My Life In Not So Many Words...: April 2010

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

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: L

My "L" book is:

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis (via Borders):

About this edition:

ISBN13: 9781416971733

ISBN: 1416971734

BINC: 9873445

Edition: Illustrated

Age: 12 and up

About the book:

Description: On the eve of World War I, the machine-loving Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their big steam-powered Clankers. Inspired by Darwin, the British have fabricated animals into warships. Their mothership is called "Leviathan," and she is a whale-dirigible. The first book in a brand-new trilogy by the author of the "New York Times"-bestselling Uglies series.

This is on my shelves and I hope to get to it soon. I've heard such great things about it and the drawings inside are amazing.

Monday, April 26, 2010

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:

Even though the frequency of her lessons waned, Caroline never slacked in her visits to Grandmother. She always told her that she was like her favorite Oak tree, so stable and strong, she felt like she could tell her anything.

All Acts of Love and Pleasure Are Her Rituals - Rachel Adair pg 25

Contest Winners!!

The Winners Are:

Sean(email received)
SimplyStacie(email received)
dmscott(email received)

Winners names and addresses have been submitted.

The Winners Are:

Anna (email received)
Terri (email received)
Jaime (email received)

Winners names and addresses have been submitted.

Congratulations to all the winners!! Emails will be sent out and you have 72 hours to respond with your mailing addresses. Once I get all the addresses, I will submit them to Hachette.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Pag e. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I got few books this week.

Black Hills - Dan Simmons Audiobook ( publisher)

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hu nter - Seth Grahame-Smith Audiobook ( publisher)

Foxy - Pam Grier (Publisher)

The House on Tradd Street - Karen White (PBS)

Mothers & Other Liars - Amy Bourret (publisher)

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:

Firefly Rain - Richard Dansky
Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater Audiobook

Currently Reading:

All Acts of Love and Pleasure Are Her Rituals - Rachel Adair
The Adoration of Jenna Fox audiobook - Mary E. Pearson. (this is on hold so I can finish my library check out of Shiver. Oddly enough the narrators of these are the same person.

Books to Finish this Week:

All Acts of Love and Pleasure Are Her Rituals - Rachel Adair
The Adoration of Jenna Fox Audiobook - Mary E. Pearson

Weekend Roundup

It has been a good weekend. We spent Saturday running errands and then spent the evening with good friends. Typical Saturday night plans for us these days.

Today has been a great day. Hubby and I took in an afternoon matinee and then went out to a local restaurant and had soup and mac and cheese. Mmm yummy.

Now we're home and relaxation is on the menu for the rest of the night.

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

Oh I have contests that have ended or are ending and I will draw for them this week and announce the winners.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Shiver Audiobook - A Mini Review

Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater (audiobook from library)
Read by Jenna Lamia and David LeDoux

Synopsis (via B&N)

Every summer Sam spends a few precious months being human, until the cold causes him to shift to a wolf once again. Discover what happens when he meets Grace in this chilling romance.

My Thoughts:

Since I've already read and reviewed this last year, I just wanted to add the audiobook is just as good as the book. The narrators were great and did a wonderful job bringing the book to life. I am glad I chose to listen to it as a refresher before Linger comes out. I learned some stuff I had missed the first time around. I also found a poet I like. I missed it when I read it but having someone else read the poem to me, I realized how much I liked it and have since looked up some more by the same author.

If you find you enjoy audiobooks, I think you would enjoy listening to this one.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Wicked Becomes You - Meredith Duran

Wicked Becomes You - Meredith Duran On sale April 27. 2010

Meredith Duran captured the hearts of historical romance readers with the enchanting BOUND BY YOUR TOUCH and WRITTEN ON YOUR SKIN. Now, Pocket Books is pleased to be publishing her newest delectable Regency Era tale, WICKED BECOMES YOU (Pocket Books; May 2010; $7.99).

When a beloved society girl is left at the altar, the entire town wants revenge—but the abandoned bride has other ideas.

She is pretty, popular, and rich. But what high society loves most about Gwen Maudsley is how nice she is. So when a cad jilts her on her wedding day, the people of London are out for blood. Gwen reacts differently, deciding that since being nice doesn’t work anymore, it is time to learn to be naughty.

Gwen has just the person in mind to teach her—Alexander de Grey, best friend to her late brother and a notorious rogue. Though his aloof demeanor suggests otherwise, Alex likes Gwen the way she is and wants their relationship to be more than teacher and student. But fearing the secrets from his past will make a future with Gwen impossible, Alex tries to keep his distance.

