It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (36)

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


Books I read last week:
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Taken by Lilith Saintcrow



The book I’m reading now:
Street Game:
For Mack McKinley and his team of GhostWalker killing machines, urban warfare is an art. But despite a hard-won knowledge of the San Francisco streets, Mack knows from experience that too many things can still go wrong. Danger was just another part of the game—and now he’s come face-to-face with a woman who can play just as tough.

She’s Jaimie, a woman with a sapphire stare so potent it can destroy a man. Years ago she and Mack had a history—volatile, erotic, and electric. Then she vanished. Now she’s walked back into Mack’s life, as a spy with more secrets than are good for her. Against all odds, she’s hooking up with Mack one more time to take on an enemy that could destroy them both, or bring them back together in one hot, no-holds-barred adrenaline rush.


Books that spark my interest this week:
Stargazer by Claudia Gray
Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning
Purpose by Kristie Cook

Guest Blogger: Jackie of Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories

Today I welcome my first Guest Blogger, Jackie of Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories! Put down your bags, pull up a chair and tell me a story!

What a Texas housewife does for entertainment.....

First off just let me say thank you to Amy for inviting me to guest post, my very first one and hope it is not too dull!

My name is Jackie and as you can see my greatest pleasure in life is my pets, the "boys" are Nikki and Blade. My eleven year old Chihuahua and my 6 year old Tom Cat!

This young lady is my 7 year old Tabby cat Munequa, the true "Queen of the House" and my husband's favorite "sparring partner" !

When I am not playing with my pets I can be found in my recliner with a book in my hand, on my computer working on blog posts are reading others posts and laughing or doing housework on and off during the day...

My favorite time of year is spring and early summer when I can work in the yard.

I am the one who gets to mow, weed eat and then clean up the mess after for 7 months or more a year... Unfortunately these last two years my back has not wanted to cooperate so the yard work is not as easy or enjoyable as it used to be!

On weekends we tend to run errands, hit a movie if one is out we want to see locally and of course go out to Chili's to eat at least once!

My all time favorite hobby though other than reading, eating out, going to see a good action flick is my craft work. I have a passion for cross-stitch and crochet, the cross-stitch has been put on hold for the last 21/2 years as my right eye has a cataract and it has made it impossible for me to work on my stitching for any length of time... Here are some of the items I love to look at that I did few years ago now!

My favorite subjects are woodland creatures, and my most prized piece does not photograph well but it is an 11"X14" framed Indian War Pony that took me months to do and is my favorite of all!

Anyway thanks again Amy and hopefully someone will stop by and enjoy a little glimpse into the very laid back things that make me smile!

Thank you, Jackie for being my first Guest Blogger! I hope you all enjoyed getting to know Jackie a little better!

In My Mailbox (41)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.




Blood Stains by Sharon Sala
Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh
Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

I received this from the amazing Andrew Smith.

I won this from Cristina's 31 Days of Giveaways.

On My Wishlist (36)

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.



Dark Deceptions by Dee Davis:
A-Tac is an elite CIA unit masquerading as faculty at an Ivy League college. Brilliant, badass, and seemingly bulletproof, the members of A-Tac are assigned to the riskiest missions and the most elusive targets.

TORN BETWEEN DUTY AND DESIRE Covert operations expert Nash Brennon has spent the last eight years trying to forget Annie Gallagher, his former field partner and the only woman he ever loved. Annie betrayed him when he needed her most, then vanished without a trace. Now suddenly she's back in the game - this time as a suspected traitor and threat to national security.

Annie's son has been kidnapped by political terrorists. The price for his life? Assassinate a UN ambassador. When Nash and his group find her, the smoldering passion between Annie and the man she swore she'd never contact again blazes out of control. But can Nash trust her? The stakes couldn't be higher: Their enemy's endgame is personal, and one false move could cost them their lives.



The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge:
In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.

Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.





