Book Fare Delights

Bitterblue & An Update

2011-10-20T10:07:00.001-04:00

So I had to come out of hiding for this news! Kristen Cashore's Bitterblue finally has a cover! The release date is May 1st! Can't wait. If you haven't read Cashore's Graceling or Fire...what the heck are you waiting for. Graceling is easily one of my all time favorite reads and Fire is up there as well!

As for my absence in the blog-o-sphere. I have to admit I've had no desire to read YA or romance; with the exception of Lola and the Boy Next Door which I just picked up from the library and Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star, hello, it's about Jack the Ripper. I'm so in! I've actually been reading a lot outside of my normal genres. My book club read the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which I loved and then devoured the rest of the series. Followed by a viewing of all the Swedish movies courtesy of Netflix.

I also read Devil in the White City about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The story alternates between the struggles of building the fair with the serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims. Sounds pretty interesting right? Unfortunately, it was fairly boring. The architecture portions were too long, the serial killer sections too short. Although there was a lot of really great info about Chicago. It was also interesting to read about some of the brands that first appeared at the fair. It contained a lot of interesting tid bits. For example, did you know that the "Blue Ribbon" in Pabst Blue Ribbon came from the blue ribbon it won at the World's Fair. Also, the White City is what influenced both Frank Baum's Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz and Walt Disney's amusement parks?! Fun stuff. But overall I found the book pretty tedious. However, Devil in the White City referenced the scandal surrounding Frank Lloyd Wright's affair that apparently rocked Chicago's world back in the day. That intrigued me so I picked up Loving Frank by Nancy Horan a fictionalized account of Wright's affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney, the wife of one of his clients. It was really good as well.

I'm currently reading In Cold Blood by Truman Capote which is everything a non-fiction book should be: engaging, well-written, and utterly disturbing. Of course I keep telling people I'm reading In True Blood....oops!

I've started back to grad school as well. It's a Master of Education in Instructional Technology. I'm only taking one class at a time but class has definitely encroached on my leisure reading time and my desire to blog. But I wanted to let y'all know that I'm still here plugging away. I've been reading your blogs but haven't been commenting. Sorry, blogger friends! Hope all is well with you!

Romancing the Countess Book Tour

2011-08-31T09:35:00.003-04:00

I have a very special guest today, Ms. Ashley March! I had the pleasure of participating in Ashley's March Madness, a celebration of all things historical romance and today she's here to tell us a little about her upcoming release, Romancing the Countess and give us a sneak peak inside the mind of its hero, Sebastian Madinger!

An Interview with Sebastian Madinger, Earl of Wriothesly: The Beginning

A huge thank you to Mollie for hosting me today as I get ready for the upcoming release of
ROMANCING THE COUNTESS on September 6th! I’m going to post an interview with my hero soon, but first I’d like to give you a little background about the book.

ROMANCING THE COUNTESS begins when Leah George and Sebastian Madinger, the Earl of Wriothesly, receive the news that their spouses have died in a carriage accident. While Leah is sad,
she is also relieved because she’s been carrying the secret of her husband’s affair for a year. She’s ready to move on with her life and finally find some happiness for herself. In contrast, Sebastian
never suspected that his best friend and his wife would betray him. After going through various stages of grief and anger, Sebastian must confront Leah when her actions risk the revelation of their spouses’ affair and the subsequent questioning of his son’s legitimacy.

DISCLAIMER: The following interview was conducted toward the beginning of the book.

ASHLEY: What do you like about Mrs. Leah George?

SEBASTIAN: A better question would be what do I not like about Mrs. Leah George, which would be most everything. To begin with, there is her smile. A woman who recently became a widow should not smile as she does. If she doesn’t grieve for her husband, she should at least have some care for propriety’s sake and pretend as if she’s miserable. She should be affected somehow, not appear as if she could burst into song or dance at any moment.

ASHLEY: I suppose you do not smile, then?

SEBASTIAN: No, I don’t. But I… *stares into the distance* I don’t wish to discuss it.

ASHLEY: Very well. Let’s return to Leah. How well do you know her?

SEBASTIAN: We are acquaintances of a sort. Or rather, a bit more than acquaintances. Her
husband was my best friend. We dined at one another’s houses, moved in the same social circles. My son practiced his bowing in front of her. But until the carriage accident, I only knew her as Ian’s wife, nothing more.

ASHLEY: And now, after the carriage accident?

SEBASTIAN: I’ve realized that I do not know her at all. The Leah George who I thought I knew—the woman the entire ton believed her to be—was a calm, obedient, and sensible woman. She was propriety’s golden standard, utterly predictable and reasonable. Now--*shakes head* Now she’s gone mad. I’m not sure if she’s completely changed since the accident, or if it she’s simply been hiding her true character all this time and has finally begun to show it. Regardless, I wish she’d return to the proper Leah George I once knew.

ASHLEY: I heard a rumor about Leah hosting a country house party. Surely that’s not true! Only three months into her widowhood?!?

SEBASTIAN: As I said, she’s gone mad. But I refuse to allow her to incite the gossips’ speculation about why a widow would show such disrespect for her husband’s memory. No one can know about the affair. No one will dare to question my son’s legitimacy as my heir.

ASHLEY, leaning forward to the edge of her seat: What do you intend to do, my lord?

SEBASTIAN, frowning: Whatever I must. Leah George may once have been a respected
acquaintance, but she has since made herself my enemy. I depart for the country house party at
once.

To read my next interview with Sebastian and my interviews with Leah, make
sure to keep up with my ROMANCING THE COUNTESS Book Tour (details at
www.ashleymarch.com).

But for now, I’d like to celebrate the release of ROMANCING THE COUNTESS next
week by giving away books! In ROMANCING THE COUNTESS, a large portion of
the story takes place at a country house party. What’s your favorite backdrop for a
historical romance?

One random commenter will be chosen to win a copy of my newest book,
ROMANCING THE COUNTESS, and will get a chance to send a copy of my debut,
SEDUCING THE DUCHESS, to a friend (open internationally)! Also, find out how
to win the ROMANCING THE COUNTESS Book Tour Grand Prize of 50+ romance
novels by visiting www.ashleymarch.com!

About the author:

After spending countless hours memorizing both traditional and simplified Chinese characters, perfecting her tones, and practicing her speaking with any Chinese native she could find, Ashley successfully graduated with a degree in Mandarin Chinese. She was determined to be the next best Chinese translator in the world... Then she discovered writing romances was as much fun as reading them, and her Chinese capabilities have never been the same. When she isn't writing, Ashley stays busy trying to entertain her two young daughters, attempting to do housework, and hiking in the beautiful foothills of Colorado.

Thank you for stopping by Ashley! I can't wait to get ANOTHER copy of Romancing the Countess, I swear my roommate's dog ate my copy and that's why I don't have a review for you! The tried and true "dog ate my homework" excuse! I should have taken pictures of the aftermath....

By the way my favorite backdrop for a historical romance is anything that takes place in Ireland or Scotland. I can't help it, it's an obsession!

Harper Perennial Promotion: 20 e-books for $20 dollars!

2011-08-04T08:59:00.001-04:00

Harper Perennial is offering the following twenty books for .99 each! You can purchase via Kindle, B&N, ibookstore, and the Google ebookstore! For direct links to each book check out their Facebook page.

Movie Review: The Help

2011-07-12T09:09:00.004-04:00

About a month ago, a marketing person contacted me via my Book Club contact info offering free passes to an advanced screening of The Help. She found our Book Club page and saw that we read The Help as one of our selections. Of course, everyone (mostly) in my Book Club jumped at the chance to see the movie early. Everyone loved the book and we had planned to go see the movie as a group when it came out anyway.

We got there super early (2 hours) because we weren't sure how many people would be showing up and we wanted good seats. Well turned out we were the first ones there. Yay! Hahaha. It was quite an interesting crowd, the ages varied but was definitely comprised of an older audience. Like, my parent's, grandparents even, age. We were some of the younger people there. We didn't care, we loved the book and were stoked to see the movie!

I have to say as far as movie adaptations go, I thought this was excellent! Not as good as the book, the movies rarely are, but still an excellent movie. Emma Stone (Easy A) plays one of the lead roles, I have to say she was not at all how I pictured Skeeter however, I LOVE Emma Stone and I thought she did the role justice.

The movie included all the major parts of the book that readers would expect to see. One storyline that they trimmed from the movie was the Skeeter/Stuart storyline. She still dates him in the movie, however his whole pedigree, family, and previous engagement are all but eliminated from the movie, whereas their relationship played a more prominent role in the book.

The one storyline that I would have liked to see more of was the Celia-Johnny-Minny trio. That was one of my favorite story lines in the book and while they do include some of it, they didn't include enough for my liking.

Like the book, The Help made me laugh and cry; it is a heartwarming, uplifting tale of family, friendship, love, loss, and fighting prejudice. If you haven't read The Help, the movie release is a great excuse to read the book then see the movie. You can't go wrong with either!

The Help will be in theaters on August 10th.
Rating:

Vacation & Reading!

2011-07-08T09:11:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update. I went to Cancun recently for a friend's wedding. It was AMAZING. If you're ever looking for an all inclusive (adults only) resort in Cancun...The Royal in Cancun is where it's at! They also have a resort in Playa del Carmen. Seriously, the place was awesome!

As for reading, I've been devouring Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series. I'm a little over halfway through the third book. Really, really enjoying this series!

That's all for now folks!

Free Audiobook Downloads All Summer!

2011-06-23T10:45:00.000-04:00

Sync is offering free audio book downloads all summer long! Below is the complete list of titles being offered this summer.

