The Winner! And Enter My Next Giveaway :)

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway for a $20 Borders giftcard. You guys shared some really sweet holiday stories and gave me some great recommendations (based on what you would get with the giftcard). BTW I did end up giving 2 extra entries for everyone who commented on my reviews :)

And the winner is.....

Aik!

Congrats! I'll be emailing you shortly. You have 48 hours to get back to me.

Now onto my next giveaway. This one is going to last a little longer, but same old easy entries!

Who: 1 winner-U.S. Only (I'm sorry all my international friends!)

What: Win 3 books; The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Flight to Freedom by Ana Veciana- Suarez and The Ring by Bobbie Pyron. Read my The Ring review. Read my Flight to Freedom review

When: Dec. 28, 2009-Jan. 18, 2010

How: I have 2 copies of Flight to Freedom and The House on Mango Street. So I decided to giveaway one. And Bobbie Pyron has graciously agreed to donate a copy of The Ring. Thanks Bobbie!

Must leave an email address! Just leave me any kind of comment, it could just be 'hey'. Interesting/funny/thoughtful comments are always appreciated!

+1 Sidebar link (leave link)

+3 long time follower (haha Edi I followed your advice!)

+2 new follower

+2 First person to comment on any reviews starting today till Jan. 18 (MLK Day).

+5 If you comment on all reviews from now until Jan. 18 (can't just be 'great review').

I've read all these books (just not all reviewed) and I really really liked them and I'm sure you will too!

Best of luck everyone and have a happy new year!

Flight to Freedom by Ana Veciana-Suarez (YA)

Yara is an eighth-grader who lives in a middle-class neighborhood of 1967 Havana, Cuba. Her parents, who do not share the political beliefs of the Communist party, finally are forces to flee Cuba with their children to Miami, Florida. There, Yara records in her diary the difficulties she encounters in a strange land with foreign customs. She must learn English and go to school with new children. Her parents also adjust to the new country differently, and Yara's father grows frustrated with her mother when she becomes more independent.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Told in a series of vignettes stunning for their eloquence, The House on Mango Street is Sandra Cisneros's greatly admired novel of a young girl growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. Acclaimed by critics, beloved by children, their parents and grandparents, taught everywhere from inner-city grade schools to universities across the country, and translated all over the world, it has entered the canon of coming-of-age classics.

Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous, The House on Mango Street tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, whose neighborhood is one of harsh realities and harsh beauty. Esperanza doesn't want to belong--not to her rundown neighborhood, and not to the low expectations the world has for her. Esperanza's story is that of a young girl coming into her power, and inventing for herself what she will become.

The Ring by Bobbie Pyron (YA)

Plagued by slipping grades and a budding criminal record, at 15, Mardie's heading down a path of self-destruction she can't seem to avoid. Unlike her perfect older brother Michael, who does everything right according to their father, Mardie can't measure up. But when she discovers a girls' boxing club at the gym, Mardie's drawn in by the fighters' fearlessness and strength. Having already lost her parents' trust, and shunned by her boyfriend and friends, the ring is the only place left where no one judges Mardie. Angry and hurt, Mardie can't wait to start throwing punches. But Kitty, her wise and patient trainer, a former boxer who's coached her share of troubled girls, shows Mardie that boxing isn't just about fighting--it's also about strategy and mental discipline--the things that make a fighter into a winner. Mardie begins to apply the lessons she's learned in the ring to her own battles, especially at home, where she finds she's not the only one struggling for acceptance. As she trains for her upcoming championship bouts, Mardie hopes to make her parents proud. Filled with exciting sports action, The Ring is the inspiring story of a girl learning to believe in herself.