Book Review- Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

I don't know what took me so long to read this book after finishing Wicked Lovely so long ago. I was a little lost at the beginning, having forgotten a bit about the characters from the first book, but was soon pulled back into Melissa Marr's wonderfully imagined world filled with faeries that walk amongst humans unseen. This book focuses on characters that had smaller roles in Wicked Lovely, Leslie- Aislinn's mortal friend and Niall, Keenan, the king of the Summer Court's adviser.

Leslie is trying to escape the pain and fear she feels at home by getting a tattoo that she hopes will help her change, become stronger. Unfortunately, she gets more than she bargained for when she chooses the mark of the king of the Dark Court.

One of the things I love about these books are the descriptions of the different fey. I would love to see them made into movies or TV show. Okay, now I really want to read Fragile Eternity. Anyone know when it comes out in paperback?

4/5


Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

Teaser Tuesday-4/28/09

I picked up a copy of Melissa Marr's Ink Exchange on Sunday and devoured it Monday while home sick. I thought I would share a bit today of what I love of these books. The images of the faeries that are so surreal and different. I truly enjoy getting lost in this world for a little while.

"His bones weren't quite right, like there were extra lengths or joints where she had none. His cheekbones were too severe for a human's face, too angular, and his skin glowed as if illuminated by a light inside him, as if his skin were too sheer, like parchment over a flame." page 235. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr.

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.



Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

Don't judge a book by its cover (Tuesday Thingers)

Questions: Do you have any missing covers (they show as a plain gray book)? Did you have a favorite view (title, author, date entered)? Do you have any favorite covers? If so, is there anything they have in common?

You know, I just went to look and I don't have any gray books. All my covers are there. Of course I change the cover if it does come up blank. I love the cover view. It is not what I usually use but I like it. I choose books by their covers a lot of the time so I definitely have favorites. I think the covers of Melissa Marr's books are beautiful. They are my favorites right now. 

I picked up The Perks of Being a Wallflower because of the simplicity of the cover and the size of the book.  Small, simple on the outside-quiet like the main character in the book. I loved the cover even more after reading.

The covers of The Rossetti Letter and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks are very similar. A letter closed with red seal wax. I hadn't realized they were so alike until looking at my covers for this post. 

Tuesday Thingers is hosted my Wendi of Wendi's Book Corner.



Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

IndieBound iPhone app

Have you all heard of IndieBound? It is a great site dedicated to helping people locate great independent booksellers. Well, they just came out with an iPhone App that I downloaded this week. It puts book lists, a book search, and a store finder all in the palm of your hand. How handy is that? This is great for any book loving person. I am definitely putting it to use this summer during my travels. 


Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

More Books in the House

There were more books in the mail this week. I finally got myself a copy of a book by Maureen Johnson. I have been reading her blog for awhile now but hadn't read any of her books! I bought The Bermudez Triangle and am looking forward to reading it soon.

Also purchased this week...Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. That one was not planned but I wanted something to read while I ate my lunch at Panera yesterday. I forgot to bring my current read with me. I hate eating alone unless I have a book to keep me company.

One more. This one from the author for review. Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton. I haven't read a romance novel in awhile so am looking forward to reading it.

And that is about it. What books came into your home this week?

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page

Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

Book Review- Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

This is the story of three teens from very different backgrounds who are in a psychiatric hospital for attempting suicide. Vanessa has a family history of mental illness, Tony grew up being abused by his mother's boyfriends, and Connor seemingly has it all but looks can be deceiving.

Told in first person by all three characters, Impulse has quite a powerful impact. You feel what they are feeling, you sometimes understand their pain other times you don't. You are there to see their recovery and their fall backs.

I received the audiobook through Library Thing's Early Reviewers Program and listened to it on my drive to and from work for the past two weeks. Heavy material but I am glad to have had a chance to hear it. I think audiobook format was perfect for me. I am not much of a poetry reader so I have stayed away from these books for that reason. The book is a collection of free verse poems, as I believe all of the author's books are. The actors really brought Ellen Hopkins' words to life in a way I may not have appreciated as much in reading. It was like listening to someone's private journal with the good and the bad all shared. So real and raw, this book leaves you reeling.

