She's Gone Country - A giveaway!!

She's Gone Country - Jane Porter


Jane Porter has returned with the type of bestselling novel that she writes best, featuring an almost-forty protagonist finding a second chance in life. SHE’S GONE COUNTRY is an entertaining
tale of a modern-day woman, Shey, who has led a charmed life in New
York City, gracing the covers of Vogue, and is now forced to reinvent
herself by moving back to her hometown in Texas after her marriage
falls apart. Shey soon realizes that in order to reinvent herself, she
must let go of an uncertain future and a broken past, and allow for the
possibility of new love in the present.

Thanks to Brianna from Hachette, I have 3 copies of this book to giveaway!




The rules are:

US & Canada only
NO PO boxes
Must be 13 yrs or older

+1 for being a follower new or old
+1 leave email in comment

Contest runs through August 27th, 6pm PST

Contest Closed.

The Pack - A Review

The Pack - LM Preston (Author for review)

Synopsis:

Shamira is considered an outcast by most, but little do they know that Shamira is on a mission. Kids on Mars are disappearing, but Shamira decides to use the criminals most unlikely weapons against them, the very kids of which they have captured. In order to succeed, she is forced to trust another, something she is afraid to do. However, Valens her connection to the underworld of her enemy, proves to be a useful ally. Time is slipping, and so is her control on the power that resides within her. Yet, in order to save her brother's life she is willing to risk it all.


My Thoughts:

Well this book certainly caught me off guard. When I first received this book, I was doubtful that it would end up being something that I enjoyed. For once, I am glad to say I was wrong.

I loved Shamira's character. In the beginning I wasn't sure what she was about, but as the story unfolded, I discovered just how strong of a character she really is. She's tough, sassy, angry, full of rage, sweet, caring and sensitive all rolled into one.

I also found the setting to be unique and refreshing. I don't normally read futuristic books but Preston made the book feel real.

The plot was a little slow in the beginning but man when it picked up pace, I found myself completely drawn in and wondering what would happen next.

In the end, the Pack was a quick, action filled read that I am glad to say, I enjoyed.

Author's Website: LM Preston

The Mermaid's Mirror - A Review

The Mermaid's Mirror - L.K. Madigan (net galley)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: October 04, 2010
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Format: Hardcover, 320pp
• Sales Rank: 891,976
• Age Range: 12

• ISBN-13: 9780547194912
• ISBN: 0547194919

Synopsis

Lena has lived her whole life near the beach - walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves - the problem is, she's spent her whole life just watching.
As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Lena vows she will no longer watch from the sand: she will learn to surf.
But her father - a former surfer himself - refuses to allow her to take lessons. After a near drowning in his past, he can't bear to let Lena take up the risky sport.
Yet something lures Lena to the water ... an ancient, powerful magic. One morning Lena catches sight of this magic: a beautiful woman - with a silvery tail.
Nothing will keep Lena from seeking the mermaid, not even the dangerous waves at Magic Crescent Cove.
And soon ... what she sees in the mermaid's mirror will change her life ...

My Thoughts:

This was my first foray into mermaid lore and I have to say, I really enjoyed it!

I was immediately drawn into the mystery of Leena. Her odd sleepwalking incidents, the pull of the ocean calling to her. Wondering why her father was so adamant about her not surfing. All this intrigued me.

Then came the land of the mermaid's and I was left in awe and falling in love with their world. I was drawn into their world and the more I read, the more I wanted to stay there. Such a beautiful and yet dangerous place to be.

The choices Leena are faced with are difficult and I was torn right along side of her. I'm not sure I would have been as strong or as brave as she was.

In conclusion, I loved this book. I was easily drawn into the story. I was left wanting to go to the beach and sit and watch the sea and look for the impossible. Or is it really impossible?

Author's Website: L.K. Madigan

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~ go to Reading at the Beach and leave a link to your book
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: Y

My "Y" book is:


Yellow Moon - Jewell Parker Rhodes

Synopsis

A jazzman, a wharf worker, a prostitute, all murdered. Wrists punctured, their bodies impossibly drained of blood. What connects them? Why are they rising as ghosts?

Marie Levant, the great-great granddaughter of the Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, knows better than anyone New Orleans's brutal past — the legacy of slavery, poverty, racism, and sexism — and as a doctor at Charity Hospital's ER, she treats its current victims.

When she sleeps, she dreams of blood. Rain, never ending. The river is rising and the yellow moon warns of an ancient evil — an African vampire — wazimamoto — a spirit created by colonial oppression.