SYNC is a program that develops the audience of teen/YA audio book listeners.
• Two complete digital audio books--a current Young Adult title paired thematically with a Classic or assigned Summer Reading title--are available FREE each week to listeners ages 13+.
• A dedicated SYNC group on audiobookcommunity.com is the hub of the delivery of the downloads, editorial content, and user engagement. The audio book titles were selected to inspire follow-up listening.

SYNC Titles - Summer 2011

6/23/11 - 6/29/11

Shiver By Maggie Stiefvater

Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

6/30/11-7/6/11

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

The Trial by Franz Kafka

7/7/11-7/13/11

Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah

A Passage to India by E. M. Forster

7/14/11-7/20/11

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney

Beowulf by Francis B. Gummere [Trans.]

7/21/11-7/27/11

Chanda's Secrets by Allan Stratton

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

7/28/11-8/3/11

Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

Rescue: Stories of Survival From Land and Sea by Dorcas S. Miller [Ed.]

8/4/11-8/10/11

Immortal by Gillian Shields

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

8/11/11-8/17/11

Storm Runners by Roland Smith

The Cay by Theodore Taylor

Be sure to check it out! It's a great way to try out audio books...for free!

Library Loot: June 15 - June 21

2011-06-15T14:05:00.000-04:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted alternatively by Marg and Claire that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky (at Marg's this week) any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

It's been awhile since I've shared my Library Loot. Here's what I've gotten recently:

E-books:

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter

Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey

I'm finding I really love checking out e-books. I don't have to worry about returning books, they just atomaticially disappear -- like magic and I don't accrue any library fines! Amazing!

Downloadable Audio Books:

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Audio Books:

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (in preparation for the final movie!)

DVD:

Dead Snow

Foreign horror film about Nazi zombies terrorizing a bunch of med students on holiday.

Review: The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

2011-06-01T14:56:00.000-04:00

Alright y'all, it's been awhile since you've seen a review from me and I'm a little rusty but I have to get back into the swing of things!!!

Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes was one of the first books I read when I first "re-discovered" my love of YA during my graduate school years. I'd devoured most of Dessen's books and stumbled on 13LBE. I LOVED it. While I recall many people having issues with her parents letting a teenager gallivant across the world, I have such a horrible case of wanderlust, and always have, that I didn't give a crap whether it was realistic. When I heard there was going to be a sequel I was ecstatic! However, it had been so many years since I read 13LBE and I have a horrible memory. I just had the barest recollection about what had happened in 13LBE.

I recalled Ginny's Aunt dying and sending her off on this adventure. I remember a boy. I remembered exotic locales and quirky characters. Lastly, I remembered that the last envelope was lost. And that was about it.

The Last Little Blue Envelope begins with Ginny receiving an email from Oliver, an English lad, who happened upon the last envelope. Having opened and read the letter Oliver realizes that Ginny's Aunt's artwork is worth a fortune and that the last envelope gives Ginny clues to assembling her Aunt's final piece of art work. Oliver demands to go with Ginny and, once the piece is assembled and sold, half the profit.

For the most part I enjoyed the book however, one thing really irked me. When Oliver tells Ginny what he's planned she doesn't question him. One of the first things I'd do is ask someone "Why are you doing this?" Obviously he's after money. But common, in all the time she never once thinks to ask him why? As readers, we pick up on things that Ginny clearly overlooks. She clearly knows he's somewhat of a decent guy, despite the extortion. So, if he's mostly an a-okay guy wouldn't you assume that there is some situation in his life that has left him no other options but to take advantage of someone else? Wouldn't you ask why? She never asks why until the book is practically over. Even if she had asked why it's likely that Oliver wouldn't have spilled his guts but at least she would have asked. I was so frustrated the whole time wanting Ginny to friggin' ask him why already! Gah.

This frustrating bit hampered my enjoyment of the novel somewhat. Overall, this installment was enjoyable and we see Ginny grow, however I felt it lacked the magic and spark from the original. But fans of the first book will be happy to revisit Ginny and other characters and get a sense of closure that the first book lacked.

Rating:

Challenge(s) Fullfilled: E-book Challenge

Disclosure: I received this as a digital ARC through NetGalley. I did not receive any compensation for this review.

Reading Recap: May 2011

2011-05-31T20:15:00.000-04:00

As you can tell I haven't been reviewing. Haven't been reading a lot either. All the books I've read this month I read in the first week and a half of May, then nothing! I blame a lot of it on Netflix! I finally joined and am currently working my way through Modern Family and Sons of Anarchy (thanks to @bellie7 & @sweetiepiepen, I'm obsessed!!!!)

Dreamfever - Karen Marie Moning (audiobook) - 5 Chocolate Covered Strawberreis
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkings - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Something Blue - Emily Giffin - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
The Enemy by Charlie Higson - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Dreamfever is a "re-read" I'm going through the whole series on audio. Dreamfever and Shadowfever have different narrators than the previous audiobooks. They added a narrator for Barrons and he's verra, verra good!!!! Although I don't like the new female narrator, I prefer the one from the previous audiobooks. But oh well, they got Barrons right!

Since Dreamfever is a re-read, Hex Hall was definitely the winner this month! I have Demonglass on reserve at the library looking forward to it. I read Something Borrowed & Something Blue because I want to see the movie and have to read the books first! Mostly for John Krasinski though. Love that man! They were okay. I enjoyed them but didn't love them. The Enemy was actually really good but pretty depressing which is why it didn't get a higher rating.

I also started several other books this month but didn't finish them. Not that they're DNF's just haven't finished them yet! Those are:

Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Voili
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

Hopefully, I'll get back in the swing of things. Probably after I finish Sons of Anarchy though!

Update

2011-04-25T09:29:00.000-04:00

In case you're wondering I'm still alive! I've been reading some but haven't felt inspired to review. I've been reading older books, mostly historicals. I've recently read:

Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne

Loved them all and want more! I keep referencing my guest post during Ashley March's March Madness where I solicited recommendations for great historical romances with feisty, strong heroines and tortured heroes. So far the recommendations have been spot on.

Do you all have any recommendations for me that fit that bill? I love me some REALLY tortured heroes. I have Delilah Marvelle's series on my radar; I hear they're quite different and have deeply troubled heroes. I also like the friends to lovers troupe. So y'all, even though I'm not reviewing, I'm reading and I'm hoping for any additional recommendations along these lines.

Hopefully I'll get my reviewing mojo back here shortly!

Reading Recap: March 2011

2011-04-07T09:33:00.000-04:00

Faefever by Karen Marie Moning (audio book) - 5 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen & Nancy Butler, Illustrated by Hugo Petrus (Graphic Novel) - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Review to come)
Delirium by Lauren Oliver - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Review to come)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - 2 Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Also reviewed in March:

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries

My road trip out to Texas got my April reading off to a good start! I got both Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward and Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase read on the drive out! All the traveling was good for reading but not so much for reviewing. I have a lot to catch up on! Hope everyone else had a good reading month in March!

Library Loot: March 23 - 29

2011-03-23T11:38:00.002-04:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted alternatively by Marg and Claire that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky (at Marg's this week) any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

It's been awhile since I've posted my library loot! I've been doing better about not checking out as much stuff that I know I won't get to. Here's my latest haul:

Books

Pride & Prejudice (Graphic Novel) by Jane Austen & Nancy Butler

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

E-books

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

Audio books

Room by Emma Donoghue

Narrated by Michal Friedman , Ellen Archer , Robert Petkoff , & Suzanne Toren

Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

Narrated by Natalie Ross & Phil Gigante

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-03-10T15:38:00.000-05:00

I'd been putting off reading Delirium because I'd seen such polarized reactions to it. Some loved it, some hated it. So I tried to go in with as few expectations as possible. In the end, I'm planted, firmly, in the "loved it" camp.

Lena is counting down the days until her eighteenth birthday when she will receive the procedure that will protect her from, what the government has deemed the most dangerous disease of all, love. Lena's anxious to have the surgery because she's lived in fear that she will turn out like her mother, whose multiple procedures could never quite cure her of the disease and ultimately lead to her mother taking her own life.

Lena's anticipatory countdown warps entirely after meeting Alex. Alex is is an "Invalid", one of the uncured. Lena's relationship with Alex changes her preconceived notions about the "invalids" and slowly realizes that perhaps the "cure" is nothing more than the government's way to control citizens. (D'uh!) Lena's countdown then morphs to a countdown to the now dreaded day.

While Lena's feelings for Alex are strong she is merely dreading the procedure but doesn't intend to do anything rash, like refusing the procedure, until she learns something about her mother. The revelation changes everything she thought she knew about her past and that, in turn, changes everything for her future.

While reading Delirium I realized how much I enjoy a good dystopian novel. I love reading about alternate realities, presented as utopias, and following the character's realizations that the world they live in is anything but a utopia. I really enjoy that growing awareness of all that they're being denied and how the character processes that information.

I loved the relationship between Alex and Lena. I thought it was very well done. There was Lena's initial reaction to finding out Alex is an "invilad" and Alex's patience with Lena's coming to terms that maybe "the cure" is not necessarily the answer. Love Alex!

Delirium is an excellent start to a promising series. I'm so disappointed that, according to Goodreads, I have to wait until 2012 for, Pandemonium, the next installment of Lena's story. *POUTS* I'm so glad I didn't let the negative reviews I've seen of this book sway me from reading it. If you're a fan of the dystopian genre, I'd definitely give it a go. I'm so glad I did!

Rating:

Challenge(s) Fullfilled: E-book Challenge

Disclosure: I received this as a digital ARC through NetGalley. I did not receive any compensation for this review.