When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James:
Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a Beauty . . . Naturally, she's betrothed to a Beast.

Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman.

Linnet is not just any woman.

She is more than merely lovely: her wit and charm brought a prince to his knees. She estimates the earl will fall madly in love—in just two weeks.

Yet Linnet has no idea of the danger posed to her own heart by a man who may never love her in return.

If she decides to be very wicked indeed . . . what price will she pay for taming his wild heart?

Once Every Never Teaser

Canadian author Lesley Livingston released the third and final book, Tempestuous, of her Wondrous Strange trilogy back in December 2010, you can read my review of Wondrous Strange and Darklight here and my review of Tempestuous here.



But that is not all the wonderful Lesley has in store! This Thursday February 3rd myself and a few other Canadian Bloggers are going to reveal the cover for her newest writing adventure, Once Every Never, coming July 2011.

Here is a little teaser banner of Once Every Never for you, feel free to spread the word by copying and posting it to your own blog!




The Synopsis:

Clarinet Reid is a pretty typical teenager. On the surface. She’s smart, but a bit of slacker; outgoing, but just a little insecure; not exactly a mischief-maker… but trouble tends to find her wherever she goes. Also? She unwittingly carries a centuries-old Druid Blood Curse running through her veins.

Now, with a single thoughtless act, what started off as the Summer Vacation in Dullsville suddenly spirals into a deadly race to find a stolen artifact, avert an explosive catastrophe, save a Celtic warrior princess, right a dreadful wrong that happened centuries before Clare was even born, and if there’s still time—literally—maybe even get a date.

This is the kind of adventure that happens to a girl once every… never.

Friday 56...The Marbury Lens (43)

The book today: The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

So I tried to tell myself that they were all looking at me because nobody would expect to see a tired-looking, skinny kid with uneven hair that hung over his eyes, wearing only running shorts and a holey T-shirt in a place like this.

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.

Darkness Becomes Her (ARC) by Kelly Keaton

Darkness Becomes Her:
Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

I really enjoyed Kelley Keaton's integration of Greek mythology into modern day paranormal folklore. To be perfectly honest I was not very impressed with the first half of this book. I thought: "Here we go again, another 'star-crossed lovers' story." But the whole book turned right around for me in the second half, and I was completely engrossed in Ari's story. I also felt the writing improved as the book progressed. Thirteen years ago the city of New Orleans was destroyed by hurricanes. After being written off by the US Government, nine families (called the Novem) pulled their resources together and bought the city outright. When Ari realizes that the hospital she was born in resides in New Orleans (now called New 2) she convinces herself that she might find her father through the hospital records. Only before she can make her way into New 2 she is attacked by a man with a sword. Incredibly strange things begin happening from that moment on. Sebastian, the boy she meets within her fist day in New 2, seems to be the only calm in the storm of danger surrounding Ari. But when she discovers the truth of the curse put upon her ancestors, she is afraid to tell Sebastian and her new friends who she really is, and why the Novem want to keep her around so badly.

Future Favorites (26)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released and that I can't wait to read!

The Eternal Sea by Angie Frazier:
Release Date: June 1, 2011 by Scholastic Press

Romance and adventure are just around the corner . . .

After the thrilling journey that led Camille through the dangerous discovery of love, secrets, and a magical stone that grants immortality, Camille has everything she wants. She's escaped the men who wanted her dead, and now she is ready to build a new life with Oscar, her one true love. But things are not to be so simple. Oscar is acting strangely, and before they can even board a ship from Australia back home, to San Francisco, Camille learns that the journey is not over. If she does not follow the magic of the curse of Umandu, her life and Ocar's could be in grave danger.

My Book Boyfriend (2)

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie of The Unread Reader, in which we swoon over boys in books!
(I--as in me, Amy--don't like to use commercial photos, I like to use the authors' descriptions and my imagination.)





