Tuesday, May 31, 2011

#NinePaths Third Path

I returned home from my first day back at work after my vacation to a wonderful surprise. The start of the third path in the Nine Paths of Chloe King! While I was expecting some information on the third path I didn't expect it to come to my doorstep!

This is what was inside:


The back of the little slip of paper with symbols on it reads:

"To unmask the ancient Mai script, seek the Bastet in your Book of Mai. A secret waits beneath. Tweet the decoded message using #TheUniter."

I also ended up checking my special email account on my MaiPad and good thing too because that included a new version of the Book of Mai I needed to read to decode the message.

The message read "The Uniter is Chloe King" when I tweeted that I received a tweet back with this image:


Are you playing along with the Nine Paths of Chloe King? You can play along here! And also get your own Circle Charm by typing in the word Circle.

The Nine Paths to Chloe King Free Gift offer (“Offer”) is valid from 5/24/11 at 8:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time ("PDT") to 6/14/11 at 11:59:59 PM PDT or until supplies last, whichever is sooner. Offer open to residents of 50 US & DC, 13 & older who follow a participating blogger in The Nine Paths to Chloe King Blogger/Journalist Program (“Blogger”) at time of redeeming free gift (“Free Gift”). Each 1 of 3 Free Gifts available is tied to a different code word which will be revealed by Blogger at 3 separate times (estimated to be 5/24/11, 6/6/11, and 6/13/11). To redeem a Free Gift (while supplies last), go to ahttp://abcfamily.go.com/shows/nine-lives-chloe-king/nine-paths & enter code. Expect Free Gift within 8–10 weeks from 6/14/11. Limit: 1 Free Gift/person. Void where prohibited.

Monday, May 30, 2011

#NinePaths Second Path

I actually found my way down the Second Path of the the Nine Paths of Chloe King the end of last week but coming down with a cold and traveling home from New York City has prevented me from sharing the conclusions I came to until now.

The second path started with an email, including a set of 3 questions and a photo.

The three questions were:

What is the ancient Egyptian name for this statue?
What very warm and bright star did ancient Egyptians originally connect to this statue?
What city in Egypt contained a "cult" that was dedicated to the Goddess connected to this statue?

And the photo was:


I was instructed to use the Google App on my MaiPad to photograph the image and after about 10 tries it came up with a result that looked rather similar to my photo and I set off on my journey to answer the three questions.

With the help of my BEA roommates and some Twitter pals here are the answers I came up with.

First of all the statue depicted is an ancient Egyptian cat statue. The ancient Egyptian name for it is the Bastet and the very warm and bright star that it was originally connected to in ancient Egypt is the sun! And finally the Egyptian city that contained a "cult" that was dedicated to the Goddess that was connected to the statue was Bubastis.

I was then instructed to type in the three answers (Bastet, Sun, and Bubastis) into a YouTube search and this is the video I found:



Don't forget, you can play along too by visiting this link!  I can't wait to see what the third path will be!

Friday, May 27, 2011

#NinePaths First Path

When I opened the Chloe King box on Tuesday I immediately started on my First Path or task. The notes led me to the MaiPad where I was instructed to open the notepad app.


There I found instructions on how to fold the birth certificate to locate a clue on the First Path.


Folded, the birth certificate reads "'Smila Ukraine Find This on MaiMap now."


I zoomed in on the MaiMap and found Smila and when I clicked it a message popped up saying to complete this path I had to look up to meaning of Smila and email it to the Mai. So I did just that, Smila means brave girl.


Don't forget you can sign up to receive a Circle charm! Visit this link and enter in the password Circle. There is only a limited quantity available.


The Nine Paths to Chloe King Free Gift offer (“Offer”) is valid from 5/24/11 at 8:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time ("PDT") to 6/14/11 at 11:59:59 PM PDT or until supplies last, whichever is sooner. Offer open to residents of 50 US & DC, 13 & older who follow a participating blogger in The Nine Paths to Chloe King Blogger/Journalist Program (“Blogger”) at time of redeeming free gift (“Free Gift”). Each 1 of 3 Free Gifts available is tied to a different code word which will be revealed by Blogger at 3 separate times (estimated to be 5/24/11, 6/6/11, and 6/13/11). To redeem a Free Gift (while supplies last), go to ahttp://abcfamily.go.com/shows/nine-lives-chloe-king/nine-paths & enter code. Expect Free Gift within 8–10 weeks from 6/14/11. Limit: 1 Free Gift/person. Void where prohibited.



NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to persons who are, as of entry, 18 years of age or older, legal residents of, and physically located within, the 50 United States or D.C. and who are bloggers or journalists specifically invited to participate by Sponsor. Starts May 24, 2011 once game boxes are received and ends on June 14, 2011 at 11:59:59 PM PDT. Void where prohibited. Click here for Official Rules Terms and Conditions and complete entry and prize details.

Lookalikes 140

 Consequences of the Heart by Peter Cunningham

FitzOsbornes in Exile by Michlle Cooper

I love this set of lookalikes, how the cropping of the photo can totally change the story that is playing out in the image. In the first cover we see a man kneeling down at the girl's feet which is totally missing in the second cover. Also having that second man in the cover really downplays the other man behind the girl. Is it just me or does the girl's long dress in the first cover make the photo look a little weird, like something is wrong with the proportions (her face is so small compared to that dress!)? While I like the photograph I think because of the weirdness I am getting from the less cropped dress I'm going to pick the second.

Thanks to Yan who suggested this lookalike!

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

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: Nine Paths Game

Last week I received an email from ABC Family inviting me to participate in the Nine Paths to Chloe King game for the new show The Nine Live of Chloe King which premiers on June 14th.

The game started yesterday and I received a mysterious box in the mail. This is the sticker that was on the outside of the box.


When I opened the white shipping box a beautiful wooden box was revealed with symbols on it that I believe are part of the Chloe King world.


Sliding the lid off revealed two compartments within the box, one containing a MaiPad-a customized iPad 2 and a note that said start here and a letter.


Here is a photo of all of the contents including a myterious pink bib.


I will share more about my specific tasks at a later date but for now some information about how you can participate in the world of Chloe King.



Everyone is invited to play along with the Nine Paths game on the ABC Family website, I was told it is similar to what I am playing but I am not sure how it is different. Check out the game here. The first person to win that version of the game can win a set visit!

In my box there was a circle charm pictured below. You can also receive a charm and become a part of the Circle of Strangers, visit this link and enter in the password Circle. There is only a limited quantity available.


The Nine Paths to Chloe King Free Gift offer (“Offer”) is valid from 5/24/11 at 8:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time ("PDT") to 6/14/11 at 11:59:59 PM PDT or until supplies last, whichever is sooner. Offer open to residents of 50 US & DC, 13 & older who follow a participating blogger in The Nine Paths to Chloe King Blogger/Journalist Program (“Blogger”) at time of redeeming free gift (“Free Gift”). Each 1 of 3 Free Gifts available is tied to a different code word which will be revealed by Blogger at 3 separate times (estimated to be 5/24/11, 6/6/11, and 6/13/11). To redeem a Free Gift (while supplies last), go to ahttp://abcfamily.go.com/shows/nine-lives-chloe-king/nine-paths & enter code. Expect Free Gift within 8–10 weeks from 6/14/11. Limit: 1 Free Gift/person. Void where prohibited.


NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to persons who are, as of entry, 18 years of age or older, legal residents of, and physically located within, the 50 United States or D.C. and who are bloggers or journalists specifically invited to participate by Sponsor. Starts May 24, 2011 once game boxes are received and ends on June 14, 2011 at 11:59:59 PM PDT. Void where prohibited. Click here for Official Rules Terms and Conditions and complete entry and prize details.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Hardcover vs Paperback 128

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Hardcover

Paperback


An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival,
The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl—and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape—but he can’t stop society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world. 

Even though I never think I'll read it I've always loved the Hardcover of The Passage, it's beautiful and kind of creepy at the same time.  And they go and make the paperback orange? I really hope that has some kind of significance in the book because use as a design element alone it is really not fun to look at.

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

Sunday, May 22, 2011

This Week in Books


The book highlight of my week was getting to attend a reading and signing of The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen. She's just as sweet in person as you could imagine! If she is stopping near you I would definitely go meet her!

