Last weekend marked the first day of Spring, however, I don't know about where you are, but it's still pretty cold where I am so I thought I could provide some of my own kind of "sunny" cheer by spreading the word on some great book giveaways across the Net. Previous response on the Fab Friday Freebies post was so well received, I thought I’d continue in the spirit of sharing a good book with everyone.
See below for some of the giveaways I scoped out this week! and Pass it On to a friend!
Enjoy and Good Luck!
So Much Closer by Susan Colasanti
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...
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Provided by Goodreads; 1 Copy; Ends March 25, 2011 – TONIGHT!
Lip Gloss & Literature’s Classic Chick Lit International Giveaway -
YOU CHOOSE FROM ONE (1)OF FIVE (5):
Angels by Marian Keyes
Maggie has always been the white sheep of the Walsh family. Unlike her comically dysfunctional sisters, Rachel (heroine of
Rachel's Holiday) and Claire (heroine of
Watermelon), she married a decent man who adored her and found herself a solid career. Where Rachel was reckless and Claire dramatic, Maggie settled early for safety. Or so she believed until she discovers that her husband is having an affair and her boss is going to fire her. Suddenly, her perfectly organized life has become a perfect mess.
Devastated, she decides the only thing to do is to run for the shelter of her best friend, Emily, who lives in
Los Angeles. There, with the help of sunshine and long days at the beach, she will lick her wounds and decide where life will take her next.But from the moment she lands in the City of
Angels, things are not quite what she expected. Overnight, she's mixing with movie stars, even pitching film scripts to studios. Most unexpectedly of all, she finds that just because her marriage is over, it doesn't mean her life is. In the end neither the City of
Angels nor Maggie Walsh will ever be the same again.
Released May 31, 2004
Provided by Lip Gloss & Literature; Choose 1 of 5 Books; Ends March 27, 2011
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
In
Summer Sisters, her third novel for adults, the author again explores the ramifications of love--and lust--on two friends. Initially, the differences between Caitlin Somers and Victoria Leonard (or "Vix," as Caitlin christens her) draw them together: privileged Caitlin is wild and outspoken, beautiful but emotionally fragile, while working-class Vix is shy, reserved, and plain in comparison. After Caitlin selects Vix to accompany her to her father's home in
Martha's Vineyard for the summer, the two become inextricably connected as "summer sisters."
On the Vineyard, Vix and Caitlin first find love, then sex--and lots of it. Yet Blume soon moves beyond hot fun in the summer sun, tracing the romantic and familial travails of the two from pre-adolescence to adulthood. Solid Vix evolves into
Victoria, an equally solid, Harvard-educated,
Manhattan public-relations exec. Unpredictable Caitlin opts out of college and travels to
Europe, where she has a string of short-lived affairs with a series of intriguing (in every sense of the word) foreigners. It is only after she returns to the Vineyard that Caitlin does the unthinkable, forever changing both her friendship with Vix and their lives. Blume once again proves herself a master of the female psyche, and
Summer Sisters is likely to entertain both her postadolescent and more mature readers.
Released July 25, 2006
Provided by Lip Gloss & Literature; Choose 1 of 5 Books; Ends March 27, 2011
4 Blondes by Candace Bushnell
Candace Bushnell made her reputation as the creator of the HBO special
Sex and the City, based on her book of the same name (based in turn on her eros-intensive
New York Observer column). In
Four Blondes, she returns with a quartet of novellas on her favorite subject--the mating habits of wealthy sex-, status-, and media-obsessed New Yorkers. These are people for whom a million or two does not make one rich, and who consider Louis Vuitton and Prada bare necessities. Janey Wilcox, for example, is a former model who each summer chooses a house in the
Hamptons--or, rather, picks up a wealthy man with a pricey rental. With one movie in her past, her "lukewarm celebrity was established and she figured out pretty quickly that it could get her things and keep on getting them, as long as she maintained her standards." Yet even Janey eventually realizes that what she's getting isn't exactly what she wants. Cecelia, on the other hand, has gotten the ultimate prize: a royal husband. Still, she finds herself descending into paranoia as the
Manhattan media circus reports her every flaw. Then there's Winnie Diekes, a high-powered magazine columnist whose marriage flounders as she pushes her unambitious husband to write the book that will make him--and her--famous.
