Best Day Ever

JULY 12, 2011

If this date changes. I will cry.

Between this and the HBO series....it's too much. *sniff*

I want it! Nook Color!

I'm in love!!

 Now I am plotting ways to get this new NookColor. I have the regular Nook, which I am more than happy with....but I do love new and fancy gadgets...and you can link to Facebook and twitter to lend and borrow books! Maybe I'll sell my old Nook. Hmm...who do I know needs a Nook?

So Pretty! Like an Ipad, only made mainly for reading, and a lot less money. I like the money part.

The childrens's pictures books will be epic!

It will have all the stuff my current Nook has, but extra. Downside. LCD screen and no 3G yet....hmm.. Now to save up the $249

Lazy Two Months for reading and blogging

Ah, have not updated in like a month. But then I have not read much, but I have read...so that's something. New job keeps me busy, busy, busy. I am going to catch up with this and post...even if they are small....reviews of the sad number of 3 books I read in September and October. LOL 

 Hunger Games
By: Susan Collin

Write up:

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.




Took me forever to finally get around to reading this, but now that I have I wonder what took me so long. It was great. The world in this book is brutal and unapologetic. The characters are very relatable...from the start I loved Katniss and was rooting for her. Let's not even mention Peeta...who I am completely in love with. He is my kind of guy, and I'm not of mad at Katniss for being blind and foolish right now. Ugh. But the action is great, there is plenty of mystery...and a dash of romance. ...morTook me forever to finally get around to reading this, but now that I have I wonder what took me so long. It was great. The world in this book is brutal and unapologetic. The characters are very relatable...from the start I loved Katniss and was rooting for her. Let's not even mention Peeta...who I am completely in love with. He is my kind of guy, and I'm not of mad at Katniss for being blind and foolish right now. Ugh. But the action is great, there is plenty of mystery...and a dash of romance...all in the middle of some gruesome activities. And excellent ride. Can't wait to read the next. 

The Fire Lord's Lover
By: Kathryne Kennedy

Write up:

Kathryne Kennedy's historical fantasy romances have garnered awards and a growing readership. This exciting new series, set against the lavish backdrops of Georgian and Victorian England so beloved by romance readers, is deliciously dark and exciting.

Fighting for control of a kingdom that is split into seven domains, Elven warlords use their human slaves to breed an endless supply of soldiers for their armies. Dominic Raikes, the half-blood son of the Elven Lord himself is one such warrior. Betrothed to Lady Cassandra, who has been raised in a convent to keep her pure, he little suspects that she's been secretly trained as an assassin to murder his father…and him. Dominic and Cassandra soon discover that each one is not what they seem, but the price of trust may be their very lives, and the destruction of the magical realm each is desperately trying to save…



This was an okay read. I liked the story itself and the world created within. It had a lot of potential. The characters were interesting as well...BUT....somehow I felt like it did not all come together. I felt like the romance was a bit rushed and so I did not really "feel" it. The two characters talked about their newly discovered love for each other, but...it came down to the classic "show don't tell." I felt like there was a lot of telling, but not a lot of showing. Only ...more This was an okay read. I liked the story itself and the world created within. It had a lot of potential. The characters were interesting as well...BUT....somehow I felt like it did not all come together. I felt like the romance was a bit rushed and so I did not really "feel" it. The two characters talked about their newly discovered love for each other, but...it came down to the classic "show don't tell." I felt like there was a lot of telling, but not a lot of showing. Only way to explain. So while I did not hate it...I did not love it. And with a few tweaks...I could have. 

The Gods of Amyrantha (Tide Lords Series #2)
By: Jennifer Fallon

Write up:

'The Tide Lords are returning and that means every man, woman and child are in danger'

Arkady is exiled to the repressive Torlenian capital, where she makes some unexpexted friends and some powerful enemies, all of whom seem bent on using her to wreak vengeance on each other.

