Mailbox Monday & 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!

Got a few more books to add to my ever expanding collection this week.









Her Colorado Man - Cheryl St. John (Twitter giveaway win)
















The Nameless Day - Sara Douglass (Twitter giveaway win)
















The Executor - Jesse Kellerman (Publisher for review)
















All Acts of Love and Pleasure Are Her Rituals - Rachel Adair (Author for review)














The Accessory - James Hutchinson (Author for Review)















It's Monday! What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme 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:

Keeper's of the School - Andrew Clements
Flirt - Laurell K. Hamilton
The Girl Made of Cool - Alan Fox
Fireworks Over Toccoa - Jeffrey Stepakoff

Currently Reading:

The Poacher's Son - Paul Doiron
The Surrendered - Chang-Rae Lee
The Swan Thieves - Elizabeth Kostova (Audiobook)

Books to Finish this Week:
The Surrendered - Chang-Rae Lee

Weekend Roundup

It has been a very slow weekend for us. Other than spending the evening at a friends out on Friday, we've been lazy and just lounged at home cleaning off the DVR and gaming. I haven't even gotten much reading done this weekend. Though I'm not beating myself up too much about that. I managed to read 4 smaller books this week, which makes my reading week a pretty darn good one.

I hope everyone had a good weekend and here are some good vibes for a great upcoming week.

The Girl Made of Cool - A Review

The Girl Made of Cool - Alan Fox (Author for review)

Synopsis (from B&N)

THE GIRL MADE OF COOL (First Edition) -- Featuring a new novel and two other stories by Alan Fox. ---- Author ALAN FOX writes love stories, filled with a sense of awe and wonder, and set against a brutal world. "THE GIRL MADE OF COOL" is his vibrant new novel and the centerpiece of this collection. Here, Fox tells the story of a young man and woman who are falling in love with each other, but the young woman doesn't know it. She believes that she's falling in love with the man's far more handsome, more perfect friend. ... As the story unfolds and deepens, we see how these two highly talented young men must suffer, struggle, and wage battle to woo this young woman. This, as all the while, she grows into an ever greater beauty, a more charismatic personality, and an all-the-more alluring woman. ... This, as all the while, this young lady grows to become an elegant woman made of shining love and elusive cool. -- Also featured here in this collection, you will find: The Novel "HELL HAS BLUE SKIES" -- A love story about intense relationships in an office, whose unusual line of business is to train people to become 'world-class experts.' And the short story "THE LOVELY LADY AT THE LOVE MUSEUM" -- A colorful tale of romance and high-level maneuvering in the big city. ---- ABOUT THE AUTHOR. Alan Fox writes love stories about people looking for a sense of wonder in a brutal world, people pursuing beauty in the face of insanity. His previous novel, "The Seeker in Forever," is now available in a second revised edition.

My Thoughts:

I wasn't sure at first if I would enjoy this book or not. I was a little intimidated by the format the book was written in. The book is written kind of like a screenplay so there are a lot of breaks between scenes but once I got used to it I was able to relax and enjoy the story being told to me.

The book starts off a little slow at first but around page 50 or so it picked up the pace. After that, the book went quickly for me and I finished it up in one setting. All in all I enjoyed the book.

Worst Case Audiobook Giveaway!!

Thanks to Anna from Hachette, I have 3 copies of this audiobook to giveaway!

Description:

From the bestselling author who brought you the Alex Cross novels comes James Patterson's most action-packed series yet. With the heart-pounding suspense that only Patterson delivers, WORST CASE will leave you gasping for breath until the very end.

US and Canada only
No PO Boxes

To enter:
+1 leave email address
+1 follower/new follower

Contest runs through March 24, 2010 6pm PST.

Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School, We the Children - A Review

Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School, We the Children - Andrew Clements (publisher for review)

Product Details (from B&N)

• Pub. Date: April 06, 2010
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Format: Hardcover, 160pp
• Age Range: 7 to 10

• Series: Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School Series
• ISBN-13: 9781416938866
• ISBN: 1416938869

Synopsis (from back of book)

Benjamin Pratt's harbor-side school is going to be bulldozed to make room for an amusement park. It sounds like a dream come true...or is it more like a nightmare? Something about the plan seems fishy., and Lyman, the new assistant janitor, seems even fishier. When Ben and his friend, Jill, start digging for answers, they find things that the people with money and power don't want them to see. Could the history hidden deep within an old school building actually overthrow a thirty-million-dollar real-estate deal? And how far will the developers go to keep that from happening? Ben and Jill are about to discover just how dangerous a little knowledge can be.

My Thoughts:

This is the first book in a new chapter book series. Ben and Jill are trying to save their school from destruction by a greedy company who wants to tear it down. I like the setting of the book, a small harbor town. On top of trying to save the school, Ben is dealing with a parental separation, so not only do we get a mystery side to the story, but we get to see how Ben copes with the stress of his parents separating. A tough subject but one that many kids face today.

The story doesn't wrap itself up at the end of the book, which kind of threw me a bit. I'm used to series books each having a plot line per book which wraps itself up. I'm thinking the whole series will have the same general plot that will wrap itself up in the last book of the series.

Finally I think the idea behind the story is a great one and I think children in 4th and 5th grade will enjoy it and the future books to come.

Conflicts With Interest - A Review

Conflicts With Interest - Michael Ruddy (publicist for review)

Product Details (B&N)

• Pub. Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Rodeo Publishing
• Format: Paperback, 336pp

• ISBN-13: 9780615305998
• ISBN: 0615305997

Synopsis (from back of book)

Sometimes, life can be a poker game with a fortunate stroke of serendipity. Sometimes, it's nothing but incessant back luck. T.R. Morgan is playing such a game with his most feared situation as a builder: Defect Litigation. It isn't enough that he is still mourning the loss of his beloved wife. Now, he finds himself caught in a nasty lawsuit against Steve Sanderson, a ruthless Bay Area lawyer.

The problem -- it seems, is when will T.R. lose his company and home over this lawsuit and how many times-over? Or with his own gambling habit be his downfall? Can the insurance companies out-play him? And is his new girlfriend, Catherine, actually who she seems? T.R.'s story comes to an explosive climax that no one could have foreseen--least of all T.R. himself.

My Thoughts:

This was an interesting read. I will admit I was surprised with how quick I got caught up in the story. The story is about being sued by, what I would call, an ambulance chaser, only for the home building sector. There is a ton of legal jargon and so many players involved, I was often confused by it all and it makes me wonder if lawsuits are really this involved and complicated. The characters, while not totally polished, were enjoyable.

Even though I found the story to be a tad confusing at times, I found that I was enjoying it. This is a good start for a debut author.

Before I Fall - A Review

Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver (Barnes & Noble First Look Book Club Selection)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: March 02, 2010
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Format: Hardcover, 480pp
• Age Range: Young Adult

• ISBN-13: 9780061726804
• ISBN: 006172680X

Synopsis

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High, from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12 should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Fortunately, she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

My Thoughts:

This book took me on a whirlwind of emotions. From sadness of loss, to hate, to being disgusted by peoples actions, to wondering why people act the way they do, to understanding, happiness, the list goes on. By the time the book was done I was surprised by the emotional toll the book had taken on me.

Before I Fall touched on some serious topics that take place in our youths lives. It might have over exaggerated a bit but I know all the topics exists in high school regardless of the scale. Bullying, popularity, sex, drugs, alcohol, drunk driving. All of these things had a role in this book and every single one of them a serious issue that should be talked about.

Sam and her friends made me hate them yet oddly enough I understood them. I really wanted to just hate them to be honest, but part of me just couldn't. I saw flaws in each of them but I also saw redemption in all of them.

Following Sam's last 7 days became an addiction. The more I read the more I had to read. I had to know what happened next. I had to know how the story played out. I had to know how it ended.

