Current Giveaway's

Kindle Fire Giveaway ends 4/30
iPod ends 4/21

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Instant Winner!

Congratulations to
You are the instant winner of my first contest and have won a copy of
Forget You by Jennifer Echols!

R.I.P Dell

I miss the blogging world. I miss hearing about new books and reading your reviews. I miss the hour of time I give myself every morning to read about my book friends adventures

Our computer passed away two weeks ago and life is just not the same.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Beautiful Creatures - reveiw

Beautiful Creatures
(Photo/blurb/publishing info from Barnesandnoble.com)
Pub. Date: December 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover, 563pp
Sales Rank: 3,165
Age Range: Young Adult

Synopsis
There were no surprises in GatlinCounty.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.


My thoughts:
Beautiful Creatures had a hold on me from the opening line (also my favorite line)

"There were only two kinds of people in our town.”The Stupid and the Stuck,"...

I grew up in a small town, although it’s not a southern town full of reenactments and war memorabilia, a small town just the same. You couldn't buy a different brand of toilet paper without the neighbors knowing about it (or having an opinion about it)

Authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl give accurate descriptions and characters of small town life in Gatlin county. A rainbow of paranormal people is included in the storyline keeping Beautiful Creatures both interesting and magical. The immediate draw between the two lead characters Lena and Ethan feels intimate both emotionally and physically making the reader fall into the story of love, loss, discovery, adventure and history.

The sequel to Beautiful Creatures was released this week and is titled Beautiful Darkness. I look forward to the new adventures of Lena, Ethan and the citizens of small town Civil War minded Gatlin.

Would I buy this book? In paperback.
Would I read it again? Sure
Would I let my teen read it. Yes probably 16 or 17 years of age.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

My First Give Away - Forget You, Jennifer Echols

My First Give Away:
Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Ends: September 22 - the first day of fall. (my favorite season)
How to enter:
You don't have to be a follower to enter, but
being one will earn you an extra entry.
(And honestly right now I have 9 followers so the odds are in your favor)
Leave a comment with your user name and email address telling me your favorite season and if you are a follower.
Open to US only.
I will email the winner, if they do not respond within 48 hours I will choose another winner.
Any personal information I collect for mailing purpose will not be used for any other purpose
(in other words I won't give your info away)
Winners are chosen randomly
Must be at least 13 years old or older to enter any contest I host. (on your honor)
I am not responsible for packages lost in the mail.

Forget you

(picture/blurb/publishing info taken from barnesandnoble.com)
Pub. Date: July 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Format: Paperback, 292pp
Sales Rank: 204
Age Range: Young Adult
ISBN-13: 9781439178232
ISBN: 1439178232

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

Friday, September 10, 2010

Blogfest

BlogFest 2010
Check out this amazing contest, they even have a check list to help you keep track of all the contest links you have entered.
GOOD LUCK

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Paranormalcy - Kiersten White

Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
(blurb/publication/picture from barnesandnoble.com)
Pub. Date: August 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Hardcover, 335pp
Sales Rank: 617
Age Range: 12
ISBN-13: 9780061985843
ISBN: 0061985848
Synopsis

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

My thoughts:
Paranormalcy defies traditional paranormal cliché’s. It is a fun, easy and sweet story of teen romance and self discovery.

Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy is the perfect book to introduce the world of weres and vamps to a young reader. If this book were a movie it would be rated PG, not one swear word or sex scene. Some minor violence and a first kiss scene that is tenderly written.

Evie must choose her path and teaches the (young) reader that it doesn't matter where you came from - who you will become lay in the choices you make.

Will I buy this book? Yes
Will I read it again? Yes
Would I let my teenager read this book? Yes
Favorite line:
"It made you feel like you were lying next to a stream on a warm day, letting it run over your fingers as you lost every care in the world except the cool cleansing sensation."
Paranormalcy - page 214

Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Search - Nora Roberts book review

The Search - Nora Roberts
(picture/publication/blurb taken from BarnesandNoble.com)
Pub. Date: July 2010
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Format: Hardcover, 488pp
Sales Rank: 1,230
ISBN-13: 9780399156571
ISBN: 0399156577
Synopsis

"To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life — a quaint house on an island off Seattle’s coast, a thriving dog-training school, and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescue. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare.

Several years ago, she was the only survivor of a serial killer — a madman who stalked and abducted young women, strangled them, and left them buried with a red scarf on their bodies. As authorities were closing in on the Red Scarf Killer, he shot and killed Fiona’s cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.

