The Best Reader:
giveaway

As of tomorrow (January 1st) there are three days left to donate a review to benefit my struggling readers. Despite it being the holiday, many bloggers/readers are staying in to participate in "Reading Into The New Year ". But really, when we say "reading" that could mean twittering (most likely) and reviewing (hopefully). If that's you, please spread the word, maybe even donate a review!

If you'd like to spread the word via Twitter please copy/paste this message:

"Donate a Review for the Holidays! Win DELIRIUM! http://bit.ly/gPEpxI @google"

Or put your own spin on it — as long as you have the url and the @google. Here's why: for every tweet to spread the word you'll be entered in a giveaway of ARCs. You don't have to follow the blog, you don't have to donate a review, just spread the word and you can win one of the following:

• ARC of "Revolution"
• On The Compulsive Reader's Favorite Books of 2010: : Review
• ARC of "I'd Know You Anywhere"
• On Presenting Lenore's Best/Most Memorable Reads of 2010
• ARC of "Russian Winter"
• On Beth Fish Reads Top Reads of the Year: : Review
• ARC of "Girl in Translation"
• Take Me Away's Most Memorable Character: : Review

Well, I survived my last fall semester of my undergraduate career. I surprised myself by being able to maintain all of my school activities and keep this blog running. Most of my inspiration comes from the fact that as of now (yes right now, I have three applications out) potential employers will be reading this blog.

Since August 15th, I have read and reviewed 18 books. And I have hosted TWENTY Guest Reviews that are posted as of right now. I'd like to give a big thanks to the bloggers who have made time out of their crazy schedules to be a Guest Reviewer — you have no idea what it means to me. Thank You!

I have received the following awards: Zombies and Chickens Award, Who Loves You Baby, Let's Be Friends, Zombies and Chickens Award (2), Sharon's Rose Petal Award, BBAW Sheila Award, Who Loves You Baby (2), Proximade Award, and One Lovely Blog Award. Thank you for all of these great awards!

I have hosted the following Giveaways: "Sugar Time, " "Thanksgiving at the Inn ", "Mr. Darcy's Dream, " and "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much. "

I have acquired 36 followers. Thank you — it means the world to me!

I created a Privacy Policy and a Review Policy. I also hosted my first Holiday Campaign for Guest Reviews. To date, I have 72 book reviews posted!

In the past six months I have met so many great people and because of these amazing people I have read some amazing books! Thanks to you all!

PS: Picture is of Pippin on Christmas Day — it's Santa Pippin

From Amazon.com...

"Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit. John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of books. In an attempt to understand him better, journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett plunged herself into the world of book lust and discovered just how dangerous it can be.

Gilkey is an obsessed, unrepentant book thief who has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of rare books from book fairs, stores, and libraries around the country. Ken Sanders is the self-appointed "bibliodick" (book dealer with a penchant for detective work) driven to catch him. Bartlett befriended both outlandish characters and found herself caught in the middle of efforts to recover hidden treasure. With a mixture of suspense, insight, and humor, she has woven this entertaining cat-and-mouse chase into a narrative that not only reveals exactly how Gilkey pulled off his dirtiest crimes, where he stashed the loot, and how Sanders ultimately caught him but also explores the romance of books, the lure to collect them, and the temptation to steal them. Immersing the reader in a rich, wide world of literary obsession, Bartlett looks at the history of book passion, collection, and theft through the ages, to examine the craving that makes some people willing to stop at nothing to possess the books they love."

Today's Quick Giveaway is "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much." I have shamelessly had this book for months and I just have not been able to get into it. I stuck to my review policy and made it 100 pages in, but this book is not for me. I wish I was more interested in the art of book collec

tion and the passion it involves — but I'm not.

So my loss is your gain: I'd like to give this book to a past Guest Reviewer who has participated in my holiday campaign for reviews.

All that you have to do is email me at google [at] gmail [dot] com:
1. Your Name
2. Your Email Address
3. The corresponding number to the review you sent in according to the Mr. Linky (Look at Mr. Linky, find your name/number — that's what I'm looking for).

Oh, and because this was an ARC review book (and I do feel excruciatingly bad about not finishing it) I will be forwarding an email to the winner from Lydia Hirt about the book so that, after posting the review review, the winner can email the link to her so that she does get a review.

