She Reads

Testing

2011-07-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

Trying to add a photo to see what Google + is up to...

Something Odd ...

2011-07-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh! There appears to be some sort of picture issue happening on the blog. I can only think that it has something to do with my having to get a new computer. I still have all the book cover photos n such....but well......will have to fight this later when my husband (who knows more about computers than me) is awake and can help me.

Is anyone still reading my blog?

Summer Reading : Vampire Edition

2011-06-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

Summer is a great time to induldge in a bit of brain candy. Easy reading that leaves you warm and fuzzy. For me this is vampire stories. Odd I know, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. This summer I've been leaning more towards shorter faster reads....not large weighty novels that vampire books can sometimes tend to be.

Title: Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Source: public library

Of course I had to read this! Sookie and her crazy paranormal world are my current go to brain candy. I won't spend a lot of time on this, but I do have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this one. See, there has been a lot of talk that this will be the last True Blood novel. Honestly, I'm fine with authors moving on. They can't be expected to write in the same universe forever....it has to get boring! But I've read lots of reviews and spoken with people who bagged on this novel because of the way it ended. I won't discuss it in detail....no spoilers...but I liked how it ended. Ms. Harris wrapped up the series very intelligently. All of their current problems are concluded and all that is left is for them to make a decision. See, this time it's really up to the characters. If they make the right choices.....if Ms. Harris is appropriately inspired....they can come back together and move forward into another book. However, if the characters are content to let their lives settle where they are....then an ending is appropriate. I like this. No loose ends. No what-ifs. Perfect!

Title: Vampires: The Recently Undead
Authors included: Kelley Armstrong, Holly Black, Rachel Caine, Charles De Lint, Charlaine Harris, Tanya Huff, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Nancy Kipatrick, J.A. Konrath, Tanith Lee, Kim Newman, Susan Sizemore, Michael Marshall Smith, Jeanne C. Stein, Carrie Vaughn, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro......and many more.
Genre: fantasy, anthology, short stories, paranormal
Source: Public Library

This is a fantastic anthology! Honestly. I enjoy anthologies in general....they allow me to taste test different authors without having to commit to a full novel. But, I will admit that the stories contained in anthologies are often hit or miss. There is no tell how many will be to your liking. This anthology worked for me. Not only is it chalk full of authors who I already enjoy....they are offering up new stories (most not set in their most famous worlds) to give the reader a glimpse into something new. As a bit of summary, most of the short stories in this collection have something to do with the age of the vampires....their longevity.....how they acclimate themselves into different eras, etc. My favorite happens to be one that contains a tale about Doc Holiday. That was a part of history that I had never connected to vampires. It was fun! Nearly every tale offered something new and interesting, however, there were a few that just didn't work for me....but who knows....maybe they are your flavor?

Bumped

2011-04-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

Title: Bumped
Author: Megan McCafferty
Genre: YA, Dystopia
Source: Netgalley, e-book

Bumped is the story of a world riddled with a devastating disease. Reproduction stops at age 18. Due to this disease, early teen pregnancy is not only trending it's a way of life...

This is definitely a YA novel. It's fast and easy to read. Unfortunately, I don't think that the YA format does justice to the satire the author was so obviously going for. Too many times events are glossed over to really make an impact. For example, one of the main characters finally sees and begins to understand some of the physical problems that can occur with teen pregnancies. She seems to be on the verge of changing her entire philosophy on life.......but is then distracted by her sister's drama to never mention the dangers again.

There are some interesting character arcs, but they too seem to happen to quickly. The conservative Christian character is shown that she can still be with God but doesn't have to go blindly. But then she makes a snap decision to go back. What? A girl who starts off all for the "bumping" process comes to terms with her own secret belief that she doesn't want to be part of the system. She's the knowledge and the ability to continue her growth in this new direction, but is then distracted by teen hormones and an out-of-date condom. (Which, btw, should totally not work and she'll still get pregnant......which might be a spoiler for future books.)

I can see where the satire is and what it is trying to show. However, I don't think this was the most effective way to tell this story. I wasn't rooting for any of the characters. The twists and surprises were telegraphed to the point of being so blatantly obvious I was hoping that the author would have chosen another direction.

On a side note, coming from the fact I work with girls who already think that it is cool to get pregnant in groups.....I really hope they don't read this novel. I feel this is definitely for adults who can think for themselves and see the satire for what it is.

What does saying good bye mean?

2011-04-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

Well, sadly, in the case of Borders.....it means that we are down several brick and mortar book stores. Happily, for me, the closing of Borders has also meant several great book purchases for me.

These are making my book shelves very happy right now. Have you picked up anything good lately?

Boneshaker

2011-03-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

Title: Boneshaker
Author: Cherie Priest
Genre: Steampunk, alternative history
Source: Own, it was a birthday present

If this is what can be expected of steampunk novels....I'm in love! I positively devoured this novel. I've blogged about my issues with reading historical fiction before, luckily for me this novel, and from what I know steampunk in general, doesn't rely on history being mostly accurate or well-known. Imagination leads!

Set in Seattle during the American revolutionary war, Boneshaker is the story about ingenuity and family. Toss in a biological disaster, some zombies, an airship or two, and an underground resistance to make an enjoyable, complex, and enthralling world.

I'm so excited about this novel I've already bought its follow-up, Dreadnought and am eagerly awaiting Ms. Priest's appearance at the Phoenix Comicon in a few months.

Vampyre Kisses

2011-02-21T16:52:00.001-07:00

Title: Vampyre Kisses
Author: Elizabeth J. Kolodziej
Genre: Paranormal, romance
Source: A free copy of the e-book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Werewolves and vampires have settled into a comfortable, long standing, loathing of each other. Witches, while real, are no longer living. Right? This is the general basis of the novel, Vampyre Kisses. There is quite a bit of intrigue and action, but it's very light on the romance....but that's not really a problem. Ms. Kolodziej tells an interesting tale.

What I like:
1. Oran. He's the pet / magical flying beast. He's a tinier than tiny kitten with wings. He's awesome! I want one.

2. There is just the right mix of tensions between the werewolf beau and the vampire suitor.
While the romance plays a very minimal part in the story, the character development of the main characters is crucial. These two boys need to know how to play well together, but it just wouldn't be the same without some of that delicious rivalry.

What I dislike:

1. The mythology is distracting. There is Christianity, there is paganism, there is Wiccanism, there is Hinduism, and even the Greek and Roman pantheons pop up...yet it's all jumbled and mixed up. More than half of the characters are named after well-known "people" with equally well-known mythos. But that's not what we are given. We are given confusion. For example: Within this novel Vampires are a descendant of Cain. Okay, not an issue...this isn't a first. But....only it's not Cain...it's Kane and while the author makes it very clear she is talking about Cain from the Christian Bible...his name is spelled incorrectly and the reason for his downfall is completely incorrect.** This is a peeve of mine. I don't mind authors taking an existing mythos and shaping it or changing little bits to make it their own....this story, however, is just chock full of mixed up, mashed up, myths and legends.

2. There are silly grammar and content errors throughout the book. I have a reasonable tolerance for mistakes of this kind. No one is perfect. Maybe the author intended that word/sentence/phrase to be read differently than I did? However, I was caught stumbling over things like "I'd had had..." repeatedly though out the book. (BTW, I'd is equal to I had...so that makes three hads in a row) There were also some minor content things such as, blood coming from scars. Scars are a healing process. Blood comes from newly opened wounds. It's alright to use that word. Even if a scar is cut open, the blood is still coming from the wounded scar...it's a wound.

Overall: I like the story. It was a fast and enjoyable read, but I was so distracted by the mythology mash-ups and the mistakes that I can't say it is a great read. I do, however, thank Ms. Kolodziej, for allowing me to read her novel.

** Since posting this review, I have had a conversation with the author. She was very gracious but wanted to point out that my example was incorrect. She hadn't intended for Kane to be the biblical Cain. This makes a bit of the story more easy to understand. I must have been reading that bit into the text.

However, I do still feel that the mythologies are confusing, and inconsistent within themselves. Maybe by the next installment things will be cleared up.**

The Iron Queen

2011-02-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

Title: The Iron Queen
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: YA, fantasy
Source: Netgalley.com

There is not much more I can say beyond, I adore these novels! Ms. Kagawa has created a world that combines classic, well-known fairies with new and wonderful ones. In the center of it all is a girl. A human girl who is neither a loner, an outcast, nor a doormat. Megan Chase is smart, strong, caring, and determined to take care of those she loves...human and fey.

Her romance with the Winter Prince, Ash is taken to a heartwarming...and heartbreaking new level.

She rebuilds her relationship with Puck.

And on a personal note, IronHorse is quickly becoming my favorite character.

Challenge Wrap-up

2011-01-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

As you can see from my side bar, I didn't finish a single reading challenge I took on. I did a lot of reading this past year. GoodReads is showing me at 60+ books. Which is actually kind of amazing as I was mostly reading at night for short spans of time, before bed. However, I didn't actually get in any books that would fit into the challenge categories. Sad.

Technically, I could fudge it and say I completed the fantasy category as many of the books I read are by definition fantasy, but I think it would be a stretch. Just because it has fairies doesn't automatically make it fantasy. So I'm saying no to that one.

Plans for the future? I am not going to take on any new challenges this year. I will be keeping my Gilmore Girls and TBR buttons up. They will mostly be a reminder to me as I plan on reading novels from my own book shelves. My husband and I collect books. Our bedroom is lined with shelves over flowing with books. We have decided that we need to start weeding through these books and then pass them on. Which means reading them first. So we are challenging each other to read off our shelves. Which is convienent as many of the books on my TBR and the Gilmore Girls list are already on my shelves. Yay!

Wildthorn

2010-12-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Wildthorn
Author: Jane Eagland
Genre: YA, Historical
Source: E-book from Netgalley.com

This book took me completely by surprise. I had requested it without knowing much about it. I loved the corset on the cover and that imagery combined with my penchant for only hearing about paranormal novels lately, helped me to convince myself that this was a steampunk novel of some sort. I was very wrong! In reality, this is a novel about blossoming sexuality and self awareness. This is a story about a girl living in a time when being individual meant you would likely be convicted as insane. This is a story about a family who just doesn't function. While the material is much more serious than paranormals, it was a good read. I was engrossed in the story the entire way!

Christmas Gifts

2010-12-26T14:53:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas!

I hope your holiday was joyous and filled with all the tasty treats and heartfelt gifts you could ever want. Did Santa get you what you asked for? My stocking was filled with presents for my husband and I to share...mostly video games and movies. This is good! But there was one present that was just for me....from my Book Blogger Holiday Swap friend, Sam from Parenthetical.net

Samantha sent me a package packed with all this fun stuff. There was a card with a cute lil robot envelope, three book plates, a place holder, some chocolate, and a pretty wrapped present (it's hard to see in this picture, but under all the other goodies is the wrapped package).

Here's an up close of the chocolate that she sent me. Her note said that this was made just down the street from her home, which just makes it better in my book. I love locally made things - even if they aren't my local. :) Plus, chocolate!

This is the card. The robot from the envelope was also on the card. So cute! This is quite possibly my favorite card this year.

The present itself contained these two novels. The Good Neighbors is a hard back graphic novel. I'm interested to get into it. I've read other books by Holly Black and have enjoyed them. Then there is The Knife of Never Letting Go. This book comes with a personal recommendation from Sam, which just makes this novel all the more interesting. These books jumped to the top of my to-be-read pile. I'm so excited about receiving them.

Samantha, thank you for wonderful presents!

Is it December already?

2010-12-12T18:18:00.001-07:00

Oh hi! Bet you thought I had completely forgotten about you. I didn't. I promise. I've been thinking about you quite a lot, but the world has just been too busy for me to find time to blog. But I have been reading and a whole boat load of other things I want to share with you.

First, I posted about this during November, but I have an update. I attempted NaNoWriMo for a second time this year. It was quite scary as I didn't have any real ideas until the weekend before....and even those were just pictures on a poster board. But, it seems that the collage worked.

And I'm still not actually finished. I hit the 50,000 required words, but I"m not at the end of my story. My plan is to pick it back up during Christmas break....see if I can finish it.

Oh! Also, I want to mention the book blogger holiday swap...

I've already mailed out my gift.....I hope the receiver enjoys it! And I received my package...It's sitting under the tree, tempting me with it's colorful paper and cards. I really want to give into temptation and open it, but I'm going to be good and restrain myself...Christmas isn't that far away! I'll share pictures with you when I've opened it.

And then reviews.....I have a pile of them to get through, an ebook, a YA novel or two, and a few romances...some are from November...some from Dec. It will be busy on this here blog. :)

How's December looking for you?

No Posts in November

2010-11-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not dead. I swear. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo. Every extra moment I have is spent busily trying to get to my 50,000 word goal. I have been reading as well. Surprisingly, I've managed to get through three books, even with the writing. There will be posts / reviews when the month is over.

How about you? What have you been busy with?

Ink Exchange -Quick 'n Dirty

2010-10-31T18:41:00.001-07:00

Title: Ink Exchange
Author: Melissa Marr
Genre: YA, fantasy
Source: Public Library

I am here to admit I made a mistake. I read this series out of order. In fact, I had absolutely no idea that Ink Exchange was part of the Wicked Lovely series. I made assumptions based on title similarities and not much else. I'm a dork.

That being said, upon reading this novel so many things now make sense. When I read and reviewed Fragile Eternity, I enjoyed it, it does stand on its own.....but there were still several things that didn't fit quite right. This novel fixed those. New characters are introduced, old friends are given the chance to shine, and step A actually does lead to step B. Wee! Don't you just love it when things make sense?

Naked Heat

2010-10-31T18:28:00.000-07:00

Title: Naked Heat
Author: Richard Castle
Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery
Source: Public Library

This is the second real world published novel by Richard Castle. If you're a fan of the show, you should have no reason to not enjoy these novels. Each is almost exactly like reading an episode of Castle, the tv show. The almost is changed up with just a couple minor changes....the characters have different names, and the romance is much more heated. What's not to enjoy? Plus, there is always the added bonus of knowing you're reading a fictional novel written by a fictional character.

Devil Bones

2010-10-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

Title: Devil Bones
Author: Kathy Reichs
Genre: mystery
Source: public library

Bones! Have you seen the show? I love it. There is just something that works about the combination of characters, forensic science, and cop show / mystery. Knowing this, I'm not sure what took me so long to try out the books......I'm glad I finally did though.

This novel finds Brennen working hard to solve a mystery that involves a literal witch hunt and the possibility of human sacrifices.

The things I find most interesting about this novel are the little differences from the show. Don't get me wrong; I expected there to be differences. These just appeared in ways I wasn't expecting. The characters and personalities that make the show click, for me, aren't available per se. See, all of these characters are parts of Dr. Brennen's own personality. It took a bit of adjustment....especially the bits were Brennen isn't the socially awkward geek that I love. All the rest is there though. The crime, the forensics, the gory science details (which btw, require you to be very science savvy), the strange quirks....all there. Awesomeness!

Overall: No, they aren't the same as the series, but very close. Yes, if you like the science in the show, these will be great for you. Yes, you can read them out of order - this is her most recent novel, but my first novel. Yes, I'll definitely be reading more.

Flight of the Night Hawks

2010-10-17T08:23:00.001-07:00

Author: Raymond E. Feist
Title: Flight of the Night Hawks ~ Book 1 of the Darkwar Saga
Genre: Fantasy
Source: public library

Don't you just love going into a book store or library and finding out a favorite author has new books out that you've never heard of? It's like Christmas. This is how I discovered the newest series within a series by Mr. Feist. Apparently, the universe was hiding these from me and the library felt it was time to let me know they existed.

I love the worlds that Feist has created. They fit together so neatly and form several little series within the main series. It's always interesting to see where each new mini-series will take the overarching storyline.

What I liked:
1. While this series is taking place several years after most of the other stories, there are still familiar characters. This is one of the perks of having non-aging characters I suppose. The main ones can continue on and we can get the children / grand-children of other beloved characters to fill in the gaps.

2. The familiar characters above never feel hokey or out-dated. Sometimes characters just get old. Luckily, these characters seem to know their place in time and within the stories.

3. The action is still there. While not a constant thrill ride, there are several small things that occur and a few big things that set everyone on edge. Definitely a fun read!

What I didn't like:
1. Apparently, I'm something like four years behind on reading novels I really enjoy. Feist's novels were some of the first fantasy novels I read and enjoyed. It's weird to me to not know there were new books.

Overall: I'm glad I finally made it into the loop and was able to read this book. For fantasy readers, especially ones who enjoy series, this is definitely a book for you. It is written to stand alone, but it will make much more sense if you read the rest of the sagas first.

Fragile Eternity

2010-10-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Title: Fragile Eternity
Author: Melissa Marr
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy
Source: public library

This review is a long time coming. I read this book over a month ago. I can't even explain why I've been sitting on it and not actually blogging it. Maybe I'm crazy......or more likely busy, tired, and somewhat lazy when it comes to my free time, lately.