I will be thinking about this one for awhile.

4/5

A to Z Challenge

YA Book Challenge

Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

Book Review- Austenland by Shannon Hale

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Austenland is a book written for any girl who is obsessed with the lives of those found in the pages of Jane Austen's books. Who of us has not imagined going back to Regency-era England and meeting our own Mr. Darcy?

Jane Hayes gets a chance to vacation at an English estate where she will live the dream for a couple weeks. She gets to dress up in corsets and empire waist gowns. She gets to play whist and take turns around the gardens always accompanied by the handsomest of men. Actors all of them, but part of the illusion. Can she really find love here when the men are being paid to court them and make them fall in love?


You will have to read it to find out, but we all know how Austen books always end- with a happy ending.

4/5



Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

DM tonight!

Depeche Mode will be on Jimmy Kimmel tonight! You know what I will be doing.

Their album Sounds of the Universe came out earlier this week.

Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

Book Review- How to be Popular by Meg Cabot

How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot

Steph is tired of being the butt of jokes. She has put up with it for 5 years since spilling a Big Gulp sized Big Red soda on the skirt of one of the popular girls, who has never been able to just let it go. Steph's plan for her 11th grade year is to become popular. And, well, it works... kind of.

This was a fun read. My first Meg Cabot book. I couldn't believe I hadn't read any of her books before. I love the lesson of not needing to be popular to have great friends and a fun high school experience. I was also very happy to see Steph not make too many mistakes during her short rise to popularity. She was able to keep her head on straight for the most part.

3/5

YA Book Challenge

AtoZ Challenge


Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

Let's Be Friends

Since beginning my book blog I have found so many wonderful, like-minded people. Just this weekend I was awarded twice with the Let's Be Friends Award! How sweet is that? I would like this to be a friendly place for you all to visit so thank you Harvee of BookBirdDog and Jessica.Marie of BooksLoveJessicaMarie! Everyone should go and visit their blogs!

"Blogs that received the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers."

Here are some really wonderful and friendly bloggers to go and visit.

Biblioaddict
Garden in my Pocket
The Eclectic Reader
Devourer of Books
Socrates Book Reviews
Drey's Library
Serendipity
She Reads and Reads

Be sure and visit all these great blogs!

I also received the "One Lovely Blog Award" from Jessica Marie. Thanks so much! I think yours is as well. :)

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link. 2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I am passing this one on to all of you listed above. Because as well as being very friendly you all have lovely blogs that I truly enjoy visiting daily. :)



Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

Prizes! Want to see?

I have come to entice more people to enter my Show Me Your Bookmarks Contest going on right now. How else, but with pictures of the prizes! Some of the prizes, anyway. 

You can win Bookmarks! 

      

You can win Books!

Click on the link (above or below) and go enter! It's easy. Just show me or tell me about your bookmarks.

Bookmark love: Nymeth pointed me to Ma Petite Papeterie's when I gushed over one of her bookmarks. I absolutely love all of the bookmarks in her shop Go take a look! 

Also, make sure to go take a look at all the really beautiful handmade bookmarks Nymeth has made.


Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Mailbox Monday-04/20/09

On Monday I made a trip to Border's and raided the bargain bins. I came home with two books for me and two books for the classroom. I have read the two other books by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus so am looking forward to reading Dedication. Here Kitty Kitty by Jardine Libaire just sounded interesting and it was $3.99.


I found this in my mailbox. The third book in the Temperance Brennan Series by Kathy Reichs. It was the one book I was missing. This one came through BookMooch.

Friday was the biggest book delivery I have had since my last visit to B&N.com. Lots and lots of great books. Two of which have already been read. They were perfect for the Read-a-thon. Just a list this time.

How to be Popular by Meg Cabot

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Nocturnes by John Connelly

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

All I Want is Everything (Gossip Girl 3) by Cecily von Ziegesar

The River King by Alice Hoffman

It was a good week for books. :)

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page


Be sure to check out my current contest. Go here to see the prizes. You have until May 1st!