After the first person as emailed me — I will update this post and contact the winner and hopefully get the book sent out tomorrow!

UPDATE: I apologize for my email hot mess. Three people contacted me and the first was Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews. Stay tuned for another "Quick Giveaway" early next week!

Monday morning, the day after I spent all that time updating my Mac, I get an email from the Tech Center saying my PC is fixed. Well you can just imagine, I am so excited. I go pick it up, start it, and it works great! EXCEPT, my enter key is missing. MISSING! I make a phone call and they tell me it was missing when I brought it in, but if I'd like, I can bring it back in and they'll see if they can fix it. My initial reaction is this: "You've had my computer for three weeks and it's had a MISSING enter key and you didn't just think, 'hm, maybe we could fix this for her'!" Ok, not a big deal, I'm still breathing. So I continue working on my Mac — I have a paper due Tuesday morning at noon. I'm up until 5am on Tuesday working on it, I go to bed, get up at 8am and continue working on it. Ten minutes before class, I save the document to a flash drive, take said flash drive to my newly fixed PC to print it on my HP printer — and, Oh My Gosh, they deleted WORD from my computer!

It was a rough day.

Anyway, my last final was on Tuesday and I've officially finished my last week of finals (until grad school). Wow. I don't know how I managed it with a broken computer — but I did it. I got home yesterday and am enjoying every minute of it. I plan on getting a lot done during break in regards to catching up on some reading and enjoying my life a little — it was a very rough semester. Below, you will see a massive "To-Do" list in regards to break.

Again, sadly, due to finals week, I didn't get around to reviewing anything for the second week in a row (gasp! gasp!) But, I spent five hours on Saturday listening to "Confessions of a Shopaholic" on my way home to Northern Minnesota and I will finish "The Source of Miracles" tonight (my review is coming up tomorrow). I did post my review policy, please check it out (feedback is appreciated). Plus, I had a quick giveaway of "Mr. Darcy's Dream" that Joanne won!

Gina was this week's Guest Reviewer — donating her review of And Tango Makes Three. Please share some book love and visit her at Book Dragon's Lair. .

My new holiday campaign to collect Guest Reviews has been a great hit — we've acquired 43 reviews! Thanks to everyone who has donated! Campaign ends January 4th and is open to absolutely everyone!

I gained one follower and now have 31 amazing followers. Welcome and Thank you!

Like I mentioned, I am so excited to be home for break. I plan on spending a lot of time reading and doing blog related things to recuperate before next semester. My "To Do" list for blog related things — not just reading:

• Finish "The Source of Miracles"
• Finish listening to "Confessions of a Shopoholic"
• Read "Merry, Merry Ghost"
• Read "Inside Out"
• Read "Elmer, the Christmas Elf"
• Read "Lucifer Rising"
• Read "Comfort Living"
• Read "I Used to Know That"
• Read "Death Beauty"
• Read "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much"
• Read "Some Girls Are"
• Read "The Van Alen Legacy"
  
• Post all the Guest Reviews I've received for My Holiday Book Review Campaign
  

What did you finish this week?

The purpose of this blog is to inform reluctant readers of great literature that will get them passionate about reading.

I accept review copies from authors and publishers and I love to participate in blog tours, host contests and interview authors. As a first year teacher, my time is limited; because of this, I am not able to accept every book offered.

All my reviews are original and honest. I have never been compensated and all of my thoughts are my own.

Types of Genres I enjoy: While Young Adult and Adult literature is my main focus, I do accept and review some middle grade and children's titles. I am partial to fantasy, paranormal, chick-lit, romance, historical fiction, literary fiction, anything that addresses social issues, mysteries and thrillers.

I do not prefer to read a series out of sequence. If you have a review request that is part of a series that I have not read, I will ask that you provide a copy of each of it’s predecessors. This will allow for a more effective review, all reviews of the series will be posted as well.

Genres I don't usually pick up: I normally do not read non-fiction, memoirs/biographies or science-fiction. But, if you feel that a particular book would be beneficial and interesting towards reluctant readers — I'd be willing to consider it. Currently I do not accepting e-books or pdfs for review. I do occasionally accept self-published books.