This book, simply put, was amazing! I am so glad I got the opportunity to read it. I would highly recommend it.

A to Z Wednesday

Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!
To join, here's all you have to do:
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
If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.
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: C

My "C" book is:


Clockwork Heart - Dru Pagliassotti

Synopsis (from B&N)

A steampunkish romantic fantasy set in Ondinium, a city that beats to the ticking of a clockwork heart. Taya, a metal-winged courier, can travel freely across the city's sectors and mingle indiscriminately among its castes. A daring mid-air rescue leads to involvement with two scions of an upperclass family and entanglement in a web of terrorism, loyalty, murder, and secrets.

I just got this from Paperback Swap and I'm looking forward to reading it.

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:

"That's a matter of record, so yeah, but it has no bearing on what you want from me, Mr. Bennington."

"I suppose it has a little to do with my request as your reputation as sort of a female Casanova."

Flirt - Laurell K. Hamilton pg. 3

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!

Only one book for me this week. A nice change of pace.









The Poacher's Son - Paul Doiron (B&N First Look Book Club)
















It's Monday! What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme 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:

Spider's Bite - Jennifer Estep
Conflicts with Interest - Michael Ruddy

Currently Reading:

Keeper's of the School - Andrew Clements
The Swan Thieves - Elizabeth Kostova (Audiobook)




Books to Finish this Week:
Keeper's of the School - Andrew Clements
Hopefully one more just not sure what I'm reading next.

Weekend Roundup

It has been nothing short of a beautiful weekend here in Oregon. I can't remember the last time we had 60 degree sunny weather in the middle of February.

Saturday I went on a walk with my oldest son at a local park by our house and got to take some pictures with my new camera. It was an enjoyable time.

Last night we went over to our friends to watch the UFC 110 and visit. I missed some of the fights this time because one of my friends and I couldn't stop gabbing with each other. But I enjoyed the gabbing so much I didn't mind missing some of the fights.

I woke up this morning and my first thought was, let's go hiking at Silver Creek Falls and I could take more pictures. That quickly changed to, I want to go to the coast instead. That's the great thing living where I do. One hour or two one way is great camping, skiing etc. and one hour the other way is this beautiful coastline.

The picture above was taken this afternoon. I can't believe how warm it was there today. Bright blue, clear skies. Warm, light breeze. It doesn't get much better than that in the middle of summer let alone February. Very rare. I'm glad I talked my honey into driving us up there today.

Black Hills Audiobook Giveaway!!

Thanks to Anna from Hachette, I have 3 copies of this audiobook to giveaway.

Description:
In BLACK HILLS, Dan Simmons weaves the stories of Paha Sapa and Custer together seamlessly, depicting a violent and tumultuous time in the history of Native Americans and the United States Army.

US and Canada only
No PO Boxes

To enter:
+1 leave email address
+1 follower/new follower

Contest runs through March 17, 2010 6pm PST.

Spider's Bite Blog Tour February 18, 2010

Spider's Bite - Jennifer Estep ( Pocketbooks for blog tour)

Product Details (via B&N)

• Pub. Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Format: Mass Market Paperback, 432pp

• ISBN-13: 9781439147979
• ISBN: 1439147973

Synopsis (via B&N)

My name is Gin, and I kill people.

They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South — when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way — good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

My Thoughts:

How many books do you read where the main character is technically a bad guy but you can't help but love them? Gin an assassin plain and simple yet I found myself completely enjoying the character. She's strong and independent but I see a much softer person hidden behind her rough exterior. She's got scars buried deep down, maybe that's why I find her so like able.

Then there's Donovan Caine the exact opposite of Gin. A detective and a good one at that. She killed his partner and he hates her but is forced to work for her to help find the murderer. I loved the chemistry between these two characters. I can't wait to see if it goes somewhere in the next book.

What a great kick off to a new series! I look forward to the future books.

