Current Events:

I have been doing some thinking and I've come to the conclusion that I need to take a temporary break from book blogging. NOTE: Any tour stops that I've committed to will be honored. I have decided that I want to combine my love of books, blogging, knitting, movies digital photography and life in general into 1 blog so that I don't feel so overwhelmed. Right now I feel like my book blogging is a job, I already have one of those. My plan is to come back in the near future with a new blog and a new plan.

My Weight Loss Progress

Monday, February 28, 2011

Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

Title: Intrinsical
Author: Lani Woodland
Genre: YA ~ Paranormal
Series: The Yara Silva #1
Source: Extreme Reader Reviews blog tour

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

Review:

I signed up for this tour a LONG time ago (DANG YOU WINTER WEATHER!) and had kind of forgotten about it until the book arrived in the mail on Tuesday.  When I signed up for the tour I had seen all these reviews for the book that were pretty much glowing reviews and I had to know for myself if the book was really THAT good.  What you are about to read are my thoughts on Intrinsical's "Awesome Sauce" or lack there of.....

So when I started Intrinsical it IMMEDIATELY sucked me in and when I had to put it down to get some things accomplished for some things that were going to be happening in REAL life, I had read close to 100 pages and it felt like I'd only been reading for about 5 minutes.  I found that this book was VERY difficult to put down.  I constantly had to know what was going to happen next.  I was CONSTANTLY thinking about it, when I wasn't reading it.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters.  I really want to know more about Yara's grandmother!  She sounds like a really cool lady with an exceptional gift! I really enjoyed Yara a lot.  She's just trying to be a "normal" 16 year old and doesn't want any part of her families "gift."  Then she goes to Pendrell and her "gift" kicks in.  I also got a pretty big kick out of Cherie, Yara's "crazy" friend who wanted to go to Pendrell because of it's supposed curse.  Then there's Brent, the love interest. I thought that he was a pretty great guy all the way through. 

The relationship between Yara and Brent is another thing that I really thought was well written.  The relationship developed over time and it wasn't a "we've just met but we're hopelessly in love" kind of relationships.  I've read a bunch of books with those types of relationships and it was VERY refreshing to not have that happen in this book.

The only part of the book that I was lukewarm on was the "bad guy."  I thought he was a little bit to "James Bondish" with a shot of "creepy" thrown for my liking.  Other than that I thought that the book was the bee's knee's.  I soooo want to get my hands on the second book in the series!

RATING:
5/5

Other Reviews:


Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Show Me The Free Reading Challenge


Here is how it works:
  • Should you choose to participate in this challenge, your goal is to read at least twelve (12) legally obtained e-books which you got for FREE for your e-reading device. While twelve is the minimum there is no maximum limit.
  • Anyone can join. You don't have to be a blogger, and you don't have to live in the United States. 
  • Any E-Reader will work for this challenge, including: iPad, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony Reader, enTourage. 
  • Please Note: If you don't have an e-reading device, you can still join in with Amazon's Free Kindle Reading Apps which you can download for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Blackberry and more.
  • The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. You can join at anytime.
  • e-books in ANY genre count for this challenge as long as it was FREE at the time that you downloaded it.
  • Every month in 2011, I will make a post for the Show Me The Free Reading Challenge so you can link your reviews. 
  • Those that link their reviews will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a different prize each month, such as an Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card, a bookmark, or a GelaSkins for your E-Reader. Winners will be announced at the end of each month.
Challenge Guidelines:
  • If you blog, create a post announcing your participation in the challenge. Please include a link back to this post.
  • Non blogger must publish reviews on some type of public domain such as Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble to enter the monthly giveaway.
  • When you post your book review, you MUST say how you obtained the free read. Please make your source clear.
  • You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them.
  • Crossovers to other reading challenges is acceptable, but galley e-books DO NOT count. Again, this is a Reading Challenge to read as many of the FREE e-books legally offered for your e-reader. To get started, check out the Top 100 Free books on Amazon, or the Free e-books on Barnes & Noble
  • Any linked reviews that do not meet the guidelines will not be entered into the monthly drawing for the prize of the month. 
Levels:
Coupon Clipper: 12 Books
Penny Pincher: 24 Books
Super Saver: 30+ Books

My Titles:

1.

IMM Feb 26

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren.

So this is what I got this week in my mailbox....

*Netgalley*

Get ready for a Grand Canyon tour de force by award-winning author Mary Connealy. Zane Stanton and Shannon Dysart are an unlikely pair. He’s an aimless wanderer who wants nothing other than to be left alone. She’s a fearless female determined to find a city of gold. When they are forced to get hitched—to each other— the mayhem begins. As they set out to find the treasure, trouble is hot on their trail. Will the dream of gold color every decision Shannon makes? Will Zane fail yet another helpless female?

Missy didn’t mean to cut so deep. But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort? Sure, most people don’t find comfort in the touch of a razor blade, but Missy always was . . . different.
 
That’s why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War. Now Missy wields a new kind of blade—a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path. But it’s with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control.

A unique approach to the topic of self-mutilation, Rage is the story of a young woman who discovers her own power and refuses to be defeated by the world.

The tougher they are, the harder they fall…

Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.

Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancĂ© who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…


Every girl who has taken the test has died.

Now it's Kate's turn.


It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

If she fails...


He didn't ask for the job, but now all that stands between us and chaos . . . is Colt.

Colt McAlister was having the summer of his life. He spent his days surfing and his nights playing guitar on the beach with friends. He even met a girl and got his first car. But everything changes when his parents are killed in a freak accident.

He's forced to leave his old life behind and move to Arizona with his grandfather. The only person he knows at the new high school is a childhood friend named Dani. And Oz, a guy he's sure he's never met but who is strangely familiar.

But what if his parents' death wasn't an accident? His mother, and invesitgative reporter, was going to expose a secret mind-control program run by one of the world's largest companies. Before she could release the story, what if agents from Trident Biotech made sure she couldn't go public?

Vowing to uncover truth, Colt gets drawn into a secret world of aliens, shapeshifters, flying motorcycles, and invisible getaways.

The invasion has begun.

*Barnes and Noble E-Books (purchased before ban)*

D'Artagnan comes to Paris to join the King's Musketeers and soon finds himself caught up in high adventure and intrigue at the Royal Court.

Her wealth and beauty have made Miss Portia Crompton the catch of the season. Secretly determined to wed the maharajah’s son she left behind in India, Portia ignores the money-hungry bucks who ply her with bouquets and bonbons. But one suitor will not be deterred: Colin Byrd, Viscount Ratcliffe. He is persistent and presumptuous—and wickedly tempting.

Colin has no delusions about romance. He’s a rogue, a womanizer, and a murderer, and seduction comes as easily to him as breathing. Portia’s fortune is an irresistible lure until Colin’s mercenary scheme hits a snag. Winning her dowry is no longer enough—he wants her heart and her passion.  The more adamant she is in her refusal, the more determined he is to seduce her…

*Review*

When single attorney Steven Creed becomes guardian of an orphaned five-year-old boy, he trades his big-city law firm for a ranch near his McKettrick kin in the close-knit community of Stone Creek, Arizona. Taking care of little Matt and fixing up his run-down ranch house with its old barn loosens something tightly wound inside him. But when Steven takes on the pro bono defense of a local teen, he meets his match in the opposing counsel—beautiful, by-the-book county prosecutor Melissa O'Ballivan. It'll take one grieving little boy, a sweet adopted dog and a woman who never expected to win any man's heart to make this Creed in Stone Creek know he's truly found home.



Scarlet doesn't do things like other people. Unfortunately, this leads to some misunderstandings, like when her manager at the fabric store mistakes her measuring methods for assault. But while she may not be as wealthy as her siblings, or as respected as her grandmothers-strict seamstresses whose criticism left Scarlet permanently pattern-phobic-she will be soon. She's been offered a position with Johnny "Scissors" Tijeras, the hottest young designer in New York. To raise money for her move, Scarlet opens an after-hours sewing school in a local record shop, attracting a surprising mix of students. Future freeform garment makers include a high-strung office manager whose marriage counselor thinks she needs to learn to break some rules, and an elderly seamstress with a secret past. But as friendships grow, the lines between teacher and student blur, proving there is no single pattern for happiness-it is always a custom fit.
When eighteen-year-old Lady Catriona Mackintosh discovers a wounded man in the forest near her Highland home, little does she know that he has sworn a sacred oath to kill her father and other members of the powerful Highland confederation known as Clan Chattan. Nor does she realize that she has met her soul mate. Independent, competent, intelligent, fiercely proud of her heritage, determined always to live near her own family, and known to her family as the "wee wildcat" because of her quick temper, Catriona is the daughter of a Highland chieftain and granddaughter of the even more powerful Chief (or Captain) of Clan Chattan. But her life changes forever when she persuades Sir Finlagh Cameron to return with her to her home to recover from his wounds.

Sir Finlagh "Fin" Cameron is on a mission for the heir to Scotland's throne, who has sent him to the Highlands to persuade the Chief of Clan Chattan to arrange a secret meeting for him with two other great lords (the Lord of the Isles and the Lord of the North). Until Fin meets Catriona, however, he has no idea that her father was the Clan Chattan war leader who led them in the battle that wiped out many of Clan Cameron's best warriors, including Fin's own father. The sole survivor of that battle, Fin accepted a bequest of vengeance from his dying father, providing him with a dilemma to face as he begins to fall in love with Catriona. He is not the only one enticed by her charms, either. There are two other contenders, one of whom is his own master, the heir to Scotland's throne. With royal mischief afoot, if Catriona and Fin are ever to find happiness, they must first avoid disaster that could change Scotland's history, and find ways to be open and honest with each other.

SWORN TO REVENGE

All her life, Josselin Ancrum has been trained for combat, hoping to exact vengeance for her heroic mother, who was killed fighting the English. When asked to spy for the Scottish Queen, Jossy joyfully accepts. But when a handsome stranger rescues her from sudden danger, his charm distracts her from her mission.