When I accept a novel to review: It does not guarantee that I will write a review. While I strive to complete each book, if I find myself unable or unwilling to finish it, I will not force myself to read. I truly believe that reading should be enjoyable — if the book I am attempting to read becomes a "chore," I will put it down. I do promise to read 100 pages of each book accepted for review before putting it down. If I do not finish a book, I always pass it on (unless the provider of the review book asks me not to) in, what I call, a "Quick Giveaway." I simply give the book to the first responder with a Guest Review. An example of a Quick Giveaway. If you do not want a book to be passed on, please tell me before hand or I can make no guarantee that it won't be handed off to another reader.

While I try to only accept review books I think I will like, I cannot guarantee that the review will be positive, but it will be fair. I don't take pleasure in negating someone's work, but my reviews will be my honest opinion. My reviews include a synopsis of the novel (generally provided by Amazon or the publisher's website) and my personal thoughts about the book.
How long will it take for a review: I try to read the review titles that I receive in a timely manner but I do have time constraints. If the book is an ARC, I will try to review the book in the month surrounding its release date, in most cases before the book is released or shortly after. If the book is already released then it may take me anywhere from 2-4 months to read and review it.

Note of Clarification: Review if I do not plan on keeping the book in my classroom. If this is not something you want, please tell me before hand — just in case. Also, I love hosting giveaways or Author Interviews — if this is something you'd be interested in, please let me know.

Traffic Details: According to Google Analytics, I receive about 200 visitors a day and generally have 10 to 15 comments a day. This blog is not particularly meant to generate huge amounts of outside traffic. This blog is meant to introduce reluctant young readers to different novels. During the school year my students visit this blog daily and will contribute to the reviews listed. My students will use this blog as a reference when looking for a "good book to read for fun."

If you're interested in knowing a bit more about me — please visit my About Me page.

Disclosure: All of the books I receive for review are provided by the publisher or the author. I do not expect, accept, or receive monetary compensation for my reviews.

Wow, it has been FOREVER since I've done a quick giveaway!

I see all these book bloggers with tons and tons of books sitting around — and there's nothing wrong with that. But that's just not me. When I'm done reading a book I don't like to have it sit around and take up space — I love passing along books (especially books I know that I'm not going to read again).

The book "up for grabs" this time is "Mr. Darcy's Dream" by Elizabeth Aston. If you'd be interested in receiving "Mr. Darcy's Dream" all you have to do is email me at missremmeres [at] gmail [dot] com with your address AND a review of your favorite book for me to put up as a Guest Review. The first person to do this wins — simple as that. The review can be one that you've used at your own blog — simply copied and pasted. Once I get an email, I'll comment on this post who will receive "Mr. Darcy's Dream".

Something added to this "Quick Giveaway" — because of my new campaign for Guest Reviews, please make sure that you also sign Mr. Linky in order to be eligible. Please make sure that the review you send me isn't on the Mr. Linky — if someone has already given me a review of the book it won't count (but there will still be a link to your review).

The winner is Joanne!

Winners of "Thanksgiving at the Inn" are Esme from Chocolate and Croissants and Sheila from One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. I will email you with in the next couple hours — but if you want to beat me too it, feel free to send your addresses!:)

I very much hope you enjoy this wonderful Thanksgiving book. There aren't that many books out there devoted to this unsung Holiday.

To those who did not win but are interested — please purchase the book. Amazon has it for under $15 (prior to shipping and handling). It is a great book, check out my sneak preview. Highly recommended.

Thanks for all who participated and thanks to Bancroft Press for providing me with THREE copies — two to giveaway and one for my classroom. I very much appreciate it. Thank you!

I'm finally beginning to make some progress (right before finals, ironic?).

It is your LAST CHANCE to win "Thanksgiving at the Inn." This is is the perfect book to read before the Holiday. I loved it! The deadline is TONIGHT at MIDNIGHT!

This week I reviewed Lighting Their Fires — it's an absolutely phenomenal book and I highly recommend it. Okay — so maybe I didn't accomplish as much as I thought, but I am halfway through "Prince Harming!"I am also taking part in an awesome Thanksgiving Challenge. So if you've noticed a "What I am Thankful for... " introduction before my posts — that's why. I highly suggest everyone trying this, it does get harder as you go on. But I think a valid point is raised, what if you wake up one morning and what you weren't thankful for yesterday isn't there today? Crazy! So today, I am thankful for my love of literature. Without it — I'm not sure who I'd be.

