Vampires and Tofu

Tens List and Giveaway with Liz Gallagher, Author of My-Not -So-Still-Life

2011-05-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

From Goodreads....

Vanessa is wise beyond her years. She's never really fit in at school, where all the kids act and dress the same. She's an artist who expresses her talent in the wacky colors she dyes her hair, her makeup and clothes. She's working on her biggest art project, and counting the days until she's grown up and can really start living. That adult world seems closer when Vanessa gets her dream job at the art supply store, Palette, where she worships the couple who runs it, Oscar and Maye. And she's drawn to a mysterious guy named James, who leads her into new, sometimes risky situations. Is she ready for this world, or not?

Today I'm happy to have Liz Gallagher stop by and give us a peek in Vanessa's closet...

Vanessa's 10 Essential Wardrobe Pieces

Hair dye (A good 'do is definitely an accessory!)
Printed or colored tights (most of the year)
Fishnets (the rest of the year)
High Dr. Marten boots
Miniskirts
Tee shirts, especially with metallic details
Tank tops
Homemade jewelry
Cute bras (so they can peek out from tanks)
My messenger bag. It's made of duct tape.

Thanks! I'm planning to wear a very Vanessa outfit to my book release party this weekend, complete with pink wig and fishnets. I'm excited to "become" my character for a few hours.

(We wanna see pictures Liz!!!!)

I just read this one and I really loved it (review coming later this week.) I have a signed copy up for grabs for you. Contest runs until May 19th, open to US residents age 13 and older. All you have to do is fill out the form, but for an extra entry, leave a comment with an essential piece of YOUR wardrobe!

Mermaid's Cove Music Hop: Part of Random Magic Tour: Pirates!

2011-05-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Mermaid's Cove Music Hop

Ahoy, me darlin', ye've found a jolly round of songs for swashbucklers.

Music is a strong theme in Random Magic -- so strong, in fact, that one of the
celestial characters Winnie and Henry meet is Efterpe , the Muse of music.

So, for the love of music (and pirates), here’s a fun music hop to
check out, featuring all kinds of delicious tunes piratical.

Start anywhere you like -- for each blog stop, you’ll be able to enjoy
a merry tune, then just sail off to the next port for another round.
Hoist the mizzen and away we go!

You are here: #10 of 11: Vampires and Tofu

Dead Men Tell No Tales – Nox Arcana
Songs for: Ominous pirates

Other tales tell of sea monsters and sirens
Sunken cities and ancient maps
that lead to uncharted islands…
But these are merely stories
and the truth may never be told
For such secrets are known
only to the phantoms of the high seas
And dead men tell no tales

Random Magic quote of the piratey persuasion:

Suddenly, everything she saw seemed to go black. Her hands shook
with rage. 'Henry!' she called, then caught her breath. He was
standing up. He stumbled over to her, then sank down on deck, holding
his side.
'Gi’ us another round! yelled the crew.
'Aye, lemme have another go,' Cueball said, rolling up his sleeves.
'Keep yer bleedin' pitchfork, Pat-me-lad. Gi' us yer blade, Mary, I'll
cut 'er throat meself.'
Winnie frowned blackly. She’d had enough of this.
'Right,' she said. 'That’s it.'

Find the book Random Magic Amazon | Kindle

Set sail for a new port - check out music stop #11 of 11: Take me there.

The Mermaid’s Cove Music Hop is part of Random Magic Tour:
Pirates! You can find more fun stuff here:
Schedule
(If you enjoy a particular music pick, please consider buying the
track to help support the person or group that created it for
everyone’s enjoyment. The Red Queen is the unofficial soundtrack for
Random Magic Tour: Pirates! Happy listening!)

For the impatient,
here are all the blogs on the hop:

BONUS: Win some marrrrrrvelous plunder! Feast yer deadlights on some
great tour goodies, and if you like, join the hunt!

(Through May 30): Browse prizes or Join the hunt.

Reader note: Do you have a favorite pirate tune? Feel free to share
some of your top tunes in the comments, maybe everyone will find a
great new song to check out. If you're playing Rum + Plunder, your
comment could count towards winning one of your fave prizes, too! How to Play

Vampire Cage Matches!! Guest Post (and giveaway) by Christopher Farnsworth!!

2011-05-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

Today I have the pleasure of hosting Christopher Farnsworth, author of Blood Oath and The President's Vampire. I have to say, this post rocks...I LOVE the cage matches between all our favorite vampires and I think you will enjoy reading this one too!! Christopher has also kindly offered an awesome giveaway for one lucky reader...the winner will get a copy of his new book, The President's Vampire, a PV T-shirt, and a $25 Amazon gift certificate! Stick around after the post for details on how to win.

And now dear readers, meet Christopher Farnsworth....

For such a peaceful looking bunch of book lovers, I’ve discovered that fans of vampire fiction really are quite bloodthirsty.

This was slammed home to me when I was at Russo’s Books for a signing of my first novel BLOOD OATH. A kind, soft-spoken woman asked me to sign her copy. She said she had some problems with the beginning. She looked so sweet and demure that I began apologizing for all the blood and gore when my vampire, Nathaniel Cade, dismembers a bunch of werewolves.

She looked at me like I’d been dropped on my head a lot. “No, that was fine,” she said. “I thought it got a little too slow after that. I could have used more violence.”

I signed her book and promised to do better in the sequel.

You’ll have to judge for yourself whether THE PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE -- available everywhere now – is more violent and bloody than the first book. (I did my best.) But in the meantime, I’m offering these cage matches between famous vampires. Hopefully, that will tide you over until you can get your next fix of supernatural mayhem.

(To avoid charges of bias, I’m keeping Cade out of the running.)

Match One:
Eric Northman (“True Blood”)
vs.

Edward Cullen (Twilight)

Though both have an eye for younger women (by a couple centuries), Northman was killing people and werewolves with axes even before he was a vampire. Edward, on the other hand, tends to hang around high schools looking moody. It’s a Viking vs. that guy who’d buy beer for you on a Friday night. This wouldn’t even be close.

Match Two:
Angel (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer,”“Angel”)
Vs.
Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles)

While both Angel and Lestat have an impressive capacity for angst and for being in the right place at the wrong time, Lestat, after Queen of the Damned, could fly intercontinental distances in mere moments and appeared pretty much invulnerable. On the other hand, Angel was last seen fighting a dragon, so his sheer stubbornness might enable him to hang in there. Depending on the venue, I give this one to Lestat, but only if he doesn’t succumb to ennui and allow Angel to stake him out of boredom.

Match Three:
Count Dracula (Dracula)
Vs.
Spike (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” “Angel”)

And they’ve stepped into the ring and... Wow. That was quick. Dracula, Lord of the Undead removed Spike’s head from his shoulders and is now wiping peroxide-tinted dust off his hands. Um... We’ve got another hour of air-time to fill... So... Let’s look at that again in slow-motion.

Match Four:
Bill Compton (“True Blood”)
Vs.
Kurt Barlow (Salem’s Lot)

Bill mourns his lost humanity. He’s got a crush on a blonde waitress. And he’s been known to show incredibly bad judgment multiple times. Meanwhile, Kurt Barlow is incredibly old, can fly and even scares the bejesus out of priests. But I wouldn’t count Bill out. He’s a lot craftier than that Southern-fried accent would imply. Barlow tends to go for the familiar vampire tricks: hunting at night, turning the populace, etc. If he put his mind to it, Bill might do something as clever as bury Barlow under a few tons of wet cement.

Match Five:
Selene (Underworld)
Vs.
Janos Ferenczy (The Necroscope Series)

Ferenczy is a shape-shifting necromancer with enormous force of will and malevolence. On the other hand, Selene has guns. Big ones. I imagine that once Ferenczy realized he couldn’t order Selene around because she’s a mere female, he’d be getting a faceful of high-velocity ammunition, blowing him into so many writhing pseudopods of goo.

Of course, the most important thing to remember in all of these battles is that no matter who wins, it’s going to take their attention away from their relentless lust for human blood momentarily. At the very least, we can use that distraction for a few minutes’ head start.

Christopher Farnsworth is the author of THE PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE, available wherever books are sold. Learn more at presidentsvampire.com

Ok guys, to enter the giveaway, leave a comment with YOUR idea for a vampire cage match and who you think would win. Feel free to use the vamps mentioned here or your own favorites. Last day to enter is Friday, May 13th. Winner will be announced on Saturday. Open to US residents 13 and older. Good luck, can't wait to read your match-ups!

Spring Blog Carnival Giveaway!

2011-04-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

This is gonna be such an awesome hop cause not only are there are a gazillion great blogs for you to discover, there's also a ton of giveaways and fun challenges too! The hop is hosted by these ladies...

Candace's Book Blog
Reading Angel
Pure Imagination
The Book Swarm

For my giveaway, I'm offering you a copy of

Tighter by Adele Griffin

I just read this one (review coming soon) and I think you're gonna want to read it too!

Contest is open to 13 years and older
US and International

Wednesday's Most Wanted

2011-04-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday.
I want them.
And they're on their way =)

From the author's website...

Turned into a blood-drinking abomination in 1867, Nathaniel Cade was offered a choice by President Andrew Johnson: serve the United States, or end his unnatural existence. Cade has served every president since, he is the most closely guarded of White House secrets: a superhuman covert agent who is the last line of defense against the nightmares that threaten the American dream.

From what I understand, Cade is supposed to be a badass vampire. Which is just how I like 'em!

Review: Chime by Franny Billingsley

2011-04-25T17:33:00.001-07:00

Chime
By: Franny Billingsley
Published by: Dial
Publication date: March 17, 2011
YA, 368 pages
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From Goodreads...

Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.

Oh my gosh, I loved this one! Chime is completely unlike anything out there in the realm of YA. It's a fairytale, it's lush, it's surreal and otherwordly. I'll admit, it took me a couple of chapters to fall into the rhythm of Chime as it has its own cadence but once I did I was completely lost to Franny Billingsley's unique voice.

I thought I had read about every paranormal element out there, but Chime gives us what I can only describe as swamp fae, think localized folklore come to life. Never once did I feel I knew what to expect and I can't tell you how refreshing that was! Nothing followed formula, not the setting, not the characters, not the romance.

Briony (captured perfectly by the cover model) is tormented. Tragedy and mysterious illness have consistently befallen her family and due to her stepmother's revelations, she is convinced she is the cause. She is a witch and her emotions have manifested disaster. What an impossibly heavy burden for her to bear.

As a witch, she not only believes she is incapable of love, she also feels she doesn't have the right to express sadness, for witches don't cry. But she and Eldric become friends and I couldn't help but wonder if Briony would eventually feel the power of love and whether love would win out over evil. This is a fairytale but there are no signposts along the road guaranteeing a happy ending.

Colorful characters abound...young Tiddy Rex, Mad Tom, Cecil ~ the boy who would have her hand and Eldric, the boy who would awaken feelings she didn't think a witch could experience.
There are mysteries galore and I was never quite sure while reading what was real and what was not...though all is explained fully and satisfactorily with deeply buried secrets revealed in Chime's climax.

Eerily atmospheric and lyrical, I would recommend Chime to anyone seeking something truly original and transporting!

Review: Witch and Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

2011-04-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Witch and Wizard
By: James Patterson
Published by: Little, Brown, and Co.
Publication date: December 14, 2009
YA, 320 pages
I borrowed this book

From Goodreads...

Imagine you wake up and the world around you-life as you know it-has changed in an instant. That's what has happened to Whit Allgood and his sister, Wisty. They went to sleep as normal teenagers, and woke up as wanted criminals. Accused of holding incredible powers they'd never dreamed possible. And now, just how different they are-special, even-if just beginning to be revealed in a strange new world.

Hi guys, I know it's been a while since I posted...a little over a week actually, but I had to take a little break from the blog. I was starting to get a little stressed out over writing reviews and doing posts and the fact that I can't seem to catch up with all the books I need to read. But I've been reading some great books and I have some awesome guest posts coming up on the blog so I'm ready to dive back in!

That being said, I'm coming back atcha with my first really negative review of the year.

Witch and Wizard just didn't do it for me. There were SO many problems with this one for me, the first and the most obvious being the deal with chapter length. Each chapter is 3 pages TOPS. It was one of the most annoying things I have ever encountered while reading a book.

Second, and most importantly for me, the characters were incredibly unrealistic and flat. The author tried to make the dialogue funny but it was just ridiculous. The characters also were guilty of not having any kind of believable emotional response to anything that was happening to them.

Thirdly, the things going on in the book made no sense. There WERE a lot of things going on, but I found myself unable to feel any tension for Whit and Wisty because I just didn't care about them.

Really nothing else to say about this one. Can't recommend this one to anyone and won't be reading book two. Have any of you ever picked up a book by a big name author only to be completely disappointed??

Follow Friday

2011-04-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

This week's question....

Q. Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL? Tell us about him/her.

Honestly, I discuss books with everyone. It's such a huge part of who I am so I can't imagine there being someone in my life I DON'T talk about books with. Most...no, ALL of my closest friends are readers as well...I'm either really lucky or just drawn to people who love books (they ARE the best kind of people after all :)

(Special shout out to my real life face-to-face friends who love books too...Jenny, Tamara, Michele, Michelle, Michelle (yup, 3 of 'em) Luanne, Shirleen, Diana, Angela, Margaret, Xoch, Melissa, Lisa, Carlos, Kelli-Ann, April, Norma, Ryan, Debbie, Beau, and Emma)

Waiting on Wednesday: The Taker by Alma Katsu

2011-04-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Taker
By: Alma Katsu
Published by: Gallery
Publication date: September 6, 2011 (but should be available from Book Depository TOMORROW!)

I first heard about this one over at Daisy Chain Book Reviews (Click to read her review and you will want to read it too!) and it went straight to the top of my want list. (And I love the cover ~ black, white, and red are my favorite colors =)

Product description from Book Depository...

True love can last an eternity...Have you ever loved someone so much that you'd do anything for them? When Dr Luke Findley turns up to his hospital shift in the small town of St Andrews, Maine, he's expecting just another evening of minor injuries and domestic disputes. But instead, Lanore McIlvrae walks into his life - and changes it forever. For Lanny is a woman with a past...Lanny McIlvrae is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. Hers is a story of love and betrayal that defies time and transcends mortality - and cannot end until Lanny's demons are finally put to rest. Her two hundred years on this earth have seen her seduced by both decadence and brutality - but through it all she has stayed true to the one true love of her life. Until now. An unforgettable novel about the power of unrequited love to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, "The Taker" is an immortal love story on an epic scale...

New on my Shelf

2011-04-10T20:21:00.001-07:00

Lots of awesomeness this week….first up is Zombie Cupcakes which I won from Velvet at vvb32 Reads. The pictures and cupcakes are amazing and as soon as I can assemble all the ingredients I will make some and post pictures for you.

The next four were received for review (I’m reading The Psychopath Test right now and it’s fascinating!) And look at that cover for Imaginary Girls….gorgeous!!

And these four were won from Among the Muses

I can’t wait to read all of these!!!

Review: How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

2011-04-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf
By: Molly Harper
Published by: Pocket
Publication date: February 22, 2011
Adult Paranormal Romance, 384 pages
Won from Escape Between the Pages
Favorite Quote: “Well, that cinched it. He was an asshole. I was definitely going to end up sleeping with him.”

From Amazon....

Even in Grundy, Alaska, it’s unusual to find a naked guy with a bear trap clamped to his ankle on your porch. But when said guy turns into a wolf, recent southern transplant Mo Wenstein has no difficulty identifying the problem. Her surly neighbor Cooper Graham—who has been openly critical of Mo’s ability to adapt to life in Alaska—has trouble of his own. Werewolf trouble.

For Cooper, an Alpha in self-imposed exile from his dysfunctional pack, it’s love at first sniff when it comes to Mo. But Cooper has an even more pressing concern on his mind. Several people around Grundy have been the victims of wolf attacks, and since Cooper has no memory of what he gets up to while in werewolf form, he’s worried that he might be the violent canine in question.

If a wolf cries wolf, it makes sense to listen, yet Mo is convinced that Cooper is not the culprit. Except if he’s not responsible, then who is? And when a werewolf falls head over haunches in love with you, what are you supposed to do anyway? The rules of dating just got a whole lot more complicated. . . .

I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to adult paranormal romance. I won't even pick up a book that has a shirtless, headless man or a midriff baring leather clad chick on the cover. Either the heroine is TOO snarky or too much of a horndog or both. I like to be able to relate a little bit to the main character and I like to think I'm a pretty nice non-slut. (Although if Johnny Depp should arrive at my doorstep one night, all bets are off.) Molly Harper has done a fine job of creating a heroine who's likeable and a story that's laugh out loud funny (and sexy too!)

Mo Wenstein is fresh out of a broken engagement and decides it is time to wipe the slate clean, break away from her mega involved hippie parents and make a fresh start of it somewhere far from home. I happen to LOVE this kind of story...think Under the Tuscan Sun, Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts, Chocolat. I think I must harbor a secret fantasy of chucking it all and running away to somewhere new and exotic. Of course in all these stories, the heroine has some incredible cooking skills and so I fear I must stay put. Unless there is a great demand somewhere for a woman who has mastered the skills of vegetarian microwave cookery. Mo is no exception to this rule, but I'm getting ahead of myself here. She decides to migrate to the small town of Grundy, Alaska....which in my head looks something like this...