On Orcas Island, Fiona has found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. Yet all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He’s the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon’s house, and he’s at his wit’s end.
To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can’t handle. Simon is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he’s a rugged and intensely private artist, known for creating exquisite furniture. Simon never wanted a puppy, and he most definitely doesn’t want a woman. Besides, the lanky redhead is not his type. But tell that to the laws of attraction.

As Fiona embarks on training Jaws and as Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona’s life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands. . . . "



The Search is my first Nora Roberts book and the first adult murder mystery romance novel. The characters, Fiona and Simon were very believable. It was refreshing to read a story with a strong female lead that really doesn't need rescuing. Simon was a surly man and together they make a great couple, complimenting each other in everyway - except verbally.

The search was pretty intense for me, I have not read much in this genre before. The Search was mostly fast paced and I thought I had the mystery figured out - I was wrong! I enjoy a great surprise ending and read the book in two days. I was not dissapointed by this book and more I think about it the more I want to read it again.

Would I buy this book? No, I do not know if I will invest much reading time in this genre. But if I were to collect this genre, I would want to buy it. The Search is definitely a library book worth reading.
Would I let my kid read it? Nope
Because of the sexual content, language, rape and violence of this book - I recommend readers be 18 or older.

Saradise - ARC Extravaganza!


Babbling Flow
is having a
SARADISE ARC Extravaganza contest.
This is a great selection to choose from.
Go HERE to ENTER SARADISE!

Carol's Prints - ARC's Galore Contest


is doing it again,
another
AMAZING ARC contest!
Go here to enter.
PS its international!

Friday, September 3, 2010

some contest links

I HAVE NOT POSTED A CONTEST LIST FOR A WHILE - SO THIS ONE IS A BIGGIE! GOOD LUCK!

is celebrating her
1st blogoversary by giving away a
signed copy of Linger.
Enter HERE:


Book Crazy is giving away a copy of

Firelight.

Enter HERE:

is giving away a
signed copy of Paranormalcy,
enter HERE:

Amina Black is having a

50/100 follower giveaway including

Personal Demons and The Iron Daughter.

Enter HERE:

Paranormal Point of View is giving away a signed copy of Paranormalcy, enter HERE:

is having a
200 follower contest with 5 great prize packs.
Enter HERE:

is giving away an
ARC ofTthe Replacement.
Enter HERE:



Spellbound by Books
is hosting an
international birthday giveaway.
Enter HERE:

is having a birthday giveaway. Four books will be given away and include
Paranormalcy, Shadow Hills, Losing Faith and Firelight.
Enter
HERE:


(Photo above from Wordbird's website)
Wordbird

is hosting a

MEGALODON OF A GIVEAWAY!

The picture above is all the books that are up for the contest.
Enter HERE:



is giving away her ARC of
Firelight.
Enter HERE:




is giving away an audiobook of
The Island by Elin Hilderbrand.
Enter Here:



Scribbler to Scribe
is giving away

The Thirteenth Chime.

Enter HERE:



Photobucket


Bloody Bookaholic

is hosting a

CSN giveaway.

Enter HERE:

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Spotlight - Claire de Lune

The books that I will spotlight are ones that I would enjoy writing a review for but do not feel I can do an adequate job without re-reading the books. So welcome to my first spotlight - inspired by Christine Johnson author of Claire de Lune.

Claire de Lune
(all publishing/blurb/picture information taken from BarnesandNoble.com)
Author: Christine Johnson
Product Details
Pub. Date: May 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Format: Hardcover, 336pp
Sales Rank: 61,159
Age Range: Young Adult
Lexile: HL690L What’s This?
ISBN-13: 9781416991823
ISBN: 1416991824
Synopsis

"Torn between two destinies…

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and her crush keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she’s the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: She’s a werewolf.

As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she finds her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart. Burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, she will be forced to make a choice that will change her life forever. . . . "



My thoughts:
The first time I saw the cover I wanted to read it - isn't it beautiful? Besides the cover I enjoy a good werewolf story.

Strong female leads in werewolf books seem to be a minority in the paranormal genre. This book offers such a unique dynamic in werewolf folklore that I was intrigued and read it in one day.

I have a daughter that enjoys her books. Yes I realize that she is too little to read this book, but one day she will want to. I only purchase books that I would feel comfortable letting my children read or I would read again. Claire de Lune is a book that I welcome to my book shelf and think it would be a fun mother daughter read.