Sunday Post (June 8)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things received, and share news about what is coming up on the blog for the week ahead. To get in on the Sunday funday, see the rules here: Sunday Post Meme. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week has again been crazy, and now that the year is winding down, the pressures of packing up my room are mounting and I am going a little crazy with all of the end-of-year demands at school. To date I have moved 17 times in the last seven years, not to mention mini moves and moving into my classroom. Needless to say, I HATE moving. I abhor it. It is now so overwhelming to me that I get slight panic attacks about just the idea. I had my kids pack up five boxes of my classroom library books, and of course took home two large stacks for summer reading. I have one more box earmarked for my teaching books and binders, and everything else is going into tubs. Then my worry will be the “thieves among us,” as my principal has been very apt to point out over and over. It’s really sad that I work in a profession where we are teachers and role models to the young and colleagues go around stealing belongings from someone else.

On top of all of that, my grandfather was supposed to have his last test done (upper and lower GI tract), the feeding tube removed that was put it only a few weeks ago (and through which they are only feeding him Ensure shakes at the minimum daily nutritional need) and moving him into Comfort Care for his last days. It is heartbreaking to see someone who I have always seen active and vital all my life, who could cut or bale hay in 110 degree weather every summer, who I looked up to and had to look up to (literally) relegated to a hospital bed because he can’t make a comeback from his broken femur and surgery (in mid-March). He has been in two rehab facilities and had at least two trips to the ER (that I know of) because of a fall and then later for retention in the bladder.

Our PawPaw is to my first brother what my grandmother (his wife) was to me. She died in 2003, and our PawPaw will most likely before summer’s end. He wants to come home, but my uncle and his wife (who have medical and financial power of attorney) are refusing to let him come home and set up hospice, even after telling him just a few days ago when he point-blank asked that he would be coming home after his latest test (upper and lower GI, which was all good). They lied right to his face, again. (Tangent: these are people who flaunt that they are Christians and do God’s will. They are not true Christians in any way, and have shown that numerous times throughout the entire ordeal, they are just on the self-righteous bandwagon.)

When the time comes, it will be my brother needing to be carried out of the funeral home because he will be unwilling to leave my grandfather’s side, just as I was unable to leave my grandmother 11 years ago. It is killing my brother, who blames himself for the fall, thinking he could have caught my grandfather when he fell, but my brother was on crutches from his surgery (cracked bone fusing to tendons, result of a ruck march fall two years ago!) in his foot. Please, if you pray or are spiritual in any way, send good thoughts and love for my family. We are in a desperate time of need and love. And perhaps a good strong reckoning.

Last Week on G1000

Monday – Cover Reveal: How to Date Dead Guys

Tuesday – Review + Giveaway: The Almond Tree

Tuesday – Blast + Giveaway: Paradise Coast

Wednesday – Review: The Serpent’s Ring

Wednesday – WWW Wendesday

Thursday – Review + Giveaway: The Trickster’s Totem

Friday – Review + Giveaway: The Dragon’s Egg

Friday – Feature Follow

This Week on G1000W

It’s a relatively light week coming up.

TODAY – Review + Giveaway: Along the Watchtower

Monday – WANTED: More Diverse Reads!

Tuesday – Spotlight: Caller 107

Wednesday – WWW Wednesday

Thursday – Spotlight + Giveaway: Scotch Rising

Friday – Feature Follow

Saturday – June Monthly Chit Chat

Around Town in the Spotlight

First things first! I have loved seeing everyone’s BEA posts! I really want to go next year. Thank you for sharing.

Second…. I am on the high, the crack of being a teacher… IT IS SUMMER! I packed up my classroom AND moved what I was allowed (our filing cabinets and big furniture will be moved for us) into my new room, which has lovely green walls. If I didn’t have to keep everything packed for summer cleaning, I would have gotten to cracking open those boxes and setting up house on Friday. Now that it has sunk in, I am like Olaf and am cracked out that I have the summer to DO things.

So go get these books for SUMMER!

• Tara’s top ten books for summer
• Jorie’s top ten books for summer
• Kerri’s top ten books for summer

And now back to our regularly scheduled program….

