Review: Ransom by Julie Garwood

Synopsis: In the dark days after the death of Richard the Lionhearted, lives and lands would fall into upheaval at the hands of a power-hungry British ruler and his violent minions. One victim of the scourge is innocent Gillian, who is a mere child when the cruel and ambitious Baron Alford slaughters her father and tears her family apart. Alford, determined to recover a jeweled box for the despotic King John, is furious when the precious treasure slips through his fingers -- only to be lost for more than a decade.

Now a beautiful young woman, Gillian finds the key to resolving her past in handsome Scottish chieftains Ramsey Sinclair and Brodick Buchanan. With the cunning and courage of the daring Scotsmen, and with the friendship of a new ally, Bridgid KirkConnell, Gillian at last fights the unscrupulous Baron Alford, laying claim to her home, her family, and her father's reputation. But in the presence of the mighty warriors, Gillian and Bridgid discover that desire can be a weapon of conquest ... betrayal can slay trust in a heartbeat ... and the greatest risk of all is surrender -- to the deep emotions of unexpected love.

Specs: Adult fiction, historical romance, published in 1999, 546 pages, Medieval #2.

Okay, so that's a really long summary, but it's a long book! (That I finished in two and 1/2 days.) I loved, loved, LOVED this book! True, the romance sometimes was a bit stifling and eye-roll worthy, but despite that it was an endearing love story. As an added bonus, it was set in two of my favorite places (which I've never visited by the way): Scotland and England. The descriptions were so lush I could see myself there, the dialogue between the main characters was snarky and fun, and it had enough bloodshed to keep me happy.

I'm so glad my sister rescued this book, along with others, from her trash room. Because otherwise, I would have never picked up a Julie Garwood book. I've added some of her other books to my TBR pile and look forward to reading them, especially the historical ones set in England!

Oh, and don't worry about this being the second book in the series if you haven't read the first one yet. I didn't and I wasn't lost at all.

Review: The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Synopsis: Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now, along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I’m on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We’re hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We’ll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we’d left behind and to take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.

Specs: YA fiction, paranormal, published April 2010, 391 pages, Darkest Powers #3.

The last book in the Darkest Powers series is pretty much the same, in my opinion, as the last two. A bit predictable, but enough excitement to keep me going. Derek still annoyed me with his frequent mood changes, but I guess it's not his fault, right? He's a werewolf!

I guess I'm glad there's not more books to come in this series. It came to a good close, and I'm happy to leave the characters. I will be checking out Kelley Armstrong's new series though! Excited to see what else she brainstorms up.

Review: Witch and Wizard by James Patterson

Synopsis: You are holding an urgent and vital narrative that reveals the forbidden truth about our perilous times....

This is the astonishing testimonial of Wisty and Whit Allgood, a sister and brother who were torn from their family in the middle of the night, slammed into prison, and accused of being a witch and a wizard. Thousands of young people have been kidnapped; some have been accused; many others remain missing. Their fate is unknown, and the worst is feared—for the ruling regime will stop at nothing to suppress life and liberty, music and books, art and magic...and the pursuit of being a normal teenager.

Specs: YA fiction, dystopia and paranormal, published December 2009, 307 pages.

Witch and Wizard is the first book in a new series by James Patterson. I didn't like this book as well as his popular Maximum Ride series. The plot moved fast and it wasn't completely boring, but it just didn't have enough spark and oomph to push it over the line from "okay" to "great."

One thing I was wondering throughout the book was....why didn't Whit develop any powers? I think he might've had a few, I can't remember. But Wisty had so many and Whit had none compared to her.

Also, a chapter was every few pages. While I know this is typical James Patterson style because he wrote the same way in Maximum Ride, it's a little distracting.

Review: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Synopsis: Nowadays firemen start fires. Fireman Guy Montag loves to rush to a fire and watch books burn up. Then he met a seventeen-year old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid, and a professor who told him of a future where people could think. And Guy Montag knew what he had to do....

Specs: Adult fiction, dystopia and science fiction, published in 1953, 176 pages.

I did not enjoy this book at all. It was like a weird dream I couldn't wake up from. I only understood about 30% of it. I mostly got what was going on, but the characters were beyond strange, and for me, if I can't get into the characters, the book is probably going to end up on the reject pile. And that's what happened to this one.