Never Again: What You Do Matters

Today marks the beginning of the Days of Remembrance, "America's annual commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust".  This year's theme is "Never Again: What you do Matters". Please visit the site, remember the victims, the survivors. Never forget.

How will you remember?

Go here and see what you can do.

For a list of books pertaining to the Holocaust and/or WWII, there is a very good list provided at the War Through The Generations Challenge site.

Book Review- Drawers and Booths by Ara13

Drawers & Booths by Ara 13

I was a little hesitant about this book when I agreed to review it. I wasn't sure if it was going to be a book I would like. It is very different from what I usually read but the concept sounded very interesting. I am so glad I agreed to review it because it is truly the most creatively written book I have read in awhile.

The book begins on an island following a Marine combat journalist around a military base. You start getting very comfortable in this setting and start getting interested in the characters when the narrator jumps in and takes over the story. Yes, the narrator. He takes the reader with on his search for the person behind all the horrors that happen... child molestation, genocide, war. It begins to read like a mystery novel. When the person is caught the book becomes a court room drama, ala Law & Order and you will never believe who is on trial.

Such an interesting way of discussing and analyzing the horrors we see and who is responsible for what man does. This was my first truly metafictional book and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more books by Ara13. Thanks for sending it my way.

4/5




Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Sunday Salon (Read-a-thon Recap)

I ended up sleeping through the last four hours as I did the first four. But no worries, I did manage to finish 3 books! That is quite a feat for me. I made much better choices for books this go around. So to finish off this great event, here is the End of Event Meme (just a little late)...

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour 20. That was when I finally called it quits
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Anything under 300 pages, fast paced and an easy read.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? I think all went very well!
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? The dedicated site was great to figure out which mini-challenges were happening, what hour we were in, etc. The hosts did a wonderful job. :)
5. How many books did you read? 3!
6. What were the names of the books you read?

Drawers & Booths by Ara 13, 215 pages
How to be Popular by Meg Cabot, 287 pages
Austenland by Shannon Hale, 194 pages

Total pages read: 696

7. Which book did you enjoy most? Austenland
8. Which did you enjoy least? I actually enjoyed them all but Drawers & Booths did take a little longer to get through.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? They did a wonderful job. Very encouraging!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Very likely! Reader and/or cheerleader. :)

Now it is time to recover from staying up until 3:30 am! can you believe I still want to just sit around and read? :)

Happy Sunday!



Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Read-a-thon (5th Update)

It seems to be getting quieter. Not as many readers about. I am still hanging on here at 1:30am. Not sure how much longer, though. I am 42 pages into my third book and, thankfully, am getting sucked into Austenland. I don't think I could continue if the book didn't grab me.

Books finished:2
Book Currently Reading: Austenland by Shannon Hale
Pages read since last post: 118
Total Pages read:545
Time spent reading: 11hrs 00 mins
Time online: 55mins
Readers visited: 11
Mini Challenges: 5

Jessica's Rereading MiniChallenge

All my books for the read-a-thon are new for me. No rereads. I actually am not much of a rereader in general. There are very few books that I will reread. The only books I have reread a lot are the Harry Potter books. Every time a new book in the series came out I reread the previous books. Sam thing with the movies. There is just something about these books that I never get tired of. There is always something I catch during the rereads that I missed before.


Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Read-a-thon (4th Update)

I was on;y able to read 100 pages before heading out to a friend's birthday party for a couple hours. I am home now, though, ready to finish How to be Popular. I only have about 70 pages to go. Then it will be on to my third book of the night. Woot. Not bad for not starting on time and having to leave the house twice. :)

Thank you all for the encouragement and kind words. I have not been very good at responding to everyone's comments but I will, I promise, it just might not be until tomorrow. :)

Happy reading to everyone!

Books finished:1
Book Currently Reading: How to be Popular by Meg Cabot
Pages read since last post: 100
Total Pages read:427
Time spent reading: 9hrs 00 mins
Time online: 55mins
Readers visited: 8
Mini Challenges: 4






Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Read-a-thon (3rd Update)

Along with taking a shower, going to dinner and visiting the bookstore (getting some bookmarks for contest prizes) I also started my second book. Reading is going very quickly with this one. Should be finished with it by my next update, I hope. :)
How are you all doing so far?

