Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: The Natural Beauty Book by Anne Akers Johnson

First line: It will come as no surprise to you that natural body care starts on the inside.

Initial thoughts: Because every girl needs a little pampering every now and again, I squealed a little when I checked the mail and saw it.

It’s by no means a long or tedious book (I giggled a few times while skimming the recipes), it’s beautifully designed, and most of the "concoctions" look simple to prepare.

Plus, I love the included spa goodies and can’t wait to give those a try.

I took a couple pictures because, how cool is it that the book matches my bed cover? (Random. Yes, I know.)

Book description:

If you feel good, you look good. It’s a fact.

• Make your own tangerine bath fizz.
• Give yourself a natural manicure and pedicure.
• Trade spa facials with a friend.
• Mix up a rich banana conditioner for your hair.

More than 60 simple recipes tell you how to do all these things (and more) using natural, easy-to-find ingredients from your kitchen cupboard. We even include a complete personal spa kit.

As you read through the book, you’ll find out just how to use each item in the kit. This is everything you get:

• facial loofah
• headband
• nail brush
• nail file
• nail buffer
• pumice stone
• bath infusion bag
• lavender essential oil
• tangerine essential oil

Book Details: 68 pages; Klutz; Pub. September 1, 2009

I’m terribly sorry for the delay in getting the winners selected for this giveaway, but it’s done and five awesome TIR readers will be receiving a copy of Ruined: A Ghost Story by Paula Morris.

It was a fun read with a lush description of New Orleans, so anyone who reads it should feel like they’ve been transported there if only for a few hours.

Now, without further ado (since I know you’re all anxious to find out who’s won), here they are in no particular order:

• Beth
• Anna
• I Heart Book Gossip
• Shawna Lewis
• Paradox

Congratulations! I’ll be sending out individual emails this afternoon. If you haven’t received an email from me within 24 hours, please check your spam filter and if it’s not there, send me an email directly (todayiread[at]gmail[dot]com) and let me know your mailing address.

If you didn’t win this time around, don’t fret. I have a couple awesome ARC giveaways planned—one starting this weekend (i.e. tomorrow).

Hooray for stable internet again. The technician was finally able to get me all fixed up (turned out to be my modem going bad) and I once again have non-flaky internet. That means I’ll be posting more (if I’m not hit by a case of the Lazies™).

More good news is that I’ll be tallying the Ruined giveaway entrants and selecting a winner within the next couple of days. I’ll announce the winners in a follow-up post and send out an email. Should someone not respond within 48 hours of posting/email, I’ll select a back up winner.

It was a great book (my review is officially online), so good luck to everyone who entered.

Even  more good news, I’ll be holding a giveaway for two awesome ARCs in the next week or so: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. (These will be two separate giveaways and one will be very special…more about that later.)

There you have it, today is a super nifty day after all. 😀

Back Cover of Ruined

Rebecca couldn’t feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She’s staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she’s invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he’s got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There’s just one catch: Lisette is a ghost.

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.

As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend — and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey — she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

Three Quick Points About Ruined

• Point 1: Fueled by racial tension. Handled delicately, for the most part, was the issue of race, its intermingling and its consequences.
• Point 2: New Orleans is real. The descriptions were rendered so tangibly that I felt I was in the city itself.
• Point 3: Mystery with a hint of romance. The story, for the most part, is Rebecca unraveling a mystery, but there was a hint of romance.

Continue reading »

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

First line: I remember lying in the snow, a small red spot of warm going […]

Initial thoughts: This book caught my eye months ago and I immediately added it to my wishlist and patiently waited for it to be released, but color me surprised (and excited) when the kind Sarah from Scholastic sent me my very own ARC.

I read the first few chapters instantly and so far, the writing is lovely. There’s an ethereal quality to it that I think I’m going to enjoy. And from those first few pages, I can already tell it’s going to be a take no prisoners, sweet and tragic type of book. Needless to say, I can’t wait to finish it.

(Though I am a little worried because the early reviews mention tears and needing tissue…)

Book description:

the cold.

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf–her wolf–watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn’t know why.

the heat.

Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace…until now.

the shiver.

For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it’s spoken, it cannot be denied. Same must fight to stay human–and Grace must fight to keep him–even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Book Details: 400 pages; Scholastic Press; Pub. August 1, 2009