How would you like to kick off the holiday season with a copy of the Scorpio Races AND a pair of cowboy boots? You would like that right? Well check out the review and then read the entry rules below to see how you can enter this awesome giveaway!

The Scorpio Races is a very unique book. It tells the story of legendary races that happen on the Irish island of Thisby, in November. Men and boys ride the capaill uisce, Celtic water-horses, in a race that ultimately claims many lives. It alternates between the perspectives of 2 riders: Sean Kendrick and Kate “Puck” Connelly. Sean is a race champion, but comes from a modest background and works as a stable hand for a rich breeder. Puck comes from a sadder place: her parents were killed by the water horses and, when her and her brother’s house is to be taken away, she decides to race her horse, Dove, to earn money. Sean and Puck begin developing a relationship, but it is always tainted by the fact that only one of them can win the race.

Stiefvater’s writing in The Scorpio Races is superb. I previously read her book Shiver and while it was good, it was also slightly juvenile. The Scorpio Races feels a lot more mature and appropriate for readers who don’t quite fall into the “teen” category anymore. At first, I wasn’t a fan of the water horses or use of Irish folklore, but it proved really interesting. I give her props for completely inventing a new supernatural creature and not going along with the crowd (although her Shiver trilogy did revolve around werewolves).

What I didn’t like about this book was the slow-moving pace. It takes over 150 pages to really get into the grit of the story, which I think is just too darn long. I usually give a book 50 pages before I toss it, but since I was reviewing this one, I stuck it out. The story definitely improves, but you have to persevere. I also found the water horses to be a bit confusing at the beginning; they required more description that the author probably didn’t see fit since she was so familiar with the story.

Overall, this is definitely a good and unique read. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you enjoy supernatural novels, then you should give The Scorpio Races a shot!

Book sounds good right!? We know. And we know you also those riding boots.

1. To enter, just leave us a comment telling us where you would wear your new riding boots. Make sure to use your real email address so we can contact you if you win.

2. Contest ends Dec. 15th at 11:59 PM.

3. Please note this giveaway is only open to US residents. For official rules and more legal mumbo-jumbo, click here.

I’ve been all about the lace lately. Lace shorts, blazers and even accessories, you name it, and I’ve probably lusted after it. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I received this ultra feminine lace top from Ella + Cathy to review for CollegeCandy.

It runs pretty true to size, I am usually a four and a medium was the best size for me to achieve a flowy and delicate look. The best part about this top is that it will work with stuff that is already in your closet. How many times have you brought something home only to realize you’re missing the bandeau, skinny belt, or flat lying skirt that you need to pull it off.? After experiencing this feeling of utter desperation more times than I’d like to admit, I tend to gravitate to pieces that will join the party in my closet right off the bat, no makeovers necessary.

Seriously, you don’t need to rush out and buy anything new to incorporate it! To demonstrate this, I grabbed a best friend and convinced her to get her model on. I styled her only with clothes I owned previously:

Look #1

Look #2

Look #3

Look #4

Look #5

Like this shirt? Check out more from Ella + Cathy. Follow them on Twitter here and check out their blog here.

But before we bust out the Franzia and slap the bag on the porch, let’s look at the week that was:

- The government is putting a wrench in the ‘T’ of ‘GTL.’ We looked at how Jersey Shore is paying for our health insurance.

- Oh college hook-ups. Did you ever think about what it would be like with the opposite…er…same sex? We did, and didn’t find it so bad.

- As if you need an extra reminder that Ellen Degeneres is the absolute bomb.com, we’ve got you covered.

- We looked forward to the awesome TV coming our way this spring.

- We had the (absolutely amazing) opportunity to chat it up with Jason Wade, lead singer of Lifehouse.

- In our lovely edition of Cosmo Says the Darndest Things, we learn the silly reasons he must be hiding his deepest of secrets.

- We wondered why Tina Fey and Lea Michele are considered ugly and if their characters are good or bad for women.

- We warned you of the annoying people you’ll encounter after Spring Break has come to a tan, hungover, and jet-lagged end.

- We broke down the ins and outs of Obama’s new health plan.

And now, at last, the week is done. So step away from the computer and go enjoy the beautiful weather outside. (Or take the laptop with you and Facebook-stalk from the lawn…if you can see your computer screen under this sunshine).

Normally, I don’t get really hyped up about drugstore brands because they don’t meet my high beauty standards. But I guess it’s true that there’s a first for everything because I’ve got a new drugstore obsession: Soap And Glory. The pink vintage packaging caught my eye at Target a few weeks ago, and I’ve been in love ever since.

