Last week on FYFA (and in my life):
My youngest turned 12 yesterday! Hard to believe. How are my kids getting so big?!!!
I’m finally starting to settle into my schedule a bit and stress less about my kids’ schoolwork. I had a very hard time with that at first because I was stressed about my son’s level of work (he’s a “do the absolute minimum required” kind of kid, and I was having a hard time figuring out how to motivate him). But he’s actually picked up a lot of slack this year, and I think I can let go of the reins a bit—thank goodness!
SO, I managed to get quite a bit up on the blog this week and get a good amount of work done on my editing project. I call that a success!
Next weekend, I’m going to be attending the YA Lit Conference at Anderson’s Bookstore with my mom, so I’m really looking forward to that!!
Here’s what you may have missed on the blog this past week:
- Chasing Truth by Julie Cross – Review, Giveaway & Cross’s Top Ten Addictions – Still time to enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a paperback copy of Whatever Life Throws at You (INT)
- Bite-Sized Reviews: Metaltown and Stalking Jack the Ripper
- Wendy Darling: Seas by Colleen Oakes – Fall Favorite Things Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway – Still time to enter to win an ARC of the book!
- The Lying Planet by Carol Riggs – Excerpt & Giveaway – Last chance to enter to win a $25 gift card!
- I’ve Been Known to Go Off on a Tangent … Or Two. Let’s Discuss!
- October Discussion Challenge Link-Up & Giveaway
- September Recap & Best of the Bunch – Find out what you may have missed around here in September!
Next week on FYFA:
- Gilt Hollow by Lorie Langdon – Review
- Remember Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn – Review & Giveaway
- The Trouble with Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis – Review
- Spindle by Shonna Slayton – Review & Giveaway
- September Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up Giveaway
- Let’s Discuss: Something bookish! 🙂
Book Blogger Birthdays and Blogoversaries:
Apparently, I somehow missed October 1st in last week’s calendar, so I’m a day late for Kimberly’s birthday. Go wish her a belated happy birthday anyway (better late than never!). Also, check out the calendar to see what you might have just missed or what’s coming up. (If you want to be added to the calendar, you can always fill out the birthday/blogoversary form!)
- October – I Heart Romance & YA‘s blogoversary
- October 1st – Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer‘s Birthday
- October 2nd – Rain City Librarian‘s Blogoversary
- October 8th – It Starts at Midnight‘s Blogoversary
Purchased:
Great Discussions/Goings On Around the Blogosphere:
Here are some posts I especially loved this week:
- Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight asks Do you use accents in your head while reading?
- Shannon over at It Starts at Midnight talks about Removing Favorites: Blasphemy or Necessity? and her #Bookstagram Ineptitude (And Why She’s No Longer Bothered by It)
- Aentee from Read at Midnight guest posts on Chasing Faerytales about Tips on Creating Blog Graphics
- Have you heard about Leave a Mark Auctions? Each week an annotated copy of a book is auctioned off (meaning that the author writes notes throughout the book). All of the proceeds go to First Book, a charity that provides access to new books for children in need. Check it out!
Other Current Giveaways on FYFA:
(Besides the ones listed above)
- Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake – Still time to enter to win a paperback ARC of the book!
- September Discussion Challenge Link-Up & Giveaway – Last chance to enter the giveaway!
Pre-Order Deals:
- Pre-order BEAUTIFUL by Christina Lauren to receive an exclusive annotated Beautiful series sampler with never-before-seen notes from Christina Lauren. The sampler will include 1 annotated chapter from: Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Stranger, Beautiful Player, Beautiful Secret, and Beautiful.
- Pre-order THE MIDNIGHT STAR by Marie Lu to get a The Young Elites quote tote & water bottle!
- Pre-order GLITTER by Aprilynn Pike and get a fun Glitter swag bag!
- Pre-order DEAD GIRLS SOCIETY by Michelle Krys & get an invite to join the Society, a code to access exclusive content & signed poster!
