My Life In Not So Many Words...

Cinder - A Review

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Cinder - Marissa Meyers (publisher)

Synopsis:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My Thoughts:

Okay I really was not sure of this book when I received it. I was a little concerned with it be based on fairy tales. I went in thinking I'd know the story line and outcome. Not the case with Cinder at all and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. I flat out loved this book!

It's loosely Cinderella based. You have a mean, evil Step-mother and sister. A handsome Prince, even a carriage of sorts. With an added going crazy scientist and evil Queen from another planet, and you have a book chock full of actions and suspense.

Cinder is a cyborg. Not fully human and not fully machine either. She is treated like a second class citizen and not worth a dime. That right there had me rooting for her. Then add the fact she's tough and a fighter when put to the test. I loved that about her character. I loved that she was willing to take risks and fight when needed. Then you have Prince Kai. The whole kingdom of girls swoon over him. He's not your normal overbearing, narcissistic prince. This prince is caring and empathetic and has had his share of heartaches. Let's not forget about the evil Queen Levana. She is the perfect villain. I pretty much distrusted her from the get go. Kinda hard not too with her actions.

There are so many great characters in this book but don't want to go into too many for fear of giving away details. The plot line was fantastic and kept me riveted. If I had any gripes is the book stopped at a big ole cliffhanger and now I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2!

Author's Website: Marissa Meyers

Switched - A Review

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Switched - Amanda Hocking (Library Thing Early Reviewers)

Synopsis:

Amanda Hocking is an indie publishing sensation whose self-published novels have sold millions of copies all over the world, and Switched is the book that started the phenomenon. Prepare to be enchanted…

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

My Thoughts:

What a solid start to a new trilogy. Being a fan of Paranormal style books, I found this one about the Troll world refreshing and new. The characters were interesting to say the least. I found that almost all of them had traits I hated and enjoyed. Making it hard to decide if I like or even trust them. Wendy is like able and not at the same time. Sometimes I found her to be incredibly narcissistic and other times you see snippets of vulnerability that makes you want to comfort her.

Elora I want to throttle but acts much like I imagine a queen would act. Rhys , I just end up feeling bad for. Tove, I can't decide if he's trustworthy or not. Finn I adore but most of the time want to smack him upside the head. There's a handful of other characters I assume will have more play in the other two books.

All in all not a bad way to start a series, I'll be checking out the next book as well. Curiosity has grabbed me by the collar and I would like to see where the story is going.

Author's Website: Amanda Hocking

The Kitchen Daughter - A Review

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

TheKitchen Daughter - Jael McHenry (publisher)

Synopsis:

After the unexpected death of her parents, painfully shy andsheltered 26-year-old Ginny Selvaggio seeks comfort in cooking from familyrecipes. But the rich, peppery scent of her Nonna’s soup draws an unexpectedvisitor into the kitchen: the ghost of Nonna herself, dead for twenty years,who appears with a cryptic warning (“do no let her…”) before vanishing likesteam from a cooling dish.

A haunted kitchen isn’t Ginny’s only challenge. Her domineeringsister, Amanda, (aka “Demanda”) insists on selling their parents’ house, theonly home Ginny has ever known. As she packs up her parents’ belongings, Ginnyfinds evidence of family secrets she isn’t sure how to unravel. She knows howto turn milk into cheese and cream into butter, but she doesn’t know why hermother hid a letter in the bedroom chimney, or the identity of the woman in herfather’s photographs. The more she learns, the more she realizes the keys tothese riddles lie with the dead, and there’s only one way to get answers: cookfrom dead people’s recipes, raise their ghosts, and ask them.

My Thoughts:

I really liked this book. Matter of fact I read it in oneafternoon. I have been in a slump as of late and with one turn of a page ofthis book, the slump melted away and I was drawn into Ginny's world.

Watching Ginny transform from a scared woman with Asperger's, whojust lost her parents, to a strong independent woman facing her fears and life,was amazing. I really enjoyed how food and cooking were brought into the book.Being someone who doesn't enjoy cooking, this book made me wish I did. Jaelmade cooking look so cathartic and made me want to go bake some bread orsoup.

There were other great characters in the book. Gert, David, theghosts. Even Ginny's sister, even if I was never sure of her angle. To behonest even though these characters were great. This book really, for me, wasall about Ginny and watching her evolve.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a characterthat will reach out and grab your heart and attention.

Author's Website: Jael McHenry

Teaser Tuesday

2012-01-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

A couple things made that day stand out more than any other: it was my sixth birthday, and my mother was wielding a knife. Not a tiny steak knife, but some kind of massive butcher knife glinting in the light like a bad horror movie. She definitely wanted to kill me.

Switched - Amanda Hocking pg. 1

Mailbox Monday and What Are You Reading

2012-01-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is being hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books.

Another empty mailbox for me this week.

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 in the last week:

Silver Tongued Devil - Jaye Wells
The Kitchen Daughter - Jael McHenry

Books I am reading this week:

Switched Amanda Hocking

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Switched - Amanda Hocking

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2012-01-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is being hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books.

A very slow mailbox week which is very okay with me. I was too busy to get much done last week

Books I finished in the last week:

Nada it was a very slow reading week for me

Books I am reading this week:

Silver Tongued Devil - Jaye Wells

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist (this one is pretty good but has been put on hold for a bit)

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (this book is taking me months to read but I expected it would)

Books to Finish This week:

Silver Tongued Devil - Jaye Wells

11 22 63 by Stephen King

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

11/22/63 - Stephen King (bought)

Synopsis:

ON NOVEMBER 22, 1963, THREE SHOTS RANG OUT IN DALLAS, PRESIDENT KENNEDY DIED, AND THE WORLD CHANGED. WHAT IF YOU COULD CHANGE IT BACK?

In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King—who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer—takes readers on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.

It begins with Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. He asks his students to write about an event that changed their lives, and one essay blows him away—a gruesome, harrowing story about the night more than fifty years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a sledgehammer. Reading the essay is a watershed moment for Jake, his life—like Harry’s, like America’s in 1963—turning on a dime. Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. And Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination.

