One Year Blogoversary Giveaway #2: Win a SIGNED copy of Kiss, Date, Love, Hate by Luisa Plaja (INT)

Don't forget to enter the international blogoversary giveaway to win a YA book of YOUR choice!

Hi guys, I hope you had fun as much fun reading all the blogoversary-themed posts as I had writing them!  It's been such an incredible journey and your comments have made it so much more worthwhile.  To give you another big THANK YOU, Jen and I have a week of giveaways for you to enter: two are international and two are UK only.

To kick it all off, Luisa Plaja has kindly offered a SIGNED copy of her book Kiss, Date, Love, Hate as a prize!  Please note that the signed option is only for UK residents but don't worry, international followers, she has offered to send a copy via The Book Depository minus the autograph if you live outside the UK!

What if you could change your friends' lives and loves through the settings of a computer game...?
Lex Murphy's group of friends have all dated, hated, ignored and lusted after each other for the last few years. If only there was a way of matching people perfectly to avoid all the unrequited love, dumping and drama! Then Lex's friend George is given a mysterious Sims-like game by his software-testing dad which involves building character profiles in the categories of Life, Looks and Love. Lex and George populate the game with avatars for all their mates, making a few 'wishful thinking' adjustments to the settings - and find that the next day these tinkerings have come true! But how long can this new calm, loved-up atmosphere continue?

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Here are the rules:

- Fill in the Rafflecopter below - please don't leave personal details in the comments section (for your own safety)

- The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL 

- You must be 13 or older to enter 

- Neither Luisa or I are responsible for books damaged/lost in the post

- The only mandatory requirement is that you are a follower via Google Friend Connect (GFC)

- Other entries are optional but completing them could give you a better chance of winning :)

- Giveaway ends on 1st March 2013

- I will email the winner who must reply within 48 hours, otherwise the prize will go to someone else :(

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Happy reading,
Beverley xxx

One Year Blogoversary Celebrations: Spreading the Blogger Love

Don't forget to enter the international blogoversary giveaway to win a YA book of YOUR choice!

As I said in a previous post, being able to come into the blogging community and form friendships has been utterly amazing – the best feeling ever!  It’s so awesome that I now have a whole bunch of friends who run blogs I visit regularly and  who I can chat with!  They are also so inspiring and motivate me to keep going.  Although I wish I could thank you all my readers, here are the ones who are definitely worthy of a mention.

The Co-Blogger

First off, JEN!  I obviously can't write this post without saying a HUMONGOUS thank you!!  Ever since you joined in August, you've added your own voice and enthusiasm to A Reading Daydreamer and made this blog an even better place!  Thank you for being such a wonderful co-blogger: it's been absolutely amazing blogging with you these past few months and hope you won't get fed of me!  Here's to many more blogoversaries and fun co-blogging times!

The Girlies

These two are two of my biggest supporters and I adore them both!  All three of us are the same age and we have pretty similar reading tastes, which I think is what brought us together as a group in the first place!  They are wonderful friends and even though we've never met in person, I already feel like I've formed great friendships with them.

Riya @ The Teen Book Guru: I LOVE this girl so frickin' much!  She's the sweetest, kindest, most amazing blogging friend I could ever ask for!!!  She's a true friend and I remember that time when something bad happened and I nearly wanted to quit blogging because of it and there she was, sending me the loveliest emails ever with words of support and encouragement and just cheering me up!  THANK YOU for being there when I needed you!  Aside from that, she is a wonderful blogger too, writes the most fantastic, enthusiastic reviews and inspires me no end!  Go check out her pink wonderland!


Mimi @ Mimi Valentine's YA Book Review Blog:  First of all, where are you, girl?  Riya and I are missing you like CRAZY!  We need you back so we can be a trio of giggling sixteen-year-olds swooning over fictional guys again!

