Book Review- Another One Bites the Dust

I just finished reading the book Another One Bites the Dust by Jennifer Rardin.



From the back cover:


I'm Jaz Parks. CIA assassin. Black belt. Belly dancer at the Corpus Christi Winter Festival. The last is cover for my latest mission: retrieve a vital piece of biotechnology by killing the maniac who stole it. He's Chien-Lung, an obsessive vamp who's invulnerable while wearing this armor- which is constantly.


Then there are the reavers, ancient fiends who murder innocents and eat their souls. Only I can sense them. So it's not long before they'll want me dead, dead, dead.


This is the second book in the series. I read the first book about 2 and a half months ago, so at first I had a hard time remembering what was going on. I mostly liked the book. There were times when I didn't really enjoy the writing, but there were other times when I found myself laughing out loud from what the main character said. I will be reading the third book in the series next.


I gave the book a rating of 3/5.


This book fullfills the requirements for the following challenges:
Paranormal 999 Challenge: Psychics/ Sensitives (can also be used as vampires)
A to Z Reading Challenge: A
Read Your Name Challenge: A

Book Contests at books by their cover

books by their cover is having several contests.

Win a copy of What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook here

Win a copy of Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell here

Win a copy of Getting the Girl by Susan Juby here.

Win a copy of Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfor here.

Head on over to enter!

Book Contest- Death by Bikini

Reviewer X is giving away a copy of Death By Bikini by Linda Gerber.

Head on over to enter!

Book Contest-Wintergirls

For the Love of Books is having her very first contest to win a copy of Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Head on over to enter!

Book Contest- Wife Goes On

Brenda Janowitz is giving away a copy of Wife Goes On by Leslie Lehr.

Head on over to enter!

Book Contest- Midori by Moonlight

S. Krishna's Books is giving away the book Midori by Moonlight by Wendy Tokunaga.

Head on over for your chance to win!

Weekly Geeks- January 31, 2009

What are you passionate about besides reading and blogging? For example, are you crafty (knitting, woodworking, scrapbooking, model building)? Do you cook? Into gaming (computer or board)? Sports (player or spectator)? Photography? Maybe you like geocaching, rock climbing? Or love attending events like renaissance fairs, concerts? Music? Dancing? You get the idea.
Tell us why you're passionate about it. Post photos of what you've made or of yourself doing whatever it is you love doing.








I am a die-hard Florida Gators fan! When I was in school there, I went to every home football and basketball game. Since I've graduated, I've gone to at least one game of each sport every year. When the Gators went to the National Championship in '06, my best friend and I flew out to Phoenix but the tickets were way more than we expected so we couldn't go. This year, we bought National Championship tickets early on, just in case, and sure enough, we got to go! It was one of the most fun days of my life, and we are planning on going to Pasadena next year if the Gators go to the championship again!







Here is a website that you can visit about their athletics: Gatorzone





Here is a picture of The Swamp--where the Gators play football.







Here is a picture of us at this year's National Championship game!

Friday Fill-In- January 30, 2009

1. I'd really like to not feel so full right now.
2. F*ck is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.
3. Possession is mine.
4. I don't think he's all that, Captain Jack Sparrow.
5. Marshmallows and fire go together like mmm Smores!.
6. There's this guy I know who goes on and on and never shuts up!.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to playing Dr Mario with my boyfriend, tomorrow my plans include going to Ikea to get another bookcase and Sunday, I want to enjoy the Superbowl party that I am going to!

Friday Finds- January 30, 2009

Here are my finds this week!