So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson, in a different world of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine (where there’s Dunning business to conduct), to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in love, every turn is leading eventually, of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas, where the past becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful, and where history might not be history anymore. Time-travel has never been so believable. Or so terrifying.

My Thoughts:

I loved Mr. King's new book! His books always take me longer to read than most. I think because I take more care with his words and don't want to rush them, even if I feel like devouring every last one. I just don't even want to miss any little details.

When I found out what this book was about, I couldn't wait to read it. I kept thinking, what if you got the chance to go back in time and stop the assassination? What would the world be like to day if you could? I also kept wondering what the ripple effect of something like this? Any small change can alter one's life. I figured a change this big would have a dramatic ripple.

As I long time fan of Mr. King, what holds me true to his books, is his storytelling. I just really enjoy it. I love the world he creates, his characters. He certainly didn't lessen his ability in this book. Jake, George however you wish to call him, is a well built, and likable character. I admit my soft spot is for Sadie. I really enjoyed her character. I loved her fiery spirit. Another character I found myself fascinated with was the Yellow Card Man. A tiny part in the whole scope of things but one of the more important characters. I was glad to have learned what we were able to have learned about him, but would've loved to learn more.

Read the book. You'll enjoy it.

Author's Website: Stephen King

Teaser Tuesday

2012-01-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

"Thanks for joining us, magepire. What the hell took you so long?" This from the seven-foot-tall demon standing in the center of my living room. He tapped a hoof on the hardwoods and shot a glare that would make a lesser woman piss her pants.

Silver Tongued Devil - Jaye Wells page 11 (ebook)

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2012-01-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is being hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books.

I bought one book last week:

Silver Tongued Devil - Jaye Wells (bought)

Books I finished in the last week:

11 22 63 by Stephen King

Books I am reading this week:

Silver Tongued Devil - Jaye Wells

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Silver Tongued Devil - Jaye Wells

Harbor John Ajvide Lindqvist

The Yoga Club - Blog Tour January 4, 2012

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Yoga Club - Cooper Lawrence ( blog tour)

Overview

Chatting it up with bendy WASPs is the last thing on Coco Guthrie’s mind during her 8:30 a.m. yoga class. Having made her fortune as the world-renowned inventor of Butt-B-Gone derriere cream, Coco still doesn’t feel like she belongs among the upper class— until she attends the swankiest Halloween soiree in Greenwich, Connecticut, where three of her fellow morning yogis shared her brilliant idea to appear as Sarah Palin. Soon it’s clear that a love of stretching isn’t all this accidental sorority—which includes a single mom with echolalia, an entertainment reporter who charms the pants off handsome stars, and a drama-prone producer with a taste for drag— have in common.

When the four mischievous Sarahs wander away from the party to sneak a peek at the mayor’s neighboring estate, they are stunned to find him adorned in leather and latex, and rolling up a woman’s body in a Persian rug. To make matters worse, someone has spotted the spying Palins. Someone who threatens to expose their torrid affairs in business and the bedroom. Now the unlikely foursome must use all their wits and wiles to get to the bottom of the kinky crime. But will their budding friendship be strong enough to protect their deepest secrets?

My Thoughts:

This will be kept short and sweet. I had a bit of a rough time getting into the book. I think mostly because it's a perfect beach read and I wasn't in the mood for that kind of book. With that said, I actually enjoyed the book once I settled into it.

It's a fluffy read where the characters can be outlandishly fun and frivolous and yet maintain a decent story line even if it was a tad predictable.

So if a fluffy, relaxing beach read is what you are looking for. This is a great book to grab and read.

Author's Website: Cooper Lawrence

I'm back...

2012-01-02T15:28:00.000-08:00

from an unexpected winter blog break. Seems like I lost 3 weeks somewhere and not sure where it has went. With the holidays and my son coming home on leave for 2 weeks of it, then add work and my gym schedule, it seems I have barely had time to breathe let alone get much reading or blogging done at all. However the holidays are over, my boy is back in Florida and my youngest goes back to school tomorrow. With that said I plan on jump starting my 2012 reading and blogging year strong and getting back into the swing of things starting this week.

Happy reading all!!

The Kitchen Daughter - A Review

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Kitchen Daughter - Jael McHenry (publisher)

Synopsis:

After the unexpected death of her parents, painfully shy and sheltered 26-year-old Ginny Selvaggio seeks comfort in cooking from family recipes. But the rich, peppery scent of her Nonna’s soup draws an unexpected visitor into the kitchen: the ghost of Nonna herself, dead for twenty years, who appears with a cryptic warning (“do no let her…”) before vanishing like steam from a cooling dish.

A haunted kitchen isn’t Ginny’s only challenge. Her domineering sister, Amanda, (aka “Demanda”) insists on selling their parents’ house, the only home Ginny has ever known. As she packs up her parents’ belongings, Ginny finds evidence of family secrets she isn’t sure how to unravel. She knows how to turn milk into cheese and cream into butter, but she doesn’t know why her mother hid a letter in the bedroom chimney, or the identity of the woman in her father’s photographs. The more she learns, the more she realizes the keys to these riddles lie with the dead, and there’s only one way to get answers: cook from dead people’s recipes, raise their ghosts, and ask them.

My Thoughts:

I really liked this book. Matter of fact I read it in one afternoon. I have been in a slump as of late and with one turn of a page of this book, the slump melted away and I was drawn into Ginny's world.

Watching Ginny transform from a scared woman with Asperger's, who just lost her parents, to a strong independent woman facing her fears and life, was amazing. I really enjoyed how food and cooking were brought into the book. Being someone who doesn't enjoy cooking, this book made me wish I did. Jael made cooking look so cathartic and made me want to go bake some bread or soup.

There were other great characters in the book. Gert, David, the ghosts. Even Ginny's sister, even if I was never sure of her angle. To be honest even though these characters were great. This book really, for me, was all about Ginny and watching her evolve.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a character that will reach out and grab your heart and attention.

Author's Website: Jael McHenry

Shadow City - Blog Tour December 19, 2011

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Shadow City - Diana Pharaoh Francis (Blog Tour)

Overview

The world is falling apart. The magical apocalypse has come. Now is the time to guard the covenstead against both raiders and refugees. But Max has been stolen by a powerful demi-god who is determined to force her to find a way to use a magical power she never knew she had—even if it kills her. Meanwhile, back in Horngate, a Fury is birthing. When the creature breaks free of the fragile bonds that enclose her, her rage will scour the covenstead from the earth.

Max finds herself in the Shadow City, a place of mysteries and magic, where she must battle for her freedom or become a slave to creatures of dreadful greed and power. Back in Horngate, Alexander must swallow his anger and pride if he hopes to defeat the Fury, a creature that no one has ever successfully fought before.

In the end, it will be courage, friendship, faith and loyalty that win the day. Or else so one will live to see tomorrow.

My Thoughts:

I haven't quite finished up this book but another great addition to this series! Diana brings such life to her books. Max is one tough character. If I could have just an ounce of her determination and grit lol. Matter of a fact all of the characters are fantastic.

I really like the dual storyline going on in this one. Max in Chadare trying to save Scooter's life and Alexander trying to save Horngate from a fury. I'm liking this new addition in the book, Ilanion and I hope to see more of his character as the book continues on.

Less than 100 pages to go and I can't wait to finish it tomorrow. A definite must read if you're a fan of this series and if you haven't tried the series, give it a shot.

Author's Website: Diana Pharaoh Francis

Teaser Tuesday

2011-12-12T20:20:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

Bad things come in threes. My father dies. My mother dies. Then there's the funeral.

The Kitchen Daughter - Jael McHenry pg. 1

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-12-11T17:11:00.001-08:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is being hosted by Let Them Read Books.

I got one book this week:

The Kitchen Daughter - Jael McHenry (publisher)

Books I finished in the last week:

Nada another slow week for me.

Books I am reading this week:

Stephen King - 11-22-63

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Hopefully Stephen King - 11-22-63

Teaser Tuesday

2011-12-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

So there they were: Sarah Palin, Superman and Lois Lane in a makeshift press room, setting the record straight about Katherine Guthrie. Back to the limelight.

The Yoga Club - Cooper Lawrence pg. 4

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-12-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is being hosted by Let Them Read Books.

I got one book this week:

The Yoga Club - Cooper Lawrence (Blog Tour)

Books I finished in the last week:

Nada another slow week for me.

Books I am reading this week:

Stephen King - 11-22-63

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Harbor John Ajvide Lindqvist

Teaser Tuesday

2011-11-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

A couple of things made that day stand out more than any other: it was my sixth birthday, and my mother was wielding a knife. Not a tiny steak knife, but some kind of massive butcher knife glinting in the light like in a bad horror movie. She definitely wanted to kill me.

Switched - Amanda Hocking pg. 1

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-11-27T18:37:00.000-08:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is coming full circle and it being posted by

The Mailbox Monday Tour Blog.

I got a couple books this past week.

Killing Rites - M.L.N. Hanover (publisher)

Switched - Amanda Hocking (Library Thing)

Books I finished in the last week:

Nada. I had all this time off of work and I barely read at all. Found I was too busy with other stuff this week.

Books I am reading this week:

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Harbor John Ajvide Lindqvist

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a holiday full of laughter and love. Eat well and enjoy your festivities!!

Teaser Tuesday

2011-11-21T22:14:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

His gaze moved between the dead cat and the coffee cup. It was an ironic twist of fate that Dante should find a Spiritus for him, and die as a result.

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist pg. 35 (note: from ARC subject to change)

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-11-20T18:51:00.001-08:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is coming full circle and it being posted by

The Mailbox Monday Tour Blog.

It has been a slow month for book. Nada this past week. That's okay though, It gives me a chance to get through some of the humongous pile I have at home to read.

Books I finished in the last week:

The Dressmaker - Kate Alcott

Kiss of Death - Rachel Caine

Books I am reading this week:

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Harbor John Ajvide Lindqvist

The Dressmaker - A Review

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Dressmaker - Kate Alcott (NetGalley)

Synopsis:

Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.

Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes.

Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky.

On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.

My Thoughts:

This book was almost just like watching a movie play in my head. The writing was so vivid that I could see the majestic Titanic and watch in horror as she sank. I envisioned New York as it had been during that period. Everything the author wrote about, she brought to life.

This wasn't a book just about the Titanic and the aftermath. This was a book with several story lines all weaved seamlessly into a great read. You had Lucille and Cosmos's story with Tess. You had Tess's relationships with Jack, Jim and Pinky. You had Pinky, an independent working woman, fighting for fair wages and the top headlines for the next day. You had the hearings in the aftermath of the tragedy.

What I really liked was the realism the author brought to the book. Bringing real people from the tragedy and real stories and building her story of fiction around them. I found it hard to put this book down and am glad I got the chance to read it.

Saving June - A Review

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Saving June - Hannah Harrington (NetGalley)

Synopsis:

Everyone's sorry. But no one can explain why.

Harper Scott's older sister, June, took her own life a week before high school graduation, leaving Harper devastated. So when her divorcing parents decide to split up June's ashes, Harper steals the urn and takes off cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going—California.

Enter Jake Tolan, a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession…and an unknown connection to June. When he insists on joining them, Harper's just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanor and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what Harper needs. Except…Jake's keeping a secret that has the power to turn her life upside down—again.

My Thoughts:

This was a very touching read of trying to learn to cope with the suicide of a sibling. I found Harper's tough exterior to be something I can relate to. Never fully wanting the world to know how fragile she feels inside. I felt the same way about Jake and Laney. All very different characters yet they all were very much alike in their own little ways.

I loved all the music in this book. I know next to nothing of the songs in it but it sure made me want to go listen to the mix Cd's and was very happy to have a list of each CD at the end. You can bet I'll listen to at least one of these just to mentally go back to the book.

If you're looking for a book to reach out and make you feel something, this will do it for you. Might want to have a tissue or two handy just in case.

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-11-13T17:36:00.001-08:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is coming full circle and it being posted by The Mailbox Monday Tour Blog.