This is another girly I ADORE!  She is seriously one of the BEST bloggers out there and definitely one of the friendliest!  When I stumbled upon her blog, I was ecstatic to find another blogger my age and I thought, 'Nah, she's way up there... she won't talk to a tiny person like me.'  I was wrong.  So very wrong!  We quickly became good friends and she's so sweet and lovely and her enthusiasm is totally infectious and inspiring >.<

The Asian Circle ;)

One of the best things about blogging is that it introduced me to so many amazing Asians!  I just love it because obviously I'm Chinese but also because it's made me embrace the Asian 'part' of me even more!  (I'm weird, I know :P)

Eileen @ ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***:  GAWD.  Where do I start with this girl?  She's an inspiration, really.  She's helpful, kind, incredibly cute (have you seen her vlogs?), supportive and crazy in a good way (the spazzy alligator way)!  And she's only 13!  Her hard work and dedication to her blog, her reviewing, her singing,   along with her creatively concocted comments on my reviews inspire me to keep going XD She's always happy to chat on Twitter and I can't thank her enough for the help and encouragement she extended towards me when the 'bad thing' happened: you restored my faith in the community and we need more hilarious and bright people like you in the blogosphere!  You're my No. 1 Asian!

Shirley @ Shiirleyy's Bookshelf:  My favourite Aussie-Chinese gal!!! This girl is awesome and we've had some pretty... interesting Twitter chats.  I think you'll always remember me as that British-Chinese girl hitting ping-pong balls off my friend's conservatory window (it wasn't deliberate, by the way, I just fail at table tennis!) XD  And I shall always remember when you married Noah Hutchins (grr!) and I swore revenge for when you come to the UK, i.e. steal your husband ;)

Hilda @ Catch the Lune:  I'm so jealous of this chicky!  She lives in Indonesia... picture this: drinking coconut on the sandy beaches by the beautiful sea, the sun shining down... Bliss! But if anyone deserves such a lovely home to live in, Hilda does!  She's so sweet and amazingly kind and she writes the most gorgeous reviews for her equally gorgeous blog >.< She's such a lovely supporter of ARD and her comments always put a big, cheesy smile on my face!  Oh, and she likes K-Pop!!!  Whoopee, a blogger who loves books and K-Pop!

Nina @ Death, Books and Tea and Catherine @ The Book Parade: My British-Chinese buddies!!!!  These two girlies are totally awesome and have you seen their blogs? They both designed them themselves - how talented are they?  HTML and technical stuff makes my head spin *_* Nina: I miss emailing each other, we should start again... once I stop procrastinating XD  Catherine: I LOVE your enthusiasm... your excitement makes me smile :)  So now I'm hoping there will be a big UK blogger event later this year so we can all meet!

The Inspiring Ones

These are all the 'big' bloggers out there who are all super friendly despite their popularity and come along and leave the most wonderful comments on our reviews and posts!  Thanks for being so inspiring, guys!

Sam @ Realm of Fiction:  Seriously, I am in awe of this girl!   She writes such wonderful reviews and always posts regularly and I just love her blog!  She's also a UK book blogger and I can safely say she is one of the BEST!  Despite your amazing-ness, Sam, thanks for being such a great supporter of our blog, it's really appreciated!

Jasprit and Rachel @ The Readers Den: These two ladies are the dream team, running one of my most favourite blogs to visit!  When I was considering taking on a co-blogger, I turned to them first and they gave me brilliant advice!  Seeing how much fun they have co-blogging together gave me the push to look for one and then I found Jen!  (And then when Jasprit told us ARD is one of her favourite blogs, I did another of my happy dances!) Together, Jas and Rachel have done a brilliant job with the blog and it's amazing how much it's grown and flourished - I can't wait to see what they have in store for us this year!

Jenny @ Supernatural Snark:  I can't believe I wasn't aware of Jenny's blog until Mimi mentioned it to me!  I'm not even kidding when I say she writes the most BEAUTIFUL reviews ever: she really has a way with words.  If she ever writes her own book, I will be first in line to get my hands on it!  And thank you for the lovely comments you leave us, they are alway really supportive and encouraging!

The Ones Who Have Been There Since the Beginning

These are the awesome UK bloggers who welcomed me with open arms when I first started and who have watched my blog grow.  Thanks for being such great supporters!