Jennifer's Website: http://www.jenniferestep.com/


Other Participating Blogs:

Pam’s Private Reflections: http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com/
The Cajun Book Lady: http://thecajunbooklady.blogspot.com/
Book, Books Everywhere: http://bookbookseverywhere.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
I Heart Monster: http://www.iheartmonster.com/
Carol’s Notebook: http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com/
My Guilty Pleasures: http://www.mgpblog.com/
The Neverending Shelf: http://www.theneverendingshelf.com/
Steph the Bookworm: http://www.stephthebookworm.blogspot.com/
My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
Chaotic Book Obsession: http://chaoticbookobbsession.blogspot.com/
Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm: http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
Books Gardens & Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
See Michelle Read: http://seemichelleread.blogspot.com/
Book Series Reviews: http://bookseriesreviews.blogspot.com/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
What Book Is That?: http://whatbookisthat.blogspot.com
So Many Books, So Little Time: http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot.com/
Jen’s Book Talk: http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/
Pick of the Literate: http://bookrevues.blogspot.com
My Overstuffed Bookshelf: http://myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.com/
Temple Library Reviews: http://templelibraryreviews.blogspot.com/
Dan’s Journal: http://grumpydan.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
Geek Girl Reviews: http://www.geekgirlreviews.com/
All Things Sizzle: http://giveawaysandgiveawaywins.blogspot.com/
Find the Time to Read: http://www.findthetimetoread.blogspot.com/
Poisoned Rationality: http://lastexilewords.blogspot.com
Reading with Tequila: http://www.readingwithtequila.com/
Mindful Musings: http://themindfulmusingsbookblog.blogspot.com/
Vision Quest Fail: http://visionquestfail.blogspot.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks: http://booksandmakeup.blogspot.com/
Red Headed Book Child: http://redheadedbookchild.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Eclectic Book Lover: http://www.eclecticbooklover.com/
Parajunkee’s View: http://parajunkee.blogspot.com/
You Wanna Know What I Think?: http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com/

Patricia's Vampire Notes: http://patricias-vampire-notes.blogspot.com/

A to Z Wednesday

Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!
To join, here's all you have to do:
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
If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.
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: B

My "B" book is:


Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver

Synopsis

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High, from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12 should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Fortunately, she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

I just finished reading this for the B&N First Look Book Club and I loved it!

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:

"My name is Gin, and I kill people."

Normally, my confession would have elicited gasps of surprise. Pale faces. Nervous Sweat. Stifles Screams.

Spider's Bite - Jennifer Estep, pg. 1

Letter to My Daughter - A Review

Letter to My Daughter - George Bishop (Received via Shelf Awareness)


ABOUT THIS BOOK (From Random House website)

Dear Elizabeth,
It’s early morning and I’m sitting here wondering where you are, hoping you’re all right.

A fight, ended by a slap, sends Elizabeth out the door of her Baton Rouge home on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her mother, Laura, is left to fret and worry—and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits Liz’s return, Laura begins a letter to her daughter, hoping to convey “everything I’ve always meant to tell you but never have.”

In her painfully candid confession, Laura shares memories of her own troubled adolescence in rural Louisiana, growing up in an intensely conservative household. She recounts her relationship with a boy she loved despite her parents’ disapproval, the fateful events that led to her being sent away to a strict Catholic boarding school, the personal tragedy brought upon her by the Vietnam War, and, finally, the meaning of the enigmatic tattoo below her right hip.

My Thoughts:

This is just a small book, just over 120 pages, but boy does it pack a punch! I picked this up and figured I would browse the first few pages before bed and get a feel for the book. I read 3/4 of it in one sitting and would've finished it if my eyes would've let me.

As a parent this book struck such a chord with me. I related so well to the mother, I felt her worries for her child and her fears for her daughters safety and whereabouts. I could feel her wondering if she was being a good enough parent or if she was failing her child. A worry I often have in my own life.