Finally, in the most clearly autobiographical story, a writer gives up on the commitment-impaired men of
New York and goes to
London to find a husband. There she trolls for the typical Englishman--"a guy who had sex with his socks on, possessed a microscopic willy, and came in two minutes." Bushnell is famous for this sort of sexual brashness, and the book is full of her sharp wit, both in and out of the boudoir. She also clearly enjoys her characters and their misadventures, with one exception: the politically correct Winnie, with her distaste for alcohol, night life, and casual sex, inspires an odd sort of authorial contempt. Otherwise, though, Bushnell's ironic takes on the sexual foibles of the rich and famous are mordant, mischievous fun.
Released September 30, 2000
Provided by Lip Gloss & Literature; Choose 1 of 5 Books; Ends March 27, 2011
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
A delightfully dishy novel about the all-time most impossible boss in the history of impossible bosses.
Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job “a million girls would die for.” Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a scared, whimpering child.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA gives a rich and hilarious new meaning to complaints about “The Boss from Hell.” Narrated in Andrea’s smart, refreshingly disarming voice, it traces a deep, dark, devilish view of life at the top only hinted at in gossip columns and over Cosmopolitans at the trendiest cocktail parties. From sending the latest, not-yet-in-stores Harry Potter to Miranda’s children in Paris by private jet, to locating an unnamed antique store where Miranda had at some point admired a vintage dresser, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperature she prefers, Andrea is sorely tested each and every day—and often late into the night with orders barked over the phone. She puts up with it all by keeping her eyes on the prize: a recommendation from Miranda that will get Andrea a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate from the merely unacceptable to the downright outrageous, however, Andrea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.
Released May 30, 2006
Provided by Lip Gloss & Literature; Choose 1 of 5 Books; Ends March 27, 2011
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Rebecca Bloomwood just hit rock bottom. But she's never looked better....
Becky Bloomwood has a fabulous flat in
London's trendiest neighborhood, a troupe of glamorous socialite friends, and a closet brimming with the season's must-haves. The only trouble is that she can't actually afford it—not any of it.
Her job writing at Successful Savings not only bores her to tears, it doesn't pay much at all. And lately Becky's been chased by dismal letters from Visa and the Endwich Bank—letters with large red sums she can't bear to read—and they're getting ever harder to ignore.
She tries cutting back; she even tries making more money. But none of her efforts succeeds. Becky's only consolation is to buy herself something ... just a little something....
Finally a story arises that Becky actually cares about, and her front-page article catalyzes a chain of events that will transform her life—and the lives of those around her—forever.
Sophie Kinsella has brilliantly tapped into our collective consumer conscience to deliver a novel of our times—and a heroine who grows stronger every time she weakens. Becky Bloomwood's hilarious schemes to pay back her debts are as endearing as they are desperate. Her "confessions" are the perfect pick-me-up when life is hanging in the (bank) balance.
Released January 27, 2008
Provided by Lip Gloss & Literature; Choose 1 of 5 Books; Ends March 27, 2011
Princess for Hire (Princess For Hire #1) by Lindsey Leavitt
When an immaculately dressed woman steps out of an iridescent bubble and asks you if you'd like to become a substitute princess, do you a) run b) faint c) say Yes! For Desi Bascomb, who's been longing for a bit of glamour in her
Idaho life, the choice is a definite C--that is, once she can stop pinching herself. As her new agent Meredith explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula "Royal Rouge," she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right? Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don't know? Or when a princess's conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off--and you know she would want you to change his mind? In this hilarious, winning debut, one girl's dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.
Released March 16, 2010
The Frog Prince by Jane Porter
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE FAIRY TALE IS OVER?
Once upon a time, a lovely maiden from Fresno married the man of her dreams. After the honeymoon, she waited for the “happily ever after” part…until her Prince Charming turned out to be a toad. Now Holly Bishop is about to write a new chapter in her life. She moves to San Francisco to become an event planner—only to find she is dealing with a gorgeous fairy godmother for a boss and corporate witches wicked enough to sabotage her future. Not to mention the egomaniacal frogs Holly finds lurking at the bottom of the dating pool. With no one to save her, will Holly slay the dragons herself and stand on her own for the very first time? Will the man behind the mask at her costume ball make her believe in love again? And will she risk giving up her dreams to become the heroine of her own story? Released May 18, 2005
Provided by The Author; 1 Copy; Ends March 30, 2011
The American Heiress: A Novel by Daisy Goodwin
Beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, the wealthiest debutante in
America, is spirited away from the glamour and comfort of her Park Avenue mansion and suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, mistress of
Lulworth Castle, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in
England. As Cora is soon to discover, nothing in this strange new world is quite as it seems. Her handsome new husband is withdrawn and secretive; the English social scene is stuffed with pitfalls and traps; and there are increasingly dangerous forces at work, people who wish she'd never met Ivo in the first place. THE AMERICAN HEIRESS is a dazzling debut novel from Daisy Goodwin, whose brilliant new voice is reminiscent of Henry James, Edith Wharton, and Kate Morton
Release Date: June 21, 2011
100 Copies; Ends March 30, 2011
Helen of Pasadena by Lian Dolan Helen Fairchild is leading a privileged
Pasadena existence: married to a pillar of the community; raising a water polo-playing son destined for the most select high school; volunteering on the most fashionable committees. It only bothers her a tiny bit that she has never quite fit in with the proper crowd, never finished that graduate degree in Classics, and never had that second baby. But the rigid rules of society in
Pasadena appeal to Helen, the daughter of
Oregon fiber artists, even if she’ll never be on the inside.
