Contest Sticky


Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Contest : So Into You by Sandra Hill

Thanks to Anna Balasi of Hatchette Books, I am able to give away 5 Copies of So Into You by Sandra Hill. Thanks Anna!

In order to enter this giveaway you MUST fill out the form below. If there is a required quesion, you must of course enter your answer. For an extra entry, you can even post a comment in the comment section just to let me know that you filled out the form.

Deadline October 14th, 2009 @ 11:59 PM Est.
US & Canada Residents Only. No PO Boxes.

Don't Forget!


If your thinking about partcipating in my Blogger Layout Contest, the deadline is the 1st of October!

I've already gotten 3 entries, that look fabulous! You can still have a shot at winning the $25 Giftcard to the Online Store of your choice!

HURRY UP!

For details, click here!

Contest Winner : Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Congratulations!
  • andrea

Wow Andrea that's awesome! I'm emailing you now, so please respond with your mailing address so I can inform Michelle where to send your autographed copy of Cleopatra's Daughter. I'm seriously jealous! Mines not even autographed! lol.

If Andrea fails to respond by Saturday Morning, I will choose a new winner!

Still want to read Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran?
Order it from the Falling Off The Shelf Store!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Review : Love You to Death by Shannon K. Butcher


Publisher : Grand Central
Genre : Romantic Suspense
ISBN : 978-0446510295
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : September 29, 2009
Rating : 3.5/5 - Good

Description from Amazon :

Delicate, expressive hands...long, graceful legs...One man is looking for his perfect woman--and he'll stop at nothing until he finds her.

LOVE YOU TO DEATH

It's been days since reporter Elise McBride has heard from her sister, Ashley. She's convinced Ashley has met with some kind of foul play, especially when she learns that bodies of other missing women have surfaced in and around Chicago--all victims of a brutal serial killer. Convinced her sister is still alive, Elise vows to risk everything to save her...

The last thing ex-cop Trent Brady needs is more blood on his hands. Yet when he catches Elise breaking into her sister's house, full of reckless determination and fear, he knows she needs his help. But just as desire ignites between them, a twisted madman sets his sights on Elise. Hell-bent on possessing her for himself, this psychopath won't rest until he has his perfect woman.

Review :

Ashley McBride is extremely talented. She's an artist, that at any moment will stop what she is doing to paint or draw a picture. She's sweet, bubbly, and trusting. She's also a complete scatterbrains, and now that she's gone missing, her big sister Elise is starting to worry.

Ashley always calls Elisa after going out on Friday nights to give her all the juicy details of her evening. This time, she doesn't call, and Elise is sick with worry. She tries calling Ashley multiple times, only to go to her voicemail, which is entirely unlike Ashley. She's convinced that her baby sister is in trouble, and she will stop at nothing to get her back.

Trent Brady lives across the street from Ashley. He likes the young girl, enough to do small chores around her house for her, and make sure no one tries to hurt her. When he notices someone trying to break into her house, his cop instincts kick in, even though he's been off the force for over two years. When the perpetrator turns out to be Ashley's big sister Elise, sick with worry over her sister, Trent makes it his duty to help her.

When I first started reading this book, it was difficult for me to get into. It seemed like your regular romantic suspense, and I was just waiting for something interesting to happen. I honestly can say that I didn't start to really enjoy this book until the author let us inside of both the killer and his victims heads. That was when I realised I had to stick around until the end.

Shannon K. Butcher's characters are very well rounded, and I felt a very real connection to some of them. I actually cringed a few times when reading the thoughts of the killer, and I wanted to wring his neck myself for the horrible things he was capable of. I was also on the fence about Elise, because while she is a strong character willing to do anything for the love of a sibling, she doesn't think about whether or not she will live through her own decisions to see her sister home safely.

As for the romance in this novel, it was definitely there. It started out slow, and slowly worked its way up. It was an intense romance, while still being appropriate for the situation they were both dealing with. I have a very vivid imagination, and the scenes, whether romantic or not, were very easily pictured in my mind. I will most definitely read more novels by Shannon K. Butcher in the future. I'd like to thank Anna Balasi of Hatchette books for sending me an ARC to review, she is always a pleasure to work with!

Teaser Tuesday - September 29th

Teaser Tuesdays

Hosted by Should Be Reading

Anyone can play along!
Just do the following :

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from anywhere on that page.
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (be sure that what you share doesn't give to much away, you don't want to ruin the book for others.)5. Share the title & author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR.

My Teaser :

"Oh, come on. Don't try that with me. I can tell your totally into him by the tone of your voice. You talk about hot guys pretty often, but your voice doesn't go all soft and melty."

"Did I go soft and melty?"

"Like Velveeta over an open flame."

pg. 143

Monday, September 28, 2009

Mailbox Monday - September 28th

Good morning everyone! I'm trying to do my Monday Morning posts quickly today...really want to get some shut eye before poker tonight. Did I mention I have the BIGGEST headache, ever? Yeah, had it since I woke up at 4pm yesterday...and it hasn't gone away. Stressed much? Anywho..this is what I received last week!
For Review :



Nibble & Kuhn by David Schmahmann (ARC) - publicist at Academy Chicago Publishers
Release Date : November, 2009

An unraveling law firm. An unwinnable case. An unworkable love.
Derek Dover has it all.

Derek's up for partner at Nibble & Kuhn just as that most proper of Boston law firms comically tries to `rebrand' itself for the Google era. Pompous and arbitrary, the ruling junta of partners saddles him with a high visibility lawsuit just weeks before trial. The diligent young attorney arranges things so that Maria Parma, a new associate in the firm for whom he's fallen hard, also gets named to the case. Maria, in turn, can't keep her hands off Derek, but it's complicated because she's engaged to someone else.

As Derek prepares his case on behalf of seven young victims of an industrial polluter, his anxieties about his career and his torments over Maria's mixed messages only increase. Have his eccentric WASP superiors handed him a `toxic' case to ruin his chances of becoming a partner? How can he get his opponents to settle - an outcome the presiding judge all but demands - unless his unorthodox `expert witnesses' perform with enough gravitas to match that of the other side with its Harvard Medical School scientist? Will Nibble & Kuhn survive the partners' spectacularly bad business judgments? Does it even matter to Derek, given that his looming fiasco of a trial and his indiscretions with Maria seem set to sink any chance he ever had at partnership?

Ultimately, Derek sets into motion a line of inquiry that spins events entirely out of the control of the judge, jury, and any and all attorneys.

How to Catch and Keep a Vampire : A Step-by-Step Guide to Loving the Bad and the Beautiful by Diane Laurence (Trade Paperback) - Publicist at Sellers Publishing
Release Date : August 28, 2009

Who needs a book on dating a vampire? Well, Bella Swan and Sookie Stackhouse to name just two. They are fortunate to have vampire boyfriends. But what the heroines of Twilight and True Blood don't have and could use is some advice on getting along with them. Everything they and every other red-blooded American girl (and guy) wants to know about finding a dreamy blood-drinker and keeping him is within How to Catch and Keep a Vampire: A Step-by-Step Guide to Loving The Bad and the Beautiful. And who better to introduce mortal readers to the world of dating a 21st century vampire than a few mouth-watering immortals? The cast includes: Ethan, with his aquamarine eyes and supernaturally seductive piano playing. Mordred, classically cruel, dark, and handsome, with a thing for black leather gloves. His entrancingly cute carrot-topped friend Adam, as sweet as Mordred is scary. Gunnar, with his rich, golden hair, and dastardly but delightful knack for getting his way. The experienced and fascinating Colin, with his exquisite latte-colored skin and exotic beauty. The eccentric but gorgeous Aidan, purveyor of ancient magic. And enigmatic Conner, with his deep, dark eyes and protective soul. These undead charmers will win the hearts and minds of readers everywhere, and author Diana Laurence will be their expert guide.



Cry Mercy by Toni Andrews (MMP) - Mira Books
Release Date : June 1, 2009

I just want a normal life…even if I'm not entirely sure I'm human.

My name is Mercy Hollings and I'm a successful hypnotherapist in Balboa, California. The problem is, my good fortune is dependent on a dark secret. I can make people do whatever I want using telepathy, a power I call "the press." And that ability has hurt some people I never wanted to hurt, so I try to keep it under wraps.

I also try to keep people at a distance…at least, I used to. Recently a group of fearless characters broke through my self-imposed walls and became my friends: Sukey, my receptionist-turned-P.I.; Tino, a Chicano gang leader; Hilda, a wealthy society widow; Grant, a retired millionaire—and Sam, my sexy-as-hell ex-boyfriend.

But with friends comes drama. Tino has inadvertently led me into the dark world of gang violence, and Sukey has pushed me into searching for my biological parents, the only people who can finally tell me who—or what—I really am.


A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents by Liza Palmer (ARC) - Hatchette Books
Release Date : December 23, 2009

Grace Hawkes has not spoken to her previously tight-knit family since her mother's sudden death five years ago. Well, most of the family was tight-knit-- her father walked out on them when she was 13 and she and her two brothers and sister bonded together even closer with their mother as a result.

She's been doing her best to live her new life apart from them, but when their estranged father has a stroke and summons them, Grace suddenly realizes she's done the same thing he had done...abandoned those who need her most.

And need her they do, for inside the hospital walls, a strange war is unfolding between the pseudo-kindly woman who is their father's second wife and the rest of the original Hawkes clan. Upon reconnecting with her brother and sisters, Grace will find a part of herself she thought was lost forever. As they unravel the manipulative deception of the second Mrs. Hawkes, Grace will finally be able to stand up for her family-- and to remember what a family is, even after all these years.

From Paperbackswap :

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (ARC) - Thanks Cindy @ Princess Bookie!

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.



Breathless by Lurlene McDaniel (ARC) - Thanks Cindy @ Princess Bookie!

What is the toughest request anyone can be asked to fulfill?

Travis Morrison is a champion diver and one of the most popular kids at school. On the first day of summer vacation, while boating on the lake with his friends, Travis attempts a silly stunt dive that goes wrong. He fears he has broken his leg. Instead, his trip to the hospital reveals he has a rare form of cancer, and to save him, the doctors tell his parents they must amputate. In an instant, Travis’s life and the lives of everyone around him are forever changed.

Travis is determined that he and only he should decide the course of his life. He has a plan, but he can’t carry it out alone. Will he convince one of his friends to fulfill his most important request?

Lurlene McDaniel tackles a controversial subject, probing the issues of personal choice and quality of life.
From Bookmooch :

Specials by Scott Westerfeld (Trade Paperback)

"Special Circumstances":

The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary.

And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.

The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more.

Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

Contests Winners : Ravens by George Dawes Green (audiobook)

Congratulations!
  • Krista
  • My Blog 2.0 (Dottie)
  • ...MY NAME IS ELENI AND I AM A BOOKAHOLIC...

    Winners have been emailed, and will have until Wednesday Evening to respond with their shipping information. If by chance these winners have already won a copy of this book elsewhere, or fail to respond, I will choose another winner.

    Still want to read Ravens by George Dawes Green?
    Order it from the Falling Off The Shelf Store!

Weekly Recap : September 21st - 27th

Time for the Weekly Recap! Yay! I will be completely honest with all of you right now...I'm EXHAUSTED! I worked my butt off last night, and I'm just getting home from work. My shoulder is killing me, and I really don't want to even post this right now...lol. Well, I am though, because I am DEDICATED to this blog, and to all of you. I was also very excited to notice that I'm over the 200 follower mark! HOLY COW! Awesome right? TOO COOL! Well, I never hosted a 100 follower contest, but there will be a 200 follower contest, as well as an Halloween Giveaway. I'm not too sure what I'm doing yet...lol..still thinking things over for both!

Anywhos-y-watzits...here's the wrap-up, and what you can look forward to during this week!

What happened last week?

**Reviewed - The Amanda Project : Invisible I by Stella Lennon
**Read and Reviewed - Dutch by Teri Woods
**Read and Reviewed - Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout
**Reading - Love You to Death by Shannon K. Butcher

- Ok, well I didn't get as much done as I had hoped for. My review for CSN never happened because my darn camera wouldn't let me upload for some reason..so I'm trying again!

-As for reading and reviewing Never Cry Werewolf...well, NO ONE HAD IT! I went to buy it at my local Waldenbooks...and they didn't even know what I was talking about. I had to explain it to them, and they are going to order it. Too late for the discussion at Blog With Bite though! Ugh.

Contests & Promotions Posted :

Maximum Ride Prize Pack - Ends 10/05 @ Midnight!

What's Happening This Week?

**Finishing and Reviewing - Love You to Death by Shannon K. Butcher
**Reading and Reviewing - Chosen by Desire by Kate Perry
**Reading and Reviewing - Soul Catcher by Leigh Bridger
**Reading - Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Upcoming Contests :

5 Copies of So Into You by Sandra Hill
5 Copies of The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Review : Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout


Publisher : Mira Books
Genre : Paranormal Romance
ISBN : 978-0778326625
Series : #1 of Lightworld/Darkworld Series
Rating : 4.5/5 - Very good!

From Author Website :

In a time not long from now, the veil between fantasy and reality is ripped asunder creatures of myth and fairytale spill into the mortal world. Enchanted yet horrified, humans force the magical beings Underground, to colonize the sewers and abandoned subway tunnels beneath their glittering cities.

But even magic folk cannot dwell in harmony and soon two Worlds emerge: the Lightworld, home to faeries, dragons and dwarves; and the Darkworld, where vampires, werewolves, angels and demons lurk.

Now, in the dank and shadowy place between Lightworld and Darkworld, a transformation is about to begin....

Ayla, a half-faery, half-human assassin is stalked by Malachi, a Death Angel tasked with harvesting mortal souls. They clash. Immortality evaporates, forging a bond neither may survive. And in the face of unbridled ambitions and untested loyalties, an ominous prophecy is revealed that will shake the Worlds.

Review :

Ayla is an assassin for the Faery Court of Lightworld. It is her duty to protect the innocent Fae of Lightworld, and to destroy those that may cause harm. Her most recent assignment brings her into Darkworld, the home of evil creatures and humans that were banned from the Up World. She is tracking a Werewolf, a vile creature that kills in it's wake. Ayla doesn't fear this creature, but she does fear the one that is tracking her.

Legend has it that there are Death Angels in Darkworld, powerful creatures that kill without mercy. Ayla can understand this, as it is her job to kill without missing a beat. When she realises that she is being followed by one of these Death Angels, she is ready for a fight. No one has lived to see another day after an encounter with one of these creatures, and she is determined to share her story.

Malachi is a Death Angel, and has no feelings for other creatures. It is his duty to remove creatures from the Darkworld that will cause harm to humans. When he encounters Ayla, he brings it upon himself to rid the world of the Fae creature. What he doesn't know is that Ayla is not only Fae, but half-human as well. Touching her is the end of his immortality, and now he is out for revenge.

This is the first installment in Jennifer Armintrout's new trilogy, Lightworld/Darkworld. I must say, that I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was written as though it were a historical novel, which was surprising to me, although it had a few modern things about it. Armintrout's characters fight with weapons such as swords, daggers, and axes, because this is what they were able to bring with them when they were banished beneath the streets of the Up World.

Armintrout's characters are very well rounded. Throughout this novel you will learn a lot about Ayla, and how she became an assassin for the Light World. In the beginning there seemed to be some holes, but throughout the story they were filled in perfectly. I also really enjoyed Malachi's character. He was new, and fresh to the mortal world, and we got to experience it all through his eyes.

I have read Jennifer Armintrout's first series, Blood Ties, and enjoyed it very much. I honestly can say that after reading the first book in this new trilogy, it is my new favorite work of hers. I'm thrilled that she decided to write about creatures other than Vampires, because she has done a wonderful job of it. I can't wait to read the final two books in this series, Child of Darkness and Veil of Shadows.