For some reason I didn't know that this was book three. When the cover said sequel, I thought they meant literal this-is-the-next-book sequel. I apparently didn't do enough pre-research and just assumed that this was book three and the other books were a separate series. They do have different types of names and covers. It doesn't really matter though. In this case assuming worked out well. I enjoyed the book and was only the tiniest bit of lost at the beginning.

What I liked:
1. While this is actually book three, I had no problem following the story line. All the characters I enjoyed getting to know in Wicked Lovely were still central to the plot.

2. I'm surprised to find out that this is book three as the plot hasn't moved forward much. I'd expect to be onto a whole different set of problems, issues, scenarios....but realistically the main difference is the addition of a couple new characters.

3. I still love the way the faerie realm is portrayed within these novels. There is all the drama and hierarchy associated with Fae courts, but mixed in is the dramatics of being a human teenager.

What I didn't like:
1. Not knowing that the book I read wasn't actually the next one. Some of this is my fault, but some lays on the publisher / cover artist. Please find a new word. Sequel means next in my mind. Could you at least number the books?

2. There were characters introduced within this story who were very hard to get to know. Upon reflection I'm sure this is due to my reading the novels out of order. However, it was very off-putting while reading.

Overall: Fragile Eternity, while it may sound like the name of the newest designer perfume, is actually more enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend skipping book two, but seeing as I have, it's not the end of the world if you do. If you've read Wicked Lovely, I would definitely recommend enjoying the rest of the series too.

Read-a-thon ending

2010-10-10T01:04:00.000-07:00

This is it for me folks.

I really wanted to make it to the 24 hour mark. I'm close. We are in hour 20....so only four hours to go. Unfortunately, I just can't keep my eyes open any long. I was nodding off while reading.....I'm having trouble spelling everything correctly. I'm calling it a day....mid-book.

I'm currently 36 pages into Naked Heat.

Total time spent reading: 14.5 hours

Total books read: 3 and a lil bit

Total pages read: 742

I'm proclaiming this a satisfactory participation day.

Good luck to those of you who can make it to the end!!!

Read-a-thon update...still going

2010-10-10T00:10:00.000-07:00

Book 3 finished! This one was a surprise read. My husband, an author, finished a new novel yesterday. He printed it out for me to read/proofread today. I don't know how much proofing I did, but I definitely read.

Title: Untrue Tales book 4 (ARC)
Author: Teel McClanahan III
Pages: 146
Total pages read so far: 705 !

OMG!!! I can't believe I'm still at this. Part of me wants to go to sleep now....but part of me wants to see this thing out. I. can. do. it. I. can. do. it. We. can.do. it. We. can. do. it.

Read-a-thon update, again

2010-10-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

The read-a-thon is in hour 16 and I'm done with book #2!!!!
Title: Devil Bones
Author: Kathy Reichs
Page count: 304
Total pages read today: 559
Blogs visited: 3 (Fizzy Thoughts, Multigenre Fan, Miss Wisabus)

Mid Read-a-thon challenge

2010-10-09T16:44:00.001-07:00

Can you believe it is hour 12 already? I don't feel like I've been reading for half the day....but then.....distractions of my own making. Oh well!

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now? Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs

2. How many books have you read so far? This is my second book, but I chose to start with a big one.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? The new Richard Castle book. Yes, I read fiction by fictional characters.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? A few, but mostly just okaying it with my hubby.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I've created a couple interruptions of my own. They were mostly accidental....such as needing to go shopping for clothes that fit me, today, because of a one-day sale. I'm trying to space the distractions out to mid-book and between books.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How much support from non-reading bloggers there is. It's awesome!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? I think it's great and working fine this way.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I'm going to do it again.....hopefully, next time without the self-made distractions.

9. Are you getting tired yet? Not tired, but relaxed enough I could take a nap...that's what my weekends are usually for, so I'm having to fight that urge.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? Ummmm...lemme get back to you on this one.

Read-a-thon update

2010-10-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

I'm back from distraction #2. I'll be starting a new book here in a few seconds and wanted to let you know about it.

Title: Devil Bones
Author: Kathy Reichs
Pages 304 + (There is a Q&A in the back of the book, but I think I'll skip that for today).
Progress so far: Haven't even read word one.

Happy Read-a-Thon!

Read-a-thon update

2010-10-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

Book one down!

Flight of the Night Hawks by Raymond E Feist

Total pages read today: 255!

Also, I feel bad. I want to visit other blogs, encourage the other participants, but I'm finding enough distractions on my own. Eeep!

Hour 2 challenge

2010-10-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

The hour two mini-challenge is hosted by Miss Wisabus. I love this challenge! She wants to know about my childhood book favorites....that I can do!

1. I am still deeply in love with the Bugg Books by Steven Crosgrove. He's the author that did the Leo the Lop books. Wonderful! I have such fond memories of the Buggs and their world......even though only a few people believe they existed. My own mother doesn't even remember me having them. I found a few recently, but my funding was to low to start my collection. If you see them anywhere, think of me!

2. The Babysitters Club. I had all of them. ALL OF THEM. I think I may have even been a member of their book club. Sadly, sometime around high school, I needed the drawer/shelf space and I was forced into giving the books away. Now that they are coming back out, I'm interested in seeing them.

3. When I got older, the novel Christie went with me everywhere....for a while. I can't say what it is, but there is just something about Mountain life that interests me. I still have a fascination with blue-grass music, which I give this book inspiration for.

4. I still read YA novels all the time.....just visit about half of my blog posts. They are fun and cover interesting topics. Lately, I've also been using my YA reading habits to stock my "lending" shelf in my classroom. It's awesome!

Dewey's Read-a-Thon

2010-10-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

In celebration of surviving another block teaching, I'm going to spend today participating in Dewey's Read-a-Thon. There is still plenty of time to join, if you'd like. This is my first time participating in one of these.....I'm excited!

If you are interested in participating, all the information you need is here. In case you're daunted by the idea of reading non-stop for 24 hrs....no worries! There are cheerleaders with distractions and encouragement, there are mini-challenges, and you can always take a break and update your blog to let everyone know how you're doing (which will be a challenge within itself, for me).

I missed the hour one challenge, but I'll head over to do the hour two soon!

And before I go: Book Status Update

Reading: Flight of the Night Hawks: Book 1

Author: Raymond E. Feist

Page Count: 92 / 347

Short Story Collections

2010-09-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Anthologies conjure thoughts of large collections of short stories by authors you mostly don't know of. You'll read story after story. Some good some bad. But I don't really want to talk about those. I'm curious if there is a name for those short story collections that are usually no longer than a novel in length. They only contain around four stories all usually with the same theme. Understand what I'm talking about? I'm reviewing two below. What would you call these?

Title: Many Bloody Returns
Authors: Various, Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, and Kelley Armstrong highlighted.Genre: Paranormal, romance, short stories
Source: Library

This collection has the over arching theme of birthdays. Some have a stronger connection to the theme than others. Some of the stories are new, or in worlds that are new to me, while others are happily familar. For example: I'm positive I've read the Charlaine Harris' story before....Eric's excited about Dracula's birthday. It's a fun lil vignette that gives a side to Eric's character that isn't often seen in the novels. This whole collection is a fun read, but nothing phenomenal.

Title: Love at First Bite
Authors: Sherrilyn Kenyon, LA Banks, Susan Squires, and Ronda Thompson
Genre: Paranomal, romance, short stories
Source: Library

This collection only has the four stories, and they are all in worlds I've yet to set eyes on. This is partly why I chose to read this collection. I've heard good things about each author but for whatever reason haven't picked up their books. Three of the stories are about vampires and one is werewolfs. Generally, I really enjoyed this collection. While there was one story that I just had trouble getting through....an odd mix of Hispanic and Native legends smashed with a coming of age vampire hunter story.......I did enjoy the experience on the whole. I've even added Ronda Thompson's Wulf series to my library request list. This is a great collection to find a new favorite author from.

A few thoughts..

2010-09-18T07:07:00.000-07:00

1. BlogFest was awesome! I loved seeing all the comments and gaining new friends/followers.

2. I miss seeing comments on my reviews and other posts.

3. To help remedy the above, I will be venturing out of my own little world to interact and comment more on other blogs.

4. What can I do to facilitate more interactions / blog love here?

5. Anything you really want to see here that I don't already do?

BlogFest 2010 Winner!

2010-09-13T10:01:00.001-07:00

I'm proud to announce that the winner of my fantasy reader gift bundle is:

Melissa @ Books R Us

Thank you all, again, for participating! BlogFest 2010 was a huge success!

Melissa, I'll be emailing you.

BlogFest 2010 Ends

2010-09-12T23:59:00.001-07:00

BlogFest 2010 has come to a close. Thank you all for participating!

I had so much fun working through the blogs, visiting some I've never seen before, entering contests.

I hope you had fun too!

I can't believe how many people turned out to enter my contest!

Seriously. I didn't expect this much of a response.

And several of you joined my followers! Awesome!

You're probably waiting for a winner announcement....you'll just have to wait.

This is a filler post. I'll do another post soon with the winner's name.

BlogFest 2010 is here!

2010-09-10T00:00:00.002-07:00

Welcome to stop #204 on the BlogFest tour!

Glad to see you....hope you stay a while.

As part of the BlogFest, I'm offering a bundle for fantasy readers.

The bundle includes a hardback edition of The River Kings' Road by Liane Merciel, a Way of Kings backpack, and a some bookmarks. This is an awesome bundle for a fantasy reader! It's just looking for a great home.

Giveaway is open to US residents only. Sorry international folks - I just can't afford it.

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment with your name and email (so I can contact you if you win)

2. Tell me what your favorite fantasy novel is.

3. When you're done here, head on over to Fiction Flurry for the next stop.

Also, Don't forget about the massive BlogFest 2010 grand giveaway! Head on over to http://ajourneyofbooks.halfzero.net and click on the Tracking Site link ( or go to http://ajourneyofbooks.com/blogfest/ ) to head to our own exclusive tracking site. Once there you can register with a valid email address (to be used solely for the purpose of contacting the winner). This site will allow you to track your progress through BlogFest 2010! You can log on from anywhere at any time and continue where you left off. The best part is that every blog that you visit and mark off through this tracking site will give you one entry into the massive giveaway! We have a great collection of books, goodies and other swag that is looking for a new home!

Good Luck! Hope you enjoy BlogFest 2010!

The Iron Daughter & Winter's Passage

2010-09-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Title: The Iron Daughter
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: YA, fantasy, paranormal
Source: ARC from NetGalley

I had no choice. This novel is actually the reason I joined NetGalley. I read, reviewed, and raved about the first novel in this series previously. I couldn't resist the opportunity to read this one. As I expected, I loved it!

Blurb from author's site: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Ms. Kagawa successfully crafts a world where all the fae you've ever heard about entwine, frolick, and mix with their humans....and their readers. It's easy to get lost in this world.

Title: Winter's Passage
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: YA, fantasy, paranormal, novella
Source: ARC from NetGalley

This novella actually should be read between The Iron King and The Iron Daughter. It is a bit strange to read it after the first two books....which is what I did. It's like looking back on a memory. This story covers the events that happen between the two. It gives more information about Megan's and Ash's relationship. If you are one of those choice a team people....this story will help cement your position.

Blurb from author's site: WINTER'S PASSAGE,a free novella in the Iron Fey series will be available for download June 1st. It takes place between THE IRON KING and THE IRON DAUGHTER and follows Meghan and Ash on their perilous journey deep into the heart of Winter. Check out EnterTheFaeryWorld.com for more details.

Clockwork Angel

2010-08-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

Title: Clockwork Angel ~ Book 1 of The Infernal Devices
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: YA, steampunk, paranormal, fantasy
Source: I recieved this ARC for free from Simon & Schuster at the SanDiego Comicon.

I have been waiting....and waiting....and watching for this book. I actually squealed and got giddy when the S&S rep handed me a copy! Here's the thing though, I had no idea what I was getting into. I've not read any of Ms. Clare's other novels. I've heard good things about them, but it just hasn't happened yet. I fell in love with the cover of this one the instant it was unveiled. Luckily, the novel inside lived up to its awesome cover.

Quick summary from publisher:

When sixteen-year old orphan Tessa Fell's older brother suddenly vanishes, her search for him leads her into Victorian-era London's dangerous supernatural underworld, and when she discovers that she herself is a Downworlder, she must learn to trust the demon-killing Shadowhuters if she ever wants to learn to control her powers and find her brother.

What I like:
1. I love the variety of characters. While the roles are basic, stock, roles - the caregiver, the innocent, the trouble maker, even the bumbling professor - the characters that Clare built to fill these roles are truly one of a kind. They are interesting, some times mysterious, and likable.

2. This story seamlessly blends the world of Victorian England with a world where society has sub-levels of paranormal.....and, while brief, steampunk. This is a world where monsters are still monsters and society at large doesn't know/ readily accept. It also isn't a traditional over the top steampunk novel. There are flashes of it, even some characters who are more robot than human, but that is about all. Just enough of both to keep the story interesting and lively.

3. I didn't need to have had read any of the previous series to understand and enjoy this one. I was a bit afraid that this series may somehow tie into the other....but those worries were put aside quickly.

What I dislike:
1. I'm tired of love triangles. I can name a dozen YA books, off the top of my head, that involve the heroine having to decided between to seemingly equal partners. Here is another. I understand that triangles hold a built in conflict maker, but seriously.....isn't there some other form of conflict you can insert besides jealousy?

Overall, I'm still excited that I was able to read this novel! It gave me everything I was hoping for....and a bit more. I can't wait for the other novels in this series to come out....and I'm quickly adding Ms. Clare's Mortal Instruments series to my TBR list.

These are the fairies of the old tales...

2010-08-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

Title: Wicked Lovely
Author: Melissa Marr
Genre: YA, fantasy
Source: e-reader, free through Kindle (a while ago)

Don't get me wrong, I love fairy tales of all types, but it is nice to read a story where the fae are what I grew up expecting. They might be pretty and shiny, but they are also michevious, self-serving, and dangerous to the humans who catch their attention.

I also enjoyed the relationship between Aislinn and Seth. She's trying so hard to protect herself and him. He loves her. I have high hopes for them in the following books.

My only complaint is that Aislinn seems to be willing to break "the rules" (which are clearly laid out and that she repeats often) too easily. The consquences are too easily dealt with. It's a bit disconcerting to have this danger played up throughout the novel and then so readily dismissed.

Overall: I'm glad I snagged a copy of this. I've already added the rest of the series to my reading list.

Comicon Shwag!

2010-08-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

This is my obligatory, almost too late for it to mean much, SanDiego Comicon post. Did you know that many of our favorite publishers have booths at the con? How about the fact that many of them are giving out ARCs and other book related goodies? I didn't. I was completely clueless! In fact, it took much razzing by my husband to get me to even be willing to ask for the freebies. I know it was expected, but it just felt wrong....maybe selfish ...at first. I soon got over it.....to the tune of five bags filled with books and goodies!

This is my favorite set of goodies. The Penguin Group were giving out these awesom Vlad Todd bags. There was a different color every day and they encouraged attendees to come by and collect them. I became obsessed with them. Just a wee bit. I think at one point I was scheduling the events I wanted to see around when I could get a bag. Yes, I'm a dork....a happy, book bag lovin' dork.

The colors aren't nearly as shockingly bright in the photo as they are in reality. The yellow and orange are nearly blinding. Purple and blue are my favorites.

Piles o' books! I picked up a few every day....and a whole bunch on Sunday. Mostly they are ARCs.

On left: Procession of the Dead by Darren Shan, Shift by Tim Kring, The Electric Church by Jeff Somers, The Search for Wondla by Tony Diterlizzi, Feed by Mira Grant, Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha, and Lucan by Susan Kearney.

On right: Matched by Ally Condie, Hero by Mike Lupica, Pleasure Model by Christopher Rowley, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, Dark Days and Wicked Nights - Sampler, Frankenstein's Monster by Susan H. O'Keefe, The Prometheus Project by Douglas E. Richards, and Star Trek (movie novelization) by Alan Dean Foster.

There were a few allusive books. I really wanted Boneshaker, but had misread the schedule and stood in line on the wrong day. There were a couple others I would have loved to get ahold of like, Unicorns vs. Zombies, but they disappeared before I could even get there. All in all a great load of books!

And some awesome book marks!

I'm still all excited over this bunch of book goodness! I just had to share.

Historical Fantasy and Good Storytelling

2010-07-30T19:47:00.001-07:00

Title: The White Mare (Book 1 of The Dalriada Trilogy)
Author: Jules Watson
Genre: Historical fantasy
Source: I own this book.

Set during the period when Rome was busy trying to take over the world, including the British isles, this novel leads the reader deep into relationships, magic/pre-Christian faiths, and war. Wars of all definitions are occuring. Battles for place / rank in society, battles for love, battles against love, battles of protection and revenge, battles of hatred and jealousy....all are prominent and intermingled in this engaging novel.