I got one book this week and a Yummy pizza gift card.

1) All Wounds - Dina James ( won over at My

World in Words and Pages from the lovely Melissa)

Books I finished in the last week:

Fade Out - Rachel Caine

Saving June - Hannah Harrington

Books I am reading this week:

The Dressmaker - Kate Alcott

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

The Dressmaker - Kate Alcott

Something. I hope I finish at least one if not two.

Bad Girls Don't Die - A Review

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Bad Girls Don't Die - Katie Alender (own)

Synopsis:

When Alexis's little sister Kasey becomes obsessed with an antique doll, Alexis thinks nothing of it. Kasey is a weird kid. Period. Alexis is considered weird, too, by the kids in her high school, by her parents, even by her own Goth friends. Things get weirder, though, when the old house they live in starts changing. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Kasey is changing, too. Her blue eyes go green and she speaks in old-fashioned language, then forgets chunks of time.

Most disturbing of all is the dangerous new chip on Kasey's shoulder. The formerly gentle, doll-loving child is gone, and the new Kasey is angry. Alexis is the only one who can stop her sister — but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

My Thoughts:

This was a one day read for me. I love a great ghost story and this one delivered. I was sucked in very quickly and it kept me reading until it was over. That doesn't happen very often.

It's really hard to review this book without giving away the story which i hate to do. So I will just say if you see this book and love a great ghost story, pick this one up. It's a great read for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Author's Website: Katie Alender

Tempest - A Review

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Tempest - Julie Cross (Library Thing)

Release Date: January 17, 2012

Synopsis:

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book! It was fast paced, and full of action. I never quite knew what to expect with each page turn. Definitely one of the things that makes a book stand out to me.

Jackson is a great character as is Adam. I took a liking to Adam and certainly hope we get to see more of him in the next two books. The rest of the characters were great in their parts as well. Although with them, it was and is hard to tell just who is a good or bad guy. I'm sure more will come out in the other books but what a great way to start a trilogy.

The end kind of made me sad and I hope what happened turns around somehow or at least maybe get more story play. Guess I will have to wait and see.

Author's Website: Julie Cross

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-11-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is coming full circle and it being posted by The Mailbox Monday Tour Blog.

Other than a great little Cinder mirror swag I got from the publisher, I had a non existent mailbox this week.

Books I finished in the last week:

Lisey's Story - Stephen King

Tempest - Julie Cross

Bad Girls Don't Die - Katie Alender

Books I am reading this week:

still deciding

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespears (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Something. I hope I finish at least one if not two.

The Future of Us - A Review

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Future of Us - Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler (Library Thing)

Synopsis:

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM. Josh is her best friend.

They power up and log on and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out

My Thoughts:

If you could know what your life would be like in 15 years, would you want to know or not? That is the main question this book brings to light. I know at one time or another we've each have wondered what it would be like in our future. Who doesn't? But what if you could? Would you look?

I found this book to be a quick, easy read that was light on the drama but yet dealt with such a fun and yet serious idea. Knowing what you're future held and the consequences of it. How one little mind shift could make such an impact. One little add thought to throw a wrench in the idea of something. Crazy heh.

The characters were typical teenage, angst ridden group. A likable bunch. Mostly I just enjoyed the idea that surrounds the book. I liked seeing how each of the main characters dealt with the knowledge handed to them and how they evolved, changed by knowing it.

This would be a great book to take on vacation and spend a lazy day reminiscing of life in the 90's, if you're old enough to remember being a teenager in the 90's lol. So if you get a chance, pick it up and give it a shot.

Author's Websites: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-10-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is hosted by Serena at Savvy, Verse and Wit.

Just one book this week and it was actually a book for last week that I forgot to put on my list:

Tempest - Julie Cross (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 in the last week:

Lisey's Story - Stephen King

Books I am reading this week:

The Future of Us - Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

The Future of Us - Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Iron Knight - A Review

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa (Netgalley)

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My Thoughts:

Oh I don't even know where to begin. When I read this book I had no idea it was the last in the series. How I missed that little tidbit, I'll never know. So I read with no sadness and thought of several ways any future books could go and several stories I would love to hear. Imagine my surprise when I finished it and realized it was the last one.

My heart broke a little. I really think it did. I can't even begin to say how much I loved this series! From that darn cat Grim, to Meghan so strong and full of will. Let's not forget the boys. Ash, man I love this character. Watching him learn to love and grow throughout the series was a joy. Then of course there is Puck. No way we can forget him. This character reminds me of the bratty little brother that you both love and want to throttle at the same time. I kept thinking through out the book how much he reminded me of Peter Pan.

Those are just the main characters. Then there's all the smaller parts I found enjoyable. I loved the Wolf! He's just awesome and the banter between him and Grim was funny. The city of the forgotten I found to be very haunting and sad. The River of Dreams was cool if a bit freaky lol.

I loved this book. I can honestly say it was my favorite of the series. Each book got a little better than the last one. I am so glad I read this series and won't hesitate to pick up the next book Julie writes.

~EDIT~ I had to come back and add a note. I read the acknowledgement and discovered this hidden gem behind that. How to survive the Nevernever. I LOL'd! It was brilliant tidbit to add to the end of the book.

Author's Website: Julie Kagawa

Teaser Tuesday

2011-10-24T20:14:00.001-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.

Even under the brightest sun, the frigid autumn sea is all the colors of the night: dark blue and black and brown.

The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater pg. 1

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-10-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is hosted by Serena at Savvy, Verse and Wit.

Just one book this week:

The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater

Nada it was a slow week

Books I am reading this week:

Lisey's Story - Stephen King

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespears (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Lisey's Story - Stephen King

In The Forests of the Night Winner

2011-10-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

And the winner is.....Vivien! Congrats and email has been sent out to you.

Teaser Tuesday

2011-10-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

To the public eye, the spouses of well-known writers are all but invisible, and no one knew it better than Lisey Landon. Here husband had won the Pulitzer and he National Book Award, but Lisey had given only one interview in her life.

Lisey's Story - Stephen King pg.1

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-10-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is hosted by Serena at Savvy, Verse and Wit.

