This, That and The Everything Austen Reading Challenge

I've been posting like mad lately so that you won't miss me too much while I'm gone on vacation. The fam and I are headed to Utah tomorrow - it's our favorite place to spend the 4th of July. I'll be reading books and email, but I won't be posting until I return in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, here are a few things to keep you busy (including 2 new giveaways!):

- You may have noticed on my review of If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor that I launched a new feature called If this were a movie, it would be rated ... I know a lot of readers wish books came with a rating system similar to that used on movies. This is my completely subjective version. If you disagree with my evaluation, feel free to let me know. Hopefully, this will be a valuable tool.

- If you're an adoptee, an adoptive parent, someone considering adoption, or if you are just interested in the topic, you might want to check out Adoptive Famiiles magazine's list of the best books about adoption. You can find the list here, or check out the magazine's bookstore here. They have some great recommendations.

- If you haven't read the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris (and I haven't), here's your chance. Melissa at Melissa's Bookshelf is giving away a set of the first 7 books. Go here to enter. Contest ends July 5 at 8 p.m. EST.

- Lisa at Online Publicist is doing a series of BEA (Book Expo America) giveaways. Currently, she has 2 children's books up for grabs. For more info, click here. Contest ends June 26, so hurry on over and check it out.

- Nymeth has a fun contest going on over at Things Mean A Lot. The winner gets a copy of any YA sci fi/fantasy book he/she chooses. Woo hoo. Contest ends Sunday, so get on over there and enter.

- Stephanie at Stephanie's Written Word is hosting a reading challenge. You may remember how I got myself in waaaay over my head with challenges last year - so much so that I unentered all of them and swore off challenges. Well, this one is just a little too tantalizing. So, I'm going to enter her Everything Austen Challenge. You have to choose 6 Austen-themed things to do between July 1 and January 1, 2010. The challenge includes prizes (woo hoo!). Here's my list:

1. Read Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

2. Read Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattilo

3. Read Austenland by Shannon Hale

4. Read Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

5. Watch Pride & Prejudice (BBC version)

6. Re-watch Pride & Prejudice (2005)

I'm really excited about this one. Emphasis on one, as in this is the one and only challenge I'm doing this year (not counting My Light & Fluffy Fluke-A-Thon, of course).

Okay, about the giveaway ... I have two books up for grabs. I described each contest in the following posts. Hopefully, it all makes sense. Both contests end on July 10 and are open worldwide. Good luck

Have a wonderful 4th, everybody! I'll catch you all when I get back.