Saturday, July 31, 2010

On My Wishlist (11)


On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.



Halo by Alexandra Adornetto:
Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.






Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus:
Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.




The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan:
There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister’s face when she and Elias left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the horde as they found their way to the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah’s world stopped that day and she’s been waiting for him to come home ever since. Without him, her life doesn’t feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then she meets Catcher and everything feels alive again.

Except, Catcher has his own secrets -- dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah’s longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it’s up to Annah -- can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return’s destruction?



Friday, July 30, 2010

Friday 56...Jealousy (17)


The book today: Jealousy by Lili St. Crow


"If I need a reason now, Dru, it will have to be you."



The Friday 56 idea came from… The Bookoholic Zone


The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
* Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.





Thursday, July 29, 2010

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade


The Ghost and the Goth:
After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck here in spirit form with no sign of the big, bright light coming to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser/outcast type who hates the social elite. He alone can see and hear her, but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.

Can they get over their mutual distrust—and this weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?



Stacey Kade wrote a wonderful story about what can happen if you suddenly find yourself crushed by a school bus. Alona was one of the most popular girls in school, but when she is tragically killed in an accident, she loses that status she is used to. Waking up each day in the exact spot of her accident she makes her way back to the high school to visit her friends, only she learns that behind the fake facade of their friendship lies betrayal. She makes an unlikely alliance with a boy named Will Killian when she realizes he can see and hear her. Surrounded constantly by ghosts nagging at him for help Will has learned to keep his head down and attract as little attention to himself as possible. At first Will is reluctant to help Alona and their misconceptions about each other make their relationship tenuous in the beginning. Slowly, and with Alona's promise to keep the other ghosts away from him, they form a bond that cannot be broken. With Will's guidance, Alona learns that she must forgive the people in her past, especially those closest to her. And Will learns that telling the truth can be very liberating. The only problem I had with this book, is the uncertainty of Alona and Will's relationship at the end of the book, but give it a try for yourself and if you want, come back and let me know what you think!





Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Sea by Heidi R. Kling


Sea:
Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother’s disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen-year old California girl Sienna Jones reluctantly travels with her psychiatrist father’s volunteer team to six-months post-tsunami Indonesia where she meets the scarred and soulful orphaned boy, Deni, who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met.

She knows they can’t be together, so why can’t she stay away from him? And what about her old best friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why won’t her dad tell her the truth about her mother’s plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to finding answers.



Heidi R. Kling is an amazingly talented writer who wrote a beautiful, emotional journey about a girl named Sienna Jones. Heidi broke my heart and then she sewed it back together by the end of the book. Three years ago Sienna's mother went missing when her small plane disappeared over the Indian ocean and Sienna still suffers from night terrors. She turned away from everything she once loved including the sea and pulled away from her friends. Her father, well known for his volunteer work abroad helping victims to overcome and deal with their Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, decides that it's time for him to get back into the field. And this time he wants Sienna to come. Faced with the idea of getting on an airplane, and actually flying across the ocean absolutely terrifies Sienna, and at first she refuses. With the help of her friend Spider, who has had feelings for her, but gave her space after she lost her mother, and after watching a video of the children who had survived the 2004 tsunami in the orphanage, she realizes that it is fate and the time has come for her to face one of her fears. At the orphanage, Sienna meets Deni, a seventeen year old boy who immediately attracts something deep within Sienna. Deni teaches Sienna about his culture as the two grow closer together, Deni learns that a member of his family might have survived and he needs to return to the ruins of his home to find him. Risking everything, they travel together in search of Deni's missing family. Sienna and Deni are falling deeper in love, but what meets them at the end of their search is completely unexpected. The beautiful ending of this book is one I'll remember for years to come, watching Sienna grow and develop her inner strength throughout the book was inspirational. And I can only hope that you pick this truly amazing book up the next time you see it and love Sienna's journey as much as I did.





Wednesday Random Recommendation...(16)


The Cove:
The Cove is a quaint little postcard town made up only of senior citizens who sell the World's Greatest Ice Cream--a delicious secret recipe that brings lots of tourists into town.
Into The Cove comes Sally Brainerd, daughter of murdered high-powered lawyer Amory St. John of Washington, D.C., seeking sanctuary, and FBI Special Agent James Quinlan, who's undercover and after her. He's got a murder to solve and she's the key. But is she really?