Vamps #3- After Dark- Nancy A. Collins

Crave: The Seduction of Snow White- Cathy Yardley

Eternal- Cynthia Leitich Smith

Everything I Need To Know About Being A Girl I Learned From Juldy Blume- Jennifer OConnell, Meg Cabot, Beth Kendrick, Julie Kenner, Cara Lockwood, Stacey Ballis, Megan Crane, Laura Caldwell, Melissa Senate, Stephanie Lessin

Kitty and The Midnight Hour- Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Goes to Washington- Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Takes a Holiday- Carrie Vaughn

Kitty and the Silver Bullet- Carrie Vaughn

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand-Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Raises Hell- Carrie Vaughn

Book Review- Look Both Ways

I just finished reading Look Both Ways by Jacquelyn Mitchard.

From the back cover:


One twin has the power to see into the future, one to see deep into the past.

Mally and Merry Brynn thought that with the death of David Jellico, their nightmarish visions of the future and past were gone for good. Now, Merry's only worries revolve around cheer tryouts, and Mally has slipped back into her homebody, tom-boy ways.

Then a cheerleader lands in the hospital. And a mysterious, beautiful moutain lion is maimed.

When they begin to suspect their friend Eden's involvement in both events, Merry and Mally are catapulted back into a world of visions that they do not yet understand. And this time, they must race to prevent the people they love most from unspeakable tragedy.


This was an ARC and the second book in the trilogy. I don't know if it was just because this was an ARC, or if this is how the finished book will be, but it seemed to be all over the place. It seemed to jump from one thing to another and at times didn't explain things fully. But overall I enjoyed reading it and look forward to the third book.


I gave this book a rating of 3/5.


This book fullfills the requirement for the following challenge:
A to Z Reading Challenge: L

Wednesday Wordle- January 29, 2009

Here is a screen shot of my Wordle for the week (Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from words that is seen on my blog)

Waiting On Wednesday- January 28, 2009

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Jailbail Zombie

by Mario Acevedo

Publication Release Date: February 24, 2009

From Barnes and Noble:

Felix Gomez, vampire PI, tackles his gritty fourth adventure (after 2008's The Undead Kama Sutra), a blend of hard-boiled noir and contemporary horror. This time around, Felix is sent by his bosses at the Araneum, a "worldwide network of vampires," to destroy a nest of zombies outside of Denver and put their creator out of business. On the zombies' trail, Felix meets Phaedra Nardoni, the 16-year-old responsible for his hallucinatory flashbacks to his days as a soldier in Iraq. Phaedra, who is dying of Huntington's chorea, threatens Felix with more hallucinations unless he turns her into a vampire. Felix's moral dilemma is cut short when the zombie reanimator captures him and explains his plans for world domination and "zombies in space." Fans of splattery Hollywood-style horror will have fun with this tale of violence and mayhem.

Teaser Tuesdays- January 27, 2009

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

My two teasers:

"Both girls heard a muffles shout from their mother, Campbell. 'What's going on? It's six in the morning!'"

~pg 5, "Look Both Ways" by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Quiz...What Female Icon Are You?

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Grace!

You are a Grace -- "I need to understand the world."

Graces have a need for knowledge and are introverted, curious, analytical, and insightful.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Be independent, not clingy


• * Speak in a straightforward and brief manner


• * I need time alone to process my feelings and thoughts


• * Remember that If I seem aloof, distant, or arrogant, it may be that I am feeling uncomfortable


• * Make me feel welcome, but not too intensely, or I might doubt your sincerity


• * If I become irritated when I have to repeat things, it may be because it was such an effort to get my thoughts out in the first place


• * don't come on like a bulldozer


• * Help me to avoid my pet peeves: big parties, other people's loud music, overdone emotions, and intrusions on my privacy

What I Like About Being a Grace
* standing back and viewing life objectively
* coming to a thorough understanding; perceiving causes and effects
* my sense of integrity: doing what I think is right and not being influenced by social pressure
* not being caught up in material possessions and status
* being calm in a crisis

What's Hard About Being a Grace

• * being slow to put my knowledge and insights out in the world


• * feeling bad when I act defensive or like a know-it-all


• * being pressured to be with people when I don't want to be


• * watching others with better social skills, but less intelligence or technical skill, do better professionally

