Friday Firsts- July 30, 2010

The first line can make or break a reader’s interest. Just how well did the author pull you in to the story with their first sentence? To participate in this weekly book meme is extremely easy.
~Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.
~Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph.
~Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title & author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)

"It was 10:30 a.m. and Emily lay naked on the lilo, using her mother's favourite suede coat as a towel, and the let the gentle breeze waft her around the infinity pool."
~Rich Again by Anna Maxted (ISBN 978-0-312-57028-6)

Friday Fill-In- July 30, 2010

Friday Fill-In

1. I'm going to Hilton Head this week with Kory and my family.
2. Only sometimes am I up for an adventure and daring.
3. Perhaps today you can make it a point to pack quickly so we can leave on time.
4. I don't really have a true adventurer’s spirit.
5. Compassion is caring for another.
6. I always try to do the right thing no matter how difficult.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to eating at Red Robin on the drive home, tomorrow my plans include driving to Hilton Head and stopping at two Coach outlets on the way and Sunday, I want to read by the pool!

Friday Finds- July 30, 2010

Here are my finds for the week:

Darkest Mercy- Melissa Marr

“Send the messengers for the faery courts. This is the end.”

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the faery courts, and in the final conflict, some will win…and some will lose everything.

The exhilarating conclusion to Melissa Marr’s New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless. (From Melissa Marr's website)

The Dark and Hollow Places- Carrie Ryan

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

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

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

RWA Signing 2010

Yesterday I went to RWA which was held at The Dolphin Hotel.  My friend and I got there about a half hour early and holy cow!  The line was EXTREMELY long!  But luckily once the doors opened and everyone went in, it wasn't so bad.  I think the longest line I waited in was 15 minutes.  At first I was so nervous!  But all of the authors were really nice.  Next time I know to get business cards with my blog info on it made.  Meg Cabot was the first author I met and I was too shy to say anything about my blog, but after a couple of authors, I started mentioning it, and a couple authors even recognized my site!  I had a lot of fun!

Meg Cabot

Kelley Armstrong

Diana Peterfreund

Jennifer Echols

Maria V. Snyder

Melissa de la Cruz

Michelle Rowen

Nancy Haddock

Shannon Delaney

Sophie Jordan

Tera Lynn Childs

Book Review- And One Last Thing

I just finished reading And One Last Thing by Molly Harper for a Galley/Pocket Book Blog Tour.

From Goodreads:

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

Oh this one was fun!  I think Lacey is what every woman who has been cheated on is really like deep down.  Oh how I would have loved to write what I really felt about my ex who cheated on me and sent it out for everyone to know what a jerk he was.  But luckily, I had enough sense not to.  Lacey just went with it and thus unfolded a great story about getting over someone and moving on.

Lacey was a great character!  She was spunky and fun and just said what she thought.  I loved her!  And Monroe seemed so hot!  The brooding, mysterious guy at first who then opens up and becomes the great male romantic interest.  And the cast of secondary characters were great too--Maya, Lacey's potential new work partner and Emmett, Lacey's gay and fabulous brother. 

And the plot worked so well.  Yes, the basic formula for a chick-lit story was followed, but it went so well.  I felt like the story could be real. Lacey's feeling adn growth throughout the story seemed accurate and felt right. 

If you've ever been cheated on, then you'll identify with this story.  And if not, then you'll just enjoy laughing at Lacey's fun personality.

I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 98

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free by Sarah from Galley and Pocket Book Blog Tours for an honest review.

Book Review- Low Red Moon

I just finished reading Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin for an Around the World Tour.

From Goodreads:

Avery Hood is reeling from the loss of her parents--and the fact that she can't remember what happened to them even though she was there.

She's struggling to adjust to life without them, and to living with her grandmother, when she meets Ben, who isn't like any guy she's ever met before.

It turns out there's a reason why, and Ben's secret may hold the key to Avery finding out what happened to her parents...

But what if that secret changes everything she knows about--and feels for--Ben?
 
***I've heard that this isn't the final cover...can't wait to see what it is!
 
This book was a little weird for me.  I read it all in one sitting but several times I found myself looking up and thinking that I wasn't sure if I was enjoying the book or not.  But now that I'm done with it, I did enjoy it.
 
It was hard to get into at first.  The writing seemed a little choppy, like it didn't flow that well.  But then I got used to it and didn't notice it.  At the same time, it was very easy to picture in my head.  I could see it being made into an action/horror movie and I think it would translate well.  And the ending, well, lets just say that I didn't figure it out until only a couple of pages before Avery did (which is a good thing--I like being surprised).
 
