Review Draw!

It's time for another draw - this time for dystopian books!

The winner this week is... Aman from Stoney Creek!!

Congratulations, Aman. You've won...

Thanks so much to everyone who's been submitting reviews! I've posted some more on the review blog. 

This week's draw is for City of Ships! Good luck!

Crazy week!

Sorry about the lack of posting this week! It has been a little bit crazy but in a good way!

I have the draw winner from last week's reviews... it is...

Alainna from Terryberry! Alainna has won the mythology pack which is funny considering her review was for a mythology book - Goddess Interrupted! I didn't even plan that, I swear! She has also won another Hammer City Roller Girls pack! Hurrah!

Congratulations, Alainna! I've sent you an e-mail letting you know :)

We still have 4 more prize packs to give away, so keep those reviews coming. I'm going to post a bunch of the fab reviews I've received today!

... and we're back!

Happy 2011, readers! According to the poll, some of you (most of you) weren't sure if you were going to be making New Years Resolutions. Hopefully you've figured it out by now.

I'm pleased to announce that Magdalena has won herself a copy of Delirium, courtesy of our friends at HarperTeen. In a forgetful move surprising absolutely no one, I have forgotten Delirium at home, but will ship it tomorrow to your branch which means it should be there Friday in time for the weekend. Yay!

To the left is the original cover that is on my copy. You can check out the actual cover below. Which do you like better? I don't think either really does much to tell you what the book is about (not that most covers do nowadays) but I think I prefer the cover they picked.

I'm still brainstorming a poll idea... if you want to help me out, leave a comment below with an idea!

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

So this was supposed to be blog hiatus week. I was being good - I didn't even post a Waiting For Wednesday and then new books were added to the catalog and everything went downhill from there.

So let's talk about Delirium by Lauren Oliver. From the first time I heard the premise - in the future there's a cure for love - I was intrigued. Here's the deal: In the future love is the enemy. It's a disease, something to be feared. When you reach 18 you get the cure. Lena can't wait. Her mom was so lovesick that she killed herself and Lena is afraid of going down the same path. Lena has always been the good girl, following the rules and not asking too many questions, but when she meets a mysterious outsider everything she knows is turned on its head. What happens when Lena suddenly finds herself questioning things?

What happens when 95 days before the procedure Lena falls in love?

Some reviewers (looking at you, Publisher's Weekly) have found Oliver's world building lacking. That wasn't the case for me. I thought she did a good job of weaving in nursery rhymes and rules and things that made me feel like this world could and did exist. I found the characters to be believable and Lena's actual character change from good girl to rebel was really well done. The actual romance, since this is a story about love, was really intense and well done too. My only nitpick is that the ending felt too abrupt. Without spoiling you, it ended with a bang and then there wasn't a whole lot of resolution so I wish that had been done a bit better (but you do end up feeling as shocked as the characters).

On the whole, I really liked it and I'm recommending it to you, especially if you like dystopian worlds and especially if you like your love stories intense and slightly out of control.

If you want to read Delirium, I have good news for you. The lovely people at Harper Collins were kind enough to send me a review copy and now that I've read it, I can pass it along. Comment by January 4th with your name, branch, and something awesome and I'll draw a random number for the winner.

Winner!

Congrats to Kelsey at Carlisle who won this week's prize pack!

She won..

Midnighters: Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld
The Declaration by Gemma Malley
2 week Gold Membership to Joslin's
Hunchback Assignments Poster
$5 Gift Certificate to Tim Hortons
5 Comics from Big B Comics
 
Hope you enjoy the books, especially The Declaration which a Hamilton teen reviewed as, "a heartwrenching book that warns us of the consequences of chasing eternal life and trying to use science to beat nature" (Hailey, Ancaster)

Winning Wednesday!

The last giveaway of the summer is upon us! If you'd like a shiny handmade Hunger Games or Maze Runner button, just comment by Monday with your name and branch and I'll hook you up.

They're 1", perfect to throw on a backpack or messenger bag (not that you're getting ready to go back to school... you still have some summer left!)

edit: Sorry guys, I'm all out of these! Thanks for all the interest though! 

Winner!

Congratulations to Maisa at Sherwood library who won this week's prize!

She has won...

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Joslin's T-Shirt
2 week Gold Membership to Joslin's
$5 Gift Certificate to Tim Hortons
5 Comics from Big B Comics

Awesome! The Wicked Lovely series is full of intrigue, romance and suspense. As a Twilight fan, I hope you enjoy it!

Winning Wednesday!

Another Wednesday, another giveaway! Today I have half a dozen Twilight lanyards. They are red and say 'Twilight saga' on them. Pretty cool for keys, badges, secret pass keys, whatever you need to keep close. I also found some more Bree Tanner bookmarks, so if you didn't get in on that last giveaway, I'll send one of those along too.

You know what to do - be in the first six to comment with name & branch by Monday and it's yours.

Two left!

Wow! The Reckoning has been voted off! I'm shocked, you guys!

We have TWO left - Catching Fire and Maze Runner! Which will it be?

You have probably noticed by now that you can't see who's in the lead. Want to know who wins? Come out to the GRAND FINALE party at Terryberry! There will be snacks and more zine making (I had so much fun making zines today that I nearly forgot about the Top Novel!) and button making and gaming and a chance to tell us which book was your favourite of the summer.

You can also win a SIGNED copy of The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong and other cool stuff!

Please RSVP - I need to know how many cupcakes to bake! - by replying to this post, calling Terryberry or e-mailing me (kdrennan(at)hpl.ca). I hope everyone comes out!

Grand Finale Party
Terryberry Library
Monday August 23rd 
4:30pm 
12-18 year olds only (sorry little siblings!)  
Win a signed copy of The Summoning!

