Lords of Misrule (Morganville Vampires Book 5 - Rachel CaineViolent black clouds promise a storm of devastating proportions. As student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against the elements---both natural and unnatural---the unexpected happens: Morganville's vampires begin to vanish one by one. Discovering why leads Claire to one last choice: Swear allegiance to Bishop...or die.
Finally a book letter I didn't have to search and search for. I had plenty of books that start with "L". Now this book I have read and I love this series. This is book 5 and they are quick fun reads.
Arcadia Snips and The Steamwork Consortium - Robert C. RodgersMy Thoughts:
This was my first introduction to the "Steampunk" genre and what an introduction it was! I just loved this book. It was so much fun to read. The characters were remarkable. The story was filled with adventure, mystery, a few mad scientists and a whodunit in a world run by and on machines.
The illustrations were fantastic and really helped with character and world visualization. Being a visual reader and new to this genre of storytelling, the illustrations helped me a lot.
I would recommend this to anyone who thinks they might enjoy it. It really was a lot of fun to read!
To find out more information about Robert or the book, you can go to www.arcadiasnips.com
This book was received from the author for review purposes.
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...
Flesh and Fire - Laura Anne GilmanFrom acclaimed bestselling author Laura Anne Gilman comes a unique and enthralling new story of fantasy and adventure, wine and magic, danger and hope....
Once, all power in the Vin Lands was held by the prince-mages, who alone could craft spellwines, and selfishly used them to increase their own wealth and influence. But their abuse of power caused a demigod to break the Vine, shattering the power of the mages. Now, fourteen centuries later, it is the humble Vinearts who hold the secret of crafting spells from wines, the source of magic, and they are prohibited from holding power.
But now rumors come of a new darkness rising in the vineyards. Strange, terrifying creatures, sudden plagues, and mysterious disappearances threaten the land. Only one Vineart senses the danger, and he has only one weapon to use against it: a young slave. His name is Jerzy, and his origins are unknown, even to him. Yet his uncanny sense of the Vinearts' craft offers a hint of greater magics within — magics that his Master, the Vineart Malech, must cultivate and grow. But time is running out. If Malech cannot teach his new apprentice the secrets of the spellwines, and if Jerzy cannot master his own untapped powers, the Vin Lands shall surely be destroyed.
In Flesh and Fire, first in a spellbinding new trilogy, Laura Anne Gilman conjures a story as powerful as magic itself, as intoxicating as the finest of wines, and as timeless as the greatest legends ever told.
This is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!
Spellbinder - Helen Stringer (Received from publisher via Shelf Awareness)
Flesh and Fire - Laura Anne Gilman (Received from Pocketbooks for Blog Tour)
Cherries In Winter - Suzan Colon (Received from Publisher)
Struts & Frets - Jon Skovron (Received from publisher)
It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.
The Postmistress - Sarah Blake ( I received this from B&N First Look Book Club for discussion on their site)Filled with stunning parallels to today's world, The Postmistress is a sweeping novel about the loss of innocence of two extraordinary women-and of two countries torn apart by war.
On the eve of the United States's entrance into World War II in 1940, Iris James, the postmistress of Franklin, a small town on Cape Cod, does the unthinkable: She doesn't deliver a letter. In London, American radio gal Frankie Bard is working with Edward R. Murrow, reporting on the Blitz. One night in a bomb shelter, she meets a doctor from Cape Cod with a letter in his pocket, a letter Frankie vows to deliver when she returns from Germany and France, where she is to record the stories of war refugees desperately trying to escape.
The residents of Franklin think the war can't touch them- but as Frankie's radio broadcasts air, some know that the war is indeed coming. And when Frankie arrives at their doorstep, the two stories collide in a way no one could have foreseen. The Postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury. It is about what happens to love during wartime, when those we cherish leave. And how every story-of love or war-is about looking left when we should have been looking right.