Leslie was also this week's Guest Reviewer — donating her review of Bloodroot. Please share some book love and visit her at That Chick That Reads. This is her second week in a row! Thank you Leslie for your amazing support.

I gained two followers and now have 32 amazing followers.:)

Crazy enough, I don't have anything DUE this coming week. I have a few final papers to begin working on that will be due during Finals week, but I can put those off a LITTLE bit more.:) One paper is a linguistics paper — my chosen topic is the Northern Minnesota Dialect. My senior thesis paper (that must coincide somehow with Milton's "Paradise Lost") is going to be about how J.K. Rowling makes 'good' attractive. If you've read "Paradise Lost," you're aware of how Milton struggles to make Christ/good seem appealing. So I'm going to parallel "Paradise Lost" with the Harry Potter series. Then, for my actual Harry Potter class, I'm going to do a character analysis of Draco Malfoy. Thesis is TBA. On Wednesday I take my Exit Exam — not too excited about that. Wish me luck! Where was I going with that mini-rant — oh yea, because I don't have anything immediate to do, I hope to spend a lot of time reading, visiting blogs, and working on my own.

Tomorrow I will announce the winner's of "Thanksgiving at the Inn" and by the end of the week I hope to have TWO reviews up!

On going bit of fun: Register to win a Kindle!

(Again, for the third week in a row...) Also, each week I'm going to start making a "To Do" list for blog related things — not just reading. It's soon to be the time of year when I'll be sending the HTML address for Miss Remmers' Review out to prospective school districts and I want to make sure it is "spot on". if you have any ideas as to how to make this blog more awesome — please let me know.

• Rewrite/hone my Guest Reviewer 's post.
• Rewrite/hone my Mission post.
• Update Layout
  
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "A Circle of Souls "
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "A Vengeful Spirit "
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "Audrey, Wait "
  

Happy Sunday everyone!

What did you finish this week?

Today I am Thankful for the education I am receiving. Although, having yesterday off was amazing! The Thanksgiving Challenge.

**********************
Just a reminder that my contest for "Thanksgiving at the Inn" closes this Sunday (November 15th). You have an extremely good chance of winning as there is one person (so far) to have signed up. I am giving away TWO hardcover NEW copies! To sign up — go here!

Check out my sneak peek review too!

Like last week, this week I've accomplished next to nothing in regards to the blog. I have, however, somehow stayed one step ahead of homework. It was a crazy week at school; I had TWO Harry Potter papers due on Monday, THREE presentations on Tuesday, ONE LARGE (12 pages) Harry Potter paper due on Wednesday, a presentation and a test on Thursday, and Friday I left for the Cities to attend "Beauty and the Beast" with my mom. I ended up starting that large HP paper on Tuesday night at 8pm and SOMEHOW finished by 3am. Like I said, "one step ahead".

I am still hosting a contest — "Thanksgiving at the Inn" is the perfect book to come out of the Halloween season with. I loved it! AND I decided to extend the deadline until November 15th! I am slightly disappointed that more people aren't interested in it — only one so far! And I have TWO copies to giveaway! Pity... (hint hint).

This week I reviewed a grammar book, posted my October Wrap Up post, photos of my bookshelf, and a Halloween Recap post.

Leslie was also this week's Guest Reviewer — donating her review of Perfect Chemistry. Please share some book love and visit her at That Chick That Reads.

Still at 30 amazing followers.:)

My goal for this week is to, again, stay ahead of the homework AND focus a bit more on my recreational reading and this blog. Hopefully next week my Sunday Salon will be a bit more exciting.:)

(Again, for the third week in a row...) Also, each week I'm going to start making a "To Do" list for blog related things — not just reading. It's soon to be the time of year when I'll be sending the HTML address for Miss Remmers' Review out to prospective school districts and I want to make sure it is "spot on". if you have any ideas as to how to make this blog more awesome — please let me know.

• Rewrite/hone my Guest Reviewer 's post.
• Rewrite/hone my Mission post.
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "A Circle of Souls "
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "A Vengeful Spirit "
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "Audrey, Wait "
  

Happy Sunday everyone!

