kit!

 Who's excited for GCB? I know I am! To celebrate the premiere I'm having a giveaway! P.S. I'm jealous of whomever wins, this is a great prize!

“Texify” yourself with a GCB Beauty Kit!

One (1) winner will receive a GCB Gift Bag filled with:
- Nail Polish
-Tweezerman Nail File
-Dual Lip Gloss
-Big Lash Mascara
-Faux Eyelashes
-Minimergency Kit
-Mini Designer Perfume

Prize pack valued at $55

Prizing courtesy of ABC

Check out a sneak peek!

 

GCB online:

Website - Facebook - Twitter

Visit www.GCBconfessions.com - Tweet #GCB to unlock exclusive content and be entered for a chance to win fabulous GCB prizes!

Here's how to enter:

Fill out the entry form here.

Entries left in the comments of this post will not be counted.
The giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S.
You must be 13 years or older to enter this contest.

The giveaway will end March 5th at 6:59 pm Central Time.

I'm asking for your address straight up. 
I will also email you so you know you have won.  

I will delete the spreadsheet once I have got the winner's information. 

Hardcover vs Paperback 137

Amazon.com:

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when four cloaked horsemen capture Lugh, Saba's world is shattered, and she embarks on a quest to get him back. 

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the outside world, Saba discovers she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba’s unrelenting search for Lugh stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization. 

 Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetic writing style, and an epic love story—making Moira Young is one of the most exciting new voices in teen fiction.

Neither of these covers would make me run and pick up this book but they both have some nice things going for them. I love the simplicity of the monochromatic image on the hardcover and the composition of the photo on the hardcover. 

Thanks to StoryLoverX who suggested this H vs P!

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

This Week in Books

1. Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti (Review)

2. Wicked Jealous by Robin Palmer (Review)

3. Outfit 911 by Joyce Corrigan (Gift)

Lookalikes 151

I think these are both kind of cute. Picture is cute and the typefaces on both are cute. Bookmark Days wins me over with the very trendy Pink/Orange combo.  The only thing I'm not digging is the giant pink puddle on the bottom of Bookmark Days, but it seems like one of those things that a imprint or a series does to show it's part of something bigger. Still don't like it.

 

Thanks to Claire who suggested this lookalike! 

 

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Hardcover vs Paperback 136

Amazon.com:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

When it comes to looking purely at the design I'll give it to the Hardcover, it basically shouts LOOK AT ME! But based on the summary I can see why the cover was changed for the Paperback though it doesn't scream in the same way. Both covers have some beautifully rich colors going on though, yum.

Thanks to StoryLoverX who suggested this H vs P!

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

This Week In Books

1. Two Truths and a Lie by Sara Shepard (Amazon)

2. A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah McLean (Review-Weeee!)

3. White Girl Problems by Babe Walker (Target)

4. Abandon by Meg Cabot (Review)

5. Knits for Nerds by Joan of Dark aka Toni Carr (Review)

6. A Wedding in Haiti by Julia Alvarez (Review)

7. The Receptionist by Janet Groth (Review)

Lookalikes 150

I'm giving it up to Viola in this case, cause well, she has good shoes! No but really it has good type treatment and a more subtle color palette. Love.

 

Thanks to Lenore who suggested this lookalike! 

 

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Weekly Dose of Crafts

I decided to make a cowl this weekend. In one of my many browse sessions on Raverly I saw someone knit up this cowl in this exact yarn and knew I had to do it.

It's a very simple pattern, ribbing on the top and bottom and that's that. Not a ton to say about this.

Pattern: Lyndhurt Cowl

Yarn: Bernat Mosaic in Ninja

For more crafty goodness be sure to stop over at WIP Wednesday! And find me on Raverly and Pinterest as mint910.

Hardcover vs Paperback 135

 

Amazon.com:

Just when she's finally figured out how to manage on her own, Jill Murray's ex-husband, Seth, is back --crashing into the man-free existence Jill and her ten-year-old daughter, Anastasia, have built so carefully. Jill's life just hasn't turned out quite the way she'd planned. By now, she'd hoped to be jetting around the world as a high-end cultural coach. Instead, she's answering phones for a local travel agency and teaching cooking classes at the community center. Enter free-spirited entrepreneur Billy who hires Jill as a consultant for an upcoming business trip. Suddenly, her no-boys-allowed life is anything but.
 

They say that every seven years you become a completely new person, but Jill isn't sure she's ready to make the leap. It takes a Costa Rican getaway to help her make a choice--not so much between the two men in her life, but between the woman she is and the woman she wants to be.

Hmmm I think both covers speak to different aspects of the summary but I guess I enjoy the paperback more. I really like the composition of the photograph. And all the bright yellow!