Things are not going smoothly for Declan Hawkes, eihter, and not just because the Empress of the Five Realms has turned up in Caelum with her family. Jaxyn Aranville is determioned to quash any opposition to his plans for the Glaeban throne and Arkady's husband, the Duke of Lebec, is in his way.

And inthe stark deserts of Torlenia, a meeting between two powerful Tide Lords couls put to rest eight thousand years of enmity...or not... 

 

This is the second book in the Tide Lords series, and it has jacked up the danger, adventure and mystery 3x. By the end of the book, every character finds himself either in a situation where they might never get out and puts them in extreme danger, or gets some information that changes their entire perception of themselves and their place in their world. A lot of questions from the last book are answered, but a ton more are revealed in the last couple chapters...some that were hinted at and the ...more This is the second book in the Tide Lords series, and it has jacked up the danger, adventure and mystery 3x. By the end of the book, every character finds himself either in a situation where they might never get out and puts them in extreme danger, or gets some information that changes their entire perception of themselves and their place in their world. A lot of questions from the last book are answered, but a ton more are revealed in the last couple chapters...some that were hinted at and the reader might have suspected, and some that caught you by surprise, but makes sense. All that I love about good fantasy is in this series: great world building that makes sense, great characters that are not cardboard, but have all kind of sides...that even when doing terrible things, the reader understands....and of course the magic and escape. This series so far is shaping up to be one of my favorites. On to the next book!

Spellwright

This has been a slow reading month. I am just happy to be finished with this book..thanks god. It helped that it was a good one.

Spellwright

By Blake Charlton

Write up:

The fresh, original first novel of a magical fantasy trilogy, about a dyslexic wizard who cannot spell his spells, yet is destined to contend with an ancient evil that threatens to destroy not only all the magic in the world, but all the people as well. Apprentice wizard Nicodemus Weal was once thought to be the prophesied Halcyon, but his inability to control spells sends him to the bottom of the pecking order. When murders and strange activities coincide with the Convocation at Starhaven, visiting wizards and druids begin to wonder whether Nicodemus might in fact be the anti-Halcyon.


This is going to be a quick review, as I'm working like someone has a gun to my head these days.  

The best past of this book is the interesting magic system that the writer created. I love fantasy because it is a real escape from the real world...magic, adventure, danger, and all that jazz....so I love it when I run into a book that has such a richly created fantasy world...and doesn't rely on the same old magical tricks. It was very interesting and a good use of words and their power. The magic literally is words. All spells are created and written out through words and the ability to read and be fully literate makes a big difference on how successful a wizard you really are. Spells are created by writing the words and actions you want to convey onto the object or onto your skin. You have to not only be literate to do it successfully...but you have to know how to spell.  

Nico is considered this world "mentally retarded." He is literate, but whenever he attempts spells...he misspells them and they go badly. When reading...he sees the words differently, so the description of him being dyslexic is accurate. This puts him at a disadvantage and he is kind of put in what we would call, the special Ed class, with all the other special folks. A Wizard Shannon takes an interest in him from the start and tries to teach him as best he can given his disabilities, but Nico is never satisfied and always filled with shame about his condition. When he was thought to be the rumored savior before his disability was discovered he had a purpose, now he was an outcast.



But he soon finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy and with very powerful forces chasing him. He learns that perhaps the prophesy was not fully the truth and that his disability might not be something that he was naturally born with. He soon finds that wishing to be important and special isn't all that it is cracked up to be once you are all those things. The second half of the book had a lot of good action and suspense, and set up the reader nicely for the next installment. Maybe one negative thing is that I thought a better job could have been done with developing some of the secondary characters...sometimes Nico seemed as if he was floating in a vacuum. But overall, it was a fun read.  I look forward to the next book. 

Overall grade: A- 

A month to put bags under your eyes

The month of July has turned out to be a busy one, and one that put dark circles under my eyes. Funny considering I was on vacation most to it. I went to Disney world for the first time...which should have been relaxing...except for the going with my mom, 3 brothers and their various partners and young people under the age of 10. When I came back home...I needed rest. Then there was work. But on the good side, I was able to read 3 books.

