Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that is designed to provide some much-appreciated exposure to the bloggers participating, and to expand their following. Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each of whom feature a chosen blog for the week, it's an interesting way to get to know one another.
If you would like to follow me right now you can do so by GFC, Twitter or Linky (right side).
Q: You are a matchmaker -- your goal, hook up two characters from two of your favorite books. Who would it be? How do you think it would go?
I'm pretty sure that I think every FF question is tough. Like this one. Hmm if I had to pair two characters together.....
I'm trying to think of couples I don't like together so I can find a better pairing but I'm not sure I have any at this moment. I always like Alice from Twilight so maybe I would pair hr with Roar from Under the Never Sky. I think they would be a funny couple.
Title: The Fairytale Keeper Author: Andrea Cefalo Author Info:Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook Pub Date: June 1, 2012 Publisher: Scarlet Primrose Press Format: Paperback Pages: 280 Purchase:Amazon / Barnes and Noble
Snow White was a pet name her mother had given her, but her mother’s dead now. Adelaide hates that name anyway. A rampant fever claimed Adelaide’s mother just like a thousand others in Cologne where the people die without Last Rites and the dead are dumped in a large pit outside of the city walls. Adelaide’s father is determined to obtain a funeral for his wife, but that requires bribing the parish priest, Father Soren. When Soren commits an unforgivable atrocity, he pushes Adelaide to her breaking point, but if she seeks justice against the cruel priest, she risks sacrificing everything: her father, her friends, her first love, and maybe even her life.
First I would like to jump up and down and say hooray for
the use of the actual Fairy Tales. I remember the first time I read the real
version of Cinderella, when the sisters were trying on the shoes…well I’ll
leave it that.
I thought this book was amazingly clever the way that Andrea
Cefalo worked the fairy tales into the actual story. I was excited every time
she would introduce us to another tale, wondering how it was going to relate to
our characters. The fairy tales did drop off towards the end and even though I
noticed it, I was so engrossed in the story at that point that I didn’t dwell
on it.
I loved Adelaide and Ivo. I felt that Adelaide is strong,
steady and fiery. Even though her mother passes away and she is grief stricken,
we see her slid quickly into her mothers shoes. Making sure things stay in
order and trying to keep her father out of trouble. Of course she is still a
kid and so she at times can be reckless. She takes the bad things that happen
to her and turns them into opportunity.
Ivo is of course the perfect guy. He is strong, caring and
protective of Adelaide. He has been her childhood friend and now love interest.
He is her rock and I think she is his as well. There is something we find out
about Ivo later on that makes you just want to hug him. The relationship
between Adelaide and him is so sweet and I think they keep each other well
balanced. You can tell that the things he does, he does them for her.
I love the historical setting of this book and the description
of the Cologne. It was easy to submerse myself into the story as if I was there
while reading. The plot was developed at a great pace. I wasn’t sure how things
were going to go along and I really liked the path they took. Adelaide takes on
the role of not only avenging the way her mother was treated but also how the
people in the city of Cologne are treated now. The way that things were set-up
at the end of the book makes me anxiously awaiting the next installment.
Title: The Torn Wing Author: Kiki Hamilton Pub Date: October 2, 2012
Tiki’s greatest fear suddenly becomes all too real: the fey have returned to London seeking revenge. As war escalates in the Otherworld, Queen Victoria’s youngest son, Prince Leopold, is attacked. In order to protect her family and the ones she loves, she needs to know the meaning of an fáinne sÃ, the birthmark that winds around her wrist. But will Tiki be brave enough to face the truth?
A bloody escape, a deadly threat, a shocking revelation…
I loved the first book in this series and I can not wait to get my hands on the second book. October can not come fast enough, not to mention that I love the cover.
I actually finished two books over the weekend. So I'm in that I'm not sure what I'm reading next state. I had this book out and figured, well might as well finish this series out. Plus I love Loki...
He had his back to me, and it was even worse than I'd thought.
"Oh my god, Loki", I gasped.
So I've still got myself on a sort of book buying ban. At least I'm trying and dedicating myself to getting down my tbr list. So my book list is still small this week. It's also been one of those weeks where I've been so busy I can't remember what I've done one day to the next.