After settling in to the cabin she has rented, she heads into town and the local saloon, where she soon finds herself being offered a job as a short order cook (there's the cooking) and making friends with a colorful cast of locals. Among those locals is the gorgeous, yet snarly Cooper. He regards Mo as an outsider and is constantly giving her a hard time, convinced she will high tail it out of there once the really cold weather hits. Also among the locals is dear, sweet handsome Alan who is so into her, but we know the drill ladies. It's the challenge and the a**hole that gets our heroines every time!

Mo finds Cooper on her porch one night. Naked. With his leg caught in a bear trap. And then he shifts into a wolf. She had her suspicions, but this confirms it. Hot and heavy smexiness ensues and Mo and Cooper find themselves head over paws with each other. But of course something always has to stand in the way of true love and it's a series of brutal wolf attacks that throws a wrench in the cogs of romance. Cooper can't always remember what he does in wolf form and is afraid he might be responsible and doesn't want to put Mo in danger. Meanwhile the townsfolk are gearing up for a wolf hunt to keep the town safe. Now, throw in some conflict with the wolf pack Cooper walked away from and you have enough tension to keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was lighthearted and fun and best of all it had characters I really liked. Mo was a great heroine...smart, funny, vulnerable yet tough at the same time. Cooper, despite his initial snarliness was sexy and oh so alpha. Grundy, Alaska was a fun place to visit and I am definitely looking forward to reading the next installment...The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Long Goodbye by Meghan O'Rourke

2011-04-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

The Long Goodbye
By: Meghan O'Rourke
Published by: Riverhead
Publication date: April 14, 2011
Memoir, 320 pages

This week's WoW is a very personal one for me. My mom died 9 years ago, at the far too young age of 55 and that loss and its accompanying grief isn't really something any of my friends can truly relate to. The Long Goodbye is the author's story of losing HER mom and I'm expecting...needing...to find a little bit of myself and my feelings in its pages.

From Goodreads...

What does it mean to mourn today, in a culture that has largely set aside rituals that acknowledge grief? After her mother died of cancer at the age of fifty-five, Meghan O’Rourke found that nothing had prepared her for the intensity of her sorrow. In the first anguished days, she began to create a record of her interior life as a mourner, trying to capture the paradox of grief-its monumental agony and microscopic intimacies-an endeavor that ultimately bloomed into a profound look at how caring for her mother during her illness changed and strengthened their bond.

O’Rourke’s story is one of a life gone off the rails, of how watching her mother’s illness-and separating from her husband-left her fundamentally altered. But it is also one of resilience, as she observes her family persevere even in the face of immeasurable loss.

With lyricism and unswerving candor, The Long Goodbye conveys the fleeting moments of joy that make up a life, and the way memory can lead us out of the jagged darkness of loss. Effortlessly blending research and reflection, the personal and the universal, it is not only an exceptional memoir, but a necessary one.

It's Been a Year!

2011-04-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but it's been a year since I started Vampires and Tofu! And let me tell you, it's been an AWESOME year. I love reading. I always have. And I love being a part of this book blogging community that shares that love. I have talked to so many wonderful people as a result of this blog and I want you all to know how much I appreciate you for reading what I write, for sharing your opinions with me and for always being so warm and kind to me. I also thank all my fellow bloggers for all the work you put into your own blogs and for inspiring me with all you do. And of course thanks to all the wonderful authors who have written the books I have fallen in love with.

Thank you all so much for coming along for the awesome ride that my first year of blogging has been!

image source

Review Repost: Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

2011-04-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

Jasper Jones
By: Craig Silvey
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date: April 5, 2011
YA, 320 pages

I was lucky enough to get to read this one last year and since it is releasing here tomorrow, I thought I would repost my review of it because it was wonderful and definitely worth a read!!

From Goodreads...

Late on a hot summer night in 1965, Charlie Bucktin, a precocious and bookish boy of thirteen, is startled by an urgent knock on the window of his sleep-out. His visitor is Jasper Jones, an outcast in the regional mining town of Corrigan. Rebellious, mixed-race and solitary, Jasper is a distant figure of danger and intrigue for Charlie. So when Jasper begs for his help, Charlie eagerly steals into the night by his side, terribly afraid but desperate to impress. Jasper takes him to his secret glade in the bush, and it's here that Charlie bears witness to Jasper's horrible discovery. With his secret like a brick in his belly, Charlie is pushed and pulled by a town closing in on itself in fear and suspicion as he locks horns with his tempestuous mother; falls nervously in love and battles to keep a lid on his zealous best friend, Jeffrey Lu. And in vainly attempting to restore the parts that have been shaken loose, Charlie learns to discern the truth from the myth, and why white lies creep like a curse. In the simmering summer where everything changes, Charlie learns why the truth of things is so hard to know, and even harder to hold in his heart.

There have been many books I have thought of as 5 star books for various reasons...they were fun to read, they were entertaining, the descriptions were vivid and they played like a movie in my head. And then there are those magical books that come along only ever once in awhile that make you realize you need a 6 star rating system because they just shine above and beyond.

That's Jasper Jones.

The story is told by Charlie, who gets a surprise visit from Jasper Jones one night and becomes involved in a terrible mystery that affects the whole town they live in. It's also Charlie's coming of age story, his journey from the relative safety of childhood to realizing the world isn't always a pretty place. Cruelty isn't just confined to the schoolyard, it happens out there in the real world too.

Silvey is a master of dialogue, the voices of Charlie and Jasper and Jeffrey Lu (Charlie's best friend and all around AWESOME, I ADORED him) are SO incredibly vivid. Each has a distinct personality and sense of humor (and oh my, there were some real laugh out loud moments in this book.) I felt like I KNEW these guys and I genuinely cared for each one. But this was so much more than a telling of what was said or what was done. We get to hear that voice in Charlie's head...the one that wonders why and asks the big questions and then lets us know what he thinks. And we get to nod our heads and say, "Yes, yes Charlie, that's EXACTLY how it is." His observations on the world we live in are spot on.

Not to mention his opinion on Batman, which is nothing short of brilliant.

Jasper Jones is, quite simply, beautifully written. It is the kind of book you feel grateful for after closing its pages. And a little sad when it's over because you hate to say goodbye.

Winners!

2011-04-03T17:55:00.001-07:00

The winner of the Fool for Books Giveaway is...

Kate H.

The winners of Megan Munroe's Bitch, Please! are...

Juju from Tales of Whimsy

and

Jessica from Taking It One Book at a Time

Winners have been emailed, thanks to all who entered!!

Fool for Books Giveaway Hop

2011-03-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Fool for Books Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

Up for grabs, your choice of either of these...

(Awaken won't be out for another couple of months, but I just finished it and it was AWESOME!)

This giveaway closes at midnight on April 2. Open to readers 13 and older and yes, it's International!

Check out the other blogs participating h ere

Fill out this form to enter...

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Waiting on Wednesday: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

2011-03-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
By: Ransom Riggs
Published by: Quirk Books
Publication date: June 7, 2011
352 pages, YA

From Goodreads....

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here—one of whom was his own grandfather—were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

I am SO intrigued by the sound of this one...plus it's got vintage photos, love the idea of that!! Especially if they are anything like the one on the cover =)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

ARC Review: Night Road by Kristin Hannah

2011-03-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Night Road
By: Kristin Hannah
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: March 22, 2011
400 pages
5 Stars!!!!
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review

From Amazon...

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm’s way. It has always been easy-- until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

Ok, this is the first book of the year to make me cry like a baby. Twice. Kristin Hannah managed to tear me apart and then put me back together again with this one and it won't be soon forgotten.

At the start of Night Road, we are introduced to Lexi Baill, a foster kid who has just found out she has an aunt who is willing to take her in. Lexi's life has been hard, but it hasn't hardened her heart. While she's afraid of being hurt, she still manages to hold on to hope and stay open to the possibility of good things in her life. She's bent, but she's not broken. On her first day at a new school, she bites the bullet, puts herself out there and introduces herself to a girl she finds sitting alone reading a book. That girl is Mia Farraday and the girls end up becoming best friends. Mia is a central character as well. Under the shadow of her popular twin brother Zach, Mia has never been able to shine and suffers from shyness and self doubt, but Lexi and Mia's friendship brings out something special, beautiful and fragile in them both and over the years Mia blossoms and starts coming into her own.

Along the way Lexi and Zach fall in love. Afraid to hurt Mia's feelings, they keep their relationship secret for as long as they can....not just from Mia but from Zach and Mia's mom, Jude. It was a long journey for Jude to have kids so she is fiercely protective of them and, what some might call over-involved in their lives. But she is never an unlikeable character. If anything I identified with her character the most. Maybe because I'm a mom of a high school age daughter and I could relate to her feelings of fear and loss as she watched her kids grow up and get closer to the time when they would be adults and leave home. When your kids are little, you're afraid of so many little things but you never realize how much harder it is when they are older and not constantly under your watchful eye. So while Jude may have seemed overprotective at times, I could so easily understand her distress. It's not easy to hand your kid the car keys and watch them drive away from you.

Senior year finds all the kids planning for their future. Mia wants to study acting at UCLA and the plan is for Zach to attend medical school there. Jude is practically obsessed with all the applications and deadlines and making sure her twins go to school together. But things are different for Lexi. Her aunt is poor so Lexi's only option is community college and Zach is finding the idea of leaving her behind for school harder and harder to swallow and this causes serious conflict in the Farraday family.

Take all that pressure on the kids, throw in a senior party where alcohol is present and you have the recipe for tragedy. I won't reveal exactly what happens but it is heartbreaking and changes everyone's lives in huge, dramatic ways. And by the time it happened, I was so invested in these characters I felt like it was happening to people I knew. Seriously you guys, not since Katniss, Peeta and Gale have I had characters crawl into my heart and take up residence like these did.

There is SO much more that happens but to discuss any of it would be to give too much away. Suffice it to say I am confident recommending this book to everyone...from my 17 year old daughter to my 40 year old bestie (who I just loaned it to because I HAVE to get someone's else's reaction to this book!) Read it and prepare to have your emotions hijacked and taken for a ride down Night Road.

Guest Post by Deborah Cooke, author of Flying Blind (Dragons!!)

2011-03-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Why Dragons?

By Deborah Cooke

http://www.thedragondiaries.com

http://www.deborahcooke.com

People often ask me why I write about dragon shapeshifters. Why not other kinds of shapeshifters? they ask. Why not vampires?

Why NOT dragons? I can’t think of another creature more fascinating. I like how dragons look. I like how ferocious and protective they are. I like to imagine them fighting each other, maybe in a night sky filled with stars. I love that they are fond of solving riddles – dragons aren’t fools, usually – and that they are known to be particularly perceptive. I think it’s amazing that they breathe flames, and yet, it’s awesome that they can fly.

I read THE LORD OF THE RINGS repeatedly as a teenager – “obsessively” might be a better choice of word – and one of the characters who most intrigued me was Smaug. Smaug was the only reason I read THE HOBBIT at all, and the pages that feature that dragon were the most worn ones in my copy. I doodled Smaug on my notebooks. I loved the Tolkien calendars illustrated by the Brothers Hildebrandt - when Smaug was the illustration of the month, the page tended to not be turned on time. So, you could say that Smaug started me on a journey, hunting dragon lore and reading stories about dragons wherever I could find them.

There are lots of stories about dragons and I’ve always liked that they had such extensive roots in mythology. We humans have been talking about dragons for a long time. I can imagine that that’s because we’ve known actual dragons, that they’ve been amongst us before and now they’re just a bit more reticent. Maybe they’re dragon shapeshifters, and they mingle with us in human form, while we remain unaware of their secret lives. The idea of a secret world of dragon shapeshifters is behind my Dragonfire series of paranormal romances.

In my Dragonfire world, there is only ever one female dragon shapeshifter. She’s called the Wyvern and has special powers – besides being enigmatic and elusive. The Dragon Diaries evolved organically as a separate YA series when I realized that the little girl who was rumoured to be the new Wyvern would have to come into her powers one day, and that day would come when she was a teenager. This June will bring Zoë Sorensson and the first book on her journey to mastering her dragon and Wyvern powers with FLYING BLIND. I’m really enjoying this series, maybe because I often dreamed of becoming a dragon myself when I was a teenager – one who could match wits or compete in flame-throwing contests with my hero Smaug.

Or just fly through a midnight sky. Like Zoë, I would have yearned to become mysterious, and to be able to see the future (as the Wyvern is supposed to be able to do.) And like Zoë, I probably would have kept the current update of my Incinerate Now list at the tips of my talons.

If you could be any creature – mythical or real – what would you choose to be? Why?

Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke releases June 7, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-03-15T19:08:00.001-07:00

The Sequel to Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton which I absolutely loved!!!!
Available November 19, 2011
I know it's a long way off but this is my most wanted this week!

From Amazon...

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.
Teagan 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.

~And don't forget to enter my current giveaway here ~

Bitch, Please! Megan Munroe Guest Post and Giveaway!

2011-03-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

Bitch, Please!
By: Megan Munroe
Published by: Turner Publishing
Publication date: March 21, 2011
236 pages

Ok, How much do you love that title???

Megan Munroe, author of Bitch, Please is dropping by to talk about nice girls in popular fiction and has kindly offered up two copies of her book for you! Stick around til the end of the post for your chance to win. And now, here's Megan....

Well Behaved Women Rarely Make Antagonists:

Lessons from Fiction’s Most Famous “Nice Girls”

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures,” and as the founder of The Nice Girls Rule Movement and author of “Bitch? Please! How Nice Girls Can Succeed in a Bitch’s World”, I wonder if Mr. Emerson would agree that the “nice girl” heroine in fiction doesn’t get the kudos she deserves in real life.

Fables promote nice girls finishing first and praise them for morality and valiance, but reality applauds the opposite. In fiction, like Cinderella, we see the good girl getting the man, the castle, and the sexy glass heels, but the reality of our culture’s current climate is that the evil stepsister seems to be getting what the nice girl deserves.

If Ralph was right and fiction does reveal truth, then let’s celebrate some of fiction’s most famous nice girls and encourage each other to believe that the beauty of behaving well does have a happy ending.

Jane Bennet | Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is the classic tale of unsuspecting love and fairytale endings. And despite the wide variety of lovable and intricate characters, the “nice girl” among them would have to be Jane Bennet. While her mild temperament and sweet-to-a-fault disposition almost cost her the love of Mr. Bingley, we were never happier for her when he finally did pop the question. Without conniving or gold digging, Jane Bennet reveals that you can have it all while keeping your heart in the right place.

Anne Shirley | Anne of Green Gables

Anne Shirley isn’t your typical nice girl. An orphan who grew up in a world where she was considered daft, Anne was often overlooked and misunderstood. A spirited redhead with a temper to match, she gets into trouble at school, irks her adoptive mother, and of course butts heads with her ultimate love, Gilbert Blythe. But her fiery attitude isn’t rooted in meanness. She desperately wants to be “angelically good,” but her vivid imagination always gets the better of her. An academic whiz, bosom friend, and kindred spirit, Anne Shirley is a model nice girl who teaches us you don’t have to be like everyone else to follow your dreams.

Lily Owens | The Secret Life of Bees

She may have accidentally killed her mother at the age of four, but that doesn’t mean that her dark past has any bearing on her bright future. In this story a fourteen-year-old white girl begins pondering the prevalent racism in rural South Carolina and progressively learns that love transcends skin color. Instead of smoking cigarettes behind the outhouse or judging others based upon appearances, Lily blossoms into a graceful young woman, who can teach all nice girls a thing or two about accepting those who are different than you.

Nancy Drew | The Nancy Drew Series

Most young girls read a Nancy Drew mystery novel at one point in their lives. Ms. Drew is a squeaky-clean sleuth with a penchant for unveiling secrets and setting things straight. Motivated by exposing the truth, Nancy teaches us to trust our instincts and to never second-guess our intuition, even when it seems that no one takes us seriously.

Georgia Walker | The Friday Night Knitting Club

Georgia Walker proves to all nice girls that second chances are the ultimate saving grace. Founder of a knitting club and single mother to her daughter Dakota, Georgia invites and inspires women in her community to become active members of each other’s lives and promotes a sense of sisterhood that is rarely found among women in our culture. Backbiting, jealousy, and covetousness are nowhere to be found, and instead, a bond of women is formed while each character grows and learns from each other. Georgia, in the end, discovers that even when you think your world is falling apart you are really just beginning to truly live.

Bella Swan | The Twilight Series

Bella is an unlikely nice girl. A moody, withdrawn type who doesn’t play super nice with those whose blood doesn’t run cold, she still has certain attributes that lend themselves to the nice-girl lifestyle. First, she doesn’t sleep with her high school boyfriend. (A feat in today’s sexually charged culture.) Second, she doesn’t cuss or wear revealing clothing. Third, she doesn’t run around boasting about Edward’s undying love for her or his super-sweet set of wheels. She’s humble, to the point of self-deprecation, and endearingly awkward. She’s proof that you don’t have to party, sleep with the football team, or wear sexy duds to get the guy or to possess eternal love.

Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan | The Help

Returning home is never easy, but when you are an unmarried woman “along in years” returning to Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960’s it is borderline taboo. But Skeeter Phelan is a nice girl who isn’t afraid to talk about taboos. In this beautifuly written story, Skeeter embarks on a journey to unveil truths about an often-overlooked society of women who are treated unfairly by their racist employers. She teaches nice girls that even when you are met with resistance, doing the right thing is worth the uphill climb.

