Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:

"Did you get to see him, before he died? I know you were one of the last to leave Seattle-and I know you came here. Did you see him, one last time?"

Boneshaker - Cherie Priest pg. 25

Since I haven't finished the book I used from my last teaser, I pulled a teaser from an upcoming read for me that I am excited to get to.

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

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!










The Art of French Kissing - Kristin Harmel (Bought)

















A Northern Light - Jennifer Donnelly (bought)
















Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld (bought)

















Conflicts with Interest - Michael Ruddy (Publicist for review)














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.

Books I finished last week:
Nada still working on the one from last week.

Currently Reading:
Under The Dome - Stephen King


Books to Finish this Week:
Under The Dome - Stephen King. I hope I get this finished this week.

Weekend Roundup

So it has been a busy holiday weekend for me or it feels like it has. We went and visited my dad and step mom on Thanksgiving and then went to my sister in laws house for Thanksgiving dinner. It was pouring rain all day and since neither my husband or I can see for crap at night we had to cut the festivities short. Friday my husband worked overtime at work so I didn't do much all day. Yet it seems I didn't get anything accomplished either. It's been one of those weekends for me.

We did some shopping yesterday and I picked up Leviathan at Borders for 50% off. I couldn't pass up that kind of deal. We then spent the evening at a friends house visiting and relaxing.

Today I finally got to go on our weekly Sunday walk with friends. It's been a month or so since I had gotten to go. It was chilly and foggy and a pleasant walk for me. I spent the rest of my afternoon gaming online with friends and watching movies. A perfect day for me. Now if I can get some reading time in this evening it would be even better. I almost can't believe my 4 day weekend is over. I'm sort of sad. Wish I had a few more of those throughout the year.

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend and here's to a great week ahead!

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!

7th Heaven Giveaway!

7th Heaven by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Synopsis:

A terrible fire in a wealthy suburban home leaves a married couple dead and Detective Lindsay Boxer and her partner Rich Conklin searching for clues. And after California's golden boy, Michael Campion has been missing for a month, there finally seems to be a lead in his case--a very devastating lead.

As fire after fire consume couples in wealthy, comfortable homes, Lindsay and the Murder Club must race to find the arsonists responsible and get to the bottom of Michael Campion's disappearance. But suddenly the fires are raging too close to home.

Frightened for her life and torn between two men, Lindsay must find a way to solve the most daunting dilemmas she's ever faced--at work and at home.

Thanks to Valerie at Hachette, I have 5 copies to giveaway!

Sorry US and Canada only (No PO Boxes)

The rules are pretty simple:

Comment and leave a valid email address.

I will use a random number generator to choose the winners.

Contest will run through December 17, 2009 6PM PST

I will contact the winners via email shortly after the contest ends.

A to Z Wednesday

Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments
Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.
(We all love comments, don't we?)
Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: P

Postmortem - Patricia Cornwell

ISBN13: 9780743477154
ISBN10: 0743477154

Publisher Comments:(from Powell's website)

#1 bestselling author Patricia Cornwell's modern classic features nerve-shattering suspense and one of fiction's most compelling heroines: gutsy medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. Under the leafy cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster moves undetected, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta senses the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer--a "Mr. Nobody"--whose signatures offer precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she must call on the latest advances in forensic research to have a chance at unmasking the maniac. But this investigation will test Kay like no other--whoever is sabotaging her work wants her dead. The first novel ever to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, Macavity and French Prix du Roman d'Adventure awards in one year, Postmortem combines cutting-edge criminology with dramatic suspense.

It has been several years since I've read this book but I fell in love with the Scarpetta series after reading this one. I'm a few behind in recent years but I will eventually catch up on the series.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:

Chuck never saw the control panel. He saw the Seneca's nose crumple toward him. Then he saw both propellers disintegrate.

There was no time to see more. No time for anything.

Under The Dome - Stephen King, pg 5

Life After 187 - A Review

Life After 187 - Wade J. Halverson (Received from author for review)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 238 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris Corporation (August 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 144154027X
• ISBN-13: 978-1441540270

Synopsis


Sentenced to life in prison when he executes the men who murdered his wife, Kane Silver is singled out by the warden for his fighting ability. Along with inmates Valentino Lopez and Si’Ling Lee, Kane is drafted into service and forced to fight for money in high-stakes tournaments. But when the three friends escape during a New Year’s Eve match in Lake Tahoe—saving the warden’s life in the process—their situation becomes more complicated.