Audiobites: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

2011-03-08T10:31:00.001-05:00

Title: Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Author(s): John Green & David Levitan
Narrators: MacLeod Andrews & Nick Podehl
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Hours: 7 hours, 52 minutes
Awards/Honors: Best Audiobooks - Young Adult (2010) by Audiofile Magazine, ALA's 2011 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults & 2011 Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
Audio Excerpt

I picked up Will Grayson, Will Grayson because I'd seen, as indicated above, that it was named Best Audiobook by several different sources. I'd been wanting to read it so I figured the audio would be a good bet since it was getting such high marks!

The Story:

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is told in alternating chapters by two characters named, you guessed it, Will Grayson. Neither Will Grayson is aware of the other until a fated meeting outside a porn shop. United by one tour de force named Tiny Cooper. While the title would suggest the book is about none other than, Will Grayson, the book is, ultimately Tiny's tale. Tiny was definitely my favorite character. He's larger (and gayer) than life. With all the characters and all the events that take place throughout the book it boils down to a tale of friendship.

The Narration:

Nick Podel narrates Will Grayson #1 (WG1), the straight, broody and moody best friend to Tiny Cooper. I liked Nick's narration and voice. The first chapter is told from his POV and I was really getting into the audio book when it switches over to Will Grayson #2 (WG2), narrated by MacLeod Andrews. WG2 is the in-the closet gay teen whose botched trip to meet his online "boyfriend" leads to the chance encounter with WG1.

I really did not care for WG2'schapters at all, especially the first ones. WG2 is depressed and on medication for his depression. Now, I've never been clinically depressed, I don't mean to demean or belittle his condition. However, his whining, crying, pissing and moaning, and excessive cussing really grated on my nerves. After the second chapter I was seriously considering giving up on the audio book. I disliked WG2 that much. Then WG2's chapter would end and we'd go back to WG1 and I'd be sucked back into the story. If the whole book was from WG2's POV I would not have finished the book. He does get less whiney as the book goes on, but I never really warmed up to him.

There was a lot of cussing in this audio book. I think the excessive cussing was more noticeable because I was listening to the audio book. Had I been reading the book, I don't think I would have taken note of the language as much. However, there was a lot of bad language.

WG2's obnoxious "woe is me" diatribes really did not do this audio book any favors. However, overall, the story was excellent. I love a story that has a little bit of everything: friendship, romance, humor, and showtunes!

Rating:

Challenge(s) Fullfilled: Whisper Stories In My Ear Audiobook Challenge

March Madness: Featured Site!

2011-03-06T10:40:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all! I'm being featured as the site of the day over at Ashley March's March Madness Soiree! Stop by and check it out. I'm soliciting advice for great historical romance reads.

Don't forget this is a month long event that features historical romance authors, bloggers, and daily giveaways! So be sure to check it out!

Help promote this event by blogging about it or grab the button below:

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Reading Recap: February 2011

2011-03-02T11:35:00.000-05:00

Read in February:
Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr - 5 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning - 5 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Eddie & the Cruisers by P.F. Kluge - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Listened to in February:
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Other books reviewed in February:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett - 5 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Promise Canyon by Robyn Carr - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries

My favorite read from this month was definitely Shadowfever. Loved seeing the conclusion to Mac's story!

I still have yet to hit the 10 books in a month mark. But I'll keep trying! How was your February?

March Madness!

2011-03-01T09:41:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not talking basketball! Today marks the first day of the 1st Annual March Madness Blog Party over at historical romance author Ashely March's blog.

Ashley has a fantastic line-up of historical romance authors who will be guest blogging with giveaways every single day, and a special daily feature will highlight romance community sites, reviewers, and bloggers who support historical romance.

Below is the the schedule of authors and websites:

Date	Guest Author	Featured Site	Other Prizes
Tuesday 3/1	Elizabeth Hoyt	The Season for Romance
Wednesday 3/2	Courtney Milan	Beck’s Book Picks
Thursday 3/3	Lori Brighton	Coffee Time Romance
Friday 3/4	Vicky Dreiling	The Romance Reviews
Saturday 3/5	Delilah Marvelle	Romance Bandits
Sunday 3/6	Mary Wine	Book Fare Delights	Book Bundle
Monday 3/7	Robyn DeHart	Romance Novel News
Tuesday 3/8	Katy Madison	Smexy Books
Wednesday 3/9	Laura Lee Guhrke	Not Another Romance Blog
Thursday 3/10	Margaret Rowe	Seductive Musings
Friday 3/11	Anne Mallory	Fiction Vixen
Saturday 3/12	Julie Anne Long	Cheeky Reads
Sunday 3/13	Sara Lindsey	Romance Writer’s Revenge	Book Bundle
Monday 3/14	Melissa Mayhue	Unusual Historicals
Tuesday 3/15	Julianne MacLean	The Book Pushers
Wednesday 3/16	Leigh Michaels	Edwardian Promenade
Thursday 3/17	Kris Kennedy	Novel Thoughts & Booktalk
Friday 3/18	Emma Wildes	Love Romance Passion
Saturday 3/19	Katharine Ashe	Book Binge
Sunday 3/20	Kate Noble	Deserted Island Keepers	Book Bundle
Monday 3/21	Eileen Dreyer	Romantic Crush Junkies
Tuesday 3/22	Elizabeth Essex	Dear Author
Wednesday 3/23	Lecia Cornwall	Night Owl Romance
Thursday 3/24	Maya Rodale	The Book Lovers
Friday 3/25	Madeline Hunter	The Romance Dish
Saturday 3/26	Kieran Kramer	Book Lurve
Sunday 3/27	Erica Ridley	History Hoydens	Book Bundle
Monday 3/28	Shana Galen	Jaunty Quills
Tuesday 3/29	Monica Burns	Book Thingo
Wednesday 3/30	Stefanie Sloane	Get Lost in a Story
Thursday 3/31	Sarah MacLean	Buried by Books
Friday 4/1			Grand Prize

There are tons of prizes and giveaways to be had including:

1.A bundle of 5 historical romances every Sunday.

2.8 Victorian lady postcards

3.8 “Do you know the way to Pemberley?” postcards

4.8 “Well behaved women rarely make history” medieval postcards

5.A “Romance Reader & Proud of It” tote bag

6.Two secret prizes (to be announced during the month)

7.A Grand Prize package of historical romance books and a Victorian-styled lovebirds necklace

Aspiring historical romance writers also have a couple of things to be excited about:

1) Kris Kennedy’s agent, Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, has generously agreed to give away a partial critique to the writer she believes has the best 3-sentence written pitch. One of Kris Kennedy’s books will also be given away, as an example of the type of work Barbara loves.

2) Ashley March will provide a full critique of another aspiring historical writer’s completed novel.

Stop by Ashely's blog everyday in March!!!

Help promote this event by blogging about it or grab the button below:

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Review: Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

2011-02-28T11:14:00.003-05:00

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

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

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

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

Ari, a seventeen year-old with a unique look: silver hair and teal eyes, has always felt out of place. Abandoned at a young age, Ari was thrust into the foster care system. Now, she's determined to find out what happened to her mother even if it leads her to New 2, the rebuilt city of New Orleans. Having been destroyed by hurricanes, with a government unwilling to rebuild, the most powerful families of New Orleans pool their massive wealth in order to buy what is left of New Orleans. The rebuild and New 2 is the result. A place unlike any other where rumors of supernatural creatures run rampant.

Ari's quest to find out who she is leads her to this unfamiliar territory. However, with her otherworldly looks and her general otherness, Ari finds that she feels at home among the freaks and outcasts of New 2. But the more she learns about herself and her ancestry, Ari finds that perhaps she is a freak among the freaks. Just what sort of monster might she become?

Overall, Darkness Becomes Her was an enjoyable read although much darker and disturbing than most of the other paranormals out there. However, there was at least one aspect of the story that I found lacking.
But let's start with what I liked.

I liked that Ari was such a strong female character considering all that she'd been through. Having been abandoned at a young age Ari ended up in the foster care system and suffered some unspeakable horrors, many of which are merely alluded to in the book, while other atrocities are mentioned outright. I know that some readers have difficulty reading about abuse inflicted on children, so these forays into Ari's past may be a turn-off for some readers. However, Ari tries not to dwell on her past but to focus on the here and now.

I think Ari's difficult past allows her to handle all the weirdness that is thrown at her. She doesn't spend a lot of time dwelling on why things are happening, she just accepts things and reacts accordingly. For those that enjoy a fast paced read, Darkness Becomes Her certainly fits the bill. There is nary a lull in the action.

The secondary characters in Darkness Becomes Her added to my enjoyment of the story. They're colorful, intriguing characters. Especially Violet and her albino alligator.

The romance aspect of this book felt rushed. While I think Sebastian will be an excellent, swoon worthy character. I felt the romance between Ari and Sebastian was a bit premature. Because there is so much action in the book I didn't buy into the romance between these two. Had their relationship developed a little more, I'd have been ok with it, but as it stands I thought that aspect of the novel was weak.

Darkness Becomes Her mixes a lot of supernatural beings from voo-doo priestess to vamps to Greek gods and goddesses. Sometimes I have a hard time when an author mixes so many supernatural entities. I feel like the world building can suffer so far that doesn't seem to be the case with Darkness Becomes Her but I am wary of the amount of supernatural aspects. I hope Keaton can keep it all in check!

Darkness Becomes Her mixes traditional supernatural creatures with Greek mythology and the result is the start of a darkly, disturbing, action packed paranormal series.

Rating:

Challenge(s) Fulfilled: Debut Author & E-book

Disclosure: I received this ARC from the publisher. I did not receive any compensation for this review.