Books finished:1
Book Currently Reading: How to be Popular by Meg Cabot
Pages read since last post: 112
Total Pages read:327
Time spent reading: 7 hrs 30 mins
Time online: 45mins
Readers visited: 8
Mini Challenges: 4

Mini-challenges below.

Shannon's Letter to the protagonist

Dear Steph,

I know you hate being the butt of jokes and wish you were popular, but it isn't all it's cracked up to be. Really. Having a close group of friends who support you and have your back is so much more important. Love who you are, love the friends you have and your last years in high school will be just perfect. No need to worry about what the A-listers think.

Love, Mari

Jessica's Local Library Challenge
What is the name of your local library? What city is it located in?

Austin Public Library, Old Quarry Branch in Austin, TX

How often do you go to the library? If you're a regular, do the staff know you?

I was going pretty regularly for awhile but have stopped since buying and receiving so many books to read. I must get through the ones I have before getting more.

Do you browse while you're there or just pick up items you have placed on reserve?

I am a browser. I could spend hours in the library.

What is your favorite thing about your local library?

It is so close to home. It is in walking distance, it is en route to work for easy drop offs to avoid over due books. :)




Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Read-a-thon (2nd Update)

I finished my first book. Yay! What hour is this anyway? I have no clue. Okay, back to reading. Next book up- How to be Popular by Meg Cabot.

Now I am really off to take a shower. Didn't get to that before. :) Hoping to finish this next book before going to a friend's birthday party.

Books read:1
Pages read since last post: 118
Total Pages read:215
Time spent reading: 4 hrs 15 mins
Time online: 30mins
Readers visited: 3

Happy reading!


Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Read-a-thon Hour 6 (first update)

I am so late in starting my reading today. Late night out kept me asleep way past the start time. So, it is already noon and I am only about half way through my first book. After this post, I will finish the book before getting back online.

My stats so far (very pathetic compared to the rest of you, I know).

Book Curently reading:Drawers & Booths by Ara 13
Pages read: 97
Time spent reading: 1hour30min
Time online: 19 mins

Just ate a slice of cold pizza, now it is back to my reading and hopefully a shower. :)

Hope you are all having a much more productive read-a-thon. :)





Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

A Couple Thank You's

So many wonderful bloggers have been kind to me lately, giving me such sweet awards. I added a slideshow of them over in the sidebar. You have to click on it to see who gave them to me but please do and go visit them!

Today I found I had been given 2 more!

Sunshine of Garden In My Pocket has given me the "One Lovely Blog" Award. Thanks so much Sunshine! Go and check out the other bloggers she awarded it to.

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link. 2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Also, Teddyree of The Eclectic Reader has given me the Splash Award. Thanks, Teddyree!

The Splash award acknowledges alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive & inspiring blogs -Splashy blogs with that little something. I love visiting The Book Resort.

The Rules:1) Put the logo on your blog. 2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you. 3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. 4) Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog. 5) Remember to link to the person from whom your received your Splash award. 6) Have F~U~N

I wanted to say thank you to Teddyree and Sunshine before the weekend. I am sorry to not choose individual blogs to give this to but I am going to say that everyone that visits and everyone I visit are all worthy of these awards. I give them to all of you. :)

Have a wonderful weekend and if you are participating in the Read-a-thon tomorrow, Good Luck and Happy Reading!

Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

24 Hour Read-a-Thon Book List

Since signing up I have been trying to figure out what books to get ready for Saturday. So, here is a tentative list for my 2nd attempt at the Read-a-thon:

Here Kitty Kitty by Jardine Libaire
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

And, if my B&N order gets here in time...