The Cove by Catherine Coulter was first published in 1996, and is the first in her amazing FBI Suspense Series. In this book we are introduced to Dillon Savich, who in future books becomes an integral character in the rest of the series. Sally is on the run and with the help of James together they must solve the mystery of who wants her dead. I love the romance mixed in with the "whodunit" plot of these books, I hope some time you might give this series a chance and try to figure out whodunit!





I invite and welcome anyone interested in participating to post their own "Random Recommendation" (original post) on their blog (and include a link back to this blog) and join in the fun! Some books might not be very recent reads, but I hope that just helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own bookshelf!


Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Teaser Tuesdays (13)


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Today's book: Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker


"Kalen tried to remind himself that Lee really didn't grasp what was going on. Not Really. Too many of her memories of this world were still hidden. Still, he was pissed off. Did he like sending Dagon and Willim out there? It was a dangerous job. No. But he didn't have too much choice. Most of his men weren't that much older than the twins. 'We're fighting a war here, Lee,' he said. His eyes narrowed on her face and he took a step toward her. She didn't back away. He lowered his head until they were nose to nose. 'Those kids stopped being kids years ago. I'm not going to insult them by telling them they have no right to fight.' " (page 74)



Here is how it works:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2 or 3) “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!)
- Remember to show the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!





Monday, July 26, 2010

Produt Review: LumiSource Two-Tone Puzzotto Ottoman




As I had said in my previous post, I was approached by csnstores.com to review one of their products. And as you can see, I chose an item that has no assembly required. Out of their over 200+ products I could have chosen, I still decided that I would go with the ottoman over that bookcase that I'm sure I could have found room for somewhere! I also thought it would be fun to do something different.





My ottoman arrived on Thursday July 22nd just two days after I received my email that my product has been shipped. They definitely have great speedy service and Jamie, the representative I dealt with answered any and all questions that I threw at him.





Now the ottoman...first off, I love the bright fabric, the color is even more vibrant in real life! Over the weekend I had my four year old son just go nuts with it! He uses it as a landing strip after jumping off the couch (NO I DO NOT encourage this - I just happened to catch him in the act), he has jumped on it, rolled on it, climbed on it while it sits on its side and randomly rolls it across the room! Throughout all this the ottoman has held up wonderfully! What I really like is the fact that the black sides don't seem to pick up too much loose lint, you know black materials ALWAYS manage to pick up any pet fur (cat fur in our case) and what it does pick up wipes away fairly easy without the use of a lint roller. Even my 14 month old had fun whacking the bejezus out of it, and I have no worries about sharp corners or hard surfaces.





The ottoman is firm and can hold all 200lbs of my hubby without losing its shape or form and with NO slouching in the center. I found it to be the perfect height for comfort while sitting on my couch and even when I sit in my Ikea Poang chair it's perfect for my feet to rest on!





All in all I'd say if you were looking for a funky and functional way to accessorize your family room with the future option of creating more seating, at a reasonable price of around $60 USD, I'd recommend this ottoman to anyone, with or without kids!


It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (9)


This is a fun weekly meme hosted by One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.

Books read last week:
Forget you by Jennifer Echols
The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
Other by Karen Kincy
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Sea by Heidi R. Kling




The book I'm reading now:

Through the Veil:
Found wandering in a field as a child, Lee Ross was given a name by the state and placed in a foster home–without anyone realizing she wasn’t entirely human.
All her life, she’s tried to dismiss the odd dreams that have plagued her, dreams of monsters creeping through the night and a man, fighting demons by her side. But the bruises she wakes up with are all too real to ignore
Then the man from dreams appears in the flesh. His name is Kalen and he insists that her destiny lies in his world, the world of her dreams.
To save their people, he must convince Lee to give everything she knows, follow her heart and cross into the Under Realm, even though once she does, she’ll never be able to return.