Update

2011-02-22T12:21:00.000-05:00

I've been busy and haven't had much time to update the blog. I need to write my reviews for the following books (and audio books)! So keep an eye out for them. Hopefully I'll have one up tomorrow!

Audio books:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Books:
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Review: Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr

2011-02-16T11:05:00.001-05:00

Colin Riordan came to Virgin River to recuperate from a horrific helicopter crash, the scars of which he bears inside and out. His family is wonderfully supportive, but it's his art that truly soothes his troubled soul.

Stung personally and professionally by an ill-advised affair, PR guru Jillian Matlock has rented an old Victorian with a promising garden in Virgin River. She's looking forward to cultivating something other than a corporate brand.
Both are looking to simplify, not complicate, their lives, but when Jillian finds Colin at his easel in her yard, there's an instant connection. And in Virgin River, sometimes love is the simplest choice of all…

Wild Man Creek is easily one of my favorite installments of Virgin River series. That's saying a lot, considering there are thirteen books (including novellas)!

We met our heroine, Jillian, in Promise Canyon she, along with her sister Kelly and two of her best friends, happened to stop in Virgin River on their way back from their week long girls vacation. Jillian fell in love with a huge Victorian House that reminded her of her Nana and felt like home. Months later, after Jillian has been betrayed by her boyfriend and forced to take a leave of absence from her high stress job, she finds herself drawn back to Virgin River and the house that felt like home.

There she discovers a passion for gardening the rare fruits and vegetables that her Nana once harvested. Whereas most people garden as a hobby, Jillian's drive and passion turn it into something more. Something that she think may, one day, make a promising business venture.

Enter, Colin Roirdian. The sexy, scruffy ex-pilot, current painter shows up, with easel in hand in the back yard of Jillian's new temporary home. Colin is taking a breather in Virgin River after recovering from a near fatal helicopter crash followed by rehab for his addiction to his prescription pain meds. Unfortunately, his career in the armed forces has been cut short. Colin's accident has given him the time and opportunity to focus on his wildlife painting, however he does not intend to give up flying for good. He plans to, after his stint in Virgin River, to travel to Africa to photograph wildlife to use in his future paintings as well as investigate any flying opportunities abroad.

Jillian and Colin's attraction is immediate and their relationship progresses quickly. Surprisingly, there's little drama where there was potential for it. Jillian was betrayed by her previous boyfriend which could easily have made for trust issues. Jillian doesn't demand Colin forgo Africa for her. It was refreshing to see Jillian encourage Colin's pursuit of his dreams and goals. Both parties know going into their relationship that it has an expiration date. Jillian will eventually have to give up her gardening to return to the corporate world and Colin has his African safari planned. Or can they build a new life, together, in Virgin River?

I love, love, loved Wild Man Creek. I loved Jillian and Colin's relationship, while not perfect, it was loving and supportive with out a lot of drama where drama could easily have complicated their relationship. As I've said before, and will likely continue to say in all my reviews of Virgin River books they're my warm fuzzy reads. When I need to feel like all is right with the world, I can always visit Virgin River for uplifting stories about friends, family, love, and community.

Rating:

Challenge(s) Fulfilled: E-book

Disclosure: I received this as a digital ARC through NetGalley. I did not receive any compensation for this review.

Audiobites: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2011-02-14T14:38:00.002-05:00

Title: The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Narrators: Bahni Turpin, Octavia Spencer, Jenna Lamia, & Cassandra Campbell
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Hours: 18 hours, 19 minutes
Awards: 2010 Audie Award Winner - Fiction & Distinguished Achievement in Production
Audio Excerpt

The Story:

The Help is set in 1962, during civil rights movement, in Jackson, Mississippi . It is told from three different points of view; two African American maids, Aibileen and Minny, and one twenty-three year old socialite, known as "Skeeter". Together, these three women risk everything to tell the true story of the lives of African American maids working in Jackson: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Narration:

The Help was one of my Book Club's selections. I'd read that the audio book version was excellent, especially with the southern accents and dialect, so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did! The three main narrators for this book were excellent.

The only issue I had, at first, was with the narrator, Bahni Turpin, reading Aibileen's part. Aibileen is in her 50's and the narrator just did not sound age appropriate. Her voice didn't have the age and wisdom I would have expected from Aibileen. However, after awhile, it didn't bother me.

The narrator for Minny, Octavia Spencer, is also playing Minny in the film version of The Help due out later this year. I thought Octavia's narration of Minny was spot on. She's an outspoken, sassy woman and Octavia delivered Minny's narration flawlessly.

Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan's character is narrated by Jenna Lamia. I thought Lamia did an excellent job of narrating Skeeter. Skeeter is still caught in that limbo between young adulthood and adulthood. Lamia's narration conveys Skeeter's struggle with being the proper daughter of a southern family and her desire to be an independent, working writer and journalist.

What I loved about the multiple narrators in this audio book is that these three women become the reader's friend. Listening to the narrators and characters come to life we, as readers, become part of their inner circle. That's why when Chapter 25 (or 26, not sure) rolls around, listeners get quite a shock. This chapter details the events of the much anticipated Junior League gala event.

This chapter, unlike the rest of the book, is told in third person. This way we, as readers, get an clear picture of how the event goes down with no one character's version. In the print version, the chapter looks different so readers are aware that there's a change in the point of view. For this chapter only, in the audio book, we get a different narrator.

I can't tell you how jarring it was to have gotten used to the three main narrator only to have a completely alien voice take over. I was so confused and flustered that I listened to about half of the chapter before skipping forward to make sure that the rest of the audio book was told by our three main narrators. The abrupt narrator change was akin to having a serious discussion with friends only to be interrupted by a a complete stranger.

Aside from this little snafu, I can easily say that The Help is one of the best audio books I've ever listened to! When my Book Club met to discuss The Help one of the things many of them had trouble with was reading Abileen and Minny's dialect. Having listened to the audio, I didn't have this problem and found the accents and dialect rich and ensnaring.

For a wonderful listening experience, or if you're at all interested in reading The Help, I would highly recommend the audio book!

Rating:

Challenge Fullfilled: Whisper Stories in My Ear Audiobook Challenge

Attention Historical Romance Readers!

2011-02-08T16:02:00.000-05:00

You won't want to miss the 1st Annual March Madness Blog Party!!!!

While Historical Romance has not always been my first choice in genres, two of my favorite reads from 2010 were Historical Romances. I'm looking forward to discovering other authors in the genre by participating in author Ashley March's 1st Annual March Madness Blog Party! Please see the following information on this event celebrating all things Historical Romance!

Some people might think of March as the month for basketball tournaments and St. Patrick’s Day, but starting this year March will be known for a celebration of historical romance readers and writers. From Tuesday, March 1st through Thursday, March 31st, come interact with some of your favorite authors, meet new ones, and enter to win 40+ prizes as Ashley March hosts the 1st Annual March Madness Blog Party at www.ashleymarch.com/blog.
A fantastic line-up of historical romance authors will be guest blogging with giveaways every single day, and a special daily feature will highlight romance community sites, reviewers, and bloggers who support historical romance.

In addition to the recent releases, upcoming books, and ARCs given away by historical romance authors each day, historical romance readers will also have a chance at winning:

1.A bundle of 5 historical romances every Sunday.
2.8 Victorian lady postcards
3.8 “Do you know the way to Pemberley?” postcards
4.8 “Well behaved women rarely make history” medieval postcards
5.A “Romance Reader & Proud of It” tote bag
6.Two secret prizes (to be announced during the month)
7.A Grand Prize package of historical romance books and a Victorian-styled lovebirds necklace
Aspiring historical romance writers also have a couple of things to be excited about:

1) Kris Kennedy’s agent, Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency, has generously agreed to give away a partial critique to the writer she believes has the best 3-sentence written pitch. One of Kris Kennedy’s books will also be given away, as an example of the type of work Barbara loves.

2) Ashley March will provide a full critique of another aspiring historical writer’s completed novel.

Rules of Eligibility

Daily Author Giveaways

To enter to win one of the books given away daily by our guest authors, simply reply with a relevant comment. A winner will be chosen randomly from all participants. Authors will decide whether the giveaway will be open to US and international residents; this information will be posted at the bottom of each blog.

Historical Romance Reader Prizes

1.Each Sunday, all the daily participants’ names from the last week will be gathered and one random winner will be drawn to receive a bundle of 5 historical romance books. To increase your chances of winning, make you sure you post a relevant comment on each blog. This includes guest author blogs and Featured Romance Site of the Day blogs. (Note: More than one comment on a post will not increase your chances of winning.) These prizes will be open to US and international residents.

2.The 3 packages of historical-themed postcards will be given away randomly throughout the month. To enter to win, you must post a relevant comment on the blog announcing each random giveaway. These prizes will be open to US and international residents.

3.The 2 secret prizes will be announced randomly during the month, with the rules contained in the individual blog posts. These prizes will be open to US and international residents.

4.The winner of the “Romance Reader & Proud of It” tote bag will be the first person to correctly answer a set of trivia questions about historical romance books and authors. Hints will be provided in the form of an online scavenger hunt. The trivia contest will be presented on a random day during the month. This prize will be open to US and international residents.

5.On April 1st, all the daily participants’ names from the entire month of March will be gathered and one random winner will be drawn to receive the Grand Prize. To increase your chances of winning, make sure you post a relevant comment on guest author blogs and Featured Romance Site of the Day blogs. (Note: Posts for other giveaways such as the postcards, tote bag, and aspiring writer prizes will not be counted.)
This prize will be open to US and international residents.