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

This Week in Books

1. All Woman and Springtime by Brandom W. Jones (Review)

2. Until the Next Time by Kevin Fox (Review)

3. Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick (Review)

4. West of Here by Jonathan Evison (Review)

I got two packages from Algonquin this week. I haven't heard of any of these books but maybe there is something interesting here!

Lookalikes 149

There is something I can't get past in the Limelight cover. It appears a country road is morphing into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but I can't dig it. According to the summary it's sort of the opposite (Hollywood fading into the country) but either way I'm not sure I like it. True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet while a lot flatter, has some nice pops of color so it will be my winner today.

 

Thanks to Claire who suggested this lookalike! 

 

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Hardcover vs Paperback 134

Amazon.com:

A new life is just a phone call away!

Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left.

Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago!

Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self?

You know when you just get that urge to run to a bookstore (RIP Borders-can't really do that so easily anymore!) and buy a book because it has this great cover, you might already have the book with a different cover but...everything comes together in this new cover. The picture, the pose, the clothing, the color, the layout, a quote saying an author loved the book like crazy! Basically you NEED IT. I think I want to be the girl in the picture on the paperback and have that phone (doesn't it look more magical than an iphone?) Paperback wins! If I have to nitpick (and I'm nothing if not a nitpicker) I'd say I might have picked a different font for the title but something very similar.

Thanks to Gabrielle who suggested this H vs P!

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

This Week in Books

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (Review)

I haven't read the other two books by this author but people have been raving about them for years I picked them up awhile back.

Lookalikes 148

Neither of these covers are doing much of anything for me but my vote is going to Jane Again for the clean simple design, can't really go wrong with that!

Thanks to Anna who suggested this lookalike!

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Hardcover vs Paperback 133

Amazon.com:

Savannah "Van" Leone has been in love with Peter Clarke since their first day of college. Six years later, Peter is marrying Van's best friend, Janie. Loyal to a fault, Van dons her pumpkin-orange, maid-of- honor gown and stands up for the couple, struggling to hide her true feelings even when she couldn't be more conspicuous. After the wedding, nursing her broken heart with a Rin Tin Tin marathon plus a vodka chaser, Van accidentally orders a German Shepherd puppy over the Internet. When "Joe" turns out to be a hundred-pound beast who only responds to commands in Slovak, Van is at the end of her rope-until she realizes that sometimes life needs to get more complicated before it can get better.

Let me start by saying I absolutely loved this book! Both covers are cute but there is something so cute about the paperback and it speaks a little to how Van got Joe. And the typeface of the title on the paperback has a little more character. 

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Currently Enjoying: Flats

If you noticed, I've been sort of digging flats lately. It might be winter and I might not actually be able to wear these outside just now but I've gone flat crazy, I've always been flat crazy but I've been buying them like crazy lately!  The cool thing about all of these is they are all under $30!

1. Missoni for Target Flats - These flats took me out of my comfort zone of all black flats all the time. I still like a good black flat but it's fun to branch out with color too! 2. American Eagle Alexa Buckle Ankle Flat in Red and Black - I love the look of these with the 3 Mary Jane straps and zip up the back! 3. Mossimo Odell Ruffle Ballet Flats in Mushroom - I love this take on a simple flat with a ruffle! 4. Lower East Side Chelsea Flat in Black Glitter and Gold - This winter I went glitter crazy and it translated into the flats! 5. Mossimo Vilda Smoker Flat in Black - At first I wasn't sure about the style of these flats but I had to have them because of the colors I found them in. I liked them so much I got a black pair too! 6. Brash Blakely Floral Ballet Flat in Blue - I love this color of blue so I had to have them! 7. Lower East Side Alex Side Bow Mary Jane - I've always loved Mary Janes and the little bow on the side was too cute!

Are you flats crazy too? What are you must buys?

This Week In Books

The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae by Stephanie Laurens (Review)

I don't believe I've read a book by this author but I think I have a few.

Lookalikes 147

Definitely a fan of underwater photography. I definitely like the feeling Mara Dyer gives off more than Delirious, though a suit underwater looks pretty sweet!

Thanks to Gail who suggested this lookalike!

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Waiting On Wednesday 102

From I Spy DIY (the author's blog):

 "I Spy DIY Style has 30 new projects inspired by celebrity, runway and vintage looks with projects and tips from some amazing fashion insiders including Rachel Roy, Rebecca Minkoff, Erin Fetherston, Gretchen Jones, InStyle's Fashion Directors, stylists and DIY bloggers."

Released April 17th! 

I've been reading the author's blog often in the last year. She's really fabulous and has a great sense of style and how to incorporate DIY into it. I was disappointed to find out she didn't have a book at that time but now she does! When I found out I ran right home and pre-ordered it!