From Tribute Books I won ebook copies of;
Until Next Time by Amy Lignor
I also was able to pick up a free ebook copy of;
Witch Song by Amber Argyle
One book that I forgot to mention in the past that I have a physical copy of is;
Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
The cool thing is Bethany Griffin sent me a signed bookplate for my copy. Hooray! I'm easy to please.
I also won a Blackberry Playbook which is crazy. I normally don't win anything. So now I can read Kobo books as well as Nook books. Of course I can read kindle ones on my computer too but look at me all ereader decked out now. :o)
Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that is designed to provide some much-appreciated exposure to the bloggers participating, and to expand their following. Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each of whom feature a chosen blog for the week, it's an interesting way to get to know one another.
If you would like to follow me right now you can do so by GFC, Twitter or Linky (right side).
Title: Any Love but Mine Author: Debbie Davies Author Info: Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook Pub Date: March 3 2012 Publisher: Night Publishing Format: Kindle Pages: 290 Purchase:Amazon
Look but don't touch has never been more true...
The gods forbade her to love, but love is a powerful force. Acacia has been created purely for Eros' pleasure but discovers within moments of being summoned into his presence that he has no interest in her whatsoever. Rejected, she is banished to Earth to serve as Eros' minion with the task of promoting the blissful state of love among all those around her, a state she must never indulge in with a human being herself on pain of immediate destruction. A
nd then comes Josh, someone whose power of attraction over Acacia is so intense she will find it utterly impossible to resist him. But is he human? Is he a god? Or is he a trick of the gods? And what would happen should they kiss?
I got to then end of this book and frantically tried to click to the next page. What that’s the end! Talk about a cliffhanger.
I’ve always loved mythology and this book really ties into it.It takes the story of Eros(Cupid) and Psyche and gives it a little twist. From that twist Acacia our main character is born. Acacia is an Erosian and so her job, along with her “sisters” (Amora & Allana) is to make matches between couples so they can find love. Eros is bitter from some unfortunate events and therefore has forbade any of the Erosians to fall in love themselves. They are supposed to be as miserable as he is.
Acacia our main character is very likable. She does her job and tries to stay out of the lime light, even though if she wanted she could probably have all the attention. She is a goddess of course. Instead she gets the label of weird and loner. She’s become tired with her short life already (8 months since her creation) and wants more than to just match people up. She knows the rules though and she is not allowed to fall in love herself which causes her a great deal of loneliness. Even though at times Acacia can seem timid, she also has a I have nothing to lose attitude. I like how she is not afraid to stand up to Eros and fight for herself or for her loved ones.
So the love story was sweet, I liked how things developed between Josh and Acacia. They had some twist and turns that I was expecting and some that I was not expecting. I was kind of surprised by the love triangle that appeared. I did not expect Luca and at first I was like wait a minute here but couldn’t help but be intrigued by how the plot was developing. I was sucked in and couldn’t stop reading.
Of course there has to be the characters you hate like Amora, I was kind of hoping she would change her tune, and the characters you love like Allana. The plot had a good pace, the ending sneaked up on me way to fast I wanted to keep going. It was the perfect cliffhanger. It’s one of those books that you don’t want to write too much about because you don’t want to give anything away.
If you like mythology and romance this is a great book for you. I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is.
After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose affect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.
Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really?
I'm really excited for this book, I love A Need so Beautiful and even though she could have left that as a solo book I'm glad she decided to continue. The first book was heart wrenching I can only imagine what surprises are in store with this book.
Top Ten Blogs/Sites You Read That AREN'T about Books
1. Cnet ~ I'm a nerd and I love to read about new electronics and things that have come out. Plus I need to for my job anyway. One of my favorite sections of this site is called Crave . It's the gadget blog and it has some crazy stuff on there sometimes.
2. Chicago Breaking News ~ I used to work for Tribune and so it was a habit for me to look at this site but now it's where I go for all my Chicago news. Although I know I probably should be supporting NBC.
3. Cool Mom Tech ~ This site is great to combine my techie nerdiness and my mommyness. As much as a I enjoy technically, I love when it makes life easier with my kids. They often feature cool apps and things that can help keep you organized. I also won a Blackberry Playbook from here just recently. Very cool!
