The Blog Hop (18) and Feature and Follow Friday (7) and a GIVEAWAY!

So this week I'm the featured blogger (oops, guess she clicked the wrong one, so I'm up for next week)Feature and Follow Friday hosted by the lovely Rachel at Parajunkee's View.  This is a great way to meet new bloggers and find new blogs!
This week Rachel asks:

What is the first book that you remember reading?

I can Lick 30 Tigers Today, and other stories by Dr. Seuss

I LOVED that book and read it over and over.  So much so that my mom actually recorded herself reading it so I could just listen to the recording.

  I'm also doing the Blog Hop hosted by Jenn at Crazy-For-Books.  Each week Jenn picks a question to be asked, and answered (it's always nice to have more to say in the comments!) and this week she asks:

Do you use a rating system for your reviews and if so, what is it and why?

Yes.  I use Moons cause it matches my blog but it's the same as the 5 star system.  I think rating is important because it gives the readers an idea of your overall feel of the book.  You may highlight a lot of good, or bad, but maybe it wasn't really extreme in either direction.  A 3 star (moon) rating tells the reader that you enjoyed the book but you weren't blown away by it's awesomeness or anything.

So thanks everyone for stopping by! Here's what's going on around here.

GIVEAWAYS:

The Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer preorder contest (2 winners on my blog, 2 on Pure Imagination and 2 on Reading Angel) ends TODAY, Friday 27th and is open internationally!  Go HERE to enter.

I'm also giving away a signed Vampire Academy book by Richelle Mead.  Giveaway ends August 31st and is open to US only.  Go HERE to enter.

AND, because I'm in a generous mood I'll giveaway one swag pack (regular envelope size) to a random commenter, new or old follower, or non follower even.  All you have to do to be entered is comment on a review on my blog (it has to be a real comment, not just "enter me please") and comment here telling me. Make sure there's a way to contact you.  If there's no way to contact you I'll assume you don't want to enter.  I'll ship this to US or Canada.  I don't want to have to go to the PO to mail, just slip in my mailbox.

I'll pick a winner on Monday, or Tuesday if people are still hopping.

In the swag pack is Vampyre Kisses sticker, Voices of Dragons card, Meridian tattoo, Minder sticker, Tension of Opposites bookmark, signed One Buttcheek at a Time bookmark (Amber Kizer),  Shadow Hills pin and bookmark and signed Shade by Jeri Smith Ready bookmark.

Some recent reviews:

Trance by Linda Gerber (ARC early review)

The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark (historical fiction)

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Radiance by Alyson Noel (ARC early review)

Not sure if you want to follow my blog?  

Well, I'll help you out!

I read a lot of young adult but I like a variety of it.

I also read a lot of paranormal 

and some historical fiction (used to be my favorite but has fell by the wayside a bit)

and occasionally some chick lit and other stuff.

I'm definitely eclectic.  

I also am going back to my weekly feature of reviewing a children's book each week.  I'm just waiting to receive the children's books that are on their way!