Contest Sticky


Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Waiting On Wednesday - March 31, 2010

Waiting On Wednesday


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 
Spun by Sorcery by Barbara Bretton
Release Date : November 2, 2010

Description from Penguin Catalog
Chloe is always losing things—but an entire town?
Just when she was about to settle down in Sugar
Maple with her soul-mate Luke MacKenzie, her Fae
enemy Isadora strikes, and her new hometown is
gone. Even the Book of Spells, her lifeline to magick,
can’t help her now. Just in the nick of time, her friend
Janice roars up in Chloe’s ancient Buick with Penny
the cat and her yarn stash in tow. If she is going to
save her home she has to go back to Salem, where
family secrets and centuries-old feuds pull her into the
fight of her life.
 


After reading the first book in this series, Casting Spells, I was SUPER excited to have a chance to review the second installment, Laced With Magic (click HERE for my review).  Barbara was even kind enough to send along an awesome Laced With Magic bag that I use to carry my books around in.  I know it's probably going to be a fat chance that I am lucky enough to review this one too, but that's okay, because it's on my To Buy As Soon As It's Released list :)  If you haven't read the first two installments you definitely should!  

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Contest : Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter (audiobook)


I haven't done a contest in so long, but luckily, thanks to Anna Balasi of Hatchette Books, I'm able to give away 3 copies of the audiobook Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.  I'm personally really excited about this title, and can't wait to listen to it myself when it arrives.

There's just a few things you need to do in order to enter...

Fill out the form below :

Contest Ends April 13, 2010
No PO Boxes.  US & Canada Residents Only.

Teaser Tuesday - March 30, 2010


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 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on that page.
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
5. Share the book title and author so others can wishlist the book.

I cheated this week and used a book I read awhile ago due to the fact that my current read is an ARC.
My Teaser :
 Over the top of Merilee's blond head, as Cynda held her triad sister, she locked eyes with Nick and tried to let her gaze tell him everything.

I understand now.
A little more time--just a little, get a move on--but yes, a little more time your you and Jake.
Aloud, she said, "Families take care of their own."
pg. 83
#2 Dark Crescent Sisterhood Series
 Amazon Affiliates :
Clicking on Title Links will redirect you to Amazon.com.  If you choose to purchase anything at Amazon after clicking these links, Falling Off The Shelf will receive a small percentage of sales.


Monday, March 29, 2010

In My Mailbox - March 29, 2010

In My Mailbox was started by Krist @ The Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.


February 2, 2010 - Received from Paperbackswap.com

The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows—her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield—and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness—and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who lusts for a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human—even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together . . .
Because once the first crimson drop falls, they will both be lost.

December 1, 2009 - Received from Paperbackswap.com 

Annie Capshaw has found that the way to a man's heart is through his cooking class. But just as she and her best friend, Eve, are planning Annie's big day with Jim, her former cooking instructor turned boss, murder takes the cake. Make that the wedding cake...



Now you know what's in mine..so what's in yours?

Friday, March 26, 2010

Review : Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis


Title : Bitter Night
Author : Diana Pharaoh Francis
Publisher : Pocket Books
Genre : Fantasy
ISBN : 978-1416598145
Series : Horngate Witches #1
Release Date : October 27, 2009
Rating : 4/5 Very Good

Description from Goodreads :


SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. AND SOMETIMES, THEY CHOOSE YOU...

Once, Max dreamed of a career, a home, a loving family. Now all she wants is freedom...and revenge. A witch named Giselle transformed Max into a warrior with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. Bound by spellcraft, Max has no choice but to fight as Giselle's personal magic weapon -- a Shadowblade -- and she's lethally good at it. But her skills are about to be put to the test as they never have before....
The ancient Guardians of the earth are preparing to unleash widespread destruction on the mortal world, and they want the witches to help them. If the witches refuse, their covens will be destroyed, including Horngate, the place Max has grudgingly come to think of as home. Max thinks she can find a way to help Horngate stand against the Guardians, but doing so will mean forging dangerous alliances -- including one with a rival witch's Shadowblade, who is as drawn to Max as she is to him -- and standing with the witch she despises. Max will have to choose between the old life she still dreams of and the warrior she has become, and take her place on the side of right -- if she survives long enough to figure out which side that is....


Review


Max hasn't always been hell-bent on getting revenge for the freedom that was stolen from her. There was a time in her life when she was just another normal girl trying to make her mark on the world. All of that changed when a witch named Giselle transformed her into her own personal Shadowblade. Now Max is equipped with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance, making her the perfect weapon. Max has no choice, no matter how hard she fights against it, but on her honor she isn't going to make things easy for Giselle.

