Summer Book Celebration MAJOR GIVEAWAY

Winner announced here!

Happy Middle of the Summer Book Celebration!

I'm on vacation and since I didn't want to leave you all hanging, I thought I would offer a fun giveaway while I'm lounging away on a beach. Sounds fun? Well, I hope you enjoy it because I've got a load of great books to offer to ONE LUCKY WINNER!

I decided to put all my new-found-faves into one batch of great reads for you. These are all relatively newly released books from authors I have recently discovered that I think would make great summer reads. Whether they have water themes (some of them do), or just were really great books with characters that I couldn't get out of my mind, I want someone to have a collection of them all. So, thanks to these authors and their publicists, it's going to happen for YOU!

Here is the list of books that are up for grabs to ONE LUCKY WINNER, in no particular order: 

(Click on the title of the book for the full previous Manic review)

Can I Get An Amen - Sarah Healy

I’m in love with Ellen who gets dumped by her husband because of their infertility problems and she finds herself back at home with her very God-loving, God-fearing mom, who spurts phrases about the Lord every other sentence, and suggests that Jesus will show Ellen the way. 

On the Island - Tracey Garvis Graves

People love this book. It's got a great catch to it -- two people are stranded on a deserted island -- a 16-year-old boy who's in remission from cancer, and his 30-year-old tutor. And yep, they get BUSY! But, Tracey doesn't get all Fifty Shades of Grey on us … however, I can guarantee there is some steamy scenes and you'll definitely be thinking about TJ and Anna long after you close the pages of On the Island! 

The Underside of Joy - Sere Prince Halverson

A stepmom loses her husband to a drowning, and the birth mother comes back to reclaim her two children. A custody battle ensues. It’s not your basic stepmom fights birth mother story – the writing is so lyrical and fluid, and the setting adds so much to the novel in the fictional Elbow, California, with its Redwood trees, the lush forest, and the flowing river that runs through it.

Saving Ruth - Zoe Fishman

 
A near-drowning at the pool occurs and the events that transpire afterward put the whole story into motion – Saving Ruth deals with issues of eating disorders, depression, racial indifferences, marriage problems, sibling rivalry, and family relationships. 

The End of Everything - Megan Abbott

The End of Everything is another one of those books that I read about and I KNEW in my gut I just had to read ASAP. There are very few books like this that I just feel in my soul when I read about it that I just KNOW I have to get my hands on it or I will die won't be able to stop thinking about it. (Megan's got another one I'll be featuring very soon called DARE ME that you'll LOVE as well!)

Attachments - Rainbow Rowell

The story is set in 1999 when email is just coming onto the scene. Two of the main characters, Beth and Jennifer, both who work at a newspaper, correspond with one another through email. The guy whose job it is to monitor email at the company, Lincoln, falls in love with Beth through her emails, never having seen her because he works nights.

The Art of Forgetting - Camille Noe Pagan

I cracked it open thinking I would take a sneak peek and suddenly I was on chapter six dying to know what was happening with the mystery behind Nathan, Marissa’s ex-love, and wondering about the brain injury that her best friend, Julia sustains. I read this book at a super-fast pace and couldn’t recommend it enough! Such a great read!

Monarch Beach - Anita Hughes

This is the one I have actually been savoring to take to the beach with me as a special present to myself to enjoy! Already going into second printing! Yay Anita! 

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. - Nichole Bernier

This is one of those books that I hunted down myself. I saw it on FB or somewhere on another author’s page and I knew I had to get my hands on it so I contacted the author’s publicist and asked for it. The whole mystery of the story caught my eye; the fact that the main character is already gone and her best friend has to put pieces of the mystery together by reading her journals, and the fact that it’s actually two stories in one. I just love journal stories! And I wanted this book!

Spin & Arranged - Catherine McKenzie

SPIN: I loved SPIN because it was a little like peeking into the life of a starlet like Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears in rehab, and the ways that Katie matures during her rehab stint shows that it’s possible for even the most skeptical to gain a little insight in rehab. And yes, there’s also a little love connection going on in rehab too, so you won’t want to miss out on SPIN!

ARRANGED: Anne Blythe has just broken up with another one of her boyfriends and finds a business card in the street promoting what she thinks is a dating company. She keeps the card and eventually calls this ‘dating’ company only to discover they really arrange marriages. Tired of picking the wrong men, and after deep contemplation, she agrees to be matched for marriage. Soon, Anne is on her way to Mexico to meet, Jack, the man who’s the perfect match for her, sight unseen.

So, if you want to receive ALL 11 of these books by these 10 authors to watch for, leave me a comment on what the most exciting thing you've done or will do this summer! 

A random winner will be chosen when I get back from my very own summer week at the beach. 

Please note we can only send winning books to a U.S. or Canada winner!

Thanks, and I hope you've enjoyed this little extra surprise giveaway on Booking with Manic! 

If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please use an identifying name and it's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in about a week or so to see if you've won the book -- I will highlight the winner's name at the top of this post. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

THE UNDERSIDE OF JOY by Sere Prince Halverson

 Congrats to 

Dani in Chicago!

You've won The Underside of Joy!

Please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com

with your mailing address so you can receive your book!

The Underside of Joy
By Sere Prince Halverson

I knew I would love The Underside of Joy by the title alone. I mean, come on, what IS the The Underside of Joy? This is a book that I read in record time, and for me, finding time to read with three kids does not come easily. I usually only read at night before bed, or in the car while waiting for a kid during a basketball practice. 

With Sere Prince Halverson’s debut, I snuck in reading all the time, neglecting the laundry more than usual, forgetting to feed lunch to kids, and ignoring anything that got in my way.

It’s truly mesmerizing.

The premise is this: A step-mom loses her husband to a drowning, and the birth mother comes back to reclaim her two children. A custody battle ensues. It’s not your basic step-mom fights birth mother story – the writing is so lyrical and fluid, and the setting adds so much to the novel in the fictional Elbow, California, with its Redwood trees, the lush forest, and the flowing river that runs through it.

I fell in love with the characters—Ella, the widowed step-mother, who fights to keep her children, Annie and Zach, after their father dies. She’s the only mother they have ever known. And I even felt sympathy for Paige, the birth mother, who has been gone for three years because she couldn’t deal with motherhood due to a long-ago secret of her own.

This is a story that will tug at your heartstrings; that will have you turning pages so quickly because you can’t wait to find out what will happen next. You’ll love Ella’s extended family – her lost husband’s Italian family, and the heritage they hold close to their hearts, you’ll root for her, and you’ll cry for her losses. You’ll think of Ella, and of Paige even, and definitely of Annie and Zach long after you’ve closed the book, and you’ll wonder about your own Underside of Joy. 

To win a copy of The Underside of Joy, tell me about a particular time in your life or a particular place that is very joyful to you. Don't read other people's comments until you comment first because I don't want their choices to affect your answer. Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind, whether it was a place, being with a person, or a feeling about something or someone that gave you immense joy!

I'll choose a winner later in the week, and also, HOPEFULLY, I'll have ANOTHER book to give away this week too, so please do come back! I've got a TON of books coming up -- it's completely crazy! Which is GREAT FOR YOU!

Please remember, this is for US/Canada contestants only, and I have to thank the author and publicists for making these contests possible!