First up:

Halfway to the Grave

By: Jeaniene Frost

Write up:

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

This series was recommended to me because I started a paranormal romance kick last month, and wanted to get a few series to read that people thought was good. I was told that this series was not too fluffy, and like many books in this category...the romance aspect was a bit off to the side to the rest of the story, and for the most part this was the truth. This series like the JR Ward series was very adult in content, and not sexually as to be expected for this genre. The world was gritty and real, people got killed horribly, there was crime and violence and noone was perfect in anyway...well except Boone. When we meet Cat, she is transferring the body of a Vampire she had killed, and she is good at killing vampires. She feels no remorse, and views it as not only her duty, but as payback for her mom. She is rough and hard like stone. Right away I saw this would not be a typical story or heroine. She has a serious chip on her shoulder and trusts no one. She is not the romantic type to swoon to be think romantic thought...she has been too damaged. Boone is a centuries old vampire, so he is cynical, and brass, and doesn't care for games. He treats Cat roughly from the start and is plainly using her for his own ends. They are both together for their own purposes and don't care much about the other. Or so they start. But of course a romance starts...but it is pretty realistic when you consider the two people and their history and personality. For the most part I liked the romance, though I felt it could have been explored more. When Boone made his confession...it still felt a bit from left field, and up till the end...I still was not sure what Cat felt for him. He put up with a lot of crap from her...which to me...considering what he was made hi m a bit too perfect. A little unrealistic. The main plot is handled well, and is not for the faint of heart, and it ties in well to the ending...which of course is a bit of a cliffhanger. I found myself a bit frustrated by Cat's decision at the end. But I suppose they had to drag it on for the next book. All in all I enjoyed the book and would read the next in the series. 

Grade: B

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Next up:

The River King's Road: A Novel of Ithelas

By: Liane Merciel

Write up: 

The first book in a new epic fantasy series about a knight who must save his kingdom's infant heir from assassination.

Brief and to the point. 

The main story of the book is this: Two lands, separated by a river, have been at war for generations. The soldiers of Oakharn and Langmyr periodically have crossed the river and performed atrocities; the never-ending hate between the countries the only thing they know in life. In a period of relative quiet and peace, something terrible happens....the heir of Oakharn and his entire family and the entire village where he was staying have been destroyed. A magical weapon called bloodmist has been used to decimate the entire village, and that means a group of magic wielders called a Thorn and her magic are involved. The only survivors are Brys Tarnell, who did not go to the doomed chapel with the rest of the guard. And a girl, Odosse, was in the forest with her baby. Brys e discover the king's son with his nursemaid, who dies while he watches, and he, being a mercenary and out for money, decides to take the child with him and return him for money. He meets Odesse coming back from the forest and takes her to be nursemaid to the child. They are left to try to save the heir's life and to get him back to his land.

The main story of the book is handled very well. Brys and Odesse go on their journey to return the heir and meet all kinds of danger and horrors on the way, since the person responsible for the killing has sent the Thorn after them to kill the child. The magic is this world is explained very well and used in a believable way...which I always pay attention too. Sometimes the magic is a bit too...magical in fantasy books and ruins the entire thing because it becomes a crutch to fill plot holes. But this was all handled well. I also liked that I could relate too many of the characters so well....even the despicable ones. Their motivations were understandable, and if when I should have hated them...I found myself rooting for the bad guy...with limits of course. Some bad guys were a bit too crazy. My main complaint was that I felt that Brys was not fully explored. I got him to an extent, but even by the end of the book...I still did not know how his character changed and what he got from his journey. Usually a hero’s journey leads to a changed character at the end...even if he is kind of an anti-hero to an extent. But with Brys...although he is meant to be somewhat detached...I found him too detached and it did not help me make any kind of emotional connection to his characters. This was the case with another character a well. The characterization was a bit schizophrenic. They were just there. Also the ending felt a bit too rushed and open-ended, and vaguely unsatisfying as I was expecting more...of something...just more. I will assume there will be more books coming, but I am not sure if I will continue the series.