Books that spark my interest this week:
If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl
The Fallen 1: The Fallen and Leviathan by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Madhouse by Rob Thurman


Saturday, July 24, 2010

Other by Karen Kincy


Other:
Seventeen-year-old Gwen hides a dangerous secret: she’s Other. Half-pooka, to be exact, thanks to the father she never met. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others, especially not the small-town folks of Klikamuks, Washington. As if this isn’t bad enough, Gwen’s on the brink of revealing her true identity to her long-time boyfriend, Zack, but she’s scared he’ll lump her with the likes of bloodthirsty vampires and feral werewolves.

When a pack of werewolves chooses the national forest behind Gwen’s home as their new territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate-into murder. It soon becomes clear a serial killer is methodically slaying Others. The police turn a blind eye, leaving Gwen to find the killer before the killer finds her. As she hunts for clues, she uncovers more Others living nearby than she ever expected. Like Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her Otherness. Gwen must struggle with her own conflicted identity, learn who she can trust, and-most importantly-stay alive.



Other by Karen Kincy is a wonderfully written story about a girl who is more than just a girl. In a society where Supernatural beings known as "Others" are out in the open, Gwen adamantly hides the fact that she is half Pooka. She can shift into any animal she chooses but is determined to hide her nature from everyone, because those who have come forward are discriminated against and thought to be untrustworthy. In Gwen's small town, things are getting really dangerous for Others. Someone is murdering them and then exposing them for who they were. While in the midst of taking her relationship with her fully human boyfriend, Zack, Gwen meets Tavian and they form an instant attraction. Betrayed by Zack, Gwen turns to Tavian and he encourages her to embrace her Other-ness unlike her parents who constantly discourage her from outing herself. Gwen is attacked one night be a crowd of rowdy young men and in order to save herself, she partially shifts her hands to gain claws to escape the painful hold one of the guys has on her. They are not certain but they believe she is Other and begin harassing her. Now here is what bothered me: Gwen's mother blames her, saying it was her own fault for defending herself against rape. Really? That is what you're telling your daughter after she is attacked and then continually sexually harassed? With the exception of a few scenes with the parents, I loved every other part of this book.

The racism that Karen writes about in Other can be, and in some cases is, very similar to the racism we see in our society today. I enjoyed how Gwen grew out of her stubborn way of thinking that certain Others are nothing better than savages who have little care for civility. She learns that there is more to everyone than meets the eye. This book not only has some very enjoyable romance but it also has the mystery of who the serial killer is, and Gwen has no idea just how close the murder is to her and her secret.





On My Wishlist (10)


On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.



Original Sin by Allison Brennan:
Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O’Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira’s global search has led her to a small California town that’s about to become hell on earth.

Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can’t explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira’s dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity’s last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.



Entwined by Elisabeth Naughton:
ZANDER — The most feared of all the Eternal Guardians. It’s rumored he can’t be killed, and he always fights like he has nothing to lose. But as a descendant of the famed hero Achilles, he’s got to have a vulnerability… somewhere.

Forces of daemons are gathering and have broken through the barriers of the Underworld. Now more than ever the Eternal Guardians are needed to protect both their own realm and the humans’. Zander can’t afford to think about what might have been with the bewitching physician he once regarded as his soul mate. But with eternity stretching before him, he also can’t fathom spending his life without the one woman who makes him feel most alive. Perhaps he’s found his weakness, after all…






Firelight by Sophie Jordan:
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.








Friday, July 23, 2010

Friday 56...The Van Alen Legacy (16)


The book today: The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz

"Oh, hello...I'm sorry. We were told the owners wouldn't be here for the showing," the lady in the business suit said with a fake smile. "But since you're here, do you know if your father's contractor is still available to complete the renovation?"


The Friday 56 idea came from… The Bookoholic Zone


The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
* Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.





Thursday, July 22, 2010

Bookshelves Part 3:


YAY! I got another bookshelf! Well really, it is a DVD shelf that matches the taller one on the opposite side of our TV, but we don't have enough DVD's to fill it yet soooo...I commandeered it as a bookshelf! HAH! It made a 'little' more room on my other shelves, but I could still use at least two more bookshelves! And I finally got a picture of the books on my hutch up on here, although I hated taking the picture tonight because my The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong is on loan to a friend who is currently vacationing in beautiful Newfoundland, Canada, and I have no idea when she is coming home, I still really wanted to do this post! Annnnnd in case you want to see the others, not much has changed for the amount of books filling the shelves but I have re-arranged them into separate genres (Supernatural and Not-Supernatural - HAHA!), here is my first bookshelf post and my second bookshelf post!