The struggle becomes personal, as the wazimamoto is intent on destroying her and all the Laveau descendants. Marie fights to protect her daughter, lover, and herself from the wazimamoto's seductive assault on both body and spirit.

Echoing with the heartache and triumph of the African-American experience, the soulful rhythms of jazz, and the horrors of racial oppression, Yellow Moon gives us an unforgettable heroine — sexy, vulnerable, and mysterious — in Marie Levant, while it powerfully evokes a city on the brink of catastrophe.

Yellow Moon is part two of the New Orleans trilogy that began with Voodoo Season — magical realist fiction that takes the legend of the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, as imagined by Jewell Parker Rhodes in the bestselling Voodoo Dreams, into the present day.

I picked this one up on sale at our local book store. It looks like a good book.

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:

"Spider?" she asked, panic in her voice.

I shook my head. I was looking past her into the front yard, at the spot where we'd been standing just twenty seconds earlier.

It was lit up by the same faint glow we'd seen in that tree.

Bad Girls Don't Die - Katie Alender pg.7

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!

I thought this would be an empty mailbox week, but come Friday, my mailbox was full.







1) Gerry Tales - Gerry Boylan (publisher)
2) Getting There - Gerry Boylan (publisher)
3) Montana Destiny - R.C. Ryan (contest win)
4) Bad Girls Don't Die - Katie Alender (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:
The Pack - LM Preston
Forget You - Jennifer Echols


Currently Reading:
The Mermaid's Mirror - L.K. Madigan
Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen Audiobook




Books to Finish this Week:
The Mermaid's Mirror - L.K. Madigan
Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen Audiobook (I really need to get this one finished.)

Beautiful Malice - Blog Tour July 23, 2010

Beautiful Malice - Rebecca James (Blog Tour Pump Up Your Book)

Synopsis (via B&N)

An international sensation that The Wall Street Journal called a “publishing phenomenon,” this layered, poignant, and chilling novel of psychological suspense is the year’s most stunning American fiction debut. From its wrenching opening to its shocking climax, Beautiful Malice unfolds a haunting story in which people, motives, and circumstances are never what they seem.

Who is Katherine Patterson? It is a question she hopes no one can answer. To erase her past, Katherine has moved to a new city, enrolled in a new school, and even changed her name. She’s done the next best thing to disappearing altogether. Now, wary and alone, she seeks nothing more than anonymity. What she finds instead is the last thing she expected: a friend.

Even more unlikely, Katherine’s new friend is the most popular and magnetic girl in school. Extroverted, gorgeous, flirtatious, and unpredictable, she is everything that Katherine is not and doesn’t want to be: the center of attention. Yet Alice’s enthusiasm is infectious, her candor sometimes unsettling, and Katherine, in spite of her guarded caution, finds herself drawn into Alice’s private circle.

But Alice has secrets, too—darker than anyone can begin to imagine. And when she lets her guard down at last, Katherine discovers the darkest of them all. For there will be no escaping the past for Katherine Patterson—only a descent into a trap far more sinister . . . and infinitely more seductive.

My Thoughts:

This was a quick and easy read. I was immediately drawn to the book and the characters. The books title describes one character to a tee. The story flowed easily and was interesting. A couple things seemed unrealistic but it was just a couple and it wasn't enough to dampen the story any.

Katherine is a guilt ridden teenager after the death of her sister and is trying to make a new life elsewhere away from the journalists. I felt very drawn to this character. I could see why she felt the way she did.

Robbie was probably one of my favorite characters. You know the type. The good guy that is always the "friend". I really liked him even if he was hung up on Alice.

Let's not get me started on Alice. She played her part extremely well. She's the character you just don't feel right with but at the same time, not sure whether or not your feelings are accurate. I won't go any further on the characters. I don't really like to drop too many spoilers in my reviews.

All in all, the book was good and well worth a read.

Author's Website: Rebecca James

Author's Blog: Rebecca James

Click on picture to be taken to Amazon link.

CSN Winner!!!

And the winner is:


Booksnob!!

Congrats to the winner!

Forget You - Blog Tour July 22, 2010

Forget You - Jennifer Echols (Blog tour for Gallery & Pocketbooks)

Product Details (via B&N)

• Pub. Date: July 2010
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Format: Paperback, 292pp
• Sales Rank: 379

• ISBN-13: 9781439178232
• ISBN: 1439178232

Synopsis(via B&N)

WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . . AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER? There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

My Thoughts:

This was an interesting book. Zoey seems to have a normal teenage life with the exceptions of her very screwed up parents. Everywhere you look, her parents are messed up. Her dad and his pregnant 23 or 24 yr old mistress/wife. Her mom who can't seem to deal with the divorce.