- Pre-order HEARTLESS by Marissa Meyer to get a Heartless branded magnetic bookmark.
Even More Awesome Giveaways on Other Sites:
- Lilybloombooks hosts Middle Grade Madness, a link-up for MG reviews. Link up and enter to win a MG book!
- Win a signed copy of Crooked Kingdom!
- Penguin is giving away a Personalized #BannedBooksBox!
- Enter to win a trip to meet Marissa Meyer!
- Writing My Own Fairy Tale has a weekly Friday Grab Bag where you can enter to win an ARC from her list!
- The Bookavid is celebrating its two year blogoversary with a giveaway! Enter to be one of three people to win $20 worth of books from The Book Depository (INTL)
Lots of good stuff! Have any giveaways or great discussions happening on your site right now? Feel free to share them in the comments!
Have fun with your mum at YA Lit Conference.
As always, thanks for spotting interesting posts in the blogosphere! I’ll go and check them out. 🙂
Thanks! I think it’s going to be lots of fun!
Happy birthday to your youngest! Also, I’m happy that you’re settling into your schedule. Being stressed out is no fun.
Ha! I just got through with a twenty minute argument with my son about schoolwork, so I’m feeling stressed right now. Sigh. Someday he’ll be responsible enough to care without me badgering him, right? (Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to answer that.)
I’m glad you’re having a better go at this time around. I can only imagine the stress of handling everything you’ve got going. My 15-year-old was once had the same work ethics as your son but she’s really come a long way since switching schools. Now, she’s actually on the honour roll and gone are the days when I have to force her to do her homework! I’m so thankful she came to her own.
Anyway, I hope you’ll have a great October, Nicole.
Happy reading!
I’m still kind of waiting on that with my son. I tried to stop the micromanaging and he got a C on a test today. Sigh. Overall, he’s doing well, but it’s frustrating that he doesn’t really care unless I force him to. We can’t figure out how to help him be self-motivated.
I’m really curious about Stalking Jack the Ripper even though it’s not the type of book I’d normally read, but I’ve seen good reviews. I see you mini- reviewed so I went over and checked that out. I may have to get this one.
Have a great time at the YA Lit conference!
That’s great your son is doing well with school, and yay for getting a lot finished this past week! I’m hoping to do a lot of blog work this week. Thanks for talking about Leave a Mark! I do appreciate it. There should be a lot of great books up for auction in October!
-Lauren
I’m happy to share about Leave a Mark – it’s a great cause! I’ve been keeping my eye on the books and definitely plan to bid on one at some point.
I loved Walk on Earth a Stranger! I am behind on current posts with being in New Orleans this week. But I plan to do a September wrap up this week hopefully!
The conference sounds exciting. Have a blast! I remember how fast my son grew up. It’s like a flash and they’re adults. LOL
I’m doing pretty good on blogging ahead. Got about 15 posts ready and working on more. I’m usually crammed un til December and then I slow way down and relax:) Enjoy your new reads.
Hope you love the YA Lit conference – that sounds great.
I also picked up the Rae Carson this week after seeing great reviews for the sequel so I’m going to have to find some time to squeeze that in somewhere on the TBR!
Hope you have a great week again this week. 🙂
Happy birthday to your youngest!! 12 years old is a big age, so close to being a teenager. Hoo boy, you’ll have three of those in your house next year! Better buy more chocolate. Lol. 🙂
I can’t even think about three teenagers at once. Seriously. Can’t.
Hope you have fun at the Conference! Your Sunday posts always blow me away. I am excited if I get to read one book a week :)…hehe
Glad to hear things are going better with school. I hope you have a great time at the conference.
Sunday Summary #22
Aww, happy belated birthday to your youngest son! I hope his day was beyond wonderful! And I can’t wait to see what you think of Remember Tomorrow. The first book looked beyond intriguing and I’m hoping the second lives up to the first. Fingers crossed.