Aspiring Historical Romance Writer Prizes

The rules for the partial critique & giveaway and full critique will be posted with the individual blogs announcing the contests. Make sure you visit daily to find out when each contest opens!

Our thanks to all of you who read, write, and support historical romance. We look forward to seeing you soon at the 1st Annual March Madness Blog Party!

Date	Guest Author	Featured Site	Other Prizes
Tuesday 3/1	Elizabeth Hoyt	The Season for Romance
Wednesday 3/2	Courtney Milan	Beck’s Book Picks
Thursday 3/3	Lori Brighton	Coffee Time Romance
Friday 3/4	Vicky Dreiling	The Romance Reviews
Saturday 3/5	Delilah Marvelle	Romance Bandits
Sunday 3/6	Mary Wine	Book Fare Delights	Book Bundle
Monday 3/7	Robyn DeHart	Romance Novel News
Tuesday 3/8	Katy Madison	Smexy Books
Wednesday 3/9	Laura Lee Guhrke	Not Another Romance Blog
Thursday 3/10	Margaret Rowe	Seductive Musings
Friday 3/11	Anne Mallory	Fiction Vixen
Saturday 3/12	Julie Anne Long	Cheeky Reads
Sunday 3/13	Sara Lindsey	Romance Writer’s Revenge	Book Bundle
Monday 3/14	Melissa Mayhue	Unusual Historicals
Tuesday 3/15	Julianne MacLean	The Book Pushers
Wednesday 3/16	Leigh Michaels	Edwardian Promenade
Thursday 3/17	Kris Kennedy	Novel Thoughts & Booktalk
Friday 3/18	Emma Wildes	Love Romance Passion
Saturday 3/19	Katharine Ashe	Book Binge
Sunday 3/20	Kate Noble	Deserted Island Keepers	Book Bundle
Monday 3/21	Eileen Dreyer	Romantic Crush Junkies
Tuesday 3/22	Elizabeth Essex	Dear Author
Wednesday 3/23	Lecia Cornwall	Night Owl Romance
Thursday 3/24	Maya Rodale	The Book Lovers
Friday 3/25	Madeline Hunter	The Romance Dish
Saturday 3/26	Kieran Kramer	Book Lurve
Sunday 3/27	Erica Ridley	History Hoydens	Book Bundle
Monday 3/28	Shana Galen	Jaunty Quills
Tuesday 3/29	Monica Burns	Book Thingo
Wednesday 3/30	Stefanie Sloane	Get Lost in a Story
Thursday 3/31	Sarah MacLean	Buried by Books
Friday 4/1			Grand Prize

Please let me know if I have erroneously linked to the wrong website/blog. I think I got them right though!

Help promote this event by blogging about it or grab the button below:

Reveiw: Promise Canyon by Robyn Carr

2011-02-03T12:46:00.001-05:00

After years spent on ranches around Los Angeles, Clay Tahoma is delighted to be Virgin River’s new veterinary assistant. The secluded community’s wild beauty tugs at his Navajo roots, and he’s been welcomed with open arms by everyone in town—everyone except Lilly Yazhi.

Lilly has encountered her share of strong, silent, traditional men within her own aboriginal community, and she’s not interested in coming back for more. In her eyes, Clay’s earthy, sexy appeal is just an act used to charm wealthy women like his ex-wife. She can’t deny his gift for gentling horses, but she’s not about to let him control her. There’s just one small problem—she can’t control her attraction to Clay.

But in Virgin River, faith in new beginnings and the power of love has doors opening everywhere...

Promise Canyon is book 10 (13 counting novellas) in Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, the first in the latest trilogy which is followed by Wild Man Creek and Harvest Moon. Like any series with so many installments there will be books that are better than others and Promise Canyon isn't one of my favorites nor is it my least favorite. It falls somewhere in the middle.

Virgin River reminds me very much of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, not in content or genre but because of the multiple story arcs, recurring characters, and character development over time. However, Promise Canyon introduces us to a new hero and heroine and I found it harder to get into.

I did enjoy the main relationship but I just didn't feel as connected to the characters as I have in the past. In Promise Canyon both main characters are Native Americans but from different tribes. Clay is Navajo and Lilly is Hopi. Lilly, having been jaded at a very young age by another Navajo is determined to avoid the new Native veterinary assistant, but Clay has other plans.

Clay patiently befriends and eventually worms his way into Lilly's heart. Lilly is resistant to her attraction to Clay and allows her past to cloud her judgement of the man Clay is, unfairly, comparing him to a reckless Navajo boy who once broke her heart. Clay is wonderful hero, sexy, steadfast. Not in the least bit tortured. Just a good guy with some baggage in the form of an ex-wife who eventually shows up to add additional conflict to Clay and Lilly's relationship.

In Promise Canyon, Virgin River says good bye to one of their own and also welcomes new faces who will, no doubt, one day star in their very own Virgin River adventure. While not my favorite in the series, Promise Canyon advances the series and is, overall, a good addition to the series. Every time I review one of these books I use the same description, because it's always true; Robyn Carr's Virgin River series is always heartwarming and uplifting.

Rating:

Disclosure: I received this as a digital ARC through NetGalley. I did not receive any compensation for this review.

The series in order:

Challenge: E-book

Reading Recap: January 2011

2011-02-02T11:50:00.000-05:00

I didn't read as many books in January as I thought I did. Because many of the reviews I posted in January were books I actually finished in December.

Read in January:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Audio book) - 5 Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Review to come!)
The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Libertine's Kiss by Judith James - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Eddie and the Cruisers by P.F. Kluge - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Promise Canyon by Robyn Carr - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Review to come!)

Currently Reading

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan (Audio book)
Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr

Read in December but reviewed in January:

Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - 5 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Night Betrayed by Joss Ware - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Of the books I actually read in January the two that stand out the most are The Help which was amazing on audio but it's such complex story, I'm having trouble writing my review. Keep an eye out for it though! Secondly, was Judith James' Libertine's Kiss. I've mentioned this before but Judith James and Courtney Milan are easily two of my favorite historical romance authors. If you have read them, get on it!!!!

How is 2011 starting off for everyone else?

New Look!

2011-02-01T10:23:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that Book Fare Delights has a new look! That is unless you're reading via a feed reader. So take a minute to check out the new look and let me know what you think!

I enjoyed the old one but this is more simplistic but still has lots of pink!

I adapted the "Shopping Bag" Blogger Template to suit my needs.

I'm loving it and hope you enjoy it as well! Anything missing that you think I just have to have? Input is greatly appreciated!

Review: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

2011-01-31T11:28:00.001-05:00

About fifteen pages into this book, I already disliked the main character, sixteen year old Tamara. She is a snotty little bitch and the only reason I continued to read was because Tamara acknowledges this and constantly used the past tense: "I was nasty. I was not a nice person." This use of the past tense gave me hope that she does indeed change and I was only able to continue with this hope in mind. I'm glad I continued with the story. Although I can't say I ever really warmed to Tamara to the point where I would say I actually liked her. I certainly hated her a lot less.

Tamara has lived a charmed, privileged life. She is someone you could imagine on one of those MTV shows like My Sweet Sixteen. The bratty, get whatever she wants, teenager. But something happens that changes the course of Tamara's life. Her father dies. And while she doesn't immediately change into decent human being, this loss is enough to make her think about more. More than her pathetic, materialistic existence.

After Tamara's father dies, his insurmountable debt leaves Tamara and her mother no other choice but to live with Tamara's Aunt Rosaleen and Uncle Arthur out in the Irish countryside. While some of us might find this idyllic Tamara, a Dubliner, sees it as a kind of death sentence, the death of her social life. Her only peers include the cute guy in charge of the traveling library, Marcus, and Wesley her Uncle Arthur's right hand man.

Tamara picks up a book from the traveling library which turns out to be a journal. Tamara's neighbor, Sister Ignatius, encourages Tamara to write in the journal to work out all her feelings about her father's death. But when she goes to write her first entry she finds an entry in her own handwriting...for the next day. Tamara is scared, angry and confused until the next day when everything in the journal proves to be true. Tamara uses the information in the journal to make changes in her daily decisions, decisions that begin to unravel a mystery about Tamara's past that will forever change her understanding of herself.

Ahern's writing is simply beautiful; there is no doubt about that. The only complaint I have about the actual writing is that the first part of the novel is mostly Tamara telling us readers everything versus showing. I know she's catching us up to speed on what's happened but I don't know how many times we reviews express disappointment in being told something by the characters instead of shown through dialog or actions, which keeps the book interesting. However, like I said, Ahern's writing is truly exceptional.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. My first impression was not good, I was gearing up for a negative review so I was making notes of all the issues I had with Tamara and while I continued to be frustrated with her attitude, I was sucked into the magic, mystery, and intrigue of the story. The Book of Tomorrow is a beautifully written story of family, love, loss, and self discovery.

Rating:

Disclosure: I received this ARC from the publisher. I did not receive any compensation for this review.

Review: Night Betrayed by Joss Ware

2011-01-26T12:05:00.002-05:00

The Change that devastated the earth made Theo Waxnicki something more than human-eternally young and beautiful...but not immortal. When he dies on a mission against the Strangers, he is lost to the darkness...until a miraculous healer brings him back.

Born as the world fell to ruins, Selena has dedicated her life to easing others' pain. Her tender touch awakens new life in Theo-and new desire. But joined together in a world of terrors, the lovers' secret pasts make them vulnerable to danger. And love is the deadliest trap of all.