No joke, I want to climb out my window and scream it from the rooftops!

While I only have a few products (they’re always sold out!), I wanted to share my initial thoughts and praise with you. This brand is incredible not only in quality but also in price. I honestly have no idea how they do it, but Soap and Glory’s products are already some of my favorites.

In this vid, I’m reviewing two of the products I own, and some others I tried and will own as soon as I can get my hands on them. Let’s just hope the people at my local Target don’t get too annoyed with my phone calls asking if they’ve re-stocked yet.

[Please excuse the raspy voice-I am recovering from another college bound illness. I'm shocked I didn't have to edit out any coughing.]

OK her belly button is scary, but look at those muscles!

My morning ritual consists of a tall cup of coffee, a scroll through the New York Times and turning on the first ten minutes of Live with Regis and Kelly to see what Kelly Ripa is wearing for the day.

Or, more realistically, how hot and toned she looks in whatever she’s wearing for the day.

It was hard not to notice Kelly Ripa whip herself into the best shape of her life almost instantly two years ago. She had always looked good, but suddenly her body looked insane. In a good way. I wanted to know her secrets. I longed for the formula to her suddenly sculpted arms and her six pack abs. Every time I saw her on the cover of a magazine, I scooped it up, hoping to solve the mystery to Kelly’s perfect bod.

And then I discovered it: Physique 57.

Just six months ago, this 57-minute routine could only be found on 57^th street in New York City for nearly $30 a class. This summer, though, the creators of this intense body weight training workout released three DVDs: the classic 57-minute workout, the 30-minute full body express and the abs and arms booster. Obviously, trusting Ripa’s testimonies, I immediately coughed up the cash. Three days later, I was sweating, burning, and working my way to my very own Kelly Ripa body.

Now I am an active girl who likes a challenge and I swear that these workouts are no joke. Every time I push “play” a new part of my body is left feeling the burn, never fully feeling like I have mastered the program. A mixture of body weight training, cardiovascular exercise and a process called “interval overload,” this 57-minute workout will have your thighs shaking and your abs begging for mercy from the very beginning. No joke, these three total body toning workouts are the key to whittling that waist and transforming your body for the better.

Unlike other workouts (both on DVD and even at the gym!) where I have wondered when I would feel the burn, Physique 57 keeps my crying saying, “Oh yea, I am feeling the burn,” until the very. last. minute.

I have been doing Physique 57 for three months now and I cannot talk enough about the results and how this workout changed my life for the better. My arms are sculpted like never before, my abdominals are now flatter than a cookie sheet and my shoulders and thighs are more defined than ever. It took literally one week of alternating the three workouts for me to see my waist shrinking and more muscle forming. One week! And not only do I see the results, but I feel them as well; I’m no longer winded after a run around campus or need a coffee to make it through my classes.

I am so enthralled with these videos that if the makers of Physique 57 asked me to be a testimony for their product I would jump up on a couch in a manner that would put Tom Cruise to shame (and I’d look damn good doing it!). I can speak and swear through my experience that this program will have your body doing a U-turn towards a slimmer waistline and a metabolic makeover in no time.

I had seen a few advance reviews for “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, all of which raved about the novel, so I went into it with pretty high expectations. On top of that, it’s one of the few books ever to be selected as a “Heather’s Pick” at Chapters/Indigo (Canadian Barnes & Noble basically). This discovery, again, amped up my hopes. And I was not disappointed!

The main character of “Beautiful Creatures” is Ethan Wate – 16-year-old basketball stud from Gatlin, a town in the deep South. A year before the novel begins, Ethan’s mother passes away and since then, his life has changed immensely. His father writes all night and sleeps all day, so Ethan sees him about once a week, which leaves Amma, their housekeeper, to care for him. Along with the changes in his home life, Ethan has begun to have strange dreams, ones with a mysterious girl in the rain and when he wakes up, he is usually soaking wet, his hands caked with mud.

Then one day, the girl from his dreams shows up at school. Her name is Lena Duchannes and she is the niece of Macon Ravenwood, the town shut-in, automatically making her a social outcast. However, despite the best efforts of Ethan and his popular friends, he cannot deny that he is drawn to her. Eventually, Ethan gives in and when he does, he and Lena begin a magical journey that he could have never predicted. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away since the suspense about what is happening is one of the best parts! However, I will say that you won’t expect the “supernatural” twist in this novel.