Title: The Dawn Stag (Book 2 of The Dalriada Trilogy)
Author: Jules Watson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: I own this novel.

A continuation of the first novel; some of the battles have been won, some are close to being resolved, while others are just barely coming to a head. This is a very satisfying tale for readers who enjoy their romance mixed with the more gritty side of life...actual war.

Overall: I've enjoyed reading these novels. I've even checked the third out from the library. (I have no idea why I bought one and two but not three) I plan on reading it, but am a bit put off due to the ending of the second book. This is a trilogy, which as far as I know means a continuation of the story. However, the story is completely wrapped up by the end of Dawn Stag. Infact, there is even an epilogue that tells of us how the main characters lived the rest of their lives. That doesn't seem to be leading to another book.....but, we'll see. Ever had a series do something like that to you? How'd it work out?

The Value of Good Storytelling

2010-07-30T19:24:00.001-07:00

Many fantasy readers are aware of two main sub-genres, high fantasy and historical fantasy. The similarities are easy to spot and make readers comfortable in both categories, but it's really the differences that count. While both can have (and often do) swords and magics, high fantasy involves worlds and battles much like our own....but different. Different as in on a different planet, travel involving portals, things like that. Historical fantasy is just what it sounds like. An epic tale set in a known-to-us historical time period. The characters and situations may be completely fictional, but these tales are usually grounded in some historical accuracy.

Why am I telling you this? I had to look it up for myself. I'm a fantasy reader from way back, but I was hard pressed to explain why some fantasy novels appealed to me while others didn't. After researching it a bit, I've come up with an answer that is not entirely based on the research, but makes sense to me. In my experience, most high fantasy novels create a distance between the reader and the tale by the language they choose to use. These types of novels seem to be less about the story telling and more about the outlandish fantasy. I don't mind outlandish fantasy, but only if it is paired with great story telling. Historical fantasies tend, imo, to be more concerned with the tale and its details and less about how the language sounds.

And the winner is........

2010-07-28T10:05:00.001-07:00

Out of 38 total entries, Carey was chosen to be the recipient of the $60 gift card from CSN stores......and will also be receiving a surprise romance novel from me! Congratulations, Carey! I will be emailing you soon for your shipping address.

My blog is 1 year old!!

2010-07-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

I love birthdays! Don't you? And while I adore receiving birthday gifts, I've learned a lil something from my husband and now I also enjoy giving other people gifts on my birthday. My blog's birthday works just as well for me.....I've got goodies to give away!

One of the bloggy-birthday gifts I'm giving is a $60 gift card to any of the CSN stores. They have dozens...hundreds...of different stores and products to choose from. Personally, I like the book case store and the bedding stores, but you can use it where ever you want.

The other gift, which I decided to add just now (literally), is a surprise. Sort of. The winner of the gift card will have the opportunity to choose from three categories of books. I will then surprise them with a book of my choice . (Hey it's my bloggy birthday, I pick what you read!) If the winner of the gift card doesn't choose a genre then a separate, different winner will be chosen from those who did, to receive the book.

Please spread the word! Birthdays are better with friends!

Fill out the form to enter!

Such sweetly confused romantics!

2010-07-16T15:31:00.001-07:00

Title: A Lady of Persuasion
Author: Tessa Dare
Genre: Historical Romance
Source: borrowed from the library - wish it were mine!

I know Ms. Dare already has two of the three books in her new collection out, but I'm still working on the first trilogy. My book buying budget has been more than a bit tight.....and combine that with the fact these books have huge wait lists at my library means I'm a bit behind the times. Oh, well! This one was worth waiting for.....and makes me think I should fight harder to not have to wait for her other books.

This novel, as well as the others I'm sure, did something I really enjoyed...it is set in the same time/world as Surrender of a Siren, has many characters in common, but is not a sequel or continuation. Some of the characters who were minor or side characters in Siren are now the main characters in this novel.

Summary from author's website:

Only one thing could convince Sir Tobias Aldridge, an incorrigible rake, to profess undying fidelity to a woman he’s just met. Revenge. What better way to get back at his enemy, than by stealing the scoundrel’s sister? Not that Toby finds it a chore, seducing a beguiling, sultry beauty freshly arrived from the West Indies. When the prize is Isabel Grayson, vengeance is doubly rewarding.
Isabel is determined to marry a wealthy, powerful lord and become a lady of influence, using her rank and fortune to fight social injustice. Sir Toby, with his paltry title and infamous reputation, is unsuitable husband material—but he makes her blood race, her heart pound, and her long-buried passions come to the surface. If she can reform the charming devil, she’ll get exactly what she craves: society’s respect. But it’s a dangerous gamble. For if Toby wins this battle of persuasion, Isabel could lose her heart.

I love it! All the characters I'm comfortable with, but new faces, situations, and loves to learn about. My only complaint is that the two leads, Toby and Isabel, fall into that frustrating trap of trying to read the other's mind but not actually talking about the problems and feelings. Otherwise, this is a sweet love story of two people who seem genuinly surprised when love strikes them.

Also! If you are a fan of Tessa's books, she is running a contest from her web site where you can enter to win a signed copy of one of her new books. You should go enter. I am.

It's a vampire sex carnival!

2010-07-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

Title: My Wicked Vampire
Author: Nina Bangs (who has an awesome name, btw.)
Genre: paranormal romance
Source: public library

Who wouldn't want to go to an adult theme park.....especially one billed to fulfill your dreams - whatever they are? Sounds good right? Now throw in a vampire or two, some mischievous cosmic deities, a wizard, a goddess or two, and don't forget the hybrid plants. Sounds even .....crazier? Better? This novel is all of that. Problems come from all angles, there is a lot of not talking about the important things, and some quite silly names ( the owner of the park is named Sparkle Stardust), but in all it is a fun to read novel.

What I like:
1. While it is technically the fourth book in the Castle of Dark Dreams series, it functions almost perfectly as a stand alone. I didn't know it was part of a series when I picked it up, and there were only a few places where I felt I wasn't getting enough information. I don't think it is necessary to read the others, but they are probably just as much fun as this one.

2. The setting is perfect. While I like imagining a world where the monsters are accepted as every day citizens, that is sometimes hard for me to buy. The idea that at least a few of them would band together and use their powers to create a business like the Dark Dreams fantasy park seems totally reasonable to me. They get to use their powers and show off whatever makes them different while the humans get to indulge in their fantasies and never truly know it is real.

What I dislike:
1. The names are truly awful. The seem to fit the fantasy idea, but in general the names are so ridiculous ....Sparkle Stardust, Cinn, Bain.. Nope no telegraphing character traits through their names here...nope none at all.

2. There was a lot of action and strange situations the characters had to overcome. This isn't the problem, per se. However, often the situations were seen coming miles off. There were so many contextual hints and clues as to what was going to happen that very little seemed surprising.

Overall: I had fun reading the vampire sex carnival that is My Wicked Vampire. It isn't a serious, thinking book, but is worth a shot if you're looking for a fun summer read.

A romance with a bit of mystery

2010-07-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

Title: Truly, Madly (A Lucy Valentine Novel)
Author: Heather Webber
Genre: romance
Source: my personal copy

Better than a cool glass of milk is a cool glass of chocolate milk. Better than a surprisingly sweet romance is a sweet romance mixed with a mystery. I enjoy romances like this, where the characters have other things going on and aren't particularly looking for love. The added story just makes it more believable to me.

This is the first novel in a new line featuring Lucy Valentine. Her entire family has powers. Some can see auras, which they use to better the family match-making business. Lucy can find lost items, which keeps her from joining the family business....almost, but then that doesn't even go as planned.

What I like:

1. While the family has these supernatural powers, this isn't a paranormal romance. The inclusion of these powers is down played, the family doesn't want anyone else to know about them, and they set Lucy up for a fun series of adventures.

2. Both Lucy and Sean (the male lead) are/were English majors and name their pets after literary figures. I love it! And I love the idea of naming a cat Grendel.

What I dislike:

1. The end felt a bit rushed, which is strange because the rest of the novel played out well. Events, romantic and not, unfolded naturally. So, the end where *poof* everything just seems to fall in place is a bit odd....and quick. Especially knowing that this is the beginning of the series, it could have been stretched out a bit.

2. This one is my fault. I read the excerpt, included in the back of the book, of the next novel....and a character and relationship I really enjoyed appears to be broken. Stupid spoilers in the excerpt! I won't ruin it for you, but I would recommend not reading the next preview.

Overall: This is a fun read. It plucks all the right heart strings......and who wouldn't want a Valentine match-maker?

So excited!

2010-07-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

In honor of this blog's birthday, CSN has kindly given me a $60 gift certificate to share with my followers. Since we're all readers here, maybe you'll choose a new book case, or maybe something to spruce up your bed. Curling up someplace comfy does sound good doesn't it?

On the anniversary of my first post, July 16, I'll post about the actual contest. It will run until July 31...giving you lots of time to enter, hope, and plan what you'll use the gift certificate on. Plus, I'll probably throw in some other goodies.

How does that sound for a birthday party?

The Real Wonderland

2010-06-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

Title: ArchEnemy ~ book 3 of the Looking Glass Wars
Author: Frank Beddor
Genre: Young Adult, fantasy, speculative fiction, fairy-tale retelling
Source: I own it! And I'm desperately waiting to meet Frank again to get the book stamped and signed.

The Looking Glass Wars is the story of Wonderland that could be. What if the Wonderland story we all know was actually a second account? What if Lewis Carroll didn't dream up this story, but instead he heard it from the displaced princess of a war torn Wonderland, Alyss?

Frank Beddor creates a world where those theories are possible and more. With Imagination as the key, guide, and source of all possible things we are led into the heart of Wonderland where good is battling evil, right and wrong aren't always crystal clear, and those darn Caterpillar Oracles are meddling in everything.

ArchEnemy summary from website:

The war for Wonderland has become a war for Imagination!

King Arch has declared himself King of Wonderland as Alyss searches wildly for the solution to the metaphysical disaster that has engulfed her Queendom. The power of Imagination has been lost!

Alyss's search for answers takes her to London where Arch's assassins threaten Alice Liddell and her family. But after coming to her adopted family's assistance, Alyss discovers herself trapped in a conundrum of evaporating puddles. The shimmering portals that exist to transport her home through the Pool of Tears are disappearing! What is happening in Wonderland? Deep within the Valley of Mushrooms the Caterpillar Oracles issue this prophecy: "Action shall be taken to ensure the safety of the Heart Crystal. For Everqueen." But who is Everqueen?

As the metamorphosis of Wonderland unfolds, enemies become allies, bitter rivals face-off, and Queen Alyss and Redd Heart must confront their pasts in this thrilling, no-holds-barred conclusion.

Overall: I adore this series! Beddor's version of Wonderland has had me in its imagination fueled grip for several years now. I got lost in book one. I couldn't wait for book two to be released. The graphic novels made me squee in delight (in front of the author no less). This book earned my husband thousands of kisses when he made it appear on my bookshelf. This Wonderland is new and exciting, but is still recognizable and comfortable for those of us who grew up with Charles Dodgson's verison.

**This novel fulfills a reading requirement for the speculative fiction challenge and the TBR challenge.**

But what does the polka-dot scarf symbolize?

2010-06-30T08:02:00.001-07:00

Title: I am Hutterite
Author: Mary-Ann Kirkby
Genre: Autobiography, religious
Source: Sent to me by Thomas Nelson, in exchange for an honest review and participation in the Book Sneeze review program.

I love reading about people's journeys through faith and their religions. Maybe it is because my path hasn't always been obvious? Or maybe I'm looking for some recognition that I'm not the only one who doesn't have it all figured out? Whatever the reason, I'm a sucker for well told personal religion stories.

This novel introduced me to a world/religion I didn't even know existed. The Hutterites appear to be very close in beliefs and lifestyle to the Mennonites and / or the Amish. Don't get me wrong, they probably have a much different value set, but those were the closest I have experience with, that I could compare to.

Ms. Kirkby uses her family talent of story telling to give us a family history, touch on some of the religious/lifestyle details she deemed interesting as a child, and to bring us along as she begins to realize who she is and what being Hutterite meant to her. The story is well told and interesting. However, it offers only a surface introduction to the religion and way of life. In only a few instances are we, readers who are probably not Hutterite, given full explanations to why something occurs. Often we are told this is just how it is.

Overall: As a personal journey and introduction to the Hutterite faith this novel succeeds. If you are looking for a more indepth study of the religion I'd look elsewhere. This is a personal story that captures the way of life and emotional outcomes rather than giving a how and why.

Personal Note: I really do want to know why they chose the polka-dotted head scarf. Ms. Kirkby explains the significance of wearing one....she explains the why's of apron wearing....but she doesn't touch on the why for the pattern. Plus, I can't seem to find it referrenced anywhere....just that they do wear them. Odd.

The President's Vampire

2010-06-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

Title: Blood Oath
Author: Christopher Farnsworth
Genre: Paranormal, action, thriller
Source: Borrowed from public library

I had to read this one. From the instant I started hearing chatter about it until the time I was able to get a hold of it, it has been on my want list. Who could resist the draw of a secret agent vampire...working for the US government?

Of note, this novel is fun/odd to read while Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer is still fresh in your mind. Mostly due to the timing circumstances....Cade (our vamp) joins forces with the President immediately after Lincoln is done. But, outside that odd moment of unintentional continuity, this novel is nothing like that one. This novel is more like Dan Brown or John Grisham novel in that the central story revolves around and is told in a political intrigue style. We, readers, are taken along for a ride while one top secret group works against another in a plot to solve a long standing problem that has recently be brought back into the light by a seemingly unrelated terrorist activity. Did ya get that?

What I liked:
1. This is a new and interesting twist on the traditional vampire tales. Usually vamps fall into one or two categories - blood thirsty monsters or romantic leads. Cade is neither....and both.....and more. He is well developed enough to make you feel he is more than just vampire.

2. The action/plot scenes are mixed with flash backs to Cade's early life and experiences. Plus, each chapter begins with an excerpt from some "top secret" document or conversation. These all usually have something to do with Cade's actions in the coming scene and greatly help to push the story forward without having to have hugs chunks of back narrative.

What I disliked:
1. There is a lot left untidy after the big battle near the end. I can't say too much without giving away spoilers, but with an incident this large......whether or not it is classified as top secret......some one's going to know and there is going to be huge amounts of clean up and pr and..... yeah. Totally dropped that one.

2. Really? One of the bad guys is a a Nazi. Oh and the other is a Middle Eastern Terrorist. Gee....I can understand the relevance of the terrorist (even if that plot is weak). This is a modern political thriller and terrorism is our current big button panic element. But seriously....of all the bad guy archetypes available you had to go for the Nazi? I'm just tired of Nazi's being the fall back bad guys. There are other villains out there people. Be more creative. I will say this though, the Nazi character was quite a bit more interesting than the terrorist.

Overall: This was an entertaining and quick read. I'd recommend it for fans of political intrigues and vampire fans looking for a new take on vamps.

More teenage vampires...

2010-06-19T20:43:00.001-07:00

Title: Bite Me, A Love Story
Author: Christopher Moore
Genre: Paranormal
Source: Borrowed from public library

Yes, the title says it is a love story...and yes there is a love story element in the novel, but I wouldn't call this a romance. It's too gritty and too superficial in many aspects to be romantic.

Yes, one of the main characters, Abbey, is a teen. So are several of the other characters, but I wouldn't classify this as a young adult novel. I don't think many teens would appreciate the humor or the extreme stereotyping of teens that make the teenage characters fun and enjoyable. While this is a novel about teen vamps, it definitely isn't a fluffy, no-blood/damage teen vampire story.

Things I liked:
1. I love Christopher Moore's sense of humor. He plays stereotypes perfectly, tosses in some irreverent attitudes and *poof* the story is instantly entertaining and humorous while dealing with all sorts of situations.

2. The world in this novel is one with vampires, but it isn't a vampire's world. They aren't well known, or accepted by all. They aren't everywhere. In fact, there are so very few of them that it is easily seen when the situation gets out of their control.

Things I disliked:
1. While there are several couples, who express love in a variety of ways, it is extremely irritating that the main couple doesn't express love in any way but sex. To a further extent, Abbey, expresses numerous times that every time she shows her love through a kiss she'll immediately follow that kiss up with a slap in the face....so her boyfriend (who she was kissing) doesn't think she's a whore. *sigh* Cause, yeah, that's a totally healthy relationship image you have there. I've never understood how some people can use sex as both enticement and punishment in the same moment......or why they would. I certainly don't understand it in fictional characters.

Overall: I enjoyed it as much as I have every other Moore novel I've read. I would recommend this to everyone who wants a new take on a vampire story.

Between the reading...

2010-06-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

We are readers. Well, I'm assuming everyone following this blog is a reader at some level. I don't know about your reading habits, but I have books that I read between readings. These books are somewhat like brain candy books in that they are relaxing and interesting. But there is a difference...these books aren't necessarily in my comfort zone. Some aren't even books per se. Some get finished, some don't.

