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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I few more books entered my home this past week.








Fallen - Lauren Kate (this finally came into my local chain bookstore after waiting for weeks. I could've bought it online but I was stubborn. Still boggles me how a big bookstore has issues ordering books when they're bestsellers. I kept hearing well we don't have it ordered but we'll get it eventually.)













Blue Bloods - Melissa De La Cruz (got this and book 2 at my local used bookstore. Love finding great deals on books)
















Masquerade - Melissa De La Cruz (Bought)

















Nefertiti - Michelle Moran (Also bought at a great deal)
















A Note from an Old Acquaintance - Bill Walker (a book tour book scheduled for the end of March from Pump up your Book Promotions)
















It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.

Books I finished last week:

Eternal on the Water - Joseph Monninger ( loved this book! My review is here.)




Currently Reading:


Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor - Willow
The Messenger - Lois Lowry (Audiobook)

Books to Finish this Week:

Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor - Willow
The Messenger - Lois Lowry (Audiobook)

Weekend Roundup


This weekend has been a normal weekend for me these days.

Yesterday we went and bought my son some dress slacks, dress shirt, shoes and a tie for him. Next weekend he is taking his girlfriend to a regional prom at her church. My son who swore he'd never go to a semi formal dance has changed his tune since there is a girl in the picture now heh. I'm excited I might actually get a nice picture of my kid. Hard to get those when he's almost grown and hates pictures being taken.

We went to our friends last night to play rockband and hang out. A good time is always had when we go over there and it help relax me, which I really needed.

Today is just a clean off our DVR day and just sit around relaxing. My kind of day really.

The picture above is of a Buffalo. I took it this past summer. I've always loved Buffalo since I saw them as a little kid.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and here's some good vibes for a good week ahead.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

February's 12X12 Reading Challenge

Okay I'm going to give this a whirl in February. I read a lot less than most book bloggers and have been in a bit of a reading slump, but maybe this will motivate and pull me out of it. So here goes nothing. I looked back to last year and I read 3 in February so I will aim for 6 this month and see how it goes.

Here are the details and rules of the challenge:

The idea behind this 12 by 12 Reading Challenge came from two bloggers, Pizza’s Book Discussion in 2009 and FOMA’s National Just Read More Novel’s Month 2010. There will be twelve book bloggers, each hosting their own Just Read More Novel’s Month throughout 2010.

Participants can join in one, two, or all twelve of these separate reading challenges. Each month starts a brand new reading challenge. And the goal? To simply read more novels. Each of us will follow the guidelines set for January’s NaJuReMoNoMo.

The rules are whatever you want to make of them, but here are the guidelines the creator of NaJuReMoNoMo goes by:

1. Must Be A Novel. Works of fiction only, please. Memoirs, non-fiction, how-to books, and Garfield collections don't count.

2. Memoirs Aren't Novels. No matter how made up the story, anything ostensibly true isn't a novel. Also known as The James Frey Rule.

3. Start and Finish in February.

4. Re-reading Doesn't Count. Try something new. Read something by your favorite author or try an entirely new author or tackle that novel you have always wanted to read.

5. Have Fun. Nobody is grading you or paying you or judging you. Read what you like and like what you read.

Some of you had questions about the rules/guidelines. The rules are whatever you want to make of them.

If you can't participate in this one, maybe you can in the one or more of the months ahead. Below is a list of book blogs and the month each will be host to.

J. Kaye’s Book Blog is hosting February.
Alaine - Queen of Happy Endings is hosting March.
One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books is hosting April.
Page Turners is hosting May.
Misfit Salon is hosting June.
Good Books & Wine is hosting July.
Bookworming in the 21st Century is hosting August.
Bibliofreak is hosting September.
Book Crazy is hosting October.
Teens Read & Write is hosting November.
My Life in not so many Words is hosting December.


For book bloggers who would like to participate, create a post for your challenge. Feel free to use the button or make your own. Please link back to this post so that others can find their way here.