What did you finish this week?

Last week was a doozy, I didn't get anything accomplished that I had set out to do. But in my defense, on Monday I woke up with a 104.5 temperature, went to the doctor and tested positive for Influenza A and was suspected to have H1N1. So you can about imagine how fun my week was. I was so delirious I couldn't even spend those days at home with a book! But... now I'm back. I can't promise I'll get a whole lot accomplished this week either though. My professors were pretty lenient when it came to extensions — but now I have last week's homework and this week's homework to do before Monday. Oh boy.

I am still hosting a contest — "Thanksgiving at the Inn" is the perfect book to come out of the Halloween season with. I loved it! AND I decided to extend the deadline until November 15th! I reviewed a GREAT book — really, it is phenomenal -" A Duty to the Dead." And to make the week complete, I received an award from Laura at Laura's Reviews.

Sharon was also this week's Guest Reviewer — donating her review of The Time it Snowed in Puerto Rico. Please share some book love and visit her at Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews.

I have decided to give up "Mr. Darcy's Dream." I just cannot force myself to finish it. I will think about doing another contest or perhaps a quick — someone send me a review and I'll give you the book — type of thing. Stay tuned this week.

Still at 30 amazing followers.:)

My goal for this week is to get 100% better and do my homework — sorry guys, this week is going to be a bit boring.

(This if from last week — I'll try to do this) Also, each week I'm going to start making a "To Do" list for blog related things — not just reading. It's soon to be the time of year when I'll be sending the HTML address for Miss Remmers' Review out to prospective school districts and I want to make sure it is "spot on". if you have any ideas as to how to make this blog more awesome — please let me know.

• Rewrite/hone my Guest Reviewer 's post.
• Rewrite/hone my Mission post.
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "A Circle of Souls "
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "A Vengeful Spirit "
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "Audrey, Wait "
  

Don't forget about my awesome giveaway!

Happy Sunday everyone!

What did you finish this week?

The winner of the Amazon gift card is Michelle from Book Briefs! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and participated (I loved hearing your great Halloween costume ideas). Because of this giveaway I have discovered some great book blogs and Book Briefs is one of them! She's also hosting a very fun My Bookworm Santa for the holiday season — so if you're looking for a new Book Swap — check it out!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic November 1st and those of you who are participating in the NaNoWriMo are motivated to take that scary first step of actually starting.:)

From TowerBooks...

"England, 1916." Independent-minded Bess Crawford's upbringing is far different from that of the usual upper-middle-class British gentlewoman. Growing up in India, she learned the importance of responsibility, honor, and duty from her officer father. At the outbreak of World War I, she followed in his footsteps and volunteered for the nursing corps, serving from the battlefields of France to the doomed hospital ship "Britannic."
On one voyage, Bess grows fond of the young, gravely wounded Lieutenant Arthur Graham. Something rests heavily on his conscience, and to give him a little peace as he dies, she promises to deliver a message to his brother. It is some months before she can carry out this duty, and when she's next in England, she herself is recovering from a wound. When Bess arrives at the Graham house in Kent, Jonathan Graham listens to his brother's last wishes with surprising indifference. Neither his mother nor his brother Timothy seems to think it has any significance. Unsettled by this, Bess is about to take her leave when sudden tragedy envelops her. She quickly discovers that fulfilling this duty to the dead has thrust her into a maelstrom of intrigue and murder that will endanger her own life and test her courage as not even war has."

"A Duty to the Dead" is an absolutely phenomenal book. I finished it in a week, which many would think is no small task, but really, for a college senior — that's saying something.

The plot is riveting and exciting — incomparable to anything I've ever read. Characterization and plot were flawless in this first Bess Crawford Mystery. I immediately felt for and related to Bess Crawford after the first chapter. I was drawn into the story on the first page. I just had to find out what Arthur Graham's message meant. The message is so entirely simple and seemingly uncomplicated — but it amasses to a deeply rooted conspiracy surrounded by lies.