If you liked Jennifer Armintrout's previous series, you should really give this book a shot. I read it fairly quickly, as it is only 375 pages long, according to the advanced copy that I received. It is full of magical creatures of all kinds, not just Fae and Death Angels. There are also Werewolves, Dragons, Trolls, and even Pixies. It does have romance, but it is not the whole of the story, it is just something that makes this book whole. I'd like to thank Adam from Mira Books for sending me an advanced copy of this book. I was so thrilled when he agreed to let me review it. I'd also like to thank Jennifer Armintrout herself, for stopping by my blog early in June to notice my Waiting on Wednesday post featuring this book. It was her that drove me to contact Adam in the first place.

Opinionated?Me?'s First Giveaway!


Opinionated?Me? is having her first giveaway! This is exciting, because the book she is giving away, Devoured by Amanda Marrone, has been on my wishlist and I'd love to get my hands on it!

Head on over to the giveaway page now, because it's only open for entries until October 3rd!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Friday Finds - September 25th

I'm in the process of finishing up the first book in Jennifer Armintrout's new series Lightworld/Darkworld, and now I can't wait to read the second installment! Here it is!

Publisher : Mira
Release Date : October 27, 2009
Series : #2 in Lightworld/Darkworld Series

From Author Website :


*Spoilers! - If you have not read the first book in this series, I do NOT suggest you read this description!*

Once upon a time yet to come, creatures of myth and fairy tale gained entry to the human realm and were expelled with extreme prejudice. Banished Underground, they carved out two kingdoms: the Lightworld of the Fae and their kin, and the Darkworld of demons, werewolves and their ilk. But the boundaries between these Worlds and the Upworld are about to be redrawn...in blood.

At a Lightworld royal gala, Queene Ayla announces the betrothal of her daughter, Cerridwen, to a high-ranking councilor. Though strategically brilliant, the engagement comes as a shock to Cerridwen especially. Infuriated by her mother s high-handedness, ignorant of her own true origins, she flees the court leaving herself vulnerable to those who would see the Lightworld destroyed. Amid burgeoning unrest, desperate desires become divided loyalties and terrifying mercenaries lurk in the shadowy space between rebellion and anarchy.

Friday 56 - September 25th



The Friday 56 is hosted by Storytime With Tonya and Friends!

Rules :

* Grab the book nearest you, Right Now!
* Turn to Page 56.
* Find the 5th sentence.
* Post that sentence (along with one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog , and post back to
Storytime With Tonya and Friends.

Here's my Friday 56 :

Sanctuary could wait, but her report could not.

Or her conversation with Garret. She'd decided on her course of action regarding her failure in the Darkworld, without the guidance of prayer. She would tell him the truth, or at least the brand she found it easiest to sell him.


Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout

Contest Winners - Lucan by Susan Kearney

Congratulations!

  • Jess

  • throuthehaze

  • Karen K

  • My Eclectic Reads

  • wade
I have emailed each winner, and they will have until Monday Morning (9/28) to respond back with their mailing information. If by chance they do not respond, I will choose new winners. If by chance they have already won this book in another contest somewhere else, I will also choose new winners.
Still want to read Lucan by Susan Kearney?

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Review : Dutch by Teri Woods



Title : Dutch
Author : Teri Woods
Genre : Fiction
ISBN : 978-0446551533
Rating : 2/5 - Okay

Description from Amazon :

James Bernard Jr., a.k.a. Dutch, has become the most dangerous criminal in New Jersey. From his early skill as a car thief, Dutch recognized the opportunity to rule the streets and he seized it. Feared by all, and completely fearless, Dutch and his dangerous clique take over the lucrative heroin business of a local African drug lord. With both the protection and respect of the Mafia, Dutch becomes the most terrifying force on the streets. District Attorney Anthony Jacobs is determined to take down Dutch and his crew, and he's confident that his witnesses will testify against them. But a sudden turn of events will soon make the DA's job harder than he imagined.

Review :

James Bernard, better knows as Dutch, is nothing more than a young hoodlum out to get what he wants, including his freedom. He's nothing more than a youngster when he begins stealing cars, and robbing people with the help of his best friend Craze. Dutch knows that this isn't the way to do things though, and he uses his street smarts to get the help and respect from the Mafia. With his crew, consisting of other youngsters they take the city as their own, selling drugs and running the streets. They don't let anything get in their way, even if it means murder.

Dutch now can look back on those years while he fights for his freedom once again, in a court of law. Everything that he did when he was young, up until now, as a man is coming back to bite him in the butt. He's confident everything will turn out alright in the end, but will it cost him his freedom and his life?

I just finished reading Dutch, and I'm not sure whether I can honestly say this was a book for me. I was excited to read about gangsters and such, because I am from New York and wanted to get an inside look at the streets. I got what I was looking for, but I just wasn't enjoying all the slang in this novel. There was a lot of cursing, and racial slurs. I don't mind cursing, believe me, I have a habit of going off at the mouth sometimes, but this was just too much for me. I'm also a firm believer that no matter the color of a persons skin, they still bleed red, so I didn't enjoy reading the many racial slurs that were sprinkled throughout every page of this book.

This book has been rated as a Best Seller, but not in my book. I will most likely not be reading the rest of this trilogy, as this was the first book. I'd like to thank Miriam Parker from Hatchette Books for allowing me to read and review this novel, even though I didn't particularly enjoy it very much.

Tuber Thursdays (1) - September 24th

I've been debating about doing this meme for awhile now, and I've decided that I'm going to do it! I know there is already a Trailer Tuesday, but well...I've decided to do my own because I don't have a post for Thursdays, so along comes...

Tuber Thursdays!