Lately, my between book books have been comics. I've been trying to teach myself how to read graphic novels and comics. While I can read and get the story, I seem to miss whole large important sections of the over arching story or historical referrences. This bothers me a bit. I don't like thinking I've gotten something out of the text only to find out I missed a large part of it. I just never learned how to read comics.

Recently, I've been reading the Avengers' first 8 comics. I was inspired to read them after seeing the Iron Man movies. I've really enjoyed how these new comic movies are being dealt with, and I like the connections that are being made in each movie between the different characters. I want to see what they are based on. Comics 1-8 were interesting, though much easier to read than the graphic novels I've tried previously. Really, the most interesting thing so far, besides being introduced to some characters I haven't known before (I knew of Iron Man and Hulk, but not Thor and Ant/Giant Man), was seeing the evolution of the various costumes. Between #1 and #3 there was a major evolution of Iron Man's costume.

I'm not going to actually review these comics. I don't feel comfortable enough to be able to give any actual feed back, but I wanted to let you know what's been going on when I'm not nose deep in a novel.

Victorian Ghostbusters

2010-06-10T19:16:00.001-07:00

Isn't she lovely? The bustle, the buttons and frills, the hat....a practically perfect Victorian lady. This darling woman is Leanna Renee Hieber, awesomely nice woman and author of The Strangely Beautiful tales - The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker and its sequel The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker. You've likely heard of them, yes? I was given the opportunity (actually I was the staff moderator for her panel) at the Phoenix Comicon to meet her and listen to her reading (with nearly precise British accent) of selections from both books. They are awesome! I fell in love with these stories during the reading. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to speak with her and her very handsome friend (who was dressed to match her and portray Alexi).

On a side note, she stayed in full on Victorian gear the entirety of the Con. She has beautiful costumes! Also, if you hadn't already heard, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker has been optioned for a Broadway musical.

Summary from author's site: What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Considering how few of Queen Victoria’s Londoners knew of it, the great Romanesque fortress was dreadfully imposing, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met the powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadow, the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She knew simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow-white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gifts. But this arched stone doorway offered a portal to a new life, an education far from the convent—and an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death…

My Thoughts: I already stated above that I fell in love with these stories during Ms. Hieber's reading. There is something intriguing about a Victorian/Gothic story that has its roots in ancient Greece. Yes, it sounds confusing....and it is slightly when trying to explain it. My husband asked for a summary and then looked questioningly at me as my detailed explanation kept going. There is a lot in this story to love. If you have any affection for novels of the Victorian era, especially the Gothic novels such as Dracula or others, this novel strikes just the right chord. Hieber is able to give wondrous flavor to the text through pretty word choice, without exactly copying the writing style of the Victorians, but giving a direct nod to it. If you are a steampunk fan, I'm positive you will also find many things to love in this novel. While not actually being a steampunk novel (they aren't using technology - they are using magic/religion) it is set in the Victorian era and it is easy, in many scenes to visualize just how it could be steampunked. (Yes, I just made that a verb. Live with it.)

The cover is gorgeous. With the clock and the street lamp and the mist; it just feels like what I imagine Victorian England to have been. It also precisely captures the mood and tone of supernatural occurrences within the novel.

I'm glad I bought this novel....I immediately devoured it. There was no casual reading for this one.

Summary from the author: With radiant, snow white skin and hair, Percy Parker was a beacon for Fate. True love had found her, in the tempestuous form of Professor Alexi Rychman. But her mythic destiny was not complete. Accompanying the ghosts with which she alone could converse, new and terrifying omens loomed. A war was coming, a desperate ploy of a spectral host. Victorian London would be overrun. Yet, Percy kept faith. Within the mighty bastion of Athens Academy, alongside The Guard whose magic shielded mortals from the agents of the Underworld, she counted herself among friends. Wreathed in hallowed fire, they would stand together, no matter what dreams or nightmares—may come.

My Thoughts: The second book in the series had me held nearly as intently as the first. Stress on the nearly. While I adored the continuation of the story, there were a few bits that drove me crazy. The tap danced across my reading pet peeves time after time. Luckily, other bits soothed me and kept my general adoration for the story intact. To be brief, Percy, who is finally coming into her power both literally and figuratively, does the thing that peeves me the most. She continually refuses to share knowledge, information, thoughts, and even translations with the rest of her team. This is distressing for several reasons, but mainly....it's her job! Her position in the group, and all of the major paranormal happenings revolving around her, rely on her being able to translate and share information with the group. However, she rarely does this. I know....it's great for suspense building and totally in character with the types of novels this one is inspired by....but......frustrating!!!! Also, Alexi seems to morph from a strong willed, focused professor to raving, controlling, cavemen in the span of a wedding. Sheesh! There are ways to be alpha without actually running roughshod over your woman.

The cover for this novel seems to have followed the almost trend. There is a great background, title, and color.....but then they just had to throw in some eyes. I find this creepy. I can logically understand what they are referencing , but floating eyes are just not my thing. Happily, I don't have to look at the cover while reading!

This book was actually the catalyst for my reading the series. During Ms. Hieber's

Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

2010-05-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

Title: Sisters Red
Author: Jackson Pearce
Genre: Young Adult, paranormal, fairy tale re-telling
Source: Free ARC received from Hachette Book Group in exchange for a honest response.

Love. From the awesome cover down to the last little detail of the book; I love it. Months ago I got a glimpse of the cover and the title and just knew I wanted to get ahold of this book. You see, I've been interested in fairy tales and fairy tale retellings since I can remember. I love it when an author gives me a new way to look at the characters...while still telling a tale I know and enjoy. Mr. Pearce has done this in spades!

Summary from the publisher:
Scarlet March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

Things I like:
1. I really enjoy that the character of Little Red is split into the two March sisters. They both contain pieces of the original character while still being fully formed individual characters.

2. The big bad wolf is actually a werewolf.....or wolves....

3. All the elements are there...grandma, wood cutters, the red cloak, and a wolf (or more) that is clever and charming enough to lure young girls.

From another angle:
I just came back from a long weekend at the Phoenix Comicon. While there I attended several panels on Steampunk. I think the March sisters would make awesome characters to portray and with a red cloak (which I happen to have (Thanks, Grandma!)) could be some fun costumes to make and wear.

Meh.

2010-05-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

Title: Wicked Becomes You
Author: Meredith Duran
Genre: Historical-ish Romance
Source: Sarah Reidy of Pocket Book tours in exchange for an honest review and promotion.

This is it. This is the book I was waiting for. I've been trying to get into it, but something just isn't working. I'm going to have to call this one a DNF. I hate doing that. There seems to be a good story here, and it appears to be descent writing, but I'm struggling to get through it. For whatever reason, I'm just not connecting with the characters and that is making the whole experience somewhat painful. I keep putting the book down. When I do try to read it, it goes right back down after a page.

I'm sure this is a good novel, but unfortunately it fell victim to that bit of me that just isn't happy with historicals.

DNF

My Eric Fix

2010-05-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

Title: Dead in the Family
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre: Paranormal, romance, mystery
Source: public library

Eric. Eric! This one is all about Eric....which makes me a very happy girl. And now I'm three books behind on owning all of this series, but I will. Oh, yes. I will have these vampires on my shelves, waiting for my pleasure. Ahem. Right, back to it.

As fun and easy as this novel was, I do have a question. This is something that I'll look up later, but my SIL and I have discussed it and were not sure.....but.....didn't we (readers) already see Eric's Sire die (within the novels, not show)? SIL and I are pretty sure we did. Wasn't the Sire the ancient vampire the Fellowship has captured and locked up? I could have sworn that was Eric's Sire so it is a bit weird when we have the Sire appearing again in this novel.

Overall, these novels are still brain candy. The plot has thickened with Shifters of all sorts coming out of the closet and the fairy wars. At times I get a bit worried that all these different plots will get overwhelming, but so far they have been perfectly balanced.

Last Minute..

2010-05-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

Title: Wicked Becomes You
Author: Meredith Duran
Genre: Romance
Source: Sarah Reidy of Pocket Book tours in exchange for participating in the book tour and promotion

Here's the rub. The tour/promotion is supposed to start tomorrow, May 13. However, due to whatever quirk of fate, I didn't receive the book until today. Can you do the math? Yep, that would give me approximately 12 hours to read and then review the book. Not really a problem, except that 12 hours was already spoken for with work-out, grading, and sleeping. So here's what I plan to do. Read it a.s.a.p. Unfortunately, I won't make it for the promotion.

Something that caught my attention, though, is the cover. I love romance novel covers. There is just something interesting about all the different ways clothes can still be on but be falling off. This one is entertaining to me. I love that she is strangely alone with her bodice all undone. One would think that it must be because the man has just stepped out of frame (those back lace corsets are a pain to undo yourself....trust me)....or maybe she's coming undone in preparation for a tryst? Either is plausible....but I have another theory. Check out her left arm. What's that hand doing? I think she's holding her top up. It might be ruining the illusion, but I find it highly entertaining. I want to read it even more now.

Summary from publisher:

She’s been burned not once but twice by London’s so-call ed gentlemen . . .

Gwen Maudsley is pretty enough to be popular, and plenty wealthy, too. But what she’s best known and loved for is being so very, very nice. When a cad jilts her at the altar—again—the scandal has her outraged friends calling for blood. Only Gwen has a different plan. If nice no longer works for her, then it’s time to learn to be naughty. Happily, she knows the perfect tutor—Alexander Ramsey, her late brother’s best friend and a notorious rogue.

So why won’t a confirmed scoundrel let her be as bad as she wants to be?

Unbeknownst to Gwen, Alex’s aloof demeanor veils his deepest unspoken desire. He has no wish to see her change, nor to tempt himself with her presence when his own secrets make any future between them impossible. But on a wild romp from Paris to the Riviera, their friendship gives way to something hotter, darker, and altogether more dangerous. With Alex’s past and Gwen’s newly unleashed wildness on a collision course, Gwen must convince Alex that his wickedest intentions are exactly what she needs.

I'm excited! How about you?

Indian Dreams

2010-05-11T20:48:00.001-07:00

Title: The Sari Shop Widow
Author: Shobhan Bantwal
Genre: Fiction, romance
Source: public library

How much do I love that the author labels this book ~ "Bollywood in a book!" I have a deep seated obsession with India, belly dance, Bollywood style dance and movies.....pretty much anything that gives me an insight to that exotic locale.

Summary from publisher:
Since becoming a widow at age twenty-seven, Anjali Kapadia has devoted herself to transforming her parents' sari shop into a chic boutique, brimming with exquisite jewelry and clothing. Now, ten years later, it stands out like a proud maharani amid Edison’s bustling Little India. But when Anjali learns the shop is on the brink of bankruptcy, she feels her world unraveling…
To the rescue comes Anjali’s wealthy, dictatorial Uncle Jeevan and his business partner, Rishi Shah—a mysterious Londoner, complete with British accent, cool gray eyes, and skin so fair it makes it hard to believe he’s Indian. Rishi’s cool, foreign demeanor triggers distrust in Anjali and her mother. But for Anjali, he also stirs something else, a powerful attraction she hasn’t felt in a decade. And the feeling is mutual…
Love disappointed Anjali once before and she’s vowed to live without it—though Rishi is slowly melting her resolve and, as the shop regains its footing, gaining her trust. But when a secret from Rishi’s past is revealed, Anjali must turn to her family and her strong cultural upbringing to guide her in finding the truth…

What I like:
1. The contrast between the older, more traditional Indian, family members and the younger Americanized members is interesting and gives a unique view into a culture I don't know.

2. It's a light, fast read with just enough romance to give warm fuzzies.

3. I now want to go looking for a shop like the one in the book. I would have loved to have a local one while I was belly dancing.

What I don't like:
1. At times the problems between the characters feel contrived. Having not read any other of Bantwal's novels, it is almost as if she was following a formula that said there have to be this type of problem. However, this is a very small problem and barely detracts from the warm fuzzies.

Want a Sony EReader?

2010-05-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

Shiloh Walker is hosting a huge contest to promote the release of her new book.

If you'd like your chance to win one, you have a couple options. Both of these are listed on her blog. Check there for full details.

1. Buying a copy of the book

2. Blog about the contest

Book summary from author's site:

One woman, one man, and a love that won’t let either of them go.

Born on the wrong side of the tracks and dealt a fair share of hardship, Nikki Kline never gives up a fight. Even when her reason to keep going is ripped from her, Nikki tries desperately to hang on. But when the man who broke Nikki’s heart comes back into her life she doesn’t know how much she can take. Especially since that man seems determined to win back her damaged heart.

Wade Lightfoot is a man who knows he’s made more mistakes than most. As much as he would like to repair the damage he’s done to those he loves, Wade also knows there is no going back. But when he sets out to put things right the last thing he’s prepared to find out is that he had a son. A son he’ll never get the chance to meet.

When the truth is out and all the old wounds are bared, it seems impossible that Nikki and Wade will find their way back to each other. But true love is an undeniable force that even past hurts can’t destroy.

This book has been previously published and has been revised from its original release.

Warning: This title contains heartbreaking tragedy, lies and deception, and a scorching passion that nothing can deny.

Now, go enter! ;)

A quick taste of sexy...

2010-05-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

Title: Bite
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight, and Vickie Taylor
Genre: Paranormal romance, short story, collection
Source: public library

My husband pointed this one out to me....and I'm glad he did. It was a quick read. All the ladies contributed short stories, all of which appear to be side explanations for their well known characters. For example Charlaine Harris' contribution is a piece titled, "One Word Answer," which is an explanation for Hadley's situation. Being a sucker for the True Blood vamps, I adored this story. Plus it cleared up a couple details I'd missed in the books.

Not to down play the other stories (I enjoyed them all, but haven't read the rest of the series that they belong to.), but I'm only going to talk about one other...LK Hamilton's. As the lead story, this was interesting. It was set in the midst of the Anita Blake series. Anita and Jean-Claude are on the rocks. What makes this one interesting (to me) is the frustratingly evident lack of sex. The last book in that series I read had Anita being sex crazed with multiple partners and still having to look for more at every opportunity. Reading a story where she walks away (all be it unwillingly)is refreshing.

Overall: Not a must read, but grab this book if you're looking for a quick fix with your favorite vamps.

I'm choosing a side.

2010-05-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Alright, this isn't exactly shocking news...........but I'm a girl for Eric.

**This awesome button was made and shared by Yesenia @ Silly Little Game.**

I decided to post this because, thanks to my SIL, I have the newest Sookie book to read!

What team are you on?

My first Steampunk!

2010-05-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

Title: Leviathan
Author: Scott Westerfeld (You might recognize him as the author of Uglies/Pretties)
Genre: YA, steampunk
Source: Borrowed from library

I have to thank you all...anyone who read and reviewed or talked about this novel. I usually only put stock in masses of reviews when I'm torn on reading a novel, but I couldn't miss the talk about this book. It was everywhere. You were right....this is an awesome book!

This is my first foray into the wonderful world of steampunk literature. I'm not sure why, I've just not found any that really caught my attention. Some of my trepidation has been do to my issues with historical fiction. I become too obsessed with minor details. I end up researching instead of reading the novel. I was partially worried that something similar would occur if I read steampunk. But it seems like I've lucked out. Being in an alternative world scenerio eleviates all the lingering "is this accurate historical?" questions.

Summary blurb from website:

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.
Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.
With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

What I like:
1. There is an interesting balance between the Clankers and the Darwinists. Both groups are taken to extremes, but their roots are easy to see. It's nice that both groups are given an equal amount of time, and the narrator doesn't seem to take sides or promote one over the other

2. There is an interesting bit of deception going on with Deryn. I'm excited to see where it goes.

3. I'm biased. I love the beasties that were created by the Darwinists. The combination of linguistic imagry and visuals (from the awesome illustrator Keith Thompson) made the reading experience. I think my favorite would have to be the jellfish like Huxleys.

What I dislike:
1. I'm not keen on the way Deryn's deception is playing out. The lengths to which Deryn goes to appear to be someone else are just ridiculous. Would anyone really do anything like that?

Overall: This is a fantastic read! Everyone should give it a try....steampunk fan or not. Parents and teachers will also want to take a look as many of the beasts and mechanics are named after famous (in our actual world) people, things, and events. This could lead to several conversations about where the names come from and how they apply. Outside of that, this novel is entertaining with a mix of action, adventure, deception, and a tinge of romance.

**This novel qualifies for the Speculative Fiction reading challenge**

Who reads fantasy fiction?

2010-04-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

I'm curious as to which of my bloggy followers read fantasy fiction? Is anyone interested in reading and reviewing a new book?*

Teel McClanahan is looking for some press / reviews of his newest release: Lost and Not Found, Director's Cut.

You know how movie directors will occasionally re-release the movie with all the bits they actually wanted to put in, in the order they wanted the scenes shown....and it completely changes the movie? Think of this novel that way. It was originally released as Lost and Not Found, which is still available, but this version is much closer to the way Teel intended it to be. Hey, you could probably even ask him a question or two about that yourself. ;)

Here's the link to his blog post where he asks for blogger help. You should check out his book page, and then drop him a line if you would like to read it.