Their status undetermined, they vanish underground and sign on to help a young woman whose parents are being held by an Argentinean drug kingpin. Follow Kane and his friends as they compete and grow closer while rediscovering what it means to be free. From Lake Tahoe and the western United States to Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, and Thailand, Life After 187 takes readers on an exhilarating ride filled with big money, intense action, justice, and the pursuit of honor. Synopsis taken from the Life After 187 website.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. Wade grabs a hold of you from page one and doesn't let go until you turn the last page. It's chocked full of no holds barred fights and fighters. If you are a fan of MMA or fights in general I think you would love this book.

You can't help but sympathize with Kane and even the other main guys even though they all were in prison for murder. I found myself rooting for all the boys during their fights and adventures that led them all over the world.

Wade truly has a gift of storytelling and I look forward to reading more by him. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this book to anyone who asked my opinion. It was fantastic!

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

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 was a slow week in my mailbox for which I am grateful.

I received 32 poems volume 7 from a contest win during BBAW.






The Surrendered by Change-Rae Lee (Received from Riverhead books for review)












That is all my mailbox contained this week. Kind of a nice change of pace from the last few crazy weeks.

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.

Books I finished last week:
The Secret of Joy - Melissa Senate
Struts & Frets - Jon Skovron

Currently Reading:
Life After 187 - Wade J. Halverson


Books to Finish this Week:
Life After 187 - Wade J. Halverson
I will put Under the Dome by Stephen King although I highly doubt I will finish that book in one weeks time.

Weekend Roundup

Have you ever had one of those weekends where you feel as if you haven't stopping running? That's been my weekend since Friday. All day Friday and all day Saturday I spent running errands and then all night Saturday night we were at a friends house celebrating my husbands upcoming 40Th Birthday as well as the birthday of a good friend of ours. We got home just before 3 this morning and were up again at 9 to go pick the youngest up across town where she spent the night at a friends. Needless to say we are tired but we had a fantastic time with all our friends.

The Ducks manage to pull off a win in OT against Arizona last night. Was a sweet game to watch but nerve wracking. We had the game going in the kitchen and the UFC fight going in the living room. It was hard to decide which room to be in so I spend my time going back and forth between the two.

I haven't gotten hardly any reading, TV watching nothing done this weekend and yet I got tons done. I have over two days worth of blogs to catch up on a post or two to get going a review book I want to finish. After this review book I am taking a short intermission on my review pile and reading Stephen King's new book. I've been looking forward to it so much that everyone will have to wait a week or so while I delve into the pages of Under the Dome.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and here's to a great week ahead.

Struts & Frets - A Review

Struts & Frets - Jon Skovron (Received from publisher for review)

Product Details from Barnes & Noble website

• Pub. Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Abrams,Harry N Inc
• Format: Hardcover, 304pp
• Age Range: Young Adult

• ISBN-13: 9780810941748
• ISBN: 0810941740

Synopsis from Barnes & Noble website

Told in a voice that’s honest, urgent, and hilarious, Struts & Frets will resonate not only with teenage musicians but with anyone who ever sat up all night listening to a favorite album, wondering if they’d ever find their place in the world.

Music is in Sammy’s blood. His grandfather was a jazz musician, and Sammy’s indie rock band could be huge one day—if they don’t self-destruct first. Winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands would justify all the band’s compromises and reassure Sammy that his life’s dream could become a reality. But practices are hard to schedule when Sammy’s grandfather is sick and getting worse, his mother is too busy to help either of them, and his best friend may want to be his girlfriend.

When everything in Sammy’s life seems to be headed for major catastrophe, will his music be enough to keep him together?

My Thoughts:

This was a sweet coming of age tale of a talented boy with big dreams and lets face it who as teenagers didn't have big dreams? I gotta say it was weird for me seeing the male perspective though. I apparently don't read many books from that perspective. When I started this book, I found myself thinking, yuck boys are gross a few times and then I would laugh at myself for thinking that.

This story has a lot of elements in play. Single parent household, a grandfather who is going senile, seeing his best friend who's a girl, in a new light, first love, crazy friends. Serious teenage angst going on within it's pages, and it was a great read! The characters were easy to like and I enjoyed reading Sammy's story. I felt his triumphs and his sorrows right alongside of him as they happened. A mark of a good storyteller.

Struts & Frets was a great debut novel for Jon and I look forward to reading the next one.

YA Reading Challenge 2010

Okay I'm going to sign up for another reading challenge. This one being hosted by J.Kaye's Book Blog. Since I read a lot of YA books I should be able to finish this one with no problem. With that said, I'm only going to sign up for the smaller one of 12 books since I've been reading more and more regular fiction since I started blogging thanks to every one's great reviews out there.