My Thoughts:
I'm not sure what I think of this book yet. I'm grappling with my own thoughts. The book bounced around a little bit in the beginning but after a couple chapters settled into a nice rhythm. I felt myself being drawn into the story and it kept me turning pages to see what was coming next.
I think I was expecting something different than what I got. It's not a bad thing mind you, I enjoyed the book, It just wasn't what I was expecting.
I have to be honest, the synopsis for me, was misleading and it had a direct effect on me while I was reading the book. I wish the blurb would get rewritten. While everything in the synopsis is in the book, it just doesn't reflect the story very well. I spend the majority of my time wondering when certain events were going to happen, and while I was waiting, there was a decent story going on in the background. A story I would've enjoyed more had I not been looking for and waiting on things to happen.
There was a lot of great information about WWII in the pages, stuff I never knew about. I found myself going online and looking stuff up to read more. This was what I enjoyed most about the story, learning new things.
My final thoughts, I enjoyed the story. The characters were well written and I'm glad I got to read this story regardless of my dislike for the synopsis and the effect it had on me.
If you could ask your favorite author (alive or dead) one question … who would you ask, and what would the question be?
I would ask Janet Evanovich where she comes up with all her wacky scenarios? If you've ever read her series you'd know she has some of the most outlandish events happening to the characters.
Kiss Me Forever by Rosemary LaureyHe's Hot. He's Sexy. He's Romantic. He's Immortal.
If there is one thing Dixie LePage does not need in her life, it's complications. And the man sitting across the table from her in a crowded English pub, the one offering to buy the library of her inherited estate in a small English village, is a major complication. For starters, there's the broad shoulders. The slightly amused smirk. That smoldering look that makes it impossible to concentrate. And that infuriating, old-fashioned, and well, okay, incredibly appealing sense of chivalry. No doubt about it, the guy is hot and sexy. Of course, there is one wee little problem: He claims to be a vampire named Christopher Marlowe, as in THE Christopher Marlowe, famous playwright, contemporary of Will Shakespeare. Right. Amend that to hot, sexy, and totally insane. Please see no more complications. So why can't Dixie seem to resist the warmth of Christopher's charm, the protective feel of his strong hands, or the tempting pull of his full mouth when the sun goes down. . .?
Boy I barely found a book again this week and in the process I found another "J" book. I've had this book for a few years now and sad to say I haven't read it yet. Someday when I'm in a romance mood, I'll pick it up and read it.
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...
After - Amy Efaw Before That Morning, these were the words most often used to describe straight-A student and star soccer player Devon Davenport: responsible, hardworking, mature. But all that changes when the police find Devon home sick from school as they investigate the case of an abandoned baby. Soon the connection is made—Devon has just given birth; the baby in the trash is hers. After That Morning, there's only one way to define Devon: attempted murderer.
And yet gifted author Amy Efaw does the impossible— she turns Devon into an empathetic character, a girl who was in such deep denial that she refused to believe she was pregnant. Through airtight writing and fast-paced, gripping storytelling, Ms. Efaw takes the reader on Devon's unforgettable journey toward clarity, acceptance, and redemption.
My thoughts:
This book took me on a roller coaster of emotions and I think that was her intent. One second my heart went out for Devon and the next, I wanted to throttle her. I spent most of the book trying to come to terms with why and what would cause Devon to do what she did. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I was horrified by what Devon had done and felt myself making judgments before I really had all the facts. By the end of the book, I was still horrified by her actions but at the same time I had a clearer picture of what might make someone do what she did. I say might because my mind still doesn't want to wrap itself around what Devon did.
I still want to deny that it happens at all. But the sad truth is, it does. I think it's an important subject and like eating disorders and such, one that doesn't get enough attention until it happens to another baby somewhere in some city.
Even with the rough subject of the book, I really enjoyed it. Amy did a wonderful job writing it. I was instantly pulled in and I didn't want to put the book down. I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about reading it.
This is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!