I like Zoey. My only qualm with her is she seems very naive about boys for being a senior in High School. Seems to me, in this day and age, girls are more in the know by this time. Other than that, she's pretty likeable.

The boy situation is pretty standard. Good boy vs Bad boy. But in my opinion, I think it's the other way around. The alleged good boy, I hated. For reasons you'd have to read the book for. The bad boy, I liked and hated. Again you will have to read the book to learn why. I hate giving out too much information.

The story kept me interested from the beginning. An easy read with a little mystery thrown in.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. Did it make me gush with love? Nah. But it was a good book and I'd have no qualms with recommending it to readers.

As a side note, I should mention I would give this book a nc-17 type rating for sexual content

Author's Website: Jennifer Echols

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:

The surface wasn't where I would thought it would be. I couldn't fight the urge to breathe the ocean. That was when I realized I was going to die.

Forget You - Jennifer Echols pg 5

Book Extravaganza

And the Winner is.....

Sheila (Bookjourney)!!!

Congratulations Sheila and thank you to everyone who participated in my contest. It has been a fantastic event! I have emailed the winner and they have 72 hours to get their snail mail to me.

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!

I got a handful of books this week and a big surprise in the mailbox!










1) Forget You - Jennifer Echols (blog tour)
2) Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile - J.L. Bourne (blog tour)
3)Cresendo -Becca Fitzpatrick (This was a major and very exciting surprise. publisher)
4)Vampire Beach #1 - Alex Duval (bought)
5)Vampire Beach #2 - Alex Duval (bought)
6) Think of a Number - John Verdon (read it forward)
7) Linger - Maggie Stiefvater (bought, not pictured, lent to a friend)
8) Wanderlust - Lucy Silag (bought also not pictured)
9) Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen (bought also not pictured)












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:

Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile - J.L. Bourne








Currently Reading:

The Pack - LM Preston
The Mermaid's Mirror - L.K. Madigan
Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen Audiobook


Books to Finish this Week:

The Pack - LM Preston
The Mermaid's Mirror - L.K. Madigan
Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen Audiobook (I need to get this one done this week)

This was a very slow reading week for me. I just started a new job and by the time training is over for the day, I'm brain dead lol.

Weekend Roundup

It has been one hectic week for me. I recently started a new job and have been in training. I have tons of stuff I have to learn etc. It's like being in school again only I have to cram all this information in, in just two short weeks. It's crazy. Some days I leave work exhausted from it. I get home and have no energy to do anything.

Anyways I mostly wanted to say, I am around. I just haven't had a whole lot of time to comment on blogs and such. I'm hoping once my training is over and I go back to being part time, my life will settle down some and I can get back into the swing of being more social.

Book Extravaganza Giveaway!!

When I first saw this post for this, I thought to myself, this sounds like fun! I mean who doesn't love giveaways? Not only giveaways, but short lived, quick giveaways? I knew immediately what book I would offer up. I've had it sitting waiting for the perfect moment put it up, which came very apparent when I saw this. Thanks to the fabulous hosts, Bookworming in the 21st Century & The Neverending Shelf for getting this started.

Okay, without further ado, up for grabs is:


The rules are very simple:

One comment with a way to contact you = one entry.

That's it. Like I said super simple.

Sorry US & Canada only
Must be over 13 to enter.
Contest ends 11:59 pm EST on Sunday July 18Th.

Day by Day Armegeddon: Beyond Exile - Blog Tour July 15, 2010

Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile - J.L. Bourne (blog tour)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: July 2010
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Format: Paperback, 277pp
• Sales Rank: 6,825

• Series: Day by Day Armageddon Series, #2
• ISBN-13: 9781439177525
• ISBN: 143917752X

Synopsis

START INTERCEPTArmies of undead have risen up across the U.S. and around the globe;there is no safe haven from the diseased corpses hungering for human flesh. But in the heat of a Texas wasteland, a small band of survivors attempt to counter the millions closing in around them.INTERCEPT COMPLETESurvivor,Day by day, the handwritten journal entries of one man caught in a worldwide cataclysm capturethe desperation—and the will to survive—as he joins forces with a handful of refugees to battlesoulless enemies both human and inhuman from inside an abandoned strategic missile facility.

But in the world of the undead, is mere survival enough?

My Thoughts:

Okay first off, I just received this book yesterday morning and have not finished it as of yet. I can say I do know for a fact that I will enjoy this one as much as I did the first one. It took a matter of seconds for me to be pulled right back into the story. The author gives you a quick refresher on what happened in the first book right at the beginning to get you going.

The second book starts off right where the first one ended. Absolutely perfect!

This series of books leave you thinking what if? What if this really happened? Would you be able to survive? How? If you did survive, how would you continue to do so? So many questions go through your head as you read.

It is written in the form of diary entries, making it quick and easy.

So I will leave you with this, if you like zombie book or post apocalyptic books, you should check this series out. I think you will really enjoy them.

Now I really must get back to reading some more of this zombie filled, fun fest of a book.

Author's Website: J.L. Bourne

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~ go to Reading at the Beach and leave a link to your book
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: W

My "W" book is:


Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

Synopsis (via B&N)

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

I'm currently listening to this on audio and really enjoying it thus far. I hope to get it finished up sometime in the next couple weeks. Depends though. Started a new job this week and not sure hoe much time I will have.

The Imposter's Daughter Giveaway

THE IMPOSTOR'S DAUGHTER
By Laurie Sandell

Laurie Sandell grew up in awe (and sometimes in terror) of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities (Tokyo stripper, lesbian seductress, Ambien addict). Later, she lucks into the perfect job--interviewing celebrities for a top women's magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. But while researching an article on her dad's life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he's not the man he says he is--not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them--herself.


Thanks to Anna at Hachette, I have 5 Copies to giveaway.

-Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win
-No P.O. Boxes, please.
-13 yrs or older

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

Contest Runs through July 31, 2010 6PM PST

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:

Suddenly, out of the stillness, she heard someone approach, and she turned slightly to judge who it was. Shamira could tell the footstep's weren't friendly, but then again, neither was Shamira.

The Pack - LM Preston pg. 8

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!


I picked up a few more book and book related items this past week.







1) Backseat Saints Audiobook - Joshilyn Jackson (Hachette)
2) Claire De Lune - Christine Johnson (contest win)
3) Shadows in Summer - Crescent Varrone (Author)
4) Signed bookmarks from Jennifer Estep (Love these!)

and last but definitely not least. I finally gave in and admitted E Readers aren't so bad and bought myself a Nook! I am loving it so far.









___________________________________________________________________



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:

Still Missing - Chevy Stevens
Tyger Tyger - Kersten Hamilton (ebook)
Beautiful Malice - Rebecca James (blog tour review coming July 23rd)





Currently Reading:

The Pack - LM Preston
The Mermaid's Mirror - L.K. Madigan
Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen Audiobook


Books to Finish this Week:

The Pack - LM Preston
The Mermaid's Mirror - L.K. Madigan
Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen Audiobook (I need to get this one done this week)

Backseat Saints Audiobook Winners!!

And the winners are:

1. Kaye
2. Beth @ Bookaholic
3. Throuthehaze

Congrats to all the winners!! Emails will be sent shortly and you have 72 hours to get back to me with your snail mail.

All emails have been received and names submitted 7/12/2010

Private Audibook Winners!!

And the winners are:

1. Jacmom
2. Creations by Laurel Rain Snow
3. Infertility Goddess

Congrats to all the winners. Emails will be sent shortly and you have 72 hours to get back to me with your snail mail.

All emails have been received and names submitted 7/12/2010

I'll be hosting a contest for this. You should come back this upcoming weekend and check it out. Also head over to The Neverending Shelf and Bookworming in the 21st Century to check it out!

Still Missing - A Review

Still Missing - Chevy Stevens (shelf awareness)

Product Details (via B&N)

• Pub. Date: July 2010
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover, 352pp
• Sales Rank: 203

• ISBN-13: 9780312595678
• ISBN: 0312595670

Synopsis (via B&N)

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two-year-old Realtor, had three goals: sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she’s about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.
Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent captive in a remote mountain cabin — which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist — is a second narrative recounting the nightmare that follows her escape: her struggle to piece her shattered life back together, the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor, and the disturbing sense that things are far from over.
The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Still Missing is a shocking, visceral, brutal, and beautifully crafted debut novel about surviving the unsurvivable — and living to bear witness.

My Thoughts:

Wow this book packed a punch and then some. It has been a long time since I picked up book I was just 10 or so pages in and not sit it down until I turned the very last page. Well done Chevy Stevens!