Laura talks bookshelves and organization

Tara did not cry reading TFioS

Emily talks The Triple Package

Kelley’s AWESOME graphic organizer for The Murder Complex

Bookmammal talks about how she’s changed because of blogging

Mysti’s writing tips for revealing facial expression and sound of characters

Charlotte’s recap of the Asian Festival of Children’s Content – Writers & Illustrators

Rashika’s review of We Are Called To Rise

Parajunkee’s tips for social media promotion

Dana’s defense of YA against Ruth Graham’s tirade

Carrie talks blog stats, top 5 best and top 5 worst May posts

Parajunkee’s self-diagnosis of Book Blogger Jealousy

Jessica reviewed the movie Maleficent

Giveaways All Around!

I noticed that last week’s giveaway listing contained a few giveaways that had ended by the time of the posting. I’m sorry! (Imagine that with a Canadian accent – don’t ask me why, I’m from Texas, never been to Canada, but my friends started making fun of me in high school for saying it Canadian.)

As a result, I will *try* to let you know the giveaway ending date, give or take a day, in case you want to prioritize your time entering giveaways because we all have endless hours of time on our hands. (I know, I hate it when my principals make these references, but for once I get to use it!)

Ends Today!

• Giveaway for Guardian – finished copy
• Giveaway for We Were Liars – copy
• Giveaway for Gimme Some Sugar – $20 Amazon or B&N GC and swag pack
• Giveaway for An Etiquette Guide to the End Times – $10 GC

Unknown End Dates

• June Kindle Fire Giveaway
• Giveaway for Uncharted Storms – Wind River Refuge paperback

Ends This Week (6/9-6/15)

• Giveaway for Destiny Bay #1 (ends 6/9)
• Giveaway for Destiny Bay #2 (ends 6/9)
• Giveaway for Mirror X (ends 6/9) – ebook
• Giveaway for The Murder Complex (ends 6/9) – (3) signed hardbacks and swag packs
• Giveaway for A Beauty So Beastly (ends 6/9) – $25 PayPal Cash
• Giveaway for The Faded Trilogy #1 (ends 6/10) 
• Giveaway for The Defender (ends 6/10) – signed PROSECUTOR copy, $25 Amazon GC, bullet charm bracelet, bullet earrings
• Giveaway for My Last Kiss (ends 6/11) – signed hardback and swag
• Giveaway for Checkered Crime (ends 6/11) – signed copy
• Giveaway for Constricted (ends 6/11) – signed cover poster, swag pack, Victorian-themed charm bracelet
• Giveaway for The Three Thorns (ends 6/12) – $10 Amazon GC and ebook
• Giveaway for Ignite (ends 6/12) – 3 ARC copies
• Giveaway for Nogiku series (ends 6/12) – $10 iTunes or Starbucks GC, ebooks
• Giveaway for The Dragon’s Egg (ends 6/12) – $25 Amazon GC, signed paperback set of the series, 2 ebook sets of the series
• The Fault In Our Stars Giveaway (ends 6/12) – copy of book, TFiOS tote
• Giveaway for Essence (ends 6/13) – Yosemite National Park vintage map pendant, collectible buttons
• Giveaway for Paradise Coast (ends 6/13) – $25 Amazon or B&N GC OR $25 Book Depository
• Giveaway for Brazen (ends 6/14) – signed copies
• Giveaway for Stillwell (ends 6/14) – (2) paperback copies
• Giveaway for Against the Darkness (ends 6/14) – $20 Amazon GC
• Giveaway for Stillwell (ends 6/14) – (2) paperback copies
• Giveaway for Against the Darkness (ends 6/14) – $20 Amazon GC
• $350 I LOVE SUMMER Cash Giveaway (ends 6/15)
• Giveaway for Anything for a Story (ends 6/15) – ebook set, ebooks of Annihilation of Foreverland & Foreverland is Dead
• Giveaway for What Tomorrow May Bring (ends 6/15) – Terra print copy and ebook, print copies and ebooks of Stitch & Shudder, print copy of Among the Joyful, $50 Amazon GC, 11 ebooks of What Tomorrow Brings, 10 Kindle copies of complete Contributor trilogy set, 5 ebooks of The Breeders & The Believers, ebook of A Taste of Tomorrow boxed

Ends Next Week (6/16-6/22)