Overall Grade: B-

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The last:

The Summer of You

By: Kate Noble

Write up:

Lady Jane Cummings is certain that her summer is ruined when she is forced to reside at isolated Merrymere Lake with her reckless brother and ailing father. Her fast-paced London society is replaced with a small town grapevine. But one bit of gossip catches Jane's attention- rumors that the lake's brooding new resident is also an elusive highwayman. Jane must face the much discussed mysterioso after he saves her brother from a pub brawl. She immediately recognizes him from London: Byrne Worth, war hero and apparent hermit-whom she finds strangely charming. The two build a fast friendship, and soon nothing can keep this Lady away from Merrymere's most wanted. Convinced of his innocence, Jane is determined to clear Byrne's name-and maybe have a little fun this summer after all.


This book continues the story of Lady Jane Cummings who was introduced in Kate Noble's last rook Revealed. In that book she is an intriguing character: sworn rival and begrudging friend of Phillipa Bennning. She was a bit of a mystery and someone you had to hate because she got on your heroines nerves and sometimes bested her. This is her book and it strives to explain her and give her a happy ending.  The things I liked about this story were mainly the break from the social norms of the time the book was based in. Jane, being a lady of high standing, should be beyond reproach. She should never be alone with a man, be clean and virginal, and should listen and follow her betters...mainly the men in her family who rule over all according to the laws of the time. Jane, does neither. Her father is ill and is in no shape to rein her in, and her brother is useless and rather weak. He rather run away, than face any serious issue. This leaves Jane to do what she wants, according to what she wants. So when she meets Byrne again, she breaks all the rules. She meets with him alone...at his cottage! She goes swimming with him...naked! She starts a romantic relationship with him...and worst of all.....she has sex before marriage....in fact with no intention of marriage. But the little world that she has created for herself and Byrne starts to unravel when a highway man starts robbing the townsfolk...and her brother becomes suspicious of her activities. 

Overall I enjoyed the romance in this tale and it was a good read. But I find that I enjoyed the previous book better, and Jane in the previous book better. Here she loses that snobbery and mystery and spark that made her so interesting when she was introduced. She was a bit of a bitch really. Here I find her a bit too soft...even under her circumstances. I also found the subplot of the highwayman did not tie in as well and it could have and it felt a bit too rushed in the end...and a bit over the top. But put together is was good candy. Light and fun.

Grade: B+

Daughter Of The Forest

Daughter of The Forest(Sevenwaters Series #1)
By: Juliet Marillier

Write up:

A beautiful retelling of the Celtic "Swans" myth, Daughter of the Forest is a mixture of history and fantasy, myth and magic, legend and love... To reclaim the lives of her brothers, Sorcha leaves the only safe place she has ever known and embarks on a journey filled with pain, loss and terror. When she is kidnapped by enemy forces and taken to a foreign land, it seems that there will be no way for Sorcha to break the spell that condemns all that she loves. But magic knows no boundaries, and sorcha will have to choose between the live she has always known and a love that comes only once.

Oh my god. This book. 

There are some books you read that are pretty good book. You love the characters, the world, the story, and you read it for its pure cotton candy goodness. Light and fun and tasty, but when you finish it really does not linger with you very long. Then there are some books you read that grab you right away and won't let go. ...even if you want it to. It pulls you into that world and the characters so much that you feel as if you are the one suffering the character's fate, or right there with them. You feel all the emotions the main character goes through good and bad. And when you finish the book and put it down....it still has you in its grip because it left such an impression on you that it takes a while for you brain to let go.  This book is one of those books. 