Laura Ingalls | Little House on the Prairie

The wild frontier’s ultimate nice girl, Laura Ingalls took “honor thy father and mother” quite literally. Quick to help and never one to willingly disobey “ma” and “pa”, Laura’s actions have us asking is she a little too nice for reality? Her nice girl status shines through as she deals with her own share of troubles with a certain big B, Nellie Oleson. Their interaction in three of the Prairie books teaches all nice girls that exercising grace in the midst of even the meanest girls can help you rise above even the lowest of punches.

Katherine | The Taming of the Shrew

At first glance Katherine may seem like the biggest B on the block, but we discover as the story unfolds that even mean girls have a nice girl underneath if they are willing to dig deep enough for it. Unhappiness rules Katherine, so she turns to a sharp tongue and ill temper to keep people away. This is the exact type of insecurity that every B suffers from. This mean-girl-gone-good teaches nice girls everywhere that you shouldn’t jump to conclusions about a shrew in your life, and instead try to peel back some of her prickly layers one page at a time.

Hester Prynne | The Scarlet Letter

I know, I know. How did Hester Prynne make the list? She committed adultery and was the object of scorn and shame in her community. Well, nice girls don’t always get it right the first time. Nice girls make mistakes too, but Hester learned how to love the lowly in spirit through her experience and spent her free time caring for the poor and bringing them food and clothing. In the end, she becomes a hero to the women in her community and a confidant for other women who have suffered similar injustices.

There are so many wonderful examples of nice girls in literature, but these are just a few of my favorites. I encourage you to value and uplift the protagonist nice girl in your own life and to stay true to your own storyline, no matter what antagonist may be standing in your way.

Megan Munroe is the author of Bitch, Please! How Nice Girls Can Succeed in a Bitch’s World, and founder of the Nice Girls Rule Movement. For more ideas on becoming the Nice Girl in your cast of characters visit: www.nicegirlsrule.blogspot.com or www.meganmunroeauthor.com.

And now, for your chance to win, please leave a comment telling me who your favorite fictional nice girl is. My fave has got to be Evie from Paranormalcy ~ such a sweetheart and I just ADORED everything about her!
The contest will run until March 31, two winners will be chosen at random and the books will be mailed directly from the publisher. Open to US residents 13 and older. Good luck!

New on My Shelf

2011-03-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Wings

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

Illusions

Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.

But just as life is returning to normal, Laurel discovers that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail.

The Weird Sisters

The three Andreas sisters grew up in the cloistered household dominated by their Shakespearean professor father, a prominent, eccentric academic whose reverence for the Bard left its imprint on his daughters' names: Rosalind (As You Like It), Bianca (The Taming of the Shrew), and Cordelia (King Lear). The siblings eventually left home and escaped their ponderous monikers with nicknames, but their mother's medical maladies brings them back. Before long, their unwelcome reunion reveals that they all have problems: Rose is force-feeding a troubled relationship; Bean is entangled in a big city case of embezzlement; and unmarried Cordy is pregnant. Eleanor Brown's first fiction has justly won praise as "thought-provoking... poignant... sparkling and devourable."

Night Road

Jude Farraday is a happily married, stay-at-home mom who puts everyone’s needs above her own. Her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill enters their lives, no one is more supportive than Jude. A former foster child with a dark past, Lexi quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. But senior year of high school brings unexpected dangers and one night, Jude’s worst fears are confirmed: there is an accident. In an instant, her idyllic life is shattered and her close-knit community is torn apart. People—and Jude—demand justice, and when the finger of blame is pointed, it lands solely on eighteen-year-old Lexi Baill. In a heartbeat, their love for each other will be shattered, the family broken. Lexi gives up everything that matters to her—the boy she loves, her place in the family, the best friend she ever had—while Jude loses even more.

When Lexi returns, older and wiser, she demands a reckoning. Long buried feelings will rise again, and Jude will finally have to face the woman she has become. She must decide whether to remain broken or try to forgive both Lexi…and herself.

The Source of All Things

Tracy Ross never knew another dad. Her biological father died when she was just seven months old, so the arrival of a stepfather four years later seemed to fill an empty spot in her life. For years, she thrived on his presence and the trips the family took in the unspoiled mountain wilderness of Idaho. All that changed suddenly when she was eight. As if awakening into a nightmare, she experienced the first of dozens of sexual attacks by the man she most trusted. This piercing memoir recalls those nighttime visits, but stretches far beyond those loathsome moments, recounting the emotional struggles that Tracy experienced even into her adult years. In a poignant section, she recreates the recent meeting in which she confronted her betrayer. An unforgettable memoir of a brave woman's recovery.

For Review
Illusions
Night Road
The Source of All Things
Bought
Wings
Gifted for Kindle
The Weird Sisters

Review: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

2011-03-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

Falling Under
By: Gwen Hayes
Published by: NAL Trade
Publication date: March 1, 2011
336 pages
Young Adult
I bought this book

From Goodreads....

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Wow!! Falling Under was unlike anything I have ever read before. You know what I loved best about it?? The dangerous boy ACTUALLY FELT DANGEROUS!! I get a little annoyed when books try to present a bad boy and he ends up being as harmless as a teddy bear. Definitely not the case here and I love that Hayes was willing to let Haden have a dark side.

You know what else I loved? The imagination and creativity that went into creating some truly eerie dreamscapes. The "Under" world was populated with nightmarish creatures and scenery. I've been waiting for a book like this, one that has the opportunity to create a richly detailed otherworld where anything goes and Falling Under definitely delivers.

I like the characters of Theia and Haden (and let me just say I adore the names in this book...Theia ~ Greek for Goddess, Haden ~ a play on Hades, Mara ~ nightmare) and while I thought their intense feelings for each other kinda came outta nowhere, I was still able to buy into their relationship. The supporting characters were some of my favorites of recent YA reads. There's sweet, naive and somewhat insecure Amelia along with her polar opposite Donatella, the brash, says-it-like-it-is, naughy, super confident girl. I absolutely adored these characters and their respective boys (Donnie's boy was amazing =)

I found Falling Under very hard to put down. I have a fondness for tales dark and goth and if you do as well, pick this one and fall under its spell.

By the way, I couldn't get the song 'Going Under" by Evanescence out of my mind while I was reading this one.....

I'm going under (going under)
Drowning in you (drowning in you)
I'm falling forever (falling forever)
I've got to break through

Check out the book trailer, it's what actually convinced me to pick this one up (first time a trailer has done that.) I fell in love with the imagery and was so happy that it reflected the feel of the book so perfectly.

Book Blogger Hop (3/4-3/7)

2011-03-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

Time for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Crazy for Books. This week's question:

Who's your all-time favorite book villain?

"The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed"

And so we are introduced to Randall Flagg, the ultimate embodiment of evil from Stephen King's Gunslinger series (and numerous other King works.) I started reading this series when book one first came out back in 1982 and stayed with it til the final chapter in 2004. My favorite book series of all time!

What I'm Reading and New on My Shelf

2011-02-28T18:25:00.001-08:00

Sorry I don't have any new reviews ready for you. I've been reading A Game of Thrones and A Discovery of Witches, and while they are both really good so far, they are LONG!!! Have you read either of these yet? What did you think of them??

I'm gonna have to set those aside for a little while though because HarperCollins just approved me (via the awesomeness that is Net Galley) for THESE wickedly amazing titles that I have been DYING to read. Expect a review of one of these soon! Any suggestions as to which one I should read first?

Book Blogger Hop (Feb 25th-28th, 2011)

2011-02-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

This is my first time taking part in the Book Blogger Hop. I've read and enjoyed everyone's answers for the longest time, so I decided it was high time I joined in the fun!

The Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books, you can click the pic to get all the deets.

This week's question is:

"Do you ever wish you would have named your blog something different?"

Nope! I picked it totally spur of the moment, on the spot but it represents me pretty well I think. Vamps have always been my favorite supernatural, I was even named after a character on the old vampire soap opera Dark Shadows =) And the tofu...well, I've been a vegetarian for almost 5 years and it just seemed like a funny thing to pair up with vampires. Depending on what I'm reading (and eating) at the moment, I DO sometimes think of other pairings tho...

Faeries and French Fries
Werewolves and Oreos
Demons and Del Taco
(I may like the junk food every now and then =)

A Vampires at Midnyte Review: The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

2011-02-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

Image Source

My friend Pam over at Midnyte Reader came up with the awesome idea of doing a review together for our blogs. Since I'm Vampires and Tofu and she's Midnyte Reader, we decided to call our blog baby Vampires at Midnyte and we hope to make this a semi-regular feature. It was SO much fun to discuss the book with her and bounce our opinions off each other...we hope you enjoy it too!!

The Iron Queen
By: Julie Kagawa
Published by: Harlequin
Publication date: January 25, 2011
368 pages
I received a digital version of this book via NetGalley for review

Favorite quote:

MR: “I am a cat.” –Grimalkin (same favorite quote as in The Iron Daughter). “I don’t see how you mortals do it, these feelings you must endure.” –The Oracle.

V&T Agreed!! Grim is right behind Meghan as my favorite character. And I imagine my two cats saying this all the time now.

All in all:

MR: Enjoyable

V&T: I enjoyed this one too, although I have to admit I didn’t love it as much as the first two.

PLOT:

MR: The final book in the Iron King series left off where the 2nd one ended. It took a direction which I really didn't see coming. For some reason, I thought that it was going to be mostly about Ash and Megan in the human world. However, they quickly return to Faery in order to save it from the infiltration of the Iron Fey.

I thought the end was interesting and also a bit of a surprise.

However, The Iron Queen left me a little frustrated. I think some of it has to do with some of the characters and some of it was my expectations. I thought that certain plot points would have more impact and I also felt that the plotline was too similar to other stories I’ve read before.

V&T: There wasn’t as much magic for me in this one. I think it’s due in part to so much of the story taking place in The Iron Kingdom. I used to play World of Warcraft, which is a visually AMAZING game. There’s this one area in the game called Ironforge and I used to hate having to go there for quests because everything was so…well, iron and forges and steam and mechanical monsters and it held no appeal to me. I preferred the lands where the scenery was beautiful and breathtaking…it was much more fun to play there. And it was much more fun to read about the parts of The NeverNever that were beautiful and breathtaking as well.

The ending was a surprise for me too, but I did find it satisfying.

I really expected more of the story to take place in the mortal world as well. Since the world of Faery depends on the dreams and beliefs of mortal man and that’s why the Iron Fey came into existence, I thought something would be done in the mortal realm to rekindle man’s reverence for nature and not just technology. Or at the very least that something would be said about people caring about the environment more now and how that’s helping the Wyldewood survive. I just didn’t get how this could be a battle fought entirely in the land of Faery.

MR: Yeah, I guess it seemed like the Iron Kingdom almost had more in common with our world, because we are so dependent and immersed in all things iron and technological. I think you have a great point being that is how the Iron Fey came into existence in the first place. The book did stress that if Faery fell apart the human world would not be far behind. So I guess one of the ideas of this trilogy is that technology in the human world will not cease, so the NeverNever in Faery, which is purely magical, has to find a compromise with the Iron Kingdom and vice versa.

V&T I’m really hoping to see more of how that plays out in the mortal realm in the next book!

MR: My hope is that she’ll include some of that.

CHARACTERS:

MR: What I like best about this book is the relationship between Ash and Megan. It grows more and there are some interesting developments. Megan is more likeable and she takes her responsibility seriously, shows maturity and character. Perhaps it was because she was secure with her relationship with Ash and his feelings for her or maybe it was because she grew up. I looooved Ash in this book. He is still moody and stoic yet we see more glimpses of his character.

I liked Puck less in this book. He is very petulant and he sneered over and over and over. I feel it was a bit overkill. However, he does of course, redeem himself. Again, I loved Grimalkin. Maybe more so in this book. I also liked a few other characters that came to Megan’s aid, like Razor. He reminded me of a hyper, tiny robot. I also liked the Clockmaker and his riddles, but really, I didn’t see what the riddles did to move the plot along.

V&T: I know this is gonna put me in the minority, but Ash was my least favorite character. This time around it felt like he was defined solely by his love for Meghan and that made him a little boring for me. I would have liked to see him care about something else in life and be a little more of his own person. Meghan was my favorite character. I really liked her strength, growth, determination and how her values have stayed consistent throughout the trilogy.

Ok, I’m not gonna say anything more about Ash, I don’t want anyone lobbing any virtual tomatoes my way! I completely agree with Midnyte about Puck. I was always a team Puck girl myself but I didn’t really care for him much for the majority of this book. “Petulant” is the PERFECT way to describe him!

MR: Hmm. That is an interesting point about Ash and I can definitely see how you would get that. But on the other hand, she was his world at that point. He had made his choice of true love over duty. His family didn’t give him what Megan did. I also felt I saw some redemption in him. He loved someone once before and he made the decision that he was going to do everything he could to keep the love he found again. He revealed other past actions to Megan so she could understand the kind of person he is or rather the person he was. Yes, he stepped up to defend Faery because he was following Megan’s lead, but I do feel he contributed his own passion to the battle because he wanted to save Faery as much as she did.

V&T And here is where we agree to disagree! Ok, so I DO agree that Meghan was his world at that point but I just don’t like it when characters do that. And I think it would have to drive Meghan crazy at some point. Give her 20 years. She’ll be begging him to go get a beer with Puck…

Speaking of which, I have to add that I’m really hoping there will be a lot of Ash/Puck interaction in The Iron Knight. I love their moments together and their friendship/rivalry.

MR: Ha. That made me laugh. Yes, I do agree that a man who is so devoted to you can get…tedious? Annoying? But it just didn’t bother me that much. Perhaps because I felt his personality shone through. And yes, I think Ash and Puck are a great foil for each other! Their relationship is almost a microcosm of the Fey world and the precarious balance that exists there. Summer vs. Winter. Can’t live with each other, can’t live without each other!

WRITING:

MR: I also like the contemplative tone of this book. Megan wonders what the future holds for her, what will become of Ash if he stays in the mortal realm, if their relationship can really survive. She thinks about people and their stories and even asks herself at one point, “I wonder what my ending will be?”

This is just one of my quirky pet peeves, but I do wish the book didn’t reference popular culture movies for descriptions. Instead of telling me that things were like Lord of the Rings, The Terminator and Star Trek, just describe it…or leave it out.

I did love the descriptions. I also like how the author used more Celtic lore in this book, with references to Summer Magic and Fomorians.

V&T I loved the descriptions as well, that’s really one of my favorite aspects of Kagawa’s writing. There were many scenes that played out like a movie in my head and were downright epic.

FINAL VERDICT:

MR: Even if you didn’t read the first two, I think someone would still enjoy The Iron Queen. The ending was bittersweet but hopeful.

V&T All in all, a solid third installment in the Iron Fey series. I’m looking forward to The Iron Knight and to finding out how everything wraps up!

MR: Me too!

MR: 3.75 stars
V&T: 4 stars

Review: The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver

2011-02-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Demon Trapper's Daughter
By: Jana Oliver
Published By: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
368 pages

Won in a giveaway

5 stars!

From the back cover...

It's the year 2018, and with human society seriously disrupted by the economic upheavals of the previous decade, Lucifer has increased the number of demons in all major cities. Fortunately, humans are protected by trappers, who work to keep homes and streets safe from the things that go bump in the night.

Riley has always dreamed of following in her father's demon-trapper footsteps. But when tragedy strikes and a top-level demon murders her dad, Riley finds herself in for a much more dangerous future than she ever could have imagined.

I really had no idea what to expect going into this one and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. The book opens with Riley at a university law library trying to trap a Biblio-fiend, a 3 inch demon who hates books and likes to destroy them by ripping them up and peeing on them. Riley's plan of attack? She pulls out her trusty copy of Moby Dick and starts reading to the demon...boring him straight into a dead faint. And what does she use as a containment device? Something with air holes and a tight fitting lid, a highly technical modern piece of equipment....a sippy cup. Yeah, I was a fan of Riley by page four.

There are other supernatural forces at work in Riley's world besides Biblio-fiends. There are Klepto-Fiends (little demons dressed like ninjas who like to collect pretty shiny things...they're cute and I kinda want one), Geo-Fiends (big bad demons who can stir up a heck of a windstorm), angels, necromancers, and witches to name a few. But it's really the demons Riley is most concerned with. She's an apprentice trapper, working with her dad who has a reputation as being one of the baddest trappers around and she wants to be just like him. Not just because it's in her blood, but they kinda need to trap to survive. The economy sucks, her high school classes are held in closed up grocery stores and Starbuck's, and her dad is dealing with a mountain of medical bills from when Riley's mom was receiving treatment in a battle with cancer that she ultimately lost.

Riley's life gets hit with tragedy again early on in the story when her dad is murdered by a Level 5 fiend in an area known as Demon Central. It's his partner, Denver Beck, that has to deliver the news to Riley, who is devastated. Denver is southern. So Southern Riley has nicknamed him Backwoods Boy. He's a truck driving, beer drinking, damn fine country boy, 5 years her senior who she had a serious crush on when she was 15. He rejected her and she's never gotten over the embarrassment so she's defensive and abrasive around him. However, now that she's a little older, it's obvious Beck has feelings for her, but with the death of her father...his partner...he finds himself in a position where he has to be responsible for her and that takes precedence over any other feelings he might have for her.