Austenland by Shannon Hale
How to be Popular by Meg Cabot
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

Hopefully I can get through at least a couple of these. :)

Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Book Review- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

When I started reading the book I was a bit worried that it wasn't going to live up to the hype. It was hard for me to get into despite truly loving the idea of it. I explained the story of Bod to my husband. That he was a boy being raised by spirits in a graveyard. He agreed that it was such an original and interesting idea, so why was I having so much trouble with it?

Each chapter reads like a short story. Small snippets of Bod's life in the graveyard. An adventure here, another there five years later. There is very little information about what happened to his family and why. It was the second half of the book when I started to realize that I was really enjoying it. When Bod grows up and begins to search for answers. The last chapters are definitely the best.

This very imaginative, dark and sometimes creepy book will be reread very soon. I feel like I dragged myself through the first half without realizing what I was reading. I have to go back and see what I missed.

3.5/5

YA Book Challenge

Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

My Blog is Enchanted!

Who knew? Yvonne of Socrates Book Review has once again been so kind to give me an award. This one, the "Your Blog Is Enchanted!" Award, is so cute. I love Tinker Bell. Thanks, Yvonne!

The only requirement for this award is that you share it with whomever you like, sharing the love is always a good thing. The blog has to show only one characteristic, caring. So, start sharing this enchanted award with five other bloggers. Let your bloggers know they have received this enchanted award. (Remember, fairies are fickle wee things, don't incur their displeasure by ignoring their gift.)

I would love to share this award with everyone. Really, I would, but I can't displease the fairies. :) So here are some very caring book bloggers. Please go and visit these really great ladies and their wonderful blogs.

Callista of SMS Book Reviews

Toni of A Circle of Books

Jenners of Find Your Next Book Here

Serena of Savy Verse & Wit

Mo of UnMainstream Mom Reads

Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-Thon

Well, at the last minute I have decided to participate in the Read-a-Thon again. This time I am ready with short, easy to read books. Also, I know not to spend all my time online updating. Read, Mari, read. That is the whole point, right? Not sure if I will be able to participate all 24 hours, but I am going to do my best. 

I have an order in with Barnes & Noble. 7 books total! And, I bought a couple books at Borders yesterday. (I must be stopped!) I am hoping to make a dent in my purchases this weekend. Perhaps some of them will be passed on as prizes for my current giveaway. (Click on the link below for more info.)

Will you all be participating? 

Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Current Read and a Teaser(4/14/09)

As I mentioned yesterday, my books are leaning toward WWII Historical Fiction these days. The book I am reading now, An Obsolete Honor  by Helena P. Schrader fits the bill perfectly. It is the "Story of the German Resistance to Hitler" and so far it is fascinating. It is hard for me to put down. It is a big book- 568 pages- so it is going to take me awhile to read this, but if it is as good as the first 50 pages I don't think that will be a problem. 

Here is a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of Philip Feldburg about the new regime and how the people in his hometown are embracing it:

"In one of the store windows, someone had placed a photo of Adolf Hitler and adorned it with greens and a candle as if it were a picture of the Virgin or a saint. Something curdled in his stomach, and the sour expression on his face caught his mother's attention." page 2, An Obsolete Honor by Helena P. Schrader

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

(By the way, I pick my teaser lines instead of picking randomly. I want to share something that peaks your interest and something that shows what the book is about. Hope you all don't mind that little change.)

Be sure to check out my current contest. You have until May 1st!

Show Me Your Bookmarks Contest!

I mentioned in the meme on Sunday that I have a multitude of bookmarks but forget to use them. I wasn't kidding. Here they all are. Actually, that is not all of them! I found a few more after I took the picture. I love bookmarks and every one of these has a story behind them. Some came from giveaways, some are gifts from online friends from all over the world, and some I purchased on my travels. The Riviera Maya one is a favorite and a nice reminder of our trip to Mexico.

Underneath all of these is one I got for Christmas this past year from my brother-in-law. It is a collage of family pictures and on the bottom (which you can see if you click to enlarge the picture) he wrote a very nice note, "For your 100th book and the 100 more next year... Merry Christmas." What a great gift!

So, are you sentimental about your bookmarks? Do you have a collection? Any favorites?

I showed you mine now its your turn to show me yours. 