Purchased at Half Price Books:
Knitting Noro by Jane Ellison

Harlequin Ambassadors:
The Billionaire's Unexpected Heir by Kathie DeNosky

Just Showed Up Review Copies:
Here Come the Girls by Milly Johnson
Daughters of Fortune by Tara Hyland
Goddess of Vengeance by Jackie Collins
Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Giveaway: Random Boxes of Books

Hey everyone! I somehow found it within my self to clear out a few books (trust me you can't even see the dent) and I wanted to pass them onto some people here that might enjoy them!

Basically I grabbed the boxes I had and fit as many books as I could into them by category. The 3 boxes are:

Middle Grade arcs (14 books)
Young Adult arcs (10 books)
Harlequin titles (22 books)

I'm also going to ask for your address straight up when entering so I can get them out right away.  I will also email you so you know you have won. I will delete the spreadsheet once I have got the winner's information.

I just know that three of you will make great homes for these books!

Here's how to enter to be one of 3 winners!!

Fill out the
giveaway entry form here. OVER
 

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 specific contest.

The giveaway will end May 16th at 6:59 pm Central Time.


This Week in Books or Two Weeks Worth



When I was getting ready to work on my post last Sunday night I was feeling rather under the weather so I've got two weeks here!

Purchased on Amazon:
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Amigurumi Toy Box by Ana Paula Rimoli
Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James



Just Showed Up Review Copies:
Viola in the Spotlight by Adrian Trigiani
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries Vol 3 the Craving (they are really wishywashy about who the author is of this)
The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book by Jeff Kinney
The Lucky Kind by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Tighter by Adele Griffin
Kiss of Death by Lauren Henderson

Friday, May 13, 2011

Bridesmaids: A Movie Review



**I was hoping to post this in the morning for anyone that was planning to head out and see the movie tonight and wanted some info but as a lot of us known blogger was down. :( **

Remember forever ago when I used to review movies, you know when they were more than a 1 sentence reaction? Well it's finally time for another one of those! Last week I had the exciting opportunity to see a screening of Bridesmaids and boy was it funny!

It was a great balance of everything in love in a funny movie! Tons of laugh out loud moments and I mean tons but also a good amount of heart. It's definitely not a chick flick, daring to go to a few OMG they did not go there places having me practically in tears from laughter. But it also explores friendships between women and how they can change due to any number of factors.

Some of my favorite moments include a plane and a cameo by Melissa McCarthy's husband, a chocolate fountain, lip syncing and 2 British siblings. I definitely can't wait to watch this movie again!


First let's talk about the cast, so so many wonderful actresses and a few wonderful actors as well. 

The movie stars Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live) as Annie who also co-wrote the movie as the best friend and Maid of Honor of Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live, Away We Go) as Lillian the bride, and Rose Byrne (Damages) who I always thought more as a dramatic actress as Helen the very put together new friend of Lillian. The cast of bridesmaids is rounded out by Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls) like you have never seen her before as Megan, Ellie Kemper (The Office) as Becca and Wendi McLendon-Covey (Reno 911) as Rita. So definitely a very talented and hilarious cast.

You'll also see a cameo appearance by Jon Hamm (Mad Men) as Ted who I've always thought should do more comedy, 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live come to mind as HILARIOUS and Chris O'Dowd (The IT Crowd) takes the cake as my favorite male cast member, I love this guy! 

I do wish we would have seen more of Becca and Rita, their storylines were much smaller than the rest of the women. I could not get over Melissa McCarthy and Megan, in a lot of scenes she stole the show.


Some of the funniest scenes were between Annie and Helen, Lillian's two best friends. They are complete opposites, Annie's life has pretty much fallen apart while Helen's cannot be more put together. The tension between them is hilarious, though they have just met for the first time at Lillian's Engagement party it doesn't stop them from going at it from the very start.


Oh man how I adore Chris O'Dowd and I had no idea he was even in this movie! When he came on screen for the first time my friend had to shush me because I was so excited and started chattering.

One super random comment, Kristen Wiig has the best earrings in this movie, did anyone else notice this? So if you go to see the movie I hope you enjoy it and stop back to tell me what you think!


Synopsis:


This spring, producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Superbad) and director Paul Feig (creator of Freaks and Geeks) invite you to experience Bridesmaids. Kristen Wiig leads the cast as Annie, a maid of honor whose life unravels as she leads her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), and a group of colorful bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper) on a wild ride down the road to matrimony.