Wilson McKay
Book: Nine Lives by Sharon Sala
Series: Cat Dupree Trilogy

Six-foot-four with a linebacker's build, a buzz-cut always in the process of growing out and a small gold hoop in one ear. He's a bail bondsman hot on the trail, with an unnerving sense of right and wrong, and once he catches up with Cat Dupree (a skip tracer) their relationship creates sparks. The intense heat and emotion pouring off Wilson would be a dream come true in real life. His instincts tell him to protect, however, he is strong enough to let his woman handle her own trouble, but he will always be there to cover her back.

Quotes:

Wilson's heart went out to Catherine. He knew how tough she could be, but something told him that this was going to take her way down. Half the time they weren't on speaking terms, but at the same time, it made him sick to think of her going through this alone.

"Look! If you're right, then you're no longer following one killer, you're following two. You're going to fool around and get yourself killed. Please don't go."

Wednesday Random Recommendation (42)

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!

Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowen:
First Published: January 2006

Sarah Dearly has had a bad date. What else would you call being buried alive before dessert? Not to mention that bite mark on her neck, and the creepy way her date keeps saying that he’s sired her. Then those guys with the stakes show up and turn her date into so much dust! Sarah runs for her life, only to be rescued by a tall, dark, and handsome stranger. Sure, she interrupts him as he’s about to throw himself off a bridge – but as far as rescuers go, Thierry de Bennicoeur will have to do. Only problem is their age difference. He’s a six-hundred-year-old vamp with a death wish. She’s a new kid on the block with a need for someone with experience to show her the ropes. And to keep her one step ahead from the vampire hunters that are in town to rid Toronto of the ‘monsters’. Sarah doesn’t know what to make of all this. Sure, she’s got a healthy hankering for blood lately, but she doesn’t feel like a monster. Just an unemployed girl looking for love. Even if the object of her affection—Thierry—can’t go out in the sun for very long.

Teaser Tuesdays (35)

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


Today's book: Taken by Lilith Saint Crow

"'Half my ass is hanging out.' Sophie tugged on the skirt's hem. There was nothing like wearing your friend's clothes to remind you of your shortcomings. 'I'm what, only an inch taller than you?'" (Page 7)

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!

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

Fire Study:
The apprenticeship is over—now the real test has begun.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before....

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear.

In this thrilling conclusion to Maria V. Snyder's Study series, she has proved to me, yet again, that fantasy can be a whole lot more than just page upon page of world building. Each action-packed book in this series surpassed my expectations, keeping me so engrossed in the books I read one right after the other. I felt I was a part of Yelena's journey of self discovery, Maria's writing pulls you right into the story; so that you feel every one of her emotions as if they were your own. Yelena's strength comes from the hard lessons she was forced to endure in her life, but without them, she would have never survived to become a confident, free woman; secure in the knowledge of who and what she is--a Soulfinder. Yelena is still learning to use and control her magic, she begins her studies hoping to soon become the liaison between Sitia and Ixia; so she can be free to be with Valek...things are just never that simple for Yelena. An old enemy returns, and after his defeat, Yelena, Valek and their friends are faced with a whole new evil form of magic that has twisted Sitia's government against its own people. In order to stop a war between Sitia and Ixia, Yelena must convince the Magician's Council to overcome their fear and distrust of Soulfinders, and the Commander to delay his attack against the Sitians. Betrayal within the Council has them following the rule of a warped magician, someone who is using dark Blood Magic to advance their powers and is willing to cause countless deaths in order to become the new ruler of both Sitia and Ixia. Danger surrounds those fighting for the good of the people, and as Yelena begins to lose those closest to her, deaths caused by dark magic, she must find the strength to defeat those that hold Sitia captive before it's too late.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (35)

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


Books I read last week:
By Maria V. Snyder:
Poison Study
Magic Study
Fire Study



The book I’m reading now:
Darkness Becomes Her:
Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.


Books that spark my interest this week:
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
Darkling by Yasmine Galenorn
Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson