Shoebox Party!

There are two months to collect the boxes of Christmas for the Shoe Boxes . 

Meaning that we're having our annual Shoebox Party!

Last year we were able to close 200 boxes during the party!

This year we want to do a thousand shoe boxes , so we need the most help we can have.

Thanks to the help of many we already have :
1000 backpacks
1000 sunglasses
5000 colored balls ( bouncing balls )
500 coloring books
200 blocks to write
300 pens
570 toothbrushes
And a few miscellaneous items.

We still need :
notebooks
Crayons
Lapis
pen
Pencil sharpener
Toothpaste
soaps
combs
Toys
Fasteners hair
lollipops
bullets
And any item that you guys know that children 2 to 14 years would like to receive.
Just to remind you we can not send:
- Chocolate
- Shampoo , conditioner
- Any liquid
- No glass

The Shoebox Party will be on October 24th, 2015 from 3pm to 6pm. At the Brazilian Mall:

10826 Venice Blvd.,
Culver City, CA 90232

Thank you for your attention !! A great week for you guys !!

Top Secret Files Guest Post + Spotlight Feature + Giveaway

Book Information:

Title: Top Secret Files: The Cold War

Author: Stephanie Bearce

Release Date: August 1, 2015

Publisher: Prufrock Press

Summary:

Take a look if you dare, but be careful! Some secrets are meant to stay hidden…

Poison dart umbrellas and cyanide guns were all a part of the arsenal of tools used by spies of the Soviet KGB, American CIA, and the British MI6, but you won’t learn that in your history books! Learn true stories of the Cold War and how spies used listening devices planted in live cats and wristwatch cameras. Discover how East Germans tried to ride zip lines to freedom, while the Cambridge Four infiltrated Britain and master spy catchers like Charles Elwell were celebrated. Then make your own secret codes and practice sending shoe messages. It’s all part of the true stories from Top Secret Files: Cold War.

Buy Links:

Amazon- http://ow.ly/PpgP4

Barnes & Noble- http://ow.ly/PphXb

Books A Million- http://ow.ly/Ppiet

!ndigo-  http://ow.ly/Ppina

Indiebound- http://ow.ly/PpixJ

Book Information:

 Title: Top Secret Files: Pirates & Buried Treasure

 Author: Stephanie Bearce

 Release Date: August 1, 2015

 Publisher: Prufrock Press

  Summary:

Pirates of the Golden Age had to deal with scurvy, fight ferocious battles, and eat everything from monkeys to snakes to sea turtles, but you won’t learn that in your history books! Discover the truth about Anne Bonny, the Irish woman who was a true Pirate of the Caribbean, and the secrets of Blackbeard and the daring priate Chen I Sao. Then learn how to talk like a pirate and make a buried treasure map for your friends. It’s all part of the true stories from the Top Secret Files: Pirates and Buried Treasure

Buy Links:

Amazon- http://ow.ly/PpjIf

Barnes & Noble-  http://ow.ly/PpkOC

Books A Million- http://ow.ly/Ppl1b

!ndigo-  http://ow.ly/Ppl8Z

Indiebound- http://ow.ly/Pplfh

Also Available:

Top Secret Files: American Revolution

Top Secret Files: The Civil War

Top Secret Files: World War I

Top Secret Files: World War II

Top 3 Cold War Secrets

1)     The Big Dog Escape- Would you believe that one secret agent made his escape disguised as a dog? During the 1970’s, the CIA disguised one of their agents as a St. Bernard to get him out of Europe. The operative wore a fake dog suit and was concealed in a dog kennel. Nobody was suspicious when the dog was taken to the vet for a check-up, and the operative made his escape.

2)     Flying Saucers- In 1956, the U.S. Air Force experimented with building its own flying saucer. The plans called for a disc shaped flying machine that would reach altitudes of 100,000 feet and fly at Mach 4. The machine they built didn’t work quite as well as they hoped. It wobbled uncontrollably if it went higher than 3 feet of the ground and its top speed was 35mph. The project was scrapped.

3)     Moon Bomb- Scientists came up with some wild ideas during the Cold War, but one of the craziest was to bomb the moon. Some U.S. scientists thought that if they exploded an atomic bomb on the moon, then it would scare the Soviet Union. Other scientists argued that a mistake could seriously hurt the earth and ruin the surface of the moon. The plan was scrapped and no bombs were sent to the moon.