Annie’s life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian’s maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she’ll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you’ll go for someone you love.


And I have some 2 Bridesmaids Survival Kits to share with 2 of you!


Bridesmaids Survival Kit - Mesh bag filled with:
·         lip balm
·         mints
·         comb/mirror
·         nail files
·         shot glass engagement ring
·         Bridesmaids T-shirt
·         And a copy of the official soundtrack!


Here's how to enter!!

Fill out the
giveaway 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.

The giveaway will end May 27th at 6:59 pm Central Time.

**Prize provided by marketing firm**

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Blog Tour: So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti


Today I'm excited to welcome back Susane Colasanti who's latest book So Much Closer was released on May 3rd. I'm really excited for this book of hers because is it just me or does the premise give a off a bit of a Felicity vibe, my all time favorite show!

Here is the book summary:


When Brooke's crush, Scott, moves from their suburban town to New York City, she decides to follow him there. Living with her formerly estranged dad and adapting to a new school are challenging, and things go from bad to worse when Brooke learns that Scott already has a girlfriend. But as she builds her new life, Brooke begins to discover a side of herself she never knew existed. And as she finds out, in the city that never sleeps, love can appear around any corner... 

During the So Much Closer tour Susane is sharing a bit about some of the places that are featured or mentioned in the book! Take it away Susane!

Greetings, friendly neighbors!  I’m stoked to share some of the inspiration for my fifth book, So Much Closer.

Realistic fiction is my thing.  I like incorporating details inspired by my own experiences to make my books feel as realistic as possible.  So Much Closer takes place in my neighborhood, the West Village. I had lots of fun including my fave New York City places and things in this book.  For my blog tour, we thought it would be fun to share some of them with you.  So here we go!

9.  Strawberry Fields

There’s a place in Central Park where Beatles fans go to remember John Lennon.  They bring guitars.  They sing Beatles songs.  They leave flowers and cards for John on a tile mosaic that says Imagine.  That place is called Strawberry Fields.  And tons of people gather there every single day.

Strawberry Fields is located in a little clearing across from the Dakota, where John Lennon lived.  It’s an intense place where people from all around the city go to worship at the altar of their musical religion.  To honor the memory of John Lennon, I wanted to include a scene at Strawberry Fields in So Much Closer.  I also thought it would be funny for one of the characters to be singing all loudly even though he can’t sing.  Plus, I brought back a character from one of my previous books readers told me they wanted to see more of.  I hope you approve!

This book also has a really great book trailer, it is simple and sweet but definitely leaves you wanting to read the book I think!



Also the Susane Colasanti Sampler has been updated with a excerpt of So Much Closer and a Q & A with Susane. To learn more visit Susane Colasanti's website.

And I also have a giveaway for you today!

Here's how to enter to win a signed finish copy of So Much Closer!

Fill out the giveaway entry form here.


The giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S.

The giveaway will end May 26th at 6:59 pm Central Time.

**Prize provided by the publisher**

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Blog Tour: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Amazon.com:

Beth and Jennifer know their company monitors their office e-mail. But the women still spend all day sending each other messages, gossiping about their coworkers at the newspaper and baring their personal lives like an open book. Jennifer tells Beth everything she can't seem to tell her husband about her anxieties over starting a family. And Beth tells Jennifer everything, period.

When Lincoln applied to be an Internet security officer, he hardly imagined he'd be sifting through other people's inboxes like some sort of electronic Peeping Tom. Lincoln is supposed to turn people in for misusing company e-mail, but he can't quite bring himself to crack down on Beth and Jennifer. He can't help but be entertained-and captivated- by their stories.

But by the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late for him to ever introduce himself. What would he say to her? "Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you." After a series of close encounters and missed connections, Lincoln decides it's time to muster the courage to follow his heart . . . even if he can't see exactly where it's leading him.

Written with whip-smart precision and charm,
Attachments is a strikingly clever and deeply romantic debut about falling in love with the person who makes you feel like the best version of yourself. Even if it's someone you've never met. 
 
It's kind of funny that I originally was attracted to this book because part of it was told through emails. I thought it would be a fun book but it turned out to be one of my all time favorite books, and actually I'm pretty sure my #1 favorite of all time. (I don't joke around with favorites I think I've had maybe 6 in my life?)