For non-bloggers, keep a list of novels you read in February and post that list during the wrap-up post at the end of the month.

  1. Hauling Checks - Alex Stone
  2. Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
  3. Spider's Bite - Jennifer Estep
  4. Conflicts with Interest - Michael Ruddy
  5. Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School We The Children - Andrew Clements
  6. Flirt - Laurell K. Hamilton
I will post my read books on this post as I go.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Eternal on the Water - A Review

Eternal on the Water - Joseph Monninger (Barnes & Noble First Look Book Club)

Product Details (from B&N website)

  • Pub. Date: February 16, 2010
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
  • Format: Paperback, 368pp
  • Sales Rank: 821,695

Synopsis (from B&N website)

From the day Cobb and Mary meet kayaking on Maine's Allagash River and fall deeply in love, the two approach life with the same sense of adventure they use to conquer the river's treacherous rapids. But rivers do not let go so easily...and neither does their love. So when Mary's life takes the cruelest turn, she vows to face those rough waters on her own terms and asks Cobb to promise, when the time comes, to help her return to their beloved river for one final journey.

Set against the rugged wilderness of Maine, the exotic islands of Indonesia, the sweeping panoramas of Yellowstone National Park, and the tranquil villages of rural New England, Eternal on the Water is at once heartbreaking and uplifting — a timeless, beautifully rendered story of true love's power.

My Thoughts:

This book grabbed my attention from page one and it never let go, not once.

I instantly loved Mary and Cobb, The Chungamunga Girls, Wally, Francis, Turtle Freddy, their parents. I even enjoyed all the smaller characters that were a part of Mary and Cobb's journey through their life together. I thought Joseph did a wonderful job telling Mary's story of living with Huntington's disease. I think the disease and it's effects were told with compassion by Joseph.

On top of the amazing love story, there was such beauty in nature. The Allagash River where the Chungamunga girls camp every year. By the end of the book, I longed to see this river. Indonesia where Turtle Freddy dedicates his life to preserving turtles. When they released some of the turtles into the wild, the image was so vivid, I swear I saw it happen. To Yellowstone to study the crows, brought back memories I had long forgotten of my travels there as a small child. The wolves at Yellowstone, how I would love to hear their night callings.

Not only did we get fantastic nature surroundings, we got wonderful animal stories intertwined throughout the book. I had such fun reading all the stories and myths Joseph included in the book. The added that little something extra that made the book just a tad more special.

This book made me laugh, it made me smile, it made me long to see the world, and it made me cry.

Mary and Cobb's story was a joyous and sorrow filled love story that is timeless and will stay with me for a long time. I don't normally give a rating to books in my reviews, it's not my thing, but for this one I am making an exception. 5 stars hands down.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Jane Austen Books & Movies


I'm almost embarrassed to say I have never read a book by Jane Austen or for that matter ever made it through one of the many movie adaptations of her books. I have no clue why this is, but it is.

Sunday I started hearing some hype on twitter about Masterpiece Theater's Emma on PBS. People sounded really excited for it, so I decided I was going to give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised. I really got into the first part of the mini series and can't wait to see more next week.

At the end of the 1st part they showed scenes of upcoming Austen movies and I think I will give those a shot as well. Who know maybe it will inspire me to pick up one of her books and read that too.

So onto my question, which Austen book would you recommend for an Austen newbie? and why?

Monday, January 25, 2010

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...


  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Here's my teaser this week:

Just then a huge shadow passed overhead. It went by so quickly that when she looked up, whatever that had flown over was gone and the sky was empty. A moment later, nearby branches creaked as though about to break.

Tirissa and the Necklace of Nulidor - Willow pg. 1

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

Only a couple of review books in the mail this past week.








Abandoned and Forgotten - Evelyne Tannehill (Publicist for review)
















Size Eight in a Size Zero World - Meredith Cagen (Author for review)

















It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.