The characters themselves were good.  I liked Avery and Renee.  There is definitely more about Renee that I want to know about.  And Ben was okay, but I have to say that I didn't really like their instant connection.  It was too fast for me, even knowing that they're bonded.
 
That being said, there has to be a sequel!  I am lefting wanting to know so much more!  Like I said before, I want to know more about Renee.  I want to know WHY Ben and Avery are bonded.  I want to know more about Avery's power.  And I want to know just what is coming!  Please let there be a sequel!
 
I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.
 
Low Red Moon will be released on September 14, 2010.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 100
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 74
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 72

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Wednesday Wordle- July 28, 2010

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- July 28, 2010

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

Ascendandt (Killer Unicorns #2)
by Diana Peterfreund
Publication Release Date: September 28, 2010

From Goodreads:

Now a fully trained unicorn hunter, Astrid Llewelyn is learning that she can’t solve all her problems with a bow and arrow. Her boyfriend has left Rome, the Cloisters is in dire financial straits, her best friend’s powers are mysteriously disintegrating, and her hope of becoming a scientist seems to be nothing but an impossible dream.

So when she’s given the opportunity to leave the Cloisters and use her skills as part of a scientific quest to discover the Remedy, Astrid leaps at the chance. Finally, she can have exactly what she wants—or can she? At Gordian headquarters deep in France, Astrid begins to question everything she had believed: her love for Giovanni, her loyalty to the Cloisters, and—most of all—her duty as a hunter. Should Astrid be saving the world from killer unicorns or saving unicorns from the world?

Teaser Tuesday- July 27, 2010

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:
 

"She came into work early to get a handle on her life.  Her nonfat soy latte from Starbucks is within reach--on a coaster, naturally."
~pg 196, Waxed by Robert Rave

Mailbox Monday- July 26, 2010

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

MONDAY

Stolen- Lucy Christopher--Bookmooch

Torn (Blood Lily Chroniclees #2)-Julie Kenner--PaperbackSwap

Turned (Blood Lily Chronicles #3)- Julie Kenner--PaperbackSwap

The Otherworldlies- Jennifer Anne Kogler--Bookmooch

The Opposite of Me- Sarah Pekkanen--contest win from Chick Lit Central: The Blog!







TUESDAY

The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance- Trisha Telep--PaperbackSwap

Holly’s Inbox: Scandal in the City- Holly Denham--for review from publisher








WEDNESDAY

Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse #10)- Charlaine Harris--PaperbackSwap







THURSDAY

Maybe This Time- Jennifer Crusie--from Authors on the Web








SATURDAY

Nightfall (The Vampire Diaries: The Return #1)- L.J. Smith--PaperbackSwap

The Sunday Salon- July 25, 2010

The Sunday Salon

So I feel like everyone is getting married--but me.  Today we are going to a friend's engagement party, which should be a lot of fun!  I am in her wedding, but its not for another year so there's plenty of planning time.  This past week I have spent stressing out about throwing a bridal shower for a different friend whose wedding I am in.  I am the only bridesmaid that lives near the bride so I am planning the whole thing by myself and stressing out!  I have never thrown any kind of party before (just because I don't like this stress) and honestly, I can't wait til its over!  Anyone have any good ideas/suggestion for throwing a great bridal shower?  (I am sending out recipe cards with the invites and the guests are bringing in a appetizer/side dish/dessert along with the recipe on the card.)

I finished and reviewed the following books this week:

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

Firelight by Sophie Jordan


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I fulfilled items in the following challenges this week:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 94, 95, 96, 97
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 71, 72, 73
2010 Debut Author Challenge: 30, 31
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 70, 71
Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge: Dead as a Doornail
 
I am currently reading Waxed by Robert Rave and up next is Rich Again by Anna Maxted.

Friday Firsts- July 23, 2010

The first line can make or break a reader’s interest. Just how well did the author pull you in to the story with their first sentence? To participate in this weekly book meme is extremely easy.
~Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.
~Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph.
~Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title & author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)

"If Singletree's only florist didn't deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."
~And One Last Thing by Molly Harper (ISBN 978-1-4391-6877-6)

Friday Fill-In- July 23, 2010

Friday Fill-In

1. I feel lstressed about planning the bridal shower.
2. Since its less than a month away, I have to do a lot to catch up.
3. Do make sure that your bride has her bridal shower list complete before you order invitations.
4. I don't want to make it too completely unique.
5. It's hard to know how much money to spend on everything.
6. I just hope the other guests follow suit.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to a special party with girlfriends, tomorrow my plans include shopping for another friend's engagement party and Sunday, I want to have fun at their engagement party!