To protect her father from necromancers who want to reanimate his body and sell him as a zombie like servant, Riley has to sit vigil at her dad's grave site every night. And as if that's not enough, she has to deal with being apprenticed to a different master trapper who's beyond being a jerk (I REALLY couldn't stand him), dealing with mean girls in her new school location, and trying to solve the mystery of a password protected computer disk her father left behind. Oh yeah....and the demons seem to have it in for her in particular because they know her by name, which isn't something that happens with other trappers.

Amidst all the chaos is sweet sweet Simon, a fellow apprentice trapper who believes wholeheartedly in the forces of good. The kind of boy who would walk the path of the clergy if he didn't want to have a wife and family one day, so he chooses to battle evil as a trapper. And with all the horrible things going on in Riley's life, he's just what she needs to bring a little happiness.

The Demon Trapper's Daughter is gritty urban fantasy for young adults and I absolutely loved it!! It reads as older YA and contains some sexual references and strong language, so I'd say this one is for older teens and above.

Big News from Melissa Marr's Blog!!

2011-02-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

No cover shot available that I could find BUT....due to hit shelves September 20, 2011 is Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions, an anthology with stories from some BIG names in YA!

Melissa Marr posted the table of contents...check it out!

Giovanni’s Farewell by Claudia Gray
Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan
IV League by Margaret Stohl
Red Run by Kami Garcia
Things About Love by Jackson Pearce
Niederwald by Rachel Vincent
--- by Melissa Marr
Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong
Let’s Get This Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan
Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready
Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting
Leaving by Ally Condie
At the Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday
Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson
The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Automatic by Rachel Caine

You can read the original post HERE which reveals why Melissa didn't list the name of HER story =)

This one is going on my wishlist for sure!!

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-02-16T18:56:00.001-08:00

The Wise Man's Fear
By: Patrick Rothfuss
Published by: DAW
Publication date: March 1, 2011

This is the second installment in the Kingkiller Chronicles. I read the first one, The Name of the Wind, back when it first came out, loved it, and have been anxiously awaiting this one!!

Official Publisher's Summary....

"There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man."

An escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe discovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King's road.

All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived. Under her tutelage, Kvothe learns much about true magic and the ways of women.

In The Wise Man's Fear Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

Have any of you read The Name of the Wind?? Are you looking forward to this one too???

New on My Shelf

2011-02-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

Radio Shangri-La by Lisa Napoli

Lisa Napoli was in the grip of a crisis, dissatisfied with her life and her work as a radio journalist. When a chance encounter with a handsome stranger presented her with an opportunity to move halfway around the world, Lisa left behind cosmopolitan Los Angeles for a new adventure in the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan—said to be one of the happiest places on earth.

Greywalker by Kat Richardson

Harper Blaine was slogging along as a small-time P.I. when a two-bit perp's savage assault left her dead. For two minutes, to be precise.
When Harper comes to in the hospital, she begins to feel a bit ...strange. She sees things that can only be described as weird-shapes emerging from a foggy grey mist, snarling teeth, creatures roaring.
But Harper's not crazy. Her "death" has made her a Greywalker-able to move between our world and the mysterious, cross-over zone where things that go bump in the night exist. And her new gift (or curse) is about to drag her into that world of vampires and ghosts, magic and witches, necromancers and sinister artifacts. Whether she likes it or not.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean Auel

The highly anticipated sixth book of Jean Auel's Earth's Children® series, THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES, is the culmination fans have been waiting for. Continuing the story of Ayla and Jondalar, Auel combines her brilliant narrative skills and appealing characters with a remarkable re-creation of the way life was lived more than 25,000 years ago. THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES is an exquisite achievement by one of the world's most beloved authors.

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French

Seventy-seven-year-old Marylou Ahearn is going to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs come hell or high water. In 1953, he gave her a radioactive cocktail without her consent as part of a secret government study that had horrible consequences.

Marylou has been plotting her revenge for fifty years. When she accidentally discovers his whereabouts in Florida, her plans finally snap into action. She high tails it to hot and humid Tallahassee, moves in down the block from where a now senile Spriggs lives with his daughter’s family, and begins the tricky work of insinuating herself into their lives. But she has no idea what a nest of yellow jackets she is stumbling into.

For Review From Publisher
Radio Shangri-La
The Revenge of the Radioactive Woman
The Land of Painted Caves
Borrowed
Greywalker
For Kindle
A Discovery of Witches

And the Winner Is....

2011-02-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

The winner of my Follower Love Giveaway Hop is...

SnifflyKitty

from

Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books

Congrats!! I've sent you an email =)

And if you didn't win, don't worry, there's another giveaway coming up soon. The Hop pushed me past 500 followers, so to celebrate I'm giving away a pretty awesome ARC. I may have reviewed it not too long ago and I just might have loved it....

A Poem for Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T21:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone, hope it is sweet for all of you! I'll be announcing the winner of the Follower Love Giveaway Hop when I get home from work, but until then I leave you with this poem by Pablo Neruda....it's one of my favorites =)

Sonnet XVII

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep

ARC Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

2011-02-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

Divergent
By: Veronica Roth
Published by: Harper Collins/Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date: May 3, 2011
496 pages
Recommended for fans of The Hunger Games, Across the Universe, and generally amazing books

From Amazon...

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

It's books like this one that make me remember why I started blogging in the first place. You know how it is when you read a really incredible book and you wanna call up all your book loving friends to say, "You gotta read this!!!" Consider this my call to each of you....you've got to read this!

I honestly don't even know where to begin to do this book justice. Roth has created a dystopian world that I immediately bought into. She explains how and why things came to be the way they are and it felt real. The factions are a brilliant and original concept and I caught myself trying to determine which faction I would choose under the same circumstances and which factions my friends and family would pick. It was fascinating and compelling reading to find out about each one and its members.

Now, pair the fabulous world building with vivid characters....Tris is a complex, determined, and multi-dimensional protagonist. She goes through A LOT and learns about her strength, her values, her very character along the way. I adored her. I want to know her. Another thing I loved about her? She's not described as being traditionally pretty. As a matter of fact, she pretty much considers herself to be distinctly not pretty. So many times we have a beautiful girl as the heroine of a story, it was refreshing to see a lead female who wasn't your typical cookie cutter girl. She is someone who isn't important because of the way she looks, but rather because of the person she is and the things she does. Love, love, love! The other characters in Divergent are well fleshed out too, even when they did things that sometimes were downright heinous I was able to understand their reasons for acting the way they did.

And the story. Good grief, the story. I blew through Divergent in less than 24 hours because I simply had to know what was going to happen. There is never a dull moment and everything that happens is important, whether it be to the story moving along or the development of the characters. Just insanely well-crafted. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I am especially fond of books that explore ideas and make you think. Divergent goes there...from
group thinking, expectations from family and society, labeling, bullying, gang mentality, trying to fit in and ultimately to transcending it all and figuring out who you really are.

Trust me, you want to read this one.

Free Kindle Book!

2011-02-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

Yay!!! I have had this one on my list of books to read, it's the first in the Love at Stake series by Kerrelyn Sparks!

From Amazon...

So what if he's a bit older and usually regards a human female as dinner, not a dinner date? Yes, Roman Draganesti is a vampire, but a vampire who lost one of his fangs sinking his teeth into something he shouldn't have. Now he has one night to find a dentist before his natural healing abilities close the wound, leaving him a lop–sided eater for all eternity.

Things aren't going well for Shanna Whelan either...After witnessing a gruesome murder by the Russian mafia, she's next on their hit list. And her career as a dentist appears to be on a downward spiral because she's afraid of blood. When Roman rescues her from an assassination attempt, she wonders if she's found the one man who can keep her alive. Though the attraction between them is immediate and hot, can Shanna conquer her fear of blood to fix Roman's fang? And if she does, what will prevent Roman from using his fangs on her...

It's available as a FREE pre-order for your Kindle HERE and will be delivered to your Kindle on February 22 (along with bonus material!)

Enjoy!!

ARC Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

2011-02-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

Wither
By: Lauren DeStefano
Published by: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Publication Date: March 22, 2011
368 pages
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From Goodreads...

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

Well, let me just get straight to it, I liked this book. But I didn't love it. The world created was an interesting one, but there was a lot about it that didn't add up for me and that kept me from being able to buy into it completely. People's actions didn't seem to line up with their motivations and it seemed like some things could have been handled and dealt with with a simple conversation. I also kept wondering why there were no fertility centers. If girls are being orphaned at a young age because their parents die so young, I would think think there would be places like this set up where lots of disadvantaged girls would end up. Just seemed like something you would see in this kind of world. At the very minimum, once Rhine and her fellow sister wives had been kidnapped, it would have made sense if they had been given fertility tests or if someone had tried to figure out when the optimum time for conception would be...no?? An ovulation kit or something??? Especially considering Linden's father is doing experiments...he's got the scientific know-how to do that. But no, perpetuating the human race is left entirely to chance here.

Most of the book takes place at Linden's mansion, where the girls become his wives and are basically prisoners, never allowed to leave the grounds. I could really feel the sense of isolation and how Rhine felt like she was withering away with her few short years left being spent secluded from the real world. She was alive, but not really living. Days were spent in the library or on the grounds of the mansion, where many things weren't even real, but merely holograms. It was easy to understand Rhine's sense of desperation and her desire to escape even though some could argue that it maybe wasn't such a bad life there. I think this is conveyed wonderfully by the image of the bird in the cage on the cover. A cage, even a lovely one, is still a cage and nothing can compare to freedom.

In the summary for this book, it is revealed that Linden is in love with Rhine and also that she wants to find her brother. What I couldn't understand is why she didn't just tell him to help her find her brother!!! And why in the world wouldn't she tell him the things she suspected about his father and the events leading up to her becoming a sister-wife? I felt like so many things could have been solved if she had just opened her mouth. Linden was a pretty decent guy! I mean, maybe if he had been portrayed as more of a villain I could understand her silence but as it stands it only served to frustrate me and make me feel like one of the major things driving the plot was forced. And I was aware of that while I was reading, which took away from my ability to get completely lost in this one.

3 Stars

Follower Love Giveaway Hop

2011-02-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

Happy early Valentine's Day!! To celebrate the love, I'm taking part in the Follower Love Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. A ton of blogs have joined this hop, which runs until the 13th, so you have plenty of time to make the rounds, discover some great blogs, and enter a bunch of cool contests! Up for grabs here, your choice of...

To enter, simply fill out the form below. Open to US/International (as long as Book Depository ships to where you are) entrants, age 13 and older. Winner will be announced on Valentine's Day...good luck!

Loading...

Quick Favor?

2011-02-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

Can someone who uses the Google Reader for reading blogs please let me know if my entries show up as white text?? I just started wondering about this as I was reading the blogs I subscribe to and noticed a couple that show up as very faint text and are hard to read unless I actually go to the blog site. I like my blog layout and design but not if it makes it hard for you all to read in the reader =(

New on My Shelf

2011-02-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

Divergent
By: Veronica Roth
Published by: Harper Collins/Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date: May 3, 2011
496 pages

I was so excited to find this in my mailbox today, it sounds AWESOME!!

from Amazon...

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

**Personal Update**

Borrowed a charger from a friend at work and I am back online, whoo hoo!! Now that I know it's a charger problem for sure, I plan to go pick up a new one this weekend.
Oh....and thanks to a dear DEAR friend, I now have my 4 day pass for this year's San Diego Comic Con!!!!!!!!!!!! Are any of you planning on going???

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2011-01-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

Anna and the French Kiss

By: Stephanie Perkins

Published by: Dutton Juvenile

Publication Date: December 2, 2010

384 pages

I bought this book (because everyone said it was amazing =)

5 stars (It was =)

From Goodreads...

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

What a sweet little breath of fresh air this was! No paranormal activity, no curses, no slaying to be done (not that I don't love that stuff.) Just a lovely tale of romance in the most romantic city in the world. Man, I am dying to go to Paris now =) Anna, for me at least, was such a true to life teen. I was one once (yes, I can remember that far back) and I happen to own one (she would KILL me for saying that lol) so I have a pretty good idea what they are like, and this book gets it right. It actually brought back memories of my first crushes and that whole questioning phase...does he like me? Did he mean to brush his hand against mine? WILL HE EVER KISS ME???

The pacing of the book was spot on. Anna and Etienne get to know each other and they are friends so you believe in the emotion. Love that. Vital part of romance that a lot of authors seem to forget in favor of getting to the so-called good parts if you know what I mean. I like the build-up and anticipation. It makes you more invested in the characters and caring whether or not they end up together.

There were some great laugh out loud moments. I am convinced Anna's father was Nicholas Sparks...did you feel that way too lol?? Oh, and there was a great scene where Anna said something that could be SO misinterpreted and was inwardly horrified. We've all done that, no? Said something innocently that ends up sounding so wrong! I must also commend the character for her love of Nutella. The girl has got taste =)

Besides the charming romance and the beautiful setting, Anna was also faced with some opportunities to learn a lot about herself and others, so it was great to see her grow as a person. I think that's another thing that sometimes gets ignored...when a character goes through a life changing event you expect them to learn something from it and be a little wiser than they were when you first met them. Perkins pulls this off beautifully and it made for a very rewarding experience to witness Anna come to the realizations she did.

If you are looking for a sweet romance with a cast of likable characters, look no further, this is the book for you. Prepare to be swept away...ooh la la!!

(Typed on a borrowed computer...the blog must go on!!!)

CRISIS!

2011-01-29T13:47:00.000-08:00

The charger for my laptop isn't working and I have exactly 32 minutes of battery life left. It's been kind of wonky since last night and I have had to twist it around and fiddle with it to get it to work but as of now I am having no luck. Gonna run around today and see if I can find a replacement but until I do I won't be be able to post or respond to your posts....

Wish me luck!!!

I miss you guys already =(

Waiting on Wednesday: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

2011-01-26T17:36:00.000-08:00

A Discovery of Witches
By: Deborah Harkness
Published by: Viking Adult
Publication date: February 8, 2011
592 pages

I'm VERY excited for this one!!!

From the author's website....

When historian Diana Bishop opens a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library it represents an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordinary life. Though descended from a long line of witches, she is determined to remain untouched by her family’s legacy. She banishes the manuscript to the stacks, but Diana finds it impossible to hold the world of magic at bay any longer.

For witches are not the only otherworldly creatures living alongside humans. There are also creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires who become interested in the witch’s discovery. They believe that the manuscript contains important clues about the past and the future, and want to know how Diana Bishop has been able to get her hands on the elusive volume.

Chief among the creatures who gather around Diana is vampire Matthew Clairmont, a geneticist with a passion for Darwin. Together, Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the manuscript’s secrets. But the relationship that develops between the ages-old vampire and the spellbound witch threatens to unravel the fragile peace that has long existed between creatures and humans—and will certainly transform Diana’s world as well.

Visit the author's website here

She put a lot of research into this one, if you go to the book's page on Amazon you can read about many of the books that inspired A Discovery of Witches.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

2011-01-23T18:25:00.001-08:00

Across the Universe
By: Beth Revis
Published by: Razorbill
Publication Date: January 11, 2011
416 pages
I bought this book
5 stars!!!!

From Goodreads...

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

"Great people talk about ideas.
Average people talk about things.
Small people talk about other people."

Author: Unknown

Beth Revis is obviously a great person because Across the Universe isn't just a book about people and things, it's a book about ideas and it goes deep. Can I gush a little here?? I freakin' loved this book. Devoured it in two days and didn't want it to end. The world of Godspeed was fully realized, I could picture everything in my mind vividly while I was reading. And it was a fascinating world. Described as being the size of the island of Iwo Jima, the ship was divided into levels, each with a specific function and was capable of carrying 3000 people, again, each with a specific function. Leading them all was Eldest, a title passed on to each generation's leader.

Amy was accompanying her parents on Godspeed. They were part of mission headed to a planet 300 years from our Earth to establish a new civilization. Cryogenically frozen prior to departure, they were supposed to be awakened when the ship finally landed, however SOMETHING happened to wake Amy up 50 years ahead of time. What she awakens to is unlike life on earth. No, life on Godspeed for the over 2000 people aboard ship is very different and Amy starts to wonder just what is going on and who exactly is responsible.

The book raises a lot of questions that I found very interesting to think about. Eldest is training his successor, Elder, and teaches him things such as the three causes of discord. The first thing he mentions is differences among people. There ARE no physical differences among the people on Godspeed. They all have the same color skin, the same color hair, the same color eyes. Eldest brings up the problems on earth related to how people treat others who are different. This is just one example of the ideas that fuel life aboard the ship. Is Eldest power hungry? Or is he doing what he truly thinks is best for the survival of "his" people? Is ignorance bliss? Or is it better to face the truth, no matter how difficult that truth may be to live with? Lots of questions are asked, and while the mysteries do finally get solved, I don't think there are really any easy answers for the moral questions pertaining to life on the ship.