Now, from the photo above you'll notice that's a trailer full of books. I found that image on Google Images, and just pasted it to a picture of a TV..creative right? lol.

Tuber Thursdays will be a showcase of my favorite book trailer of the week! If I happen to come across a movie trailer, there will be a special (2 trailers in one post).

If you don't already participate in Trailer Tuesday, and would like to participate in Tuber Thursdays...feel free to steal my meme banner above (or you can make your own if you prefer). Please link back to Falling Off The Shelf, and post a comment below so I can come check out your favorites!

My favorite trailer of the week :

Shadowfae by Erica Hayes


Thanks to Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings for mentioning this trailer on her blog! She also mention that you can read a short prequel to Shadowfae, called Hellcursed by clicking Here.

I just read it, and it was AWESOME, can't wait to read Shadowfae now! Beware though, there is a lot of sexual content, and if you uncomfortable with that I don't recommend you read it.

Magic Under Glass ARC Giveaway!


For those of you who are just as excited about reading Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore..you can get your chance to read it by entering her contest for an ARC! She's also giving away a bunch of other cool prizes too!

Go Here to enter :)

Please let her know that Falling Off The Shelf sent you! This will give me an extra entry. It will also help you to get you an extra entry by letting her know that I sent you! Woohoo!

Hurry! The contest ends September 27th!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Falling Off The Shelf Swaps!

Cindy @ Princess Bookie had a great idea to create a swap site, for the books that she would like to swap out for something new.

I've done the same thing! It's a great way for us to save on shipping books out to new owners, as well as a good way for other readers/reviewers to get their hands on a book that they too would like to read/review.

You can go my swapping site, Falling Off The Shelf Swaps to find out what books are up for grabs. You don't need to swap me something to receive these books, although you may if you think I would like something that you have.

Make sure you follow that new page, that way you can get all the new updates on what I'm looking to swap out!

Hot Find : The Darkest Whisper by Gena Showalter *50% Off*


For those of you out there who enjoy Gena Showalter's Lords of The Underworld Series...you'll be happy to know that The Darkest Whisper (4th book in the series), is now 50% off at Book Depository!

It's on sale for $3.99, w/ FREE SHIPPING anywhere.
You can even use Paypal to shop!

Click Here to order yours.

250 Follower Contest @ Today's Adventure!




Today's Adventure

Congratulations Today's Adventure for hitting the 250 follower mark! She is giving away 6 great ARCs during her giveaway. Here's what's up for grabs!

  • Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
  • Fire by Kristen Cashore
  • Shiver by Maggie Stievfater
  • How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
  • Bran Hambric : The Fairfield Curse by Kaleb Nation
  • Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Looks like some great books! There will be 3 winners, so head over, become a follower, and enter for your chance to win!

Thanks Parajunkee for mentioning this contest on your blog!

Review : The Amanda Project : invisible I by Stella Lennon


Author : Stella Lennon & Melissa Kantor
Publisher : HarperTeen
Genre : Young Adult
ISBN : 978-0061742125
Series : The Amanda Project Book #1
Rating : 3.5/5 - Really Good!

Description from Amazon :

Amanda Valentino changed everything.

Callie Leary has exactly one thing, and one thing only, in common with Nia Rivera and Hal Bennett: They were each chosen by Amanda to be her guide. When Amanda arrived at Endeavor High, she told Callie she moves around a lot and always picks one person to help her navigate the choppy waters of a new school. Why did Amanda lie?

Following a course that they suspect Amanda deliberately plotted, Callie, Nia, and Hal piece together some cryptic clues. But they find more questions than answers and quickly realize that before they can figure out what happened to Amanda—the girl who changed their lives—they'll need to solve the most important mystery of all: Who is Amanda Valentino?

Review :

Callista Leary, better known as Callie, is an I-Girl. I-Girls are the most popular girls in school, and they don't associate with people of a lesser rank. Callie on the other hand, doesn't judge others as easily as the rest of the girls in her clique. She's smart, gets good grades, and enjoys learning. It's no surprise that when a new girl comes to town, it's Callie who will be showing her the ropes.

When Amanda Valentino comes to town, it's Callie's job to tutor her. She starts as a mere study partner, but soon becomes good friends with the newcomer. Amanda tells Callie that she will be her 'guide' while she is going to school at Endeavor High, and this makes Callie feel special. So it's not unlikely, that when Amanda Valentino goes missing, Callie is extremely upset.

When Callie finds out that she is not the only 'guide' Amanda has, she becomes distraught. Why would Amanda lie to her? Why would she tell her she was special, only to tell another the same thing? It's even worse that Amanda was also friends with two of the biggest freaks in school, Hal Bennett and Nia Rivera. With the clues that Amanda leaves behind, these three students, who are absolutely not friends, must stick together to solve the mystery of their missing friend.

There is a lot going on in this first installment to The Amanda Project, but it all flows extremely well. The story is told in the present, but Callie has flashbacks along the way. During these flashbacks you learn tidbits of her life that she didn't realise were so significant until the current day. Callie learns who she is, all the while learning who she can trust. It's a novel of friendship, and what you will do to protect those you care about.

I really enjoyed this book by authors Stella Lennon and Melissa Kantor. It was full of mystery, including little clues that you could try and decipher for yourself. I particularly liked that there were pictures showing you exactly what the characters in the book were seeing. You can even go to AmandaProject.com and sign up to solve the clues with other readers. I'm excited to read the next installment of this series, as it leaves you on a cliffhanger wanting more. I'd like to thank Barnes and Noble for sending me a ARC of this novel to read and review. It was a quick read, and I didn't want to put it down.