And then along comes a Rose Parade float, killing her philandering husband and leaving Helen broke, out of her “forever” house and in desperate need of a fresh start.
Enter Patrick O’Neill, excavator of
Troy and wearer of nubby sweaters. A job as his research assistant is the lifeline Helen needs. Ancient mysteries to solve! Charity events to plan! School admissions officers to charm! If only Helen wasn’t so distracted by her incredibly attractive boss, she might be able to pull off this new life.
Helen’s world widens to include a
Hollywood star, a gossip columnist, an old college nemesis, a high-powered Neutron Mom, an unforgiving school headmistress and, of course, the intriguing Patrick O’Neill. While uncovering secrets about ancient
Troy alongside her archaeologist boss, Helen discovers something much more: a new sense of self and a new love.
Released November 1, 2010
Provided by Goodreads; 10 Copies; Ends March 31, 2011
One Set of Books (2) by Kathy Cano-Murillo
Miss Scarlet’s School of Patternless Sewing
Scarlet doesn't do things like other people. Unfortunately, this leads to some misunderstandings, like when her manager at the fabric store mistakes her measuring methods for assault. But while she may not be as wealthy as her siblings, or as respected as her grandmothers-strict seamstresses whose criticism left Scarlet permanently pattern-phobic-she will be soon. She's been offered a position with Johnny "Scissors" Tijeras, the hottest young designer in
New York. To raise money for her move, Scarlet opens an after-hours sewing school in a local record shop, attracting a surprising mix of students. Future freeform garment makers include a high-strung office manager whose marriage counselor thinks she needs to learn to break some rules, and an elderly seamstress with a secret past. But as friendships grow, the lines between teacher and student blur, proving there is no single pattern for happiness-it is always a custom fit.
Released March 8, 2011
Waking Up in the Land of Glitter Struggling domestic-goddess-in-training Ofy is determined to turn heads at this year's International CraftOlympics. To do that, she'll need the help of her best friend, Star. Considering herself a serious artist, Star is hesitant, but finally agrees to help as a way to end her own creative slump. Truthfully she thinks Ofy is a little loca about the whole craft thing - and about her idol: Local TV personality, Crafty Chloe. Star doesn't trust the bottle-blonde, even after she becomes part of their crafting team. As the competition heats up, Star will learn Chloe's dirty little secret, why crafting means so much to Ofy, and that beauty, art, and creativity can take many more forms than a canvas hanging in a gallery.
Released March 1, 2010
Provided by Bookin With Bingo; 1 Copy (2 Books); Ends March 31, 2011 @ 6:00pm
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Filled with stunning parallels to today's world, The Postmistress is a sweeping novel about the loss of innocence of two extraordinary women-and of two countries torn apart by war.
On the eve of the
United States's entrance into World War II in 1940, Iris James, the postmistress of Franklin, a small town on
Cape Cod, does the unthinkable: She doesn't deliver a letter. In
London, American radio gal Frankie Bard is working with Edward R. Murrow, reporting on the Blitz. One night in a bomb shelter, she meets a doctor from Cape Cod with a letter in his pocket, a letter Frankie vows to deliver when she returns from Germany and France, where she is to record the stories of war refugees desperately trying to escape.
The residents of
Franklin think the war can't touch them- but as Frankie's radio broadcasts air, some know that the war is indeed coming. And when Frankie arrives at their doorstep, the two stories collide in a way no one could have foreseen. The Postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury. It is about what happens to love during wartime, when those we cherish leave. And how every story-of love or war-is about looking left when we should have been looking right.