The cover of the book looks all romantic and dreamy, but this isn't a love story (that's a good thing by the way.) The story and the characters are strong enough to not have to rely on romance to be compelling. I could have done without the romantic aspects all together to be completely honest. And I do have to add there were a couple of scenes near the end that felt a bit forced, but it really wasn't enough to make me love this book any less. Across the Universe stands head and shoulders above a lot of what is out there. Beth Revis has stepped outside of the box, left formulaic YA in the dust and has boldly gone where...well, you get the picture=)

Visit Beth's website here

Free Book for Your Kindle!

2011-01-20T17:46:00.000-08:00

From Goodreads...

The seventh son of the seventh son, aptly named Septimus Heap, is stolen the night he is born by a midwife who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across a bundle in the snow containing a new born girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take this helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this mysterious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus?
The first book in this enthralling new series by Angie Sage leads readers on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters and magykal charms, potions, and spells. Magyk is an original story of lost and rediscovered identities, rich with humor and heart.

Download it for free here

Waiting on Wednesday: In the Arms of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane

2011-01-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

Coming from Harlequin Teen in April 2011

Two years ago, Brenna did the unthinkable. She witnessed the aftermath of a murder and accused her only true friend—the first boy she ever loved—of being a killer.

Now sixteen, Brenna returns to Oklahoma only to discover that Isaac "White Bird" Henry isn't in juvie. The half-breed outcast is in a mental hospital, frozen in time, locked in his mind at the worst moment of his life. And when Brenna touches him, she's pulled into his hellish vision quest, seeing terrifying demons and illusions she doesn't understand.

Feeling isolated and alone, she's up against the whole town, targeted by bullying former classmates, a bigoted small town sheriff, and a tribe who refuses to help one of their own. But when Brenna realizes she's as trapped by the past as White Bird is, this time she won't turn her back on him. She's the only one who can free them both.

Even if she has to expose her secret—a "gift" she's kept hidden her whole life.

***This book is currently available on Netgalley for review***

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Does it get any better????

2011-01-18T20:35:00.000-08:00

I've heard all kinds of good things about Kresley Cole's books, so I signed up for The Immortals After Dark reading challenge. The first book on the list was Playing Easy to Get which includes a story by Cole called The Warlord Wants Forever.

Dude.

It was so awful I couldn't get past chapter 5. I gave the book away at work today.

It was really bad porn. No plot and characters that I couldn't care about in the least. Seriously, it was baaaaaad. Now I'm willing to entertain the idea that this was just a really poor start to an otherwise brilliant body of work...and that's where YOU come in. Have you guys read the Immortals After Dark series? Is it good or is it just more porn and flat characters??? I don't mind some smexiness, but damn...gimme a chance to care about these characters before they're naked. And please give them some kind of story other than them just wanting to hook up. I could watch Jersey Shore for that kind of thing.

Do tell.....should I stick with the challenge and give A Hunger Like No Other a chance or should I expect more of the same and just drop out now??? Your thoughts please!!!!!

New On My Shelf: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

2011-01-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

Attachments
By: Rainbow Rowell
Published by: Dutton Adult
Coming April 14, 2011
336 pages

From Amazon...

Beth and Jennifer know their company monitors their office e-mail. But the women still spend all day sending each other messages, gossiping about their coworkers at the newspaper and baring their personal lives like an open book. Jennifer tells Beth everything she can't seem to tell her husband about her anxieties over starting a family. And Beth tells Jennifer everything, period.

When Lincoln applied to be an Internet security officer, he hardly imagined he'd be sifting through other people's inboxes like some sort of electronic Peeping Tom. Lincoln is supposed to turn people in for misusing company e-mail, but he can't quite bring himself to crack down on Beth and Jennifer. He can't help but be entertained-and captivated- by their stories.

But by the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late for him to ever introduce himself. What would he say to her? "Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you." After a series of close encounters and missed connections, Lincoln decides it's time to muster the courage to follow his heart . . . even if he can't see exactly where it's leading him.

Written with whip-smart precision and charm, Attachments is a strikingly clever and deeply romantic debut about falling in love with the person who makes you feel like the best version of yourself. Even if it's someone you've never met.

Sounds cute, doesn't it???

ARC Review: These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

2011-01-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

These Things Hidden
By: Heather Gudenkauf
Published by: Mira
Publication Date: January 18, 2011
352 pages
Recommended by: Reading Without Restraint

5 stars

I received this e-book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

From Amazon....

When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It's Brynn—shy, quiet Brynn—who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.

But then Allison is released to a halfway house, and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister.

Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.

All I can say is wow...

These Things Hidden starts off with Allison's story. After 5 years in prison, she is being released early and getting sent to live in a halfway house for six months. We don't find out right away what she was incarcerated for and this works out really well because we have a chance to like her and feel sympathy for her before finding out the truly awful (and I mean AWFUL) thing she was arrested for. We also meet her sister Brynn, a young woman named Charm and a local bookshop owner and adoptive mom, Claire. The story is told alternately between their points of view, however it is not in the least confusing as each woman's story and the way their lives intertwine is fascinating and compelling. Every time I thought I had the connections all figured out, the author was only a page or so away from revealing what I thought I had so brilliantly surmised, leaving me to realize Gudenkauf was in control of the story every step of the way and only allowing me to figure things out when she wanted me to. By telling the story from each woman's point of view, I found I had sympathy for all the characters. I love when an author is able to do that and doesn't just make everything black and white. People are multidimensional and characters should be too. There was no clear cut "good guy bad guy" scenario here. Instead, we are forced to think about what makes a good person do bad things.

The theme of what makes a person a parent was also explored. Sometimes it's not just the biology, but rather the heart and the feelings that make you family. Many different types of relationships are represented in These Things Hidden... biological parents, sisters, adoptive and foster parents, step-parents and friends.

With a compelling and thoughtful plot, fleshed out characters that make you care, and a mystery that keeps you guessing until the climax, These Things Hidden has earned a place at the top of my "You Gotta Read This!" list.

Heather Gudenkauf is also the author of The Weight of Silence, which I just ordered.

Gudenkauf's tightly plotted debut packs a lot of unsavory doings into a few unfortunate summer days in Willow Creek, Iowa. Seven-year-old Calli Clark hasn't spoken a word in the three years since a particularly nasty run-in with her violent, wife-beating father, Griff. During a bender, Griff suddenly decides to haul his mute daughter into the nearby forest, where they get lost. At the same time, Calli's best friend Petra goes missing, and a manhunt is launched, led by deputy sheriff Loras Louis, who still carries a torch for Calli's mother. Gudenkauf moves the story forward at a fast clip and is adept at building tension. There's a particular darkness to her heartland, rife as it is with predators and the walking wounded, and her unsentimental take on the milieu manages to find some hope without being maudlin.

Visit the author's website here. If you do a "real-life" bookclub, she has some excellent ideas and discussion questions for her books.

ARC Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

2011-01-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

Unearthly

By: Cynthia Hand

Published by: HarperTeen

Publication date: January 4, 2011

448 pages

4 stars

* I received this ARC via Netgalley for Kindle*

From Goodreads....

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

Great characters? Check.
Gorgeous setting? Check.
One of the most realistic romances I have read in a YA paranormal? Check.
Teenager's mom is actually a part of teenager's life? Check.

LOTS to love about this one and from what I have seen so far, everyone HAS loved it. However I can't say I'm as passionate about this one as everyone else although I did really like it. My main problem with it is the whole vision/purpose thing. The way it was interpreted and why it would even be her purpose just never made any sense to me. And since it was kind of the plot device that was supposed to drive the whole book and the characters actions, I had to ding it a star. In all honesty, reading this was a bit like watching a season two episode of Lost....where are the answers???? Nothing was really resolved and that left me feeling like I had read an extended prologue instead of a complete story. I think perhaps not every story is meant to be a trilogy. Had things been better explained and had there actually been some resolution, Unearthly would have easily earned 5 stars. Hand has done a marvelous job of crafting believable and likable characters in Clara, Tucker, Wendy and Christian (let's face it....Angela is a bit creepy and I don't trust her as far as I can throw her.) And the romance...I have to say "loved it!" Hand chose the road less travelled and I was more than happy to go along for the ride. Truly one of the best YA romances I have read.

All in all, a solid, promising debut. I'll definitely be picking up book 2!

(**I wish THIS was the cover here...SO much prettier than the plain purple one. **)

Reading Resolutions Giveaway Winner

2011-01-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

The winner is.....

JENNIFER

from

Book Noise

Jennifer has been contacted and chose Unearthly (great choice, I just finished reading this one!)

Thanks to all of you who entered and a big welcome to my new followers =)

2011 Reading Challenges and Weekend Update

2011-01-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody, hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I am officially on vacation until Sunday (yay!!) and just got back from Vegas where I got to go to my grandson's Baptism and birthday party. Here's a pic of my little guy in his suit. I had SO much fun with him...he can operate a cell phone better than a lot of adults I know (he knows exactly how to get to the Spongebob apps) and he sings along with the songs on the radio. He is a big Bruno Mars fan, it is the cutest thing in the world to hear him singing "Billionaire" (he skips the word "frickin" and just sings "sooo bad.) I miss him so much already!!!!!

And here's a pic of me with my beautiful girls...we went out dancing til 3 AM at the Aliante where my son-in-law and his band Vol.1 were celebrating their one year anniversary of playing there. Such a busy weekend and so many things to celebrate!!!

Anyway, on to bookish news....I think I am all finished choosing which challenges I want to take part in this year. Two are hosted by Book City Chick. I would have signed up for the Horror and Urban Fantasy one even if I wasn't a fan just so I could put that gorgeous button on my blog! And I had already decided I wanted to read 100 books this year so might as well make it official with the challenge =)

I'm also signed up for The Story Siren's 2011 Debut Author Challenge. I signed up for this one last year and didn't quite finish it, but I most definitely plan to this year.

I have also signed up for a Steampunk challenge

and last but not least, an Immortals After Dark challenge

Ok....I think that covers it!!! What reading challenges have you all signed up for?? Any other ones I should include on my list??

**I will announce the winner of the Reading Resolutions giveaway tomorrow!**

Review: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

2011-01-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

By: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication date: October 26, 2010

240 pages

I received this book as a Christmas gift

3 stars

Recommended for: Fans of indie teenage flicks, quirky romance, and sarcasm

From Booklist:

In their third collaboration, Cohn and Levithan present another clever New York romance. Levithan writes the chapters narrated by Dash, a “bookish” 16-year-old spending Christmas break alone. He finds a red moleskin notebook amid the shelves of the Strand bookstore. “Are you going to be playing for the pure thrill of unreluctant desire?” asks Cohn’s Lily in the first coded message of the notebook, with an invitation to respond. Lily is aglow with the yuletide and devastated that her parents are spending the holidays in Fiji. Armed with anonymity, Dash and Lily exchange the notebook in various locations around the Big Apple, filling it with their greatest hopes and deepest fears, and ultimately find themselves falling in love. Not surprisingly, the young pair’s perceptions of each other don’t entirely reflect reality; Dash’s ex asks if he is in love with the girl writing in the book or the girl he is picturing in his head. The spirit of the season amplifies Dash and Lily’s loneliness and heightens the connection between them, in another surefire hit from the creators of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2006). Grades 9-12.

I'm fairly certain I'm in the minority here, but this book just didn't do it for me. While it did offer up a lot of wise observations on the nature of falling in love and expectations, I found it wanting in several key areas. First of all the characters. I thought Lily (referred to as "Shrilly" due to her habit of high pitched freak-outs) could have benefited from some quality meds. While she is a sweet girl, she often came across as being a little on the unstable side. Witness: while at a movie theater, 2 moms tell Lily her boots and hat are adorable and she replies by shrieking "I AM NOT ADORABLE! I'M JUST LILY!" Who does this????? No one I want to know. There is also a scene in the book where Lily runs around town wearing one sneaker and one boot. While it's supposed to be cute and quirky it just came across as really weird to me. I'm all for being yourself and not trying to fit the mold. But please wear matching shoes.

Dash. Oh Dash. So much sarcasm and pretentiousness. Nearly everything he said was overly verbose and again, I know no one who talks like that ALL the time. Not to mention I thought he was kind of rude. Witness: while at Macy's, he sees a middle aged woman select some christmas themed mittens and actually says this to her, "Really? Aesthetic and utilitarian considerations aside, those mittens don't particularly make sense. Why would you want to hitchhike to the North Pole? Isn't the whole gimmick of Christmas that there's home delivery? You get up there, all you're going to find is a bunch of exhausted grumpy elves. Assuming, of course, that you accept the mythical presence of a workshop up there, when we all know there isn't even a pole at the North Pole, and if global warming continues, there won't be any ice either."

WTF? I get that it's supposed to be witty, but all his little rants managed to do was make me not really like him very much. Two characters I don't care for=me not really caring if they end up with each other or not. Now add to that some incredibly unrealistic situations and you have a book that just never grabbed me emotionally.

There WERE some moments that worked for me....mostly when the characters were reflecting on love and how our expectations can color our feelings. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes....

"We had never lied to each other. But we had never gone out of our way to reveal ourselves either."

"You think fairy tales are only for girls? Here's a hint-ask yourself who wrote them. I assure you it wasn't just the women. It's the great male fantasy-all it takes is one dance to know that she's the one.All it takes is the sound of her song from the tower, or a look at her sleeping face. And right away you know-this is the girl in your head, sleeping or dancing or singing in front of you. Yes, girls want their princes, but boys want their princesses just as much."

Moments like that were where I thought the book really shined. It just wasn't enough to make up for the unrealistic characters, dialogue and situations for me.

Reading Resolutions Giveaway!

2011-01-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

Oh man, I almost forgot about this one, must have missed the reminder email!! Anyway, I see everyone else's posts going up so here goes mine. The first books I'm reading this year are

and the winner of this giveaway will get their pick of those! (Wither won't be out until March, so if you choose that one, it will be a pre-order.)

All you have to do is be a follower and leave your email in the comments. If you're international, I'll pass on a $10 GC to Book Depository, so everyone is welcome to enter.

Contest ends on the 9th...good luck!!

To continue the hop and enter more great contests...

Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

2011-01-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

The Iron Daughter

By: Julie Kagawa

Published by: Harlequin Teen

Publication date: August 1, 2010

304 pages

I bought this book

From Goodreads...

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—ironbound 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 stuck 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.

Julie Kagawa, I'm on to you, so you may as well 'fess up....

You're a Faery aren't you?? Because there is just no way you would be able to describe the Nevernever in so much detail unless you had actually been there. I will be expecting an email shortly on how to get to the nearest trod so I can visit the land of Fae myself....

(*WARNING* This review will be slightly spoilerish so if you want to be completely surprised, come back and let me know what you thought after you have read the book. But by all means, read this series!!!!)

I read The Iron King not too long ago and fell in love with the world and the characters Julie Kagawa created (visited? met?) and guess what? I loved The Iron Daughter even more. While all the magic of the first book is present and accounted for here, what I really enjoyed this time around was getting to know the cast of characters even better. I love Meghan's sense of right and wrong and how she is bound and determined to always do the right thing, even when the right thing isn't the easy thing to do (and isn't that really true to life a lot of the time?) She's finding her voice and isn't afraid to use it.

And Ash...I have to say, the one teeny tiny thing that bothered me a little in the first book was how easily he seemed to have put his first love out of his mind for Meghan, but here we find that that is not the case at all. She is still very much in his thoughts and not forgotten and this did a lot to bring me closer to Team Ash. Closer. Not there. Yes, I am still Team Puck y'all. Maybe it's because I am 42 and the thought of all the drama and angst associated with forbidden love just makes me...well...tired. I want solid, dependable, knows what he wants Puck (not saying I wouldn't be open to a little royal dalliance before pledging my hand to the Puckster...Ash IS pretty hot =)

Speaking of Puck, he eventually makes his return (with some of THE most romantic lines ever...I may have swooned a lil) and Meghan realizes she has two really amazing guys in her life. Who will she choose? Who does she love? Will she follow her heart and just where will that take her?

The rest of the action in The Iron Daughter revolves around our trio trying to retrieve (say that three times fast) the Scepter of the Seasons, which has been stolen from the Winter Court. Blaming Oberon, Queen Mab declares war on the Summer Court. Meghan knows the truth behind the Scepter's disappearance however and realizes that it is up to her to get it back if she wants to prevent Winter and Summer from destroying each other and leaving The Nevernever vulnerable to the Iron fey. Along the way, we meet the Dark Muse, Leanansidhe, bringer of creative inspiration at a very high cost. She's not someone you would wanna make deals with, but she makes one heck of a Faery Godmother. And we certainly can't forget Grimalkin...oh how I adore that cat. When questioned how he is able to do the things he does, he simply replies "I'm a cat." 'Nuff said.

I've had some fun with this review because I had so much fun reading the book. But in all seriousness, I have to say Julie Kagawa is a writer of immense, incredible talent. I've never had an author make me cry with a single word. A single non-cap-locked word. That's storytelling genius. That's The Iron Daughter.

The Year in Review

2010-12-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

First of all, I just wanna say a very heartfelt thank you to all of you who have been a part of Vampires and Tofu this year. I started V&T this year after discovering many of YOUR blogs and I loved what you were doing so much that I wanted to be a part of it too...this is an amazing community of people and it is such a wonderful experience to be able to share my love of books with all of you who love books too!!

My goal this year was to read 52 books...you know, one for every week of the year...and I am happy to say I am at 53 (if I finish Delirium today it will be 54!) Lemme share a few of my favorites with you...