Here are the guidelines of this challenge:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post. To learn how to sign up without having a blog, click here.

2. There are four levels:

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.

--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.

--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.

--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.

3. Audio, eBooks, paper all count.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your Young Adult novels will be listed. Include the URL so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

I am unsure of which books I will be reading so I will leave my list blank for now and just set up the numbers for me to add as I finish them.

1. Paper Towns - John Green 1/19/2010 Audiobook
   
2. Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry 1/23/2010 Audiobook
3. Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor - Willow 2/1/2010
4. Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver 2/10/2010
5. Inside Out - Maria V. Snyder 4/9/2010
6. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater 4/21/2010
7. The Adoration of Jenna Fox 5/4/2010 Audiobook
8. 
   

A to Z Wednesday

Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments
Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.
(We all love comments, don't we?)
Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: O

















Over Sea, Under Stone - Susan Cooper

Product Details

• Pub. Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Format: Paperback, 224pp
• Age Range: 12 and up

• Series: Dark Is Rising Series, #1
• ISBN-13: 9781416949640
• ISBN: 141694964X
• Edition Description: Reprint

Synopsis

Three English children find clues to an ancient treasure linked to King Arthur and suddenly find themselves in deadly danger, pursued by forces of ancient evil. “A wonderfully well-told story.”--The Horn Book

This is my daughters book, I haven't read it myself. It does sound good though.

The Secret of Joy Blog Tour November 17, 2009

The Secret of Joy - Melissa Senate (From pocketbooks for Blog Tour)

Synopsis via Amazon:

As 28 year old New York paralegal Rebecca Strand's widowed father lays dying, he confesses a secret: he had an affair 26 years earlier when Rebecca was just a toddler. Now he wants Rebecca to deliver the secret stash of letters he wrote, but never mailed, to the daughter he fathered. Rebecca's lawyer boyfriend, Michael, is adamant that she forget the woman exists. He's sure the woman will be an opportunist who will demand half of Rebecca's father's million-dollar estate. But Rebecca, now without any family in the world, can't help but wonder about her one living relative. With her relationship with Michael in tatters, Rebecca drives from New York City to Maine to find Joy Jayhawk, who operates a Weekend Singles Tour service out of an orange mini-van that her regulars dub "The Love Bus." Enter a cast of lovable, colorful characters, from Joy's eccentric mother to the singles on The Love Bus, and a sexy carpenter for whom Rebecca finds herself unexpectedly falling in love...

My Thoughts:

This was a light, enjoyable read. I loved the small town setting and the comfort that goes with it. The characters were well written and I liked getting to know each of them and their stories. This is the kind of book you'd want to grab a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, find a comfy spot on the couch and just get lost in.

The plot of the story and each characters reaction to it were believable and it was a heartwarming read. I found myself wanting to take a trip to a small coastal town and just wander around breathing in the scenery.

I think it would be great for book clubs also. Lots of room for discussion and it has a great discussion guide in the back.

Other Participating Tour Sites:

Books, Movies & Chinese Food: http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/
Booking Mama: http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/
Frugal Plus: http://frugalplus.com/
All About {n}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com/
Brizmus Blogs Books: http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com
Psychotic State: http://www.psychoticstate.blogspot.com/
Books Reviews by Buuklvr81: http://www.buuklvr81.blogspot.com
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
A Sea of Books: http://aseaofbooks.blogspot.com/
That’s A Novel Idea: http://thatsanovelidea.blogspot.com
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
My Book Views: my-book-views.blogspot.com
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
Me, My Book & the Couch: http://memybookandthecouch.blogspot.com/
Just Another New Blog: http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/
One Person’s Journey Through A World of Books: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/
Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com
Book N Around: http://booknaround.blogspot.com
Keep on Booking: http://keeponbooking.blogspot.com
My Life In Not So Many Words: http://www.ziarias.blogspot.com/
Beth’s Book Review Blog: http://bethsbookreviewblog.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
My Reading Room: http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com
My Book Addiction and More: www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com
Crazy For Books: http://www.crazy-for-books.com
Bella’s Novella: http://www.bellasnovella.com/
Blog Business World: http://www.blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com
Reading at the Beach: http://ilratb.blogspot.com/
My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com
Book Magic: http://bookmagic418.blogspot.com/
The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
So Many Books, So Little Time: http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
Red Headed Book Child: http://redheadedbookchild.blogspot.com
Reading with Tequila: http://readingwithtequila.blogspot.com
Books, Gardens, and Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
Jens Book Talk: http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/
My Own Little Corner of the World: http://molcotw.blogspot.com/
Lit and Life: http://litandlife.blogspot.com
Entertainment Realm: http://entertainmentrealm.com/

Melissa Senate Webpage

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:

"Mom, I'd rather gouge my eyes out with rusty spoons than study math. It's the lamest thing in existence. It's like the opposite of all creativity."