Books I finished last week:

Dino Vicelli Private Eye - Lori Weiner
Paper Towns - John Green Audiobook
Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry Audiobook



Currently Reading:


Eternal on The Water - Joseph Monninger (this is for a book club so if I can hold out it will be read over several weeks)

Books to Finish this Week:

Not sure what's next on my list.

Weekend Roundup

Have you ever had a reading slump? I am in the midst of one now. I've finished a couple of audiobooks, and a couple of books the last couple of weeks. I just can't seem to get in the groove of reading. I pick up my book, read a few pages, and then promptly get distracted. It's not the book I'm reading, because it's amazing. I just can't keep my mind still long enough to settle in.

Anyhow not much has gone on this weekend. I stayed home and just relaxed. Still have that winter hibernation feeling going. Come the weekend time, I just want to crawl into my house and not reappear until Monday when I have to start my week over.

This picture is of a lake we've camped at several times since I was a teenager. It's been edited a bit. I got bored one day and fiddled in a editing program.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and here's to a good week ahead.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Gathering Blue Audiobook - A Review

Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry Audiobook (Checked out from Library)

Product Details (from B&N)

  • Pub. Date: October 2006
  • Publisher: Listening Library, Inc.
  • Format: MP3 Book
  • Duration: 5 hours, 28 minutes (equivalent to 5 audio CDs)
  • File Size: 150 MB
  • ISBN-13: 9780739379806
  • ISBN: 0739379801
  • Edition Description: Unabridged

Synopsis (from B&N)

In perhaps her strongest work to date, Lois Lowry once again creates a mysterious but plausible future world. It is a society ruled by savagery and deceit and that shuns and discards the weak. Left orphaned and physically flawed, young Kira faces a frightening, uncertain future. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, she struggles with ever broadening responsibilities in her quest for truth, discovering things that will change her life forever.

As she did in THE GIVER, Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, how people could evolve, and what could be considered valuable. Every reader will be taken by Kira’s plight and will long ponder her haunting world and the hope for the future.

My Thoughts:

I always say when it comes to audiobooks, the narrators either makes it or breaks it. The Narrator of this book was awesome! She brought the book to life. Add that to a great story and you've got one heck of an enjoyable listening experience. If asked my opinion I would recommend the audio version of this book to anyone.

I loved the characters in this book. Kira is such a talented and inquisitive young girl. Thomas another very talented boy. Matt the street boy you can't help but love. All these amazing characters in a world that seems so primitive.

There's Jamison, the man in charge of Kira and Thomas. You want so bad to believe he's a good man but at the same time you can't help but wonder what he's hiding. In a world where babies, old people, disfigured/disabled people are thrown out into the field to die, you have to wonder really what's going on in their world that seems is in and of itself, cut off from anywhere else.

The ending surprised me but I don't want to spoil anything so I will leave it at that.

I've read the Giver by Lois and I was not let down with this book, if anything I'd say this one was even stronger, more powerful of a book.

Dino Vicelli Private Eye - A Review

Dino Vicelli Private Eye - Lori Weiner (Received from publicist for review purposes)

Product Details (Via B&N):

  • Pub. Date: May 2009
  • Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company, Inc.
  • Format: Paperback, 98pp


Synopsis (from back of book)
:

This story transports the reader to an alternate-reality version of New York City, in which talking dogs interact regularly with humans. The hero, Dino Vicelli, is a private investigator who just happens to be a sharply dressed Italian Greyhound with a great fondness for cigars. He takes on what initially appears to be a routine missing persons case but soon finds himself in the midst of a sinister plot that involves kidnapping, murder, and bizarre scientific experiments aimed at controlling the world. As he investigates this strange case, Dino repeatedly encounters mortal danger, while also finding romance with a beautiful blonde Afghan dog.

With its unusual twists on the traditional detective story genre, this book blends elements of humor, suspense, and fantasy.