Turns out the Fae were my favorite supernaturals to read about with these books leading the pack...

I met a girl named Katniss who will forever be etched in my memory..

Some books moved me to tears....

Others made me laugh out loud...

And some made me wanna sleep with the lights on...

This was my very first post, where I discuss why I fell in love with YA.

This was my first review, although I don't think you can really call it that. Wow it was sooo...bad!!!

Jasper Jones was my first ARC review (Getting better!)

Comic-Con
was a blast in July.

I took part in my first Read-a-Thon

I wrote a little zombie rap

And I ended the year with a brand new Kindle

What a year it's been!!!! Here's to 2011...may it be filled with good times, good friends, and of course good books!!! Cheers!!!

ARC Review: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

2010-12-28T18:36:00.000-08:00

The Book of Tomorrow

By: Cecelia Ahern

Published by: Harper

Publication Date: January 25, 2011

320 pages

I received this book from Harper via Library Thing

5 stars!

From the author's website...

Tamara Goodwin has always got everything she’s ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes, and a large four poster bed complete with a luxurious bathroom en-suite. She’s always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow.

But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country to live with Tamara’s Uncle and Aunt. Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gate house is a world away from Tamara’s childhood. With her Mother shut away with grief, and her Aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin.

When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara is intrigued. She needs a distraction. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. With some help, Tamara finally manages to open the book. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core

Here is a book that I think will appeal to almost everyone. I absolutely loved it and will be picking more of Ahern's novels ASAP!! The Book of Tomorrow reads like a modern gothic, filled with family secrets, mystery, and a healthy sprinkling of magic. Tamara is the kind of character I love to read...one who changes, grows, and learns valuable lessons and insights about life when faced with life changing events. She starts off as a bratty, spoiled rich girl who thinks only of today and only of herself, but when her father commits suicide and it turns out her family is broke, she is forced to look at life in a whole new way.

Magic enters the picture when Tamara discovers a diary in the travelling library. But it isn't an ordinary diary...once blank pages fill up at night with diary entries of things that haven't happened yet...written in Tamara's own handwriting...dated for the next day. She soon discovers that the entries are accurate and that she has the power to change the course of events, that things are not set in stone and that she can create her own fate by how she chooses to act in certain situations. It is through this that Tamara grows as a person and begins to look at the consequences and repercussions of her actions.

Ahern's writing flows and is intensely readable, this is definitely one of those books that you can't put down. Nor is it predictable. With some books, you just know what's going to happen and what the outcome will be. Not the case here. There are mysteries galore...why won't Tamara's mom come out of her room once they arrive at the aunt's house? Is she consumed by mourning her husband, is she ill, is there something sinister going on?? Who lives in the house across the way where Tamara's aunt mysteriously disappears to every day? Is there more to the sweet old nun from the neighboring monastery than meets the eye? You won't be able to quit reading until you find out The Book of Tomorrow's Secrets!

I HIGHLY recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Ahern's work!

Visit the author's website here
(she also wrote P.S. I Love You!)

Christmas and Some Personal Notes

2010-12-27T18:02:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I actually got the day off for the first time in three years so I was VERY happy =) On Christmas Eve, I made our traditional tacos and we opened presents as soon as it got dark. We had thought about waiting until Christmas morning but my daughter and I were both too excited and couldn't wait. My munchkin got me a new top and a pair of black skinny jeans which will go perfect with the black boots my honey got me. I surprised her with a new phone, the G2 (got myself one too, they are awesome!) and a Tom Tom for her car. There were also movies...Easy A (love!) Eclipse (which I STILL haven't seen) and Step Up 3 (quite possibly the cheesiest movie ever, but we love the dancing!) Oh yeah, and Just Dance 2 and The Michael Jackson Experience for the Wii...have you played these??? They are SO much fun and a great workout, which I am so gonna need because of all the food I've been eating!! I sent a Spongebob bedroom set to my grandson in Vegas and I will be hand delivering my oldest daughter's presents when I go visit her out there next month. On Christmas, we had friends over and played games (Balderdash! Scattergories!) and ate all through the day and while the presents were nice (I'll admit it, I love giving and getting Christmas presents and spoiling the people I love =) it was being home and being with my family and friends that made the day truly special. And oh yeah...............

I GOT A KINDLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am SOOOOOOO excited!!! Real "flesh and blood" books will always hold the top spot in my heart but the Kindle is gonna make reading ebooks so much easier. Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon, I already have these goodies loaded on her...

Amazing titles and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to read them! Now I know some of you have Kindles already...do you have tips or tricks to enhance and get the most out of my ereading experience???

And last, but not least, some personal messages to those of you who commented on my resolutions blog post...

Khadija...congrats on reading so many books and good luck with your goal for 2011!!!

Nicole...haha...your comment made me laugh =)

Chrystal....love the Waiting on Payday idea. I think I am constantly waiting on payday even when it IS payday when it comes to books, lol.

Leanna....thank you so much for the blog roll idea for keeping track of blogs, I am going to do that this weekend!!!!

Lorelei...I might sign up for that challenge too!

Hattie...Oh my gosh lady, you are too sweet!!! I know I say it all the time, but I truly admire and respect what you do....helping to foster a love of reading in kids is so very important and I can see that you do that =)

Pam....that's a great resolution. I would like to do that as well, I know sometimes I can be a bit harsh.

Juju...thanks for the encouragement!!!

Aleetha...good luck...YOU CAN DO IT!!

And now, please excuse me....I've got A LOT of reading to do ;)

Blogging Resolutions for 2011

2010-12-22T20:21:00.000-08:00

With the year coming to a close soon, I've been thinking of New Year's resolutions and things I would like to accomplish in 2011, especially my goals for V&T...

1. I'm currently 2 books away from my 2010 goal of reading 52 books. For 2011, I would like to get to 100 books read. And to do this, I really need to get a little better with my time management. I admit it, I am a Facebook game junkie. But come New Year's day, no more Frontierville, Cityville, etc. etc. etc. I waste too much time that could be better spent reading. And to be perfectly honest, I think I need to cut back on the number of blogs in my reader. Or at least figure out a way to put them in some kind of order to make sure I'm not missing posts by my favorite bloggers.

2. I would like to have a little bit more of a regular schedule with my posts. I am off work on Fridays and Saturdays and I think it's best if I write my reviews on Friday and post them on Saturday. And if I happen to have an extra review for the week, I think Wednesday would be a good day to set it to post.

3. I'm not a meme girl. I know lots of people love them, but....shhhh....I hardly ever read them. I like reviews or posts that feature a single book so that's what I'm sticking with for my blog. I will continue to make New on My Shelf posts for new books that I get and I may start making posts for books that I am looking forward to, but I think I will leave it at that.

4. I don't want to waste time on books that I'm not loving. I read for the joy of it, and if a book isn't bringing me that joy then I'm not gonna feel guilty about setting it aside. There are just too many good books out there to spend time on the ones that aren't. And while we're at it, that also means I'm only going to say yes to review requests of books that I really, truly want to read. When I first started getting asked to review people's books, I was saying yes to everything just because I was so excited to be asked. But I've discovered this isn't fair to myself or to the authors and so I will learn to say no thank you...in a very nice way of course =)

5. I want to complete the challenges I have signed up for!

6. I seriously need to stay on top of updating my Currently Reading section in the sidebar...

7. I'd like to have more discussion type posts, I love hearing your thoughts and feedback on all things book related (and other things too) so I think I'll be making more posts asking for YOUR opinions.

8. And last but not least, I need to get a little notebook or something to jot down where I hear about books. There have been several times I have ordered books this year after reading another blogger's review and then I forget who it was. I wanna keep track so I can give credit to those bloggers in my reviews.

Do you guys have reading/blogging goals for the New Year? I would love to hear them!

Review: Afterlife by Merrie Destefano

2010-12-19T20:02:00.001-08:00

Afterlife: The Resurrection Chronicles

By: Merrie Destefano

Published by: Eos

Publication date: September 28, 2010

336 pages

I bought this book

3 stars

From Goodreads...

Chaz Dominguez is a professional Babysitter in New Orleans, helping to integrate the recently deceased into their new and improved lives. Though Fresh Start has always been the only game in town, resurrection isn't all it's cracked up to be. Nine lives are all a person can get—and a powerful group of desperate, high-level Nine-Timers will stop at nothing to possess the keys to true immortality.

Now the only hope for Chaz and his family—and the human race—lies in the secrets locked away in the mind of Angelique, the beautiful, mysterious Newbie he must protect . . .

Why I picked it up: One of my favorite bloggers, Pam over at Midnyte Reader, gave this one a dazzling 6 out of 5 stars (read her review here) and since I usually agree wholeheartedly with her opinion, I decided I had to have it.

Why I couldn't put it down: Oh forgive me Pam, but this one was pretty much a take it or leave it for me. I kind of had to force myself to finish it. (ducking for cover!) I WILL say this in its favor, the storyline was completely original and is the one thing that kept me reading. Afterlife takes place at some vague time in the future where scientists/one family in particular have discovered how to resurrect a person after they die into a clone body (what they are cloned from I am not quite sure because they don't resemble the original body) with 50% of their memories intact. This can be done nine times before the DNA breaks down completely and resurrection is no longer possible. Most people choose to get the implant for resurrection, but some people choose to remain one-timers. This aspect was very interesting for me and raised questions and thoughts about religion and choice and I thought this aspect of the book was quite brilliant.

Where it all fell apart for me though was in the characterizations and the world building. I never quite got a complete grasp on the world this story took place in. Terms particular to this world were thrown out without explanation and left me feeling a little bit lost. But the worst thing for me was that I never really cared about any of these characters nor did I ever feel like I really got to know them. My favorite character in the book was actually a dog if that tells you anything. (the dog really was pretty darn cool =)

Destefano DOES have a lovely writing style and there is a very real beauty to many of the passages in Afterlife. I just wish the world and the characters had been more fully developed. That being said, in the interest of fairness here, I DO feel that I should point out that this one has a ton of 4 and 5 star ratings on Amazon and Goodreads and truth be told, I'm not really an urban fantasy girl so while it may not have been a good fit for me, I have no doubt many of you will be fans of Afterlife =)

New On My Shelf: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

2010-12-18T20:03:00.000-08:00

So excited to find this one in the mail today!!

From Goodreads....

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

Publication date: March 22, 2011

New On My Shelf: The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer

2010-12-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

From Amazon....

Sovereign Power. Eternal Pleasure.

Revealed at last in this new vampire saga for the ages: the true, untold story of the “Virgin Queen” and her secret war against the Vampire King of England. . . .

On the eve of her coronation, Elizabeth Tudor is summoned to the tomb of her mother, Anne Boleyn, to learn the truth about her bloodline—and her destiny as a Slayer. Born to battle the bloodsucking fiends who ravage the night, and sworn to defend her beloved realm against all enemies, Elizabeth soon finds herself stalked by the most dangerous and seductive vampire of all.

He is Mordred, bastard son of King Arthur, who sold his soul to destroy his father. After centuries in hiding, he has arisen determined to claim the young Elizabeth as his Queen. Luring her into his world of eternal night, Mordred tempts Elizabeth with the promise of everlasting youth and beauty, and vows to protect her from all enemies. Together, they will rule over a golden age for vampires in which humans will exist only to be fed upon. Horrified by his intentions, Elizabeth embraces her powers as a Slayer even as she realizes that the greatest danger comes from her own secret desire to yield to Mordred . . . to bare her throat in ecstasy and allow the vampire king to drink deeply of her royal blood.

As told by Lucy Weston, the vampire prey immortalized in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this spellbinding account will capture your heart and soul—forever.

This one will be released December 21...

Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

2010-12-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

The Iron King

By: Julie Kagawa

Published by: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: February 1, 2010

368 pages

I bought this book

5 out of 5 stars!

From Amazon....

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something 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.

Why I picked it up: This one had been in my TBR pile for awhile and I just randomly grabbed it one day.

Why I couldn't put it down: In a word, magic.

Reading The Iron King was like being a kid and going to Disneyland for the first time, it filled me with a sense of wonder and awe and left me craving more (yeah, I've already picked up the next book in the series.) Julie Kagawa's descriptions of the world of Faery were lush and lyrical and I was completely transported and checked out of housecleaning and TV watching and those darn Facebook games for the two days it took me to devour this book.

The Iron King opens with the main character, Meghan Chase, remembering her father's mysterious disappearance on her sixth birthday and we get the hint that secrets will be revealed as she discloses that it's not until ten years later that she finds out exactly what happened that fateful day. We are then introduced to the important people in her life, her family and her best friend, the devoted practical joker Robbie. From the beginning, things seem a little off in her world...her family reacts strangely to her at times and she starts seeing things that just shouldn't be there. Then her little brother starts acting odd and things finally come to a head when his behavior gets completely out of control and he viciously bites Meghan on the leg. At this point, her friend Robbie has no choice other than to reveal the truth to Meghan...that he is the famous Puck of legend and lore and that her brother has been taken to the land of Faery and replaced here in our world with a changeling.

Puck and Meghan enter the Nevernever and begin their quest to rescue the boy. And, as in all good tales of quests and adventures, they encounter danger and magical creatures and their strengths, weaknesses, and convictions are challenged along the way. Meghan discovers she is the daughter of Oberon, King of the Summer Court and we meet the handsome and dangerous Ash, prince of the Winter Court, sworn to bring Meghan to his mother, the evil Queen Mab. But of course, what he didn't count on was his attraction and growing feelings for Meghan and soon he joins her and Puck on their search for her little brother. Now personally, I'm not completely sold on the budding romance between Ash and Meghan. Their feelings developed a little too quickly for my tastes and and some of his emotions were a little hard for me to buy into. Plus, I like Puck!!! But hey, I'm willing to reserve judgment until I read the rest of the series (but seriously, go Puck ;)

As for the rest of their journey, along the way we discover Puck and Ash have one heck of a history, we are introduced to the amazingly fabulous talking cat Grimalkin (love him!) and we learn the secrets of the Iron King and the effect our modern technology and dreams of progress are having on the world of Faery. Danger lurks around every corner and one must choose their words carefully in the Nevernever, but magic is most definitely afoot. All in all, Kagawa has done a brilliant job of creating a world that is rich and detailed and just may leave you whispering "I do believe in fairies, I do..."

I'm not a fan of the official trailer for this book...it's basically just various clips of the cover image cut with some text. BORING (why oh why do they do that???). But, I found this fan made trailer that I thought was really pretty cool and does a much better job of making you want to read the book....and I want you to read the book!!! So here you go...

I've joined a new challenge for 2011!

2010-12-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to read the Immortal After Dark series, so yay for this one! Here's the reading schedule:

January 21: "The Warlord Wants Forever"
in PLAYING EASY TO GET

February 18: A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER

March 18: NO REST FOR THE WICKED

April 15: WICKED DEEDS ON A WINTER'S NIGHT

May 20: DARK NEEDS AT NIGHT'S EDGE

June 17: DARK DESIRES AFTER DUSK

July 15: KISS OF A DEMON KING

August 19: "Untouchable" in DEEP KISS OF WINTER

September 16: PLEASURE OF A DARK PRINCE

October 21: DEMON FROM THE DARK

November 18: DREAMS OF A DARK WARRIOR

This challenge is being hosted by Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About Click the pic to sign up!

Gratitude Giveaway Winner

2010-12-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to....

MONA P!!!!!

She has been contacted and confirmed....thanks to all who entered!!!

Christmas Cards Anyone???

2010-11-29T19:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I love getting Christmas cards in the mail...so....if any of you would like to exchange cards this year, shoot me an email at willowwind@gmail.com so we can exchange addresses!!

Oh, and I know you're all dying to know the winner of the Gratitude Giveaway...I'll announce it in a day or two, there were over 200 entries (WAY more than I was expecting!) and it's taking me awhile to make sure I get each bonus entry counted. Hang in there and thank you all so much for entering!! And a big hello to all the new followers here...I know a lot of you came for the contest, hope you stick around and make yourselves at home!!!

Review: Angel by L.A. Weatherly

2010-11-27T11:35:00.001-08:00

Angel

By: L.A. Weatherly

Published by: Usborne Publishing Ltd.

Publication Date: October 1, 2010

I bought this book

5 stars

From Goodreads....

In a world where angels are beyond redemption, Alex thinks he's found one that might deserve mercy. Alex is a ruthless assassin - of angels. Forget everything you've heard about them before. Angels are not benign celestial creatures, but fierce stalkers whose irresistible force allows them to feed off humans, draining them of their vitality until there is barely anything left. As far as Alex is concerned, the only good angel is a dead angel...until he meets Willow. She may look like a normal teenager but Willow is no ordinary girl. Half-angel, half-human, Willow may hold the key to defeating the evil angels. But as the hunter and the hunted embark on an epic and dangerous journey and Willow learns the dark and terrifying secrets of her past, Alex finds himself drawn to Willow...with devastating consequences. Eoin Colfer reinvented the fairy, Stephenie Meyer reinvented the vampire, L.A. Weatherly reinvents the angel! This is a heart-pounding, knuckle-whitening, paranormal romance action-adventure for fans of the "Twilight" series. This is the first in a devastating new trilogy.

Why I picked it up...I read several glowing reviews of this one and loved the unique angle the author chose for her angels.