Friday Finds- July 23, 2010

Here are my finds for the week:

Extraordinary- Nancy Werlin

What does it mean to be extraordinary? Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school. Soon the two girls are as close as sisters . . . until Mallory’s magnetic older brother, Ryland, appears. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe—but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself.

Soon she’ll discover the shocking, fantastical truth about Ryland and Mallory, and about an age-old debt they expect Phoebe to pay. Will she be strong enough to resist? Will she be special enough to save herself? (From Nancy Werlin's website)

Cryer's Cross- Lisa McMann

The small town of Cryer¹s Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing - someone close to Kendall’s heart - the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall’s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school - messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there - Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.

Something’s not right in Cryer’s Cross - and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried. (From Lisa McMann's website)

Blog Troubles

Hey guys..I am having a little bit of trouble with the background for my blog.  The site is working on it and hopefully it will be fixed soon!

Book Review- Firelight

I just finished reading Firelight by Sophie Jordan for an Around the World Tour.

From Goodreads:

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

The idea of dragons/draki is one that I have only read a couple of books on.  And I find myself fascinated by it. 

This book a was a quick read.  I was easily engrossed in it.  Jacinda and Will were very likeable.  I loved Jacinda's spunk and her wanting to stay true to herself.  And I loved Will's mysterious side and how he loved Jacinda for what she was.  Xander and Angus, Will's cousins, were just creepy guys, and Cassian, draki who Jacinda is supposed to mary and mate with, would end up in the creepy category too.

The only thing that bothered me was that Jacinda said over and over the she promised, she vowed to herself to stay away from Will.  And she never did.  Yes, I know that's an important part of the story, but it the promising just got old to read.  I don't know if it was the way it was worded or what, but everytime I read her promise, again, I just rolled my eyes.

The ending definitely leaves you on a cliffhanger and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

Firelight will be released on September 7, 2010.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 97
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 73
2010 Debut Author Challenge: 31
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 71

 *FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- Dead as a Doornail

I just finished reading Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris.

From Goodreads:

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty and well-mannered and has only a few close friends - which isn't surprising, since not many people can appreciate Sookie's abilities as a mind reader. It's not a quality that has the guys beating down her door - unless they're vampires, werewolves, or other supernatural beings. And now some of them aren't just friendly - they're family.

When Sookie sees her brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a werepanther for the first time - a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she's known. But her concern for her brother becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population - and Jason's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter.

 Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks - unless the killer decides to find her first.

This is the fifth book in Sookie Stackhouse series.  We are introduced to a couple of new characters in this installment.  I do find it interesting that Sookie has gone through most of her life with no love interests and now she has more than I can count! (Although I miss the Eric from the last book).  The books are starting become pretty patternish, but I guess thats what happens when you read a series.  The books are enjoyable though, and I look forward to starting the next one in the series, Definitely Dead.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge: Dead as a Doornail
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 96

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Book Review- Forget You

I just finished reading Forget You by Jennifer Echols for a Galley/Pocket Book Blog Tour.

From Goodreads:

WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . . AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER? There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

Okay, this book was just a little off for me.  Zoey claims to be such a good girl, but she made some awfully stupid choices. I mean, with everything she went through with her mom, and then her dad being so cruel, I can maybe see how she hooked up with Brandon the first time.  But then she goes around saying over and over again about how Brandon was her boyfriend (to the point that I wanted to scream if I read that one more time).  And he kept blowing her off.  And yet she still didn't get it.  And then some of the stuff she did with Doug...she thought she was dating Brandon, so the good girl was bad by cheating.  She did some other stupid stuff as well, but I don't want to give it away.

I did, however, love Doug.  He seemed like such a good guy.  Vulnerable, and sweet, and hot!  I felt so bad for him because of the way he was treated by his dad.  And Zoey called him controlling and manipulating several times, but I didn't see it that way at all.  I saw it as sweet and caring.

Other than the fact that I didn't like Zoey, the book was easy to read.  The words flowed well and I was easily absorbed into the story.  I'm looking forward to reading Going Too Far, also by Jennifer Echols.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 94
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 71

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free by Sarah from Galley and Pocket Book Blog Tours for an honest review.