• Giveaway for Thread End (ends 6/16) – $50 Amazon GC
• Giveaway for Children of the Most High (ends 6/17) – (1) paperback, (2) ebooks
• Giveaway for Fury (ends 6/18) – 10 ebooks of Fury
• Giveaway for Wreck You (ends 6/18) – SWAG!
• Giveaway for Don’t Fall (ends 6/18) – $10 Amazon GC, ebook
• Giveaway for Goddess Born (ends 6/22) – $25 Amazon GC or PayPal Ca
• Giveaway for Love With A Perfect Cowboy (ends 6/22) – (2) print Cupid Romances

Ends The Following Week (6/23-6/29)

• Giveaway for Perfectly Messy (ends 6/24) – $10, $15 and $20 Amazon GC each with an ebook of Perfectly Messy
• Giveaway for Blood Oath (ends 6/24) – $20 Amazon GC
• Giveaway for Labyrinth Society: The Versailles Vendetta (ends 6/24) – $100 Amazon GC or PayPal Cash
• Giveaway for Perfectly Messy (ends 6/24) – $10, $15 and $20 Amazon GC each with an ebook of Perfectly Messy
• Giveaway for The Artful (ends 6/25) – $20 Amazon GC and signed copy

Ends the Following Week (6/30-7/6)

• Sab’s Post-Birthday Giveaway (ends 6/30) – $20 Amazon GC (non-Philippine residents)
• Sab’s Post-Birthday Giveaway (ends 6/30) – $20 Amazon GC (non-Philippine residents)
• Giveaway for Cursed (ends 6/30) – $10 GC, signed copy
• Giveaway for Gypsy (ends 6/30) – (3) $5 Amazon or B&N GC, signed copy
• Giveaway for The Faded Trilogy #2 (ends 6/30)
• May Appreciation Giveaway (ends 6/30) – choice of book
• June Fantasy Calendar and Giveaway (ends 6/30) – Daughter of Chaos swag pack
• Giveaway for August Moon (ends 6/30) – $15 Amazon GC
• The Golden Cage Giveaway (ends 6/30) – $25 Amazon GC and signed paperback of The Shadow Soul
• Giveaway for Bingo Summer (ends 6/30) – 10 paperback copies from Goodreads
• I Am A Teenage Bookaholic Giveaway (ends 7/1)
• Epic Prize Giveaway! (ends 7/1) – The Promise of Amazing copy
• Giveaway for Just Sing (ends 7/1) – (2) $10 iTunes GC with swag
• Giveaway for Goodnight Sleep Tight: What A Wonderful Flight (ends 7/1) – $25 Amazon GC or PayPal Cash
• Six Down, Six To Go Giveaway (ends 7/3) – 3 winners choose 2 books
• Giveaway for Prince Iggy and the Kingdom of Naysayer (ends 7/4) – $50 Amazon GC or PayPal Cash

Ends Later In July

• Giveaway for Caught in the Crossfire (ends 7/13) – (2) $25 GC, $50 GC
• Giveaway for Caught in the Crossfire (ends 7/13) – (2) $25 GC, $50 GC
• Giveaway for Savannah Sacrifice (ends 7/20) – $25 Amazon GC

New Arrivals to Land of 1000 Wonder

On Monday night I went a little crazy – OK, a LOT crazy – and downloaded or requested books on the first 250 pages of Featured books on NetGalley, plus all my normal freebies I pick up. Needless to say, I raked in hundreds of books. BUT even better – I got a hella LOT of rejections for my requests. I was bothered, because some were really good books I WANTED, but I had to tell myself it was meant to be and it was probably at least 100 books I didn’t have to download. (My total of downloads still came to over 10 full pages on NetGalley.) I know. I have a problem. I don’t lie! I’m not in denial! More books! (OK, seriously, somebody is going to have to stop me at some point.)

BUT! BUT! BUT! What excited me the most was this nice little present from Candace. I won a giveaway over at Candace’s Book Blog, and this arrived in the mail. I was so excited about it, and giddy opening up the package. So cute and very thoughtful. Thanks, Candace!

I also received an ebook of Protostar, also from a giveaway!

And then I got another book, Camelot Burning, also from one of Candace’s giveaways! I love this book, and apparently so does Baby! She has been wanting a lot of momma-baby time lately, which is sweet since when we first rescued her (Sept. 2012) she was very much D’s dog and snubbed me majorly. Last year she warmed up to me, since I was home a lot. I think she can sense that I will be home with her again for the summer. Perhaps I will read Camelot Burning to her. 🙂