Struts & Frets, Jon Skovron pg 15 (note this is an uncorrected proof, finished copy might be different)

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

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!

I had a crazy busy mailbox this week!









Ruined - Paula Morris (contest win)
















Off Season Audiobook - Anne Rivers (quickie twitter win)












The Sounds of Sleigh Bells - Cindy Woodsmall (contest win)















The Secret of Joy - Melissa Senate (Blog Tour for Pocketbooks)
















Under The Dome - Stephen King (Bought)
















Men With Red Ties - Nastya Palikarpava (Review from author)
















Boneshaker - Cherie Priest (Bought)
















Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor - Willow (Review from Author)

















The Princess Bride Movie win from CC Chronicles. I participated in this awesome 80's movie trivia week. It was so much fun!











Beautiful Mess - Live From Earth - Jason Mraz (Bought). Okay so this isn't a book but I am so excited for this CD/DVD that I had to include it on here. The man is outstanding live and the proof is in this CD, simply amazing!










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.

Books I finished last week:
Bitter Night - Diana Pharaoh Francis
Cherries in Winter - Suzan Colon

Currently Reading:
The Secret of Joy - Melissa Senate


Books to Finish this Week:
The Secret of Joy - Melissa Senate
Hopefully one other one, not sure which book I'll be reading next. One review one I know that much just haven't decided which one I'm in the mood for.

Weekend Roundup

This has been a busy yet quiet weekend. We celebrated my youngest child's 12th Birthday on Friday. We did the gift thing and then took her to the mall to shop and then out for dinner. I feel so old lol.

Saturday I spent the day at home just doing whatever. I watched TV and wandered around the blogosphere. In the evening I went over to a friends house to watch the UFC fight on Spike TV. I had a lot of fun just hanging out with friends.

Sunday we did some birthday shopping for my other child who will be 17 next Saturday. Now we are home and all I want to do is relax for awhile before I do all the other stuff I need to do today like laundry.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and here's good vibes for a great week ahead!

Cherries In Winter - A Review

Cherries in Winter - Suzan Colon (Bound Galley Received from Doubleday)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Format: Hardcover, 224pp

• ISBN-13: 9780385532525
• ISBN: 0385532520

Synopsis

What is the secret to finding hope in hard times?

When Suzan Colon was laid off from her dream job at a magazine during the economic downturn of 2008, she needed to cut her budget way, way back, and that meant home cooking. Her mother suggested, "Why don't you look in Nana's recipe folder?" In the basement, Suzan found the tattered treasure, full of handwritten and meticulously typed recipes, peppered with her grandmother Matilda's commentary in the margins. Reading it, Suzan realized she had found something more than a collection of recipes—she had found the key to her family's survival through hard times.

Suzan began re-creating Matilda's "sturdy food" recipes for baked pork chops and beef stew, and Aunt Nettie's clam chowder made with clams dug up by Suzan's grandfather Charlie in Long Island Sound. And she began uncovering the stories of her resilient family's past.

My Thoughts:

This review will be just like the book, short and to the point. This book was simplistic and yet radiated so much warmth from the pages. The recipes and how they were tied into her family's story were so heartfelt. It made you want to cry in some spots and laugh out loud in others. When I finished this book I was left feeling uplifted and inspired. I may even try out a recipe or two on my family. If you're looking for a simple, sweet, heartfelt story this would be a great choice.

A to Z Wednesday

Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments
Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.
(We all love comments, don't we?)
Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: N
Nightmares & Dreamscapes - Stephen King

Synopsis

Here are twenty superlative stories devilishly designed by Stephen King to take you where you never dreamed of going before. Included, too, are a telescript that made home screen history, a startling poem, and an essay that Stephen King regards as his best nonfiction writing.

These versatile selections vary widely in style and subject matter and vividly display the full range of Stephen King's matchless imagination. And to add to his readers' pleasure and curiosity, King includes his own entrancing inside accounts of how the stories came into being and why.

