Spooktacular Givaway Hop (US - Ends 10/31)

Hello, everyone! It's time for the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and am excited to celebrate it with some spooky books. Below is the list of 4 books I am giving away. Just enter the Rafflecopter widget after the jump. US only at this time. Sorry, but shipping across seas is cost prohibitive at the moment. Don't forget to visit the other blogs on the hop as well. Thanks and good luck!

Manicure Monday (36): Under The Never Sky

It's Monday which means it's time for another Manicure Monday post. This week I am reading Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. I have been meaning to start this series for ages, and have finally got around to doing it. Let's check out the manicure.

As you can see, I decided to go with a sky theme, trying to recreate the look of the night sky that is in the lettering of the book. On my ring finger and thumb, I did something a little different with a gradient and squiggly lines to mimic the top portion of the book which has these cool tendrils streaking out all over the place. I haven't read too far in the book yet so not sure what those streaky things are, but am hoping to find out soon. 

I used a bunch of colors in this and I don't want to list them all but I will give you a few of the most prominent ones. I used Zoya Megan (grey), Cult Nails Tempest (white), OPI Euros...Eurso (dark blue) and Keancolor Black. The galaxy nails were easy to create. If you look up "galaxy nails" you can find a ton of tutorials. But you just need a makeup sponge and a bit of patience to do them. For the accent nails, I used a makeup sponge for the gradient and a really thin paintbrush to paint the lines. 

Forgot to mention that I used a dotting tool to make the stars. If you don't have one, you can just use a toothpick or the end of a bobby pin. Anything will work really.

What do you guys think of this week's manicure? I am really excited to finally be starting this series. Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a link to any bookish manicures you do, and I will be sure to visit. Have a good week!

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Stacked (76): Library Madness

Happy Sunday, all! I am in a bit of a hurry this morning. I usually try to schedule my Stacked post the night before it goes up but I spent most of yesterday at the LA Teen Book Fest and then passed out from allergy meds after I got home. The book fest went really well and I think the blogger panel went well, too. People actually showed up, which surprised me. I hope to have a more detailed recap of the event soon.

Since I am short on time, no Goodreads links today. I hit up the library twice this week and got a ton of books. They had so many new books that I really want to read and I could not resist.

Borrowed

Shadows by Robin McKinley - I have not read any of Robin's books before but I have a friend who loves her and I wanted to give this one a go.

More Than This by Patrick Ness - No idea what this book is about but the over is really cool and I like Patrick Ness.

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan - This book is by an Aussie author and is written in verse. I never read verse novels but again, this cover is pretty awesome, and Mandee from VeganYA Nerds really liked it.

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan - Another great cover (see - good covers work!). I like Sloan and am looking forward to this one.

The Beginning of Everything by Robin Schneider - I have heard really good things about this book.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters - I have been wanting to read this one and just spotted it at my library. Looks very moody and gothic.

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block- Another one that I have been wanting to read because of the cover. I have not read any book by Block before but this looks interesting and it's short.

Beware a Scot's Revenge by Sabrina Jeffries - Love Jeffries and am always looking for some new historical romance. Does anyone else notice that the romance section at most libraries suck? They just seem so disorganized and usually small. This makes me sad.

Bought & Received

Cursed by SJ Harper - I went to Mysterious Galaxy RB last week and stumbled upon a signing for this book. Never one to turn down an author signing or an urban fantasy book down, I sat in on the signing. I have already read it and really liked it. Story involves Sirens, werewolves and vampires. Fun!

Possession by JR Ward - OMG my awesome friend A managed to get me a copy of this recently. I totally squee-ed since I love Ward and this series. Super excited about this one.

Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick - The lone book I got yesterday at Teen Book Fest. Patricia was at the event and I was really struck by how intelligent and passionate she was. This is the story of a man who survived the genocide in Cambodia and his experiences during that time. It's not the kind of book I usually but, after listening to Patricia, I really want to read it.

That's all I have for you today. As you can see, the library was awesome this week. They really are the best and I encourage you all to visit your local library. I am off now to buy balloons for a birthday party for a 2-year-old. Have a great day, everyone!

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Movie Trailer: I, Frankenstein

I totally forgot about I, Frankenstein until I saw this trailer recently. My friends and I were just talked about how Aaron Eckhart is a good actor who seems to make bad movies. Unfortunately this doesn't look like it's going to be the exception. This is the same team that did Underworld, which I admit that I have a guilty fondness for. This looks like much the same except with Frankenstein and stone gargoyles instead of vampires and werewolves. But I love these types of crazy action movies so I will probably see this at some point.

What do you guys think? Are you ready for Aaron Eckhart as the tortured Frankenstein? I, Frankenstein 

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Uncovered (83): Half Bad

TGIF! I am very excited to start the weekend. This week's cover is Half Bad by Sally Green. I really like this cover because it is simple but still very effective. I really like how the smoke forms the profile of the face. The red makes it look kind of creepy like blood in water. And I like that the text is vertical, which you really don't see too much of. It's a really minimal design but it's striking and unique. The blurb for this book is also pretty intriguing.

In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and fifteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his sixteenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?

In the tradition of Patrick Ness and Markus Zusak, Half Bad is a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive, a story that will grab hold of you and not let go until the very last page.

Don't you want to read it now? Unfortunately this one does not come out until March 2014, so I'll just have to wait until then. Thanks for stopping by today and have a great weekend!

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