My Thoughts:

I've been having a little bit of a reading slump lately and I was looking for something short, easy to read and humorous. I found all of that in this book.

I loved the world where dog's walked and talked just like humans. I got a real kick out of the greyhound race track where the greyhounds ran the business and the racers were human. Very cute.

The characters were fun and the storyline was enjoyable, maybe a bit hard to follow at times but by the end it all made sense. The book was funny and had all these cute saying or items, like the lawyer's son's name being Rot Weiler. Cute stuff like that.

All in all this book was a fun read and a great way to get me reading again.



Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Paper Towns Audiobook - A Review

Paper Towns - John Green

Product Details (via B&N)

  • Pub. Date: October 2008
  • Publisher: Brilliance Audio
  • Format: MP3 on CD

Synopsis (via B&N)

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

Printz medalist John Green returns with the brilliant wit and searing emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of listeners.

My Thoughts:

I really like John Green's style of story telling. This is my second John Green book and I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first.

I found myself being drawn into Q's search for Margo. I wanted to know what made Margo tick. Why she acts out the way she does. The clues weren't all that easy to follow, so I was glad John took the time to sort of explain them as the story evolved.

Margo is pretty self centered and it annoyed me a bit but it's also part of what made this story what it is, so I dealt with it.

All in all in my opinion it was a worthwhile listen and I'll be keeping my eye out for any more John Green books that might come my way.


Monday, January 18, 2010

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...


  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Here's my teaser this week:

No Trespassing as posted by the Confederation of the Willing and its representative Province of Bodland. This property has been devalued as a residence of place of business and is Off Map for any citizen. Entrance will be noted via your slate and penalties may include 102A, 102B, 217A, and/or 550.

A 550. I think about the punishment hiding behind that number.

Veractiy - Laura Bynum pg. 7

I know I cheated a bit with sentence but it needed all of them to obtain the impact I was trying to get across.

Veracity Blog Tour January 18, 2010

Veracity - Laura Bynum (Pocketbooks for Blog Tour)

Product Details (via B&N website)

* Pub. Date: January 2010
* Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
* Format: Hardcover, 384pp

* ISBN-13: 9781439123348
* ISBN: 1439123349

Synopsis (via B&N website)

Harper Adams was six years old in 2012 when an act of viral terrorism wiped out one-half of the country's population. Out of the ashes rose a new government, the Confederation of the Willing, dedicated to maintaining order at any cost. The populace is controlled via government-sanctioned sex and drugs, a brutal police force known as the Blue Coats, and a device called the slate, a mandatory implant that monitors every word a person speaks. To utter a Red-Listed, forbidden word is to risk physical punishment or even death.

But there are those who resist. Guided by the fabled "Book of Noah," they are determined to shake the people from their apathy and ignorance, and are prepared to start a war in the name of freedom. The newest member of this resistance is Harper -- a woman driven by memories of a daughter lost, a daughter whose very name was erased by the Red List. And she possesses a power that could make her the underground warriors' ultimate weapon -- or the instrument of their destruction.

In the tradition of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Laura Bynum has written an astonishing debut novel about a chilling, all-too-plausible future in which speech is a weapon and security comes at the highest price of all.

My Thoughts:

When I first read the synopsis of this book, I knew instantly that I had to read it. I knew it had potential to be an exciting read. I wasn't let down. The synopsis says it is reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and after reading it I would have to agree.

Imagine living in a world where the penalty for saying something as simple as democracy could get you shot on site or tortured or worse. That's if you survive the shock the implant you have in your neck, gives you for saying the word in the first place. There were a lot of places in this book that just gave me the creeps and leaves you wondering what if? What if we lost our our right to say what we want, when we want? What would you do if your rights were taken away from you?

Veracity opens up a lot of areas of discussable content and I think it would even be a decent choice for a book club that loves to debate. Loss of freedom of speech, Loss of family, Public executions and torture. On the flip side you have the love a mother has for her child, the strength of the people who remember the old times, our times, and want to get it back.