Stephen King calls this extraordinary retrospective Nightmares and Dreamscapes. But don't let his title fool you. When you read it, sleep will be the furthest thing from your mind.

In honor of Mr. King's new novel "Under the Dome", being released yesterday, I thought I would use one of his other books for my pick this week. This one I have read although it has been many years. It sits patiently with all my other King books for the day when I will get around to rereading it.

Bitter Night - Blog Tour November 10, 2009

Bitter Night - Diana Pharaoh Francis

Product Details

• Pub. Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Format: Mass Market Paperback, 400pp

• ISBN-13: 9781416598145
• ISBN: 1416598146

Synopsis

SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. AND SOMETIMES, THEY CHOOSE YOU...

Once, Max dreamed of a career, a home, a loving family. Now all she wants is freedom...and revenge. A witch named Giselle transformed Max into a warrior with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. Bound by spellcraft, Max has no choice but to fight as Giselle's personal magic weapon — a Shadowblade — and she's lethally good at it. But her skills are about to be put to the test as they never have before....

The ancient Guardians of the earth are preparing to unleash widespread destruction on the mortal world, and they want the witches to help them. If the witches refuse, their covens will be destroyed, including Horngate, the place Max has grudgingly come to think of as home. Max thinks she can find a way to help Horngate stand against the Guardians, but doing so will mean forging dangerous alliances — including one with a rival witch's Shadowblade, who is as drawn to Max as she is to him — and standing with the witch she despises. Max will have to choose between the old life she still dreams of and the warrior she has become, and take her place on the side of right — if she survives long enough to figure out which side that is....

My Thoughts:

Wow It obviously has been awhile since I visited this kind of book. I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed reading them. This book was simply fantastic!! It was fast paced, lots of action, battles, and a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

The main character, Max, was so easy to like. She's tough, independent, bull headed, with an underlying of softness you just want to see emerge from her. She's a Shadowblade of a powerful witch in which she loves/hates. She is at constant battle with her feelings towards Giselle. I really enjoyed that aspect. It gave the book a sense of realism.

I got to say in this book a Shadowblade has to eat to heal, maintain strength, etc. and I don't mean make sure you don't miss meals eating. I'm talking eating whatever you want, whenever you want and tons of it!! I was drooling for all the scrumptious food I was reading about throughout the book. Imagine being able to eat like that!

Okay I got off topic back to the review. In short this book was a great read and I can't wait to read the next in the series to see what happens next. It was that good!

Participating blogs:

Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
Debbie’s World of Books: http://debbiesworldofbooks.com
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
Patricia’s Vampire Notes: http://patricias-vampire-notes.blogspot.com/
The Neverending Shelf: http://neverendingshelf.blogspot.com
Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Pick of the Literate: http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/
Temple Library Reviews: http://templelibraryreviews.blogspot.com/
The Eclectic Book Lover: http://www.eclecticbooklover.com/
Confessions Of A Romance Book Addict: http://confessionsofaromancebookaddict.wordpress.com
The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
Revenge of the Book Nerds: http://booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
Fantasy Freak: http://fantastyfreak.blogspot.com/
Must Read Faster: http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/
Jens Book Talk: http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
My Adventures in Mommyland: http://musingmainiac.blogspot.com/
Parajunkee’s View: http://parajunkee.blogspot.com/
Crazy Books & Reviews: http://lindsayphotobook.blogspot.com/
The Book Tree: http://thebooktree.blogspot.com/

Authors Website: Diana Pharaoh Francis

Thank you to Pocketbooks for sending me this book to review for their blog tour.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser this week:

Max's mouth fell open. She stared stupidly. "Are you kidding me? I spend most waking moments thinking of ways to kill you."

Bitter Night - Diana Pharaoh Francis pg. 74

EDIT ~ For those wanting to read my review. You can find it here.

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

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!

I received a few books last week and my book buying ban went out the window. I always start the ban with good intentions but it never lasts lol.







Covet - J.R. Ward (Contest win)
















Time of the Witches - Anna Myers (Contest win)
















Bitter Night - Diana Pharaoh Francis (Blog Tour for Pocketbooks)

















This Lullaby - Sarah Dessen (Bought)















The Cost of Dreams - Gary Stelzer (Review from publisher)


















The Moon Looked Down - Dorothy Garlock (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.

Books I finished last week:
Spellbinder - Helen Stringer

Currently Reading:
Bitter Night - Diana Pharaoh Francis

Books to Finish this Week:
Bitter Night - Diana Pharaoh Francis
Hopefully one other one, not sure which book I'll be reading next.