Moonshine by Rob Thurman

Moonshine:
After saving the world from his fiendish father's side of the family, Cal Leandros and his stalwart half-brother Niko have settled down with new digs and a new gig-bodyguard and detective work. And in New York City, where preternatural beings stalk the streets just like normal folk, business is good. Their latest case has them going undercover for the Kin-the werewolf Mafia. A low-level Kin boss thinks a rival is setting him up for a fall, and wants proof. The place to start is the back room of Moonshine-a gambling club for non-humans. Cal thinks it's a simple in-and-out job. But Cal is very, very wrong.

Cal and Niko are being set up themselves-and the people behind it have a bite much worse than their bark...

Moonshine is the second book in the Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman, and through Cal's narration we are taken into a part of New York's werewolf underground as Cal and his brother, Niko, go undercover for the Kin - the werewolf Mafia. Betrayed by who they believed to be their inside contact when he kidnaps the beloved local psychic, Georgina. The wary brothers form a loose alliance with a werewolf named Flay (a.k.a. Snowball by Cal), and the unlikely team of human, half-Auphe, Vampire, a Puck and werewolf are pulled deeper into the betrayers deception. During this action-packed book, Cal battles with his distrust of himself, seeing himself as a monster and the reason for Georgina's kidnapping. The prospects for her rescue become all the more bleaker when Niko is defeated and taken during battle (a very hard feat as you'd know if you read the first book, Nightlife) to be used as a blood sacrifice. Niko has been the only constant in Cal's life as they struggle to survive from the things that go bump in the night, and for Niko and now Georgina, Cal would willingly sacrifice his own life to gain their freedom. A much different side of Cal is revealed in Moonshine, his sarcasm and snarkiness are still very much apparent (he just wouldn't be Cal with out them) but deeper emotions are also revealed for those who surround him as he battles for those he loves.

Ramblings of My 4 Year Old Son

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So, after finally wrangling the computer back from my son, Caden, tonight I go and write a review on a book I just finished and then check out the rest of the blog for comments and such. And What do I discover?...A post made by my son, apparently my four year old knows a lot more about the computer and the internet than I initially thought! HAH! There were actually two posts, so I decided to keep just one!

Wednesday Random Recommendation...(2)

Realm of Shadows:
In an ancient churchyard just outside Paris, archeologists uncover an ancient tomb -- certain they have stumbled onto the find of the century. But something goes very wrong as the tomb is opened. Something too frightening to imagine . . . and too terrible to utter. For American visitor Tara Mason, the romantic city of her dreams has suddenly turned sinister. For she has heard the blood-curdling screams in the churchyard -- and knows that she must run away -- from the powerful stranger chasing after her . . . and from a legendary, sensual predator who stalks the night. At the country estate where she has sought refuge, the shadowy man reappears. He calls himself a guardian, sworn to protect the innocent from an evil most never see. And Tara will have to trust him, because that evil has seen her . . . and won't stop until it claims her, body and soul.

This is the fourth book in Shannon Drake's Vampire Series. Realm of Shadows was first published in 2002, and it was one of my favorites because (if I remember correctly) it is the first book which she introduces werewolves into the series...and I am a complete wolf-girl at heart!



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!

OOPS...Friday 56...Moonshine (2)

Oops! I kinda forgot to post this yesterday, here we go Moonshine by Rob Thurman:

Getting worked up over it was only going to take money out of our pockets.

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.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King:
MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY--ONE SHE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED...
Some thing has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth--that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Julie Kagawa has added a unique tale to the realm of the fey. Her Iron Fey are able to withstand, and flourish at the touch of iron, and it is slowly killing the Nevernever realm of the fey. With the advancement in technology the Iron Fey were born from the imaginations of humans. We are taken on a journey through the Nevernever to rescue Meghan's younger brother, Ethan, who was kidnapped and replaced with a changeling, Meghan discovers that her best friend, Robbie Goodfell, is none other than Robin Goodfellow or (better known as) Puck. Puck leads Meghan into the faerie realm where they encounter many friends and foes as their adventure begins. Meghan discovers that her biological father is none other than the Summer King ruler of the Seelie Courts. Along the way they meet Ash, prince if the Unseelie Courts and son of Mag, the Winter Queen. Meghan, Puck and Ash join forces in the search and rescue of Ethan, each page is filled with adventure and peril for the trio as they traverse the Nevernever, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Meghan's story and am looking forward to what happens next in The Iron Daughter.

Wednesday Random Recommendation...(1)

Drum roll please...I am going to try something to help all us readers out there get past the "slump" of the middle of the week that is Wednesday, and get us looking forward to the weekend by posting a random book I have read (I don't claim to be the first with this idea - I have no idea if anyone else is doing it - but it is something new for me!). I invite and welcome anyone interested in participating to post their own "Random Recommendation" 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!

SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human ... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

I read this book when it first came out in August of 2009, and now with all of the talk about the next book in the trilogy, LINGER (which I am desperate to read!) it has made me start thinking of the journey I first took with Sam and Grace in Shiver, and so I simply wanted to share my recommendation of this book with anyone who is interested in werewolves and romance!

