Venom Blog Tour September 30, 2010

Venom - Jennifer Estep (Blog tour for Pocketbooks)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Sold By: SIMON & SCHUSTER
• Format: eBook, 416pp
• Sales Rank: 106

• Series: Elemental Assassin Series , #3
• File Size: 2872 KB
• ISBN-13: 9781439155455
• ISBN: 1439155453

Note: Spoilers in synopsis and my thoughts if you haven't read any of the series yet.d

Synopsis

What kind of assassin works pro bono?

It’s hard to be a badass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the public, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best barbecue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spider, retired assassin. I still do favors on the side. Like ridding a vampire friend of her oversized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his massive fists. At least irresistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detective Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sister was dead. She probably thinks the same about me. Little does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer . . . who is about to save her life.

My Thoughts:

I just love this series, I really do. There is something about the characters that I feel very connected too and every time a new book comes out, I can't wait to delve back into Gin's world of elementals and bad guys.

This book was just as good as the first two in my opinion. We get to meet Bria and learn a bit more about her and some of the other key characters in the series. Last book, we met Owen and I was looking forward to seeing more of him and Jennifer did not disappoint. I do love this character. I think more than I enjoyed Donavan. And Mab Monroe! I can't wait to see how that all plays out. Wonder if she'll get what she deserves. Whatever it is, it will be entertaining.

Again Jennifer left me wanting more, and I can't wait for the next book.

Author's Website: Jennifer Estep

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 bastards would have never even gotten close to me if I hadn't had the flu.

Coughing, sneezing, aching wheezing. That was me. Gin Blanco. Restaurant owner. Stone and Ice elemental. Former Assassin. And all-around badass. Laid low by a microbe.

Venom - Jennifer Estep pg 1

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Bermudaonion's Weblog (September host). Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I picked up a few this week.

1. Prophecy of The Sisters - Michelle Zink (bought for my collection)
2. Venom - Jennifer Estep (Blog Tour)
3. Dies the Fire - S.M. Stirling (bought thanks to Ryan's review at Wordsmithonia)
4. My Life as a Girl - Elizabeth Mosier (bought)
5. Downsiders - Neal Shusterman (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:

Sadly none. Last week was one of those busy and stressful kind of weeks.

I DNF Those That Wake. I just couldn't get a grip on the plot and it drove me nuts.



Books I am reading this week:

Venom - Jennifer Estep
Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich
The Wake of Forgiveness - Bruce Machart (I may not finish this one either. It's good when I read it but I have no motivation to pick it up.)
Boneshaker - Cherie Priest (audiobook)

Books to finish this week:

Venom - Jennifer Estep
Wicked Appetite or maybe Boneshaker as well.

Booking Through Thursday

What are you reading right now? What made you choose it? Are you enjoying it? Would you recommend it? (And, by all means, discuss everything, if you’re reading more than one thing!)

I'm currently listening to Boneshaker by Cherie Priest on audio. I've been trying to get to this one for some time but have always had something I had to get to first. So I decided to get the audio version to listen too while I'm doing stuff around the house. I am halfway done with the book and I am loving it.

I'm also reading Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich. I'm a big fan of her Plum series and wanted to see what she would come up with for the occasional visitor there, Diesel. It is definitely a different kind of book than I am used too by her but I haven't gotten far enough in yet to form a real opinion.

I'm also reading The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Machart for the B&N first look book club. I'm almost done with that one but I am finding it hard to get through. It's not bad once I pick it up and start reading, but I have found I have a hard time getting motivated to pick it up and read.

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:

“Whoa,” Glo said when I returned to the shop. “That’s the most amazing hunk of raw testosterone I’ve ever seen. What was that about?”

Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Bermudaonion's Weblog (September host). Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

Just one book this week.








Traitor - Gudrun Pausewang (contest win)























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:

Web of Lies - Jennifer Estep



Books I am reading this week:

Those That Wake - Jesse Carp
The Wake of Forgiveness - Bruce Machart
Boneshaker - Cherie Priest (audiobook)

Books to finish this week:

Those That Wake - Jesse Karp
The Wake of Forgiveness - Bruce Machart

Web of Lies - A Review

Web of Lies - Jennifer Estep

Product Details

• Pub. Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Format: Mass Market Paperback, 432pp
• Sales Rank: 17,298

• ISBN-13: 9781439147993
• ISBN: 143914799X

Synopsis

Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon.

I'm Gin Blanco.

You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren’t aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn’t made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.

My Thoughts:

Another solid story from Jennifer. I enjoyed this one just as much as her first.

I think my fondness for this series is in the main character, Gin. I really find this character appealing and her attitude and strength draw me in. The sub characters are pretty good as well. Finn is cute in that boyish flirt kind of way. Sophia and Jo Jo are just enough in the background to make you want to know more about them but at the same time, I was almost grateful not to know more. They kind of scare me a bit, which in reality, calls to me as well. Let's not forget Donovan Caine. That man drives me crazy. And welcome new guy Owen Grayson. I can't wait to see how his character is involved in the upcoming stories.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Venom. I have no doubt Jennifer will continue to keep me enthralled with the series.

Author's Website: Jennifer Estep

Gearing up for....

Princess Bookie's Contest Craze!

Contest Craze Will be starting a week from Monday (September 27th)! It will last two weeks this year with the major blowout contest day on October 9th. Each day there will be a special contest or a little mini challenge to participate and win!

So keep an eye out for the fun to start!

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 four of them work harnessed two abreast in front of their father, who's walking in their work, one foot in each furrow, spitting stained juice between his front teeth and periodically cracking a whip to keep the boys focused and the rows straight.

The Wake of Forgiveness - Bruce Machart pg. 10 (just one sentence today, but this teaser only needed the one to have an impact)

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Bermudaonion's Weblog (September host). Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

Just a couple added to my overflowing pile.

1. Follow Me - Joanna Scott (contest win)
2. Primitive - Mark Nykanen (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:

Behemoth - Scott Westerfeld
Draw the Dark - Ilsa J. Bick
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins




Books I am reading this week:

Those That Wake - Jesse Carp
The Wake of Forgivness - Bruce Machart
Will possibly get to start Clockwork Angel as well this week.

Books to finish this week:

Those That Wake - Jesse Karp

CSN Review (Picture Heavy)

This time around I also went for stuff we needed around the house. So I bought a new Black and Decker electric can opener and a set of knives. I don't know what our problem is in this house but we can kill a can opener in less than a month, so maybe with an electric one, it will last a bit longer. It came very well package and was super easy to set up. Who am I kidding, it came ready to use lol.



The knives we desperately needed. Our old set was just plain horrible. We ended up getting a Farberware 14 piece knife set. It came package just as well as the can opener.


As you can see they look great and they are very well made and durable. I can easily recommend either one of these items to people. If you haven't had a chance to shop at CSN.com, you really should give them a shot.

I just had to try the new stuff out tonight and I am glad to announce, both items were great! The opener work well and the knives cut our steaks wonderfully.

Mockingjay - A Review

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (Bought)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: August 2010
• Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
• Format: Hardcover, 390pp
• Sales Rank: 3
• Age Range: Young Adult

• Series: Hunger Games Series , #3
• ISBN-13: 9780439023511
• ISBN: 0439023513

Synopsis

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

My Thoughts:

This book, like the others in the series, brought with it a wide array of emotions. Anger, fear, sadness, with a bit of bittersweet to top it off. These emotions stayed with me throughout this book as well.

I am sad to see the series end, but I do think it wrapped itself up nicely. Well maybe nicely isn't the right work. Appropriately might be a better word for what I mean. I was sad at the end of the book but Suzanne tied up all the loose ends.

I found myself attached to many of the characters yet again. Which always makes it even harder to see any die or say goodbye too. I fretted over Katniss in this book, worrying about her and what she was having to endure. The same with Peeta. Peeta being my favorite of the series, I had an extra hard time with his trials in this book. I'm afraid to say too much more, I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.

So I will end it with this, I loved this series. I am sad to see it go and it will have a permanent spot on my bookshelves.

Author's Website: Suzanne Collins

Draw the Dark - A Review

Draw the Dark - Isla J. Bick (Netgalley)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
• Format: Hardcover, 356pp
• Age Range: Young Adult

• ISBN-13: 9780761356868
• ISBN: 076135686X

Synopsis

"The things I draw: They tend to die."

There are things the people of Winter, Wisconsin, would rather forget. The year the Nazis came to town, for one. That fire, for another. But what they'd really like to forget is Christian Cage.

Seventeen-year-old Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy. Ever since, he's drawn obsessively: his mother's face...her eyes...and what he calls "the sideways place," where he says his parents are trapped. Christian figures if he can just see through his mother's eyes, maybe he can get there somehow and save them.

But Christian also draws other things. Ugly things. Evil things. Dark things. Things like other people's fears and nightmares. Their pasts. Their destiny.

There's one more thing the people of Winter would like to forget: murder.

But Winter won't be able to forget the truth, no matter how hard it tries. Not as long as Christian draws the dark...

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. In fact I enjoyed it so much, I'm not sure how to even put into words why.

Draw the Dark starts off slow and it pulls you in, steadily weaving the story. Wrapping itself like vines around you and not letting go until the very last page. It has a very realistic feel yet there's some fantasy included as well. It's hard for me to explain really, mostly because I'm not sure how it all fit together so seamlessly.

I found myself liking Christian immediately and feeling sympathy and worry for him as well. He has this very strange ability and even after reading the book, I'm not all together sure what it is, other than its quite intriguing. His story and the mystery surrounding him and the strange town of Winter, kept me trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

There's so much involved in this story, mystery, Nazi prison camps, secrets, did I mention secrets? This town is full of them. Winter is an interesting, if not a creepy town. I was sucked right into its secrets and found myself wondering what people were hiding every time a new character was introduced.

Author's Website: Ilsa J. Bick

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:

These two rich punks were robbing my barbecue restaurant just for the thrill of it.

Worst fucking decision they'd ever made.

Web of Lies - Jennifer Estep pg.2

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Bermudaonion's Weblog (September host). Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I received a few more this week.









1) The Maze Runner - James Dashner (bought)
2) 187 Pain and Bliss - Wade J. Halverson (author for review)

I also got a few ebooks (not pictured)

3) Thomas Riley - Nick Valentino (bought)
4) The Pawn - Steven James (free ebook)
5) Behemoth - Scott Westerfeld (ebook from 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:

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld

Books I am reading this week:

Behemoth - Scott Westerfeld
Draw the Dark - Ilsa J. Bick
The Wake of Forgivness - Bruce Machart

Books to finish this week:

Behemoth - Scott Westerfeld
Draw the Dark - Ilsa J. Bick
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (Audiobook)

The Darkest Edge of Dawn - Blog Tour September 2, 2010

The Darkest Edge of Dawn - Kelly Gay (Gallery Blog Tour)

Product Details

• Pub. Date: August 2010
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Format: Mass Market Paperback, 384pp
• Sales Rank: 73,824

• ISBN-13: 9781439110041
• ISBN: 1439110042

Synopsis

It takes a strong woman to keep the peace in a city of endless night. . . .

Deep beneath Underground, a cunning bid for power and revenge has begun—one that threatens to make Atlanta the new battleground in the ultimate confrontation between good and evil. The powers of hellish Charbydon have the upper hand after plunging the city into primordial night. And under the cover of darkness, a serial killer targets the most powerful Elysians in the city, the angelic Adonai. For Detective Charlie Madigan and her siren partner Hank, tracking deadly predators is all in a day’s work . . . but this case will test the limits of their strength and friendship as it draws them into a deadly world of power plays, ancient myths, explosive secrets, and a race against time that risks all that Charlie holds dear.

My Thoughts:

It took me longer to get into this book than it did the first. I'm not sure why. I was a good storyline and I still liked the characters. I think my problem is trying to remember the various creatures and what they can or can't do. I'm having an issue juggling all of them.

With that said, I enjoy Kelly's storytelling. She got a fantastic way of pulling the story together. Hank is by far my favorite of the characters. I love his sense of humor and let's not forget he's just a tad bit of a hunk as well. Always a plus heh.

We get to learn more about Charlie's daughter, Emma, in this book. I really enjoyed that part. It appears we might be seeing more of her in the future and I am looking forward to that. I love her personality. Like mother, like daughter...

All in all, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Kelly.

Author's Website: Kelly Gay

Leviathan - A Review

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld (bought)

Description:

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. The Leviathan is a living airship, the most formidable airbeast in the skies of Europe. Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men. Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered. With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way - taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

My Thoughts:

What a fantastically fun book! I have to say I'm fairly new to the "Steampunk" genre but I am loving it.

This book is full of interesting machine and creatures alike. The Darwin creatures are amazing if not a bit gross at the same time lol. The Clankers are big, powerful, beasts of metal and are just as amazing as the Darwin creatures and maybe a little less gross lol.

Deryn is a 15 yr old girl who was taught the love of flying from her father. In the book she masquerades as a "boy" so she can become a soldier. I like her, she's spunky and full of life and not afraid to take chances.

Alex is the son of royalty who is on the run from just about everyone after his parents are murdered. I really like him as well. In many ways he and Deryn are very much alike.

Leviathan host several other characters who are interesting as well. The plot sucked me in and kept me reading every time I got a moment to do so. The story flows well and by the time I had finished the book, I wished the story hadn't ended so soon.

I look forward to reading book 2 in the series and seeing where Alex and Deryn end up. I also can't wait to see what exactly Dr Barlow is protecting with those eggs of hers.

If you're a fan of Steampunk or just an adventure fan in general, you should give this book a shot. I really think you would enjoy it.

Author's Website: Scott Westerfeld