It's been a few weeks since I've participate in this meme. I have received a couple books recently:

Cinder - Marissa Meyer (publisher)

Life Is But A Dream - Brian James (publisher)

The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club - Gil McNeil (bought)

Bargains and Betrayals - Shannon Delany

The World As We Know It - Joseph Monniger

Forever - Maggie Stiefvater

Mile 81 - Stephen King

Books I am reading this week:

Lisey's Story - Stephen King

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespears (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Lisey's Story - Stephen King

Musing Mondays

2011-10-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

This is a Meme hosted over at Should Be Reading:

This week’s musing asks…

Do you judge a book by its cover?
I'd like to say I don't but that would be a lie. It's sad but I do. I cover that is unattractive or just doesn't call to me will most likely be passed over by me as well. Rarely do I pick up a book whose cover doesn't call out to me in some way whether it be the title or the picture. Something on that cover has to call to me in order for me to wander its way. Once in a blue moon I'll pick up a book whose cover is less than in my eyes and I'll enjoy it but it's a rare occasion.

The World As We Know It Blog Tour October 13, 2011

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

The World As We Know It - Joseph Monninger (Blog Tour)

Synopsis:

A lifetime of friendship begins the day brothers Ed and Allard save Sarah from drowning in an icy river near their rural New Hampshire home. Though their paths diverge through the years, the connection between the three endures until a heartbreaking tragedy in the remote mountains of Wyoming forces Sarah and Allard to confront the unthinkable. In their grief, they find themselves on separate journeys that test the enduring bonds of their relationship and time’s unremitting power to heal. Poignant and transformative, The World as We Know It is subtle and heartrending—a love story of friendship, nature, and the surprising twists that can alter our destinies forever.

My Thoughts:

This is the kind of book you read on a cold winter night. A night where you can settle in with a blanket, cup of cocoa and just immerse yourself in a good book.

Joseph creates such a vivid world. So vivid you can practically feel the ice, see the vast land, smell the crisp winter air. The characters are no different.

The characters are so well written that you love with them, feel their pain and heartaches. You watch them grow from young and watch them become the adults they are. You pull for them, cheer them on and cry when losses come. In the end you find yourself invested in his characters and their lives.

I guarantee if you give this book a chance, you'll enjoy it!

Author's Publishing Website: Joseph Monninger

Teaser Tuesday

2011-10-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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 screws through Cinder's ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle. Her knuckles ached from forcing the screwdriver into the joint as she struggled to loosen the screw one gritting twist after another.

Cinder - Marissa Meyer pg. 1 (from ARC subject to change)

Kersten Hamilton Interview and Giveaway!

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of Kersten's new book, In The Forest Of The Night, The Goblin Wars book 2, Kersten graciously has agreed to an interview and pre-order giveaway!

Those that know me, know I love this series and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it. Now on to the good stuff!

As a child, what made you decide to write books?

I had a very strange childhood. We never actually reached the poverty level—and my dad was too proud to accept welfare of any kind. Which meant that we often had no electricity. So we had no television, but I needed stories like I needed food or water. I have known since I was six that I had to be a writer.

One advantage that I had was that while I was small, my dad told stories- great novel length adventures, invented on the spot. He’d spin them out of nothingness for days or weeks on end. I will always remember listening to freshly minted space sagas under the desert stars.

But before I was a teenager, my dad developed a brain tumor. I had to spin my own stories after that.

What was the inspirations behind this series?

I was remembering a goblin that crept out of the dark and slipped her paw into my hand. It happened when I was just ten. The creature’s name was Lina, and she crept out of a book by George MacDonald. This is how it happened:

Curdie, the hero of the story, could feel the real hand of any creature inside its flesh glove. Lina was a dog–like creature with green eyes lit by amber fire, and a huge mouth with icicle–like teeth. But when she put her paw in Curdie’s hand: “a shudder, as of terrified delight, ran through him…instead of the paw of a dog, such as it seemed to his eyes, he clasped in his great mining fist the soft, neat little hand of a child! The green eyes stared at him with their yellow light, and the mouth was turned up toward him with its constant half grin; but here was the child’s hand!”

When I read those lines I felt it. I felt the child’s hand, and I knew I wanted to pull a child out of a goblin one day.

With all the folklore in the books, what kind of research did you have to do to prepare?

The story needed two detailed physical locations. I traveled to the National Zoo in Washington DC and several arboretums to get good ideas for the plants, trees and strange creatures of Mag Mell. The neighborhood Teagan lives in came from one of my trips to Chicago.

It also needed an emotional landscape: ancient Celtic roots and sensibilities.

The Celts built no walls between the natural world and the supernatural, the secular and the sacred. The Green Man peeks out of carvings in Celtic churches right alongside the saints and Apostles.

Their concept of family, clan and even heroism was very different from that presented in most Western stories – whether they be movies or books—today.

That is the worldview I immerse myself in while I am writing. It makes the books different from many that are published today. For instance, the Celts believed that we are meant to journey in companionship and in community. Everyone needs at least one ‘anam cara’—soul friend—to stand beside them. Your ‘anam cara’ can be family, or not family--and more than one is better.

In The Goblin Wars books, Teagan’s family and friends her—‘anam cara’-- function as an eccentric and very dedicated tribe.

Thank you for having me on your blog, Zia!

Okay the giveaway specifics:

+1 Leave a comment with your name and email

+1 Tell me what about the interview you found interesting

Contest will run until October 18, 2011 at 11:59 pm. I will announce and email the winner within a couple of days. Once the book is released, Kersten will order and have it sent directly to your house.

Teaser Tuesday

2011-10-03T21:16:00.001-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

Years ago, on a cold New Hampshire day, my brother and I tried to skate to Canada. It was still early December and our first full snow had not yet fallen, and the rivers and lakes around us became pale green mirrors reflecting sunlight back to the sky.

The World Around Us - Joseph Monninger pg. 1

Tyger Tyger Now Out in Paperback

2011-09-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read this wonderful book, now's the time. You won't be disappointed. Book 2 is getting ready to be released as well. Perfect time to pick up a new series.

Telling Lies Blog Tour September 28, 2011

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Telling Lies - Cathi Stoler (Blog Tour)

Synopsis (B&N):

How many lies does it take to get away with murder?A chance encounter at Florence's Uffizi Gallery plunges Women Noweditor Laurel Imperiole and private investigator Helen McCorkendale into an investigation of missing persons and stolen Nazi art. Could the man Laurel bumped into really have been Jeff Sargasso, an art dealer and friend who perished in the World Trade Center on 9/11? Searching for answers, Laurel and Helen thread their way through a sinister-and possibly deadly-skein of lies.

My Thoughts:

I found this to be a great little mystery. Put together high society, fake deaths, high priced art and what do you get? A whole lot of intrigue.

The story is told from different viewpoints which can be hard to follow in some books but it flowed well with this one. The viewpoints gave the story a well rounded flavor, flowing together in a way that made the story interesting to follow and kept me reading.

The cast of characters were great and well thought out. I think Helen was my favorite of the bunch. I found her to be funny, sharp and entertaining. Laurel wore on my nerves a bit with her tunnel vision of revenge. I got the sense she needed to be right. Had to get to the end no matter the cost. She is impulsive, reckless, often times acting without giving a second thought to the potential outcomes. A trait I understand and can empathize with but it drives me nuts at the same time.

Author's Website: Cathi Stoler

Blog Tour Website: Telling Lies Blog Tour

Book Trailer:

Musing Mondays

2011-09-25T21:27:00.001-07:00

What does it take for you to give up on a book you’re reading?

I used to never give up on a book but at some point, I have found a few that have drove me to that point.

Usually it's a character I just cant get in vibe with. I gave up one very popular series because I loathed the main character to the point I couldn't enjoy the series anymore.

Sometimes, though rarely, I just can't get into a book. Like I said it's rare because I am pretty good at choosing something I would like.

What Are You Reading

2011-09-25T18:30:00.001-07:00

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - Morgan Matson

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead - Julie Ann Peters

Telling Lies - Cathi Stoler

Books I am reading this week:

Bargains and Betrayals - Shannon Delany

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespears (work in progress)

Books to Finish This week:

Bargains and Betrayals - Shannon Delany

Teaser Tuesday

2011-09-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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 know him. And he's been dead for the last nine years," she tossed over her shoulder as she turned a corner and disappeared from view.

Telling Lies - Cathi Stoler pg.3

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-09-19T13:01:00.001-07:00

Will be back next week...

I've been down with a horrendous cold for the past 5 days and just wasn't up to getting the post done this week. Good new is I am on the mend finally heh.

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead - A Review

2011-09-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead - Julie Anne Peters (own)

Synopsis:

Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she’s determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for “completers”— www.through-the-light .com.

While she’s on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she’s not on the Web, Daelyn’s at her private school, where she’s known as the freak who doesn’t talk.

Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she’s waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she’s made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won’t give up. And it’s too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life…isn’t it?

National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters shines a light on how bullying can push young people to the very edge.

My Thoughts:

This was a quick read. It wasn't an easy read but I had to keep reading to see what happened to Daelyn. She is such a traumatized girl and my heart ached for her. This book was about potential effects bullying can have on a person.

I was saddened by Daelyn and how "broken" she felt. My heart wanted to grab on and hug her no matter how hard she fought against it. I wanted to shake her and tell her she wasn't worthless and the world would definitely not be a better place without her. This is what Santana did in his own persistent way. What a courageous characters both of them were in their own ways.

What I took away from this story is there is hope no matter how dark your days may seem. There is hope. No matter how slight it appears. There is hope.

Author's Website: Julie Anne Peters

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - A Review

2011-09-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - Morgan Matson (own)

Synopsis:

Amy Curry is having a terrible year. Her mother has decided to move across the country and needs Amy to get their car from California to Connecticut. There’s just one small problem: Since her dad died this past spring, Amy hasn’t been able to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger, the nineteen-year-old son of an old family friend, who turns out to be unexpectedly cute . . . and dealing with some baggage of his own.

Meeting new people and coming to terms with her father’s death were not what Amy had planned on this trip. And traveling the Loneliest Road in America, seeing the Colorado mountains, crossing the Kansas plains, and visiting diners, dingy motels, and Graceland were definitely not on the itinerary. But as they drive, Amy finds that the people you least expected are the ones you may need the most — and that sometimes you have to get lost in order to find your way home.

“One of the most touching, irresistible, and feel-good road trips I’ve been on in a long, long while.” —Deb Caletti, National Book Award Finalist

My Thoughts:

I picked a great summer to read this book. Having spend several weekend taking daytime road trips throughout Oregon, this book had exactly what I was looking for at the time I picked it up to read.

I found Amy and Roger both to be well written characters. I felt so bad for both of them for different reasons. Amy losing her dad and trying to deal with the survivor guilt was heartbreaking to read. Roger dealing with the heartache of a fresh break up and trying so hard not to show how he was feeling, was equally heart wrenching on different levels.

The best part of this book though was the road trip itself! It was amazing. I almost felt like I was right along with them living this amazing adventure. The pictures, receipts, photos made this book that much more enjoyable. They just added that something "extra" to the book.

Teaser Tuesday

2011-09-12T20:20:00.001-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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 had never thought I'd see a Realtor's sign on our lawn. Until three months ago, my life had seemed boringly settled.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - Morgan Matson pg. 9

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-09-11T17:25:00.001-07:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is hosted by Amused by Books.

I received a couple of books this week:

The Future of Us - Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (LibraryThing)

Hades - Alexandra Adornetto (Publisher)

The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa

Want to Go Private - Sarah Darer Littman

Books I am reading this week:

Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare (I will be reading this in doses. I have yet to read a book by Shakespeare and I will prevail and get one read lol )

Will be starting another book, I just can't decided yet which one.

Books to finish this week:

Something just not sure which one yet lol

Want To Go Private - A Review

2011-09-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Want To Go Private - Sarah Darer Littman (Amazon Vine)

Synopsis:

Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.