Let's talk a little about the plot, so yes, there are those emails I was talking about between 2 friends Jennifer (who is married) and Beth (who has a long term boyfriend). Now we get to read these emails because it is Lincoln's job to monitor the emails at the newspaper they all work at and his portion of the story is told through I guess you would call it narrative? Emails with questionable content for whatever reason (flagged words etc), go to Lincoln and he is supposed to crack down on the offenders. I bet you are thinking "Say what, that's a crazy job!" And while it is, it makes a little more sense because the book takes place in 1999. So after reading a bunch of their emails Lincoln starts to feel weird about contacting them about their conduct but can't seem to stop reading their emails and ends falls for Beth in the process.

Lincoln is sort of lost in his path through life, he's gone to school A LOT, lives with his mother still (he's in his late 20s), is sort of shy and is still really affected by his one major relationship he had in his life. Basically he's a really sweet guy but no one but his small group of friends would know it and at first I don't think we the reader do either. In a lot of ways it kind of creeps me out how much I related to and understand Lincoln. And that's one thing I really loved about this book, of many. 

The way the story evolves just hit all the right notes for me, seeing Lincoln starting to better himself for a woman he doesn't even really know, seeing Beth really decide what to do about her relationship... I really can't put into words how just right and wonderful this book is. It made me laugh, giggle and literally cry tears of joy over the ending of this book. I was so invested in the story. There are some wonderful twists and nuances I'm dying to tell you about but it's so much more fun if you read it yourself!

And oh that ending, talk about perfect, I finally realized, reading the ending, Attachments reminded me a lot of one of my favorite movies Amelie (the plot, the magic, the wonderful ending just so many things). 
 
I read the book about a month ago over about 2 super busy days (every time I was at home I was reading) and whenever I think of it or mention it my heart literally leaps, I know that sounds super cheesy but I mean it. There is no way I can do this book justice so if you are at all intrigued do yourself a favor and check it out! I try not to tell people flat out, read this book, but seriously READ THIS BOOK!
 
Attachments was released on April 14th
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
5/5 Stars
Review copy provided by publisher for blog tour

And luckily enough I have the chance to give one of you a copy of this book!

Here's how to enter to be the winner of the Attachments:

Fill out the giveaway entry form here.

The giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S. and Canada only.

The giveaway will end May 19th at 6:59 pm Central Time.

Entries left in the comments of this blog post will not be counted, please fill out the giveaway entry form.

**Prize provided by the publisher **

Monday, May 02, 2011

Even though Pretty Little Liars is between seasons A is still keeping an eye on me....

I was wondering if I would hear from A anytime soon since Pretty Little Liars isn't airing right now, the summer premiere is June 14th! But she decided to let me know she was still out there! Last Monday I got this package to celebrate Earth Day.

She sent me some black gardening gloves, a shovel and a note that read "Shovels and gloves go together like secrets and lies What will you dig up? Happy Earth Day! -A" and the note was printed on one of those cards that you can plant and it has seeds inside of it which will grow. It says they are annual and perennial wildflower seeds!


There was also a wood shaving with a web address on it, abcfamily.com/PlantingLies


Who else is excited for the summer premiere! And the next book in the series, Twisted which comes out on July 5th and FINALLY has a cover!

This Year in Movies: April

This month I watched 6 movies nothing that really blew me away though....

The Switch- This movie started kind of weird but it ended up being pretty sweet in the end.

Love and Other Drugs- Ok, I felt like I've seen this exact movie sometime in the past, the most unique thing about it was the background of the pharmaceutical industry.

Waiting for Superman- This was my favorite movie this month. Everyone should see this documentary!

How Do You Know- Meh. I think there was something off with the writing here. The actors are usually great in other roles, the plot was all over the place and the dialogue was off.

10 to 11- I got to go to the local International Film Festival this year and I saw two movies. I went a few years ago and was excited to go again this year. I rather liked this movie, it was a quiet sort of humor, interesting.

The Bengali Detective- I saw this documentary at the film festival as well, it was a strange mix between really sad, disturbing and hilarious. I liked it but it ended rather abruptly.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

This Week in Books



Two more just showed up review copies. 


Tempted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Wild by Aprilynne Pike
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