But on a positive note, it got me thinking of how privileged we are to have the opportunity to read any book on any subject we want. I can't imagine my life without books! They've gotten me through tough times and provided me with distractions. They've given me a life-long joy that I know I'll never give up.

Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Specs: YA fiction, dystopia, published September 2009, 391 pages.

This is my new favorite series! Even though Catching Fire wasn't as fast-paced and heart-pumping as the first, it was still exciting compared to other books.

I don't know if it was just because I had a busy week and was forced to stop and start this book, but I was a little bored during some of the book. There were less plot twists, and I would've liked to have had more scenes with Gale. Peeta's great and all, but to have a full-on love triangle, she should have an equal amount of time with both guys to leave us guessing who she's going to end up with.

I loved the ending! But obviously I hated it because I can't read the third book till August! Ahhh!

Waiting on Wednesday (12) and some personal info

• From Twilight to Breaking Dawn: Religious Themes in the Twilight Saga by Sandra L. Gravett. This book should be interesting!
  
• A Summer Secret by Kathleen Fuller. Received from BookSneeze for review.
  
• The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
• The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

So here's the personal stuff of this blog post....My parents are getting a divorce, which I am thrilled about, and my mom and I are in the process of buying a town house. We've already started packing up a few things around the house. (You should see the cardboard boxes in our garage: packed up to the ceiling!) "Why should I care?" you say? Well, since the next month (or two, hopefully we get settled before then) is going to be extremely busy, some of my regular blog posts and perhaps some reviews aren't going to appear on my blog for a while. I will do my best to get back to the hang of things ASAP. Later on, I might even post up some pictures of our townhouse. It's so cute!

Thanks for reading! I love you guys! :)

Library Loans (5)

• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. It's here!!! It's finally here! I've been waiting forever!! I'm more than halfway done with it. Gotta read quick because it's a 10 day book and my mom still has to get through it.

• The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong.
  
  

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

A 17-year-old girl, who has waited her entire life to be told by a group known as “the Society” who her soul mate is, has her world upended when she discovers she’s in love with someone other than the group’s pick. Don Weisberg, president of Penguin Young Readers Group, along with Lauri Hornik, president and publisher of Dutton Children’s Books, and Julie Strauss-Gabel, associate publisher of Dutton Children’s, all worked on the deal, which is for North American rights. Gabel, who will edit the book, said that it “will make readers crave the passion of uncertainty and cherish the power of the written word.” And Reamer, expectedly perhaps, drew the Meyer parallel, saying reading Matched reminded her of the first time she read Twilight.

Specs: YA fiction, dystopia, 369 pages, releases November 30, 2010.

Not much of a summary to go on, but that's all I could find out about it.

Who else is sick of seeing blurbs on the back of a book comparing it to Twilight?? First it was Harry Potter, now Twilight. Just seems like a big selling-books scheme to me. I mean, does that even work? Some of the books that are supposedly like Twilight aren't at all. Hope it all blows over soon...

Review: Epitaph Road by David Patneaude

Synopsis: Kellen Dent feels all alone. In 2097, he practically is.

Thirty years earlier, an airborne virus nearly caused man's extinction. Now women rule the world, and poverty, crime, war, and hunger have all disappeared. With tight restrictions on men's behavior, fourteen-year-old Kellen feels like he has no say in his future.

When a rumored outbreak of the virus threatens Kellen's outcast father, he knows that he must warn him of the coming danger no matter what the consequences. During his desperate race to find his dad, Kellen uncovers a secret so frightening that his life and the future of the world will never be the same.

Specs: YA fiction, dystopia, published March 2010, 266 pages.

I didn't like this book, to sum it up.

The world that the author created was intriguing: women ruling everything and men having no say. It's like the reverse of what society was actually like a century ago.

Having said that, that was the only thing I found interesting in Epitaph Road. I wasn't into the characters or the plot. Also, the story seemed rushed, which is probably why I felt no connection to the main characters. The only time when I was almost at the edge of my seat, was toward the end when they were at the lab. I think this book is one of those books where I won't remember anything about it a few months from now.

