MFT: Why I love Steampunk and Giveaway of Corsets and Clockwork

I started the My Favorite Things Event last year in celebration of my birthday.  Just a month long party, I suppose.  I mostly just highlighted my favorite authors and books and had features every few days.  It was loads of fun but was really a MUCH smaller scale then this years event where Kristin from My Bookish Ways and I have daily features, often multiple daily features with loads of giveaways.  And instead of going through and just spotlighting the books and authors I love I decided to just feature the genre's I love.  That means that although a lot of the books and authors I love are being featured, there are some I may not have read yet.  Most I have, but a few I haven't.  However, I'm discovering that as I learn more about these books and the authors that I'm incredibly anxious to read them now!  I'm a sucker for reading a book just cause the author is nice, and most of the time I love the book.


Now, I figured I'd do a post for each genre and tell you all why I like it so much.  Since this first week is Steampunk I'm going to tell you a bit about my experience with Steampunk.
I think my first Steampunk book was Soulless by Gail Carriger.  Or maybe it was O.M. Grey's Avalon Revisited.  I'm not for sure, I believe I read them around the same time.  I loved that I was reading an alternate history but both had paranormal elements as well.  Which I love, of course.  I've liked the ones without paranormal elements also, but so far my favorites have had them.  Mostly what I remember after reading them is that my sister in law would love them.  And she did!
I love that when I'm reading them a lot of it feels plausible to me.  Often I can even start getting confused about what was really possible, and what wasn't.  And I love it when I find it believable.  But while I find it believable quite often they are outrageous.  The characters, I mean.  I find most of them a great romp of fun with some crazy action thrown in.
No matter what it is that makes me love Steampunk so much, I know I do and each new book I hear of has me jumping in joy!  I've since hooked my sister in law, my brother and even my mother (seriously *SHOCK* worthy!).
I *think* my favorite Steampunk book so far is The Native Star by M.K. Hobson.  It has magic, it takes place in the US instead of England like so many do, and it has a romance with sexual tension down to perfection!  Another of my favorites has to be Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. That book is all sorts of crazy!  It also takes place in the US, actually in Seattle, which is not far from where I live (so is familiar ground).  It's full of intense crazy like zombies and crazy people.

Now there's this brand new book out called Corset's and Clockwork and it has 13 different Steampunk Romances.  It's Young Adult and has a lot of popular authors featured in it.  I haven't read it yet, but I have it on order and once I read it I'm giving it to one of YOU!

Description:

Dark, urban fantasies come to life in the newest collection of Steampunk stories, Corsets & Clockwork. Young heroes and heroines battle evils with the help of supernatural or super-technological powers, each individual story perfectly balancing historical and fantastical elements. Throw in epic romances that transcend time, and this trendy, engrossing anthology is sure to become another hit for the fast-growing Steampunk genre!
This collection features some of the hottest writers in the teen genre, including: Ann Aguirre, Jaclyn Dolamore, Tessa Gratton, Frewin Jones, Caitlin Kittredge, Adrienne Kress, Lesley Livingston, Dru Pagliassotti, Dia Reeves, Michael Scott, Maria V. Snyder, Tiffany Trent, and Kiersten White.

The Giveaway:

Corsets and Clockword: 13 Steampunk Romances by various authors to one US/Canadian address.
Must be 13 or older
Ends July 5th, 2011

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me your favorite Steampunk book or  if you haven't read Steampunk yet then just say you'd like to give it a try!  Remember to leave contact info.

 

This is just the beginning of this great event!  For the schedule of The Favorite Things event check out the schedule post.  And make sure you head over to My Bookish Ways to see what she has going on today as well!