Thank you to all the blogging friends who made this journey extra special! You are all such lovely people and it's been such a pleasure to blog alongside each and every one of you ^.^

Hopefully this year, I will continue to make new friends - something about blogging which I love!

Happy reading,

Beverley

One Year Blogoversary Celebrations: Author and Publisher Thanks

Don't forget to enter the international blogoversary giveaway!

For today's post, I would like to extend my thanks to the authors and publishers who have made this journey even more amazing.

The Authors

Luisa Plaja (Kiss, Date,Love, Hate): As I mentioned before in my Blogging Journey post, Luisa has been such a wonderful supporter.  She re-kindled my interest for reading and reviewing by taking me on at Chicklish and encouraging me to start my own blog.  I probably wouldn't be here today, talking about my blogoversary, were it not for Luisa.  Even as A Reading Daydreamer progressed, she still sent me books to review for both Chicklish and ARD and I really cannot thank her enough for everything she's done.  She is such a kind and friendly author as well as blogger and I hope we can stay friends for years to come!  Don't forget to come back this Saturday to enter a giveaway for a copy of her book, Kiss, Date, Love, Hate, open internationally!





Katie Dale (Someone Else's Life):  When I was still a tiny blogger, Katie invited me to take part in her blog tour for Someone Else's Life.  That was incredibly encouraging, especially when I had been blogging for less than a month.  To have her appreciation and support was wonderful and I am so glad Someone Else's life has had so much success because I absolutely loved it.  I can't wait for her next book!

Sophia Bennett (The Look):  Before I started blogging, I'd already read her first book, Threads and really enjoyed it.  Then Luisa sent me The Look to review and I absolutely loved it too!  But what made me extra happy and excited was when Sophia Bennett herself emailed me to thank me for the review!!!  Do you know how overjoyed I was when I received that?  I couldn't believe she had read it and now she was THANKING me and inviting me to participate in the blog tour! *squeals* And then on Valentine's Day, she wrote a post with the photo I took of The Look and left a link to my review!!!  Wow, just WOW.  *runs away to fangirl*  Don't forget to get your hands on her soon-to-be-released novel, You Don't Know Me!

Cathy Cassidy (Chocolate Box Girls):  Cathy has been one of my favourite authors since I was a 'tween.'  She writes such realistic books for young teens and I always like to go back to her books when I need a break from heavier reads.  She was really supportive when I first started blogging by posting my reviews of her books and our interview on her Facebook fan page which really helped to bring in more pageviews in those first few weeks when my blog was just a baby and no-one really knew about it.  Thank you so much!


And of course, a big thank you to all those other authors out there who work so hard to bring new worlds and new characters to readers everywhere!

The Publishers

I would really love to take this chance to thank the wonderful publishers who send me books to review/approve my requests on Netgalley and for trusting me with review copies and for being patient when waiting for reviews!

Simon & Schuster
Penguin/Razorbill
Templar
Mira Ink
HarlequinUK
Bloomsbury
Chicken House
Hot Key Books
HarperCollins
Corsair
Atom
Sourcebooks
Merit Press
Te Da Media

That's all from me today!

Happy reading,
Beverley

The Essence Blog Tour: Blurb, Author Spotlight, & Giveaway!

Hi everyone! I'm here today to tell you guys about THE ESSENCE by Kimberly Derting, the sequel to the THE PLEDGE. I have yet to read The Pledge, but it sounds amazing! Make sure you enter in the giveaway below as well. :) Thanks to Shane at Itching For Books for hosting this blog tour and letting me be a part of it! Check out the rest of the tour here!

Blurb

Name: The Essence (The Pledge, #2)
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Pages: 352, Hardcover

“Danger, dread, mystery, and romance” (Booklist) continue in the second book of The Pledge trilogy, as Charlie’s reign is under siege from the most unusual of enemies.
At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.
Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’s busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.
As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Author Spotlight

Kimberly is the author of the BODY FINDER series (HarperCollins) and THE PLEDGE trilogy (Simon & Schuster). She lives in the Pacific Northwest, the ideal place to write anything dark or creepy...a gloomy day can set the perfect mood. She lives with her husband and their three beautiful (and often mouthy) children who provide an endless source of inspiration.