* This is me shamelessly pimping books for my husband

Where I've been...

2010-04-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

This month has been incredibly busy, which is odd because I've managed to find plenty of time to read, but not to review. I've seen a few movies (so not taken with Kick Ass...but The Losers is awesome!), watched some t.v., attended prom, been strangely social with friends (I'm usually a homebody), and have plotted several different ways to torture my h.s. seniors who aren't passing but still think they are going to graduate (aka harassing them until they get everything turned in). Although, that isn't what this is about...this about the books I've been reading.

1. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

I started this one but was unable to finish. However, unlike the other G-S mash-up I attempted to read (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) I didn't set this novel aside due to horrible writing. G-S seems much more able to mimic the historical autobiography/journal style than he was at matching Jane Austen's writing style. Instead, I had to set it aside because my reading tastes just weren't wanting this style of novel and it was due back at the library. So instead of forcing myself through it, I returned it, and will finish it at a later date.

2. Lost and Not Found - Director's Cut by Teel McClanahan III

This is a revamped, remodeled, written exactly how the author originally wanted the story to go version of the book. There is another version, simply titled Lost and Not Found, which is interesting, but not as good as the director's cut. Teel (who is also my husband) decided that he had be trying too hard to put conflict into the story. So he scraped the first part and stuck to the love story. This is a tale about love. Long lasting, never ending, fantasy love. If you haven't tried it yet...or are just looking for a sweet, feel good, love story....this is the one for you.

3. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

I'm knee deep into this one and loving it! This is my first foray into the world of steam punk novels. I'm quite taken. I'll let you know how I feel about it, in more depth, when I've finished.

I'll get back to writing proper reviews when the craziness slows down, I promise. Thank you for not abandoning me. :)

The Twilight Gospel

2010-04-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

*Source: Sent to me, for free, from LitFuse Group in exchange for my honest review and participation in the blog tour.*

You've read the novels, yes? Now what are you to do, as a responsible reader, if you want to get something more out of the Twilight series beyond a teen Romeo and Juliet like vampire fantasy? Mr. Roberts tackles this exact idea.

So often popular books and movies get dismissed as being poor moral influences on our young readers. Sometimes parents, educators, and clergy will even try to ban or forbid certain texts.....usually only with limited success. Mr. Roberts does, with this novel, something I wish more people would do. Instead of dismissing or banning the book he takes a closer look at both the postives and negatives in order to spark thought and discussion.

This book is a mere 155 pages....practically a pamphalet when compared to the novels it is discussing. However, the author is able to touch on a variety of topics. He tackles some of the obvious plot points....vampires....sex, but also many topics that are not usually pointed to.

Discussion Points / Chapters

1. Forgiveness

2. Loving Your Neighbor

3. Violence

4. Sacrifice

5. The Unborn

6. Money

7. Sex

8. Power

Overall: This is not an in depth study of the Twilight novels. It is a good solid conversation starter for parents. I wouldn't recommend just handing this book to a young Twilight fan, but it does give the grown-ups in their live an idea of where to start the conversation.

Other reviews and blog tour participants: http://www.litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/the-twilight-gospel-by-dave-roberts.html

A Contest!

Be sure to TWEET This to be entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card to Amazon.com!

TWEET THIS: Understand cultural and Biblical insights surrounding The Twilight Saga by reading #TheTwilightGospel. Please RT! http://ow.ly/1vjc6

(Or anything about it, but must use hashtag #thetwilightgospel to be entered)

A Whole New Faerie

2010-03-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: borrowed from the public library

Before anything I need to talk up my local branch of the public library system. These people are awesome! Even with budgeting cut-backs and other red tape issues they are keeping up with the readers who want the new, hot books. I've never had to wait more than a week to get the ones I really want. Which, in my opinion, is just awesome!

Now about the book, I love stories of the fae, but sometimes they all seem to fall into the same mold. Teen comes of age, has mixed human / fae parentage. The fae want her back. Teen then has to come to terms with not only being fae, but having to believe in them in the first place...usually while fighting for her life. I was a bit worried that this novel was from that same form, but I didn't need to worry. Ms. Kagawa created a world that took that traditional model and turned it on end.

Quick Summary:
Meghan Chase is about to discover who's been keeping watch. When her little brother is kidnapped, Meghan must enter a world where anything she touches may kill her—including the icy prince who stirs her wakening senses. As she steps into the Nevernever, finding her brother is only the start of her problems. For the trail leads Meghan toward the most dangerous threat of all, the mysterious Iron Fey.

What I liked:
1. The novel easily meshes the faerie realm of Nevernever and the world we know. By combining fairy creatures from all sorts of backgrounds - faerie from literature, from childhood imaginations, from varieties of historical backgrounds, even from films- there is a world created that is intriguing and entertaining while still be comfortable.

2. Love that the author didn't stick with well-know fae. Don't get me wrong, I adore that some of the main characters are the much loved Puck, Oberon, Titania, and Maab, but by including a new type of fae - The Iron Fey - the mythology is taken to a whole new level. Old characters are comfortable and reliable, but it's hard to see them in a new light. That is, unless they are thrown into a new situation. The new style of Fey creates the perfect background for everything unknown in this world.

What I didn't like:

1. Meghan has a uncharacteristic self-questioning moment near the end of the novel. This moment (I'm avoiding too many details her to avoid spoilers) stands out simply because throughout the rest of the novel she has been resolute. She hasn't been swayed by magic or the finery offered to her. She could have easily taken her place among the royalty. But she stayed focused on rescuing her brother. That is until the very end. For a brief moment she considers giving in to the temptation. She eventually decides against that, but still.......it is completely out of character for her.

2. I have to wait for the next novel in the series! This is a sad thing. When I fall for a book, I want to be able to read the next one right away. Luckily, it will be out in August. Not too far away!

Overall: This is a great young adult fantasy novel. There's nothing to risque or violent. Every faerie fan should read it.

Discussion Questions

1. What did you think of the feud between Puck and Ash? How do you think that might play out in the next two books?    Honestly, I'm torn. I have loved the character of Puck for a long time. Seeing him in this lovelorn protector role is a wonderful new treat. On the other hand Ash is everything a girl could want her Faerie boyfriend to be. I think their feuding will make life, and the adjustment to being a faerie, easier for Meghan. She'll be dealing with their drama which may shed light on the harder transitions she'll have to make. But I don't foresee their feud coming to an end quickly or easily.

2. Favorite scene or line from the book? Could you relate to any of the characters?    "I'm a cat." Love, love love Grimalkin. He reminds me of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, but with significantly more attitude. His on his own time answers and haughty delivery of everything make him just about perfect.

3. With whom did you identify with the most? And Why?    I most identified with Meghan pre- knowing anything about the fae world. It is mostly her not fitting in at school, but wanting desperately to be asked out by the hot guy. Yep, that was me. While I did have a great group of friends, it took me a long time to be comfortable with myself. For some reason I never measured who I was/wanted to be against my friends but against the popular crowd...much like Meghan. And like Meghan has Rob to come to her rescue, I had a great friend who came to mind. Relating that easily helped me identify with her as the novel continued.

4. Did you find the concept behind the Iron King- being a technology fueled modern day faerie- original or unbelievable?    It's completely original. I'm all for taking the ideas that are so comfortable and twisting them into something new and fascinating. So many things can be done with the tech fueled faeries...I'm excited to see where this goes.

5. Kagawa used a lot of mythical faeries in The Iron King, such as King Oberon, Queen Mab and Puck. Which fae from myth would you have liked to have seen added into the pages of The Iron King besides the ones she used?     I lucked out on this one! My all time favorite faeries were the chosen to be the key players in this novel. A Midsummer's Night Dream was the first time I met the characters of Oberon, Titania, Mab, and Puck. It's still my favorite!

Some really good bad guys!

2010-03-25T20:02:00.001-07:00

Title: The River Kings' Road: A novel of Ithelas
Author: Liane Merciel
Genre: fantasy series
Source: Received from Sarah Reidy as part of the Pocket Books blog tours for purposes of giving my honest review.

Summary from the publisher:
Liane Merciel’s The River Kings’ Road takes us to a world of bitter enmity between kingdoms, divided loyalties between comrades, and an insidious magic that destroys everything it touches. . . .
The wounded maidservant thrust the knotted blankets at him; instinctively, Brys stepped forward and caught the bundle before it fell. Then he glimpsed what lay inside and nearly dropped it himself. There was a baby in the blankets. A baby with a tear-swollen face red and round as a midsummer plum. A baby he knew, even without seeing the lacquered medallion tucked into the swaddling—a medallion far too heavy, on a chain far too cold for an infant who had not yet seen a year. A fragile period of peace between the eternally warring kingdoms of Oakharn and Langmyr is shattered when a surprise massacre fueled by bloodmagic ravages the Langmyrne border village of Willowfield, killing its inhabitants—including a visiting Oakharne lord and his family—and leaving behind a scene so grisly that even the carrion eaters avoid its desecrated earth. But the dead lord’s infant heir has survived the carnage—a discovery that entwines the destinies of Brys Tarnell, a mercenary who rescues the helpless and ailing babe, and who enlists a Langmyr peasant, a young mother herself, to nourish and nurture the child of her enemies as they travel a dark, perilous road . . . Odosse, the peasant woman whose only weapons are wit, courage, and her fierce maternal love—and who risks everything she holds dear to protect her new charge . . . Sir Kelland, a divinely blessed Knight of the Sun, called upon to unmask the architects behind the slaughter and avert war between ancestral enemies . . . Bitharn, Kelland’s companion on his journey, who conceals her lifelong love for the Knight behind her flawless archery skills—and whose feelings may ultimately be Kelland’s undoing . . . and Leferic, an Oakharne Lord’s bitter youngest son, whose dark ambitions fuel the most horrific acts of violence. As one infant’s life hangs in the balance, so too does the fate of thousands, while deep in the forest, a Maimed Witch practices an evil bloodmagic that could doom them all. . . .

All good epic fantasy stories not only have a brave hero, and quest of grand porportions, but also have some great bad guys. No story worth its salt would dare go on with the hero left unchallenged. The River Kings' Road is no exception. Thorns are a group of religious devotees that use their powers to kill, maim, and destroyin the name of their Goddess. In a world where a variety of warriors, knights, and everyday people follow dozens of Gods/Goddesses having a group go to the extreme violence side of life creates strong tension and interesting moments.

What I liked:
1. I adore epic fantasies. The idea that the story is so grand, twisted and complicated, and has dozens of facets that it has to unfold over time (books) seems perfect to me. This novel easily balances the story with the character building and the world building. As a reader you are given insight and knowledge of the world and characters throughout the novel.

2. Like I said above, the Thorns are some really good bad guys. They are described as self-mutilated, sometimes horrifically beautiful and with a range of powers that are fueled by death and blood.

3. Well rounded characters abound in this novel. Unlike some novels, epic fantasies or others, not only the main characters were given full characterization. Everyone has motives (some known, some not discovered in this book) that come into play as the story unfolds.

What I disliked:

1. The names of people and places were constantly switching. Scenes changed, sometimes to quickly, as the story unfolded. It was hard at first to keep all the character names straight.

Overall: I truly enjoyed reading this novel. I wouldn't call it a must read for fantasy fans, but imho it's very close.

Thank you Sarah, for giving me the opportunity to read this novel!

**This book qualifies as part of my fantasy reading challenge.**

What's in a Word

2010-03-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

Title: What's in a Word: Fascinating Stories of More Than 350 Everyday Words and Phrases
Author: Webb Garrison
Genre: Non-fiction, language
Source: From the publisher, Thomas Nelson, in exchange for an honest review.

Whats in a word? Webb Garrison uses this quick, easy to read book to help explain the wheres and whys of our English language. Let's face it, English is sometimes hard to understand. We have bucket loads of idioms, coloquial phrases, and words that are used even when most of us don't know where they came from or why we started using them.

I love words. I am constantly fascinated with the way our language shifts and changes. I also have a bit of fun teasing my students about not understanding the source of the things they say. This book is a collection of words and phrases you may not know the origins of. I did enjoy learning about most of these words, but sadly, some are out of date. The section of computers/ technology is completely obsolete...anyone under 30 has probably never heard some of these terms, let alone want to know where it came from.

This collection of words and phrases would be great, light reading for word geeks and students. It also strikes me as a good read for people who love trivia.

Great Scots!

2010-03-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

Title: A Highlander's Temptation
Author: Sue-Ellen Welfonder
Genre: Historical Romance
Source: I believe I won this from someone's book blog, but I can't for the life of me remember which blog. If it was you, I apologize!

This was the book I needed. It's currently spring break and as a teacher I enjoy this week off as much as the students do. I'm three days in and have already caught up with a boat load of reading I wanted to do. Afraid of falling behind in my reading schedule again (it's hard to get away from the slow, leisurely pace that is February) I wanted a quick, easy, feel good read. I found it in this novel.

What I liked:
1. I have a hard time enjoying historical romances as a whole. There is a weird line where too much detail is given and I'm turned from the stories to looking up the details to see if they are accurate...or what really happened. This novel only had one such moment....and it was very small. The story was strong and catching enough to keep my attention. The historical details were a well-crafted part of the story. Together there was a great balance that equalled happy brain-candy in my world. (I did look up birlinn just to see what one looked like, though I was able to guess what it was through context clues.) (It's a type of boat incase you didn't know.)

2. Alpha males. I'm a big fan of Highlanders. They just seem to make the best alpha males around. But then that could be due to the fact they almost always seem willing to show that sensitive side to the females....and sometimes other males....in their lives. The alpha in this novel, Darroc MacConacher, may sometimes get tripped up by his weaknesses, but they are also what spurs him on when he needs to go after his girl.

3. Linnet MacKenzie was just given a brief scene or two in this novel as mother of the heroine, Arabella. I want to read more of her tale. She's a strong woman, she's not bowled over by her alpha male husband, she has a touch of magic about her, and she trusts her daughter. While I enjoyed the rest of the story, I was always happy to see Linnet show up in a scene.

What I didn't like
1. There is a strange side story of a ghost who lives in a tower room of MacConacher keep. Throughout the story there are mentions of magics, scrying, old and new gods........all play a part in the tale. I've still not figured out the reason behind the ghost being there. Unless her story is covered in another book, there seems to be no purpose here. The ghost doesn't bring them together or apart. She doesn't seem to have any ability to influence them at all. Other than adding some magic history to the room, she doesn't seem to have a reason to be.

Overall: I highly recommend it to historical romance readers...and to anyone looking for a bit of romance novel brain-candy. This novel is the perfect flavor !

**This novel qualifies as part of my TBR challenge list.**

Lists

2010-03-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of lists. They make me happy. Sometimes I even use them to get things done. Yep, I'm one of those people. 100 little sticky notes, scraps of paper, messages and lists on my iPhone.....but most of them go unused. I just like the act of listing, mostly. What's all this listing babble leading to? Well you see the other day I stumbled across this website: 1001 Series. There are all sorts of greatest hits type lists here....1001 movies to see, 1001 childrens books to read, and my personal favorite 1001 books to read before you die.

Now, with 1001 novels on the list there is no possibility of me ever getting done with the list. Plus, I've already read at least a dozen or so of the novels listed. But, I do think this would make an interesting personal growth challenge. Break me out of my reading bubble, so to speak. My current plan is to pick one novel from each of the letters. If I can finish them in this year, that would account for 26 novels. Not bad if I do say so.....especially as I'm sure there will be some novels that will just be play ole torturous for me to read.

So, what do you say? Anyone up for trying to expand your reading horizons with me?

WoW-Stormrage

2010-03-15T10:12:00.001-07:00

Title: World of Warcraft: Stormrage
Author: Richard A. Knaak
Genre: Fantasy, series
Source: Gallery Books / Simon and Schuster sent me the novel for free in exchange for my honest review.

Let me just start right off by saying....no, I don't play World of Warcraft. I wasn't even aware that there were WoW novels. Though, a quick visit to a bookstore set me straight. Apparently, the stories/ novels of WoW are as popular, and are working on being as prolific as the stories/ novels of the Star Trek universe. It's crazy! So many authors, so many characters, so many story lines......but they all fit together. There must be something to them to attract this large and loyal of a fan base. When I was first approached to read and review this novel, honestly, I was a little put off. This isn't my flavor of geek. I'm not sure I could tell you anything about WoW other than some of my friends have lost hours of their lives to it. But heck, the cover matter made it sound interesting...and at worst it would just be another fantasy novel. It took me a bit to get into it, but I'm glad I got the chance to dip my toes into this new area of geekery.

What I liked:
1. At its core, this is part of a well built, long running, race war - fantasy novel. It has all the requirements....large scale wars, smaller personal battles, varieties of citizens (in this case all fantastical creatures such as Night Elves, Dragons, Centaurs, etc.), and an intricate (though not too complicated) plot to keep everyone / thing driving forward.