Graces as Children Often

• * spend a lot of time alone reading, making collections, and so on


• * have a few special friends rather than many


• * are very bright and curious and do well in school


• * have independent minds and often question their parents and teachers


• * watch events from a detached point of view, gathering information


• * assume a poker face in order not to look afraid


• * are sensitive; avoid interpersonal conflict


• * feel intruded upon and controlled and/or ignored and neglected

Graces as Parents

• * are often kind, perceptive, and devoted


• * are sometimes authoritarian and demanding


• * may expect more intellectual achievement than is developmentally appropriate


• * may be intolerant of their children expressing strong emotions

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Musing Mondays- January 26, 2009

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about lending books...
A few weeks back we had a question about borrowing books, this week I was wondering what your policy was on lending books. Do you lend books to anyone? Just friends? Only big readers? How long are they allowed to have them?

I guess I don't really have a "policy". My friends call my bookshelves my "library". I don't mind them borrowing books, as long as I get them back. And if I hear my friends saying that they want to read a particular book, and I have it on my shelves, I'll offer it up to borrow. Right now I have two books out: one to my brother's sister who took in on a cruise to read (she said she'll mail it back and hopefully she will) and another to a girl on my softball team (she's had it for several months). I always feel bad asking for them back, but I think in this last case, I'm going to have to.

Mailbox Monday- January 26, 2009

Mailbox Monday: Here's what I got in my mailbox this week:

TUESDAY:

Dead As A Doornail, (Southern Vampire#5)- Charlaine Harris-- Paperback Swap

Queen Esther & the Second Graders of Doom- Allie Pleiter--Frugal Reader

The Christmas Bunny- Arnold Rabin--Frugal Reader (for my kindergarten class)

I Can't Wait Until Christmas- Linda Lee Maifair-- Frugal Reader (for my kindergarten class)

WEDNESDAY

Dead Witches Tell No Tales (Every Which Way But Dead & A Fistful of Charms #3, #4)- Kim Harrison--TitleTrader









Your Coffin or Mine?- Kimberly Raye--Frugal Reader auction






Disney Princess Happily Ever After Stories (for my Kindergarten classroom)






A Lion Among Men- Gregory Maguire-- Bookclubgirl






FRIDAY





Untamed (#4)- PC Cast & Kristin Cast -- Frugal Reader Book Ring







Kitty Takes a Holiday (#3)- Carrie Vaughn-- Title Trader






Kitty and the Silver Bullet (#4)- Carrie Vaughn-- Title Trader


The Littlest Christmas Elf- Nancy Buss-- Frugal Reader (for my kindergarten class)
The Poky Little Puppy's Busy Counting Book- Rita Balducci-- Frugal Reader (for my kindergarten class)
The Icky Sticky Frog- Dawn Bentley-- Frugal Reader (for my Kindergarten class)

Book Review- The Midnight Twins

I just finished reading The Midnight Twins by Jacquelyn Mitchard.

From the inside cover:

Each twin has visions--but is that a blessing or a curse?

After battling a mysterious fire on the night of their thirteenth birthday, identical twins Meredith and Mallory Brynn awaken in the hospital with terrifying new powers: Merry can see into the past and Mally can see into the future.

But their new gifts come with a heavy price: the mystical bond the twins have shared their entire lives is badly damaged.

And now their small town in threatened by a looming danger only the twins can stop. That is, if they can harness their power before it destroys them both.

The first book in a lyrical, haunting new triolgy, The Midnight Twins explores the unearthy connection between the Brynn sisters in the same thrilling prose that has made Jacquelyn Mitchard into a national treasure.

I really enjoyed this book--I couldn't put it down! I have always been interested in twins, ever since I was little. And then I discovered the series of Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley High, and Sweet Valley University. And it turns out that I am now dating a twin! This book was easy to fly through and kept me on the edge of my seat!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

This book fullfills the item for the following challenge:

What's In A Name Challenge: Time of Day