Winner!

Congrats to Lexy from Terryberry who won this week's prize pack! She won...

The Titan’s Curse
Percy Jackson T-shirt
2 week Gold membership to Joslin’s
$5 Gift Certificate to Tim Hortons
2 passes to the AGH
5 Comics from Big B Comics

I swear I'm doing them by random number but Terryberry seems to be an especially lucky branch!

Also, the photography workshop that I posted about yesterday at Dundas is full but there is a waiting list so if you're keen, you can still give Dundas a call.

Winning Wednesday!

It's Wednesday which means a giveaway! Today I have a bunch of awesome comics from Big B Comics up on the mountain (click through for their website). They were completely amazing and gave me some comics to give to you guys, some of which went into the weekly draws and some which I have left over. So I've got... lots ranging from adorable Archie to more super hero-y type of stuff. Let's say first ten will get a few.

Comment with name & branch and I'll hook you up.

Winner!

Congrats to Lydia at Terryberry who won this week's prize pack!

She won..

Robert Pattinson: Eternally Yours (the unauthorized biography)
5 class Cardio Kickbox membership package at Joslin’s
$5 Gift Certificate to Tim Hortons
Robert Pattinson poster
2 passes to the AGH
5 Comics from Big B Comics

Dreamy!

Speaking of giveaways, if you want to rock out to the soundtrack for Prophecy of the Sisters, leave a comment here. I still have two to give away!

Winning Wednesday!

It's Wednesday again, which for you means free stuff. Today I have three exclusive soundtracks for Prophecy of the Sisters and its sequel coming out soon Guardian of the Gate. I haven't listened to it so I have no idea what kind of music it is or anything like that but it might be cool, especially if you're a fan of the book.

Comment with your first name and branch by Monday for the freebies. I only have three, so first three early birds catch the soundtrack.

Winner!

Congratulations to Brittney at Terryberry who has won this week's prize pack! She won...

Dark of the Moon: A Dark Guardian Novel
Perfect Chemistry
5 class Cardio Kickbox membership package at Joslin’s
$5 Gift Certificate to Tim Hortons
Wondrous Strange Poster
2 passes to the AGH
5 Comics from Big B Comics

Thanks for all your reviews so far! I've been adding titles to my "to-read" list as I've been reading them. Also since Monday is a holiday, you have one more day to vote for your favourite top novel. I'll be announcing which book we're saying goodbye to on Tuesday August 3rd.

Winning Wednesday!

Every once in a while I acquire some cool stuff - like Bree Tanner bookmarks - which I like to pass along to you guys. Today I've got a Sisters Red (just released last month) exclusive preview booklet which not only is the first chapter of the book but also includes some cool temporary tattoos - pretty images of the sisters, a bird, arrow, etc.

Becca Fitzpatrick, author of Hush, Hush calls it "the best book I've read this year" and Carrie Ryan (Forest of Hands and Teeth) also enjoyed it, saying it was "a captivating blend of sisterly devotion, new love, old secrets, and a vicious enemy that threatens to rip everything apart"

If you're into fractured fairy tales (think Beastly or Ash), this might be a book for you.

Comment with first name and branch by Monday to receive a first chapter (not the whole book, sorry!) exclusive! First twelve are the lucky winners.

Winner! And Loser!

First off, congrats to Rebecca at Ancaster who won last week's prize pack!

She won...

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites

Night Life: A Vamps novel
2 week Gold membership to Joslin’s
Joslin's T-Shirt
$5 Gift Certificate to Tim Hortons
5 Comics from Big B Comics

Secondly... with only 3.9% of the votes, we're saying goodbye to Witch & Wizard by James Patterson. Was it the writing? Characters? Plot? Just not interested in dystopian futuristic stories? (although with the number of votes Catching Fire is getting, I'm guessing that isn't it). If you did like W&W, you'll be happy to hear that a sequel is in the works to be released in October.

We'll be voting off the next book next Monday! Any predictions? Maze Runner didn't have as many votes this time either but judging by your reviews last week, I think that may change...

Winner!

Congrats to Clarissa at Terryberry who has won the week two prize pack!

 She won...

Wicked: A Pretty Little Liars Novel
Looking for Alaska
$10 Gift Certificate to Chapters/Coles
$5 Gift Certificate to Tim Hortons
Vans Warped Tour poster
5 class Cardio Kickbox membership package at Joslin’s
5 Comics from Big B Comics

Looking for Alaska by John Green is one of my very favourite books so I hope she enjoys it! (Of course if she doesn't, that's what the Chapters gift card is for!)

Winner!

Congrats to Maggie at Kennilworth who has won the first weekly prize pack of...

Vampire Diaries Volume 1: The Awakening
Cirque du Freak: Tunnels of Blood
$20 Gift Certificate to HMV
$5 Gift Certificate to Tim Hortons
2 passes to the AGH
5 Comics from Big B Comics
along with some other little goodies like a Twilight lanyard and a Bree Tanner bookmark.

Happy reading!

Also, if you haven't yet left a comment on the Bree Tanner post for a bookmark, please do by Monday - that's when I'll send out all the bookmarks.

Giveaway - Short Second Life of Bree Tanner bookmark

If you're one of the 118 (!!!) people waiting for The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer, you'll be happy to know that the books have been processed and are on their way to you. What better way to celebrate than by marking your spot with a new bookmark! If you comment by 5pm on Friday July 9 with your name and HPL branch, I'll hook you up with a Short Second Life bookmark - they're nice and glossy and shaped like an hour glass. I only have 15 to give out so the first 15 commenters get lucky.

You can pick them up starting Wednesday next week at your specified branch.