SHROUDED BY SECRECY

On the surface, Drew MacAdam may appear to be nothing more than a carefree champion, but his heart harbors a dark secret: This Highland hero is actually a skilled English soldier with a hatred for war and for the Scottish. Yet from the moment he meets the feisty Jossy, he's captured by her fiercely loyal heart. He's determined the honey-haired lass will be his ultimate prize - until the tragedy of their entwined legacies is revealed. Are these star-crossed lovers to be divided by their pasts? Or will they be...

Seduced by Destiny

 *Paperbackswap.com*
MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.
 
When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….

*B-Day Gifts to Myself*

A Knitters Home Companion is an illustrated collection of stories, patterns, and recipes from beloved knitter and essayist Michelle Edwards. This heartwarming title will appeal to knitters interested in not only stitches, yarn, and patterns, but also in the lives of other knitters, the lessons that can be learned from their craft, the ways knitting helps knitters cope during difficult times, and the role of knitting in family life. “Let [this book] keep you company when you need another knitter’s voice beside you,” Edwards writes in her introduction.

Like a good friend, A Knitters Home Companion will inspire readers to laugh, cry, remember, be thoughtful, cook, and, of course, pick up their needles—sometimes to soothe, sometimes to celebrate, and sometimes to just pass the time. Divided into four chapters—Motherhood, Home, Community, and Legacy—stories range from “But She Doesn’t Have Any Underpants,” about the challenges of knitting for family to “Home Ec Workshop and the Mystery of the Indian Slipper,” about finding community at a local yarn shop. Projects range from mittens and socks to a baby blanket and afghan.

Knitters love to make socks. Socks are practical and pretty, cozy and colorful. Sock projects are easily carried in a knitting bag, and the patterns are complex enough to be interesting but small enough to be quickly finished. Plus, socks are always fun to wear and great to give as gifts.

Now Knit Socks!, the little die-cut hardcover that sold more than 65,000 copies, is available in a paperback edition that includes two all-new sock patterns. But that’s not all. Sock knitters will find much more in this revision to feed their sock addictions, such as helpful new advice on choosing sock yarns  what feels the best, what holds its shape, what really lasts.

And what is a knitter to do if a pattern looks interesting, but she wants to substitute a lighter yarn for the chunky, warm wool specified? A new chart provides alternative yarn weights and the corresponding number of stitches needed for each of the patterns and sizes. Knitters might also want to experiment with two circular needles. Or four double points. There’s advice here for adapting any pattern to any type of needle.

With all the variations and possibilities, Knit Socks! goes far beyond its 17 patterns. Creative knitters will find an endless array of exciting options for keeping feet comfortable, warm, and beautiful.

*Free E-Books*

Here is the story of Tom, Huck, Becky, and Aunt Polly; a tale of adventures, pranks, playing hookey, and summertime fun. Written by the author sometimes called "the Lincoln of literature," The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was surprisingly neither a critical nor a financial success when it was first published in 1876. It was Mark Twain's first novel. However, since then Tom Sawyer has become his most popular work, enjoying dramatic, film, and even Broadway musical interpretations.

First published in 1920, This Side of Paradise marks the beginning of the career of one of the greatest writers of the first half of the twentieth century. In this remarkable achievement, F. Scott Fitzgerald displays his unparalleled wit and keen social insight in his portrayal of college life through the struggles and doubts of Amory Blaine, a self-proclaimed genius with a love of knowledge and a penchant for the romantic. As Amory journeys into adulthood and leaves the aristocratic egotism of his youth behind, he becomes painfully aware of his lost innocence and the new sense of responsibility and regret that has taken its place.
Clever and wonderfully written, This Side of Paradise is a fascinating novel about the changes of the Jazz Age and their effects on the individual. It is a complex portrait of a versatile mind in a restless generation that reveals rich ideas crucial to an understanding of the 1920s and timeless truths about the human need for—and fear of—change.

The Land belongs to the future... that's the way it seems to me... I might as well try to will the sunset over there to my brother's children. We come and go, but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it--for a little while.

Moby-Dick, the white whale: emblem of nature yet unnaturally pale, tender and violent, god and demon, an enigma to which Ahab is bound by ropes of vengeful obsession. The Pequod: whaler out of Nantucker, with its polyglot world crew bound upon a voyage for spermwhale, a ship of the damned driven by its ungodly captain to the edge of the void. Ismael: named for a Biblical outcast, narrator, masthead philosopher, sole survivor.

Set in 1740 during the French and Indian Wars, The Deerslayer testifies to the murderous humanity and natural beauty on which the history of America was written. In the climactic novel of the Leather-stocking Tales, Hawkeye, the noble white youth, learns to sacrifice self-interest for the common good and discovers his identity in bloody struggles among the powerful Iroquois confederacy.

Old California, in a bygone era of sprawling haciendas and haughty caballeros, suffers beneath the whip-lash of oppression. Missions are pillaged, native peasants are abused, and innocent men and women are persecuted by the corrupt governor and his army.
 
But a champion of freedom rides the highways. His identity hidden behind a mask, the laughing outlaw Zorro defies the tyrant's might. A deadly marksman and a demon swordsman, his flashing blade leaves behind . . .

First published in 1919, The Mark of Zorro has inspired countless films and television adventures. Now read how the legend began . . .

Elise had no idea when she came home that day that she'd end up mated to a complete stranger. A new Alpha and the need for an alliance between packs have made her a pawn.