GUEST POST

You have published six Top Secret Files books so far. What was your favorite one to research and why?

I‘ve really had fun researching all of them, but I think I learned the most from the World War One book. Since America was only involved in the war for the last eighteen months of the conflict, it is not heavily covered in American History Books.

WWI saw the start of air warfare and the birth of the fighter pilot. Fighting Aces like the Red Baron and Eddie Rickenbacker showed their bravery and skill flying planes made of not much more than canvas, wood and wire.

For the first time in history soldiers faced the horrors of mas produced chemical weapons, submarines, and tanks. New inventions totally changed how war was fought, and it changed how spies carried out their missions. It was a time of great innovation and amazing bravery.

About the Author: Stephanie Bearce is a writer, teacher, and history detective. She loves tracking down spies and uncovering secret missions from the comfort of her library in St. Charles, MO. When she isn’t writing or teaching, Stephanie loves to travel the world and go on adventures with her husband, Darrell.

Social Networking Links:

Website: http://www.stephaniebearce.com/about.html

Rafflecopter Giveaway:

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Sisterhood of the World Book Bloggers Tag

Hey guys! Time for me to do a tag! YAY! I would love to give credit where credit is due but I don't know where this tag was created! So if you know please, please let me know!

                                           

Across The Universe Face Off

Friday Face Off was created by The Book Rat .

For this week's Friday Face Off I'm going to do it on Across The Universe, a book that has been recieving a lot of hype specifically because of this cover change.

Tumblr Finds #1

Tumblr Finds is a new meme I created where I show you what I found on Tumblr!

The Benefits Of Reading

Reading... one of my favorite things... EVER. But people who hate reading may be asking,''What's the point of reading?'' That's what I'm here to show you:

Writing Negative Reviews

Guys, sometimes I feel as if I didn't enjoy a book as much as the next guy. And I feel bad when I write a review. I try as much as I can to explain what I did and didn't enjoy. But sometimes EVEN that is hard.

       WHEN I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHAT I DIDN'T ENJOY 

Sometimes the book itself isn't bad; it's just boring. You know what I mean? Or sometimes; what I dislike is personal and I really feel bad about giving it a bad rating. 

Sometimes when I don't enjoy an ARC (advanced reader's copy) I feel even worse about giving it a bad review.

                                              QUESTION TIME

So, what's your opinion of negative review? Should we keep our mouth shut or should we be honest and only honest?

Not In The Script By Amy Finnegan

Series: If Only #3
Publisher/Year: October 7th 2014 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens 
Genre: Hollywood
Format: Arc
Source: Publisher


Goodreads  • Twitter

The Back Cover

Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore . . . particularly her relationships.

Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modeling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor . . . if she would just give him a chance.

When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hills heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.

AfterShock

Dang, this book is good. I read this book fast. Not really giving myself time to breath. But this was because the book was so good. 

My Thoughts

I think the main reason that I enjoyed that I enjoyed this book was because of the main theme: Hollywood. As you may or may not know; I'm an actress. Meaning that I'm always interested in books that talk about the business. 

The second theme is ya romance. *coughs* WHATAWHAT. 

                                        

Two of the best genres in one! I was so excited!

Of course; the book wasn't perfect. There were moments that I felt that were ''fake''. 

But come on; this was Amy's first! This is probably my favorite debut novel evahhh!

My Rating

                   

Who I Recommend It To

I recommend this book to anyone who loves Hollywood and the biz. And anyone who is a fan of YA romance!

Friday Face Off: The Hunger Games

This meme was created by The Book Rat and is not a part of juliasgomez.


Hey ya'll! It's time for another FRIDAY FACE OFF. Today's edition is on The Hunger Games!

                                                             Synopsis                                

The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The 'tributes' are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.

Diy: Emergency Kit

Hey guys, I thought that it would be fun to tell you guys what I keep in my ''emergency kit''. This post will be mostly geared towards girls; but guys can change these up too!

I kind of adapted it for a bigger demographic, so if you look into my kit, not everyone of these items are in them. 

Ex: I don't personally wear makeup on a day to day basis but I know a lot of girls do!

This is a great idea to keep in your locker, car, at school, or anywhere else you might have emergencies. I usually leave it in my backpack.

First: Get a makeup bag or any bag of your choice. You could even use a pencilcase! It doesn't have to be super big. Here are a couple cuties!