When the ancient Guardians of the earth decide it's time to destroy the mortal world, they turn to the witches for help. Each coven leader is expected to make the choice of life or death for their coven. Denying the request of the Guardians means certain death, while accepting signs the death certificate of the human race. While Max clearly hates being a Shadowblade, she can't think of what life would be like if she lost Horngate too. In order to protect her home, she must turn to her enemies, a rival witch's Shadowblade, and the witch who turned her into the warrior that she is.

Bitter Night is the first book in a new series called the Horngate Witches. In the beginning I was confused as to why Max was so eager for revenge, but reading further on in the book gave me the full picture. While her character is an awesome warrior, and clearly has no problem getting a date if she so dares, she's not perfect. She definitely has anger issues, and she knows how to hold a grudge. In my honest opinion, I think this has only made her stronger in the long run, despite the not always great outcome.

I'm only hoping that the series will continue to be just as action packed as this first installment. I'm also looking forward to seeing if the romantic interests in this book will continue in the next, and what conflicts they will create.


Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy of Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis from my best friend Derrick for Christmas. Needless to say, he knows me quite well, and I love him for it.

Amazon Affiliates :

Clicking on the title or cover links of this book will redirect you to Amazon.com. If while you are there you choose to purchase Bitter Night or any other products, I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Friday Finds - March 26, 2010

 
It's been quite awhile since I've participated in the Friday Finds.  I think it's about time I start again, because honestly I've come across so many good looking books lately that I have to share!

 

Publisher : HarperTeen
Release Date : September 21, 2010
Series : #1 in a New Series

From Author Website : 
My name's Evie. I work for the IPCA. Yeah, the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But don't worry, I'm not a vamp or werewolf or faerie or anything. And I don't kill them, either. Just bag and tag. After all, we're not out to eliminate them--just to neuter them. Sorry, IPCA joke. We don't actually neuter them, because, well, yuck. We just help them live harmlessly among humans. Sometimes they don't want the help, but we give it to them anyway.  Think of us as the UN, if the UN carried tasers and silver knives.

So you're probably wondering why a sixteen-year-old girl is the prize possession of IPCA. I'm sure you know all about glamours--most paranormals have them, meaning normal people (okay, everyone else in the world except me) can't see what they really are. But there's no fooling me; I can see through to what they are underneath.  Trust me: all of this nonsense about vampires being sexy?  NOT. TRUE.

So that's my life. Or, it was, until paranormals started dying and something unlike anything we'd seen before broke into the Center and changed everything...



Alpha by Rachel Vincent
Publisher : Mira
Release Date : October 1, 2010
Series : #6 Shifters Series 

From Author Website :

Rachel’s Shifters series follows Faythe Sanders, the world’s only female werecat enforcer, as she fights to define her own role in her family and to claim a place in her Pride. The revolution is coming, and Faythe will be leading the charge. Are you ready to meet the new Alpha? 

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Review : The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox


Title : The Magic Warble
Author : Victoria Simcox
Publisher : Two Harbors Press
Genre : Young Adult Fantasy
ISBN : 978-1935097174
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : January 1, 2009
Rating : 3/5 - Good

Description from Goodreads :

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen - all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Review

Kristina Kingsley has never really fit in with all of the students in her school, and always happens to be the butt of every joke.  She looks forward to a day when everyone is nice to her for a change, and she's not judged by what she wears or how she looks.  When she receives a mysterious Christmas present, she finds herself magically dropped, literally, into a world full of creatures thought to be fictional.

In Bernovem, Kristina is known as the "chosen one", because she holds the key to their freedom.  Her mysterious Christmas present is none other than a magical item known as The Magic Warble.  Kristina is no longer made fun of, but is accepted for who and what she is, and is honored as the holder of The Magic Warble.  Using The Magic Warble, Kristina needs to find a way to release the people of Bernovem from the evil grip of their Queen Sentiz.  She will find help along the way from dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, and even talking animals.

I'm not going to say that I loved The Magic Warble, because unfortunately I didn't.  I thought it was an okay novel, especially since this was Victoria Simcox's debut.  It was a little juvenile for my opinion, but the story was quite interesting.  While this story didn't grip me the way I had hoped it would, it did hold my interest enough to finish the story, because I wanted to find out what would become of Kristina, and Bernovem.

The characters in The Magic Warble were very well described, and it was easy to picture the characters in my mind.  The description of Kristina alone makes me think of my time in school, and how the children that didn't have the coolest things were made fun of.  I liked seeing one of these unfortunate children step forward and be the center of attention, and prove that she was special in her own way.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of Victoria Simcox's work in the future, and curious to see how her writing develops further in her career.  


Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy from the author, after agreeing to participate in a Pump Up Your Books Promotion blog tour.  Unfortunately at that time I wasn't aware that I would have to shut down my blogging site and wait until March to re-open.  Thankfully I'm back, and am glad that I was able to give my opinion about this book.

Amazon Affiliates

Clicking on the cover and title links of this book will redirect you to Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase The Magic Warble after clicking on these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.




Books Reviewed in 2010.

These are all of the books I have reviewed in 2010.  They are organized alphabetically by title.  I will be adding them as I post reviews.  You can also read my reviews that I wrote in 2009 here.

Waiting on Wednesday - March 24, 2010

Waiting On Wednesday

Hosted by Breaking The Spine

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


Desire Me by Robyn DeHart
Release Date : June 1, 2010

From Author Website :

Years ago, Maxwell Barrett found a map to Atlantis and dedicated his life to the search for the mystical lost continent. But when an alluring woman makes a wager for the priceless artifact, he may have discovered an even greater treasure.
A descendant of Atlantis, Sabine Tobias needs the map to decipher an ancient prophecy. What she doesn't need are the sparks flying between her and Max. He's too devilishly charming to be trusted: The fate of her people is at stake as well as her heart. Yet a ruthless killer also covets the map. Now Max and Sabine must race to decode the prophecy's riddle before this criminal fulfills his deadly mission.

After reading and reviewing the first book in this series, Seduce Me, I'm psyched to find out that the second installment will be released this coming June! I never thought I would enjoy a Historical Romance, until I read these books...and now I find myself looking forward to reading new ones all the time. If you haven't tried one yourself, you should really give this series a go...starting with Seduce Me, you can read my review of it here.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Teaser Tuesday - March 23, 2010


***This is my first Teaser Tuesday in a long time! I'm so glad I'm finally able to get back into posting they way I used to. Look for more Teaser Tuesdays, Waiting on Wednesdays, Friday Finds (and coming soon my new Farewell Fridays)...as well as many reviews (these have been piling up!).***


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 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on that page.
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
5. Share the book title and author so others can wishlist the book.

My Teaser :

Black in the torchlight, they shone with iridescent blues and greens, as they began to move, like oil rainbows on dirty water. The thick, scaly plates that covered their bodies moved like a suit of armor, but they were not unbalanced and clumsy as a Human in a suit. They moved as though made of fluid, rolled like quicksilver as they advanced into the hall, steam roiling from their flared nostrils, surveying the battle with their hungry red eyes.

pg. 310


Amazon Affiliates :

Clicking on the above cover image for Child of Darkness by Jennifer Armintrout will redirect you to Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase after clicking this link I will receive a small percentage of sales.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Review : Once a Witch by Caroyln MacCullough

Title : Once a Witch
Publisher : Clarion Books
Genre : YA Paranormal
ISBN : 978-0547223995
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : September 14, 2009
Rating : 4.5/5 - Loved It.

Description from Amazon :

Tamsin Greene has come 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 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 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.

Trailer :

Review :

Tamsin Greene was born into a family full of witches. While all of the other children around her started gaining their powers, Tamsin remained normal. She was destined to be one of the most powerful witches to ever enter the Greene family, but still remains barren. This is difficult for Tamsin, making her feel like a failure to her family, and an outcast.

While she has no powers, each of her family members is gifted with different Talents. Some are able to see the future, while others can merely freeze someone in time. It doesn't make matters any easier for Tamsin, knowing her sister is one of the most Talented members of the family, as well as the most gorgeous.

While working in her families book shop, a tall young professor from a nearby college comes to her for help. He mistakes her for her lovely sister Rowena, and asks that she locate a lost family heirloom that has been lost for centuries. Tamsin knows the right thing to do, although she wants to prove to herself and her family that she doesn't need to be Talented in order to fulfill this request. So instead of telling him the truth, and sending him in the right direction, Tamsin takes on this quest. Locating such an object can mean the fate of not only Tamsin, but everyone she holds dear.

I sat down to read this novel because a fellow blogger, J.Kaye from J.Kaye's Book Blog wanted to do a Twitter discussion. The discussion didn't turn out the way we had hoped, due to our conflicting schedules, but the book was everything I hoped for. It was engaging from the start, and I easily grew to like Tamsin. I think she was a little too hard on herself at times, at the guilt of being the only Talentless person in her family. Despite the fact that she was without any kind of supernatural power, she holds her own.

Tamsin was quick to judge the other members of her family when it came to how they felt about her. She distanced herself from her family, even so far as to take herself completely out of their town to go to college in Manhattan. It wasn't completely her fault though, because it seemed that her entire family treated her like she had problems merely because she was different than they were.