EXCERPT: She lay beside him, staring blankly at the ceiling. The deed was done. They were mated. It didn't matter that she had no love for him nor he for her. Political alliances were more important than feelings, or so she had been told. That fact was cold comfort right now as her heart broke within her.

A novel of romantic suspense. Adult content.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Book Blogger HopThe Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy-For-Books.com.  This weeks question is:

"Do you ever wish you would have named your blog something different?"

This particular blog has gone through three name changes but I think I'm going to stick with Jamie's Bookshelf. Cause it's me (Jamie) and my bookshelf.







Q. Share your current fav television show! Tell us a bit about it...

My current favorite show is Deadliest Catch.  It's about Alaskan crab fishing and all the trials and tribulations that goes along with battling Mother Nature and the Bering Sea.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Book Ban's, Challenges and oh Yeah...Happy Birthday!

It's time for me to do another Book Ban.  I've been doing pretty good recently.  I think that I've only bought 3 books in the past couple of months.  But there are a LOT of books out there that are coming out soon that I REALLY want and I need to read some of my own books and find new homes for the ones that don't rock my socks off.

I started the Read Your Own Books challenge really as a challenge for myself to read more of my own books...since at the time I had an overflowing bookcase and an under-the-bed storage box full of books.  I'm really happy to see that others are participating as well.

Oh and big shocking revelation.....I went through all the books that I had in my room and now have 3 bags of books to either donate or find new homes for.

And one last thing before I go....TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!  I'm officially 27 today.  I could have done without the freezing rain and sleet but it's still been a pretty good day so far.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Guest Post ~ Poem's, quote's and a question.....

Today's guest post is from Ashley at Bookaholic Anonymous.

I thought as a post I would talk a little about love. I'm definitely no expert, but I like to think that somewhere down the road. Maybe a long, long way down the road I'll find someone who I'm truly in love with, someone who I can truly be happy with. I guess to find the right person you have to have a few bad seeds, or perhaps that's just me. So with that being said here are a few poems I wrote dealing with love in different forms. :)
The Way

I love the way you love me
and the way you make me smile
I love the way you love me
and the way you help me get rid of my denial
I love the way you love me
and the way you say you care
I love the way you love me
and the way you're always there
I love the way you love me
because no longer am I blue
I love the way you love me
because now I'm with you
I love the way you love me
and all I want to tell you
Is I love the way you love me!
(In the form of Kat's poem from 10 things I hate about you)

Day of love
Valentines day
is the day of love
Love is what people
all really need
and on this day
is when most is given.
Cupids, hearts,
candies, and flowers
is this days
biggest meanings
who knows
what it all means
but it's every
14th day of February
so if someone
is alone on this day of love
Show them
there are people
who do care a bunch
give them
hugs, kisses, candies
or even take them out to lunch.
A few quotes about love that I like:
-If love is at first sight, and true love is true. Then can true love be at first sight? (me)
-Don't bury your heart in the grave of someone you love. (Pastor at my church)
Question for people who have met online, or who just feel like answering: How can you love someone if you don't know them? It's hard enough to love people you know and you're around all the time so why.....why do you put yourself through this kind of love? Yes, this may seem like an odd question, and I guess for you to better understand my question you would have to know my reason for asking. If allowed my answer is as follows...

Ashley's answer....

Alright so here's why I asked actually I have a few reasons. One- back when I was probably in 9th grade or maybe younger. I met someone on-line (more like a chatroom) I was stupid I know, but I had talked to him for a year or so, and we kind of called each other bf/gf I guess now that I think about it I'm not sure. Anyways he lived in Wisconsin, and I here in Texas. We never met, but I do remember one night I gave him my home number, and he called me on my birthday. Needless to say I wasn't at home at the time, and my dad was and he answered. I was in a lot of trouble when I got home. So why did I think that anything would come from this. I don't know really, maybe I was being optimistic, and I really thought I liked him. Sometime our hearts get the better of us.
Reason 2- My junior HS year my dad met this woman on yahoo, and after 6 months or so ended up marrying her. At first it was all roses, and things. She moved in (with an 8 year old daughter) Everything was good she seemed like she cared about my dad, and me occasionally. After that first year though it went downhill. Things happened that didn't quite add up in my book, but did my dad seem to notice. Nope! He was to blinded by his love for her.
Reason 3- So I know it seems I'm now a little pessimistic about the whinternet love, but I do have one friend who met her Husband on-line through match.com I believe, and she's been married awhile now. She has 3 kids with him, and when I see her post on FB it makes me wonder maybe it's not as bad I make it out to be.

Your thoughts? 

Thursday, February 17, 2011

2011 Read Your Own Books Challenge

NOTE: I'll be fixing the photo shortly.  I just wanted to get a temporary photo up for the initial post.

I was reading a discussion post over on Mindful Musings about the books we haven't read and I was discouraged when I found that of all the books pictured in the post I had read or attempted to read only 2.  So I have decided that I am going to try and remedy that situation.  I am going to try and read more of my own books in 2011. If you would like to participate in the challenge with me here are the "rules:"

1. Please create a post for the challenge...In the comments below please include the link to your challenge post (NOT your blog homepage.)