Post a picture on your blog, say a little something about them, leave me a link here and I will give you 3 entries in a little contest. If you don't have a blog send me an email. 

Other ways to enter:

1. Comment with your answer. (1 entry)

2. Follow Me. (1 entry)

3. Mention the contest on your blog. (1 entry)

Just be sure to let me know in the comments. :)

Prizes? Of course there will be prizes. Bookmarks! Books!

Depending on how many enter, it may be one grand prize or lots of smaller gifts for more winners. I will share those with you very soon so come back to see what you can win.

You have until midnight(CST) on Friday, May 1st to enter.  

Contest is now closed!

I can't wait to see your bookmarks!

It's Mailbox Monday Time

It was a good week for books. Not too many or too few. One came in the mail for review in May. The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford was sent to me by Tracee. (Thanks, Tracee!)
I have been on a WWII theme book hunt lately. It started with Sarah's Key back in January and has continued. The book I am reading now is also in the same historical fiction genre. ( There will be more on it tomorrow for Teaser Tuesday.)

The other two were free eBooks I got for the iPhone:

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Blood Engines by T.A. Pratt

Hopefully they turn out to be good. I hadn't heard of them before now. You?

So, did you all get anything good in the mail this past week?

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page

A Bookish Meme (Sunday Salon)

I know, I know, a meme. Well, it is midnight, I have had a few beers and I am ready for bed. This is all my brain can handle right now. :) 

Hope you all have a very nice and restful Sunday with your family and friends.

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?  

I usually prefer mass market paperbacks since they are cheaper and easier to transport. Hardbacks are nice but I just can't afford to get them all the time. Trade paperbacks are okay, but the ones I really don't like are the in between paperbacks. The tall ones but still just as wide as the mass market ones. Absolutely no point in these but to charge more.

Order online, at a chain bookstore, or at an independent bookstore?
All of the above. I really try to get most of my books from my favorite Indie bookstores but sometimes I just can't pass up the deals online and at the chains.

Bookmark or dog-ear?
Bookmark, but I have been known to dog-ear my paperbacks when a bookmark can't be found (which really shouldn't happen considering how many bookmarks I have).

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
My books are alphabitized by author

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Keep! I have never thrown away except for my hardcover copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle after one of my students got sick all over it. I have never sold any of my books either. I usually share with friends and family and more recently have been giving them away on BookMooch.

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
With. It makes for a handy bookmark when I forget or lose my actual bookmark.

Short story or novel?
Novel!

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Harry Potter! (But I have never read the Lemony Snicket Books)

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
The first. I love mysteries and suspense stories. My absolute favorite types of books.

New or used?
As long as it is in good condition I don't care wither way.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
Recommendations and browsing. My most favorite books have come from family and friend recommendations.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Depends on the book, really, and whether or not I have the next book in hand.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
I love when I have time to read in the morning before getting up out of bed, but nighttime is when most of my reading gets done.

Stand-alone or series?
Both.

Favorite series?
Harry Potter, of course!

Favorite children’s book?
See above. :)

Favorite YA book?
Hmm, that is a hard one but right now it would be The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
I have no clue. I would have said The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, but I think it is more popular than I thought it was.

Favorite books read last year?
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Do you ever smell books?
Nope. But I can smell the ones that are getting mildewed.

What are you reading right now?
An Obsolete Honor by Helena P. Schrader and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

What are you reading next?
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Book review- Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer

Captain Holly Short is believed to be a murderer, Artemis and Butler (still mind-wiped) are in danger of being killed and Mulch Diggums is the only one capable of helping them all survive. Can that be right? Kind of, but Mulch would appreciate my synopsis. 

Another great book in the Artemis Fowl series. The book is a little bit darker and serious than the previous. There is a death and a lot more violence in this one but the drama is balanced with a lot of the usual humor and fun of the three books before it. 

I have noticed that the last three books are classified as Young Adult while the first's reading level is shown for Ages 9-12. The change is most evident in this one and in The Eternity Code. The story has gotten better with each book. As Artemis matures so do the stories.

