Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Book giveaway: Uglies+Pretties or Wintergirls -- winner picks!

It's giveaway time again! The votes are in, and it was pretty close between two of the options. My solution? 2 winners!

Winner #1 gets his/her choice of (1) Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, or (2) Uglies and Pretties by Scott Westerfield. Winner #2 gets the "leftovers." (If you can call anything written by LHA or SW "leftovers" with a straight face!)

Now, for a quick Q&A:
Q: "But Jess," you say. "I want to read Uglies, but I totally already have Wintergirls. What happens if I get second choice, and that first place winner bitch takes Uglies? Can I beat him/her over the head with my Wintergirls?"
A: Violence, while amusing (and a video will certainly be requested), is not necessary. I have other books you can choose from if the dreadful above-scenario happens to you. So enter away!


+



UGLIES SYNOPSIS:

Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that?

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.


My (brief) review:
I didn't love Uglies, but I liked it. A lot. It was a great thrill ride, with a little bit of a love story thrown in for good measure. That said, sci-fi isn't really my thing, so the futuristic society was hard for me to get into at first. I'm also not big on third person, but there were enough interesting things happening to keep me reading. Westerfield knows how to build the suspense and keep you clinging to your seat. While it doesn't make my list of favorites-I-would-read-again-and-again, I'd still recommend it to others.

(I'm not going to post a synopsis of Pretties, because it gives away too much of what happens in Uglies. So if you win them, don't read the back of it until you finish Uglies!)



WINTERGIRLS SYNOPSIS:
Dead girl walking, the boys say in the halls.

Tell us your secret, the girls whisper, one toilet to another.

I am that girl.

I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.

I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friends restless spirit.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.


My (brief) review:
Wintergirls is ... WOW. That's all I can say. The imagery is powerful, the language even more so. LH Anderson knows how to take you inside the mind of a teenage girl struggling with anorexia, and the scary thing is, she keeps you there. If you've never read anything by LH Anderson, this is the book you must read.

HOW TO ENTER:
+1 Leave a comment on this post. If you don't have a blogger profile, be sure to leave an email address, too, or I won't be able to contact you.

+4 if you already follow/subscribe to my blog
+2 for becoming a follower/subscriber to my blog

+2 for posting a link to this contest somewhere on the Internet (sidebar, Myspace, Twitter, etc.)--be sure to leave me a link here if you post one.
+4 for posting an actual blog about this giveaway--leave me the link.

+1 for telling me why you can't wait to read either Uglies/Pretties or Wintergirls.

+1 for letting me know who referred you.
+1 for every person who says you referred them here.

+5 for telling us all about your first kiss, or at least the first one you remember. (If it helps, pretend we're sitting around a campfire and you just picked "truth.")

Open To: US and Canada residents only.

Ends: Friday, September 11, at midnight, central time.

35 comments:

KiraR said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
KiraR said...

(Edit:Forgot my email >.<)

I would like to enter.

+4 I already follow.

+1 I'd really like to read Uglies/Pretties because it seems like something I'd enjoy, judging from the synopsis. Also has great reviews on Amazon.com . The same applies to Wintergirls...so either way I'd be happy!

kirar59[at]yahoo[dot]ca

Anonymous said...

I would love to be entered in your draw. Thanks.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

Anonymous said...

I just became a follower of your blog.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

Anonymous said...

I already subscribe via Google Reader.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to read Pretties because I have already read Uglies.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

Anonymous said...

The first kiss I remember was when I was a young girl and got a quick Christmas kiss from a young man who also happened to be at the dinner party.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

lisa and laura said...

Already read these, so don't enter us, but MAN wasn't Wintergirls incredible? It's the kind of book that makes me want to be a better writer. I enjoyed Uglies and Pretties too, but Wintergirls is just on a level all it's own.

Sarah Wylie said...

+4 I already follow.
+1 This comment.
+2 I linked to this on my blog: sarahwithachance.blogspot.com
+1 I've heard so much about the Uglies series and can't wait to find out for myself why so many people love it.

cpullum said...

Wow this looks like a great read please count me in!
Carla
cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com

Unknown said...

I would love to enter for Uglies!! :)
+1

became a follower +2
sidebar on tv blog +2
I can't wait to read Uglies because I already have Pretties and I can't read it because it's the second book! haha :) +1

Oh my gosh! haha I don't really want to say because it's embarrassing but it involves a library and some books falling +5

Valerie said...

The books sounds pretty good!
KawaiiNeko2008 at aol dot com

donnas said...

Please include me.

+1 - comment
+2 - new follower
+2 - on sidebar: http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/
+1 - Ive read Uglies and now I want to read Pretties and as to Wintergirls, I have read such great things about I want to read it.

bacchus76 at myself dot com

throuthehaze said...

+1 Count me in please

+1 I just read Uglies so now I would love to read Pretties!

+5 My first kiss was with my boyfriend (now ex) at the end of my driveway after our friends dropped us off from hanging out.

throuthehaze at gmail dot com

Mozi Esme said...

Haven't read Uglies yet, so I'll take that one!

janemaritz at yahoo dot com

Alice H said...

+1 Thanks for this great giveaway! I just read Uglies and was dying to read Pretties!
+2 Just became a follower!
+1 I can't wait to read Pretties because Uglies ended on such a cliff hanger!
+1 the blog Brimful Curiosities referred me to your site
+5 my first kiss was pretty awkward cause I was really young, just 13. I was terrified. It was after a piano recital and the boy was 2 years older. Aack! I still remember the feeling of terror.