2. As long as the book(s) you are reading are books that you CURRENTLY own they count towards this years challenge.

3. The object is to read as many of your own books, regardless of format, as possible by the end of the year.

4. Challenge goes from February 17, 2011 - December 31, 2011.





Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Title: Pegasus
Author: Robin McKinley
Genre: YA
Release Date: November 2, 2010


Synopsis:

A gorgeously written fantasy about the friendship between a princess and her Pegasus.
 
Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pagasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own Pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication.
 
But its different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close-so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo-and possibly to the future safety of their two nations.

New York Times bestselling Robin McKinley weaves an unforgettable tale of unbreakable friendship, mythical creatures and courtly drama destined to become a classic.

Review:

I struck it "rich" one day when I was visiting my public library...I found this book on our "reserves" shelf and I immediately snatched it up.  This book has been on my wishlist for a LONG time and I was beyond excited that I FINALLY got my hands on a copy.

From the beginning I was drawn into this mythical world, full of mythical creatures and mythical locations.  I think that the author did a nice job of giving the reader a history lesson about the treaty between the humans and the pegasi.  In my opinion I think that the history was well worded and very complete, though I think that it ran a little long at times.

I was hoping that I would enjoy this book more than I actually did.  I thought that the author did an excellent job creating the mythical world and creatures but I thought that there were area's where the author didn't do so well to the point of being tedious.  And by tedious...I mean to the point I did not finish the book.

I think what really drew me to want to read the book was the cover.  But unfortunately there is more to a book than the cover.  The more I read the more annoyed I became with the book. I found the constant shift from the present to the past to be distracting to the point of turning me off to the book itself.  There were time's I couldn't even tell who was narrating.  I'm to easily distracted for all the distractions there were in the narration.

I found it hard to relate to our main character, Sylvi.  From the little bit of the book that I was able to read i felt that Sylvi was almost forced to behave as a person older than she actually is just because she is royalty.  I guess I didn't really understand why if your royal you get a Pegasus when you turn 12.  Maybe there was a better explanation farther in the book that I didn't get to but I really would have liked to know a solid reason...other than being royal.

I've been checking out the ratings and reviews for Pegasus on Goodreads and I'm seeing all these 3, 4 and some 5 star ratings for this book.  And here I am writing a DNF review.  Seems almost weird to me.

RATING:

DNF

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Guest Post ~ Love 2 people at once?

Hello everyone! 'tis I...Today we have a guest post by Ariel of The Librarian's Bookshelf.  The "million dollar" question is...can you love 2 people at once?  Enjoy!

Is it possible to love two people at once?

Well obviously it is, because we love multiple people in our lifetimes. Our parents, siblings, and friends – we love them all.

But is it possible to love two different guys at once?

I’m starting to think that it is.

I know, sounds like something out of Twilight, right? In reality, it can happen everyday. It’s happening to me right now.

There was a boy last year about this time. He was sweet, funny and the type of guy who buys you random gifts just to show he cared. We dated for a while, but our religious differences became too much to handle. Breaking up with him was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. As weird as this may sound, I never truly got over him. I moved on, and life has been perfectly fine since. But I never stopped loving him.

Then there’s another guy who I’m sure has no idea how I feel. After all, we’re just friends. (A Computer Science major tends to have a lot of guy friends.) As much as I would love to tell him, I know it would ruin our friendship. And so I stay silent.

I realize this sounds lovesick and depressing, but honestly it’s not. I’m actually okay with being single right now. I know God will work things out, and until then I’m happy with loving whoever needs it.

Giveaway ~ 1 Copy of Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

Synopsis:


#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole enraptures again with this seductive tale of a fierce werewolf prince who will stop at nothing to protect the lovely archer he covets from afar.

 
A DANGEROUS BEAUTY...
 
Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbors secrets that threaten to destroy her — and those she loves.



 
AN UNCONTROLLABLE NEED...
 
Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own.



 
THAT LEAD TO A PLEASURE SO WICKED....

From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia's greatest weakness — her wanton desire for him.

RULES:

1. Open to US only.
2. A follow is nice but NOT required
3. You must fill out the form.
4. Please leave a comment
5. Open from February 16 - February 28 @ 11:59 pm
6. Once the winner is drawn they will have 48 hours to confirm


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Guest Post ~ Love, Chemistry and Books

Good Morning everyone!  I hope everyone had a great Valentine's day.  I know I did!  Today we have a guest post by Akoss @ Fantasypen.blogspot.com.  I hope you enjoy!