Author Website -- Twitter -- Author's Goodreads

Giveaway Time!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy reading,
Jen xx

One Year Blogoversary Celebrations: My Blogging Journey + Highlights

Before you go any further:  Did you miss the official post yesterday?  Click HERE to hop over and enter the giveaway to win a YA book of your choice (INT)! And a little update: there is now a button you can put on your sidebars for extra entries!  What are you waiting for? :D

I can’t believe I'm actually writing this! I'm excited and thrilled and oh-so-happy!  I'm still in shock that I've been blogging for a year, the time has just gone by so quickly.  But then, time flies when you’re having fun, right?  And yes, I've had so much fun!!!  When I first started, I had no idea just how BIG the book blogging community is and the warmth with which they welcomed me was amazing.  So, for my second Blogoversary Celebrations post, I've decided to write about my blogging journey and the highlights.

Chicklish

I first discovered book blogs in 2010 and loved the concept of running a blog focused book reviews.  A mixture of procrastination and laziness stopped me from setting one up straight away and it wasn’t until a year later, in October, when I asked to join the Chicklish reviewing team.  Luisa Plaja agreed to take me on board – I am forever grateful to her! – and she sent me my first physical ARC (Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie).  It was so exciting and after a few months, with Luisa’s encouragement and support, I took the plunge and started A Reading Daydreamer on the 4th of January (a year ago yesterday!).

I was a little shy to begin with but I visited the bloggers I’d already found during my year of blog-stalking admiring and left comments on their posts and they were wonderfully supportive and lovely.  

As I wrote more reviews, joined in with some memes, discovered more new blogs, I felt myself finally fit in and find my rhythm and voice.  Looking back and seeing my review style develop has been really interesting and I think I've really grown since then - my reviews are definitely better than the first several ones!

The best thing about blogging is meeting new friends and getting to chat with them about books and other general things in life.  You can’t blog alone without going completely insane and the community is what I love most. The close-knitness is fabulous and I never thought blogging would let me form a whole group of awesome buddies!

Following on the topic of blog buddies... TWITTER!  Ohmigosh... I love you Twitter!  When I first started out, I didn't really like it and only used it for advertising my reviews but then I started really using it and I've never looked back.  It gives you a fantastic way to reach out to fellow bloggers and I've had the pleasure of chatting to lots of bloggy friends!  If we've never talked and you don't mind my craziness, please feel free to start a conversation with me, I don't bite and I'd love to meet you!!!

My first blog design!

In May, the blog got a makeover and it’s not been changed ever since – I just love it and I think it definitely fits in with the theme and character of the blog! Thanks to Jude at In Between Designs for dressing up my baby blog so beautifully!

In June, I received my first review book direct from a publisher!  I still remember that warm, fuzzy feeling I got when the book dropped through my letterbox.  I’ll admit… I still do a happy dance whenever I get sent a book for review ^.^  It’s terribly exciting… and I love the sense of responsibility it gives you!

And this is a big one and definitely one of my best highlights of the year: in August, this little blog became a co-written blog (Co-authored blog? Co-blogged blog?)!  Yes, this is when Jen jumped on board and became my fabulous co-blogger.  I'm so thrilled to have made such a wonderful, reliable friend who is so supportive and encouraging in every way.  I can't wait for your blogoversary on ARD, Jen!

My baby Kindle xo

In September, my parents bought me a Kindle.  Before blogging and even when I first started, I turned my nose up on e-readers.  Why would you want one of those when you could have a fresh paperback?  I just didn't want one... why did society insist on substituting everything we know and love with technology?  It wasn't until summer that I seriously began thinking of getting one.  Everyone was shouting their praises and when Jen joined, her devotion to her Kindle gave me that push to ask for one for my birthday.

