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| Credit to Weekendnotes.com |
It should come as no great surprise after my Waiting on Wednesday post a couple weeks ago that I adore the Gallagher Girls series and Ally Carter in general. I found I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You at a Scholastic book sale I went to with my mom. I'm not 100% sure what year it was. LYKY was published in April 2006 which meant that I was in the final month of my high school career so if we go with that sale occuring in 2006, I was already past Disney-Hyperion's intended age demographic. I can't stress this enough: I didn't care. I picked up the book because it had a clever title, a cute cover, and an interesting summary: girl at all-girls spy school falls for normal boy. Hijinks ensue. I had no idea that I was fall for this series hard and fast. I eagerly (and impatiently) awaited each new installment and bought them all on release day. I think at some point, I traded in my beloved (and, to be honest, abused) first copies of LYKY and Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (seriously, Ally and her editors must have had a blast coming up with these names!) for hardcovers so they'd match. Yeah, I'm picky like that.
Well, I may have been "too old" to be part of the key demographic, but the Gallagher Girls series has been a favorite of mine since then. Ally Carter has been on the list of my favorite authors long before I started reading Richelle Mead, Cassandra Clare, and Gayle Forman. In fact, I think the only people who may precede her on that list of authors-whose-work-I-stalk-maniacally-and-automatically-buy-when-they-publish are Meg Cabot, Suzanne Collins (I was reading her work years before The Hunger Games, y'all, to be perfectly hipster about it), and yes, J.K. Rowling. So, yes, GG is older than Vampire Academy, older than Twilight, older than The Mortal Instruments, older than most of the huge series and trilogies we swqueal over today. And yet, now that I face the end of the published tales of Cammie, Bex, Liz, Macy, Zack, Josh, Mr. Solomon, and the other inhabitants of the Gallagher Academy For Exceptional Young Women, I don't feel quite ready for it to be over. I feel like it should have a long life left, and I don't quite know what to do with myself in the face of such a monumental reading moment, other than brace myself for what's sure to be an explosive conclusion full of feels and, hopefully, shirtless Zach.
In April, I know I talk about it ad nauseum, I went to the TLA conference, and I had the opportunity to FINALLY meet Ally. As soon as I knew she'd be there, I called my mom and ordered her to mail me my GG collection immediately upon pain of death (not really. My mom actually started reading them because I talked about them all the time. She loves them almost as much as I do. Almost). I had Ally sign every single GG book I own, plus all three of my Heist Society novels. I'm cruel, it's true, but she did it graciously and with a smile on her face. Also, I got back in line every time I hit the book limit so I was trying to be nice to my fellow conference attendees! I ALSO had Ally sign three extra books: paperback copies of LYKY, Cross My Heart, and Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover. These I want to pass on to one of you. This series has meant so much to me over the years, and I want to share that with one of you.
Giveaway rules:
This giveaway is for US citizens only! Sorry, everybody else; I just can't afford international multi-book shipping anymore. I'll do another for you soon. This giveaway runs through midnight CST September 9. Please please please familiarize yourselves with my giveaway policies! I really hate to disqualify entries, but I will if I find any that are not following the rules I have set for my giveaways. These policies can be found in the Review / Site Policies tab at the top of the page. Good luck!
Comment prompts:
If you've read the books:
1. What is your favorite class offered at the Gallagher Academy?
2. Who would you like to go undercover with as a partner?
If you haven't read the books:
3. If you were a spy, what tools would you want to have in your spy kit?
4. Would you rather: A. Be a spy and fall in love with a normal person? B. Be normal and fall in love with a spy? C. Be a spy and fall in love with a spy...who is your enemy? Dum dum dum!
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Macy because her personality is the opposite of mine so I think we'd balance each other out on a mission.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of picking Macy until I read Double Crossed. Now I know she could kick some major butt on a mission!
DeleteHaha, I think I would like to BE a spy and fall in love WITH a spy.:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
I would want that too! :) Thanks for entering & good luck!
DeleteOH GOODNESS, I have been wanting to read this series FOREVER! Thanks for doing the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI was obsessed with Harriet the Spy when I was little (remember the Nickelodeon movie with Michelle Tratchtenberg and Rosie O'Donnell?!), and I always loved that she kept track of everything in a notebook. As a writer, I think I would definitely have a spy notebook.
I'd also want one of Veronica Mars' awesome Nikon cameras. Hidden cameras, bugs, lock picks, and night vision are important too. This is making me want to be a spy/write a spy story! :P
I don't think I ever watched Harriet all the way through. I also never read it, which is a shame, but I would definitely have to have a notebook of some kind. And YES to Veronica Mars. Honestly, if I were going on a mission, I'd pick Camme from GG and Veronica. They're both great.
DeleteI haven't read this series yet! In fact, I always thought I wouldn't enjoy it until recently. I don't know what was wrong with me!! Now I am really looking forward to picking this series up. As for what I would have in my spy kit - a hidden camera, a hidden mic, binoculars (night vision on course), and a whole lot of other spy gear that I would know about if I were a spy (which, just for clarification, I'm not.) :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe you ARE a spy and you're just trying to throw us off your trail! Don't worry. Once you read GG, you'll have an idea of all sorts of spy stuff. I am amazed by Ally's creativity to the point where I would absolutely believe it if she were a retired spy. I just wouldn't be able to come up with all the details on my own like she has! Let me know what you think when you read them. I'd love to hear!
DeleteAhhhhh! I have all the other books, but these three! (Babysitting after school just doesn't help pay the bookish habit) I love love love Ally Carter! I can't make it to any of her signings though because the closest is Chicago, but convincing the parentals that a six hour trip would be worth it would be futile.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, CoveOps or Culture and Assimilation would be my favorites! And I think I'd like Liz to be my partner. I'd feel so secure knowing I had a brainiac there to help me out!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Xo
I know what you mean about financing the book habit. That's why I use the library a lot. These, however, I've been collecting for years. If it makes you feel better, I don't get to make the 4 hour trip to see Ally here in Texas either. :( At least I met her earlier this year and could get these books! Good luck!!
DeleteIf only we were rich! Haha
DeleteIf I had a million dollars, I'd buy myself a house and fill it with books. If only indeed!
DeleteIm love GG so much so Im gonna answer all of them
ReplyDelete1. What is your favorite class offered at the Gallagher Academy?
I would say Covert ops. Not because its the "coolest class" and its "fun" because Covert ops truly does teach a person what to expect in life and that its not all candy and flowers out there. Its shows us that we need to be prepared in life and sometimes there are no happy endings.
2. Who would you like to go undercover with as a partner?
Probably Liz. She seems like one of those people who have that kind of good luck that puts them out of harms way.I need that.
Yes to Cove Ops. It does seem like the one that has the most to offer. And two votes for Liz? I love her, but I think I'd feel more secure with one of the other girls with me. Like Cammie says, she likes Liz to be in her earpiece, not in person!
Delete4.) I would rather (C) BE a spy and fall in love with a spy.... The whole who's your enemy thing would be complicated but at least I won't have to hide who I am to them. :) Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteOMG! you love GG too?!? finally someone else! i just made a blog its allysbookcollection.blogspot.com ! i hope you can check it out :)
ReplyDeletei would love to take CoveOps and I would love to go on a mission with Zach *swoon*