Title: Love, Chemistry and books

Media tells us Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to give your significant other, a box of chocolate and flowers, or better a super expensive gift to show your love. Too often we forget that Valentine’s Day is also a day to celebrate friendship, family and our significant others for who they are and for loving us unconditionally. I’m an avid reader of Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction and I wanted to share with other readers two of the most recent couples I came across while reading and what I think is so great about their Chemistry.
First on my list is my favorite couple from “XVI” by Julia Karr: Sal and Nina. They were in my opinion they illustrated well why not having love at first sight could also turn into LOVE after you discover each other. There was a particular scene that I recommend readers to look for: it is about kissing. That’s all I can give away, but trust me their chemistry sent me straight back into my Teenage self. 
My second “Couple” (yes I will explain about the quotes), and also most favorite out of all the MG I’ve read is from “Savvy” by Ingrid Law: Mibbs and Will junior. Savvy is about a family which members get a special power when they turn thirteen. The quotes are to symbolize the fact that they’re barely thirteen are going through a coming of age moment. So they don’t fit the typical romantic couple. Ingrid Law had this scene where they were staying, along with the other kids, at a motel. Although the book was completely appropriate for the age range it also had this very sweet moment. A moment that tells the reader this coming of age for the two characters was holding a lot of romance and sweet moment for both characters down the road. It reminded me of how simple liking or loving someone is at that age, before the unnecessary complications show up when we grow up. Please check it out and let me know what you think.
Maybe I’m a huge romantic at heart and that’s good. There might be bad things that happen out of relationships but I believe in good ones and it warms up my heart when I read about characters like the ones I’ve mentioned. Happy Valentine’s Day.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ok, so today start's my little love event here on the blog.  Over the course of the next few days I will be posting a few guest posts, a few giveaways, and an unorthodox "love" post or two by yours truly.  I hope that you'll drop by and say hi and leave me some input.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  1 week from today I will be 27!

Chain Reaction Winners!

Here are the loverly winners of a copy of Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles.

Loni from A Casual Reader

&

Jessica from Jess Resides Here

Congrats to the winners!  Winner's have been contacted and have 48 hours to confirm.

It's Monday! What are you reading!?

Hosted by Book Journey.

So this is the place where I let you all know what I've been up to for the past week on the book front. So here we go:

Tuesday 2/8 - Posted the Follower Love giveaway (NOW CLOSED)....Drawing the winners once I post this.

Friday 2/11 - Posted a discussion post about all the drama that's going on in the book blogging community and authors behaving badly.

Saturday 2/12 - I posted about the changes that are coming to For The Love....

Sunday 2/13 - I posted my IMM and a review of Virgin Mountain by Robyn Carr and Matched by Ally Condie.  I also scheduled a review of Falke's Peak but that won't post until 3/1 when the changes officially go into affect.

Monday 2/14 - I posted this post as well as a review of Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2) by Robyn Carr.  I am also going to be posting a guest post in a few minutes as well.

So that's what I've been up to and what I've read so far this week....Now onto what I'm currently reading this week....



As for what I'm going to read next....I really don't know yet.

Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2) by Robyn Carr



John "Preacher" Middleton is about to close the bar when a young woman and her three-year-old son come in out of the wet October night. A marine who has seen his share of pain, Preacher knows a crisis when he sees one—the woman is covered in bruises. He wants to protect them, and he wants to punish whoever did this to her, but he knows immediately that this inclination to protect is something much more. Paige Lassiter has stirred up emotions in this gentle giant of a man—emotions that he has never allowed himself to feel.

But when Paige's ex-husband turns up in Virgin River, Preacher knows his own future hangs in the balance. And if there's one thing the marines' motto of Semper Fidelis—always faithful—has taught him, it's that some things are worth fighting for.

Why I decided to read this book: I signed up to try to win a copy of Promise Canyon on Goodreads and I decided to start at the beginning of the series so that book 11 would makes sense to me.  I was also able to download the first 4 books of the series on to my Nook as a book bundle! :)

Likes?.....: I really liked Preacher.  He's a big ole burly badass former Marine who doesn't think that he's capable of loving or being loved.  I also enjoyed Paige and Chris who bring out the best and at some points in the book, the worst in Preacher.  I also really enjoyed how the town rallied around Paige and Chris to make sure that they were safe from Paige's abusive ex-husband.  Oh and let's not forget about "unlovable" Preacher turned lover extraordinaire Preacher.  Everyone calls Preacher by his nickname rather than his given name in town, then Paige comes along and starts calling him John and to me that was pretty sexy in it's VERY simple way.

Dislikes?.....: Paige's brother and ex husband....They BOTH deserve to be beaten to within an inch of their lives in my honest opinion.  There were a couple of odd breaks in the story that seemed a little off to me but not enough to be distracting.

Overall: I think that this book was even better than the first book in the series.  Another one that once I started reading I had a VERY difficult time putting down.  I think that the series builds really nicely from one book to the next with the inclusion of new characters as well as reoccurring roles of the "regulars."  I can hardly wait to keep reading!  I'm just soooo mad at myself for not reading this series before now!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Virgin River by Robyn Carr

 



 Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against the backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.

When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to reenergize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she's made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning.

But a tiny baby, abandoned on a front porch, changes her plans…and a former marine cements them into place.

Melinda Monroe may have come to Virgin River looking for escape, but instead she finds her home.

Why I decided to read this book: I signed up to try and win a copy of Promise Canyon on Goodreads and thought that I should probably start at the beginning so book 11 might actually make sense to me...provided I was able to win a copy. :)  Lucky me...I was able to find the first four books bunched together in a bundle available on my Barnes and Noble Nook.

Likes?.....: I really liked the premise of the story....Jack and Melinda (Mel) are both damaged souls looking for a change....and Boy Howdy do they get it in spades!  I also enjoyed the mostly good hearted turmoil between Doc and Mel....everyone thinks he needs some help and he doesn't.  I also enjoyed picturing Jack helping out the town as well as helping with a an abandoned newborn baby....Here's this big burly badass former Marine who is actually a gentle giant underneath all that big burly badassness.  I also enjoyed the reunion with Jack and his fellow Marine buddies and Jack's "fall from Grace" as a result of the reunion.

Dislikes?.....:  I think that the reason for Mel to stick around at times was a little thin.  Sure Mel's a midwife and babies are her thing but once she made sure that the baby was safely placed she could have easily taken off.  I also thought that in some places (not very many, just a few) that the story was a little bit rushed.  Another small thing that kind of rubbed me the wrong way a little bit at the beginning of the story was how Jack became almost instantaneously possessive of Mel.

Overall:  I think that this was a pretty good start to the Virgin River series.  Minus my few quirks with the book I think that it was a VERY good. Once I started reading it I was pretty much sucked in and could NOT put it down.  But my quirks prevented this story from getting a 5/5.  Jack and Mel's story is very sweet and it makes me wish I had a big burly badass Marine who's just a big ole gentle giant underneath all that badassness!

Matched by Ally Conde part 1

Title: Matched
Author:  Ally Conde
Genre: YA ~ Dystopian

Synopsis:

 Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Review:

I had a really hard time with this book.  I don't know if it was everything that's been going on in my real life or if it's the book itself but I could not get into it.  I got about 100 pages or so into Matched and all hell started breaking loose in my life and I lost interest. But here are my thoughts on what I did get read....

I did really enjoy the premise of the book a lot.  From everything that I had read about it in the past it had a Hunger Games feel to it.  I think what drew me to the book was that from the time your born until the end of your life...your entire life is planned out for you by the Society. Right down to who your going to love/marry.

The imagery that I got of the world that Cassia lives in was very vivid.  I really enjoyed that a lot too.

I did enjoy Cassia.  I thought that she was written in a way that made her a "typical" teen, for her society, anyway.  About the time my life went into "cluster" mode I was getting really excited about the new "rebellious" Cassia that was starting to show through.

On to our male characters...I was lukewarm on Xander.  He seemed to take Cassia for granted in my opinion.  I felt from what I read of him that he was almost "entitled" to Cassia.  Ky, on the other hand,  I really liked.  He seemed to complement Cassia in a lot of ways and challenge her in others. 

Now for what I didn't really like....I thought that the book started off slow and didn't pick up speed in a timely manner.  That may have contributed to me losing interest in the book. 

Have no fear though...Once my life slows down a little bit and gets less crazy I am going to give Matched again.  But as of this review I have to give Matched a DNF.

RATING:

DNF

In My Mailbox Feb 13

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.
*FOR REVIEW*


“Adams is that rare writer who sends out every laugh with a sting in its tail. Most novels fade from the memory. This one sticks.”—Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
 
Inside their picture-perfect homes, the residents of this quiet California suburb are not at all what they seem.
 
Lance is a former weatherman, now a buff yogi, stay-athome dad, and manager of his daughter’s Girl Scout troop’s cookie distribution. Belle is his precocious and quick-witted daughter. Darlene is a classic Type A work-a-holic, she has little time or patience for the needs of her husband and daughter
 
And just down the street are Alec and Wren. Alec, a womanizing businessman, is also the financial backer—and sometimes more—behind Darlene’s burgeoning empire. Meanwhile, Wren is a doting mother and talented yogi, ready to lay down the mat for a quick session with Lance.

As looming Santa Ana winds threaten to turn brushfires into catastrophe; Playdate proves that relationships are complicated and the bonds between families, spouses and children are never quite what they seem. What happens next door, beyond the hedges, in the romper room and executive office—it’s all as combustible as a quick brushfire on a windy day.

Lexie Diamond loves her computer. She loves to surf the Web more than anything else--and to the exclusion of a social life. Beyond being just a computer geek, Lexie has developed a unique philosophy that the essential truth about life is found on the Internet, which she navigates with the expertise and finesse of a true believer.
Then a tragic accident rocks Lexie's cyber-driven world and forces her to navigate the real world after all. With the aid of an unexpected ally--her first actual friend--not only is Lexie drawn into a mystery surrounding the accident, but she discovers more magic in the Web than she ever dreamed possible.

Along the way Lexie's beliefs are challenged, her family is turned upside down, and her future is threatened. In this visionary tour de force by a promising new novelist, Lexie must decide what is real and what is virtual: Her life depends on it.

For centuries, rumors have abounded of a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors secretly serve as guardians for mortals in danger.

But for one young angel-in-training, Griffin, life is hell as a cruel master makes his apprenticeship a nightmare. On the verge of failing, a new mentor, Basil, enters his life and changes it forever. It is their father-and-son relationship, sometimes turbulent, often hilarious, always affectionate, that sings through the story like a pure note.

Masquerading as the average teen next door, Griffin struggles to learn his trade, navigate the ups and downs of modern life among humans (including falling in love with the girl next door), and prepare for the ancient trial-by-combat every apprentice must pass at sixteen or be forced to become mortal.


A Dead Man's Debt - a story of blackmail, duty and an unexpected love.