Contest Winners : The Blue Star by Tony Earley

Congratulations!
  • Vicki
  • Wanda
  • jtcallaway
  • traveler
  • bison61

All winners will have until Friday Afternoon to respond to emails with their snail mail. If any fail to respond, I will choose another winner.

Still want to read The Blue Star by Tony Earley?
Buy it from the Falling Off The Shelf Store!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Teaser Tuesday - September 22nd

Teaser Tuesdays

Hosted by Should Be Reading

Anyone can play along!
Just do the following :

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from anywhere on that page.
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (be sure that what you share doesn't give to much away, you don't want to ruin the book for others.)
5. Share the title & author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR.

My Teaser :

Jacobs looked at Glass in amazement. Glass simply shrugged his shoulders. At that moment, Glass knew Dutch was crazy. He had heard that he was insane, but not crazy enough to hang himself. If he won't let me do my job, no one can blame me in the end, he thought.

pg. 103


Hot Find : Covet by J.R. Ward *50% Off*


Hey all you J.R. Ward fans out there! I just headed over to The Book Depository to purchase a copy of Covet by J.R. Ward...and it's going for $3.99!

They have FREE Shipping ALL THE TIME.
I've already ordered my copy.
Have to get ready for the next discussion for Blog With Bite, and this is the next book, so get your copy too and come over and join us!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Promotion : Maximum Ride Prize Pack!


ENTER TO WIN A SET OF JAMES PATTERSON PAGETURNERS!
MAXIMUM RIDE – IF SHE LIVES, THE WORLD LIVES, IT’S THAT SIMPLE.

Read “MAX” - the newest book in the bestselling Maximum Ride series. On sale in paperback 09/01/09!

Still reeling from their most recent adventure, Maximum Ride and the rest of the flock must head out to sea to uncover the secret behind a brand new series of disasters—fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii, hundreds of ships are being destroyed.  As if that weren’t enough, they’re also being tracked by a criminal mastermind with, oh yeah, an army of mercenaries.   Can the flock save themselves and the ocean, and the world, from utter destruction?

One (1) winner from will receive a James Patterson Prize Pack:

Maximum Ride: Max (paperback)
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (paperback)
Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever (paperback)
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (paperback)
Maximum Ride: The Final Warning (paperback)
Maximum Ride: Manga (paperback)
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (paperback)
Daniel X: Watch the Skies (hardcover)


The Fine Print:

The Maximum Ride: Max Promotion is open to legal US residents who are at least 13 years of age as of September 18, 2009.  There will be one prize for this Promotion.  Each prize consists of the following eight (8) books: Maximum Ride: Max (paperback); Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (paperback); Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever (paperback); Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (paperback); Maximum Ride: The Final Warning (paperback); Maximum Ride: Manga (paperback); The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (paperback); and Daniel X: Watch the Skies (hardcover).  The approximate retail value of each prize is $72.00.  Winners will be confirmed on or about October 15, 2009 by email.  Prizes will only be shipped to confirmed winners with addresses in the US. Prizes will be shipped within 30 days after a selected entrant is confirmed as a winner.

Deadline October 5th, 2009 @ 11:59PM Est.
US Only.

Mailbox Monday - September 21st

Another week has gone by, and here's what I received!! Woohoo! Going to start giving a description for each title from now on :) That way you have more of a reason to pick these books up for yourself.

For Review :



Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout (Bound Galley) - from publicist at Mira

An unimagined destiny an undeniable passion.

In a time not long from now, the veil between fantasy and reality is ripped asunder creatures of myth and fairytale spill into the mortal world. Enchanted yet horrified, humans force the magical beings Underground, to colonize the sewers and abandoned subway tunnels beneath their glittering cities.

But even magic folk cannot dwell in harmony and soon two Worlds emerge: the Lightworld, home to faeries, dragons and dwarves; and the Darkworld, where vampires, werewolves, angels and demons lurk.

Now, in the dank and shadowy place between Lightworld and Darkworld, a transformation is about to begin....

Ayla, a half-faery, half-human assassin is stalked by Malachi, a Death Angel tasked with harvesting mortal souls. They clash. Immortality evaporates, forging a bond neither may survive. And in the face of unbridled ambitions and untested loyalties, an ominous prophecy is revealed that will shake the Worlds.



Breath by Tim Winton (Trade Paperback) - LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Tim Winton is Australia’s best-loved novelist. His new work, Breath, is an extraordinary evocation of an adolescence spent resisting complacency, testing one’s limits against nature, finding like-minded souls, and discovering just how far one breath will take you. It’s a story of extremes—extreme sports and extreme emotions. On the wild, lonely coast of Western Australia, two thrillseeking and barely adolescent boys fall into the enigmatic thrall of veteran big-wave surfer Sando. Together they form an odd but elite trio. The grown man initiates the boys into a kind of Spartan ethos, a regimen of risk and challenge, where they test themselves in storm swells on remote and shark-infested reefs, pushing each other to the edges of endurance, courage, and sanity. But where is all this heading? Why is their mentor’s past such forbidden territory? And what can explain his American wife’s peculiar behavior? Venturing beyond all limits—in relationships, in physical challenge, and in sexual behavior—there is a point where oblivion is the only outcome. Full of Winton’s lyrical genius for conveying physical sensation, Breath is a rich and atmospheric coming-of-age tale from one of world literature’s finest storyteller.