4. Cool Mom Picks ~ Yes it's connected to the site above. This is about other things besides tech that moms need.
5. Trib Local ~ I've got the mommy, tech, news theme going on here. I like to use this for news in my specific town. If you haven't read the police blotter for your city, I suggest it. I find some of it to be pretty funny.
6. Motherhood Uncensored ~ A funny mommy blog. This is what really introduced me into the world of blogs. I just didn't know what I was supposed to browse for online anymore and then I stumbled on this. It made me laugh so I stop back to check out the post.
7. Drowsy Dad ~ My husbands blog. He only has one post so far....I'm hoping to motivate him to write more because he is really funny and a good writer (which he does for a living) so well see. Follow him on twitter @mrdrowsydad it might encourage him to write more. :o)
8. Facebook ~ Well you know. I keep up with my family this way and play Castleville. Why are stupid games like that so addicting. I would put Twitter on here but I only use it talk about books and look at things about books.
9. Nick Jr & Disney Jr ~ Alright I don't really look at these but they are always up on my computer at home. (he's not always playing but he leaves it on and then you hear Dora speaking from somewhere in the house and you have to wonder if she escaped from the tv)
10. CBS Sportsline ~ I need to check on my Blackhawks and White Sox periodically. Although I admit that I don't visit as much as I used to before kids. My husband is also a wealth of knowledge since he watches every sport ever invented so I can just turn to him and ask him what I want to know.
On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.
Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.
Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?
Never-Before-Seen Excerpt from MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY:
“I thought I’d teach you a dance from where I come from,” I tell him. “One that’s much easier than that multi-step mess inside.”
I place my left hand on Lorenzo’s shoulder and slip my right one into his. I pause to listen to the music floating over the tinkling voices and bubbling fountain, and begin counting the three-beat tempo. “One, two, three. One, two, three.”
I stand still, only my head moving, slowly nodding with my words so he can hear the rhythm.
When his head begins subtly bobbing with mine, I show him how to add his feet. He takes a tentative step forward with his left while I step back with my right, then we side step, close, and repeat the steps with our other feet, all while I lightly whisper the beat count.
The breeze picks up, blowing my skirt and skimming my veil across the back of my neck. Chills run down my spine, but the warmth coursing through my veins from being in his arms provides a delicious contradiction.
Lorenzo continues nervously darting his eyes to our feet, but he is dancing. As he relaxes into the movement, his shoulders rising and falling with the steps, the confidence he always seems to exude creeps back on his face, and he tightens the hold around me. Our faces are kissably close, our lips a hairs breadth away from touching. I stare into the chocolate depths of his eyes and the rest of the ball fades away. The only music guiding our steps is my light whisper and the erratic rhythm of our breathing. Time slows. Lorenzo grins.
“I think you got it,” I say breathlessly, running my hand along the soft fabric of his shoulder, feeling the rock-hard muscles underneath.
My body curls inward, pressing against his. The proper form for the waltz is a straight spine and shoulders back, but if there was ever a time to break the rules, this is it.
YA Bound is also hosting a giveaway to go along with Cover Reveal. Enter Below
As a teen, I threw raging parties that shook my parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels.
As an adult, I read and write obsessively, rehash said embarrassing fodder, and dream up characters who become my imaginary friends.
When I'm not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, you can find me homeschooling my two beautiful princesses, hanging out with my amazing husband, or taking a hot bubble bath…next to a pile of chocolate.
MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY is my first novel. I did have my own fantabulous Sweet Sixteen in high school. Sadly, it wasn’t televised.
Not to many books in the mail today. I'm at a really busy time during work so book shopping is low on the list. Which it should be because I've got myself on a book buying ban. I need to make it through my TBR list. I did pick up some ebook deals. Some I had forgotten to mention before.
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (I picked this up when it was 2.99) Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (this was not only .99 but also has extra content) Four Houses by Victoria Scott (I like Victoria Scott so I wanted to read this just because)
Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that is designed to provide some much-appreciated exposure to the bloggers participating, and to expand their following. Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each of whom feature a chosen blog for the week, it's an interesting way to get to know one another.
