The Chaperone Giveaway!

Okay, Midnighters, I'm happy to announce a giveaway for a signed, personalized copy of The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty!!! 

From Goodreads:

 A captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922, and the summer that would change them both. Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and an icon for her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita to make it big in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle is a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip. She has no idea what she's in for: Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous blunt bangs and black bob, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will change their lives forever. For Cora, New York holds the promise of discovery that might prove an answer to the question at the center of her being, and even as she does her best to watch over Louise in a strange and bustling city, she embarks on her own mission. And while what she finds isn't what she anticipated, it liberates her in a way she could not have imagined. Over the course of the summer, Cora's eyes are opened to the promise of the twentieth century and a new understanding of the possibilities for being fully alive.

Here's what I thought about The Chaperone.  It was a full on Midnight Read for me. Which is saying something for a book that contains no serial killers, no zombies and no revenge driven ghosts.  The Chaperone is just a great book, I can't wait to discuss it with other bloggers who've read it- it's make a fantastic book club read!

Here's what a lot of  smart people thought about The Chaperone:

• "It's impossible not to be completely drawn in by The Chaperone. Laura Moriarty has delivered the richest and realest possible heroine in Cora Carlisle, a Wichita housewife who has her mind and heart blown wide open, and steps--with uncommon courage--into the fullness of her life. What a beautiful book. I loved every page."--Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife
• "What a charming, mesmerizing, transporting novel! The characters are so fully realized that I felt I was right there alongside them. A beautiful clarity marks both the style and structure of The Chaperone."--Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab's Wife and Adam & Eve
• “The Chaperone is the best kind of historical fiction, transporting you to another time and place, but even more importantly delivering a poignant story about people so real, you'll miss and remember them long after you close the book."--Jenna Blum, author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers
• “THE CHAPERONE is the enthralling story of two women... In this layered and inventive story, Moriarty raises profound questions about family, sexuality, history, and whether it is luck or will - or a combination of the two - that makes for a wonderful life."  -O, the Oprah Magazine
• “A fun romp” –Good Housekeeping

 What You've Got To Do To Win:  

Entering is insanely easy, just comment below with your email address and what you'd like the author to address you as when she signs it.  You don't have to be a follower (although it'd be nice!) . Winner will be picked on May 31st, so don't wait to get your entry in! 

Please take the time to give Laura a Like on her Facebook page!

<--- This is the nice author who will be signing your book whilst she's in New York for BEA- so even if you can't attend you can have a little piece of BEA for yourself!

Sundays In Bed With... #11

Good morning, readers! It's time for my Sundays In Bed With... Meme! 

Is Blogger being temperamental for you too this morning? I hate when Blogger is moody. Thankfully I'm spending this morning in bed with some good books. Okay, I actually really slept in this morning and haven't read much other than some posts on Twitter, BUT here's what I wish I were spending the day in bed reading:

I may have said this a million times, but BEA is now just a week away!!! Well, my leaving for BEA is just a week away. And so the urgent bout of reading is pretty much done with. I would like to get to Why We Broke Up, which was a birthday gift from Kim, and Boy's Life, which Midnyte Reader was so awesome to get signed for me. On the way up I'll be finishing up A Storm of Swords and hopefully I'll get to The Scorpio Races, which Steph got me on my Kindle for my birthday. I'm only taking my Kindle and my Nook Color to New York, all books are staying at home! Which is a bit weird because even with ereaders I usually still bring a few paperbacks while on vacation. Hopefully BEA will send me home with lots of awesome reads! So what book or books are you curled up in bed reading this morning? And if you can't be in bed with a book, just let me know which book it would be if you had the time! Even better, take a picture and upload it to your blog. Answer below, or link to this post. Can't wait to see what you're reading!

Nook Color Test Drive

I am trying to see if taking my Nook Color to BEA would give me enough internet access since I'm not bringing my laptop. I will schedule some blog posts during my time in NYC, but I want the option to write a post if there's something I just can't wait to share. Spell check does not seem to work though, so have patience and put those red pens away!

Laughing Out Loud!

Page Babies

Obviously some of you are moms and dads of children, and some of you are moms and dads of fur babies (also known as dogs and cats), but there's the kind of mom and dad we all are.

We are parents of Page Babies.

I believe I have just made this term up (on Facebook today) but maybe not.  If I did then I'm a genius, and if not then at least I'm smart enough to think like a real genius. (Although according to spell check I have some trouble spelling genius... whatever). 

Not all books qualify as Page Babies. 

Page Babies are our favorite books.  The ones we worry about if we lend them out to others to read. 

I started thinking about this when Epic Reads asked if we had rules for lending books out.

And I answered that I usually just chose to loan to people I already trust, but that there are some books I'm less willing to lend.

Thus Page Babies were born.

My friend Katherine wants to borrow my copy of The Night Circus.  This should not be a problem.  I like and trust Katherine, I want everyone in the world to read The Night Circus.  But recently I have come to realize that I'm kind of in love with this book.  And I've honestly considered just buying a second copy to lend to Katherine... that's how attached I am to my Page Baby.