And now I absolutely adore it!!!  Without blogging, I would never have discovered the delight of owning this object so that's why it's also a highlight and an important fragment of my journey!  I soon realised e-readers aren't out to replace physical books, they are a completely different experience and one which should be appreciated on its own.  And with e-books, comes NETGALLEY.  Bam, a whole new door opened.  My first approval was for Saving June by Hannah Harrington.  I'm not even joking, Netgalley is a book blogger's sweet shop O.O I have been really good though and restrained myself from going on crazy requesting sprees *grows a beard, shrinks a few inches, becomes a wise Asian master, rasps in a low voice: 'Today I share with you a nugget of my wisdom: Self-control is key.'*  (I'm not crazy... maybe just a little :P)

And now, January 2013.  Oh wait - *loses the beard, grows a few inches and returns to teenage Asian girl form*  I'm here and telling you about my blogging experiences a day after my One Year Blogoversary.  It has been a journey of ups and downs (mostly ups) but I got here!  Thank you for joining me and making my year so special and I hope this year will be just as wonderful and crazy as the last for both you and me!

Happy reading,
Beverley xxx

One Year Blogoversary Celebrations Kick-Off + International Giveaway!

Credits to Amelia at The Authoress for the pretty graphic *strokes computer screen*

GUYS, it’s my one year blogoversary!  *throws confetti and gives out free cupcakes* Wow.  I can’t believe I've made it to one year.  Okay, so I didn't think I’d give up half way through but I didn't expect to have achieved so much since I started.  It may not be a lot compared to other bloggers but I'm OVER THE MOON with what I have achieved.  To go from 1 follower to the combined 900+ we have now and to have so many of you commenting on my reviews is just amazing XD In the beginning I didn't think anyone would be interested in what I have to say, so all your wonderful comments have been so supportive and encouraging.  Thanks to those who tell me ‘Great review’, but millions of hugs and cupcakes to those who go the extra mile and share with me their own thoughts and which aspects of my reviews they agreed or disagreed with.  But there will be more giving out of 'thank you's' in later posts this week!  

Now here’s some stats for the blog since it came about one year ago:

Pageviews: 58,681  (<< where did that come from :O ?  When I started I was lucky to get 30 views a day!)

GFC Followers: 710 (* hyperventilates*  THANK YOU >.<)

Linky Followers: 115

Networked Blogs Followers: 82

Most visited by people from:  US and UK

Posts (including Jen’s): 159 (which makes this post #160 - ohmigosh, perfect even number *sighs*)

Comments: 2100 (I LOVE YOU GUYS... you already knew that, right?)

Twitter followers: 362 (so many of you reading my strange ramblings XD)

Facebook likes: 77

To celebrate this milestone and get you all to join in the fun, I’ve organised an INTERNATIONAL giveaway for a book of YOUR choice.  Think of it as a little thank you for the support you’ve shown me over the past year: whether you commented on a review, followed the blog, chatted to me on Twitter, liked the Facebook page, added me on Goodreads… YOU GUYS ROCK!  And if you’re new to A Reading Daydreamer, let me give you a HUGE WELCOME – I hope you’ll stick by for another year!  

<a href="http://a-reading-daydreamer.blogspot.com/2013/01/one-year-blogoversary-celebrations-kick.html"><img src="http://i45.tinypic.com/282marn.jpg"></a>

Anyway, here’s the rules/ terms and conditions (who actually cares? But things need to be kept official with a capital O):

- Fill in the Rafflecopter below - please don't leave personal details in the comments section (for your own safety)

- The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as long as The Book Depository ships to your country for free (BD is full of awesomeness and deliver everywhere, but click HERE to check)

- You must be 13 or older to enter (Sorry to all our younger readers)

- The winner(s) must choose a teen/YA book (no baby or adult fiction, we are a YA blog after all!) up to the value of £7 or $11 (USD) 

- As TBD is sending out the prize, I am not responsible for books lost or damaged in the post 

- The only mandatory requirement is that you are a follower via Google Friend Connect (GFC)

- Other entries are optional but completing them could give you a better chance of winning :)

- Giveaway ends on 1st March 2012 2013 (Sorry! Still haven't got used to the new year!)