In My Mailbox (8)

• Start Here by Alex and Brett Harris
• The Undervalued Self by Elaine N. Aron, PhD
• The Cradle by Patrick Somerville
• Slip of the Knife by Denise Mina
• Morpheus Road: The Light by D.J. MacHale

So what did you get in your mailbox this week??

Review: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Synopsis: Incarceron is a prison unlike any other: Its inmates live not only in cells, but also in metal forests, dilapidated cities, and unbounded wilderness. The prison has been sealed for centuries, and only one man, legend says, has ever escaped.

Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, can't remember his childhood and believes he came from Outside Incarceron. He's going to escape, even though most inmates don't believe that Outside even exists. And then Finn finds a crystal key and through it, a girl named Claudia.

Claudia claims to live Outside-her father is the Warden of Incarceron and she's doomed to an arranged marriage. If she helps Finn escape, she will need his help in return.

But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost far more than they know.

Because Incarceron is alive. (*Cue Frankenstein's voice* "It's aliiiiiive!")

Specs: YA fiction, dystopian, published January 2010, 442 pages.

Because I like this trailer so much, I had to post it.


Incarceron was...weird. But in a good way. It wasn't at all what I expected, and truth be told it didn't live up to the hype. I was a little let down after I started reading it.

The book was exciting, it just didn't WOW me like other dystopian books I've read. I thought Claudia was a really dull character. She needed more life in her. I did, however, like the character of Keiro, but then I always like the bad boys in books. ;)

Incarceron is like a robot gone bad, developing a mind of its own, which its creator didn't think could happen. Fisher wrote a fascinating world, and the twists kept the plot entertaining enough for me to continue reading till the end. *SPOILER* I loved the part in the book where Claudia finds out that the prisoners in Incarceron live in a tiny world. Reminds me of Horton Hears a Who! *END OF SPOILER*

Sapphique comes out December 2010. I hope I don't forget all about the first book before I finally get to read the second...Of course, I could travel to the UK and pick up a copy because it's already published there!

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

Synopsis: "Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world."

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home—her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power—and the courage to fight her own inner demons?

A wildly original approach to the issue of eating disorders, Hunger is about the struggle to find balance in a world of extremes, and uses fantastic tropes to explore a difficult topic that touches the lives of many teens.

Specs: YA fiction, paranormal, releases October 18, 2010, 180 pages.

While this book doesn't sound terribly fascinating for me, I'm running out of WoW ideas! It would be a big help if you could link in the comments to your WoW posts. :)

Doesn't this cover remind you of Incarceron? With the background, colors, and the center focus, it seems to me that someone ran out of creative juice and just copied another cover.

Late Mother's Day post

On Sunday, my mom, sister, and I went over to my grandparents' house. We had a great time, laughing and just hanging out.

My mom means so much to me. We've been through so much together, especially during the last five months. We have our problems and disagreements, but we both love each other and have the best times together. She is hilarious and always knows how to make me laugh.

Here's a few pictures of her:



(She's 50 years old this year, can you believe it??)

My mom's always been there for me, even when I really didn't want her to be. She's been both a father and a mother to me and my sister, and I couldn't ask for more. She's taught me so much throughout the years.

Go give your mom a hug...she deserves it!

Review: Take Three by Karen Kingsbury

Synopsis: Chase Ryan and Keith Ellison set out to change the world with their films—and they are finally seeing their dreams come true. The dedicated producers are deep in negotiations with America’s top young movie star to play the lead in their next inspirational movie. But life takes a sudden turn for Chase, removing him from Jeremiah Productions permanently. In the process, Keith brings on one of the Baxter family members and the moviemaking continues. At the same time, a crisis hits Keith’s daughter, Andi, and Keith feels helpless to respond. Devastated by the consequences of her wrong actions, Andi ventures out on her own and decides on a course of action that could destroy her. Meanwhile, Bailey Flanigan is caught up in her own drama with Cody Coleman. A Campus Crusade retreat gives them time alone along the shores of Lake Monroe and lets them face a possibility they’ve avoided for years. Will Keith keep the passion he had at the start of his filmmaking—and will there be enough passion left over for his hurting daughter? Or has their quest to change American culture become nothing more than a quest for fame?