I hit such a wide range of emotions while reading this book. Horror, fear, loss, sadness, anger, hostility, did I mention loss? This book made me want to cry for the main character and all the stuff she has endured. Her strength is incredibly noticeable on the pages even when she appears to be broken. You can feel it seep through the pages.

On top of being a very touching read, I found it to be a great mystery. I will say I was surprised at the outcome of a few parts. Though part of me feels I shouldn't be.

If you like a good seat of your pants type book. Ones that touches you down to your very soul. Try this one. I will say be warned if you are squeamish though. There are some rough scenes in the book here and there.

Author's Website: Chevy Stevens

Tyger Tyger - A Review

Tyger Tyger - Kersten Hamilton (NetGalley)

Product Details (via B&N)

• Pub. Date: November 15, 2010
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Format: Hardcover, 320pp
• Age Range: Young Adult

• ISBN-13: 9780547330082
• ISBN: 0547330081

Synopsis (via B&N)

Teagan Wyllston grew up hearing about Celtic mythology, night crawlers and banshees, and how the Irish Travelers have been at war with goblin kind since before time. One of her favorite stories is the legend of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, the great hero who defended his people and was cursed by the goblin god for all eternity. It's a good one, full of powerful beings and romance, but it is just that . . . a story, and nothing more.

That is, until eighteen-year-old Finn comes unexpectedly into her life. Then, suddenly, the stuff of Irish legend doesn't seem quite so fantastical. Could Finn be her hero, like his namesake in the stories? Or is Teagan destined to fight the forces of evil herself?

My Thoughts:

I had a lot of fun reading this book. It is the perfect choice for a lazy reading day. Full of magic, folklore, goblins, angels and a great storyline with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure.

This is a first in a series and I can say I look forward to reading more about Teagen and her family, Mameio and Finn, and all the other interesting characters and creatures alike. I loved reading all the folklore stories tossed in here and there. Definitely some of my favorite parts.

I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. It's a fun, danger filled adventure story. Kersten does a great job bringing to life both the real and the goblin world. The book kept me interested all the way up to the last page.

Author's Website: Kersten Hamilton

CSN Giveaway!!

I have been contacted to host/review another product and this time, I've decided to pass my good fortune on to my readers and host a giveaway!

If you've never been to a CSN website, they have everything! Lighting, Furniture, Office equipment, Home decor, etc... Seriously if you've never been to CSN.com, you gotta check it out!

Okay here's what's up for grabs. A $70 dollar gift certificate (doesn't cover shipping and handling).

I'm going to make this contest very simple. One comment, one entry. Make sure you leave a way to contact you in your comment.

Contest will run through July 22, 2010 6PM PST.

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: V

My "V" book is:


Valiant - Holly Black

Synopsis (via B&N)

When seventeen-year-old Valerie Russell runs away to New York City, she’s trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city’s labyrinthine subway system.
But there’s something eerily beguiling about Val’s new friends. Impulsive Lolli talks of monsters in the subway tunnels they call home and shoots up a shimmery amber-colored powder that makes the shadows around her dance. Severe Luis claims he can make deals with creatures that no one else can see. And then there’s Luis’s brother, timid and sensitive Dave, who makes the mistake of letting Val tag along as he makes a delivery to a woman who turns out to have goat hooves instead of feet.
When a bewildered Val allows Lolli to talk her into tracking down the hidden lair of the creature for whom Luis and Dave have been dealing, Val finds herself bound into service by a troll named Ravus. He is as hideous as he is honorable. And as Val grows to know him, she finds herself torn between her affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

This is another Holly Black book from the Faerie series. This one I haven't read yet but hope to soon.

Apparently Having Blogger Issues

So apparently my comments are not showing up on my blog. I get the emails that they're there but blogger is obviously having some major issues tonight. I wanted to give everyone a heads up. I know you're commenting, they're just not showing up on the blog. I hope this issue is fixed quickly. If it's not, I'll be looking at other alternatives for my blog.

~EDIT~ As of 9:15 am pst, I seem to have my comments back. The count is still off, but at least I can see my comments now. Let's hope it keeps going in this direction and gets back to normal soon.

~EDIT #2~ Ugh I changed my mind. Now I'm losing comments from older posts. My Monday post has 23 comments. 1 comment shows. Ick this is nuts. I really hope it gets fixed soon. I'm more than a little concerned with my current giveaway threads.

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:

I'll tell the story from the beginning, and when I'm interested in hearing what you have to say, I'll let you know.

Oh, and in case you were wondering? No, I wasn't always such a bitch.

Still Missing - Chevy Stevens pg.3