Kipling

Forever 21

Here is what I would put in the bag!

Beauty:
•Chapstick (whenever I don't have them; I need them!)
•A small mirror
•Tweezers (you never know!)
•Nail Clippers
•Makeup Remover Wipes
•Matte Powder + Small Brush
•Mascara

                                               •Headband
 •Bobby Pins
 •Lotion
 •Perfume

Etsy

•Hair Ties (these especially come in handy on hot days)

Hygiene:
•Deodorant
•Hand Sanitizer
•Breath Spray (tic tacs and gum work too)

Random:

•Portable Phone Charger

•Snacks ( a Hershey bar wouldn't hurt ;) )

What else would you put in your kit?

Ebay

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland By Catherynne M. Valente

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente
Series: Fairyland
Publisher/Year: Published May 10th 2011 by Feiwel & Friends
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Source: Gifted


Goodreads • Twitter



The Back Cover:
Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.


AfterShock:
Honestly, my first aftershock was: finally. I couldn't take it anymore. This book drained on and on on.

My Thoughts:
I, personally, did not enjoy the book. Here are some pros and cons:

PROS:
- This book was very uniquely writtten; Valente's writing style is extremely unique.
- The story is so freakin' weird! In a good way. The story is neer before seen. There is another that I have EVER read in any other books.

CONS:
- Valente's style is great at first, but for me, it didn't work.
- This is actual a personal thing (and not the author's fault at all) but the vocabulary was far larger than mine.
- As I mentioned before; this book went on and on on! I got bored very easily!
- At first the specific description was very cool; but afterwards it would get boring and long!
- Honestly, I'm just not a big fantasy fan!

Rating:
                               

Who I Would Recommend It To:
I would recommend it to big fans of fantasy, and people with big vocabularies!

P.S. Be Eleven By Rita Williams Garcia

P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams Garcia
Series: The Gaither Sisters (#2)
Publisher/Year: Published May 21st 2013 by Amistad
Genre: Middle Grade
Format: Audiobook
Source: Bought


GOODREADS • TWITTER

The Back Cover:

After spending the summer in Oakland with their mother and the Black Panthers, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern arrive home with a newfound streak of independence, and the sisters aren't the only ones who have changed. Now Pa has a girlfriend. Uncle Darnell returns from Vietnam a different man. But Big Ma still expects Delphine to keep her sisters in line. That's much harder now that Vonetta and Fern refuse to be bossed around. Besides her sisters, Delphine's got plenty of other things to worry about-like starting sixth grade, being the tallest girl in her class, and dreading the upcoming school dance (her first). The one person she confides in is her mother, Cecile. Through letters, Delphine pours her heart out and receives some constant advice: to be eleven while she can.

My Thoughts:

As a sequel this book wasn't as good as the first one. But it was still pretty good. I listened to it as an audiobook (it was a good one by the way). 

The first book was such an experience. I was excited for this one. 

I loved to see the difference between the 6os in California and in Birminham

My Rating:

Who I Would Recommend It To:

I recommend this book to anyone who read the first book and anyone who enjoys reading about the civil rights movement.

Harry Potter Face Off

Hey guys! Today I'm doing another FRIDAY FACE OFF!!! Today I'm doing it on Harry Potter.

I know there are so many book covers for Harry Potter; but today I'm only doing it on the two most popular ones. Which are these:

                                                                               

OOOOO AAHHH so pretty.  


Anyway this is gonna be hard.

                        THOUGHTS AND RAMBLES

The first cover (we'll call it the oldie) is pretty cool. I love the unicorn in the back. But Harry Potter looks so goofy and nerdy. His glasses look like they're going to fall off and that does not make me feel good. But this cover is one of the original covers (almost everyone has this one) making it really special.

The second cover (we'll call it the newb) is also pretty awesome. It looks a little more modern which is good. But it's very busy. Another thing about this cover is that it doesn't really intrigue someone that hasn't read the book yet. You could easily overlook Harry.

                                      THE WINNER

Honestly, I'm gonna stick with oldie. You can never really go wrong with a classic right?

                                        LET'S TALK

So, what do you think? Did I make the right choice? Tell me which is your favorite and why!

Life Hacks

Sorry for the different type of post. I just found a really cool list of life hacks that I wanted to show you guys!