Released February 9, 2010
Provided by the TLC Blog Tour at Life in Review; 1 Copy; Ends March 31, 2011
Faking It by Elisa Lorello
After breaking off her engagement, thirty-something Andi Cutrone yields New England to her ex and flees home to
Long Island. There, she devotes her time to teaching in the writing program at
Brooklyn University and making a fresh start. Then she meets Devin, a male escort whose client list seems to include at least half of the accomplished women she knows. He is handsome, charismatic, and absolutely out of her league, but she can’t deny he has a certain…something. And so Andi makes him a proposition: if he will teach her to be a better lover, she will teach him to be a writer. He agrees, and together they embark upon an intense partnership that proves to be every bit as instructive as it is arousing. For in the midst of lessons in rhetorical theory and foreplay, Andi and Devin delve into deeper questions about truth, beauty, and self, stripping away the emotional walls each has built up. Smart, witty, and introspective, Faking It is an engrossing novel about two people discovering their authentic selves.
Released March 15, 2011
Provided by Book Obsessed; 1 Copy + Flowers; Ends March 31, 2011
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Meet Rachel White, a young attorney living and working in
Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl--until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend Darcy throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancé. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. In her wildest dreams (or worst nightmare?) this is the last thing on earth Rachel could ever have imagined happening. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she had to make a choice. In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness.
Released June 1, 2004
Provided by Reflections of a Bookaholic; 1 Copy; Ends April 9, 2011
Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell (The Carrie Diaries #2)
Meet teenage Carrie Bradshaw as she hits the bright lights, big city of
New York for the very first time! Find out how Carrie transforms from country girl to super-cool fashionista in the second explosive CARRIE DIARIES novel from the globally bestselling author of SEX AND THE CITY. Summer is a magical time in
New York City and Carrie is in love with all of it -- the crazy characters in her neighborhood, the vintage-clothing boutiques, the wild parties and the glamorous man who has swept her off her feet. Best of all, she's finally in a real writing class, taking her first steps toward fulfilling her dream. This sequel to THE CARRIE DIARIES brings surprising revelations as Carrie learns to navigate her way around the Big Apple, going from being a country "sparrow" -- as Samantha Jones dubs her -- to the person she always wanted to be. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to reconcile her past with her future, Carrie realizes that making it in
New York is much more complicated than she ever imagined. With her signature wit and sparkling humor, Candace Bushnell reveals the irresistible story of how Carrie met Samantha and Miranda, and what turned a small-town girl into one of the
New York City's most unforgettable.
Release Date: August 8, 2011
Provided by Goodreads; 10 Copies; Ends: April 16, 2011
I Love the 80s by Megan Crane
Jenna Jenkins was getting married to her long-term boyfriend, Adam, and she was sure her life was all coming together. Until Adam left her for a twenty-three-year-old yoga instructor. To ease the pain, Jenna threw herself into her teenage memories of the late, great Tommy Seer, killed when his car crashed off a bridge in 1987, when she was just twelve, and focusing on the man who has been - and always will be - the true love of her life, however worrying that may seem to her best friend, Aimee. One day, working late, or thinking about Tommy at her office after dark, a freak accident sends Jenna back to 1987. It's a few short months before Tommy will die and Jenna's job is apparently working as his assistant. But Tommy is not the guy she imagined. He's mean and rude and obnoxious. But he is still deliciously good-looking. When Tommy takes her into his confidence, she starts to see the real him beneath the image and finds herself more in love than ever. He suspects someone is trying to kill him - and she knows it won't be long before they succeed. Why is she here? Is she meant to save his life? But how can she without revealing the bizarre, unbelievable truth?
Released March 17, 2011
Provided by Chick Lit is NOT Dead; 5 Copies; Ends April 24, 2011 @ 6:00pm
Born Under a Lucky Moon by Dana Precious
Born Under a Lucky Moon is the tale of two very important (but distant) years in the lives of Jeannie Thompson and her (embarrassing, crazy) colorful family members to whom "things" just seem to happen. From the Great Lakes of Michigan to
Los Angeles and back again, it is a story of surprise marriages, a renegade granny, a sprinkler system cursed by the gods, and myriad other factors Jeannie blames for her full-tilt, out-of-control existence. But it's also about good surprises—like an unexpected proposal that might just open Jeannie's eyes to her real place among the people she loves most in the world . . . the same ones she ran far away from to begin with.
Released February 1, 2011
Provided by A Bookworm’s World; 2 Copies; Ends April 30, 2011 @ 6:00pm
http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/2011/03/giveaway-born-under-lucky-moon-dana.html
*US Only unless noted otherwise. See links for entries and full details.*
FIRST LINES FRIDAY