Merry Sisters of Fate New Orleans CONTEST EXTRAVAGANZA!

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO:

1) pick your favorite Merry Fates short story.

2) post it to your blog, or your Facebook, or your Twitter with a link back to the story.

3) comment to this post, showing links to your blog/FB/Twitter.

EXTRA CREDIT: if you pick a story from each of them, and post links to all three. This will get you 3 entries instead of just 1.

Questions?

Yes you can post to all your social media - the more the merrier! (See what I did there?)

THE PRIZES:

They will randomly pick four winners next Monday, during their Round Table discussion (which will hopefully be a video blog!).

#4: a copy of SHIVER, signed by Maggie, doodled in by the rest of them.

#3: a copy of BALLAD, signed by Maggie, doodled in by the rest of them.

#2: an ARC of THE REPLACEMENT, signed by Brenna, doodled in by the rest of them.

#1 GRAND PRIZE WINNER: Something Awesome That they Find in New Orleans and Make Even Awesomer. They don't know what exactly it will be yet, other than it will be completely unique, insane, hilarious, and possibly sticky. (Just kidding about the sticky. Tessa Gratton hopes).


It was so hard to choose only one from each author, but here we go...Three of my Favorite Short stories from The Merry Sisters of Fate:

Still Wolf Watching by Maggie Stiefvater, because it was the inspiration from which Shiver was born!


Prenuptial by Tessa Gratton, because it's a sweet love story and I am a hopeless romantic!


The Good Daughter by Brenna Yovanoff, because I love the twist at the end!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth:
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

When I first bought this book I had no real idea of what it was about, but I bought it on the recommendation of another book blogger and I have to say The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan was very unlike any other book I have ever read. I have never read a zombie book before -- I have seen plenty of movies (which honestly just make me laugh rather than cower with fright), but never actually picked up a book and took the time to read a zombie story. Carrie's book was unlike my previous conceptions I had of zombie lore. Although it is not clearly stated what brought about the infection causing the creation of the "unconsecrated", I thoroughly enjoyed the emotional journey we are taken on as we follow Mary and her friends' daring escape when their small village becomes over-run by zombies when the protective fences around the village are breached. Mary has grown up on the stories her mother told her about the ocean and it's vastness and she desperately believes that it is out there, past the zombie infested Forest of Hands and Teeth, just waiting for her to discover the truth of her mother's words. Her friends are more skeptical, but left with no other choice, they follow her as she leads them down a path the village elders have kept secret from everyone and deep into the forest, where their journey begins.

Friday 56...Demon Keepers (1)

The book today: Demon Keepers by Jessica Anderson.

She didn't even know anymore what she was afraid of failing at, knew only that she existed to hold on to him as he surged into her on powerful thrusts that he counteracted with the iron grip he kept on her body, holding her in place as he took her with more lust than finesse, seeming driven beyond himself, beyond them both, by the chemistry they'd shared from the first.

I just purchased this book last night so it was sitting on my desk waiting to be put on my book shelf, and I haven't even read the first three books of The Final Prophesy series yet, but now I really, REALLY want to start the series so I can get to this book!


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.

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Reckoning:
My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal.
But normal is one thing I'm not. To start with, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother--who just happens to be a sorcerer--but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf.
Not normal.
My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us--permanently.
Definitely not normal.
And finally, I'm a genetically altered necromancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.
As far away from normal as it gets.

YES! It's finally here! The conclusion to Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers series! I have been waiting for this book since May of 2009 when I first discovered the series and thought "Hey, the first two books are out, so the third must be coming soon!" I brought home book one: The Summoning and book two: The Awakening, and quickly became engrossed in Chloe's world, polishing off both books in just two days and was then completely horrified to find out that I had to wait practically a full YEAR to find out what happens to Chloe and the gang! Chloe's world is based in the same world of Kelley's Women of the Otherworld series of necromancers, werewolves, sorcerers, witches, demons and vampires. From the very first book, I have been completely in love with Derek. A young werewolf who has no one to guide him through his first Change, and although he seems rather standoffish when he is first introduced, Chloe befriends him when he helps her to learn that she is a necromancer. Derek's strength lies in his ability to reveal to Chloe his vulnerability, which he doesn't even share with his adoptive brother Simon, and he quickly becomes comforted by her presence when she stays with him when he attempts the Change for the first time, and it brings them closer together.

But The Reckoning is finally here and I loved every minute of it! From start to finish this book is filled with page-turning adventure! Chloe and the gang believe they are safe living with Andrew, who they believe is a friend of Derek and Simon's missing father, Kit. Not long after they have taken up residence in the safe house, Derek and Chloe are attacked by Liam and Ramon, two adult werewolves who are wanted for murder by the Pack. A deep betrayal is soon revealed and the gang once again finds themselves on the run from the Edison Group...

If you love any of Kelley's other books you will definitely love this series from start to finish!