Abby is starting high school--it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to make an effort, but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke--he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

My Thoughts:

My thoughts are all over the board with this one. During the first part of the book, I alternated between horror with what I was reading to disgust. However, at the same time, I got to thinking children being targeted by sexual predators online is dirty, disgusting and horrific and maybe me feeling that way was what was intended. I will say the content may have been more graphic than needed to get the point across but I don't judge that. I look back and remember how stubborn I was when I was a teenager and sugar coating something would have made me turn my head the other way. So maybe it's a good thing. So be warned.

Okay now that I have that out of the way. Let me say I read this book in less than a day. The writing flowed well, I got caught up in the story and characters. I ultimately liked the message it sends. As a parent, I was left with chills. My heart ached for everyone involved. I liked how Sarah gave us views of how others were feeling and dealing with what had happened. It gives readers a peak into the whole picture as opposed to just a singular view.

I'd recommend the book. I would warn of the strong content, but I would recommend it.

Author's Website: Sarah Darer Littman

Teaser Tuesday

2011-09-05T19:05:00.001-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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 Guardian didn't seem surprised. "This trial is not only for y0u, knight," it said, sweeping a robed arm at the group behind us. "Anyone who wishes to see the End of the World must first make it through the gauntlet.

The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa somewhere around pg 187. ( ARC subject to change)

What Are You Reading

2011-09-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

In The Forests of the Night - Kersten Hamilton

Books I am reading this week:

The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa

Books to Finish This week:

The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa

I'm hoping to start Scott Westerfeld's Goliath this week as well.

In The Forests of the Night - A Review

2011-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

In The Forests of the Night - Kersten Hamiton (Author)

Synopsis:

The battle against goblinkind continues . . . but which side will Teagan be on?

Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends. Tea knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

My Thoughts:

We learned so much more on Teagen in this book and I really feel as if I know and understand her character much better now. Finn is still the same ole charming Irish boy as he was in the first book. Mameio intrigues me and I'm finding I want to get more story on her as well as Teagan's brother Aiden.

I hope we get to see more of Mag Mell. That worlds intrigues me. There is so much fantasy there and I want to explore it all.

I did sometimes fell a bit overwhelmed with the amount of characters to keep straight but I found them all to be interesting enough that it didn't bother me too much.

Again I find myself drawn into Kersten's storytelling. While not nearly as action packed as the first book, I still really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading book three.

Author's Website: Kersten Hamilton

Domestic Violets - TLC Blog Tour August 30, 2011

2011-08-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Domestic Violets - Matthew Norman (TLC Book Tour)

Synopsis:

Tom Violet always thought that by the time he turned thirty-five, he’d have everything going for him. Fame. Fortune. A beautiful wife. A satisfying career as a successful novelist. A happy dog to greet him at the end of the day.

The reality, though, is far different. He’s got a wife, but their problems are bigger than he can even imagine. And he’s written a novel, but the manuscript he’s slaved over for years is currently hidden in his desk drawer while his father, an actual famous writer, just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His career, such that it is, involves mind-numbing corporate buzzwords, his pretentious archnemesis Gregory, and a hopeless, completely inappropriate crush on his favorite coworker. Oh . . . and his dog, according to the vet, is suffering from acute anxiety.

Tom’s life is crushing his soul, but he’s decided to do something about it. (Really.)Domestic Violets is the brilliant and beguiling story of a man finally taking control of his own happiness—even if it means making a complete idiot of himself along the way.

My Thoughts:

I can honestly say this book surprised the heck out of me. When

I picked it up I almost expected it to be a dry read for me. Boy was I wrong. I found this book to be funny, charming, and full of heart.

Tom is a character that is hard not to like. He's full of wit and sarcastic jokes, which he uses to cover up insecurity. I loved watching his character evolve through out the story.

As for the other characters, they were just as well written. His wife was easy to relate too. His daughter was wise and cute beyond her years. Curtis is a character you want to dislike but no matter how hard you try, it's impossible not to love him. Heck I even like the neurotic dog Hank.

Author's Website: Matthew Norman

Other Participating Sites:

Tuesday, August 9: Rundpinne

Tuesday, August 9: Like Fire

Wednesday, August 10: Life In Review

Thursday, August 11: BookNAround

Friday, August 12: The House of the Seven Tails

Monday, August 15: Colloquium

Tuesday, August 16: Raging Bibliomania

Wednesday, August 17: Book Chatter

Thursday, August 18: Teresa’s Reading Corner

Monday, August 22: The Bodacious Pen

Tuesday, August 23: StephTheBookworm

Tuesday, August 23: Write Meg

Wednesday, August 24: I’m Booking It

Thursday, August 25: Sara’s Organized Chaos

Friday, August 26: Iwriteinbooks’s blog

Monday, August 29: A Bookish Way of Life

Tuesday, August 30: My Life in Not So Many Words

Thursday, September 1: That’s What She Read

Teaser Tuesday

2011-08-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

"Well, for one thing, there are all the new kids from Eastern Coming in. It won't just be the same people we've been going to school with, like, forever."

"Great so there will be even more Clique Queens to make our lives miserable."

Want To Go Private - Sarah Darer Littman pg.1

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-08-28T18:03:00.001-07:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is hosted by Staci at Life in the Thumb.

I've gotten a few books in the week

The Cradle - Patrick Somerville (bought)

Little Giant of Aberdeen County - Tiffany Baker (bought)

Dead Iron - Devon Monk (bought)

Want to Go Private - Sarah Darer Littman (Amazon Vine)

Also picked up a couple Medical terminology books and Anatomy & Physiology book to self learn some stuff to help with work.

Domestic Violets - Matthew Norman

Books I am reading this week:

In The Forest of The Night - Kersten Hamilton

Books to finish this week:

In The Forest of the Night - Kersten Hamilton

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-08-21T18:19:00.001-07:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is hosted by Staci at Life in the Thumb.