My favorite characer in this novel was Gabriel, Tamsin's childhood friend. While everyone else treated her like she was different, he just shrugged it off and treated her like a real person. He didn't care whether she had a Talent, or a million, he just wanted to be friends with her and show her that he could be trusted. There was also quite a stirring of romance from the two that I wouldn't mind reading more about if there were future books.

I think Once a Witch would make a great first book in a series, although I'm unsure as to whether or not this will be the case. I will definitely be reading more from Carolyn MacCullough though, as her writing flows beautifully, and is extremely easy to follow. I found myself lost in this story, and a few times ended up clocking in late from my lunch break because I just couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book to both young adults and adults alike, especially if your into paranormal stories.

Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy from a swap on Bookmooch.

Amazon Affiliates :
Clicking on the cover and title links of this book will redirect you to Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase Once a Witch after clicking on these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Review : The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner

Title : The Last Queen
Author : C.W. Gortner
Publisher : Ballantine Books
Genre : Historical Fiction
ISBN : 978-0345501851
Series : Stand Alone
Release Date : May 5, 2009
Rating : 5/5 - Loved It.

Description from Goodreads :

Juana of Castile, the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country’s throne, has been for centuries an enigmatic figure shrouded in lurid myth. Was she the bereft widow of legend who was driven mad by her loss, or has history misjudged a woman who was ahead of her time? In his stunning new novel, C. W. Gortner challenges the myths about Queen Juana, unraveling the mystery surrounding her to reveal a brave, determined woman we can only now begin to fully understand.

The third child of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain, Juana is born amid her parents’ ruthless struggle to unify their kingdom, bearing witness to the fall of Granada and Columbus’s discoveries. At the age of sixteen, she is sent to wed Philip, the archduke of Flanders, as part of her parents’ strategy to strengthen Spain, just as her youngest sister, Catherine of Aragon, is sent to England to become the first wife of Henry VIII.

Juana finds unexpected love and passion with her handsome young husband, the sole heir to the Habsburg Empire. At first she is content with her children and her life in Flanders. But when tragedy strikes and she inherits the Spanish throne, Juana finds herself plunged into a battle for power against her husband that grows to involve the major monarchs of Europe. Besieged by foes on all sides, her intelligence and pride used as weapons against her, Juana vows to secure her crown and save Spain from ruin, even if it could cost her everything.

With brilliant, lyrical prose, novelist and historian C. W. Gortner conjures Juana through her own words, taking the reader from the somber majesty of Spain to the glittering and lethal courts of Flanders, France, and Tudor England. The Last Queen brings to life all the grandeur and drama of an incomparable era, and the singular humanity of this courageous, passionate princess whose fight to claim her birthright captivated the world.

Trailer :





Review :

Oridinarily I would give you a brief summary of the book in question. I feel that the above synopsis pretty much sums up what this book is truly about, and that is why I am just going to push ahead and give my review of this wonderful novel.

This was one of those books that drew me in from the very first page. It's so full of emotion that I was easily feeling what the characters on the pages were experiencing. At times, I got angry and would shout, which is not something I will normally do when reading a novel. I usually leave that kind of behaviour for when watching movies, but this book was so extremely descriptive and alive that I felt like I was watching a movie. Each scene was unfurled effortlessly, and it was easy to just keep on reading until there were no more pages to turn.

I honestly never knew anything about the last queen of Spain, Queen Juana. It was a complete surprise to me to learn her side of a story long forgotten. Although this novel is written as fiction, there are some truths to be had amongst it's pages, and luckily Gortner explains a lot of how he came to write this novel, at the end of the book. I feel like I know Queen Juana now, and feel like she was treated unfairly in her life. I honestly wanted to reach into the pages at times to shake her opponents until they stopped their cruel ways. I was hoping throughout the entire novel that Queen Juana would get her revenge on those who did her and her country harm.

I'm extremely greatful to have been given the chance to read and review this novel. I would honestly recommend this book to anyone who loves history, historical fiction, romance, and ever growing drama. I couldn't get enough of Gortner's voice on the history of Queen Juana, the last queen of Spain.

Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy of The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner, from the author after requesting a copy to review.

Amazon Affiliates :

Clicking on the cover, and title links of this book you will redirect you to Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase The Last Queen after clicking on these links I will receive a small percentage of the profits.

On with the reviews!!

Ok, so if you saw my post a few weeks ago than you should have seen this coming! I'm back, and to celebrate, today I'm posting a review. I've been reading and reading, and getting all of my reviews together. I will be starting to post a review a day, and am going to try to stay away from as many memes and what not. There will be a Mailbox Monday again, but that's only when I actually start receiving books again!

So on with it...here's my first review in awhile...