After publically humiliating a suitor, Miss Celeste Armitage is sent from the Ton in disgrace and resolves never to marry. But when she finds a sketch book of nude studies and discovers the artist is her hostess's eldest son, Lord Ranulf Charing, she finds herself dangerously attracted to exactly the sort of rogue she is sworn to avoid.

Nothing is as it seems. Lord Ranulf's life is a facade and he is being blackmailed over his late brother's debts. But just as the darkly restless Ranulf unexpectedly learns to love, the vengeful fury of his nemesis unleashed. In order to protect Celeste, Lord Ranulf faces a stark choice between duty and true love...
However Ranulf has underestimated Miss Armitage's stubborn resolve to clear his name, and in so doing places the woman he loves in mortal danger....

When Sophia and Drew McKibben's parents are killed in a tragic car accident, they are shipped off to live with an aunt they never even knew existed. Believing that they are moving to a privately owned island just off of the coast of Mystic, CT to live alone with her, they are surprised to find a sort of under-aged bed and breakfast.

Sophia draws the attention of one of the locals, Falen, immediately. He always seems to know exactly what she is thinking, and to her frustration, everything she does seems to amuse him. When a newcomer to the island brings with him a sense of deja vu, she begins to ask herself the ultimate question: Am I going crazy?

Sophia's world starts to unravel when she notices her own brother acting just as abnormal as the rest of them. When she begins to realize that the life she left behind looks even more bizarre then the one she was forced to leave it for, she's faced with a decision to make: embrace the new life that has been given to her, or drown in the past. Either choice brings with it more secrets and deceptions to unearth. The problem now is that the two worlds may actually be more intertwined than she thought.


*PRE-ORDERED*

*Will be downloaded to my Nook Tuesday morning!

The New York Times bestselling author and master of suspense delivers another novel at the crossroads of politics and medicine in this shocker of a thriller
 
On the night of the State of the Union address, President Max Hilliard expects to give the speech of his career. But no one anticipates the terrifying turn of events that forces him to quarantine everyone in the Capitol building. A terrorist group calling itself “Genesis” has unleashed WRX3883, a deadly, highly contagious virus, into the building. No one fully knows the deadly effect of the germ except for the team responsible for its development—a team headed by Hilliard, himself. The only one who might be able to help is virologist Griffin Rhodes, currently in solitary confinement in a maximum security federal prison for alleged terrorist acts, including the attempted theft of WRX3883 from the lab where he worked. Rhodes has no idea why he has been arrested, but when Hilliard offers to free him in exchange for his help combating the virus, he reluctantly agrees to do what he can to support the government that has imprisoned him without apparent cause.
 
Meanwhile, every single person in line for presidential succession is trapped inside the Capitol—every person except one: the Director of Homeland Security, who is safely at home in Minnesota, having been selected as the “Designated Survivor” for this event. With enemies both named and unnamed closing in, and the security of the nation at stake, Griff must unravel the mysteries of WRX3883 without violating his pledge as a scientist to use no animal testing in his experiments…and time is running out.

Tense, thrilling, and entirely plausible, A Heartbeat Away will make you reflect, wonder, and be truly afraid.




*LIBRARY*


A gorgeously written fantasy about the friendship between a princess and her Pegasus.
Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pagasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own Pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication.
 
But its different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close-so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo-and possibly to the future safety of their two nations.

New York Times bestselling Robin McKinley weaves an unforgettable tale of unbreakable friendship, mythical creatures and courtly drama destined to become a classic.



Love is a werewolf, influenced by the moon and terror, and always about to change.

Liv has a secret.
 
Something happened to her when she was thirteen. Something that changed everything. Liv knows she doesn’t belong anymore—not in her own skin, not in her family . . . not anywhere. The only time she truly feels like herself is when she’s with her boyfriend, Corey, and in the woods that surround her town.
 
But in the woods, a mysterious woman watches Liv. In the woods, a pack of wild boys lurks. In the woods, Liv learns about the curse that will haunt her forever. The curse that caused the frenzy four years ago. And that may cause it again, all too soon.

While Corey and Liv’s love binds them together, Liv’s dark secret threatens to tear them apart as she struggles to understand who—or what—she really is. And by the light of the full moon, the most dangerous secrets bare their claws. . . .




On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

After the funeral RenĂ©e’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”
It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but RenĂ©e can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.
Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.
Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.

 


Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?
Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.
Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.
Join new and old friends from Camp Half-Blood in this thrilling first audio book in The Heroes of Olympus series.


First in a trilogy that crosses the boundaries of erotic fiction-from the bestselling author of Megan's Mark.



Too weak to resist young Kelly Benton's attempts at seduction, Rowdy Mackay left home eight years ago. Duty as a U.S. Marine put a safe distance between temptation and the nubile Kentucky vixen. Now he's back home and ready to engage in the kind of erotic games that have earned him and his two cousins a Nauti-boy reputation in three counties.



Once it was Kelly's dream too-to feel the heat of the boy she desired. But an attack from a stalker still on the prowl has left Kelly terrified of a man's touch. Now as fear and desire converge, Rowdy fights to save her from the deadly threats of a stranger, to rid her of her demons, and to satisfy a hunger more powerful than either can imagine.