Night Betrayed, the fourth book in Joss Ware’s post-apocalyptic romance series, is yet another enjoyable installment. This book tells Theo’s story. I enjoyed Theo in most of the other books and was eagerly anticipating his story. However, he was rather irritating in Sage’s book, Embrace the Night Eternal. But he returns to being the Theo readers have come to know and love.

I think Theo is one of my favorite characters because he’s from before The Change and is able to bridge the gap of today’s world that readers are familiar with this “brave new world”. The Change also did something to Theo so that he has hardly aged in the decades following the end of the world.

So he has the mind and experience of an elderly man in the body of a thirty-something studmuffin in his prime. I was afraid his love interest would be too young and would creep me out. For example, I find some the vampire stories a little creepy especially when a hundred year old vampire is romantically involved with a teenager. There’s just something inherently WRONG with that. Yuck.

Ware has a lot more sense than some authors *cough*StephanieMeyer*cough* in that aspect, Theo’s love interest is a mature woman, while still much younger than Theo it’s a more respectable difference. I found it amusing when Selena kept harping about how much younger Theo was than her and he kept making comments about not being as young as he looked, what a smart ass. I loved the banter between Theo and Selena even when the shit hits the fan and faced with extreme situations and personal loss there's always a bright side and neither were whiny or pessimistic. Theo and Selena had excellent chemistry and I thought this was an excellent installment to the story, if a bit more somber given Selena’s gift of helping those close to death move on earning her the name Death Lady.

Also a bit grim is Remy’s experience. I really hope she gets a bangin’ HEA. Night Betrayed sets us up for what I assume is her story in the next book, however given her experience in Night Betrayed, I wouldn’t be surprised if her book isn’t until further in the series. I’m wondering who her hero is, Wyatt? I don’t think it’s Ian. Thoughts from anyone else reading this series?

Something I’ve noticed about this series is that, for the most, I’ve enjoyed each installment but I haven’t loved any of the h/h combos but I still find that this is one of the series that, overall, I truly enjoy. Ware has built a world filled with danger, adventure, and a slew of unanswered questions that keeps readers coming back for more.

Rating:

Disclosure: I received this as a digital ARC through NetGalley. I did not receive any compensation for this review.

The series in order:

Sneak Peak

2011-01-20T14:36:00.000-05:00

For my upcoming blog-o-versary (in February) I'm working on a new layout for Book Fare Delights. I love messing around with Photoshop and HTML...NERD ALERT, I know!

I'm having a lot of fun with it and I wanted to give you a little sneak peak of what's to come. Not that anyone else will be as excited as I am... but still! So here are some ideas I've been toying around with to use as a button or avatar.

Thoughts, comments, and feedback welcome! Let me know which ones you like, or don't!

Do I need a border or something? I feel like they're still missing something!

Review: Libertine's Kiss by Judith James

2011-01-18T12:41:00.002-05:00

Broken Wing by Judith James was one of my favorite reads in 2010. When I saw Libertine’s Kiss on Netgalley I was ecstatic! Broken Wing was an intense, emotional read and I was eager to try something else by Ms. James. While Libertine’s Kiss is not quite up to Broken Wing’s intensity, it still tackles serious subjects and delivers a satisfyingly sensual tale.

William and Elizabeth shared a brief but intense friendship as youngsters before William was shipped off to school, promising to return. Years later, after seemingly breaking that promise, William, now a highway robber, traitor to Cromwell’s England, and right hand man of Charles Stuart the rightful owner of the crown, shows up wounded and in need of assistance on Elizabeth’s doorstep.

Elizabeth, now widowed from an abusive husband, recognizes her childhood friend immediately; welcoming him into her home and attending to his wounds. William, wounded but not so much that he overlooks this Puritan woman’s allure. The two spend a passion filled night together before William moves on. William is unaware that the Puritan woman who offered him her assistance, her home, and her body was his friend from long ago.

It comes to Cromwell’s men’s attention that Elizabeth has aided William, a traitor to the crown, and she is stripped of her lands. Once Charles Stuart is restored to the crown Elizabeth goes to court in hopes that her goodwill towards William, one of Stuart’s closest confidants, will earn her some of her property back. There William and Elizabeth cross paths and William realized that his one night affair with the Puritan woman was, in fact, Elizabeth. William insists on helping Elizabeth win the favor of Charles Stuart in the hopes of regaining her lands.

Passion ensues but I don’t want to give everything away. What I can say is that I really enjoyed this book. William is such a scoundrel, but you can’t help but love him. He’s nothing but honest with Elizabeth about his libertine ways and that he has no intentions of settling down. Elizabeth, in love with William since childhood, takes him anyway she can get him. Like Gabe in Broken Wing, William is a tortured soul. He is the way he is because of events in his past and Elizabeth is the only person he’s ever truly opened up to. The only person able to help him save himself.

I was also intrigued by the afterward where James explains that she based much of William de Veres on he very real historical figure of John Wilmont, Earl of Rochester. Even incorporating Wilmont’s actual poetry!

Libertine’s Kiss combines two of my favorite elements in a romance: a tortured hero and the friends-to-lovers plot line. Judith James, along with Courtney Milan, write some of my favorite historicals: intense, intelligent, intoxicating, and romantic. Libertine’s Kiss is not to be missed by fans of historical romance!

Rating:

Disclosure: I received this as a digital ARC through NetGalley. I did not receive any compensation for this review.

Reading Recap: 2010

2011-01-13T11:52:00.002-05:00

Here it is, my reading recap for 2010 highlighting my favorite and least favorite books of the year. I begin with the bad, just to get it out of the way. Followed by my list of favorites; categories include Favorite New Series, YA, Romance, and I end with my favorite book of the year.

Any guesses on that one?! I'll give you a hint: J to the motherfucking M! Ahem, pardon my French. Without further ado:

Disappointing Reads

Jane by April Lindner

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Favorite New Series

Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane

Envy Chronicals by Joss Ware

Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

Young Adult

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Romance

Broken Wing by Judith James

Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan

Favorite Book of the Year

Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

Any of these make anyone else's top picks for 2010?

Library Loot: 2010 Review

2011-01-12T10:37:00.001-05:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted alternatively by Marg and Claire that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky (at Marg's this week) any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I wanted to do a retrospective of all the library books that I actually read this year. Lord knows I always get waaaaay more than I could ever read so here are the books I actually read.

I've listed how much money the library saved me based on the Amazon price because that's likely where I would have bought the book; which books I later bought (bold) and the price I paid . (That's right I only paid thirty-five cents for Unholy Magic thanks to Borders Buck and a coupon!) Lastly, I've linked to my reviews (pink).

Title	Amazon Price	Bought
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins	10.19
Lover Eternal (audio) by J.R. Ward	31.49
Dark Lover (audio) by J.R. Ward	31.49
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher	8.99
Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie	24.99	24.99
Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern	6.49
Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane	7.99
Unholy Magic by Stacia Kane	7.99	0.35
City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane	7.99
Graceling (audio) by Kristen Cashore	47.45
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han	9.99
The Exile by Diana Gabaldon	16.17
Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow	9.99
Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan	7.99	7.99
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi	12.23
Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Sherain	7.99
Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler	12.95
Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley	7.99	3.99
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff	10.79
My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger	5.34	5.34
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson	17.99	8.99
Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick	13.25
Salem's Lot by Stephen King	25
Candor by Pam Bachorz	8.99
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols	7.92
The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott	11.55
Total	371.19
Bought	51.65
Grand Total Saved	319.89

Does anyone else keep track of how much the library has saved them throughout the year?

I only have one item waiting for me at the library this week:

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (audiobook)

Review: Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

2011-01-11T12:19:00.005-05:00

The small, rural town of Cryer’s Cross, Montana, population 212, is shocked and dismayed when one of it’s teenagers, a freshman girl, goes missing. But as days, weeks, and months pass life goes on and back to normal. Except for Kendall Fletcher, afflicted with OCD, she imagines that around every corner someone lays in wait, ready to snatch her off into the night, never to return.

However, when the new school year begins it’s not Kendall that goes missing but someone she loves. Kendall’s OCD rears it’s ugly head and she becomes racked with paranoia. Her target? Jacián, Cryer’s Cross’ newest resident, who arrived right around the time of the first disappearance. Kendall’s mind spins out of control; could the attractive new stranger be behind the disappearances?

As Kendall gets to know Jacián she’s still suspicious but less inclined to believe he’s guilty of foul play, especially when she begins to hear the voice of her missing friend. Something sinister and possibly supernatural is going on in Cryer’s Cross and Kendall’s determined to get to the bottom of it, even if it kills her.

I love, love, loved Lisa McMann’s Wake trilogy. It was unique and fresh. I was worried about how I would enjoy Cryer’s Cross, wondered how it could possibly live up to the Wake series. Unfortunately, I was not as impressed with this book as I was her previous books.

While I enjoyed Kendall and her developing relationship with Jacián and the mystery and suspense of the disappearances; the ultimate explanation for the disappearances and the supernatural was a bit hokey. Actually, it wasn’t the supernatural part that I had an issue with but the way supernatural aspect interacted with the characters. The ultimate explanation was indeed, horrific and creepy but I can’t say much more with out spoiling part of the story.

Despite some of the issues I had with Cryer’s Cross, McMann is certainly a master at building suspense and developing unique characters. While I found part of the story a bit hokey, overall it was an enjoyable read, not to be missed by fans of thrillers and suspense novels! Cryer's Cross will be available Feburary 8th!

Rating:

Disclosure: I received this as an e-galley from the publisher. I did not receive any compensation for this review.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2011-01-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

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?

Anna and the French Kiss is one of those books where I’d seen so many rave reviews that I was sure it was impossible for it to live up to my expectations. How glad I was to be proven wrong! Anna and the French Kiss is a model example of the YA contemporary genre.