An educational tour through the glittering casinos of the Riviera turns Alex and Gwen’s friendship into something hotter, darker, and more dangerous. Gwen must convince Alex that his wickedest intentions are exactly what she needs.

I don't read a lot of straight up romance books but this cover just calls out to me and it looks pretty good.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Firefly Rain Blog Tour - April 22, 2010

Firefly Rain - Richard Dansky (Blog tour from publisher)

Synopsis (via B&N)

When Jacob left home for a new life, he pretty much forgot all about Maryfield, North Carolina. But Maryfield never forgot him. Or forgave him.

After a failed business venture in Boston, Jacob Logan comes back to the small Southern town of his childhood and takes up residence in the isolated house he grew up in. Here, the air is still. The nights are black. And his parents are buried close by. It should feel like home—but something is terribly wrong.

Jacob loses all his belongings in a highway accident. His car is stolen from his driveway, yet he never hears a sound. The townspeople seem guarded and suspicious. And Carl, the property caretaker with so many secrets, is unnervingly accommodating. Then there are the fireflies that light the night skies . . . and die as they come near Jacob’s home. If it weren’t for the creaking sounds after dark, or the feeling that he is being watched, Jacob would feel so alone. He shouldn’t worry. He’s not.

And whatever’s with him isn’t going to let him leave home ever again.

My Thoughts:

What a creepy little book and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It is full of ghosts, strange townsfolk, eerie house, mysterious fireflies and things that go bump in the night. Half the time I didn't know which end was up while reading the book and I think it was what the author intended. It was a quick read, I finished it within just a couple of days, which was great for me since I started it a little later than I would have liked to. The story is very reminiscence of a Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or a John Saul kind of book, entertaining and chock full of creepiness perfect for a dark and stormy night sitting by a fireplace.

Author's Website:

www.richarddansky.com

Participating sites:

Revenge of the Book Nerds: http://booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com/
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
My Life In Not So Many Words: http://www.ziarias.blogspot.com/
All About {n}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
Crazy Books & Reviews: http://www.lindsayphotobook.blogspot.com/
Pick of the Literate: http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
The Cajun Book Lady: http://thecajunbooklady.blogspot.com/
I Heart Monster: http://www.iheartmonster.com
Books Gardens & Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
Just One More Paragraph: http://tweezlereads.blogspot.com/
My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Lucky Rosie’s: http://www.luckyrosiescreations.blogspot.com/
Pam’s Private Reflections: http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com/
Star Shadow: http://www.starshadowblog.com/
Patricia’s Vampire Notes: http://patricias-vampire-notes.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
My Book Views: http://my-book-views.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
Brizmus Blogs Books: http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/
Simply Stacie: http://stacievaughansblog.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer: http://ramblingsofacoffeeaddictedwrter.blogspot.com/
Books And Things: http://melissawatercolor.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Book Tumbling: http://booktumbling.com/
Jen’s Book Talk: http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/
Dan’s Journal: http://grumpydan.blogspot.com/
Avid Reader: http://www.tarmyblogspot.blogspot.com/
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
A Journey of Books: http://ajourneyofbooks.halfzero.net/
The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
I’m Booking It: http://imbookingit.wordpress.com/
Must Read Faster: http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/
Maria’s Space: http://www.reesspace.blogspot.com/
Gnostalgia: http://gnostalgia.wordpress.com/
Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com/
Taking Time for Mommy: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

A to Z Wednesday

Kissing Coffins - Ellen Schreiber

Synopsis (via B&N)

The sequel to Ellen Schreiber's popular Vampire Kisses follows goth teenager Raven as she searches for her true love Alexander, whom she's discovered is a vampire.

This is another book on my shelves I have every intention of reading someday heh.

Monday, April 19, 2010

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:

"There's a few things odd things in that house, son. Only one out in the fields, though. Is that what you're asking about?"

Firefly Rain - Richard Dansky pg17

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Pag e. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I got few books this week.

My Name Is Memory - Ann Brashares (Shelf Awareness)

Still Missing - Chevy Stevens (Shelf Awareness)

13 to Life - Shannon Delany (Library Thing Early Reviewer)

Deliver Us From Evil - Robin Caroll (Library Thing Early Reviewer)

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:

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly - Connie May Fowler

Currently Reading:

Firefly Rain - Richard Dansky
Shiver Audiobook - Maggie Stiefvater (read this but been wanting to listen to the audio version)
The Adoration of Jenna Fox audiobook - Mary E. Pearson. (this is on hold so I can finish my library check out of Shiver. Oddly enough the narrators of these are the same person.