How do you keep yourself organized? Do you separate your TBRs from your Read pile? Or are you like me and just keep everything alphabetized?


Blogger Award

I have to thank Literati's Literary Library for choosing me as one of her seven blogs to award this Prolific Blogger Award! And now it is my honor to pass it along to another seven bloggers!





"A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive, keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content. After accepting this award, recipients are asked to pass it forward to seven other deserving blogs."

Here we go (in no particular order):

1. Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories
2. Not Your Fairy Tale
3. YA Urban
4. Tynga's Reviews
5. Reading with Tequila
6. Not-Really-Southern Vamp Chick
7. Maybe Tomorrow?


I wish I could choose everyone, but rules are rules!


The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa


The Iron Daughter:
Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.


In the second book of the Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa, we follow Meghan as she resides in the Winter Court as a "guest" of Queen Mab. Abandoned by Ash, she is left to flounder on her own while trying to stay out of reach of the cruelty of the Winter Fey. But Rowen, Ash's second oldest brother has different plans, he tricks Meghan into speaking her true feelings for Ash and they are used against her as the Court is attacked by a betrayer from within. When the Scepter of the Seasons is stolen and Sage, the oldest of Mab's sons, is murdered by the Iron Fey in front of Meghan, no one believes her claims and war is declared against the Summer Court. Ash risks everything to rescue Meghan and they escape the Court and begin running for their lives. Puck returns, a lot more sensitive to Meghan, even revealing his love for her, and Ash becomes distant with Meghan quickly going off on his own to reclaim the Scepter. Spending time with Puck while they escape the Nevernever confuses Meghan because of the feelings she discovers she has for him, even though she knows that she loves Ash. They make an unlikely alliance with Ironhorse, the very Iron Fey that captured Ash and brought him to the old Iron King. Off on his own, something terrible happens to Ash while he tries to recover the Scepter and now it's up to Meghan, Puck and Ironhorse to save the Winter Prince and the Courts from war. While on their mission to recover the Scepter, with her own powers locked away from her, Meghan discovers that she is able to control the Iron Fey Glamor and in doing so a new secret is revealed, and I can't wait for the next book to find out more about Meghan's new ability.





Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Dark Flame by Alyson Noel


Dark Flame:
Ever is helping her friend Haven transition into life as an immortal. But with Haven drunk on her new powers and carelessly putting them all at risk, their friendship becomes more and more strained. At the same time, Ever delves deeper into magick in order to get control over her enemy Roman and free Damen from his power. But when the spell she casts on Roman backfires, she’s bound to her deadliest enemy. Frantic to reverse the spell the moment the moon enters a new phase, she finds her efforts are fruitless—there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, one that propels her toward Roman. Desperate to break free of this terrible curse before Damen or the twins can discover what she’s done, she turns to Jude and delves deeper and deeper into dark magick, ultimately risking everything she knows and loves—including Damen.


Dark Flame by Alyson Noel is the fifth installment in the Immortals series. And I can honestly say that I did enjoy this book a lot more than I did Shadowland. Ever still makes rash decisions, and there are times when I just wanted to ask her: "What were you thinking?" Sometimes those decisions made the situation between her and Damen more strained than just not being abbot physically touch. And all through Ever's troubled path, Damen remains right by her side, through her uncontrollable attraction to Roman, her developing friendship with Jude and her questionable practice of magick. No matter how hard she pushes him away he is there when she needs him. Haven I found hard to relate to and although I understand she may now feel empowered by her new life and the abilities that come with it, but the way she goes about declaring her independence, with the terrible fight that threatens all of their lives and her friendship with Ever made her seem callous and immature. What I thoroughly enjoyed about this book was watching Ever grow into a better person, she turns her life around and stops feeling sorry for herself when she learns of Roman's terrible past before he became an immortal, and chooses to not fight Roman with animosity, but rather with compassion instead.