Despite the fact that the main characters are even younger than my youngest sibling, I still really enjoyed and connected to the story. The characters don’t seem 16, which makes this way easier for 20-somethings to read. “Beautiful Creatures” is also very well-written – just enough description to give you a good idea of the setting and lush, Southern atmosphere. There is nothing that I hate more than over description in a book (you know – a whole page describing a blade of grass). There is none of that here. Actually, I think one of the reasons that I like teen books in general is that they tend to stay away from tons of adjectives and just get to the grit of the story.

Another problem I’ve had with supernatural teen fiction lately has been the “Twilight”-syndrome. There are SO many books out there that have taken the basic bones of the Twilight novel and then slotted in another supernatural being (werewolves, angels, etc). I HATE THAT! “Beautiful Creatures” DOES NOT do that, thankfully. It has a unique story, which, unfortunately, is a rarity in teen fiction these days.

I’m going to recommend “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl to any fan of teen fiction or supernatural fiction, OR people who are fans of a combination of the two, such as Twilight, Shiver, etc. The unique story and supernatural suspense will keep anyone interested and reading away hours at a time. Enjoy!

- Reruns of Home Improvement took me back to the days when it was the only show my mom would let me stay up to watch because of my borderline unhealthy crush on JTT.
- My mom sent me some old family photos, including one of me donning a skort. When it was cool.
- And my roommate reminding me of the days when you had to hear that obnoxious dial-up tone just to get some awesome IM chat time on AOL.

Ahhh…the good ol’ days.

Now are the days of so-called “adulthood,” when mom no longer is in charge of selecting and purchasing your wardrobe (the purchasing part I didn’t mind so much…) and you are now responsible for updating your wardrobe with the latest trends every season by yourself.  The internet is now available everywhere (well, mostly) without that obnoxious dial-up tone, so that’s cool, but unless you are lucky enough win one, you have to actually purchase your own computer? What the eff?

And what’s this I hear about books being old news?

And don’t even get me started on the guy front. Who woulda thunk we’d actually be turning to guys for love advice? I mean, what happened to the days of sleepovers and gushing over some stupid note your crush passed you? Now, we are bombarded with where to meet guys, how to meet guys, wah wah wah. Between the dating scene and what alcoholic beverage I should down first, being grown up is exhausting!

Ugh. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m totes missing the days of math homework and skorts.

This week we got some great tips on how to make those summer days last all night with the beach babe to party girl accessories. (Don’t forget to accessorize the booze too!) But first you gotta remember to lather up on the sunscreen to protect yourself from those Cindy Crawfords you got on your body, because they can be super dangerous.

We got some awesome ideas to spice up those romantic (if you call painting each other romantic) summer dates, which may probably lead to something that we discussed a whole lot about this week, too: sex, or rather, making love. Is it possible that it can actually be too good? (That is, if he can always get it up, of course.) And what’s the absolute best way to avoid a bun in the oven?

This week definitely exposed us to some crazy people in this world, like the woman who apparently thought she was a cosmetic surgeon, or the couple in Sweden who is raising their child without a gender. Not to mention the woman with the strongest vajay.

In addition to saying goodbye to the infamous MJ, we also gave a wave to Zac and Chase’s bangs, though both will always live on in our hearts.

And now it’s Friday. Thank. God. If you’re going out for a night on the town, be sure to spice up the evening’s outfit with some of the latest fashion porn, or if you’re just into the porn part, that’s okay too…I guess.

We  spent the rest of the week thinking about being an independent woman and wondered if we were just being too picky to find that right guy to sweep us off our feet. When that got too depressing we started thinking about the end of the semester instead. There’s still so much left to do before we move out! We have to get ready for graduation, get real jobs or get ready to transfer to a new school (beware if you’re switching to NYU, though; we got some bad news about their financial aid package).

All this stress really made us miss high school, where we would be getting ready for prom right about now. Which is why we are putting the books away for the night and grabbing a drink. Don’t worry, it’s just one.

Also, this week was the first week that, at least for a lot of the country, it actually felt like spring—which makes us (and squirrels) want to party!  So throw on that new organic cotton sundress, paint your nails hot pink, and have fun!  Plus, we all know that spring puts us in a sexy mood (you’re probably stalking your crush’s Facebook page while you read this, right?), and now we know exactly how to find that new guy.

With all the fun we’ve been having this week, it’s going to be hard to get back to writing that paper we’ve been putting off. But we must, or we may regret it later.