2. Having never read any other WoW novels, I was afraid that I wouldn't understand anything that was being talked about. Not so. Mr. Knaak was able to both continue on with the story and give the necessary background information to make it all work. This is a hard feat that he managed well.

What I didn't like:
1. Probably this is a flaw of I didn't read the previous parts of the series, but I never grew to care about any of the characters. Usually, in a good fantasy series I'm able to invest in the characters. I worry about them and cheer them on. It was a bit different with this novel. While I didn't outright hate any of the characters, I certainly wasn't invested in their story lines. I continued reading the novel because I wanted to know how the story / war ended....not because it was a gripping character driven story.

2. At times, particularly near the beginning, the writing was almost schizophrenic. One paragraph would be overly descriptive, the next narrative, all followed by a paragraph or two of haughty pseudo-medieval fantasy garble. Eventually, this worked itself out, but I can't help but feel that either the writer or the editor should have caught and fixed this.....or made it workable throughout.

Overall: I'm glad I was given the chance to peek into the story around the game, World of Warcraft. I must say that the novel is much more interesting to me than the story. For WoW players, I think / hope this novel is everything you've been waiting for. For non WoW players, this series may be a place to go if you're looking for a new fantasy series.

The Lightning Thief

2010-03-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: YA, fantasy
Source: Borrowed from a student

That's right...I borrowed a book from one of my students. I love that my high-schoolers are comfortable enough with me to talk about books and movies that interest them. I love that they are willing to share those interests with me. Like Twilight before it, and Harry Potter before that, I only read this because a student recommended it to me. And like the books before it, I'm very glad I did.

What I liked:
1. Even though she is only a small section of this novel, I was instantly drawn to Percy's mother. There is something about her love for him, her selflessness, and her sacrifices that spoke to me. I especially like her when compared to the mothers in several other YA novels I've read recently (Yes, Never Cry Wolf, I'm talking about you.).

2. I enjoy the way Mr. Riordan is able to make connections between mythology that is well-known and a brand new world. Percy and his story is wholly unique, but with so many of the characters being ones I've met before, I'm charmed and hooked into the series.

What I disliked:
1. While the Gods are given many different facets to their characters..........or are allowed to show them, it is a bit off putting that most of the teens are mere stereotypes of the God/dess that sired them.

2. It's a bit odd that something in that last sentence inspired to me to use the word sired in a non-vampire context.

Overall: This was a fun book and I'm glad I had a chance to read it. I might be tempted to see the movie now. Though I've heard that it is significantly different from the novels. This is one of those novels that should be read by YA fans and fantasy fans alike.

The Host

2010-02-28T16:42:00.001-07:00

Title: The Host
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Sci-fi, dystopia, speculative fiction
Source: E-book, owned

Finally! I finally reached the end of this book. I don't mean that in the negative way that it sounds...but just in that surprisingly this novel took me ALL of February to complete. That being said, I did wholly enjoy this novel and am glad I finally gave it a chance.

Before I go into likes and dislikes I need to tackle the subject of author vs. known writing style. I am guilty of doing something I'm not particularly proud of in my identification as a reader....I judged a book by the author's other books. You see, I read and sort of enjoyed Twilight. It was a light fluffy read that if I ignored everything I knew about vampires (which is a lot) and just enjoyed the jr. high crush feeling it fostered, I could enjoy it. I am not however a Twilight fan. Overall, it was ok. I've read significantly more interesting young adult novels and am not completely sure why these novels have received the popularity they have. But this is not about Twilight. This is about The Host. Honestly, if I'd been given this book without a cover, I would have never guessed that it was by Ms. Meyer. For this novel, her writing style changed and grew. The world was well-fleshed out, the characters were fully developed and capable of great changes (no limp rag Bellas here), and the story had a consistent arc and plot development. There was never a moment where I thought it went too long or should have ended sooner. I pre-judged this novel, and for that I'm sorry.

What I liked:

1. I found it interesting that our main character was actually a combination of two characters. Wanderer/Wanda is a kind being who is enjoying her species ability to join with and explore the lives the are taking over. Melanie is a human rebel. She has the strength, training, and of all things...the nerve to stay alive and unjoined. These two women have to learn to live together, work together, and love together...when they shouldn't have to. Notice that neither of these women is a push-over or easily manipulated. It's awesome to have a 2-1 strong female lead.

2. The little details of the world building blew my mind. On the human side, there were things like people who were pre-prepared being considered crazy. Now they are the leaders. From the Soul side, there are details such as being trusting to the extreme or the easy to read labels.

3. Parts reminded me of other sci-fi entities that I enjoy. For example: The way the Souls bond to humans is initially explained to be very similar to how the Goa'uld join with their hosts.

What I disliked:

1. Length. This was not the novel to read on an iPhone e-reader. Holy will-it-ever-end-I'm-reading-on-quarter-length-pages Batman! I know this is silly and personal, but it may have been an easier read, for me, if I had this one as an actual paper book.

2. Some of the world building was so complete that some details weren't well explained or were assumed to be known. This primarily happened in descriptions and talk about the various planets that the Souls have come in contact with. Some had great explanations and others were glossed over. It sometimes made it hard to keep everything straight in my mind.

Overall: I enjoyed this novel and am glad I finally gave it a chance.

**This novel was originally intended to be reviewed for Blogs with Bite, but I missed the due date.

***This novel qualifies for the speculative fiction challenge ***

Apologies

2010-02-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

As it gets closer to the end of the month, I feel I have to offer my apologies and explainations to the followers of this blog. I pretty much disappeared for this last month. It wasn't really intentional, I just got bogged down in February. For the shortest month it sure feels like it has been going on for several weeks longer than it should have. I can't really explain it. Don't worry though, I have been reading. I have one book to review (Lightning Thief), one to finish (The Host ((freakin' long book that has taken me all of Feb. to read....I'm still not done)), and two ready to go for reviews (WoW Stormrage, The Twilight Gospel).

So, long story short...I'm sorry about the lack of posts and I promise March will be much better. I love you all...thank you for sticking with me!

New Blogs on the Block

2010-02-20T07:08:00.001-07:00

I'm being featured over on Larissa's blog. You should go check me out. ;)

Score!

2010-02-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

I have much love for the VNSA booksale! Open one weekend a year there are thousands....thousands of books....some gently used, others in not quite so good of conditions. Other than having to fight through other readers who apparently have the time and patience to consider every single book title their eyes touch on....it's awesome!

My finds today:

These were the coolest find ever! Usually we don't go to the Saturday part of the sale. Because of this, I had no idea that the volunteers look for and bundle sets of books. Lucky for me, this lovely bundle of Janet Chapman's Highlander books was just waiting to be picked up. I now have the entire series to date! My not-so-secret crush on time-traveling Highlanders is all a flutter!

I've read The Golden Compass a couple of times. The rest of the series is on both my reading list and my husband's. Because of this I couldn't pass up this bundle either....plus the set cost me all of $4. This makes my bank account very happy.

It wasn't all perfect. I get all flustered around hordes of people who just don't pay attention to the fact there are other people in the world. Happily, other than a few moments of wanting to choke the person inching along the table slower than a snail, I've decided that for-fun readers are friendly people. Also, the apparently inability to alphabetize any of the fiction is eternally frustrating. There were also some books by a favorite author of mine that I should have grabbed, but I talked myself out of them as I wasn't sure if I had one or all. I got home, checked, and realized I didn't have any of them. But there will be other sales, and now that I'm aware of my lack of these books, I'll be on the look out for them.

Thank you VNSA!

The Selfless Gene by Charles Foster

2010-02-07T14:24:00.003-07:00

Title: The Selfless Gene : Living with God and Darwin
Author: Charles Foster
Genre: Religious, Non-Fiction
Source: Received for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for a honest review.

What if both religion and science are correct? Who says the world has to be only one and not the other? Mr. Foster is a Christian who walks in that gray area between the two and is angry at the extremists on either side of this great debate.

What I liked:

1. As another Christian who believes that God is large enough to have included evolution in His grand plan, it is refreshing to read the thoughts of someone else who feels that way.

2. Though the arguments and positions for both sides are well researched and given equal time within the book it was challenging to read. Sometimes it was the scientific explanations. Sometimes it was the extremist view points I don't agree with. It was always an interesting challenge.

What I didn't like:

1. Mr. Foster never seems to take a definite stance. Admittedly, most of the comparisons do come down on the side of God, but there is never a straight foreword statement of position. He spends a lot of time explaining each side and proving how the extremists are incorrect, but very little is said about how they could work together or be part of the same whole. This is disappointing.

Overall: I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book, but I don't think it will be a great ground-breaking bridge between the extremes of religion and science. There is a lot to think about in the book and it is worth reading to get a taste of all the viewpoints involved in this debate.

Wondrous Strange

2010-01-29T20:53:00.001-07:00

Title: Wondrous Strange
Author: Lesley Livingston
Genre: YA, fantasy
Source: Library

It's a quirk I have, but in my opinion there is very little that William Shakespeare ever got wrong. This charming story only reinforces that thought. My thoughts keep turning to the immortal line, "what a tangled web we weave." Contained within the world of this novel is a definitely tangled, sometimes sweet, sometimes painful web.

Kelly is a 17 year old girl trying to make her way in the New York theater scene. She's even landed a dream job...playing Titania, Queen of the Fairies in Midsummer. Sonny has a job to do. He's been raised / trained by the King of the Fae to be a guard. He's been charged with the task of helping control the unrully fae who manage to slip through the rifts between the Otherworld and our, human, world. However, on this particular Halloween the gates between the worlds threaten to swing open and something terrible is rumored to be coming through. All is rolled together, being tangled up thanks to tricks, lies, half-truths, and love.

There MAY be SPOILERS here. I don't mean to...but can't necessarily keep it all to myself.

What I liked:

1. I love, love, love the blending of Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and the various characters from the Otherworld. They interact and mirror each other so perfectly! It's a fun thought that one is an inspiration for the other.

2. The romance aspect is sweet and innocent. So many novels, even YA ones, seem to be going straight into the love equals hormones and kissing - immediately! This novel doesn't do that. It just wouldn't have felt right. Instead, there are so many sweet moments, sideways glances, almost kisses, and hand holding. OMG-handholding! My heart melted at that moment.

3. Lucky, the Kelpie. All that needs to be said.

4. Did you know that Puck is real?!?!

What I didn't like:

1. I don't understand the casting of the play. Granted Kelley is the understudy originally, but she's 17. Oberon is played by a man in his 50's. Huh? I know youth equals beauty in most people's perceptions, and that Titania is the most beautiful example of fairies......but really? Shouldn't Oberon be similar?

2. It leaves me hanging. I'm engrossed in the story and then suddenly the novel is finished. I want more! It makes me strangely happy to know that the sequel is ~~coming out soon~~ out now.

Overall: This novel is a treat to read. It's sweet and innocent while still containing elements of the tricky playfulness the fae are so well-known for. Fans of Shakespeare and YA fantasy should most definitely pick it up!

Heart's Blood

2010-01-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Title: Heart's Blood
Author: Juliet Marillier
Genre: Fantasy, paranormal
Source: Public Library - Want for my own collection....please?

I absolutely loved this novel. I fell head over heels into the world of Whistling Tor and want to go back as soon as possible. For a moment, I seriously considered stealing this book from the library. My husband, who was absorbed in a video game most of the day, was able to surface long enough to tease me about being so absorbed in the book.

What I liked:

1. I'm a sucker for Medieval-ish settings. Give me knights, and lords, and ladies, Kings, and farmers...I'll be a happy girl. Throw in a bit of folklore and magic and it is nearly my perfect book.

2. I'd say about 90 % of the characters in this novel are flawed. They are broken mentally, physically, spiritually.....any way you can think of. Even the two main characters. And because of this they fit together perfectly.

3. While magic was a staple of the story and needed to occur, the actual thing that saved the day was love and hope. I adore this about Ms. Marillier's novels. Love and hope are always....always...the saving grace.

What I didn't like:

1. I'm not too keen on the cover. It's nice. It accurately portrays the main character and the story, but it....it just doesn't do it for me. I may be a bit biased though, as I love the American covers for the Sevenwaters Stories and the Bridei Chronicles.

Overall: I'm impressed. I really would love to own this book. It is everything I've come to expect from fantasy. You should try it! If you don't like it....send your copy to me. I'll treasure it!

(This novel qualifies for the fantasy reading challenge.)

Shakespeare's Landlord

2010-01-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Title: Shakespeare's Landlord ~ Book 1 of the Lily Bard mysteries
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre: Mystery
Source: public library

I had no idea what I was getting into here. I was just looking for some new brain candy after I'd come down from my Sookie Stackhouse fix. (BTW, thank you Bookman's for having copies of the Sookie books for sale cheap when I desperately needed them!) Conveniently, Charlaine Harris wrote other novels...and I'm nothing if not a loyal reader who will at least attempt to read every piece of writing my favorites feel fit to publish. So, I jumped into the Lily Bard series. Now I have to say, traditionally, I've not been much of a mystery reader. They usually feel too contrived and/or Clue-ish. Which, except for having Tim Curry in it has little not no meaning for me. I was a bit worried. Luckily, my fears were laid to rest almost immediately. The story telling style, the believable characters even when the situation is a bit out there, the well-thought out connections and little nods to the readers....everything that made the Sookie books enjoyable for me was present. Well, except vampires...but I'll survive.

What I liked:

1. There were so many subtle and not-so subtle nods to The Bard himself it was kind of awesome.

2. The main character is well 'n truly flawed. While the mystery is solved by the end, she's not fixed and it's going to take a lot to get her there. I know this is a sad thing, but it makes her story and her reactions more believable. She is a complete person not just a flat character.

3. The main character doesn't go looking for the mystery. In fact, if she could have her way, nothing out of the ordinary would happen, ever....she's safer that way. This stopped the whole contrived, oh look something's gone awry feelings I've gotten from mysteries before. Maybe I should start reading more of them?

What I didn't like:

1. The pacing was a bit off in this one, but I think it is due to it being the beginning of the series. Ms. Harris needed to set the scene and establish who and what's going on. It began slower, picking up the pace until the ending just flew by.

Overall: I enjoyed this book too. It's not quite the same deliciousness of brain candy as Sookie, but I'm very glad I gave these books a chance and I plan on finishing the series.

Gentlemen Prefer Succubi

2010-01-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

Title: Gentlemen Prefer Succubi ~ The Succubus Diaries
Author: Jill Myles
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: From the publisher with intent to review and participate in the book tour. It is mine to keep.

Jumping right in today...this book makes me smile. It is good, slightly campy, paranormal romance. Before you are even into the story you can tell how good and silly it is going to be. Exhibit A: The title - the play on Marilyn Monroe movie titles that both this book and its sequel have are highly entertaining. Exhibit B: The cover image - I'll discuss this more later....but it deserves a second or third look. Exhibit C: The back matter - seriously who could not enjoy a summary like this:

Jackie Brighton woke up in a dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her first one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes....and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle-until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fierce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot right-hand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. how's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?

Honestly, the back cover just had me rolling in laughter! Taken in bits it is just too much fun to resist...magically growing breasts, angels and vampires, glowing eyes. Awesome! And then the fun just continues inside.

What I liked:

1. This novel took itself too seriously. Author Jill Myles, knows she's written a campy book and never lets the readers...nor the characters forget it.

2. Seeing as the main character is a succubus this novel could quickly go right into that pile of books that is less plot and more gratutious sex scenes, but it doesn't. Jackie is very conscious of the succubus / slut connection and does her best to avoid that....even when she has two supernaturally hot guys lusting after her.

3. Things are never quite what they seem in this novel. The traditional paradigm of angels=good and vampires=bad is mixed up, switched up, and you (and Jackie) never know who's actually good and who's actually bad.

4. The cover. I mean really. Hot guy with great abs....and then that hair. I'm not sure what's up with it. The strange toussling like he just lost a fight with the wind. Also, after having read it I'm not entirely sure which of the guys this is supposed to be. Alternatively, all these strange little things come together to add to the over all campiness of the book.

Things I didn't like:

1. I had trouble identifying with Jackie's character. Not because she was a shy, nerdy, geek girl who suddenly turned into a sex fiend...oh no. But rather because the first several pages (and then off and on throughout the book) she makes several comments about her size and being fat 'n plain. Beauty is always equated to being small in her world. I can't buy this....especially not when the characters states she is only a size 14. I'm sorry that's not big. I understand it's not the supermodel Barbie size 6 with DDs she becomes later, but it isn't huge. Gaaaa!

2. There are at least three characters who are set with the task of caring for, watching over, and filling Jackie in on the details while she gets the hang of this succubus thing. None of them actually do this with any consistancy. It's bothersome. The only thing they do on a regular basis is yell at her for doing the things they didn't tell her not to do.

Overall: This novel was exactly what I expected. It was fun but has a few flaws. They are easily ignored when faced with the variety of other things present in this book.