The whole way through the book you hear about the elusive "Book of Noah" and how the Blue Coats will go to any length to get it. By the end of the book you will know why this book is so important and why it was protected at any cost. I will admit I was surprised to find out what and why.

I'd enjoyed this book and I am glad I got the opportunity to read it.

Participating Blogs:

All About {n}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
The Cajun Book Lady: http://thecajunbooklady.blogspot.com/
Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com/
My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
The Neverending Shelf: http://www.theneverendingshelf.com/
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
Books Gardens & Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
My Book Views: http://my-book-views.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Brizmus Blogs About Books: http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/
Pam’s Private Reflections: http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com/
My Book Addiction and More: www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
Frugal Plus: http://frugalplus.com/
Books, Books Everywhere: http://bookbookseverywhere.blogspot.com/
My Guilty Pleasures: http://www.mgpblog.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
A Book Bloggers Diary: http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/
Opinionated? Me?: http://readingwatchingliving.blogspot.com/
I Heart Monster: http://www.iheartmonster.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Parajunkee’s View: http://parajunkee.blogspot.com/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
You Wanna Know What I Think?: http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com/
Bookfoolery & Babble: http://bookfoolery.blogspot.com/
Between the Pages: http://www.betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/
Savey Spender: http://saveyspender.com/
Temple Library Reviews: http://templelibraryreviews.blogspot.com/
See Michelle Read: http://seemichelleread.blogspot.com/
Revenge of the Booknerds: http://booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com/
Must Read Faster: http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
Blog Business World: http://www.blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com/
What Book Is That?: http://whatbookisthat.blogspot.com/
Books & Needlepoint: http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/



Author website:


http://www.laurabynum.com/

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

I had another pretty full mailbox this week.









Some Girls Are - Courtney Summers (bought)















Veracity - Laura Bynum (blog tour for Pocketbooks)
















Hauling Checks - Alex Stone (author for review)
















The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl - Barry Lyga (PBS)

















Wondrous Strange - Lesley Livingston (bought)

















Dino Vecilli Private Eye - Lori Weiner (Publicist for review)














It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.




Books I finished last week:
Veracity - Laura Bynum (barely got this done in time)

Currently Reading:
Eternal on The Water - Joseph Monninger (this is for a book club so if I can hold out it will be read over several weeks)

Books to Finish this Week:

Not sure what's next on my list.

Weekend Rounup

So I actually got out of my house this weekend and did things.

Saturday I spent the majority of the afternoon reading a book for a blog tour tomorrow morning. I spent my evening at a friends house geeking out playing Rockband. It was nice to get out and hang out with them for awhile.

Now on to the highlight of my weekend. The same friends I hung out with on Saturday convinced me and my honey that we just had to see Avatar 3D. So on Sunday morning we all headed out to the first showing. Holy cow my eyes have never seen such stunning visual effects. I was amazed! It was not just great visual eye candy, the story was outstanding too. I highly, highly recommend you get out and see the 3D version of this movie if your area has it. You won't be disappointed.

We are now home and settled in to watch the Chargers vs Jets football game. My honey is from San Diego and a big Chargers fans so it's loud at my house currently lol.

My plan for the rest of the day is watch the game and finish my blog tour book. So I'd better get busy.

I hope you all had a great weekend and I hope your upcoming weeks goes good too.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

I am Ozzy (Abridged) Audiobook Giveaway!


Thanks to Anna at Hachette, I have 3 copies to giveaway!

Full Description

"They've said some crazy things about me over the years. I mean, okay: 'He bit the head off a bat.' Yes. 'He bit the head off a dove.' Yes. But then you hear things like, 'Ozzy went to the show last night, but he wouldn't perform until he'd killed fifteen puppies . . .' Now me, kill fifteen puppies? I love puppies. I've got eighteen of the f**king things at home. I've killed a few cows in my time, mind you. And the chickens. I shot the chickens in my house that night.