Books to Finish this Week:

Firefly Rain - Richard Dansky
Shiver Audiobook - Maggie Stiefvater

Weekend Roundup

This has been a great weekend. We took our tent trailer up to camp and got our camp set up for the season. It was such a decent day in Oregon, we decided to stay the night. We had dinner and drinks with good friends and sat around a blazing campfire all evening. Doesn't get much better than that.

We are heading out to spend today with friends so my Weekend Roundup will be short.

I hope you all had a great weekend and here's some good thoughts for a good week to come.

Friday, April 16, 2010

How Clarissa Burden Learned To Fly - Bog Tour April 16, 2010

How Clarissa Burden Learned To Fly - Connie May Fowler (publisher for blog tour)

Product Details (via B&N)

Pub. Date: April 2010
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Format: Hardcover, 278pp

ISBN-13: 9780446540681
ISBN: 0446540684

Synopsis (via B&N)

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly is the transcendent story of a young woman who, in a twenty-four hour period, journeys through startling moments of self-discovery that lead her to a courageous and life-altering decision.

My Thoughts:

Clarissa, at first annoyed me by putting up with being treated like a child and letting her husband just walk all over her. As the book progressed, my opinion of her changed. It was a real treat to watch her grow as a person. Learn to stand up for herself a bit, learn to take action. She also has a great imagination. I loved all the scenarios towards her husband she came up with. Her overactive imagination was incredibly entertaining.

The town of Hope, Florida is wonderful. Such small town charm and the people were just what I imagine people in Hope would be. I wanted to go visit myself while reading. Such a quaint and quirky town. Did I mention it was full of ghosts? So very cool.

I found this to be a great read and I'm glad I got the opportunity to participate in this blog tour.

Connie's Website: http://www.conniemayfowler.com/

Participating Sites:

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Booking Through Thrusday

In general, do you prefer the beginnings of stories? Or the ends?

I haven't participated in this in awhile but I liked this question.

I'm going to go against the grain and say I actually prefer the middle, the meat of the book. If I'm really enjoying a book, then the ending, whether happy or sad, leaves me sad that it's ended. Beginnings can be great but I've read some books lately that have started off slow and built their way up. So generally speaking for me, the middle is the best. It's where we get to know the characters, decide whether or not we like them. The middle is where I find myself immersed into the story. The better the story, the more I find myself getting involved in the book.

I know I didn't answer the question directly, mostly because it really depends on the book, some books the beginnings are awesome, others eh I could do without. Same with endings.

Monday, April 12, 2010

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:

Willow can see her bag with all her supplies underneath one of the chairs. Just the sight of it calms her a little. She moves her hands away from the desk and rubs her arms, relishing the way the cotton irritates her fresh wounds.

Willow - Julia Hoban pg. 7

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Pag e. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I got few more books this week.

Presence: Awakening - Charity Becker (bought. This is a great friends first self published work and I'm looking forward to reading it.)

A Night Without Armor - Jewel Audiobook (bought)

Cleaving - Julie Powell Audiobook (contest win)

The Pack - LM Preston (author for review)

Currently Reading:

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly - Connie May Fowler
Shiver Audiobook - Maggie Stiefvater (read this but been wanting to listen to the audio version)
The Adoration of Jenna Fox audiobook - Mary E. Pearson. (this is on hold so I can finish my library check out of Shiver. Oddly enough the narrators of these are the same person.

Books to Finish this Week:

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly - Connie May Fowler
Shiver Audiobook - Maggie Stiefvater

Weekend Roundup

It has been a busy weekend. I haven't been home much and it's been nice. We spent Friday evening over at a friends house for food, conversation, and gaming.

Saturday we ran errands and then spent the evening with friends again. We had a great time.

Today I think will be a quiet day at home. The sun is shining and it should be warmer than it has been, so I think I will spend some of the day outside doing something and enjoy it while it lasts. Since it's Oregon, that could mean 5 mins or 5 days lol.

The picture above is from our Seattle trip a few weeks ago. It's the outside of the Science Fiction Museum/Experience Music Project. A very neat place. I'd highly recommend checking it out if your ever in the area. It's located at the base of the Space Needle, so not hard to find at all.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a good read a thon. And I hope everyone has a pleasant upcoming week.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Inside Out - A Review

Inside Out - Maria V. Snyder (bought)

Product Details (via B&N)

Pub. Date: April 2010
Publisher: Harlequin
Format: Paperback, 320pp
Age Range: Young Adult

ISBN-13: 9780373210060
ISBN: 037321006X

Synopsis (via B&N)

Keep Your Head Down.