If you would like to follow me right now you can do so by GFC, Twitter or Linky (right side).
Q: Summer Break is upon us! What would be the perfect vacation spot for you to catch up on your reading & relax?
It's funny I was just talking to my husband about this. I love to go to Amish country in Pennsylvania to relax. It's so nice and peaceful there, lots of open space. There is a wonderful Bed & Breakfast in Lancaster County.
From there we usually head up to Mystic, Connecticut and that area. So then I have the water to relax me.
I also love to go to Vegas. I don't usually read there though.
Title: The Lost Prince Author: Julie Kagawa Release Date: October 23, 2012
"Set several years after the events of the first, this trilogy will star an older Ethan Chase, Meghan's brother."
So doesn't that blurb entice you....LOL well if you read the Iron Fey series it probably does. Normally I wouldn't be sure if I would like a series that wasn't revolving around Meghan and Ash but I love the world that Julie Kagawa has created that I would love to learn more. I'm excited to see how Ethan grows up, he was such a cute little boy in the Iron Fey series and who he falls in love with....This is one of those, I don't care how big my TBR pile is, it's on preorder!
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along just visit the page for details.
My reading has been all over the place because of the craziness that was my weekend (hmm I sound like a broken record). I've decided I need to get some ereading done on some titles that people have sent me.
"That's not what I've heard, sis." The two of them turned to the door as Arathan,
accompanied by Ella, came back in. Sophia rolled her eyes.
"One time – you accidentally bite someone one time – and you never hear the end of it." She smiled.
So I thought I was going to do vlog this week so I could be all fan girly about the Cassandra Clare but between my daughters 1st birthday and my 2 years old emergency surgery last night (he's okay). That just did not happen.
On Tuesday I was lucky enough to go the Cassandra Clare launch party of City of Lost Souls. Which was really exciting. I was able to get my copy of City of Lost Souls personalized and then also got my copy of Clockwork Angel and City of Bones signed as well. You could only get two besides the new signed because there was 400 people there. I figured the first book in each series would be the best. I also got my picture with the guy on the cover and he signed my book too. Turns out he won survivor one season. I have never watched that show so I didn't know. The swag we got there was postcards with the family rings on them.
So I also picked up some other books this week.
Ascend by Amanda Hocking
Ascend which finishes the Trylle series for me. This was a Sams Club goody. Only five dollars
The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
This book I've been wanting to read forever and I would either not be able to find it at the store or forget I wanted to buy it. So I picked it up finally. Hooray!
Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that is designed to provide some much-appreciated exposure to the bloggers participating, and to expand their following. Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each of whom feature a chosen blog for the week, it's an interesting way to get to know one another.
If you would like to follow me right now you can do so by GFC, Twitter or Linky (right side).
Q: This Sunday in the U.S. is Mother's Day. In celebration, what are some of your favorite books with strong mother/child relationships?
I can't think of any in particular that have stood out to me. There are some good mother daughter relationships. Like Dez and her mom in Destiny's Fire, Luke/Sera with their mom in Intangible and even Bella and her mom in Twilight. I'm sure I'll think about a bunch of examples later. Sometimes I feel like you almost forget they have parents..
Title: Obsidian Author: Jennifer Armentrout Author Info:Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2011 (first run), May 8, 2012 (second run) Publisher: Entangled Teen (website) Format: Paperback Pages: 299 Purchase:Indie / Amazon / Barnes and Noble
"Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.And then he opened his mouth.Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me.You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don't kill him first, that is."
Talk about a steamy YA novel; wow this book has some serious chemistry.
So we are talking aliens here and the best thing about them is the possibilities are endless. So many worlds can be out there that you can pretty much do anything and Jennifer Armentrout does a terrific job of it. Even though I knew they were aliens, I felt myself on pins and needles waiting for the big reveal. If I had time to read this book in one day, I would have, without a break. Even though I’m a sci-fi fan this is one of those books that you do not have to be to read it. The writing, the flow and the plot could entice any reader.
The characters are fantastic I love Katy our female lead. She is strong and passionate and I like how she has pep talks with herself to not be the push over. She stands up to Daemon and anyone else that tries to mess with her for that matter and it makes you admire her. She is also a book blogger which I found to be really interesting. Katy really doesn’t judge anyone. Which is something I really like about her, she has a normal freak out reactions to new information but she gives people a chance.