Details: Adult Christian fiction, published March 2010, 336 pages.

Here's a trailer for this book that I found at Karen Kingsbury's website:


After the amazingly long wait to get Take Three from the library, I couldn't wait to start reading it. This has to be my favorite of the Above the Line series. I think that has to do with the less movie-making information and filming scenes with Keith and Chase.

I loved Andi's story. *SPOILER* After making some mistakes, Andi gets pregnant and seriously considers getting an abortion. She thinks it's the easy way out and it will make everything better for everyone. It's a real-life issue that many women have or will experience in their lifetime, and I'm so glad Andi made the decision not to murder her baby and to find a loving home for him. Also, Bailey and Cody are finally together!! "Finally"! (inside joke) *END OF SPOILER*

I can't praise Kingsbury's books enough. It will be a sad, sad day when she decides to retire from writing. Her novels are like chocolate for me: so addictive! She announced in her author's note at the end of Take Three that she will be writing another series after Above the Line, and they will have some of the same characters! I'm so glad because I'm not ready to say goodbye! She will also be writing Unlocked, a book which is mentioned in her current series and is the book Keith and Dayne are making a movie out of. You can find more information about the book HERE.

Take Four, the last book in the series, comes out June 22. Not long to wait! I'll be stalking my library so I can order it ASAP!

In My Mailbox (7)

• Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr. Still have to read Fragile Eternity first!
• Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn. New author to me.
  
• The Pack by L.M. Preston (ARC). Another new author. If you've read any books by Vaughn or Preston or any of the authors listed, tell me what you thought of them in the comments! I'd love to hear your opinions.
  

• The Time Pirate by Ted Bell
• The Way to Stillness by Anne Alexander Vincent and Gayle Alexander
• In the Midnight Hour by Patti O'Shea
• Supernatural: Heart of the Dragon by Keith R.A. DeCandido
  

Review: Operation Worship Holy Bible

Synopsis: Give the gift that matters most in the place it’s needed most. Last year CBA stores took up the challenge of sending 500,000 Bibles to our men and women in uniform. Now available for the general trade in pink camo, a special edition for the wives, mothers, sisters and friends that are supporting our American military around the world.

Publication date: March 2010.

I love this Bible! It's small, easy to stick in a purse and carry along, with a cool cover to boot. I'm also pleased with the New Living Translation. Even though the King James Version is the original Bible translation, I find it really hard to read and understand. No one talks like that anymore, so it's all Shakespeare to me! With the NLT, it's extremely easy to understand the verses and what's going on. I will enjoy reading and referencing back to Operation Worship Bible.

I appreciate the dedication in the beginning to "our men and women in uniform-and to your families." Most of us have no idea what our military sacrifices to keep us safe, and having God's words with them while they're fighting for our freedom is a huge comfort and reassurance. "As you continue to carry out the mission before you, we pledge our loving support to you and your families." (page A6)





I received a copy of this Bible from Tyndale House Publishers for review.

Review: The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Synopsis: When life as Alex Morales had known it changed forever, he was working behind the counter at Joey's Pizza. He was worried about getting elected as senior class president and making the grades to land him in a good college. He never expected that an asteroid would hit the moon, knocking it closer in orbit to the earth and catastrophically altering the earth's climate. He never expected to be fighting just to stay alive.

Details: YA fiction, dystopia, published June 2008, 308 pages.

Wow. This book is awesome. Devastating, depressing, heartbreaking, and tear-worthy...but still awesome. It seems like it should be boring, because Alex and his sisters stay in one place the whole time and don't really do anything, but it's not. Pfeffer's writing is addictive and easy to speed through. I was never bored while reading The Dead and the Gone.

However, I didn't like this book as much as the first, Life as We Knew It. I didn't like the constant Catholic references and sporadic Spanish phrases (with no translation...I don't know Spanish and I'm planning on never learning it, so you're going to have to help me with this Susan). I'm not sure why the author decided to switch to different people and place rather than keep with the Life as We Knew It storyline. But thankfully, the third book in this trilogy is about Miranda and her family, and I'm exited to continue her journey after the asteroid hit the moon.

If you're looking for a good book to make you appreciate what you have and feel foolish for complaining about your situation, this book is for you.