It haunts me, all this crazy stuff. Every day of my life has been an event. I took lethal combinations of booze and drugs for thirty f**king years. I survived a direct hit by a plane, suicidal overdoses, STDs. I've been accused of attempted murder. Then I almost died while riding over a bump on a quad bike at f**king two miles per hour.

People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of sixty, which one of us would end up with five kids and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and Beverly Hills, I wouldn't have put money on me, no f**king way. But here I am: ready to tell my story, in my own words, for the first time.

A lot of it ain't gonna be pretty. I've done some bad things in my time. I've always been drawn to the dark side, me. But I ain't the devil. I'm just John Osbourne: a working-class kid from Aston, who quit his job in the factory and went looking for a good time."


US and Canada only
No PO Boxes

To enter:
+1 leave email address
+1 follower/new follower

Contest runs through February 10, 2010 6pm PST

Contest closed. Winners will be announced on February 11, 2010

Friday, January 15, 2010

Swan Thieves (Unagbridged) Audiobook Giveaway!



Thanks to Anna at Hachette, I have 3 copies of this audiobook to giveaway!

Book Description

Psychiatrist Andrew Marlowe has a perfectly ordered life--solitary, perhaps, but full of devotion to his profession and the painting hobby he loves. This order is destroyed when renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient. In response, Marlowe finds himself going beyond his own legal and ethical boundaries to understand the secret that torments this genius, a journey that will lead him into the lives of the women closest to Robert Oliver and toward a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism.

Ranging from American museums to the coast of Normandy, from the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth, from young love to last love, THE SWAN THIEVES is a story of obsession, the losses of history, and the power of art to preserve human hope.


US and Canada only
No PO Boxes

To enter:
+1 leave email address
+1 follower/new follower

Contest runs through February 5, 2010 6pm PST Contest Closed. Winners will be announced tomorrow.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

A to Z Wednesday

Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.
Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments
Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.
(We all love comments, don't we?)
Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: W

Witch & Wizard - James Patterson

Product Details (from B&N website)

  • Pub. Date: December 2009
  • Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
  • Format: Hardcover, 314pp
  • Age Range: Young Adult


Synopsis (from B&N website)

EVERYTHING. CHANGES. NOW.

Imagine you wake up and the world around you-life as you know it-has changed in an instant. That's what has happened to Whit Allgood and his sister, Whisty. They went to sleep as normal teenagers, and woke up as wanted criminals. Accused of holding incredible powers they'd never dreamed possible. And now, just how different they are-special, even-if just beginning to be revealed in a strange new world.

It begins...now.

I got this for Christmas and I am very excited to read this. I just have to figure how to work it into my schedule of reading.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...


  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Here's my teaser this week:

I'm used to everyone's eyes on me; that's nothing new. When your Anna Morrison's best friend, people look.

Some Girls Are - Courtney Summers, pg 21

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Mailbox Monday & What Are You Reading

This is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Join the fun and post what you got in your mailbox last week!

Well after having a month of hardly getting anything, my mailbox was pretty full this week.







The Girl Made of Cool - Alan Fox (from author for review)















Firespell - Chloe Neill (bought)
















Beautiful Americans - Lucy Silag (bought)
















Letter to My Daughter - George Bishop (Shelf Awareness/Publisher for review)















Eternal on the Water - Joseph Monninger (B&N First look Book Club)
















Fireworks Over Toccoa - Jeffrey Stepakoff (Shelf Awarness/Publisher for review)













It's Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event hosted by J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.









Books I finished last week:
The Cost of Dreams - Gary Stelzer
Letter to My Daughter - George Bishop (review to be posted in February closer to book release)

Currently Reading:
Eternal on The Water - Joseph Monninger (this is for a book club so if I can hold out it will be read over several weeks)

Books to Finish this Week:

Veractiy - Laura Bynum (if it arrives on time)