This past week I have been charged in creating an entire year's curriculum map and a lesson plan (two separate classes) — I chose to do eleventh grade American Literature for the map and because I'm lazy and I don't like reinventing the wheel, for the lesson plan I did "The Examination of Sarah Good." I then, for another class, was assigned to create a webquest (more to come on that later) and I chose to continue my lesson on Sarah Good and the Salem Witchcraft Trials. Because I spent so much of my week reading about the Trials, I couldn't help but compare this book and its message to that of the Salem Witchcraft Trials. So much pain and hurt as a result of foolish little children. I don't want to say too much — and I don't think I have — but I had better stop here.

While the ending came quick, I wouldn't have had it any other way — it just worked. This book is absolutely wonderful. I feel so very lucky to have received this book from Goodreads as a First Reads Winner. I will definitely be looking for more of Bess Crawford.

Because I so much enjoyed this book I will not be offering it up for giveaway. I will definitely be taking this book to my classroom next year. I may have to purchase another copy so that when my students inevitatably read it to pieces, I'm not left without. Anyone could enjoy this novel — adults and advanced young adult readers. There's no sex, no massive swearing, and enough blood to keep high school boys interested — a perfect book for a young teacher looking for books to give her students (especially males!).

Favorite Quotes:

• "Truth is a very illusive thing." "I'm not sure that truth exists. Perhaps we only think it does. But in reality it's only what you believe" (202).
• "You were ever taking pity on the halt and the lame and the lost" (259).
• "That was what hurt the most. That I would have been drawn into the conspiracy of silence, unwittingly and therefore unwillingly" (326).

Wow — I'm slowly but surely getting back on track to being a better blogger. Check out my last Sunday Salon.

This week I put up my very first ever book trailer — I am extremely proud of it. I am hosting another contest — make sure to check it out, "Thanksgiving at the Inn" is the perfect book to come out of the Halloween season with. I loved it! I reviewed a GREAT book — really, it is phenomenal -"The First Thirty Seconds." And to make the week complete, I received an award from Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

Speaking of Sheila, she was also this week's Guest Reviewer — donating her review of Dreaming Anastasia. Please share some book love and visit her at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

I still have not touched "Mr. Darcy's Dream," I may have to give up on it. There's no point in reading a book that I don't find compelling or interesting. But I'll give it one more day. Last Sunday I started "A Duty to the Dead" and I finished it yesterday, GREAT book. I would have finished it earlier if I didn't have this whole school thing to devote myself too. This week I want to either finish or give up "Mr. Darcy's Dream" and start another book — TBA.

Still at 30 amazing followers.:)

This week I have a lot fun things planned! On Monday check back to see a book trailer that I created for an education class. I have never done anything like this before so it took me a lot of time and I'm very proud of it! On Tuesday look for a contest! Ohhh exciting!

My goal for this week is to finish "A Duty to the Dead" and "Mr. Darcy's Dream".

Also, each week I'm going to start making a "To Do" list for blog related things — not just reading. It's soon to be the time of year when I'll be sending the HTML address for Miss Remmers' Review out to prospective school districts and I want to make sure it is "spot on". if you have any ideas as to how to make this blog more awesome — please let me know.

• Rewrite/hone my Guest Reviewer 's post.
• Rewrite/hone my Mission post.
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "A Circle of Souls "
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "A Vengeful Spirit "
• Proofread/Professionalize Review: "Audrey, Wait "
  

I found out this week that a new professor (the one teaching the Harry Potter course) is planning a Harry Potter trip to England for this Spring break. I really want to go, but I'll be student teaching.: ( So to make myself feel better I am determined to remind myself that if i do go abroad I don't want to only see Harry Potter things — I want to Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Chaucer things (among others). I know — it's a sad substitution, still.

This weekend I participated in the Haunted Forest as a guide. I walked over 24 miles and lost three pounds (also sad). But overall, I just love it. I love Halloween and I wish that I would have planned further ahead and had fun Halloween reviews — but I didn't have time this year. Hopefully next year I'll be more on the ball. What am I going to be for Halloween you ask. Oh, I have no idea. I really want to go as Little Red Riding Hood (here in the midwest we have to plan our costumes around the weather, and a hood would be nice next weekend). But I've yet to find the costume — not that I've gone out looking yet.

Whew — this was a long post. I miss you all! Don't forget about my awesome giveaway!

Happy Sunday everyone!

What did you finish this week?