What can't you wait for to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Hardcover vs Paperback 132

Amazon.com:

Half-sisters Cassie and Peck could not be more different. Cassie is a newly divorced journalist with her feet firmly planted on the ground; Peck is a vintage-obsessed actress with her head in the clouds. In fact, the only thing they seem to have in common is their inheritance of Fool's House, a rundown cottage left to them by their beloved Aunt Lydia. But Cassie and Peck can't afford the house, and they can't agree on anything, much less what to do with the place. Plus, along with the house, they've inherited an artist-in-residence and self-proclaimed genius named Biggsy who seems to bring suspiciously bad luck wherever he goes. As these two likable sisters try to understand their aunt's puzzling instructions to "seek a thing of utmost value" from within the house, they're both distracted by romantic entanglements with men from their pasts. The Summer We Read Gatsby, set in the end-of-an-era summer of 2008, is filled with fabulous parties, eccentric characters, and insider society details that showcase Ganek's pitch-perfect sense of style and wit.

Neither of these covers really seem to capture what I see when I read the summary for the book. I guess I like the hardcover a bit more because it is reminiscent of The Great Gatsby's parties!

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Currently Enjoying

1. ElectroPop Collection from China Glaze - I'm a sucker for pastel and bright nail polish and that's exactly what this collection is. 2. Cool Lemon Ice Cubes from Ice Breakers - I don't think I've ever had lemon gum. Yum. It doesn't last that long but while it does it's tasty! 3. Oh Lola! by Marc Jacobs - This has been my favorite perfume since I bought it a few months ago, can't get enough of it! 4. Baby Lips from Maybelline - I love the packaging, scent and feel of these. They just make me smile when I pull them out of my bag! 5. In Style Magazine - InStyle has quickly become my favorite of the fashion magazines a lot of great features and fun columns. <3 6. Mossimo Vilda Flats in Turquoise and Pink from Target - I just discovered these yesterday and had to have them in both of these colors. The Turquoise are only online and the pink are in stores only.  7. Blue/Teal Mini Skeins from Candy Skein - Yarn + little skeins + my favorite colors = happiness. These are so cute they are already sold out but check back in March for a whole new batch. Great for the Beekeeper's Quilt! 8. FaceOff on SyFy - I saw a commercial for this show and thought I would check it out. I have tons of respect for all art forms so I thought it might be interesting even though I don't really watch the types of programs these makeups would be done for. Turns out I LOVED THIS SHOW. I can't get enough of it! 9. 24 Hour Color Tattoo from Maybelline - I like cream eyeshadows and kind of went crazy when these came out and I heard how good they were. <3

What are you currently enjoying?

** I bought all of these products myself!

Nails: Half Moon Manicure

Orly Luxe (Gold) + China Glaze Dance Baby from the new ElectroPop collection (Pink)

I've really gotten back into nail polish in the last year. Thought it might be fun to share some pictures of my nails, which I paint every Sunday. Hope you enjoy. :) Here's a tutorial if you are interested in trying it!

Lookalikes 146

I love the eye contact of this portrait. And I like how playful and sweet the cover of Ondine is. But on the other hand I like the sepia look of The Coven's Daughter. I think they both take the photo and use it in an interesting way.

Thanks to Ashley who suggested this lookalike!

Have you spotted a Lookalike you would like to contribute? Send me an email!

Hardcover vs Paperback 131

Amazon.com:

They're here for a higher education . . . and you won't believe how far they'll go. Dexter College is a small liberal arts college in the quiet town of Home, Maine. But it won't stay quiet for long with this group of freshmen. There's Shipley--blonde and beautiful, the object of envy and more than a little lust. Determined to assert herself and to shed her good-girl image, she buys cigarettes and condoms, because that's what every self-respecting college girl does. Her edgy roommate, Eliza, came to Dexter to get noticed, and she has the attitude and the mouth to prove it. Then there's Tom. Handsome, privileged, used to getting his own way, he's a jock-turned-artist who thinks his paintings will change the world. Sensitive Nick, Tom's wake-and-bake pot-smoking roommate, wants to follow in the footsteps of his boarding-school hero. And then there are brother and sister Adam and Tragedy Gatz. The freckle-faced farm boy lives at home with his parents and his little sister, who does all she can to stop him from being a wuss. As Shipley, Eliza, Tom, Nick, and Adam find out, that first year of college is more than credits and cramming. Between the lust and the love, the secrecy and the scandal, they'll all receive an unexpected education. It's a time of shifting alliances, unrequited crushes, and coming of age. Find Yourself is Dexter's motto. And they are determined to do just that.

Anyone have any thoughts about why the title was changed? I'm always curious about that. I like both covers but find Cum Laude a little more interesting.

Have you spotted a Hardcover vs. Paperback you would like to contribute? Send me an email!