Thanks! alicedemskehansen at gmail.com

Honey Mommy said...

I love Scott Westerfield! Any of these books would be great!

Honey Mommy said...

I can't wait to read Pretties! I already read Uglies and I would love to find out what happens!

Honey Mommy said...

I was referred by Brimful Curiosities.

Honey Mommy said...

My first kiss wasn't until I was in college:

There was a boy that I was desperately in love with. He was my friend, but nothing else. At the end of the year we were out having fun and being silly. My friend Cari told this boy that he wasn't spontaneous enough. To prove her wrong he just went and kissed me! Too bad I wasn't expecting it, and too bad he kissed her right after that!

Anonymous said...

This is my first visit to your blog. It's wonderful! Please enter me into this giveaway. And tellme how I can subscribe via email.

Many thanks.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Anonymous said...

+1 Please enter me

+2 New follower

+1 I can't wait to read these books because I have heard a lot of great things about them

+5 my first kiss was with my elementary boyfriend I had. We were "together" 3 years. 3rd grade through 6th. And we kissed outside underneath a picnic table at recess time.

lovestoread0708(at)yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Did a blog post:
http://trishasbookshelf.blogspot.com/2009/09/giveaways-of-day-98.html

lovestoread0708(at)yahoo.com

Pam said...

Wow - is all I can say. Both choices sound so intense and relevant.

melacan at hotmail dot com

+1 referred by Trisha's Blog
+1 I've heard so much about Uglies that I think those books would be my choice (also, you get 2 books with that choice!)

melacan at hotmail dot com

Donna said...

I would love for my daughter and her friends to read Pretties.

Donna said...

I am a new follower (1)

Donna said...

I am a new follower (2)

Donna said...

I was referred through the blog Brimful Curiosities.

Ladytink_534 said...

+1 Please enter me in this great giveaway.

+2 Now a follower

+1 I can't wait to re-read Uglies and read Pretties because I remember how much I really loved the first one.

+1 Brimful of Curiousities referral

+5 My first kiss was in kindergarten I believe from a boy named Zachary.

Ladytink_534(at)yahoo(dot)com

melissa @ 1lbr said...

Ooh, excellent! I'm interested in both prizes!

+1 for this most excellent comment :)

+1 I have to admit, I've already read the Uglies series (loved it!) and have Wintergirls on my TBR list, but I am actually a little nervous about reading it! I think it will be eye-opening and also frightening! That makes it a great choice, I think.

+1 referred by Trish at Trish's Book Blog

+5 I don't know if I can tell you "all" about that first kiss, but here's a picture for you: imagine those little dolls with magnetic lips - leaning in to touch lips, but butts sticking out. The only thing I think that touched was our lips :) Awkward, but really, what did I expect?

Jenny N. said...

Nice giveaway. All three books look good.

+1 I can't wait to read Wintergirls because I've read some good reviews on this book and just never went out and got it. Plus the cover art looks so nice.

+1 Heard about this contest from Trisha's Book Blog

+5 My first kiss was in highschool with this guy I liked. We were at a Halloween dance at school and we were in a corner so he leaned over and kissed me.

jen4777[at]hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

please enter me in the giveaway

+1 commented
+2 new follower

+1 I want to read Uglies/Pretties because I've been told its a really good series,plus i like his other series,so I want to check this one out.

+5 first kiss? first day of 1st grade(might have been 2nd), new boy in school,dare..SWAK on the play ground..enough said..lol.

elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

Froggy said...

+1 Leave a comment on this post.

+2 for becoming a follower to my blog

+2 for posting a link to this contest somewhere on the Internet - its in my sidebar under contests
http://froggaritavillesbookcase.blogspot.com

+1 for telling me why you can't wait to read either Uglies/Pretties or Wintergirls.
Wintergirls looks sooo good..I have heard great things about it!

+1 for letting me know who referred you.
Donna

+5 for telling us all about your first kiss, or at least the first one you remember.
Its was with my first boyfriend..nothing exciting about it to tell. LOL

Froggy
froggaria@gmail.com

Yessenia said...

They all sound great! Especially Uglies which I still haven't read.
+1
I can't wait to read Uglies because I know the movie is coming up soon and I'd really love to read the series before then.
+1
robin_titan referred me
+1
Okay my first kiss was when I was about 5 years old lol it was with my neighbor who was also the same age as me. I vaguely remember it but because my parents told me the whole story I remember it better. They told me how it was just adorable and whatever lol I guess it was
+5

y_nia28(a)yahoo(d)com

Paradox said...

+1 Leave a comment on this post. If you don't have a blogger profile, be sure to leave an email address, too, or I won't be able to contact you.

+4 if you already follow/subscribe to my blog

+2 for posting a link to this contest somewhere on the Internet (sidebar, Myspace, Twitter, etc.)--be sure to leave me a link here if you post one. - http://twitter.com/ParadoxRevealed/status/3920312264

+1 for telling me why you can't wait to read either Uglies/Pretties or Wintergirls. - I've read them all, but I only own Pretties. And they're all awesome!!!

+5 for telling us all about your first kiss, or at least the first one you remember. (If it helps, pretend we're sitting around a campfire and you just picked "truth.") - Er... when I was little I would have to kiss relatives and I think I might have attempted to kiss a boy when I was about 6...

paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com