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
Today I am participating in the Spooktacular giveaway hop. Halloween is my favorite holiday so I'm super excited that it's only a week away! The hop runs from October 24th through the 31st. The winner will be announced on Tuesday (11/1/11). The winner will receive (by email) a $15 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.

To win, simply comment:

• with your name
• email
• your favorite or most unique Halloween costume idea

Disclaimer: You do NOT have to be a follower to enter. Relax. Everything will be alright.:)

Welcome back for the second part of my contribution to the Harry Potter Extravaganza! Tomorrow the tour continues: full tour details here at Bibliophic Book Blog.

Yesterday I told the HP song Dan wrote to impress me. Today, I'll be giving away hard cover copies of "The Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Deathly Hallows." I'll also be including a CD copy of "The Harry Potter Romance." Simply because I'm proud of my man.:)

All you need to do is fill out the form below and include a link to a review (your own) to be used as a Guest Review. Please review my Contest Policy. Giveaway will end next Friday, October 29th.

Welcome to the Harry Potter Extravaganza! If you’ve been following along, I hope you’ve been having fun. If you’re new to the tour, welcome! Check out the full tour details here at Bibliophic Book Blog.

While I'm a few years older than the HP crew, I feel like I've grown up with them. I started reading the HP novels right after the "Prisoner of Azkaban" was released and the craze had already started. I don't really remember a time of my life before HP existed. Like any HP fan, I've read the books, I own the books, I've waited in line for the movies, I've bought the movies, and I even took a Harry Potter class last year in college (although it was absolutely horrific — that's another story completely). But there is one way Harry Potter aspect of my life that I think few people share.

Right after we met (MONTHS before we started dating), my now fiance wrote a Harry Potter song for me. I had just started dating someone when Dan asked me out, so it was actually very awkward. The story, according to Dan, is that in an effort to impress me, he finished writing his first song "The Harry Potter Romance." He had started it years ago but never finished. His friends have told me that he was in a frenzy, that he kept repeating that he had to finish this so he could "win" me over.

One night he called me and told me he needed my opinion on something; we were still friends and I agreed. He picked me up and played the song. This sounds petty, but I remember being jealous of whoever he wrote the song for. He dropped me off at home, gave me the first copy made (he went to a small studio to make CDs), he signed it, I thanked him for thinking of me, I left, and then we didn't talk for several months.

This summer when we finally reconnected, I was "living" in Northern Minnesota but going on all my travels and he was in Bismarck, ND (about a five hour drive). We met up every weekend and he accompanied me to a few of my many weddings. When we were apart I found myself listening to "The Harry Potter Romance" (often on repeat). I somehow felt closer to him just by hearing his voice on my iPod.

Recently, because of all the HP activities, I told him that I was extremely jealous of whoever he wrote the song for and that for most of the summer I pretended it was for me. He looked at me in astonishment and told me that I didn't have to pretend... that I was the girl he was singing to. It was the most romantic thing ever. On July 4th, he serenaded me in front of a crowd of vacationers, but I had assumed he had just decided that the song was now for me. After doing some detective work (asking his friends), I realized that he DID write it for me!

Now we laugh about it; I tease him that he should write a second song for the wedding (but I don't think it will happen). Regardless, I attribute much my of relationship, and future marriage, to Harry Potter. If he wouldn't have written that song and let me listen, I wouldn't have been jealous and therefore wouldn't have detected a deeper attachment (although it did take me months to realize it).

If you're interested in listening to "The Harry Potter Romance" go to Myspace and search "Piggy's Renditions" and you'll see "Harry Potter Romance."

Tomorrow look for a Harry Potter Giveaway!!

Thanksgiving at the Inn — Tim Whitney

From Amazon.com...