From Bookmooch :


Quiet, unpopular,non-cheerleading Mia is blissfully happy. She is dating super hot football god Rob, and he actually likes her and asked her to prom! Enter Samantha--cheerleading goddess and miss popularity--who starts making a move for Rob. With prom in a few days, Mia needs to act fast. So she turns to her best friend, Candice, and decides to do a love spell on Rob. Unfortunately, she ends up inflicting a zombie virus onto her whole class, making herself their leader! At first she is flattered that everyone is treating her like a queen. But then zombie hunter hottie Chase explains they are actually fattening her up, because in a few days, Mia will be the first course in their new diet. She's sure she and Chase can figure something out, but she suggests that no one wear white to prom, because things could get very messy.

It is the time of the Great Depression. The dustbowl has turned the western skies red and thousands leave their homes seeking a better life. Marcus Connelly seeks not a new life, but a death - a death for the mysterious scarred man who murdered his daughter. And soon he learns that he is not alone. Countless others have lost someone to the scarred man. They band together to track him, but as they get closer, Connelly begins to suspect that the man they are hunting is more than human. As the pursuit becomes increasingly desperate, Connelly must decide just how much he is willing to sacrifice to get his revenge.

Paige Darlington has a problem. See, she's the former apprentice to Satan's right hand, Becka Gibbs. As a result, she's got this pretty much all consuming need to be bad... not her fault, right? Well, that will be a small comfort when she loses all human emotions, including the ability to love and care about those who matter to her.

To keep his brother alive, Jed Buchanan works for Satan Jr., the heir to hell and the most evil being in existence. Jed has been forced to do a lot of unsavory things during his time on the "job" and his latest assignment - killing Becka Gibbs - isn't pleasant either. It only gets more complicated when he arrives at Becka's apartment, and inadvertently attacks Paige, a beautiful, sexy demon who decides that saving his black soul will be just the thing to keep her own from rotting.

But can the Devil's minion and the Devil's assassin possibly find true love?

From Paperbackswap :



Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble (ARC) - From Debbie's World of Books (Thanks!)

What really happened to Anastasia Romanov?

Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.

In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college—until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams…
In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life . . .

She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul...

Weekly Recap : September 14th - 20th

Wow! Another week has flown by again, and here is our weekly recap. I feel like this year is just going by so quickly...where is it all going!? Luckily...we'll all be able to look back on this year and say we've read some great books. I'm going to be doing a LOT of reading this week..because I have off for the next 5 days, WOW! I'm so excited :) It will give me some time to get caught up with some review books...and get started on next months batch! So here goes...

What happened last week?

**Reviewed Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
**Guest Post by Michelle Moran!
**Read and Reviewed
EyeLeash : A Blog Novel by Jess C. Scott
**Read The Amanda Project : invisible I by Stella Lennon

Contests Posted : Autographed copy of Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

What's happening this week?

**Reviewing The Amanda Project : invisible I by Stella Lennon
**Reviewing CSN Furniture - Bookshelf
**Reading and reviewing Dutch by Teri Woods
**Reading and reviewing Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis
**Reading and reviewing Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout
**Reading and reviewing Love You to Death by Shannon K. Butcher

-Wow, I sure have my work cut out for me this week! Good thing I have off all week :)

Contests to Post :

Once again, these might all be posted this week...some may be pushed forward until next week as well!

5 Copies of So Into You by Sandra Hill
5 Copy of The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik

PROMOTION! -
Wow, a Maximum Ride Giveaway pack!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Blog Tour : 31 Hours by Masha Hamilton




Description from Unbridled Books :

A woman in New York awakens knowing, as deeply as a mother’s blood can know, that her grown son is in danger. She has not heard from him in weeks. His name is Jonas. His girlfriend, Vic, doesn’t know what she has done wrong, but Jonas won’t answer his cell phone. We soon learn that Jonas is isolated in a safe-house apartment in New York City, pondering his conversion to Islam and his experiences training in Pakistan, preparing for the violent action he has been instructed to take in 31 hours. Jonas’s absence from the lives of those who love him causes a cascade of events, and as the novel moves through the streets and subways of New York we come to know intimately the lives of its characters. We also learn to feel deeply the connections and disconnections that occur between young people and their parents not only in this country but in the Middle East as well.

Carried by Hamilton’s highly-lauded prose, this story about the helplessness of those who cannot contact a beloved young man who is on a devastatingly confused path is compelling on the most human level. In our world, when a family loses track of an idealistic son an entire city could be in danger. From the author of The Distance Between Us.



Excerpt

A wolf ’s howl. But more shrill, more prolonged. Carol sat fully upright, an inhale caught in her chest, before she realized there was, of course, no rabid wolf dodging Manhattan traffic. It was only winter’s wind slicing past her eleventh-floor apartment window with enough ferocity to rouse her. Then she grasped, in quick succession, that she’d been half-awake before the noise began, that her stomach hurt, and that her mind was filled with Jonas. Herson. Her wild-haired precious. When he was tiny, on a frenzied night like this, he would have snuggled with her in this very bed, bare toes pressing against her leg. Now he extended over six feet, and though he hugged, he didn’t snuggle. God, where had those days gone?

More important: Where was he now?