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything--the dark, heights, the ocean--but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is until Justine goes cliff diving one night near the family's vacation house in Winter Harbor, Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Vanessa's parents want to work through the tragedy by returning to their everyday lives back in Boston, but Vanessa can't help feeling that her sister's death was more than an accident. After discovering that Justine never applied to colleges, and that she was secretly in a relationship with longtime family friend Caleb Carmichael, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor to seek some answers.

But when Vanessa learns that Caleb has been missing since Justine's death, she and Caleb's older brother, Simon, join forces to try to find him, and in the process, their childhood friendship blossoms into something more.

Soon it's not just Vanessa who is afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes home to a string of fatal, water-related accidents . . . in which all the victims are found grinning from ear to ear.

As Vanessa and Simon probe further into the connections between Justine's death and the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance, and that will change her life forever.

Details: YA fiction, paranormal, 352 pages, releases July 13, 2010.

I think I would pick this book up for the cover alone! I love the colors. But the book description makes it even better. I don't think I've ever read a book about sirens, so I can't wait till this one.

Missing persons, drownings, and deadly water creatures: sounds like a good combo to me!

Review: Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Synopsis: Sookie Stackhouse is having man trouble. Her vampire boyfriend, Bill, has been distant and inattentive lately. Then he announces that he is going on a business trip, which clearly is more than it seems. After a werewolf tries to abduct Sookie at work, Bill's boss, Eric, tells her that Bill fell under the sway of his--Bill's, that is--ex, a sexy vamp named Lorena, and has been kidnapped. Eric wants Sookie's help in getting Bill back, and despite her hurt over Bill's betrayal, Sookie agrees to go to Jackson, Mississippi, to find her wayward lover. Eric has persuaded Alcide, a dashing werewolf, to get Sookie access to Josephine's, aka Club Dead, the local hangout of Jackson's supernatural element. In between dodging kidnappers, the advances of amorous Eric, and her growing feelings for Alcide, Sookie has to find out who kidnapped Bill and figure out a way to rescue him.

Details: Adult fiction, paranormal/romance/mystery, published 2003, 292 pages.

Every time I open another Sookie Stackhouse novel, I fall in love with her narrative. She's quirky, humorous, a little bit of a feminist, and has Word-A-Day calendars. She's not a perfect person: she makes mistakes just like the rest of us. But she's (mostly) loyal to her boyfriend Bill, and will stop at nothing to get him back, even if it means getting beat up several times to do it.

Bill's not a big part in this book, so that was a down point for me. But with the new character Alcide and Eric turning up around every corner, the book was still exciting. I'm torn between who I like better: Bill or Eric. I'm leaning toward Eric because he's not as serious as Bill always is. The triangle between the three of them is a big part of why I love this series.

I love how Charlaine Harris made Elvis a vampire. It took me a while to realize who Bubba really was, but when I did, I thought it was hilarious. Especially that all the Elvis "sightings" around the world are really true!

Review: One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Synopsis: You can run from the grave, but you can't hide . . .

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.

Details: Adult fiction, paranormal romance, published April 2008, 357 pages.

Cat and Bones' connection and chemistry is electric in every one of their scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the second book of Frost's Night Huntress series, and was pleased to find that it was every bit as exciting as the first. Her writing is top-notch, and kept me reading till the last page. I wanted more! I'm glad I started this series later, because she is already finished with the books and moved on to a spin-off series. I'm interested to see what happens next in Cat's world and in her adventures with Bones.

Nothing more to say except that this book was excellent, and if you haven't already read this series, get right on it!

In My Mailbox (6)

This week was the motherload of all In My Mailboxes! At least it was for me. Here's the first:

• How to Catch and Keep a Vampire by Diana Laurence
• Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright
• The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
• Swoon at Your Own Risk by Sydney Salter (ARC)
• The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy (ARC)
• Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
• Tethered by Amy MacKinnon

• Veracity by Laura Bynum
• Poetry Speaks: Who I am edited by Elise Paschen
• Summer of the Geek by Piper Banks
• Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze
• Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley
• The Highwayman by Michele Hauf

• Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson
• The Autism Book by Robert W. Sears, MD, FAAP
• Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs
• Black Hills by Dan Simmons (audio book)