Heir To Sevenwaters

2010-01-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

Title: Heir to Sevenwaters (Follow up novel to the Sevenwaters Triology)
Author: Juliet Marillier
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Library, but want desperately to own

I had to read this one. There was no question. You see, for a long time I was under the impression that my favorite series of books was only a trilogy. Then bam! This one shows up...with the same great cover art and a wonderful continuation of the Sevenwaters' clan.

For those of you who haven't read any of the Sevenwaters books, might I suggest you do. Juliet Marillier has an enchanting way of mixing known fairy tales and faerie stories with Celtic folk lore, Druidic mysticism, magic, and romance. Each book in the series is about a different generation of the Sevenwaters clan and how they deal with the fae meddling in their lives (sometimes for good, sometimes for not so good). All are classic fairy tales with a challenge to overcome, but they are well and truly fleshed out and held up by interesting characters and a complex plot that tangles together over the generations. Each can be read on it's own, but they are definitely better as a whole.

What I liked about this book:
1. Just about everything. It is like a welcome home. I read and reread the first three books all the time, I'm glad the story doesn't stop there.

2. The cover art. I really like the style the American covers come with. Kind of old school fantasy, but they are exactly what I picture when I think of the different characters.

3. We get to meet the head mischief maker himself - Mac Dara in this one.

4. Love always wins.

What I didn't like:

1. This a plot thing: For a family that has generations of dealings with the Fae.....why don't they understand what's going on?!?! It was a bit frustrating, but I know it was meant to be. The story couldn't have moved on the way it did if everyone automatically believed. So not really a complaint.

2. Another not really a complaint, but I don't like that I didn't know that the series didn't stop at three. Not that I mind my favorite stories continuing, but now I have to think of something else to call the Sevenwaters Triology.

(This book is part of my fantasy reading challenge)

It's my birthday!

2010-01-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Isn't this cake awesome?! I would love to receive it, or something similar, on my birthday. This year my birthday cake did not look like that...it looked like this:

Actually, these are real books not a book cake, but wouldn't that be cool? I didn't get a cake this year, but I did get a whole bunch of other goodies. Now, technically only one of the books was actually for my birthday, but they all arrived around the same time....so I'm counting them.

It's my birthday; I can do that.

Actual birthday present: Creepy Cute Crochet from my husband who wants to have a horde of amigurumi zombies.

For review & book tour: Gentlemen Prefer Succubi

Under orders (from author Beverly Kendall) to read with an open mind (to try to find new historical romances that I might like): Proof by Seduction and Sinful Surrender

And two won books - one via blog - one via twitter: Truly, Madly and Lead Me On

Plus, there have been vampire movies! Last night my husband took me out to see Daybreakers. Awesome! I love how they played up the whole bat / monster angle. These aren't your sparkly happy vamps. And as an early birthday present (we picked it up before Christmas) I also received Let The Right One In. If you haven't seen it....do. Go now. Don't wait for the American remake which is happening shortly. This one is great and has a book that is even better.

Yay! Happy Birthday to me!!!!

Monday's QoTD

2010-01-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

Question of the Day meme hosted by Eleni @ La Femme Readers.

Before I get to the question, I thought I might explain something. I haven't been putting a lot of me....outside of what I think about books....into this blog. But I do love it when I see other people doing it on their blogs. So I thought that this year I would try to slide myself into more of my posts, or maybe pick up some like this. And now on to the question...

Question: Besides reading, what other hobby brings you happiness?

Answer: I have three. The first is the main opponent ( for my attention) against reading. Movies. My husband and I watch a lot of movies. No really, I mean a lot. Together we own nearly 400 dvds, plus we have a packed Netflix cue. Ideally, we'd go to more theater movies, but money is tight and theaters are expensive.

(Not our dvd collection - but similar.)

The second is crochet. This is a hit or miss hobby for me. Sometimes, usually in winter, I'm really into it. Other times my project basket can sit for months without being touched. I need to spend more time on it, but I love it....even if I have to redo dozens of rows (on big projects) because I forget to count. Lately, I've been into making amigurumi dolls (is that redundant?) and even completed one that was my own creation.

(This wee lil man is my first creation. He's fashioned after Bunny in the comic.)

The third is RockBand. I don't play ours nearly enough, but I have options when I do: Rock Band 1 and 2, Lego Rock Band, Beatles edition, and even the Guitar Hero band game. You know what I mean. I love playing the drums and think the guitar is evil. I may even get up the guts to play Rock Band with Wil Wheaton at this year's Phoenix Comic Con. That guy hosts one slammin' Rock Band party!

Your turn. What other hobbies bring you happiness?

Have you seen this?

2010-01-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Jenn at Books At Midnight is starting this comment activity. I'm all excited over it! I think it will be a great way to help me achieve my New Year's blogging goal of commenting more. The way it works is that you sign up on Saturday, by leaving a comment on her blog, once your comment has posted you need to pay a visit to the blogger who commented just before you. I've already done mine...and found a great new blog to follow!

Angel Time

2010-01-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Title: Angel Time
Author: Anne Rice
Genre: paranormal, religious, fiction
Source: Library

First, I just have to mention this (even though I know this has been discussed other places dozens of times), but have you noticed this odd trend of making the author's name be larger even than the title? I have this theory that publishers think readers are stupid and don't believe that we can judge for ourselves whether or not we want to read a book. They just bank on the readers who are fans of certain author to just automatically want/buy anything with that author's name on it. But I'm off topic and maybe I'll write a post about that theory later.

Angel Time is Anne Rice's jump back into the paranormal fiction world. She took a break and wrote some Christian non-fiction books, don't ya know? And that Christian theology and mythology play a large part in this novel. To be honest, I am one of those readers from above...the ones that wants to at least read every novel my favorite authors put out...including Ms. Rice. I'm a big fan...I had to at least try this one. I still love her writing style. She tells a great story. But this one just isn't my favorite.

What I liked:

1. I love that her writing style is just the way I remember. That makes me comfortable as a reader and makes it easier for me to get into the story.

2. The "real life" background of the main character (who is not an angel btw) is an interesting hard knocks, mafia type story that adds up to an interesting and complex character.

What I didn't like:

1. I feel misled. Yes, there is an angel in this book. Yes, said angel appears at just the appropriate time. And yes, the main character does take some actions that cast him into the role of rescuing "angel" for some other characters. However, the main angel plays a very minimal role in the book.

Overall: It was a good read, but it isn't my favorite Rice novel.

2010 Reading Challenges

2010-01-02T22:25:00.000-07:00

Remember, If you can't be an athelete...be an atheletic supporter. I was trying to come up with something clever to say about joining in, but that's the only thing that came to mind. It makes me wonder if there is a Grease reading challenge. I'm not going to go look for it though. I've already been making lists and looking at my schedule to try to guestimate which challenges I can join and won't kill myself trying to conquer. No deaths by books....just reading challenges.....because they're fun! This year I'm going to tackle these reading challenges:

The TBR Challenge. We all have that dreaded To Be Read pile that keeps growing and growing. Some of us even have over flowing bookshelves due to this pile. MizB is hosting this challenge that is designed to help clean up your bookshelves and lower the body count on that TBR list. The challenge is to read 12 books that have been on your TBR list for over 6 months. That's one for each month....but you can do them all at once if you want. Follow one of the links to get the complete rules. I'll be making my list (which will come on a separate post) off of my shelved TBR list. It's only practical. I have an entire bookcase (well at least one...but more like two) that I've not read any of the books from. I must fix that.

I have read a lot of science fiction. At least one whole bookcase is filled with it. However, there are so many things that can be covered by the speculative fiction category, and my husband enjoys it as a genre and has a list all ready for me, plus there are a few new novels that would fit nicely into this category that I can't help but want to participate in this Speculative Fiction Challenge hosted by Book Chick City. How's that for one long, run-on sentence from the English teacher?

For this challenge I'm choosing the Enthusiast level which is 6 books from any of the categories. All the other rules and the category list are all on her site....but the most important is the list. I'll be making mine up as I go, so there will be a separate post to keep them all totaled.

The Royals Fantasy Reading Challenge is hosted by Royal Reviews. Fantasy isn't actually a big stretch for me. Fantasy novels are some of my favorites. However, I've been so caught up in the horror and paranormal romance genres lately that I've been letting some good ones slip past. Plus there are always fantasy series that I haven't discovered yet. I'm thinking this one will be a lot of fun!

I'm going to try the Addicted Level. Twelve books is totally doable, right? All the rules and things are on the site and like the speculative fiction challenge I'll be building my list as I go.

The Gilmore Girls Challenge! That's right. I spent a good portion of my college down-time t.v. watching on this show. Rory and Lorelei just make me happy. So therefore, I could not resist the bookish glee that happened when I stumbled across this challenge hosted by Lisa.

In the show, Rory is a very good student (high school and college), there are books and book referrences galore. A list, of all the books read or mentioned during the show, has been compiled and the challenge is to read a set number of books from the different categories on the list. I've chosen the Emily level. Just like the grand matriarch of the Gilmore clan....I'm going to be conservative. The Emily level means I need to choose 5 books from at least 2 of the categories listed. This one will be tougher. Like the two above, I'll be building my list as I go.

2009 Reading Challenge Wrap-up

2010-01-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

Shortly after starting this blog in July 2009, I decided to tackle a few reading challenges. I joined two that were already in progess and created one of my own. Here are the results:

This is the challenge I created. Luckily, I was able to complete my goal. How bad would that be....not completing your own challenge Does this ever happen?

5.5 completed out of the planned 5

This is hosted by Callapidder Days and technically I've already done a post about this.....but you all don't mind if I repeat myself briefly....right? I completed this challenge, but only with substitutions. I made a list of 12 titles, but do to library due dates and wanting to read other books that original 12 got thrown out the window. I did definitely read over the 12 books though.

12 / 12 with the help of substitutions

Beth Fish Reads is to blame for my newest addiction. I love, love, love the Sookie Stackhouse books and this was the challenge that introduced me to them.

9 / 9 devoured

Waiting on Wednesday

2009-12-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight books we are eagerly awaiting. I decided to join this time because there is a whole plile of novels that I'm excited to get a hold of....can't wait to read them.

Below are two that are currently out, but that I haven't gotten the chance to read yet.

Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

Published by Penguin

Nov. 2008

I have no idea why I missed the release of this one. I love.....LOVE....Ms. Marillier's writing style. I've been twitterpated with the Sevenwater's clan since the first time I read Daughter of the Forest years ago. This one has been requested from the library. I wish I could own it, but my wallet doesn't agree with me on that one....right now.

Arch Enemy (Part of the Looking Glass Wars) by Frank Beddor
Published by Penguin
October 2009

Yet another that has been out for a while. Only this one I didn't miss...I just haven't read it yet. It's sitting there on my self surrounded by the other Looking Glass books waiting for it's turn at the top of the TBR pile (which is coming soon btw!).

What are you waiting for?

Ghostland

2009-12-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Title: Ghostland
Author: Jory Strong
Genre: Urban fantasy, paranormal, romance
Source: Borrowed from Pat as part of her new Borrow My Books Tour ~ Part 1

I have been on the look out for this book for a while now. The plot line just intrigued me. (From the author's website) In a post-Apocalyptic world where supernaturals have emerged from hiding, wealthy humans delight in decadence while the religious gain power through temptation. For the masses, fear reigns from birth to death, and the afterlife holds beings that only the bravest can summon—or dare to desire…

In other words...not only are we dealing with a post-apocolyptic society and all the foibles therein, but we now have a large gaping whole between the classes, and all those paranormal things we've been afraid of turn out to be true. Awesome! That is why I was looking forward to this book.......well that and the cover. OHmygoshdidyouseethecover!?! Pure, beautiful awesomeness.

What I liked:

1. The main character, Aisling, is a brave, strong girl who is doing her best to get through the situations she's been put in, save lives, and save her family. She adjusts easily to new situations, but for the most part doesn't let them overtake her. That being said she's willing to dive head first into any problem.

2. The male lead, Zurael, is a demon. I like him because he walks a strange line between being the alpha male and being completely taken with her.

3. The ferret! More leading ladies need a magical pet/friend of some kind and it is wholly appropriate for Aisling's to be a ferret.....this time.

4. Seriously hot sex scenes. I wasn't expecting these. I don't know why, but I just wasn't. Yes, in some cases they were a bit gratuitous, but they didn't interrupt the flow of the story. Actually, I'd be willing to say they added to it by further backing up the growing relationship between Aisling and Zurael. Oh and btw....hot!

What I didn't like:

1. The whole story/mystery part gets wrapped up to neatly and too quickly at the end. There was a lot of build up, a lot of obstacles to overcome, and then *poof* things just get wrapped up. It's a bit hard to believe even when all the tangles are clearly undone.

2. Gratuitous sex scenes. There were only a couple of times where I felt that the characters were edging towards this. Specifically with Zurael. Demon boy can't keep it in his pants. It appears that when he's apart from Aisling (as in worlds away) he's fine and capable of thoughts, but anywhere near her (i.e. her world) he's a raging ball of D/s hard-ons. I won't go into a lot of detail, but it did get a bit tiring to hear about him wanting to bend her over the counter again and again and again.

Overall, I'm still extremely happy that I had the chance to read this book. I loved it. Devoured it. I'm currently adding Ms. Strong's other books to my TBR list.

The last of the candy - Sookie Stackhouse

2009-12-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

What did you do over Christmas? I read. Between my SIL and I both reading (see devouring) the Sookie Stackhouse novels and some pending library due dates, I had to quick get finished with the books that were hanging around the house or risk not getting to read them for several more months.

Title: All Together Dead ~ Southern Vampire Series Book 7
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mystery
Source: Library

This is the one I accidently skipped. I'm glad I read it though. It filled in the blanks on a couple of spots and gave some nice juicy details about Sookie's relationships with both Eric and Quinn. I'm sad to see that Alcide disappeared so quickly, at least out of the relationship game, but oohh wee! Things sure are getting hot with Eric.....and then you throw Quinn into the mix. Makes a girl wanna purr!

Title: Dead and Gone ~ Southern Vampire Series Book 8 (Most Current)
Soure: Library

This one was great, caught me right up into the action, and now I'm a bit sad and disappointed that I'll have to wait until May 2010 for the next installment. Eric's up to his "I play with words and don't tell whole truths, but you will still do as I say because I'm all powerful and you love me" tricks. But things sure are steaming up between him and Sook. Sookie's great-grandfather Niall is playing a major role in her life...and leaves her with a mysterious thought, "The vampire loves you and is a good guy." That's not a direct quote but it's the right thought. All I can add......please please please Ms. Harris and her novel writing muses, please let it be Eric that he's talking about. Yeah, yeah, I know Bill's stable and homey and in his own quiet way he really does love Sookie....but so does Eric. And he's much more desirable to play opposite her in the long run.

Title: A Touch of Dead (Short Stories from within the Sookie Stackhouse universe)
Source: Library

This is a collection of short stories, some have to do with situations alluded to in the novels and some are just side situations. Most have to do with minor characters - giving them an opportunity to take center stage. It's a quick, easy read, but only a few have the same magical story-telling touch that is part of the novels. Worth reading for fans, but not the place to start if you haven't read the series yet.

Overall: I can't believe I have to wait until May! Luckily my secret santa gifted me with the first two...I can read them any time now! Plus, my Sookie Stackhouse reading challenge is now complete! (I'll fix the side bar later...sleep now.)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T10:09:00.001-07:00

I made it! A house full of my husband's family (mine live too far away to do the house-filling gathering thing), music, food, Christmas traditions out the wazoo, and in the midst of it all I was finally able to open my Book Blogger Holiday Swap and Secret Santa gifts!

My Santas gave me awesome loot!

On the left is the gift from a lovely gifter as part of the Secret Santa. They gave me the first two Sookie Stackhouse books (Squee!), a whole pile of book marks, and an additional gift of a magical expanding washcloth. I haven't tried it yet....my husband wants to see it expand too!

(I have no idea who you are.....will you tell me?)

The right is from Susan as part of the Book Blogger Holiday Swap. She gave me a beautiful set of stationary cards, and glammed-out pen to write on those pretty cards. There was also a Santa postcard ornament and a set of joyful magnets. The ornament went up right away and the magnets are already making a home on our fridge!

(The name and address were smeared on the package. I can only make out Susan from Escondido, CA. Would you tell me if this was you?)