Or like my copy of The Fault in Our Stars.  It's a signed copy.  Granted, it's not a personalized copy, it's just got John Green's signature in it.  But it would be very hard for me to lend that out.  Maybe you could just come over and read it. ;)

There are some Page Babies that I love to buy and give to friends.  Because I want them to have their permanent, forever homes.  My favorite Page Babies to hand out like Cabbage Patch Kids? Odd Thomas, Eyes of the Dragon and The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club.

So am I alone in this?  Do you have Page Babies?  Are there books you are less willing to hand over to a friend then you would your son or daughter? Let me know I'm not crazy (at least for this particular hangup).

Divergent, Insurgent, Somethingrgent.

Divergent
by Veronica Roth
From Goodreads:

 Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

My Thoughts:

As the last blogger in the known universe to read Divergent I shall dispense with a full review.

Here's what you all knew but I now know.

That I was wrong not to have sold the promise of my first born child's soul in order to get a copy of Divergent sooner.

That Four is truly swoon worthy.

And that Veronica Roth is amazing.

That by not reading this book you aren't being anti-bandwagoney, you're just missing out on the awesomeness of Four. And that makes this bookworm sad. :(  Don't make me a sad bookworm.  Read Divergent!

That the name Tobias... is not that sexy.   Sorry, but it's not.  Toby as a nickname is kind of cute, for those under the age of seven or so. 

Did I just lose all my followers named Tobias?

Plus, my friend Kim is amazing for lending me Divergent (which she handed over LIKE she was handing me the promise of her first born child's soul).  Thanks, Kim!

And thanks to our friend, Andrea, for getting the song Like A Virgin, only with Divergent in it's place, looping endlessly in my already overcrowded and weird brain.  It is firmly stuck, and I'm currently drafting a letter to Madonna to just go ahead and change the lyrics already!

Divergent gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Book Cover Rating of:

It's okay, but it didn't make me swoon. I like it better in context with the cover of the second book though. 

And now from the same blogger who brought you that wonderfully insightful review of Divergent that you just read above, comes her equally insightful and quote worthy review of Insurgent! That's right folks, no wait, instant book reviewing gratification coming your way!

Insurgent
by Veronica Roth
From Goodreads:

 One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

My Thoughts:

Four is even hotter, if possible.

The name Tobias has NOT gotten any hotter.  Although I am sure the name is rising in popularity amongst new born babies.  Because it's still the name of an awesome character.

Peter is kind of growing on me.  Like a fungus that isn't helpful for penicillin or anything, but isn't completely toxic either.

Wait, did I just loose a few more followers?

Seriously, I know, he's awful.  But he's kind of like Loki in Avengers.  He shows up and causes a lot of death and destruction... actually, you know, I don't have a good argument here.  I just sort of like Peter now.  Go ahead and judge me.  I can deal with your Candor.  (haha)

The only downside to Insurgent is that I was reading a lot of other books at the same time and there's all these characters to keep straight in my head, but I finally managed to pull it together towards the end and it didn't take away at all from the story.

Tris took me on a roller coaster ride in Insurgent.  One minute I wanted to slap her, and the next I wanted to be her (especially when it came to her time with Four).   But I like that she's not perfect, and I even like that there's parts of her I don't like.  She's no Mary Sue.

Which is a literary term for a perfect character, just so you real life Mary Sues don't stop following me.  Like how Edward Cullen is a Gary Stu, because even his "faults" are kind of a turn on- wait, you only killed really awful humans and drank their blood before becoming a "vegetarian" vampire? How sexy vigilante of you, Ed!  That said, I don't care that Edward Cullen is a Gary Stu, I still think he's hot.

But back to Insurgent:

I like how Tris really struggled with the fall out from her actions in Divergent.  It's nice to see that no matter how strong you are, no matter how right you are to take action to defend yourself, you're still going to have nightmares and guilt over it.  I'd be more concerned if Tris didn't feel horrible.

Tris and Four totally need to STOP NOT TELLING EACH OTHER THEIR SECRET SHIZ.  Seriously, confide, people!  Stop being dark balls of dark secrety thingys.

Did I mention that Four was even hotter in this book?  Because he was.  I'm pretty sure the third book is going to burst into flames once I open it. 

By the way, any guesses on the name of the next book?  I'm going with Convergent. 

Now my main goal of BEA is to convince Veronica Roth to be my new bff and to send me an ARC of the next book so that for once I won't be behind in the series.  Obviously, I won't mention my dislike of the name Tobias to her.  It'll be our little secret, okay?

Insurgent gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Book Cover Rating of:

Now that it's kind of a theme, I'm liking the covers of this series.  I especially dig the green. 

Happy Birthday

That's right, it's this Midnight Book Girl's birthday, and even Google remembered!  The above cake, as I'm sure many of my friends and loved ones would agree, would be a perfect fit for me turning another year older.  

I don't have any birthday plans for today, I'm actually working.  The Hubs and I will probably doing a birthday dinner on Friday.  

And even though I'm a little blah about this birthday (I don't like birthdays where my age ends in a 5 or a 0), bring on the bookish gifts!