I loved how the book was so honest, real and down to earth. While I suppose not very many teens get to live in Paris, Anna’s reluctance to move halfway across the globe from her family and friends for her senior year felt very realistic. While some teens might embrace such an opportunity, I can see most teens reacting just as Anna had, with reluctance and trepidation.

I’m also a little biased toward this book to begin with because it is, essentially, a friends to “lovers” story and those are my favorite! The romance between Anna and St.Clair is so honest and sweet, complete with all the insecurities, miscommunication, and imperfections of real relationships.

Speaking of imperfections I love when characters have physical quirks, instead of being the image of perfection such as characters in a series like Gossip Girl. Anna has a gaped tooth smile and St. Clair, while very attractive, is short. Small details such as this made Anna that much more appealing to me!

Lastly, I loved the secondary characters. Anna’s family, friends from home, and her new friends. Perkins' secondary character development balanced with the developing relationship of Anna and St. Clair leaves readers satisfied with a well developed, character driven novel.
As more and more YA lit favors paranormal, fantasy, and speculative fiction, Perkins’ debut novel is a wonderful addition to the contemporary genre and I’ll be listing her among my favorite authors alongside the likes of Sarah Dessen and Elizabeth Scott. I am eagerly anticipating Anna’s companion book, Lola and the Boy Next Door available September 29, 2011 from Dutton Books.

Rating:

I'd originally given Anna and the French Kiss 4 chocolate covered strawberries but writing this review, I realized there really wasn't anything I disliked about the book, so I'm bumping it up to a 5 strawberries!

Coming Soon...

2011-01-04T14:39:00.003-05:00

The holidays were super busy and I have a lot of catching up to do! Look for posts on the following topics:

Best/Worst of lists and year in review. You know; you've seen them everywhere and I intend to put in my two cents as well!

I got my nook for Christmas! Yay! I've all ready read several books on it and need to get them reviewed. So look for upcoming reviews for the following titles:

Libertine's Kiss by Judith James

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Night Betrayed by Joss Ware

Lastly, February marks my year blog-o-versary and I'm working on a new layout design ok well I'm using a free design and customizing my header and such but still! I've had this design for a whole year. That's impressive for me. With my old blog/s I loved changing my layout regularly!

So that's what's in store for Book Fare Delights...now, if I can find the time to get it all done!

Book Lurve

2010-12-17T08:14:00.001-05:00

There's a new blog in town from a long time blogger! I've been following Sarah's various blog incarnations for several years and I'm excited she's back! To get her blog started off with a bang, she's giving away a $20 gift card in a Twitter contest. Here are the rules:

Follow @thebooklurve on twitter and tweet this message out to your followers:

Check out www.booklurve.com and enter in the Twitter contest for a $20 gift card to your choice of Amazon or Barnes & Noble. #Booklurve

Be sure to use the hashtag #Booklurve — Then, visit her blog, comment on this post along with a link to your tweet about the contest and you’ll be entered. If you do a blog post about this contest then leave that link as well and you’ll be entered twice. This contest is going to go through 12/23/2010. All gift cards will be sent via email to the email address that is given upon contact with the winner.

Be sure to stop by Bool Lurve and give her a warm welcome back!

Holiday Book Fairy

2010-12-16T15:48:00.002-05:00

Angie of Angieville recently posted about her Holiday Reading & Giving and asked what books we're giving to others this holiday season. I love this idea and thought instead of just posting in her comments I would share what books I've bought for people. This year I've bought less books than I have in the past. I ALWAYS try to give at least one book to anyone I buy gifts for. Luckily, I have lots of friends and family who are voracious readers and are ecstatic to receive books as gifts.

I usually buy books for my mom that I haven't read yet but have been getting a lot of buzz in the blog-o-sphere. That way I can borrow them when she's finished! Thank you all for your fabulous book pimping skill because of all the books I've bought her, that I haven't read, she's loved! So thank you! I haven't read either of these but they sound excellent and I'm sure my mom will enjoy them:

For my dad I thought he would enjoy this book, which I also have not read but intend to borrow when he's finished!

I told one of friends about the Downside series because I thought it was something she would enjoy but she hadn't bought the first book yet so I did it for her. Also thought she would enjoy the Beautiful Creatures series as well!

My other friend loves J.R. Ward but hadn't picked up the second book in her Fallen Angels series so I got that for her.

So, as Angie asked, what books are you giving this year?

Review: Mind Game by Carolyn Crane

2010-12-13T13:00:00.000-05:00

JUSTINE KNOWS SHE’S GOING TO DIE. ANY SECOND NOW.

Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.

Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.

I picked this up for my Mom at the Romantic Times Booklover's Convention earlier this year.(I even got it signed by Ms. Crane!) I've been waiting for my Mom to finish it so I could borrow it and I'm so glad I finally got to read it!

I love that Carolyn Crane has created a world with various shades of gray. Her characters' hidden agendas mixed with their special talents make for very unreliable characters. As a reader, I love stories that don't necessarily have clear cut heroes or villains. The world we live in is not black and white and, while I often read to escape the "real world", I love finding authors whose unique, complicated characters challenge me as a reader.

Even Justine questions the morality of the work she does for Packard. Are they providing a service the public by disillusioning criminals or playing god with their special brand of vigilantism? She's torn between believing in Packard and her own instincts about her most recent target Otto Sanchez, Midcity's golden boy Police Chief.

I love this this type of ambiguity and conflict in a storyline. It gives us readers a lot of fodder for coming to our own conclusions. Crane puts her characters in compromising situations, making questionable decisions and, in the end when the mystery is unraveled, we're still left with the sense that there are no easy answers, just shades of gray.

I loved Justine for the same reason I loved Chess in Stacia Kane's Downside series. Even though these characters are deeply flawed, they're unique, engaging, and their otherness challenges me as a reader. It's a talented author that can make a neurotic hypochondriac and a druggie ghost hunter unlikely heroines! Bravo, ladies.

As for Packard,I felt he had a bit of a Barrons-esque quality to him. Is he a good guy? Is he bad? For those of you reading Karen Marie Moning's Fever series,the mystery that is Jericho Barrons remains, however Packard's secrets are revealed only to remind us readers that he is neither a hero nor a villain but falls on the spectrum somewhere in between.

Possible Spoiler alert (highlight to read):

I'm gonna go ahead and officially say I'm team Packard. Even though Otto turns out NOT to be a psychotic killer, I don't care for him as Justine's love interest. In this world of gray, Otto is firm in the belief of right and wrong, black and white. With the kind of work Justine does I don't see this thing working out between them. I'm totally a Packard girl. The end.

I'm anxious to get a hold of Double Cross and read about the (mis)adventures of Justine and her fellow Disillusionists. I'm sure there aren't many of you out there, but if you haven't read Mind Games, what are you waiting for? It totally lives up to the hype!

Rating:

Library Loot: December 8 - 14

2010-12-09T10:54:00.001-05:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted alternatively by Marg and Claire that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky (at Claire's this week) any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

It's been awhile since I posted my library finds! I haven't been reading or reviewing much and haven't gone to the library much at all. But I did get some good books this week:

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Jenny really enjoyed this one and it's a paranormal....without vamps!

Yes! So burned out on the whole YA vamp scene.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I've heard great things about this book and can't wait to read it!

Winter Longing by Tricia Mills

I'd forgotten about this book until recently. I'd meant to pick it up when it came out but totally forgot! Oops.

I'm trying to return a lot of my library books because I know I won't get to them all. However, I'm having a hard time parting with some of them... I MIGHT get to them soon...yea...

Lightening Reviews

2010-12-07T10:15:00.001-05:00

I had some things I wanted to say about the following books but not enough to come up with two whole posts, so I figured they were good candidates for another round of Lightening Reviews!

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

As most of you know I'm "re-reading" the Black Dagger Brotherhood via audio books. I've always enjoyed Rhage in other books he's sexy and a smartass, I love it! But listening to his book I realized how little we saw of his funny personality. Since we get his POV we see that there's more to the brother than just snarky one liners and a never ending supply of movie quotes. But what I didn't like about Lover Eternal was the complete lack of his personality at all. I don't remember noticing that before but he nary made a wisecrack or joke the whole book. I know he didn't have a lot to joke about what with the curse and his ill human mate and all but I'd liked to have seen a bit more of his humor. I also loved how Mary deals with both Rhage and his beast. Taming the thing when no one else dared, even the other brothers. Mary's kind of a bad ass! ;)

As usual, I love Ward's books because of the multiple story lines. We're introduced to John Matthew in Lover Eternal, we also get more of Z and Bella as we're set up for their story in Lover Awakened. While Lover Eternal isn't my favorite BDB book, (that's a tie between Lover Awakened and Lover Mine) I did enjoy it this second time around!

Rating:

Abandon the Night by Joss Ware

This third installment of Ware's post-apocalyptic series is, I'm sad to say, my least favorite so far. Which is a shame because I really loved the interactions between Quent and Zoe in the previous books. Quent's frustration with Zoe's actions mirrored my own. I like that she's such a strong kick ass heroine but her constant abandonment of Quent grated on my nerves.

I felt really bad for Quent in this book. Zoe bolted every chance she could get, even when she was doing what she thought was right, she really showed a lack of trust and faith in Quent and I felt it got pretty old. However, I continue to enjoy the series for Ware's world building. This series reminds me a lot of The Walking Dead, which I'm also loving! All in all a good addition to the series, even if it wasn't my favorite.