4/5

Serial Readers Challenge

Book Review- Cry of Justice by Jason Pratt

Cry of Justice by Jason Pratt

Cry of Justice is the first book in a planned trilogy. A small band of soldiers led by their Commander,Portunista, make there way through Mikon after a large and terrible war has ended. They find themselves at a tower, on a mission set by Portunista, to get a hold of what was left there by another maga. Believed to be abandoned, they are surprised to find themselves surrounded by armies and other magi that they must fight to keep the Tower.

As I have mentioned before, this was a difficult book to get through because of the style of writing and the way the book is laid out. Some parts almost seem to be written in riddle. I had to reread passages to make sure I understood what was being said. The story jumps between the main narrator and the journal entries of two of the main characters. It also jumps in time making it all the more difficult to get a good grasp on the story. 

However, once I got comfortable with the style and got past the first 50 or so pages,  the story did get easier to follow and the characters became more interesting. The world and races of people that Jason Pratt has created is very imaginative and different than anything I have read. What I really wish this book had, though, is a map. A map like the one on the ceiling of the tower. Also...a glossary. There are a lot of names and terminology I would have liked explained more.

An interesting and well thought out book.

3/5

Book Review- The Strength of a Sparrow by Tim Anders

The Strength of a Sparrow by Tim Anders

Based on a true story, The Strength of a Sparrow tells the bitter sweet love story of the author's parents, a Broadway actress and a Catholic Priest. Their life was a happy one despite the fact that they could not get married legally and they had to live under a false name and keep it all a secret. It wasn't until they are forced to separate that things go badly.

The fact that this is a true story is amazing to me. Just goes to show that you can never know who you will fall in love with. Such a sad story and yet a hopeful one as well. I don't know why I put off reading this one for so long. The cover definitely didn't help sell the book to me, which is a bit disappointing. A good book deserves a good cover.

The author, Tim Anders, writes children's books under the name Dr.Hope. He credits his mother as the inspiration for his books and the inspiring stories within them.

4/5

Tuesday Thingers- widgets

Tuesday Thingers Question: Do you have a LT widget on your blog? If so, what is your favorite thing about it? Have you had a chance to go see the all new widget building page, and if so, have you built a new widget? If so, what do you like about it?

I used to have an LT widget but I switched to the GoodReads one because I liked the style of it better. I just checked out the new widgets and am finding them to be much better than the old ones. A little more style to them. :)

I am thinking I may add one. However, it is a bit wide for the sidebar.

Here it is:

What do you all think? Yes or no?

Here is another option...all customized. :)

**I went with a slightly different choice but the colors match perfectly to the blog. Yay. It is at the bottom of the left sidebar.

Tuesday Thingers is hosted my Wendi of Wendi's Book Corner.

Currently Reading

Product Description:
The Strength of a Sparrow is based on a true story-the story of the author's parents. The character of a tenacious young woman, Bouvette Sherwood, who is a successful New York Broadway producer and actress, drives the plot. In the mid 1940s Bouvette meets and falls in love with a charming alcoholic, Hughie Hewitt. He has a secret though, which he keeps from her during their intense courtship-he is a Catholic priest. Their love story unfolds into a kaleidoscope of intrigue, suspense, betrayal, and romance.


I have had this book on my shelf since December. It got buried amongst my other books and I completely forget it was waiting to be read and reviewed. I feel terrible about getting to it so late but it is now, finally being read. It definitely has started strong and has my full attention.

" 'No, I mustn't do this,' thought Hughie Hewitt. He envisioned devastating consequences, consequences that would befall not only him but also the lovely twenty-five-year-old woman who sat before him." page 9, The Strength of a Sparrow by Tim "Dr.Hope" Anders.

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

Mailbox Monday-04/06/09

Besides going to Barnes & Noble and picking up a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, there were a couple items in the mail. First, from LT Early Reviewers I got an audiobook of Ellen Hopkins' impulse. I just received the email at the beginning of the week, so I was very surprised to find it in my mailbox on Friday. 