"Ever since his mother left, life has't been easy for Heath Wellington III. Between his father's (Junior's) bouts with alcoholism and literary rejection, and Heath's own wrongful suspension from school, there hasn't been all that much to be thankful for.
But following the tragic death of estranged grandfather Senior, father and son alike stand to inherit a life-changing fortune... with one catch.
Heath and Junior must spend the next three months managing Senior's bed and breakfast, located in the same Massachusetts home Junior has spent the last eight years trying to escape.
Upended from his everyday life and relocated to a town where everyone knew and loved the grandfather he can't even remember, Heath finds an inn full of some of the strangest people he's ever met, such as:
* Winsted, the old, wise Jamaican man who used to lead the prayers in Senior s factory;
* Mrs. Farrel, an elderly woman giving away her late husband's fortune letter by letter;
* Mustang Sally, the muscle-bound, tattooed grease monkey who doubles as a

children's author;
* And Carter, the silent TV news junkie and secret Harvard graduate.
And, at a nearby school is Savannah, Junior's first love, and her adorable, autistic daughter, Tori.
But most of all, there's Junior himself, vinegar to Heath's oil. As Heath adjusts to his new world, what he needs most is to start anew with his father, to understand that Junior, too, is dealing with loss, and to realize that, even in the most tragic of times, there's a lot in life to be thankful for."
In celebration of the coming Thanksgiving Season, I have two hardcover copies of "Thanksgiving at the Inn" to giveaway thanks to Bancroft Press. I know, it's not even Halloween yet. But I'd like to have these books mailed out before the first week of November so that winners can read and review them before Thanksgiving.
We're going to keep this super simple. Promise.

+1 entry for commenting with your email address
+5 entries for emailing me a book review to be used as a Guest Review (please make sure I don't already have a review of the book). Don't know what I'm talking about... check it out.

+3 entries for following
That's it. Good luck! Giveaway closes on November 15th! Only US residents please!

So I'm a month into my final 'real' semester. In the spring I'll be student teaching, so I don't really count that. But anyway, one of the classes that senior education majors are required to take is about technology in the classroom. For my first technology project I decided to create a Wiki (confused? I was too!) and relate it back to a book that my class could potentially read. I decided to use Mary Ann MacAfee's "Frozen Tears" because I can foresee myself actually teaching that book in a sophomore class. But I wanted to share my Wiki with you.

You are all a very important of my life — you constantly remind me that I have a mission, a purpose. When I find myself getting caught up in Memes, ARCs, or giveaways, it the readers of Miss Remmers' Review that remind me of my purpose. Thank you.

I wanted to show you a little of what I have been doing to prepare for the classroom — and I'm pretty proud of this. It's not as intricate as it will be if I use it in the future. But I think it effectively gets my point and my vision across.

Check out my Wiki for "Frozen Tears"!

This week's Guest Review was donated by Bianca from Wicked Good Books. She was the first one to email me a review in order to win the copy of "Sugar Time." I pass around a lot of books via these simple giveaways — so make sure to keep a look out! Check out here original review here.

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"Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughters of a district-court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all-American family — on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that's where their differences begin. For Kaeleigh, she's the misplaced focus of Daddy's love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites — and she is losing. If she has to lose, she will do it on her own terms, so she choose drugs, alcohol, and sex. Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept — from each other or anyone else. Pretty soon it's obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, and one sister must step up to save the other, but the question is — who?" (from inside cover)
I was so excited to finally get my hands onIdentical. Having read Ellen Hopkins previous books, I expected nothing but a phenomenal story, and it did not disappoint. The two main characters, Raeanne and Kaeleigh are identical twins, they look exactly alike, but their is no similarity in their personalities. With their mom gone due to the election process and herself as a candidate, they only have their dad. Kaleigh is favored by their father and begins to experience things no one should have to go through; sexual abuse. She works at a retirement home and meets an elderly lady, Greta, who shares her secrets and tries to get her to open up about her dark demon. Ian, her faithful boyfriend also tries to help her. Raeanne is all about sex, alcohol and drugs. Although she knows Kaeleigh secret, she still wants to be love by their father. Throughout the book, we learn of family issues like what happened to their father to make him the man he is. Why they've never met their grandmother, and what happened the day of the car crash, years ago. Towards the end of the book, there is a major twist. I had to reread it a couple times, just to make sure I was comprehending it right! I don't won't to give it away, but I will say this: people are not always who they seem to be.
Favorite character: Ian. That guy remained faithful and stood by Kaeleigh's side through thick and thin. Such a sweet character!
Overall: I think this book deserves 5 stars. For the plot, characters and originality! Ellen Hopkins is a fantastic writer! I can't wait until her next book!

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Thank you so much Bianca for such a great review! I've already added this book to my TBR list and can't wait to read it! Please stop by Wicked Good Books and share some book love! Thank you Bianca!