Rating:

Reading Recap: November 2010

2010-12-06T10:44:00.000-05:00

Well this certainly won't be a very long post since I haven't been reading or reviewing much this month! Here is my sad list for November:

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward (audio book) - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Lover Eternal by J.R Ward (audio book) - 4 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Abandon the Night by Joss Ware - 3 Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Currently reading:

Mind Games by Carolyn Crane
Night Betrayed by Joss Ware

With winter finally settling in here in Ohio, I'm hoping I'll feel more like curling up with a book and will get more read next month! Although with the holidays, reading time may be scarce yet again!

Review: All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins

2010-11-30T16:19:00.004-05:00

One Happily-Ever-After Rocking Chair…
and no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol' Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company's new Miss Perfect. If that isn't bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a three-oh birthday bash in the family funeral home.

Bad goes to worse when she stirs up a crazy relationship with the town's not so warm and fuzzy veterinarian, Ian McFarland, in order to flag Mark's attention. So Ian is more comfortable with animals…. So he's formal, orderly and just a bit tense. The ever-friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it's time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But dang, if he doesn't shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for Vermont's unlikeliest eligible bachelor….

Callie who, convinced she was in love with her boss, Mark, after a brief fling, is crushed to learn he’s involved with another woman, Muriel. Callie now has to face the lovebirds daily as Muriel has been hired on only because the client is her Daddy and he demands her presence, despite her complete lack of experience.

Throw in a 30^th birthday bash at a funeral home, a handsome yet aloof veterinarian, and an elderly roommate with a missing lower limb and you’ve got all the ingredients for Callie’s absurd existence and the makings for a humorous, romantic story! I can always count on Kristen Higgins for an enjoyable, light-hearted read and All I Ever Wanted does not disappoint! I loved Callie and Ian’s ill-fated meetings at the most inopportune times; they made for hilarious interactions. This story is truly an “opposites attract” situation!

After having read several of Higgins’ books I have to say that although I enjoy their humor and all the great secondary characters, I’m always left slightly unsatisfied due to the limited point of view (POV). Higgins’ books are all written in first person and I really find that, when I read romance, I always enjoy getting both the hero and heroine’s points of view.

I don’t mind first person POV in other genres such as teen or urban fantasy but I really enjoy romance more when I have both POV’s. It’s for this reason only that I don’t rate her books higher. But if you’re in the mood for a humorous read with quirky characters you should definitely give this one a try!

Rating:

Disclosure: I received this as a digital ARC through NetGalley. I did not receive any compensation for this review.

Slacking

2010-11-23T10:11:00.000-05:00

Hello! I'm alive, I swear. I haven't been around much because I a) haven't been reading much b) have been super busy at work and in my personal life. I've been keeping up with everyone via my Goolge Reader, but I haven't been commenting as much either. But rest assured I'm still keeping tabs on you all! Even if I am slacking in the blogging department!

When I say I haven't read much, I'm not kidding. After struggling through The Replacement I lost my reading mojo. I hadn't read anything since then, until this weekend on my journey to and from Chicago, I started Joss Ware's Abandon the Night. I also finished All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins in the last couple of days. I did finish Lover Eternal on audio and have moved on to Lover Awakened (my fav!). So I guess it's not too terrible, it's not like I haven't read anything at all but it's definitely not my usual pace!

I was in Chicago for my 28th birthday. My mom and aunt are identical twins and they've been taking their "retail therapy" trips to Chicago for over 20 years. They said one day my cousin and I (who also happens to be my roommate) would be allowed to join them. With my cousin turning 30 this year they decided we were ready to accompany them! It was a lot of fun hanging out with The Moms, as we refer to them. We did A LOT, and I mean A LOT, of shopping. I also have a bunch of college friends that live in Chicago so we met up with them on Saturday night for dinner then went to a martini bar...my new favorite martini is a Sinickerdoodle martini, yes it is as scrumptious as it sounds! I was bummed I didn't have anytime to schedule a quick meet up with Stacy, but maybe next time!

So that's what I've been up to. Hopefully, over the Thanksgiving break I'll get some stuff read! I won't be blogging much over the break either because I'll be at my parents and they're living in the friggin' stone age...no internet! Gah!

Audiobites: Dark Lover by J.R.Ward

2010-11-10T13:10:00.002-05:00

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

After I finished Lover Mine, I wanted more of the brothers so I picked up The Insider's Guide. That just whet my appetite for even more and made me want to re-read the series. However, I always feel so guilty re-reading books when I have such a monstrous TBR pile. After some discussion on Twitter with @mamakitty729 and @andrea_desherb about the audio versions of the books. I decided to "re-read" the series by listening to the audio books.

I checked Dark Lover out from the library and popped the first disc into my car stereo. After the first two sentences of the narrator, I immediately said, "Nope" and ejected the cd. It was a knee jerk reaction to not liking the narrator's voice. It wasn't what I had in mind for any of the brother's and I wasn't sure I wanted to listen any more.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to the audio books I choose. So I hopped back on Twitter and told @mamakitty729 that I wasn't sure I liked the narrator. Both Mamakitty and Andrea assured me that while he's not the best narrator ever, that I should stick with it and I would likely enjoy it. So, I gave it another go. I listened a little longer and before I knew it, I was so engrossed in Ward's world that I didn't even realize I'd gone through several discs!

It's been years since I first read Dark Lover and I've never re-read any of the books. There was soo much I'd forgotten! In my review of Lover Mine I mentioned how I was so sad that JM's story was over because we'd been waiting for it since we met him in Dark Lover. Well, we didn't actually meet him in Dark Lover, it wasn't until Lover Eternal that we were introduced to JM.

Also, something that bothered me this time around, that I don't recall bothering me during my first reading of Dark Lover, was Beth's willingness to hope into bed with Wrath after having been sexually assaulted the day before. Something about that just grated on me. But it didn't hamper my overall enjoyment of the novel. It was just one of those things that annoyed me and I don't recall having been annoyed by it before.

Since I'd read the series before I actually skipped any of the sections that were from the lesser's points of view. I really didn't care for them the first time around and since I've read it before, I decided to completely skip these sections!

Even though my initial reaction to Jim Frangione's voice was not positive, after I gave him a chance, I really did get sucked into the story and barely even noticed his voice. However, he does a good growly voice that totally fits the Brothers! I wasn't even bothered by hearing the naughty bits read aloud. I've generally steered clear of romance audio books because I always felt a little pervy hearing the naughty bits but, yea, not so much when it comes to the Brothers! Rawr!

I'm already over halfway done with Rhage's book, Lover Eternal. Then I get to start, what is still one of my favorite books in the series, Lover Awakened! I'm finding more and more reasons to drive around, as I'm only listening to the audio books in the car. Lots of little trips I probably don't really need to take... :)

Rating:

Library Loot: November 3 - 9

2010-11-04T14:19:00.000-04:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted alternatively by Marg and Claire that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky (at Marg's this week) any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I have to share some amazing library news! My library, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, had a levy on the ballot on Tuesday and it PASSED! The final results were 588 of 619 precincts reporting 65% in favor of the levy! That's awesome and I'm so excited! In January they'll be returning to their old hours which they had to cut in 2009 due to state budget cuts.

I'm so excited, although I kind of want to punch in the face the 35% that voted "no"! But the levy passed and I'm pumped for my public librarian friends and for the people of Columbus! I'm so proud of CML, they were named Library Journal's 2010 Library of the Year and are consistently ranked as one of the top libraries in the nation!

On with the loot-
DVD's:

With no cable I've been going to the library a lot for movies!

Better Off Dead

This was a fun, goofy 80's movie. I'd never seen it before and enjoyed it!

Deliverance

I'd never seen Deliverance but had been wanting to. Aside from Burt's impractial leather, zip up vest on a hunting trip, I thougth this movie stood the test of time pretty well. It was thrilling and suspenseful. Glad I finally got to see this classic!

Gigantic

This was a weird, quirky movie. I enjoyed it for the most part. There was a weird, dark side plot with Zach Galifianakis as a homeless man who is basically harassing our main character played by Paul Dano from Little Miss Sunshine. Really it was kind of a strange movie but I loved the budding relationship between Paul and Zooey. I also loved the family dynamics in the movie.

The Running Man

I picked this one up because my Mom mentioned it when we were discussing The Hunger Games. The movie is set an a futuristic society where the number one television show in the world is The Running Man. Contestants are usually "criminals" (basically people that have somehow pissed off those in authority) who are thrown into a rigged set up where they are stalked and killed. I thought it was pretty good, definitely dated and some of the one liners were cheese-tastic. But overall a pretty good flick!

Cool Hand Luke

It's been several years since I've seen this movie and I saw it on the shelf. I love me some Paul Newman!

Dorian Gray

I can't wait to watch this one! Colin Firth, need I say more?!

Predators

I love the Predators and Alien franchise. And it has Adrian Brody!

Note: I don't have all those movies currently checked out. My library allows 5 DVDs to be checked out at a time. I've already watched and returned: Better Off Dead, Gigantic, and The Running Man. Just finished Deliverance last night !

Books:

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

I loved, loved, loved Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. I started this one last night and was hooked from the first paragraph!

Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter

Both my parents read this series and have been hounding me to start it so I better get on it!

It by Stephen King

I tried to read this in high school but had to stop because it gave me nightmares!

But I want to give it another go!

Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson

It's getting chilly and I wanted some good, slow cooker recipes!

Lover Eternal (audiobook) by J.R. Ward

BDB, 'nuff said. "Re-reading" the series via audio books!

The Monstrumologist by Richard Yancey

Have heard great things and am still in the mood for scary stuff!

Music:

Backspacer - Pearl Jam

Ten (reissue)- Pearl Jam