I've gotten a few books in the last couple of weeks

Simply Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet (bought)

In the Forests of the Night - Kersten

Hamilton (author)

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod - Heather Brewer (bought)

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour - Moran Mastson (bought)

Deception - Lee Nichols (bought)

The Miles Between - Mary E. Pearson (bought)

Wildefire - Karsten Knight

Books I am reading this week:

Domestic Violets - Matthew Norman

Witchlanders - Lena Coakley

Books to finish this week:

Domestic Violets - Matthew Norman

Witchlanders - Lena Coakley

Wildefire - A Review

2011-08-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wildefire - Karsten Knight (publisher)

synopsis:

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

My Thoughts:

Wow! What a way to end a book! So now I just have to know who the heck Colt is anyhow.

Before this last section of the book I was pretty intrigued as to what might happen in the next book. Now, I just have to know!

What really interested me in this book was the mythology and I feel as if we only got an introduction to our characters and their background. I hope with the next one, we get a whole lot more information on them. I find I want to know this portion more than anything. How they came to be, how they connect, how it is they keep repeating the cycle and reincarnating back to rinse and repeat again.

If Mythology interests you, I'd say give this book a read. I think you'll like it.

Author's website: Karsten Knight

I have been a bad blogger this summer

2011-08-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

So much stuff has been going on. I spent the better part of the summer going from one job that was being eliminated to a temp summer job where my husband works. Then on every weekend, we were doing family stuff with my oldest child, Andy, who was prepping to leave for Naval Boot Camp on August 8, 2011. So we were going on day trips to like Crater Lake, Mt St. Helens, we drove him to Idaho to see his dad before he left. My reading time was beginning to suffer but I was doing more important stuff.

This went through July. Then August came and it was getting closer and closer to the time Andy was leaving. I had also been offered a FT permanent position with a company I had applied and a job I was hoping to get. I accepted of course and I started 5 weeks of training on August 8th.

Fast forward one week to August 7th, My birthday and getting older sucks lol. Then comes August 8th. I started my new job. My son left for Portland to MEPS. I got to at least go up and say goodbye to him but Tuesday came all too quick and he was off to Chicago to start his new life and my house feels half empty with one of my two children grown and gone. I'm handling him being gone fine but the not being able to call him is driving me nuts.

So this is my summer and my half hearted excuse for my bad, bad blogging habits. I'm hoping as I settle into my job, that my reading will pick up and I'll get back going on blogging again.

So bear with me folks, I'm not gone just overloaded with stuff.

Teaser Tuesday

2011-08-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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:

Tears were spilling down Teagan Wyllston's cheeks as she went up the stairs. She locked her bedroom door so no one could follow her in.

In The Forests Of The Nights - Kersten Hamilton pg. 1 (note ARC subject to change)

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

2011-08-07T19:48:00.001-07:00

Mailbox Monday was originally hosted by Marcia at the Printed page but now it is a traveling meme. This month it is hosted by Staci at Life in the Thumb.

I got one book this past week

The Stranger you Seek - Amanda Kyle Williams

The Iron Queen - Julie Kagawa
Darkhouse - Karina Halle

Books I am reading this week:

Wildefire - Karsten Knight

Witchlanders - Lena Coakley

Books to finish this week:

Wildefire - Karsten Knight

Witchlanders - Lena Coakley

Teaser Tuesday

2011-08-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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 as the sirens picked up from the south, even as the red and whites flickered over the lawn soon after, Ash lay still in the grass, letting the rain cascade down around her, hoping her mind would take her some place--any place--other than here on the lawn with a dead girl.

Wildefire - Karsten Knight pg. 37

Darkhouse - A Review

2011-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Darkhouse - Karina Halle (author)

Synopsis:

There’s always been something a bit off about Perry Palomino. Though she’s been dealing with a quarter-life crisis and post-college syndrome like any other twentysomething, she’s still not what you would call “ordinary.” For one thing, there’s her past which she likes to pretend never happened, and then there’s the fact that she sees ghosts. Luckily for her, that all comes in handy when she stumbles across Dex Foray, an eccentric producer for an upcoming webcast on ghost hunters. Even though the show’s budget is non-existent and Dex himself is a maddening enigma, Perry is instantly drawn into a world that both threatens her life and seduces her with a sense of importance. Her uncle’s haunted lighthouse provides the perfect catalyst and backdrop for a mystery that unravels the threads of Perry’s fragile sanity and causes her to fall for a man, who, like the most dangerous of ghosts, may not be all that he seems.

My Thoughts:

The setting of the book, I admit, is what called to me. Being from Oregon I love stories that take place here. Add the fact that is a bit mystery and a bit ghost story, just adds to the draw.

It started off a bit slow but soon picked up pace and I found myself drawn into the story. Perry is an interesting character filled with self doubt and Dex is this strange yet magnetic character I found myself drawn too.

I loved the mystery surround the lighthouse. While I did not find the book scary by any means, I did really enjoy the suspense created. To me that's what's important.

I know some would not give a second glance because it's a self published novel, but I think it was a solid start to a series.

The Iron Queen - A Review

2011-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Iron Queen - Julie Kagawa (own)

Synopsis:

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book! It's probably my favorite of the three so far. So many characters, action, lush landscape and so well written it seemed as if I was there watching it happen.

Meghan. Man what a strong character! So much stronger than she ever thought she was or could be and I'm excited to see how her story plays out.

Ash. My heart breaks for this character. A character who is supposed to have no soul. A character with so much soul it tugs at my heart. I can definitely understand how it would be next to impossible not to love him.

Puck. Such a prankster who wears his feelings on his sleeves. Yet another character who is so hard to resist. So full of boyish charms. I find myself drawn to him as well.

Ash and Puck. Two sides of a coin yet so alike. I'm most anxious to find out what they are heading out to do.

The entire world of Fey. I love this place. Summer, Winter, Iron realm alike. It would be spectacular to see a place like this.

I can't wait to see what happens next. Where Julie takes these wonderful characters. What stories are left for us to discover.

Author's Website: Julie Kagawa

Teaser Tuesday

2011-07-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted byMizB 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 splash cold water on my face.

This is what men do in movies when they're about to fly off the handle, when shit is getting out of control. I do this sometimes. I react to things based on what characters in movies would do.

Domestic Violets - Matthew Norman pg. 1