On the flip side of the coin, the book also struck a chord with the wild child I once was. Listening to her mom tell the story of her adolescence brought back so many memories and all those feelings from my own teenage years. The joys and heartaches that we all go through when were growing up, they all came racing back to me.

This little book really made an impression on me and I have a feeling it will stay with me for a long time to come. I would highly recommend it.

Mailbox Monday & 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!

My mailbox was pretty busy this week.









Strange Angels - Lili St. Crow (from J.Kayes Book Blog)
















Betrayals - Lili St. Crow (from J.Kaye's Book Blog)
















Frakenstein Prodigal Son - Dean Koontz (bought)
















A Reliable Wife - Robert Goolrick (bought)
















The 19th Wife - David Ebershoff (bought)
















The Swan Thieves Audiobook - Elizabeth Kostova (Hachette for review)










Spider's Bite - Jennifer Estep ( Pocketbooks for a blog tour)
















Flirt - Laurell K. Hamilton (bought)
















It's Monday! What are you reading this week? Hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. This is a meme 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:

Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
The Messenger - Lois Lowry (Audiobook)
I Am Ozzy - Ozzy Osbourne & Chris Ayres (Audiobook)

Currently Reading:

Spider's Bite - Jennifer Estep
The Swan Thieves - Elizabeth Kostova (Audiobook)


Books to Finish this Week:
Spider's Bite - Jennifer Estep

Weekend Roundup

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!

It has been a semi busy weekend for me. We had a gaming friend who came up this weekend and we all gathered at our friends house to drink, eat and have fun! We really enjoyed ourselves and finally dragged ourselves home around 2:30 in the am. I don't often pull those kind of hours anymore, dang age creeping up on me and all.

Saturday was spend just relaxing at home. For another week, my husband works on Saturdays, so I don't do much on those days. I watched a little TV, read a bit, gamed a bit and generally just did what I love to do, relax.

Today has been a great day. My husband and I aren't very traditional people and we don't normally get all mushy and celebrate valentines day. Just a card and candy and we are happy folk. This year however, we had the day to ourselves so we went and seen Valentine's Day at the theaters and then went out for a nice lunch. Valentine's Day was a cute movie and we both enjoyed it.

Oh I got a new camera this weekend. I have a Digital Rebel to begin with, but it's bulky and not very convenient when I just want to run out and take a few pictures. I love taking pictures and just wanted a decent but not expensive point and shoot that would fit in my purse. I ended up getting a Nikon L20. It takes great pictures and for under $100 it was perfect. I feel that picture happy itch starting again heh.

Anyhow I hope everyone had a nice weekend and I hope you all have a good upcoming week.

Maggie's Linger Giveaway!!

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.

I Am Ozzy Audiobook (Abridged) - A Review

I Am Ozzy Audiobook (Abridged) - Ozzy Osbourne & Chris Ayres (Hachette for review)

Product Details (from B&N)

• Pub. Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Format: Compact Disc
• Sales Rank: 33,420

• ISBN-13: 9781607885207
• ISBN: 1607885204
• Edition Description: Abridged

Synopsis (from B&N)

"They've said some crazy things about me over the years. I mean, okay: 'He bit the head off a bat.' Yes. 'He bit the head off a dove.' Yes. But then you hear things like, 'Ozzy went to the show last night, but he wouldn't perform until he'd killed fifteen puppies . . .' Now me, kill fifteen puppies? I love puppies. I've got eighteen of the f**king things at home. I've killed a few cows in my time, mind you. And the chickens. I shot the chickens in my house that night.

It haunts me, all this crazy stuff. Every day of my life has been an event. I took lethal combinations of booze and drugs for thirty f**king years. I survived a direct hit by a plane, suicidal overdoses, STDs. I've been accused of attempted murder. Then I almost died while riding over a bump on a quad bike at f**king two miles per hour.

People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of sixty, which one of us would end up with five kids and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and Beverly Hills, I wouldn't have put money on me, no f**king way. But here I am: ready to tell my story, in my own words, for the first time.

