CLOSED The Great Canadian Blog Bash - Canadian Living Giveaway

I had one more giveaway lined up but didn't have it confirmed in time for June 24 but I am pleased to be able to include it before the event was done.

This giveaway is part of The Great Canadian Blog Bash. The giveaway is Canada only and is only open till July 1, 11:59 PM EST so hurry!

I have two books for one winner:

Canadian Living: Make it Tonight and Best Recipes Ever from Canadian Living and CBC.

This giveaway is sponsored by Random House Canada.

You can gain extra entries to the giveaway by:

Following Random House Canada on Twitter
Liking Random House Canada on Facebook
Following me on GFC (see sidebar or click here)
Following @callista83 on Twitter
Like SMS Book Reviews on  Facebook

GIVEAWAY/EVENT: Great Canadian Blog Bash

Welcome to The Great Canadian Blog Bash at SMS Book Reviews!

I also blog at http://callistasramblings.blogspot.com which is also participating in this event so check over there for more giveaways.

My name is Callista and I'm a SAHM of three children, a dog, a cat and a fish. I love reading and love blogging and I especially love sharing what I read with others. I started writing book reviews online way back in 2001 but didn't put them on a blog till 2003 and didn't blog regularly till 2007.

Unlike most other book bloggers, I rarely read fiction. I love nonfiction and I read picture books with my children. If I do read fiction, it's usually YA. I also sometimes review children's fiction on here, but nonfiction (adults and children) is my passion. I LOVE learning.

Windsor Fireworks from Flickr User Tukanuk

I live in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and am a very proud Canadian. I love reading Canadian blogs. Have you ever been here to the southernmost part of Canada before? It's strange, all Canadians know Canada is above the US but here in Windsor, we are actually below part of Michigan!

You can find me on twitter, facebook, stumbleupon, goodreads and linkedin. If you follow me on any of these and/or Google Friend Connect, let me know and I'll return the favour as long as your blog is in English.

GIVEAWAYS

So for the giveaways, please fill out the form at the bottom of the post. You will be able to choose which books you are interested in entering for. There are a few extra entries possible, some for each prize, some for any prize. Read carefully before you enter.

NOTE: I also have a separate giveaway for two Canadian Living cookbooks that got added late.

RULES:
Canadians Only
Open till July 1, 2011
Winners picked by July 3, 2011

Prize #1
From Scholastic - for ages 9-12
Dear Canada: Hoping for Home Stories of Arrival by Various Authors (Children's Historical Fiction)
I Am Canada: Shot at Dawn by John Wilson (Children's Historical Fiction)

Extra Entries for This Giveaway Only:
Follow Scholastic on Twitter
Fan Scholastic on Facebook

Prize #2
from Annick Press - for Ages 4 to 7
Better Together by Sheryl and Simon Shapiro (Children's Nonfiction)
Louis the Tiger Who Came From The Sea by Michal Kozlowski (Children's Picture Book)
Bookmarks


Extra Entries for This Giveaway Only:
Follow Annick Press on Twitter
Fan Annick Press on Facebook

Extra Entries for Any Giveaway
(+1 for EACH one you enter. So if you do one of these extra entries and enter for both giveaways, you get one extra entry for EACH giveaway.)

Follow me on Google Friend Connect(GFC) (see sidebar)
Follow me on twitter (or sidebar)
Fan my page on facebook (or sidebar)

Enter:

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Plague and Pestilence: Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari (Blog Tour)

Stars: ****1/2

Scholastic (2011)
YA Dystopian Fiction
343 pages

Summary: Epidemics, floods, droughts–for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she’s rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can’t continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There’s something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.

Although I don't read much fiction, what I do read is mostly YA. I love Dystopian fiction as the idea of survival interests me (although I have no interest in actually trying it.)

I enjoyed Ashes, Ashes and may I just say, I LOVE the cover of the book. That cover would make anyone pick up the book.

My favourite character was Lucy because she is able to take care of herself but also cares for others and understands she can't always be alone. She is what I would hope I'd be like if I were in her shoes. There are many characters that we don't know anything about so I could see a prequel come in to play if this book is as popular as I think it will be. It would be nice to know the back story of some of the characters.

My least favourite character was Grammalie Rose. I'm not sure why but I guess I didn't feel she was grandmotherly enough although obviously with the circumstances, she had more important things to do than sit with the kids or bake cookies. I just mean she didn't seem to be very understanding of Lucy.

The story was a bit slow at the beginning as Lucy is by herself and the storyline is being set up. However by the early middle of the book, it's got your interest and by the last third of the book, it's got you hooked.

I believe 100% that you can expect a sequel to this book in the near future. You can tell when a book has been left open for a future book and Jo Treggiari has already started thinking about one.

If you like Dystopian YA fiction, you'll want to check this out. It's a nice change to have Dystopian fiction that covers more than one end-of-the-world problem. It's not just Plague or Floods, it's both.


Links of Interest: Jo Treggiari Webpage, Jo's Facebook, Jo's Twitter, Chapter One of Audio book on Youtube, Interview Jo Treggiari on YouTube,

Other Tour Stops:
Midnight Bloom Reads     June 14th
Lavender Lines Blog         June 15th
21 Pages Blog                  June 16th
Geek Girl's Book Blog     June 16th
The Moody Teenager       June 17th
Dreaming of Books Blog  June 17th
YA Bookshelf                  June 17th
ShelfElf Blog                    June 18th
SMS Book Reviews         June 19th
Crazy Book Worm           June 19th
In the Next Room             June 20th
Lost in the Library            June 20th
He Followed Me Home   June 20th
Book Madam YA            June 21st

Buy Ashes, Ashes at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

GIVEAWAY
I have one copy of Ashes, Ashes to offer to one lucky Canadian reader.  Enter below using the form.



*I received a copy of this book to evaluate for a review. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Short Review - My Dad, My Hero by Ethan Long

Stars: *****

Sourcebooks (2011)
Picture Book

Summary:
A young child starts off this laugh-out-loud picture book by listing all the ways his dad is NOT a superhero: he can’t leap tall buildings, run faster than a speeding bullet, or shoot webs out of his wrists.
Each spread illustrates how Dad doesn’t have super powers but is still a hero at heart. The sweet ending depicts all the cool—if not super—activities Dad does do with the child, like throwing a baseball, playing checkers and going toy shopping. - from Sourcebooks

The perfect book for Father's Day!

The illustrations are absolutely perfect and the story is funny. Younger kids will just enjoy the story while older kids will understand the jokes that are in the illustrations. A book that's great for different age groups is always a plus. It's even fun for moms to read!

Recommended for ages 3-8

Links of Interest: NONE YET
Other Reviews: NONE YET

Buy My Dad, My Hero at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

*I received a copy of this book to evaluate for a review. All opinions are honest and are my own.