Why I couldn't put it down...Loved the unique angle on angels...first time I have ever read a story where the angels were the bad guys. There was also a well developed and realistic romance in Angel. None of that "love at first sight cause he's hot" crap in this one. The characters spent time together and actually TALKED to each other AND based their emotions on each other's inner qualities...the way it is supposed to be!!! *Faint*

That being said, I have to be honest and turn this into the weirdest 5 star review I have ever done. For some reason or other, that's really all I can say about this book. It never actually sucked me in...as a matter of fact it took me almost 2 weeks to finish it. And it's not that there's anything wrong with the book...honestly, I can't put my finger on anything that I didn't like about Angel. I just never felt compelled to read it. Let me put it this way...ever meet a guy who's got everything going for him...nice, good looking, great job, funny, all your friends think you should hook up with him...but you're just not into him? For whatever reason, the chemistry just isn't there? But you know there are a ton of girls who would think he 's the perfect catch? That's how Angel was for me. The chemistry just wasn't there, but I know it's gonna be perfect for a whole lotta people.

My Interview is Up!

2010-11-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

Hi my fellow book lovers and friends, hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! As for me, I had to work until 4:30 (darn casinos never close) but I managed to get home and get Thanksgiving dinner done in a record hour and a half. Of course, as a vegetarian I don't do turkey so that saved me a massive amount of time. I make this every year instead...

It's delicious and really does come close to tasting like the real thing!

Anyway, not too long ago I was asked by Kathy over at Reads, Reviews, Recommends if I would be part of her blogger interview series and that interview appears today! Click the link and hop on over! It was the first time I'VE ever been interviewed and it was a lot of fun =)Thanks to Kathy...and check out her site while you are there, it's a great blog!!

New on My Shelf: Zombie Moon

2010-11-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

Zombie Moon

By: Lori Devoti

Published by: Harlequin

Publication Date: July 1, 2010

283 pages

From the back cover....

Caleb Locke lived for one thing—killing zombies. And this man—this legend—was exactly what Samantha Wagner needed. In mist-shrouded alleys, hunted by zombies, haunted by fear, she vowed to find Caleb and convince him to help her. But she hadn't counted on falling in love….

Caleb kept his own secrets—like the one he couldn't hide when the moon was full. But his wolf was drawn to Samantha, recognizing her as his mate. With her in his arms, Caleb reveled in passion…and rued his deception. Would she still love the man who fought by her side if she realized that zombies weren't the only monsters? Samantha would have to make a choice—and she only had till the next full moon.

2011 Debut Author Challenge

2010-11-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

The Story Siren is hosting the third annual Debut Author Challenge and it's sign-up time! What is this you ask??? Well, the goal is to read at least 12 books in the YA or middle grade category by previously unpublished authors. You can click on the pic to get more info and sign up. I'm participating in this year's challenge, and while I am a little behind on my goal, it's still been great fun and great way to discover new books and authors.

My tentative list of books to read for this challenge...

1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
2. Choker by Elizabeth Woods
3. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
4. Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
5. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
6. So Shelly by Ty Roth
7. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
8. Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
9. Blood Magic by Tessa Gatton
10. Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
11. Timeless by Alexandra Monir
12. Wake Unto Me by Lisa Kach

Tyger Tyger Trailer!

2010-11-19T11:21:00.000-08:00

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton remains one of my favorite books of the year and I just love this trailer for it! I first reviewed it back in August, but I think it deserves a repost!

Summary from Goodreads…

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.
Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

There was SO much I loved about this book, but for me, good characters are the heart and soul of any story so let's start there. Teagan has taken over as my favorite YA protagonist because she breaks all the stereotypes. Unlike a lot of girls in YA, Teagan has more on her mind than the hot boy. She has a job (working with animals,) goals, a great family that she actually likes, and a best friend with mafia ties who can always make a call....she KNOWS people. And Finn...sigh. You can just hear his Irish accent when he's talking and when he calls Teagan "girl." It's enough to make you a little weak in the knees. And he breaks the stereotypes too. He's not a bad boy (although his past is a little mysterious) and he never resorts to treating Teagan badly. He's the kind of a boy a girl SHOULD fall for.

As for the story itself, Kersten Hamilton weaves some mighty fine magic with her words. Tyger Tyger has its roots firmly planted in Celtic folklore and mythology, drawing upon tales of the Sidhe and of goblins and the legend of Fionn Mac Cumhaill. I wasn't familiar with any of these stories before, but I'm dying to get my hands on some more Celtic mythology now. I don't want to give away too much, but man, that summary leaves out SO much that it makes it really hard NOT to talk about other aspects of the book. Suffice it to say there is some excellent world building here, replete with supernatural creatures I haven't come across in any other books I've read. I found myself completely immersed in this magical world as I was reading and I gladly went along for the adventure. Here, you'll find a world where there is magic to be found in songs and promises, where the creatures in the shadows just might be real, and where you never know when a roll of duct tape might come in handy...so be prepared!

All in all, Tyger Tyger gets a solid 5 stars from me. I really loved this book and I hope you will too!

Gratitude Giveaway Time!!!

2010-11-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to be a part of the Gratitude Giveaway...it's a way of saying thanks to all my lovely blog followers and all the awesome people I have had a chance to talk to since starting Vampires and Tofu. This event is hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader Not A Writer (click the pic to visit) and will run from November 17 thru November 28. There are more than 175 blogs participating, you can find a list at the bottom of this post...visit and enter!! There are tons of awesome giveaways.

And now for my giveaway....

Winner gets his or her choice of these boxed sets....

1. The House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (books 1-4)

2. The Immortals Series by Alyson Noel (books 1-3)

3. The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld (books 1-4)

To enter, simply be a follower of Vampires and Tofu and leave a comment with your email address. That's it!! Giveaway is open to anyone 13 and over. Shipping is to the US and Canada only BUT if you're international, don't despair...you'll get $25 worth of the books of your choice as long as Book Depository ships to you!

Opportunities for extra entries...
+1 if you were a follower before this giveaway
+1 for tweeting this giveaway
+1 if you post it anywhere else (your blog, facebook, etc.)

Lemme know your extra entries in the comments, good luck, and thanks for reading Vampires and Tofu!!

Follow Friday 40 and Over

2010-11-12T19:55:00.000-08:00

I just discovered this through Allison's Attic It's where bloggers over 40 can share a link to their site and since I am over 40 I'm in! It's hosted by Java at Never Growing Old

Click the pic and discover some new blogs!

Review: Feed by Mira Grant

2010-11-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Feed

By: Mira Grant

Published by: Orbit

Publication Date: May 1, 2010

608 pages

I won this in a contest

Book #1 of the Newsflesh Series

From Goodreads....

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

Why I picked it up: In anticipation of the new Walking Dead series based on the comics by the same name and the fact that I truly love zombie stories but was so disappointed in the last one I attempted to read, I decided it was high time to get back on the zombie train.

Why I couldn't out it down: Cause it was damn good!! THIS is a zombie story done right. Keep your zombies with a conscience, I want my zombies to remain mindless feeding machines. And I want intelligent writing, and does this book ever deliver!!! It's been a few days since I read this one and I am still blown away by the detail and believable world-building in this book. While many zombie stories focus on the actual zombie uprising, this book happens 20 years later and is a fascinating look at how things have changed since society has had to adjust to zombies being a part of life. Grant does an incredible job of showing us a world that has changed yet is still familiar. Blood testing kits, the threat of diseased animals changing the diets of millions, houses with smaller windows, a zombie attack at Comic-Con and Urban Survival Barbie are all part of the landscape in this new world. Not just that though, I really love that Mira Grant has given a believable explanation for the rise of the zombies. The author has studied virology and it was evident in the scientific explanations given. I could almost believe this could actually happen.

The main characters Georgia (George Romero is now considered a hero for his zombie movies and it's quite common for parents to name their children after him,) Shaun and Buffy are bloggers (and since a lot of us here are, this added a very interesting component to the story.) In Grant's future, blogging is taking over as the most reliable news source and I found this to be a fascinating take on the media. These aren't just casual bloggers, the news and the truth and getting it out there means everything to these kids and when they get a chance to be the first blogging team selected to be part of one of the presidential candidates press pool, they jump on it. This decision puts them smack dab in the middle of danger, political conspiracies, terrorism and heartbreak.

Feed is a wonderful story of zombies, social commentary, politics, religion and the struggle to hold onto the ideals of a nation. It is intelligent and heartbreaking and don't be surprised if you find yourself shedding a tear when you read it.

5 Stars!

Halloween Readathon and Winners!

2010-10-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

First of all, my apologies for this getting up so late, I've been completely overwhelmed the past couple of weeks and seems like I have fallen behind on EVERYTHING. I didn't read nearly as much as I wanted to and completely missed the Twitter party, but I DID manage to get through 150 pages of Feed by Mira Grant and am absolutely loving it so far. Could end up being my favorite zombie book ever.

And now for the winners...

Winner of my mini challenge is

Lauren from 365 Days Of Reading!

I asked entrants to grab the scariest book they own and leave the opening sentence from it in the comments, Lauren's answer was....

"The scariest book I own is probably Tales and Poems of Poe, an anthology of Edgar Allan Poe's best works (I'm a bit of a wimp, so this is the scariest book I have!).

The opening sentence is this
(From the story The Purloined Letter): At Paris, just after dark one gusty evening in the autumn of 18--, I was enjoying the two-fold luxury of meditation and a meerschaum, in company with my friend, C. Aguste Dupin, in his little black library, or book-closet, au troisieme, No. 33 Rue Dunot, Faubourg St. Germain."

And the winner of the Trick r Treat DVD is...

Jason!

I asked you all to leave a comment with your favorite Halloween tradition and his answer was....

"Halloween has always been one of my favorites. Some of my favorite Halloween Traditions come from when I was younger. As kids (tweens) we would go, after Trick-r-Treating of course, to the cemetery and scare ourselves with scary stories. Right across the cemetery was this old Haunted looking house on a hill. So after the stories we would trick ourselves into believing that we would see scary stuff (blood on the walls, some ghostly image walking in the yard, etc.) When we were done scaring ourselves (and the girls that were with us) we would head back to one of our houses and eat Pumpkin shaped sugar cookies (you know the orange ones) and drink Apple Cider while watching the Fat Albert Halloween Special (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klzt8CgtRlw) and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The weather in WA in October is perfect Fall/Halloween type of weather, which just added to the awesomeness of it all.. Great memories, of some great traditions. =)"

I really enjoyed reading everyone's answers to the questions and added a few new books to my wishlist =) Big thanks to everyone who entered and congrats to the winners!!

Red Notebooks and Romance

2010-10-16T10:02:00.001-07:00

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

By: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 26, 2010

From Amazon....

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Dash and Lily, 16, find themselves on their own in Manhattan at Christmas. Dash is alone by choice–he's told each of his divorced parents that he's spending the holiday with the other, leaving them both to take vacations out of town. Lily's parents are taking the honeymoon they couldn't afford when they got married. They think that Lily is in the capable hands of her older brother, but he's less interested in her than in his new boyfriend, and then he gets sick and spends most of the holiday in bed. He does, however, start in motion the activity that is central to the story. It involves a red Moleskine notebook with a list of literary clues that Lily leaves in the stacks at the Strand bookstore. Bookish and erudite Dash finds it and is intrigued enough to follow Lily's lead and leave some clues of his own. The dares in the book's title refer to innocent things such as going to various crowded places like Macy's and FAO Schwartz to pick up messages. As the dares go on, the teens reveal more and more about themselves in the pages of the notebook, until they finally meet under the worst possible circumstances. While the words, ideas, and sentiments are not those of typical kids, they are not out of the realm of possibility for well-read teens. As they did in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (Knopf, 2006), the authors combine their talents to write an appealing book. It makes readers long to buy a notebook, begin filling its pages, and find a friend who might turn out to be more. This book will spend as much time off the shelf as Lily's notebook.

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

Halloween Costume Mini-Challenge

2010-10-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

Whoo...another fun challenge =) Oh My Books!
asked us to make a blog post about what our costume will be for Halloween this year. I absolutely adore dressing up for Halloween and while I'm not 100% positive, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be a rockabilly girl/pinup girl/Bettie Page for Halloween. Sexy, but NOT slutty....cause I absolutely DESPISE the slut suits that pass as costumes.
Anyway, I have the dress already, just need to go find the perfect accessories =)

Oh, and just for fun, here's my pic from last year...I was a flapper! My hair is actually really long, but I flipped it underneath and pinned it for the bob look.

Can't wait to see everyone else's costumes!!

My Spookiest Read

2010-10-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

Lesley at Young Adult Books Reviewed put up her mini challenge and asked us to make a blog post about our spookiest read.

I HAVE SO MANY!!!!

So I'm going to go with one that really stuck in my head for a long time...

The Store by Bentley Little...

From Amazon...
Bentley Little is a top craftsman of the horror tale in long form. He has the ability, more unusual than you might think, to imagine 300 to 400 pages' worth of horrific incidents that add up to a long-lasting and powerfully unsettling mood. In The Store Little examines the steadily expanding influence, over all of us, of chain stores. Listen to what one character says: "A lot of these loonies ... are so worried about the federal government, and I never saw a government agency that worked worth a damn. These guys're so afraid of Big Brother and creeping totalitarianism, but our government's always seemed to me to be full of inept bunglers, not brilliant organized master planners. Hell, they couldn't even pull off a third-rate burglary. It's the corporations we have to worry about, I think. They're the ones with the money. They're the ones who can afford to hire the best and the brightest, to competently carry out their plans."

The Store builds paranoia by starting with simple descriptions of the picturesque landscape and the deceptively banal Western town that is Juniper, Arizona. Then The Store arrives. The Store razes a lovely hill to build its huge parking lot. The Store offers well-paying jobs and an astonishing variety of consumer goods. The pattern of delight and worry in the citizens, as The Store spreads its tentacles into local concerns, is believable--disturbingly so. The Store seems like any other of the familiar chains that reproduce like rabbits, invade communities, wipe out small businesses, and turn unique localities into a generic America that looks just the same from Alaska to Florida.

But what exactly goes on, when Samantha and Shannon meet with their boss in the basement of The Store? And who are the Night Managers?

This is dystopia in microcosm. This is horror fiction at its subversive best.

Read this one and I PROMISE you will never look at Wal-Mart the same way.....

Read-A-Thon Mini Challenge!!

2010-10-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

It was a dark and stormy night.....

Classic scary book opening sentence, right??? Halloween has got me thinking about my favorite horror novels and one of the scariest I ever read would have to be The Shining by Stephen King. I read it way back when I was a teenager and I can still remember the opening line...."Officious little prick." Of course back then I had no idea what that meant and I can still remember my mom's reaction when I used those very words to describe a classmate. Needless to say, this did not go over well....

So, with opening sentences in mind.....your mission for this challenge is to grab the scariest book you have and leave the opening sentence from it in the comments. Be sure and leave the name of the book and the author too!

Winner will be chosen at random from the comments and will get to choose from any of the 3 books I said I wanted to read for the readathon....

1. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
2. Feed by Mira Grant
3. The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

Contest is open to readathon participants only (if you wanna enter, go sign up!)
This contest is international as long as Book Depository ships to wherever you are.
Ends Sunday at midnight.
Good luck and Happy Reading!!

Halloween Readathon Books!!

2010-10-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

IT'S ALMOST TIME!!!!

The Halloween Read-A-Thon hosted by Lesley at Young Adult Books Reviewed begins tonight!!!
If you haven't signed up, click the pic to join in...there will be lots of fun mini-challenges and giveaways (I'll be posting mine in just a few hours.)

Books I'm planning on reading include...

Zombies on My Doorstep!!

2010-10-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago I won an epic zombie giveaway from NecroScope, the Official Zombie Fiction Review Blog for HorrorScope. I know a lot of you are zombie fans, and if you are, you seriously need to check out this site...it's a zombie lover's dream!!!
Anyway, my goodies came yesterday and I thought I would post up some piccies and show the awesomeness I got, just in time for Halloween!!!

1. Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim by Mark Twain and Bill Czolgosz

2. Dead or Alive by William Harms and Ray Lederer

3. The Complete Idiot's guide to Zombies by Nathan Robert Brown

4. Two issues of After the World, which is Australian zombie pulp fiction....how awesome is that??

5. Issue #1 of the comic George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (swoon)

6. State of Decay by James Knapp

7. And a SIGNED copy of Feed by Mira Grant!!!

Huge, HUGE thanks to the folks at NecroScope!!!!

Halloween Giveaway #1

2010-10-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of year is here!!! Yup, Halloween =) TODAY is officially the beginning of the celebration for me. It's the day I pull out all the decorations and start making the house (a little more) creepy for the season...I'll be posting pics of my goodies later and I have some fun stuff planned for you throughout the month but to kick things off I wanna give you a chance to win my favorite Halloween movie of all time....Trick R Treat.

From Amazon....

The doorbell rings, the cry goes out: Trick 'R Treat! But, wait. What's actually going on during this ghostly All Hallows Eve? Something eerie and unexpected. Something splattered and spooky. Something that brings ghouls, vampires and werewolves into the night. Answer the door – a shocking surprise awaits. From producer Bryan Singer (director of X-Men and Superman Returns) and writer-director Michael Dougherty (co-scripter of X2 and Superman Returns) comes a multitale bag of wicked yarns, four cleverly interlocked stories built on Shocktober admonitions like always check the candy and don’t extinguish the jack-o-lantern before midnight. So answer the door now: Experience horror made for today's fright fan.