Thank you!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Fall Into Reading Wrap-up

2009-12-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

The time has come for this challenge to come to a close. I'm a bit unsure of the outcome of my challenge. When I posted my original reading list it looked something like this:

From the library:
1. Blood From Stone ~ Laura Anne Gilman
2. Dead If I Do ~ Tate Hallaway
3. Fragile ~ Shiloh Walker
4. Lords of Desire ~ Virgina Henley, Sally MacKenzie, Victoria Dahl, Kristi Astor
5. ~~Would-Be Witch ~ Kimberly Frost~~
6. A Drop of Red ~ Chris Marie Green
7. ~~Over My Dead Body ~ Michelle Bardsley~~

From my shelves:
8. Prom Nights From Hell ~ Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephanie Meyer, Lauren Myracle
9. My Soul To Take ~ Rachel Vincent
10. ~~Intertwined ~ Gena Showalter~~

For book clubs:
11. ~~Never Cry Werewolf ~ Heather Davis~~ (Blogs With Bite)
12. ~~The Postmistress ~ Sarah Blake~~ (Barnes and Noble First Look Club) DNF

Notice that some are crossed out, others aren't. I ran into a bit of a snag. I just kept finding more and more books that just had to be read. Some were replaced. Then others were replaced. Eventually the library called all the books back. I had to find more. Here's were the conflict comes in. I did read 12 books. In fact, I read over twelve books in the challenge time...I read 20. Well, more like 19.5 ~ I didn't finish one of the books.

So here's the question: Does the fact that I read 19.5 books count as my completing this challenge? Does it count even though I didn't read all of the original 12 books on the list?

I think I'm going to count this as a draw. Completed but not perfect. Sound good?

Fun!

2009-12-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

I saw today's reading challenge over at Bookworming in the 21st Century. I couldn't resist it! I'm not joining in the official challenge, but just had to join in.

For this challenge all I have to do is:

1 - Pick up the book you are currently reading.

2 - Since it is December 22nd, turn to page 22 in your book.

3 - Count down to the 22nd line on the page. (If there is a partial word on the line you can leave it off.)

4 - Post a picture of your book cover along with the 22nd line from the 22nd page on your blog.

My line:

"They were on the cusp of the present."

From:

More Sookie!

2009-12-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

Title: Dead As A Doornail ~ Southern Vampire Series Book 5
Author: Charlaiine Harris
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Library

This one is just a treat to read! Our darling Sookie has to deal with her brother changing, a real-life fairy godmother, Alcide using her ability as a psycic lie detector, and let's not forget about the new Pirate vampire.

That's right. You heard me. Pirates and faeries! Bill is still on the outs, but takes every opportunity to try to kiss up to Sookie. Fangtasia has a new bartender who likes to buckle his swashes. Jason going through some changes. And oh yeah the Were world is in upheaval. I liked this one quite a bit, though I am a bit disappointed that Alcide is shaping up to be just as self-centered as Bill. *sigh* I am not disappointed that Sookie is still not giving him the time of day.

Title: Definitely Dead ~ Southern Vampire Series Book 6
Source: library

Hey, there's a tiger in this one! Ooops, I gave it away. Not really, I think the cover does that anyway. So Sookie has a whole host of guys....undead, were, and shifter falling for her. It's a bit frustrating that just by being Sookie she seems to be able to get every hot guy interested in her. Not just "hey, she's a looker" interested, but willing to take bullets and or die for her interested. The only thing that seems to be keeping this series from devolving into something akin to the Anita Blake series (ya know....less plot more sex) is that Sookie seems to be a one guy girl. She may have a whole bunch of ex's just waiting to help her out of trouble, but when she commits to one she commits.

Title: From Dead To Worse ~ Southern Vampire Series Book 8
Source: Library

Umm, yeah, not sure how I got out of order without noticing, but I did. There were a few moments right at the beginning where I thought that perhaps I'd missed something. There were references to wars that I'd only seen the beginning of ...which were now over. They should have been a sign I was actually out of order. On the flip side, the story was so engaging that nagging doubts only lasted a minute and then I was swept up into Sookie's world again. I think that's a testament to good story telling that information can be missing, but I still want to keep going and figure out what's happening next. A lot happens in this novel, but in my opinion the most important thing to was meeting Sookie's great grandfather.....Niall the Fairy. Squee!

**All novels were read as part of the Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge.**

A Highlander Christmas

2009-12-18T05:00:00.001-07:00

Title: A Highlander Christmas
Author: Janet Chapman
Genre: Romance, Paranormal-ish
Source: From Publisher with intent of my participation in the book blog tour - book is mine to keep.

When it comes to romances, my escape from traditional (see vampire, witches, were-whatevers) paranormal stories is stories about Highlanders. There is something about alpha males in kilts that does it for me. Now, through in a bit of magic and possibly some time-traveling and I'm a devoted fan for life! I blame Karen Marie Moning for this. She created the first time-traveling, magic wielding, Highlander series I fell in love with. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Ms. Chapman's book also dealt with those delicious, magical, Scots.

From the Publisher:
Camry MacKeage has absolutely no intention of telling her parents that she left her job as a NASA physicist for the small-town life of a dog-sitter -- which is why she's spending the holidays alone in coastal Maine with her furry friends Tigger and Max. Unfortunately, her irresistibly handsome rival, scientist Luke Pascal, accidentally spilled the beans. Now he's on a mission from her mother to tempt Camry home for the family's annual winter solstice celebration. But Luke is hiding his own secret, and he'll need a little bit of magic to earn Camry's trust...and a whole lot of mistletoe to seduce his way into her heart.

This novel takes place somewhere in the middle of Janet Chapman's Highlander series and while it doesn't have a whole heck of a lot to do with Alpha-male Scotsmen, it does have more than a touch of magic and quite a bit of time-traveling.

What I liked:

1. Even though it is smack in the middle of the series I was able to understand and follow everything that is going on. Yes, there are some references to people and happenings that occured previously, but they are explained as much as necessary within the story. This really is a series novel that is also stand alone.

2. The alpha-male Highlander is still lurking in the background, but he generously gives up this story to his daughter and her nerdy scientist hero....and their dogs. The bits and pieces of the Highlander's story that were mentioned within this book added to the feeling of completeness and left me wanting to find out more about this family.

What I didn't like:

1. There is very little on the cover or in the blurb that would lead a first time reader into guessing that this was part of a time-traveling, magic using, Highlander series. In fact, I had no idea until my husband and I did some internet researching (see: we googled). As a reader who is terrible about judging books based on their cover matter....I wouldn't have guessed it was anything along those lines. But, now that I know it isn't anything to worry about. Does that make this an invalid dislike?

Overall: I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The main characters are satisfying and still defiant enough that they will continue to grow through other books. If you're looking for a sweet Christmas timed romance this one would be perfect!

Thank you Sarah Reidy and Pocket Books, for the opportunity to read this novel!

Pocket Book Tour Participants - a.k.a. other places to read about this book:

Books Reviews by Buuklvr81: http://www.buuklvr81.blogspot.com
I Read: http://sumanam.wordpress.com/
Seductive Musings: http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/
What Book Is That: http://whatbookisthat.blogspot.com/
My Five Monkeys: http://www.tableforseven-julie.blogspot.com/
Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com/
My Overstuffed Bookshelf: http://myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
Just Another New Blog: http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
My Book Addiction and More: www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com
My Reading Room: http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com
Frugal Plus: http://frugalplus.com/
Book Magic: http://bookmagic418.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
All About {n}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
Psychotic State: http://www.psychoticstate.blogspot.com/
That’s a Novel Idea: http://thatsanovelidea.blogspot.com/
Brizmus Blogs About Books: http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/
Found Not Lost: http://jmomfinds.amoores.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Pam’s Personal Reflections: http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com/
A Book Bloggers Diary: http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/
MetroReader: http://metroreader.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
Jen’s Book Talk: http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/
The Princess and the Monkey: http://kennedyandzach.blogspot.com/
Marta’s Meanderings: http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Angela R. Simmons’s Blog: http://bookblogs.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2xqn4gl4wjnvi
Broken Teepee: http://www.brokenteepee.blogspot.com/
Books, Books Everywhere: http://bookbookseverywhere.blogspot.com/
Books, Books, The Magical Fruit: http://booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com/
Find the Time to Read: http://www.findthetimetoread.blogspot.com/
Libby’s Library News: http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com/
Reading at the Beach: http://ilratb.blogspot.com/
Book Soulmates: http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/

Secret Santa Update

2009-12-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

I've sent and received the gifts for both of the Secret Santa type exchanges. I'm trying very.....very hard to be a good girl and leave the gifts alone until Christmas. It's so hard to resist!

I'm also feeling a bit like a schmo. I didn't gift wrap my presents. I did include a nice card, but I just slid the gifts into their packing envelopes and called it good. Oddly, it didn't occur to me that generally Christmas gifts come wrapped, so therefore these probably should have been as well. I'm a terrible Santa. Hopefully, the gifts make up for the lack of wrapping!

Presents!

2009-12-08T19:06:00.012-07:00

I know that normally the "In My Mailbox" meme is on Mondays, but I just had to share what arrived today.

I love these books! I fell into deep adoration of Kate DiCamillo's writing style when I first read Tale of Despereaux....several years ago when I was doing my student teaching. I'm so excited to have won copies of all three of these! Thank you Ely!

Heat Wave

2009-12-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Title: Heat Wave: A Nikki Heat Novel
Author: Richard Castle
Genre: Mystery, Crime Thriller, TV Tie-in
Source: Library

That's right folks, I'm such a fan girl of Nathan Fillion and his newest t.v. show Castle, that I borrowed the book his character wrote during the first season of the show. And I enjoyed it! It is almost exactly like reading an episode of Castle, which was a bit surprising. For some reason I was under the impression that this was a crime novel that just happened to have a detective based off Beckett. Instead, it's the crime / detective part of the Castle show. Don't get me wrong, there is a crime to solve and a lot of detective work. It is also paired with familiar characters and a sexy scene that got me thinking about Nathan Fillion...err....Castle naked.

Overall: It's a quick, easy read that will be lots of fun for Castle / Fillion fans.

Ballad ~ BWB Review

2009-12-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Title: Ballad

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Source: Library

What's a guy to do? What's a guy who can see and hear faeries supposed to do.....especially now that Death is calling? He has to choose to save only one of the girls he loves.

Doesn't that sound exciting? I bought into that plot synopsis from the get go. Coupled with reviews saying things like "great stand alone sequel" and the awesome cover, I thought I was going to fall over heels in love with this novel. Normally, it is right up my alley. However, I'm now stuck trying to write a review of a book that I'm not sure how to review.

See, I want to know these characters. I want to care about their plight and find it interesting, but for some reason I don't. Maybe I'm missing character building information that was probably given in the first book? Maybe I'm just being a brain dead reader and wanting the author to spoon feed me details? Or maybe I'm just not in a reading mood? Whatever the reason, it's not working for me. (I'll have to get ahold of Lament and start over...maybe that will work?)

Blog With Bite Discussion Questions

James is a flawed and heart broken character, do you find his mental peculiarities charming or annoying? Please do explain I do find them charming. They are a piece of him and he is doing what he can to remember the things he needs to survive. Like everyone else's quirks they could become annoying ...what if you had something you really needed him to remember and then he took a shower? The writing would be gone. But overall, they are enduring.
What did you think of James and Dee's kiss? This being a pivotal moment for their relationship, how do you think it changed James? I believe this is the point where he gets direct confirmation about his attraction or unknown lack to Dee.
Whom do you prefer Dee or Nuala? Ummm, yeah. Seeing as I just couldn't get into the book, I don't feel it's fair to answer this.
What's your verdict on the best way to read Ballad? Is it a stand alone book or do you need to read Lament first? If you read Lament, what did it add/not add to Ballad? If you haven't read Lament, do you think it would have added to your reading of Ballad? I definitely don't think that this is a stand alone novel. I have lots of hope that reading Lament first would have helped me to enjoy this story. I'm willing to add it to my reading list and give this one another go, too.
We've been reading a lot of stories with fairies as the central paranormal creatures. What are your thoughts on the "Fair Folk". Do you believe in faires? I do believe in faeries. They are beautiful, tricky, wonderful, terrible folk who occasionally crash into humanity.

Kick Ass Blog

2009-12-03T18:33:00.001-07:00

Natalie over at Mindful Musings gave me the rockin' award. Thanks, sweetie!

Here are the rules:

To play you must be awarded this blog button by someone. Accept the badge, stick it on your blog- then post about it. Make sure your badge links back to the person who gave it to you.
Name five blogs in your post that you think are *worthy* of this sweet kick-ass badge. Don't forget to let them know you've nominated them =)

1. Patricia @ Peace Love & Pat

2. Rachy @ Parajunkee's View

3. Rex Robot Reviews

4. Froggy @ Froggaritaville's Bookcase

5. Nely @ All About {n}

I hope you all think this is as awesome as I do!

2nd Anniversary!

2009-12-01T05:00:00.001-07:00

Teel and I have been married two years!

We've been together for three!

Last year, for my birthday, Teel gave me a wonderful book ~ Six Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak. Based on Hemingway's famous six word story, these are stories from celebrities and everyday people on the topic of love. Here are a few of my favorites:

Love plus laughter: happily ever after. ~ Dan Goggin

Offered my heart; he embraced it. ~ Sue Kimber

Kissed many frogs. Finally found prince. ~Lacie Cannon

He always stirs my chocolate milk ~ Sarah Thornburg

And my turn:

Midnight cuddles to show his love.

and

He promised me 100 years married.

Here's hoping for another 98 wonderful years! (at least! )

NaNoWriMo ~ NaNoReadMo Wrap Up

2009-11-30T05:00:00.001-07:00

Do you know what day it is? It's November 30th.

That means your nanowrimo novels are almost due. Hopefully, you accomplished your writing goals. This is also the cut off for nanoreadmo. Did you participate? How'd your read challenge list go?

Personally, I achieved my goal.........just barely! Thanks to the wonderful brain candy Sookie Stackhouse novels. Without them I wouldn't have made it. But I'll take them. I set my goal at 5 and I made 5.5!

1/2. Finished second half of Intertwined

1. Dead if I Do

2. Queene of Light

3. Dead Until Dark

4. Club Dead

5. Dead to the World

********************

Also, if you're interested in what happens after NaNoWriMo, here is a list of nano novels that have been published. Now would be a great time to check out some of these authors!

Sookie Stackhouse or Southern Vampires or Brain Candy

2009-11-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

I mentioned earlier (see last post) that I'd found a new form of brain candy. I had taken an obsessive jump into the Sookie Stackhouse series. I should have posted this right after that, but Thanksgiving and family took over, so book reviews were slid onto the back burner for a bit.

Title: Living Dead in Dallas ~ Book 1 of the Southern Vampire series

I read this one quite a while ago. Had a great time with it, loved the light and fluffy tone it had, but couldn't get the others from the library....it was too popular and the wait line was so long I forgot for a while that I wanted them. Book one introduces us to Sookie and her world...the small southern town of Bon Temps. This town is chalk full of interesting characters, some of whom are also paranormals - vampires and shapeshifters. Sookie herself is an outcast for her special mind reading abilities.

Title: Dead Until Dark ~ Book 2 of the Southern Vampire series

This one was a bit different. I had read this one previously, but decided to reread as a review and to get my brain back into thinking about the series as books. You see, somewhere between the time I first read books one and two, I watched the first couple seasons of True Blood. Love it! But wow, talk about chopping up story lines and combining them in new and interesting ways. I spent most of my review time making mental comparisons between the books and the tv series. Book two leads into the key set-up for most of these books. Every story line is going to have a twist. There will be some huge thing that needs to be overcome, and in the process it may twist Sookie's world into a knot. Honestly, I don't remember if the Manead is in this one or if this is the book where Sookie faces off against the Fellowship of the Sun. One and two went so fast they have sort of mushed together in my brain to make one continual story. I still had fun reading it and it definitely got me back into the right mind set for the other books.

Title: Club Dead ~ Book 3 of the Southern Vampire series

Book three leads us into a place we haven't been before with Sookie. Willing romance with a shape shifter. Bill and Sookie are on the outs and through a series of events and requirements a la the vamps Sookie teams up with a werewolf Alcide. He's awesome! Romantic, sweet, honorable, and reliable. I love Alcide! Normally, I'm all for the vampires, but in this one it's Alcide all the way! I really hope there is a way for Alcide to play a large part in the tv series too!

Title: Dead to the World ~ Book 4 of the Southern Vampire series

I'm having a love / hate feeling about this novel. On the love side, this one is all about Eric. He is the vampire, in this series, that does it for me. So much more than Bill. Bill is too broody and posessive. On the hate side, even though this novel is about Eric it isn't the true Eric. He's under a spell which is causing amnesia. This Eric is sweet and caring, but not the playboy that Eric traditionally is. I'm happy to have an Eric novel, but dislike that it has to happen by amnesia. Amnesia always just feels like a cop-out to me. It leads to all sorts of dilemmas and arguements along the lines of "Is this Eric's true nature?" or "Does he remember anything that has happened?" and "Will he ever let on if he does?" In all it is frustrating and either a really good way to keep them entangled or it's a really bad way to get them together temporarily.

Overall: Love this series! There is really no way to compare the book series to the tv series. They are two parts of the same whole...the characters you know and love from the books in a new and wonderful way. These are quick reads full of fun, paranormals, and just a touch of intrigue. Yummy!

*All novels are by Charlaine Harris, of the paranormal romance genre, and were checked out from the library.*

** I read all four as part of the Sookie Stackhouse challenge.**