Daemon is that guy that you absolutely hate but want at the same time. He is so smug and arrogant that you want to get him to want you so you can break his heart. Of course you also want him to want you because you want him. I love the chemistry between Katy and him because they are constantly trying to be the one with the last word. Even though Daemon is a royal jerk, we also get to see his soft side with his sister. Now how can you not like a guy that’s protective of his family?
Dee and Katy’s friendship is cute and genuine. Dee is that side character that you want to hug and be friends with too.
It’s one of those books that you curse at yourself for not reading when it originally came out. Then realize you are grateful that you didn’t because you have no idea how you are supposed to wait for the next installments.
I really had to think about WoW today because so many great books were released this week. I feel overloaded! Of course there are always more books to buy.
Title: Alice In Zombieland Author: Gena Showalter Pub Date: September 25, 2012
"She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.
Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.
Her father was right. The monsters are real….
To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies…."
I'm not usually a zombie kind of girl but with a cover like that how can I not read this book.
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along just visit the page for details.
I've managed to knock myself way out of whack with my reading schedule. Too many computer issues last week. Now that I have a Nook though it's amazing how much easier it is to read. So I'm trying to get back on track. Even though I'm reading two books right now I know I'm not going to be able to resist reading COLS while I'm waiting in the signing line tonight.
"Her Scarf slipped off and released the shimmering prism of her hair: sunrise, poppy, copper, fuchsia, flame. Red, brighter than the blood soaking the pathway."
"Usagi Tsukino is a normal girl until she meets up with Luna, a talking cat, who tells her that she is Sailor Moon. As Sailor Moon, Usagi must fight evils and enforce justice, in the name of the Moon and the mysterious Moon Princess. She meets other girls destined to be Sailor Senshi (Sailor Scouts), and together, they fight the forces of evil!"
So I decided recently to pick up the re-release editions of Sailor Moon. I'm actually pretty excited about this because I can say the American market really flubbed that one up the first time around. They had changed names of the characters to make them Americanized and even gender of some of them to keep the whole boy-boy and girl-girl relationships out of it. At least I know they did in the Anime, I'm not sure about the first release of the manga because I didn't bother to pick it up. I had the Japanese version. Sailor Moon is timeless classic of the Anime/Manga world and it's one of the ones that really brought me in when I was in Middle School. So if you had tried Sailor Moon and thought what the heck this is cheesy the first time around, I highly recommend you give it another go. People die, love triangles appear and of course they battle the forces of evil.
So I was actually thinking of doing a Vlog this week but once again chickened out, plus I don't know if I could manage to keep my kids out of the video. So maybe next week I'll be all fangirl about the Cassandra Clare signing.
This week though I went to the Kristin Cashore signing. It was a lot of fun as always. This picture is of her showing her notebooks. She actually hand writes all of her drafts, how does that not hurt her hand. She talked about her writing process which was also really interesting. It took her 3 years to write the novel only to have to start over from scratch.
So I was able to get all three of my books signed. Graceling, Fire and of course the newest Bitterblue
Since I was down at Andersons I was able to stop at my absolute favorite candy shop, Naper Nuts & Sweets. I've been going there since I was a wee little one and have yet to find a better candy shop. I can't read without some candy as a snack.
So some of these are not new books but they are newly signed. Also last week I didn't mention that I picked up The Immortal Rules, actually I had pre-ordered it so it was delivered to my door when it was released. Hooray! Julie Kagawa had two cover reveals last week if you haven't seen them yet, make sure to stroll on over to her pages or visit her on goodreads.
I also had another BIG purchase this week. I finally caved and got an Ereader. So now I have a nook. This doesn't mean I've left the world of paper books behind. That would never happen. I still love the smell and feel of a real book. I come from the print industry (as in my family repairs the lovely presses that such things are printed on) so I was resistant but after I read a whole book on my phone and almost went cross eyed. I figured it was time.
So this is kind of my week in books. I'm sure there are some that I'm forgetting. I found a book in my car the other day and thought when did I buy this. Lol.