No other movie, for me, quite captures the spirit of Halloween so brilliantly. The cinematography is GORGEOUS, but don't just take my word for it, check out the trailer...

To enter, just tell me your favorite Halloween tradition in the comments section. (I LOVE pumpkin carving...one year I did a Johnny Depp theme, last year I did "Sam" from this movie =) Please include your email address so I can contact you if you win.

Extra entries as follows...
+1 for being a new follower
+2 for being an old follower
+1 for tweeting
be sure and post the number of entries!

Contest open to US entries and I will be picking a winner on the 15th and shipping via 2 day shipping to make sure it gets to you before Halloween. Good luck!

Halloween Read-A-Thon Sign Up Time!

2010-09-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

Lesley over at Young Adult Books Reviewed is hosting a Halloween Read-A-Thon and I want YOU to sign up!

Here's the important info...

Read-A-Thon runs from October 15th-17th. And, in Lesley's own words....

What does this readathon entail you ask? Good question!
For this readathon: read Halloween themed stuff. Not necessarily with the day of Halloween, or even the month. None of that (unless you want to). What I am thinking is examples like this: vampires, ghosts, witches, werewolves, shifters, immortals, urban legends, zombies, anything horror or paranormal related.

For those of you who have never participated in a readthon, what exactly is it?
For this readathon it is just the weekend. So for 3 days, read as much as you can for however long you can! You can set a goal if you'd like as well. I'm going to set a goal of 4 books for the weekend. So I'm going to read as much as I can and hopefully hit my goal. Read at your pace, whatever you want to do!

Do I have to have a blog to participate?
No way! This is just to read and have fun. If you have a twitter, a google connect, anything will do.

Sign up so you can be in on the fun (and GIVEAWAYS!) Just click the pic to get to the sign-up page!

Review: Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

2010-09-27T19:35:00.001-07:00

Personal Demons

by: Lisa Desrochers

Publication Date: September 14, 2010

Published by: Tor Teen

368 pages

I bought this book

From Amazon....

If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be?

Are you sure about that...?

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them.

Why I picked it up: Cause I love the whole good vs. evil thing

Why I couldn't put it down: I almost DID put it down, a few times. The first 150 pages or so were downright tedious for me. Let me sum it up for you...

Luc shows up at school, he thinks Frannie is hot, she thinks he is hot.
Gabe shows up at school. Frannie thinks he is hot.
LOTS of tingling going on.
Lockers, lunchroom, lockers, lunchroom.
Frannie kisses Luc, thinks she might be in love.
Frannie kisses Gabe, thinks she might be in love.
Tingle, lockers, tingle, lunchroom.

Oh and lots of Luc "smelling her ginger" whenever Frannie was feeling attracted to him. Was I the only one who found this phrase a little ewwww worthy??

In other words, nothing really interesting happens for the first half of the book. Now granted, I understand characters need to be introduced and things need to be established early on, but by the time any real action gets underway, I was so tired of keeping up with who was sitting by who at lunchtime that I really didn't care about any of the characters. Frannie's so called possible love for these guys was based on nothing more than physical attraction. It would have been nice for her to have something else to go on before she started locking lips with whichever one was in closest proximity. When it comes down to it, I really didn't like Frannie that much.

And as for the boys...Luc's description was NOTHING like the Luc on the cover...did the artist even read the book?? Not to mention that for being a demon, he really wasn't that bad of a guy. And Gabe...well, Gabe felt more like a secondary character than a contender for leading man.

I will have to say things did get more interesting halfway into the book. Desrochers delivers some clever and unique ideas that I think would ultimately have worked better if the hormones had been scaled back and the personalities played up. When it came down to it, I didn't really care enough about either of the guys (or Frannie for that matter) to be invested in who she chose and what everyone's fate would be.

There are a lot of great concepts introduced though, and I'm hoping the next book will focus more on them than the hormones and the love triangle. I know there will be lots of people who DO like this book, it just wasn't one of my favorites.

3 out 5 stars

Baby Got Back (zombie style)

2010-09-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share my entry for the Zombie Love Challenge ...
(it's truly awful....you have been warned =)

Baby Had Back
(to the tune of Baby Got Back by Sir-Mix-A-Lot)

I like big meals and I cannot lie
You other zombies can't deny
When a girl walks by with a big butt and thick waist
In front of your rotting face
You get hungry!
Wanna pull out a fork
Cause you notice that butt's like pork
A meal in the jean's she's rulin'
I'm hooked and I can't stop droolin'
Oh baby, I wanna bite into ya
And taste your tibia
The living tried to warn me
But that butt you got makes me so hungry!
Ooh rump of din-din
You say you don't wanna lose your skin
Well scream....and run...
Cause you ain't that average dim sum
Don't need Budweiser,
To hell with appetizers
She's meaty and thick
Got it goin' like a sirloin steak
I'm tired of Rachel Ray
Sayin' pasta makes your day
Take the average zombie and ask him that
She gotta pack a rack (of ribs)
So..zombies (yeah!) zombies (yeah!)
Has your victim got the butt?
Just eat it (eat it!) eat it (eat it)
Eat that human butt....
Baby had back =)

Steampunk Challenge!

2010-09-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

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I've decided to sign up for The Bookkeeper's Steampunk Challenge. I've had some steampunk titles on my TBR list for awhile and I've really been wanting to check out the genre so I think this will give me the push I need to need get crackin'!

The challenge runs for a year and there's no minimum number of books to read or anything like that, all you have to do is share your reviews and have fun!

If you want to join in, click the pic =)

Books I plan to read for the challenge...

1. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

2. Soulless by Gail Carriger

3. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Any other suggestions????

Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

2010-09-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

Speak

By: Laurie Halse Anderson

Publication Date: April 20, 2006

I bought this book

197 pages

From Amazon...

Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." What could have caused Melinda to suddenly fall mute? Could it be due to the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? Or maybe it's because her parents' only form of communication is Post-It notes written on their way out the door to their nine-to-whenever jobs. While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute... Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel is a stunning and sympathetic tribute to the teenage outcast. The triumphant ending, in which Melinda finds her voice, is cause for cheering (while many readers might also shed a tear or two). After reading Speak, it will be hard for any teen to look at the class scapegoat again without a measure of compassion and understanding for that person--who may be screaming beneath the silence.

Why I picked it up: This has been the most talked about book for the past few days and while it was easy to take a stand against banning it, I thought I should put my money where my mouth is and see just what it's all about.

Why I couldn't put it down: I have never read a book that captures so painfully and so truthfully what it's like to be a teen aged outcast. Melinda was quite possibly the realest character I have ever lost (and found) myself in. Reading this book took me back to some of my own painful memories of junior high, memories that make me wanna cry for the girl I was and wish I had found my own voice sooner. I was never raped, but I suffered emotional abuse at the hands of my classmates. My family moved a lot when I was growing up and I found myself in a new school almost every year. Seventh grade: I was new, I wasn't cool, I wore a lot of badly patterned polyester, and I got good grades. These things didn't win my any popularity contests. I can remember sitting by myself at lunchtime and having kids come up and smash M&M's in my hair. I can remember hanging out after school with the girls I thought were my friends only to suddenly find myself alone save for the school bully and her followers. I got punched that day and walked home alone and shaking. I remember being excited like everyone else at the end of the school year about getting my yearbook signed only to find everyone wrote "to a weird girl."

Anderson captured perfectly what it feels like to be that girl. This book isn't just for survivors of sexual assault, it is for anyone who has ever felt like an outcast, like they didn't fit in, like they were alone. Melinda's thoughts and feelings could belong to any girl. And that's what made me so invested in this character. I was pulling for her the whole time, wanting her to find her voice and find herself...to realize that she may have been damaged, but she wasn't broken.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you haven't read it yet, read it soon. If you know a girl who might be feeling left out, give her a copy. I wish I would have had this back in 7th grade. I might not have felt so alone.

5 out of 5 stars

Speak Loudly

2010-09-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

I'm sure by now most of you are aware of this article

I was at work today, but kept reading all the #SpeakLoudly hashtags on Twitter, and while I was appalled at the article, I was truly heartened by how the book loving community came together to speak up for what we believe in.
I haven't read Speak yet, but I have it on my nightstand and will be setting aside the other books I'm reading to start it tonight. And when I'm done, I will be passing it on to my daughter for her to read. Because it's important. The subject matter as well as our freedom to read it.

If you haven't had a chance yet, watch this video of Laurie Halse Anderson and the poem she wrote based on the letters of girls and boys who have read Speak and been impacted by it. It's very powerful. And so are our voices, as long as we continue to SPEAK LOUDLY.

We Have a Winner!

2010-09-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

The winner of my She Smells the Dead Giveaway is...

Lesley from Young Adult Books Reviewed

Congrats and thanks to all who entered!

Sneak Peek: Night Fall…new YA Horror Series!

2010-09-18T11:24:00.001-07:00

YA Horror! Where the things that go bump in the night scare you instead of falling in love with you! I’m a huge fan of horror and I’m really excited to see some new titles coming to the YA shelves, so welcome to the Night Fall series, published by Darby Creek, a division of Lerner Books.

Taking cues from horror films and video games, Night Fall™ is high-interest, contemporary, horror fiction that is perfect for teen readers. Featuring YA themes and a highly accessible reading level, each story features teenagers from a small New England town called Bridgewater. Strange and awful things happen in Bridgewater, and readers will be lucky to escape with their sanity.

1. Unthinkable by Shirley Duke

Omar Phillips is Bridgewater High's favorite local teen author. His Facebook fans can't wait for his next horror story. But lately Omar's imagination has turned against him. Horrifying visions of death and destruction come over him with wide-screen intensity. The only way to stop the visions is to write them down. Until they start coming true...
Enter Sophie Minax, the mysterious Goth girl who's been following Omar at school. "I'm one of you," Sophie says. She tells Omar how to end the visions―but the only thing worse than Sophie's cure may be what happens if he ignores it.

2. Skin by Rick Jasper

It looks like a pizza exploded on Nick Barry's face. But bad skin is the least of his problems. His bones feel like living ice. A strange rash―like scratches―seems to be some sort of ancient code. And then there's the anger...
Something evil is living under Nick's skin. Where did it come from? What does it want? With the help of a dead kid's diary, a nun, and a local professor, Nick slowly finds out what's wrong with him. But there's still one question that Nick must face alone: How do you destroy an evil that's inside you?

3. The Protectors by Val Karlsson

Luke's life has never been "normal." How could it be, with his mother holding séances and his half-crazy stepfather working as Bridgewater's mortician? But living in a funeral home never bothered Luke. That is, until the night of his mom's accident.
Sounds of screaming now shatter Luke's dreams. And his stepfather is acting even stranger. When bodies in the funeral home start delivering messages to Luke, he is certain that he's going nuts. As he tries to solve his mother's death, Luke discovers a secret more horrifying than any nightmare.

4. Thaw by Rick Jaspar

A July storm caused a major power outage in Bridgewater. Now a research project at the Institute for Cryogenic Experimentation has been ruined, and the thawed-out bodies of twenty-seven federal inmates are missing.
At first, Dani Kraft didn't think much of the breaking news. But after her best friend Jake disappears, a mysterious visitor connects the dots for Dani. Jake has been taken in by an infamous cult leader. To get him back, Dani must enter a dangerous, alternate reality where a defrosted cult leader is beginning to act like some kind of god.

5. The Club by Stephanie Watson

The club started innocently enough. Bored after school, Josh and his friends decided to try out an old game Sabina had found in her basement. Called "Black Magic," it promised the players good fortune at the expense of those who have wronged them. Yeah, right.
But when the club members' luck starts skyrocketing―and horror befalls their enemies―the game stops being a joke. How can they end the power they've unleashed? Answers lie in an old diary―but ending the game may be deadlier than any curse.

6. Messages From Beyond by Stephanie Watson

Some guy named Ethan Davis has been texting Cassie. He seems to know all about herbut she can't place him. He's not in Bridgewater High's yearbook either. Cassie thinks one of her friends is punking her. But she can't ignore the strange coincidences―like how Ethan looks just like the guy in her nightmares.
Cassie's search for Ethan leads her to a shocking discovery―and a struggle for her life. Will Cassie be able to break free from her mysterious stalker?

These titles will be available October 1st, just in time for Halloween! In the meantime, you can go to http://www.lernerbooks.com/scarystorycontest/ to enter their short story writing contest (ages 11-18 only) AND you can view the Thaw ebook free until October 31st.

And stick around….I’ll be reviewing these and hosting a Night Fall giveaway next month!!

ARC Review: Torment by Lauren Kate

2010-09-17T07:42:00.001-07:00

Torment

By: Lauren Kate

Publication Date: September 28, 2010

Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

The awesome Amy from Reading Teen let me borrow her copy. Thanks Amy!!!

From Amazon...

Hell on earth.

That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.
It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts—immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. He’s hiding something—something dangerous.
What if Daniel’s version of the past isn’t actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series . . . where love never dies.

I liked Fallen.

I LOVED TORMENT!

First of all, one of my favorite themes to read is good vs. evil and even better when it's heaven vs. hell. And while most people are probably going to be more interested in the love story aspect of this series, for me it's really all about the battle between the angels and demons. Daniel, the good guy against Cam the bad guy....or are they?? The line in the sand is sometimes a little fuzzy in Torment. You'd think it would be easy to predict the behavior of either one, but sometimes they act in unexpected ways which leaves Luce confused and questioning. And is one of the things that makes Torment so compelling. There are definite mysteries to be solved and I am loving trying to figure them out!

Torment gives us a new setting...the gorgeous California coast. Shoreline is everything that Sword and Cross wasn't. Sunshine and beaches and a gorgeous building with decks and windows where classes are held. We are also introduced to some new characters at the school...Shelby, Luce's new roommate and Miles, a totally sweet guy who helps make Luce feel comfortable in her new school. And there are two teachers who...well, let's just say they're not your ordinary teachers *wink*

And then of course there's Daniel and his glorious wings. Lauren does an absolutely amazing job of describing them...not only can you picture his wings, she makes you hear and feel them too. As you would expect, Daniel's main goal is protecting Luce from the Outcasts, but he's also protecting her from her past. There are lots of unanswered questions and we are left wondering just what it is that he is hiding from her. I think there are going to be some amazing reveals in book three!
***I have some theories, if you've read this one and wanna discuss, email me!! (and Pam, you might be interested to know my ideas on this one even if you don't read it =)***

I was really happy with Luce's growth in Torment. Granted, she has a habit of doing the absolute opposite of what the people trying to protect her tell her to do, but I think ultimately that is an important part of her personality. She has free will and she acts on it. She puts herself in some situations she should avoid, but there is so much about her past she doesn't understand and she wants to know. You really can't hold it against her. I also really love the fact that while she has this great passion with Daniel, she questions their relationship. She gets that passion and attraction and history isn't everything. So many girls in YA fiction don't do this and I love that Luce is actually thinking.

Bottom line...if you liked Fallen, I think you're going to love Torment!

This Just In!!

2010-09-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

Just received this courtesy of the authors and it looks AWESOME!

From Amazon...

Maberry (Marvel Zombies Return) and thriller writer Bashman's closeup look at the inevitable battle between good and evil spans decades upon decades of rich monster history, beginning with the definition of evil itself. Illustrations and interviews with top publishing, film, and comic industry names, such as Stan Lee, Jason Aaron, John Carpenter, add depth and intellect to a gripping and informative work. Lists of top villains and horror genre movies serve as appendixes and added entertainment value. Encyclopedic chapter insets offer bits and pieces of information and history on subjects ranging from the "Necronomicon" (the Lovecraftian "ancient and evil book of sorcery") to ghosts and the definition of fear: "In modern speech the word ÿfear' refers to emotions; but in Old English ÿfaer' refers to the specific ÿperil or danger' and not the emotional reaction." With its presentation of the story of evil through straight history, factual tidbits, and pop culture, this book is the horror genre fan's best friend. No stone is left unturned in Maberry and Bashman's fantastic and inventive approach to the world's oldest war. 8 pages of color and 40 b&w images.

Discover the nature of Evil- and how to kick its butt!

These days you can-t swing an undead lycanthrope without hitting a Minion of Evil. They-re everywhere-TV, film, the basement-right behind you! It-s never been more important to know what you can do to keep them at bay. Garlic? silver bullets? holy water? torch-wielding mob?

From today-s foremost experts on nightmares-come-to-life, this indispensible guide identifies and describes mankind-s enemies-supernatural beasts, ghosts, vampires, serial killers, etc.-and unearths effective time-proven responses to each horrific threat.

Separate fact from fiction, the deadly from the merely creepy.
Learn when to stand your ground and when to run screaming for your life.
Determine which monster-specific heroes to call and their likelihood of success.
Consider your own potential as a Champion for Good, Conqueror of the Damned.

Whether we-re talking ancient vampire hunters or modern-day FBI profilers, it-s good to know someone-s got your back in the eternal struggle between Good and Evil. And this book, with over fifty illustrations, as well as commentary from luminaries like filmmaker John Carpenter, author Peter Straub, and the legendary Stan Lee, provides all the information and reassurance you need to sleep soundly at night. Just not too soundly.