A lot of it ain't gonna be pretty. I've done some bad things in my time. I've always been drawn to the dark side, me. But I ain't the devil. I'm just John Osbourne: a working-class kid from Aston, who quit his job in the factory and went looking for a good time."

My Thoughts:

I have been an Ozzy fan since I was a wild teenager, so I was excited to get a chance to listen to this. I had a great time listening to his life and the antics and I got to be honest, I have no clue how this man is even alive. The crazy stuff he has done and the abuse he put his body through, it's truly amazing that he's alive.

This book made me laugh and laugh and laugh. I would listen on my way to and from work and I swear people driving next to me must have thought I was nuts. A few times I was saddened by some of the stuff I heard. Randy's death being the part that pulled on my heartstrings the most. I guess as a kid I never really paid much attention to the circumstances behind his death, so hearing come from Ozzy's mouth was sad indeed.

Now it is Ozzy so I should mention there's language and wild antics, drugs, alcohol etc. during the entire book. I really loved this book and would recommend to anyone who was ever a fan of his music or his TV shows.

I Am Ozzy Audiobook Winners!!

And the Winners are:

Mary (response received)
Mia J. (response received)
Bethie (response received)

Congratulations to all the winners! Emails will go out to you soon and you have 72 hours to get back to me with mailing information.

All information has been submitted to Hachette.

The Messenger Audiobook - A Review

The Messenger - Lois Lowry - Audiobook (Library)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Listening Library, Inc.
• Format: MP3 Book

• Duration: 3 hours, 44 minutes (equivalent to 3 audio CDs)
• File Size: 103 MB
• ISBN-13: 9780807223741
• ISBN: 0807223743
• Edition Description: Unabridged

Synopsis

Strange changes are taking place in Village. Once a utopian community that prided itself on its welcome to new strangers, Village will soon be closed to all outsiders. As one of the few people able to travel through the dangerous Forest, Matty must deliver the message of Village’s closing and try to convince Seer’s daughter to return with him before it’s too late. But Forest has become hostile to Matty as well, and he must risk everything to fight his way through it, armed only with an emerging power he cannot yet explain or understand.

My Thoughts:

As with all the others in this set of books, I really enjoyed this one as well. Not as much as the other two but I really enjoyed seeing Matty more grown up and I loved getting to see Kira again.

This was about the village from Gathering Blue where they accepted everyone no matter what disabilities they may have. However things have changed with the introduction of gaming machines. People stopped caring about others and well in my opinion, they got greedy. It was interesting to see how this all came about. It is a strange little world Lois created and it almost feel surreal.

I would recommend this book as well as the others to anyone. They were a treat to read.

A to Z Wednesday

Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!
To join, here's all you have to do:
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
If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.
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: A

My "A" book is:


A Note From an Old Acquaintance - Bill Walker

Synopsis

Brian Weller is a haunted man. It's been two years since the tragic accident that left his three-year-old son dead and his wife in an irreversible coma. A popular author of mega-selling thrillers, Brian's life has reached a crossroads: his new book is stalled, his wife's prognosis is dire, and he teeters on the brink of despair.

Everything changes the morning an e-mail arrives from Boston artist Joanna Richman. Her heartfelt note brings back all the poignant memories: the night their eyes met, the fiery passion of their short-lived affair, and the agonizing moment he was forced to leave Joanna forever. Now, fifteen years later, the guilt and anger threaten to overwhelm him. Vowing to make things right, Brian arranges a book-signing tour that will take him back to Boston. He is eager to see Joanna again, but remains unsure where their reunion will lead. One thing is certain: the forces that tore their love asunder will stop at nothing to keep them apart.

Filled with tender romance and taut suspense, A Note from an Old Acquaintance is an unforgettable story about fate, honor, and the power of true love.

This is for a blog tour in March so I haven't read it just yet, but I am looking forward to it.