Don't Get Noticed.

Or Else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

My Thoughts:

This was a fantastic read full of twists and turns. Trella is a character I really enjoyed. She's so mischievous and smart, a little guarded but rightfully so. I also really enjoyed Riley and the Broken Man as he is called. Truthfully I really enjoyed most of the characters. I even liked the bad guys.

The story was really good and it was easy to swept up in the book and lose time. It even caught me off guard a time or two. I love when a book does that.

I didn't realized there would be another book after this one until I read it and now I can't wait for the second one to come out.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

I Feel Incredibly Behind...

On blogging, reading blogs, commenting, reading in general. This week has just been hectic and by the time I settle in for the night, I find myself zoning out on the TV instead of reading a book or blog hopping. I really hope next week settles down, I'm so far behind.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

A to Z Wednesday

Inside Out - Maria V. Snyder

Synopsis (via B&N)

Keep Your Head Down.

Don't Get Noticed.

Or Else.

Monday, April 5, 2010

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:

"Hard to believe he managed to hide a physically disabled man without help." Frustration tainted her voice.

"He's strong and has a high pain tolerance, sir."

Inside Out - Maria V. Snyder pg. 115

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Pag e. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I got few more books this week.

The Heretic Queen - Michelle Moran (bought)

Rooms - James L. Rubart (Publisher for review. I don't recall requesting it but I'm sure I did lol)

Firefly Rain - Richard Dansky (Publisher for blog tour)

Numbers - Rachel Ward (contest win)

Currently Reading:

Inside Out - Maria V. Snyder
Shiver Audiobook - Maggie Stiefvater (read this but been wanting to listen to the audio version)
The Adoration of Jenna Fox audiobook - Mary E. Pearson. (this is on hold so I can finish my library check out of Shiver. Oddly enough the narrators of these are the same person.

Books to Finish this Week:

Inside Out - Maria V. Snyder
Shiver Audiobook - Maggie Stiefvater

Happy Easter and Weekend Roundup

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you have a fun filled day.

I myself will be heading up to the family's house for Easter dinner and visiting time.

This past weekend has been a fun one. Friday I just stayed at home and relaxed, my usual Friday fare now that my honey works that day. Saturday we went to a friends and hung out playing Rockband and food/drink. We ended up staying up most the night and boy am I feeling it this morning. I'm not as young as I once was lol.

Plans today are to do the family thing and then hang out at home catching up on the DVR thats been neglected all weekend.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and here's to a good week to come!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Size Eight in a Size Zero World - A Review

Size Eight in a Size Zero World - Meredith Cagen (author for review)

Product Details (from B&N)

Pub. Date: November 2009
Publisher: iUniverse, Incorporated
Format: Paperback, 340pp

ISBN-13: 9781440169748
ISBN: 1440169748

Synopsis (from B&N)

Meet Lindsay Chandler-a 32 year-old New York working wife and mother with old-fashioned values who thinks she's living a fairy tale life (she's not). Then an unexpected friendship with her upstairs neighbor (he is smart, successful, sophisticated and sexy- she's not) unleashes her passion and re-ignites her sparkle. This liaison causes her to question the way she lives her life. Yearning for a storybook ending, she decides to make changes in her life, embarking on a quest for self re-invention.

My Thoughts:

To be honest I didn't like the book much at first. The husband just irked me to no end and the main character acting like a dutiful doormat irked me even more. With that said, I actually ended up enjoying this book. I continued reading and realized that I had become involved with the characters. I'm still not sure when that happened but it did . I found I wanted to see if the main character ever realized she deserved better. Better than her husband, better than the man she choose to have an affair with. This really is more about a person learning to love themselves and not relying on others to prove their self worth. I like a book that ultimately sends out a positive message.

So after a slow start, I can say I enjoyed this book and am glad I got a chance read it.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter Unabridged Audiobook Giveaway!!

Synopsis:

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette, I have 3 copies to giveaway.

-Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win
-No P.O. Boxes, please.

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

Contest runs through April 24, 2010 6pm PST.

Contest Closed.

Pages

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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Monday, April 26, 2010

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Synopsis (via B&N)

Friday, April 23, 2010

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Synopsis (via B&N)

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Synopsis (via B&N)

Monday, April 19, 2010

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Friday, April 16, 2010

Product Details (via B&N)

Synopsis (via B&N)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Monday, April 12, 2010

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Product Details (via B&N)

Synopsis (via B&N)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Monday, April 5, 2010

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Product Details (from B&N)

Synopsis (from B&N)

Friday, April 2, 2010

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