Character Q&A + Guest Post + Giveaway For I'm With Cupid

         I’m with Cupid
      Anna Staniszewski
 July 7, 2015; ISBN: 9781492615460

Book Information

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Series: Switched at First Kiss, Book 1

Do Your Homework!

Having trouble with homework?

A lot of people have a hard time with doing homework, so don’t get mad at yourself for this! I can get into a funk where I don't care about homework for days.

Top Ten Hyped Books I Haven't Read Yet

Man, this is gonna be SO easy....

 Harry Potter By J.K Rowling

Ugghh I'm so mad at myself for not having read this yet! I will one day though!









The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

                                   
I don't understand why I haven't read this yet! One thing I'm super interested in is WWII stuff; so I'll get around to it!








Wonder By R.J. Palacio

Heard REALLY good things. So I need to read it.









 The Perks Of Being A Wallflower By Stephen Chbosky











    Since You've Been Gone By Morgan Matson











    Fangirl By Rainbow Rowell











     Legend By Marie Lu











      Eleanor & Park By Rainbow Rowell











       The 5th Wave By Rick Yancey 











        The Selection By Kierra Cass












Now I've got to read ALL. THE. BOOKS.

Pixelated Blog Tour + Giveaway

                          

Pixelated by L.S. Murphy 

Release Date: 06/30/15

Summary from Goodreads:


Senior Year. 
Middle of nowhere. 
What's the new girl to do?

For Piper Marks, the answer is simple. She’s determined to have her photography

rock the cover of National Geographic someday, and moving to Clarkton, Iowa for

her last year of high school is not going to stop her. Even if her usual subjects

have changed from bright lights and skyscrapers to fields, cows…and more fields. 

But when photographer at the local paper quits in a huff, she steps into his

spot. Her new job keeps Piper busy capturing tackles, and zooming in on first

downs and end zone dances, not to mention putting her directly in the path of

varsity football star Les Williams IV. Her new friends warn her off, but she

can’t resist the pull she feels toward this mysterious country boy. But this

small town is keeping a secret, and it’s one that could destroy any chance they

have to be together. 



It’s up to Piper to decide what to do with the distorted truth. Can she risk

exposing her heart? It might be worth it, 'cause Les is about to change her

world from black and white to fully saturated color. 

Buy

Links:

AMAZON│BARNES & NOBLE│KOBO

Praise

for Pixelated:


"In Pixelated, L.S. Murphy weaves a complex web of secrets and lies with a

‘will they or won’t they’ romance that kept me turning pages and holding my

breath!" ~ Julie Reece, author of The Artisans and Crux





"Beautifully written, with a full spectrum of emotion and complex

characters, Pixelated will tug at all your heartstrings. I easily lost myself

in the world L.S. Murphy created and couldn't stop reading because I needed to

see how the story ended." ~ Kelly Oram, author of Cinder & Ella





"L.S. Murphy brings something for every reader with Pixelated: romance,

secrets, mystery, and a main character torn between two choices. Murphy's

writing is sharp and steeped in emotions, deftly hooking her readers from the

first sentence to the last." ~ Sarah Bromley, author of A Murder Of

Magpies 

About

the Author

L.S.

Murphy obsesses about St. Louis Cardinals baseball, fangirls over her favorite

authors, and watches every episode of Doctor Who like it's the first time. When

she's not doing those time-consuming things, the former farm-girl turned city

slicker turned suburbanite writes sweet romances for teens and adults.




Author Links:


   

GIVEAWAY:

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Book Blitz Organized by:

                                                       

How To: Starbucks Ariana Grande Frappucino

                     The Ariana Grande Frappucino

                       

           

THIS IS SO FUNNY! I don't know if I'm the only one who noticed: but look! Ariana Grande has her own Starbuck frappucino! Okay, she didn't make it herself. Here's the full story.

Summarizing: Loryn Brantz went to her local Starbucks and, on the spot, asked for an Ariana Grande Frap. The barista was kind enough to make it up on the spot!

You could test your luck; and try the same, but you could also follow these instructions!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to order:                               

• Start with a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino w/ Raspberry Syrup 
• Add extra mocha syrup
• Add extra mocha chips
• Blend
• Top with extra whipped cream
• Finish with a generous caramel drizzle                                            

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TADA!! HOW DID IT TASTE? TELL ME EVERYTHING!

I haven't tried it out but I will soon!