I also received a copy of Drawers and Booths by Ara 13 for review. I have been reading more and more about this book and its author and am very excited to get started. It is in my pile of review books. Hopefully I can get to it sooner than later. However, some of my other books are quite bulky. 

Product Description
While a Marine Corps corporal acts as a liaison between an island nation and the U.S. Army, his story is hijacked by a displaced narrator seeking a suspected criminal. The disruption causes the characters to become aware of their role in a novel, even rebelling against the author's intent, in this layered, metafictional journey; poignant, hilarious, and utterly unique.

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page

Sunday Salon (04/05/09)

Happy Sunday! I am spending my day recovering from a night out for a friend's birthday. Coffee, water and a Discovery Channel show on Nefretiti is helping. Hope you all are having a much more productive day.

This past week I reviewed two YA books with completely different reactions:

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
The Dead Girl's Dance by Rachel Caine

Now I am busy reading a couple other books for review.

I haven't finished this book quite yet. It is taking me a little longer than I thought it would. The style of writing has been a bit difficult to get used to. Now, more than half way through, I am getting much more used to it and the reading has become easier. Also, the story has picked up pace and become much more interesting. I am hoping to finish it this week and review it soon after.

I am also reading The Strength of a Sparrow by Tim Anders. A review of this is very overdue. I got this book back in December! Oops. Keep an eye out for this one as well.

It is now April ( in case you didn't know) which means the beginning of the Classics Challenge. I have yet to start a book for it. So many other books waiting to be read. I was thinking about reading The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer but may be changing that. You should see the size of the book! I think I need something shorter to start with.



One last thing for today. Yvonne of Socrates' Book Reviews has awarded me the very cool Zombie Chicken Award. Thanks, Yvonne!!

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all…”

To avoid the wrath of the zombie chickens I am passing this on to some really great blogs that I have recently discovered.

Book Line and Sinker
Bermudaonion's weblog
Everyday Reading
In Search of Giants
Jenn's Bookshelf

Go and visit these great blogs if you haven't already.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Have you all heard of this book? I have seen it around on other's blogs and found it on the shelves at Barnes & Noble today. I had to get it. Pride and Prejudice. And Zombies! I am a big Jane Austen fan and I think this looks hilarious. Just reading the first line makes me want to start reading this now. 

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."

Product Description
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies features the original text of Jane Austen's beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action. As our story opens a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Complete with 20 illustrations in the style of C. E. Brock (the original illustrator of Pride and Prejudice) this insanely funny expanded edition will introduce Jane Austen's classic novel to new legions of fans.

Are you interested in this one?

Book Review- The Dead Girl's Dance by Rachel Caine

The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine

The second book in the Morgainville Vampires Series starts exactly where the first book ended, with the residents of Glass House back in danger with the vampires and now also with Shane's father and biker friends. The action picks up right away and continues to the very end. There are a few more characters thrown in to the mix but they are not really fleshed out much.

I found some of the writing style hard to read and take seriously. It just seems like the character became the narrator in parts. For example,

"She couldn't see the biker guy, the one who'd been following them. Where had he-

She heard a scream.

Oh."

This is the narration, not Claire's thoughts or her words. She is not the narrator. Does the writing have to be so simplistic? There are a lot of "Oh"s and "Wow"s thrown in here and there. They just seemed unnecessary. (The quote above is not that great but the problem with the Kindle for iPod is that you can't mark a page or line. This was the first one I found.) Even if it was Claire thinking this-she is supposed to be a genius, a sixteen year old in college-her thoughts should seem a little more adult. Right?

Well, along with not sounding like one she doesn't act like one either. She is always getting herself into really bad situations and not making very good decisions. She's also ready to sign away her entire future to stay with a boy she has known for about a month, if that long. So far, the only redeeming feature he has is that he is cute. Other than that he is not in school, he doesn't work, he has a psychotic father and all he does all day is play video games. Sounds like quite a catch, huh?

This one didn't leave me running to get the next book in the series as the first one did. Perhaps one day I will check out the next book to see of the books get better.

2/5

YA Book Challenge

Serial Readers Challenge
eBook Challenge