She lay back down, reached to pull a pillow close, and smoothed her forehead with a hand as if wiping dust from a table. She wondered if she could will herself back to sleep but doubted it. Her most successful years of slumber stretched from Jonas’s birth through his toddlerhood, when the basics felt simple and pure and her arms had been full of husband and baby, potter’s clay and homemade bread. Through the remaining, darker days of marriage, divorce, and the occasional lover, erratic sleep became the status quo. Still, whenever she awakened in the wee hours, she wanted nothing more than to breathe in time with another human body—a desire that pointed to a primitive quality in her, she thought, one not suited to this modern life.At age forty-eight, she still wasn’t used to sleeping alone.

When Jake was already gone and Jonas still a boy, she would sometimes crawl into her young son’s bed, rest a hand on his tummy, and match her breath to his. Often, if her presence woke him—she hadn’t thought of this in years—he would lull himself back to sleep by twirling her hair with his fingers, as if they were joined. He was so small then that air passed through his body at a pace more urgent than soothing. But the rise and fall of his stomach connected her to nothing less than the universe itself. Jonas saved her from facing her own mortalityduring those long nights. Next to him, imagining herself a kite finally cut free of its string, she slept. That perfect boy with his drowsy warm scent and hair falling on the pillow like a piece of art. Why hadn’t he returned her calls?

About the Author
masha hamilton (photo for blog tour)


For ten years, Masha Hamilton worked as a foreign correspondent overseas, first for the Associated Press in the Middle East and then as a Moscow correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. Masha covered the intifada the peace process, and the partial Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Later, she reported on the coup and collapse of the Soviet Union and the growing independence in Soviet Republics as well as Kremlin politics. She reported from Afghanistan in the spring of 2004. She currently lives with her family in New York City, where she teaches for Gotham Writers’ Workshop. She is also the author of another novel, Staircase of a Thousand Steps. Author photo by Briana Orr.

Review : 31 Hours by Masha Hamilton

Title : 31 Hours
Author :
Masha Hamilton
Publisher :
Unbridled Books
Genre : Fiction - Terrorism
ISBN : 978-1932961836
Rating : 3/5 - Good

Description from Unbridled Books :

A woman in New York awakens knowing, as deeply as a mother’s blood can know, that her grown son is in danger. She has not heard from him in weeks. His name is Jonas. His girlfriend, Vic, doesn’t know what she has done wrong, but Jonas won’t answer his cell phone. We soon learn that Jonas is isolated in a safe-house apartment in New York City, pondering his conversion to Islam and his experiences training in Pakistan, preparing for the violent action he has been instructed to take in 31 hours. Jonas’s absence from the lives of those who love him causes a cascade of events, and as the novel moves through the streets and subways of New York we come to know intimately the lives of its characters. We also learn to feel deeply the connections and disconnections that occur between young people and their parents not only in this country but in the Middle East as well.

Carried by Hamilton’s highly-lauded prose, this story about the helplessness of those who cannot contact a beloved young man who is on a devastatingly confused path is compelling on the most human level. In our world, when a family loses track of an idealistic son an entire city could be in danger. From the author of The Distance Between Us.

Review :

When I first read the synopsis of this book, I was immediately interested, and just knew that I had to know what was going to happen in this novel. Within reading the first few pages I was already intrigued, and had a hard time putting the book down. I was also confused, to think that a person as young as Jonas could let such thoughts flow through his brain. I was, and am still angry with the character of Jonas for thinking that one act of violence can change the way of the world, and the people in it.

In my honest opinion, violence will never change anything, except the amount of people that still stand after the final boom. War and fighting will only cause pain and destruction, and those that think otherwise baffle me. I wanted to wring Jonas's neck with his constant philosophy on life. How much does he think he is supposed to know at the age of 21? He is nothing more than a child just coming into his adulthood, and your not supposed to know everything at this point in your life.

Here is a quote from 31 Hours that I think we should all take a second to think about :



"We're all terrorists," he'd told her a few weeks ago in what had been their last real conversation. "Every single one of us. The only difference is, some of us recognize it and others don't."


I honestly don't understand how Jonas can say this. I personally am not a terrorist, and I think that people who think this way need to seek immediate attention. Hurting others will not make the world a better place, it will just cause more danger for the children of our future.

I didn't really like Jonas's mother either. Her name was Carol, and her life depended on whether Jonas or some other person was paying close attention to her. I understand that she is a mother, and that she loves her son, but to go crazy with worry because of not hearing from him for a little over a week, is a little over the top. In the case with this novel, she was right to worry, but other than that she seemed like a very selfish character. She needed the comfort of her son in order to be happy. There was one quote from the book that really had me thinking though, and although I am not a mother, this is exactly how I feel a love between a mother and child should be.


This is the way mother-love works. There's no controlling it, and there's nothing like it, not the way a cleri loves his God or a soldier loves his country or a man his wife. This baby emerges, and that's it--you're sucked into a maelstrom so profound you never get out, and so you worry, you overreact sometimes, all you want is to protect you baby. Even if he's shaving now.


The one character that I liked the most was young Mara. She's only a child, yet all she wants in the world is for her mother to be happy. She's not selfish, and doesn't put her emotions out there for the world to see. She's the tough one, the mortar, the one holding it all together. For a child, she knew too much, things only an adult should have to go through, and for this I respected her as a character.

I can say that I liked this novel, but didn't love it. I will more than certainly be reading more by Masha Hamilton in the future, because this novel really touched me at an emotional level. There was a lot packed intot his novel, at 229 pages. I'd like to thank Caitlin Hamilton Summie from Unbridled Books for allowing me to read and review this book, it's been a pleasure.