Sorcha goes through so much pain and trauma and sadness to save her brothers. While reading the book I felt such dread and sadness for her the entire time. Some parts of the book were so hard to read, I felt like my heart was going to break, I was so upset for her. When people mistreated her...I felt so angry and helpless. Much like she felt: trapped and in a corner without a voice. When she gave up someone she obviously loved so much...I wanted to scream and slap them both around till they regained their senses.  It dredges up so many emotions. At some point I thought: I'm just going to stop reading this book. But you can't. I swear I came out traumatized. For some...parts of this book might be too much. It packs a real emotional punch and makes no bones about showing casual cruelty and pain. Not everyone will like that or can deal; one part especially can be very hard to read for some. I remember when my friend died, in a very traumatic and tragic fashion, for months I read nothing but fluffy romance novels and watched nothing but romantic-comedies and comedies....because anything that involved any kind of trauma or death of any kind threw me into hysterical tears.  I avoided certain things like the plague. If the book looked like it was going to be sad...it was pitched to the side. So...this book would have been pitched back then. But I'm glad I am past that because I would have missed a great book despite all of its sadness. It was written so well, the characters are so real and you become so invested in their happiness. You can't ask more from a writer than to have them fully engross you in the world they created and leave you wanting more. 

Final grade: A

Heroes Series #3

Heroes Adrift

By: Moire J. Moore

Write up:

The Empress wants to locate the descendants of her exiled sister. No magically-bonded Pair is more ill-suited for the job than long-suffering Shield Lee Mallorough and her all-too-charming Source Shintaro Karish. Yet it's a mission they can't refuse.  

I suppose this cover is a bit of an improvement from the first two, but still.....

I find that I don't have much to say about this book. Mainly that a whole lot of words are not coming to me at the moment, since I'm hot, miserable, and frustrated right now (my AC is broken and has been for days! And the AC repair company is driving me nuts with the runaround. It's been like 90 this week.  I just want to just sit still for hours and drink lemonade):  I enjoyed the book....that's about it. But I will attempt to put it in some order.

Like:

I loved the progress being made between Lee and Shintaro. FINALLY, Lee gave into the attraction she has for Shintaro, which was totally obvious from the start. I understand Lee's hesitance with Shintaro. Here is this guy who has no problems getting all the ladies, and sometimes men, that he wants. He is good looking, charming and everything you would want in a partner. But Lee is, in her mind, plain and ordinary. She thinks next to Shintaro he is the flower and she is the weed fouling his beauty and ruining the view for others. She knows Shintaro has never stayed with anyone long, or at least she thinks she knows this. So she is convinced that a relationship with him would never amount of anything and if she gets too involved it would just lead to heartbreak, so it is best not to even think about it. And even when she gives in, this is still in her mind. So she tells herself not to read more into it: this is just for fun while it last. Soon Shintaro will get bored and move on to the next thing. She is convinced. 

I am not so convinced. Lee seems to be suffering from a case of permanent blindness to anything around her. Clueless. There are plenty of hints, to me, anyway, that shows that Shintaro is perfectly serious about his feelings towards Lee. It is obvious to me that he is crazy about her and has been for ages, and he is going to stick to her like glue now that they have taken this to the next level. Taro puts on a good act; one would think Lee would recognize it by now.  He is a sensitive guy, and it seems to me that Lee is worrying about her heart but doesn't realize that maybe the one whose heart that will be broken won't be hers. Tsk. She is so dense. It's one of her flaws. I think the author does a great job building up these characters and slowly revealing them piece by piece to the reader and the other characters: the good and bad. I feel like I know these two...probably more than they know themselves. That is some good character writing really. 

Dislike: 

I thought that while the character development was handled excellently, that the main plot/storyline kind of suffered a bit: mainly that it was not as strong as the first two books. I get that the main point focus of the books are Lee and Taro and their dynamic, but the little side adventures that they go through each book also help a lot in keeping things interesting and moving. I thought that it moved a bit slow, and sometimes dragged. And at the end I kind of wondered what the point was of the entire adventure....but then I guess so did Lee and Taro. They were kind of sent on a wild goose chase and the only thing they got out of it was some development in their relationship...and a bratty kid. So...I supposed all in all...it worked the same for the reader. 

But overall, a good installment and I am pleased with how things are moving...except for the whole wanting to smack sense into Lee thing.

Overall grade: B