- I will email the winner who must reply within 48 hours, otherwise the prize will go to someone else :(

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I think I've covered everything so good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour!

Before I sign off, I'd like to say another MASSIVE THANKS for all your support this year - I really could not ask for better readers and I can't wait to meet all the newcomers who will discover A Reading Daydreamer this year!

And please do stick by this week: there will be several posts especially written in celebration of my blogoversary AND several more giveaways for you to enter!

Happy reading,

Beverley xxx

P.S. Apologies for the craziness ^.^  Blogoversaries are good for you >.<

Our New Year's Blogging and Reading Resolutions

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I can't believe it's 2013 already!  2012 seems to have flown by really quickly and it's almost scary to think we're into another year.  To welcome the new year, Jen and I have come together with our New Year's Blogging and Reading Resolutions!

Bev's New Year Resolutions

I have been blogging for nearly a year now and I'm still learning new things everyday.  I've had a thought about what I'd like to achieve and improve on in the next year and I'd like to share them with you: 

• BE MORE ORGANISED!  Jen is definitely the organised one out of the two of us and ever since she joined in August, the scheduling of the blog has been much smoother.  Before, I was more of a spontaneous blogger and I think I've improved since then with planning.  I hope to further this in the next year so things can be sorted which will make life easier :D 
• Keep a blogging notebook.  This ties in with the above, but I'd like to keep a notebook where I can quickly jot down thoughts and interesting quotes while I'm reading a book.  I love when bloggers include funny quips from the book in their reviews so a notebook would be useful, as well as help me get organised with dates and things >.<
• Continue to provide informative yet interesting reviews.  I like to think my reviews contain sufficient information and enough of my opinions in order to allow you to make up your own mind as to whether the book is for you.  I'm still trying to find ways to make them more interesting so I don't bore you!
• Gain more readers and increase pageviews.  I'm certainly proud of what we've achieved so far and I hope this year will be just as successful as the last.  I don't worry as much anymore about follower numbers (although they are encouraging) and find that the number of actual readers is more important.  Each and every comment on a review or post means much more to me than a new box under the GFC tab.  So thank you to all of those who regularly stop by and comment!
• READ MORE BOOKS = MORE REVIEWS.  This is a pretty big one.  I'm a pretty slow reader but I think this is more due to the fact that I get distracted easily.  So this year, I'm going to set a time each day just for reading, so hopefully I can post more reviews.

Jen's New Year Resolutions

It sounds like Beverley covered most of my resolutions! I don't think I have many goals at all, because I think what I'm doing is steady and organized. There are a couple of things that I would love to improve on, though!

• Expand on the number of blogs I read on. I usually only read from blogs that frequently comment on this blog & that I've fallen in love with, but I need to read other blogs that are just as awesome that I don't know about! You guys need to suggest some of your favorites to me. :D
• Make new blogger friends! This one ties in a bit with the resolution above, but I seriously need to talk to other readers on Twitter and on the blog, other than my close-knit group of friends that I always talk to. Don't be shy, y'all! 
• Read my review copies that I receive. I'm such a bad blogger y'all, the publishers probably hate me like no other. I used to read every review copy I receive way back when, but now I've kind of just forgotten about reading them. I so need to get back to them, since I don't want anyone to hate me!!
• Like Beverley (and I'm sure many other bloggers), I want to read lots books as well as keep my grades up (not that they were bad, but..)! I'm quite proud with the number of books I've read this year-- in the 90's! It's not much compared to many other bloggers out there, but I'm surprised I read so much considering how busy I always am. Well, thank the lord for audiobooks! I know this coming year will blow my head off with SATs coming up and tons more IB classes on the way, but my goal for 2013 is to read 50 books. Cross your fingers!

So that's our New Year's Resolutions... what do you think?  And please feel free to share some of your Resolutions with us!

Happy reading,
Beverley and Jen xx