It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.
We’re moving in a couple weeks (the first time since I was 9 years old), and I’ve been going through my library of 3000+ books, choosing the books that I could bear to part with and NOT have to pack to move. Which made me wonder…
When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain?
Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)
And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?
I usually go through my books every couple of years or so. I hate getting rid of books but if I don't weed them out, I'd run out of room. If I had a choice I'd never get rid of any book but since that's not an option lol. I never get rid of very many though when I go through them. A bag maybe.
I either donate them or trade them in at my local used bookstore. I never ever throw a book away unless it's damage beyond repair, and since we all love books here this is a very rare event. All of our books are well taken care of, but there is the occasional accident heh.
A teenage boy.
A dark wizard.
A mystic scroll.
And the fate of a world hangs in the balance...
When Alex "the Axeman" Logan is pulled from his world to help a young princess, named Dara, save her kingdom from the Shadow Lord, he thinks there has been a mistake. He's a teen guitar player close to failing 11th grade, not some defender of the realm. All he has are some school books, his wits, and his love of fantasy movies.
Overnight his life is history. Alex must confront the Shadow Lord and his minions when he is thrust into a land that has changed from a magical paradise to a barren, hopeless, helpless realm invaded by a dark army. But Alex is not alone. He has the help of Dara, a magic scroll, and a band of unlikely companions drawn from his own history books: a hardened Roman Legionnaire, a swift Japanese Samurai, a fearless African Warrior, a fiery Amazon Archer, and a spirited Shaolin Monk.
Can Alex become more than he believes and lead his small band of Defenders to the Hall of Shadows, the birthplace of the Shadow Lord? The fate of the realm and everyone in it rests on him.
My Thoughts:
I wasn't sure what I would think of this book at the beginning. It's a little out of my normal reading genre, but I have to say I really enjoyed this.
Your typical good vs. evil theme with all kinds of great characters along the way. The little girl who holds great power. A teenage boy sucked into the world to protect her, even though he's the furthest thing from a warrior. The nifty ability to pull things and people from the history books that came with him.
The book is full of rich characters, fantastic adventures and danger all the way through it. It even has pirates! So much fun!
I think this is a book kids would love to delve into and experience. As a matter of fact when the book arrived my oldest son grabbed it and told me he got to read it first, and when he gave it back to me a few days ago he told me he really liked it.
I didn't realize it was the beginning of a series until I got to the end, so I look forward to reading book 2 when it comes out. I'm anxious to see what adventures will come next for Dara and Alex.
Joan of Arc - Mark TwainWhen JOAN OF ARC was first published in Harper's magazine in 1895, the reading public did not recognize Mark Twain behind it. It is ostensibly a translation of Sieur Louis de Conte's memoirs, the one person who was with Joan during the three important stages of her life: as a visionary village peasant, as a military genius and as the defendant at her trial. The narrator, quiet, retiring and sentimental, is quite unlike the true author.
Twain was fascinated by Joan. He spent 12 years in research and made many attempts before finally getting the story right. He wanted to laud Joan for her unique role in history. He was able to do so after studying contemporary accounts written by both sides, the French and the English.
This is my husbands book. Believe it or not I don't have a "J" book in my library.
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...
Arcadia Snips and The Steamwork Consortium - Robert C. Rodgers (Received from author for review)
Secrets of a Christmas Box - Steven Hornby (From publisher for review)
Ballad - Maggie Stiefvater (Bought)
Sir Dalton - Chuck Black (A contest win from Sheila at One Person's Journey)
Dawnthief - James Barclay (Bought)
Soulless - Gail Carriger (Bought)
It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.
It's been a pretty uneventful weekend. I spent most of yesterday reading a book for the Barnes & Noble First Look Book Club.
I received these two awesome awards from Ryan over at Wordsmithonia.
I received this from Lori over at Some of My Favorite Books.
I received this from Vicki at Reading At The Beach.
