Jessica's books

The One and Only Ivan
Pollyanna
Revolutionary War on Wednesday
Leprechaun in Late Winter
Ella Enchanted
The Courage of Sarah Noble
Plain Murder
Gone-Away Lake
Circling the Sun
Maggie and Max
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl
The Night Sister
Tuck Everlasting
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Bedknob and Broomstick
Mister Monday
Alice Through the Looking Glass
The Birchbark House
The Hobbit
The Witch's Daughter


Jessica's favorite books »

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Book Review: Revelations: A Blue Bloods Novel by Melissa De La Cruz


Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Have you ever wondered what secrets lurk behind the closed doors of New York City's wealthiest families? They're powerful, they're famous... they're undead.
Schuyler Van Alen's blood legacy has just been called into question--is the young vampire in fact a Blue Blood, or is it the sinister Silver Blood that runs through her veins? As controversy swirls, Schuyler is left stranded in the Force household, trapped under the same roof as her cunning nemesis, Mimi Force, and her forbidden crush, Jack Force.
When one of the Gates of Hell is breached by Silver Bloods in Rio de Janeiro, however, the Blue Bloods will need Schuyler on their side. The stakes are high; the battle is bloody; and through it all, Carnavale

My Thoughts:  I honestly think this series is very entertaining!  I think these books are fun and easy to read.  This book was no exception.  This is the third book in the series.  It has been a few months since I read the second book so I was a little lost at first but quickly got caught back up to speed. 

I think my favorite character is Oliver.  He is now Schuyler's consort and familiar and you have to feel a little sorry for him.  He is so in love with Schuyler who is, in turn, in love with Jack, who has a bond with Mimi.  Slightly confusing but as long as you pay attention, not too hard to follow. 

I am still not sure I like the idea of Mimi and Jack being "siblings" in this life cycle yet not really siblings.  It is reinforced several times throughout the book that they aren't really brother and sister but just the fact that they are living as brother and sister and yet getting "bonded" a.k.a. "married"  reminds me more of a V.C. Andrews novel.

The other thing that bothers/annoys me is the model deal.  Bliss and Schuyler are beautiful and in high demand of the fashion world and then, poof...nothing else is mentioned about it.  Schuyler gets a "sending" during a huge fashion show as she is walking down the catwalk and jumps off the stage and running out the door and then nothing else is said about any of it.  It's just a little weird for me. 

The ending was totally unpredictable (to me anyways) and extremely tense and exciting!  It really left me wanting to read the fourth book, The Van Alen Legacy, right now!

Vampire Acadamey Series Giveaway!


Mary from Sparkling Reviews is having an amazing giveaway!  Head on over to enter to win the complete set of the Vampire Academy series, including Last Sacrifice!  This is my favorite vampire series ever so if you haven't read it yet, you need to sign up!  She is giving away two sets of the series and it is an international giveaway!  It doesn't get any better than that!


Saturday, November 27, 2010

BBC Reading Quiz

I found this quiz over at Too Many Books, Too Little Time and thought it was interesting!  Let's see how I do...

This quiz has been making the rounds. If you’re not on Facebook, you may have fun completing it and sharing it on your blog. Also might remind you of some books you’d like to add to your TBR list!
Here are the instructions:
 Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here. Instructions: Bold those books you’ve read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish or read an excerpt. 
 I have read a measly 12!  Sad huh?  I guess I will have to get on the ball here. I do have quite a few on my TBR list though...

 1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
 2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
 3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte 
 4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling 
 5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
 6 The Bible
 7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte 
 8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
 9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
 10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
 11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
 12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
 13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
 14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
 15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
 16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
 17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulk
 18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
 19 The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
 20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
 21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
 22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
 24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
 25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
 27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky (at least twice)
 28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
 29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
 30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
 31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
 32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
 33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
 34 Emma -Jane Austen
 35 Persuasion – Jane Austen
 36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis
 37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
 38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
 39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
 40 Winnie the Pooh – A.A. Milne
 41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
 42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
 43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
 44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
 45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
 46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
 47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
 48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
 49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
 50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
 51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
 52 Dune – Frank Herbert
 53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
 54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
 55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
 56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
 57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
 58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
 59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
 60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
 61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
 62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
 63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
 64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
 65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
 66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
 67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
 68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
 69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
 70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville
 71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
 72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
 73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
 74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
 75 Ulysses – James Joyce
 76 The Inferno – Dante
 77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
 78 Germinal – Emile Zola
 79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
 80 Possession – AS Byatt
 81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
 82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
 83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
 84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
 85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
 86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
 87 Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White
 88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
 89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
 90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
 91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
 92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
 93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
 94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
 95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
 96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
 97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
 98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare
 99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl  
 100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

Back to Classics Challenge

Okay, this is the last challenge I am signing up for this year....at least until I find another I can't resist!  Sarah over at Sarah Reads Too Much is hosting this one so head on over and sign up!  Here are the rules:
The goals to complete:
  1. A Banned Book
  2. A Book with a Wartime Setting (can be any war)
  3. A Pulitzer Prize (Fiction) Winner or Runner Up:  a list can be found here
  4. A Children's/Young Adult Classic
  5. 19th Century Classic
  6. 20th Century Classic
  7. A Book you think should be considered a 21st Century Classic
  8. Re-Read a book from your High School/College Classes
This challenge is open to anyone who would like to participate.  You can join in at any point.  If you do not have a blog of your own, please feel free to update using the Comments section of this post.   This is intended to be a stress-free challenge, and therefore there is a 6 month time frame for completion.  The Challenge will be open from January - June 2011.  You can list you book choices before the challenge starts, or as you go along....  whatever works best for you.
Here are my choices:

1.  Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
2.  Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
3.  A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley
4.  A Separate Peace - John Knowles
5.  Dracula - Bram Stoker
6.  Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
7.  Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
8.  The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Book Review: Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  As the public face of Vows wedding planning company, Parker Brown has an uncanny knack for fulfilling every bride's vision. She just can't see where her own life is headed. Mechanic Malcolm Kavanaugh loves figuring out how things work, and Parker is no exception. Both know that moving from minor flirtation to major hook-up is a serious step. Parker's business risks have always paid off, but now she'll have to take the chance of a lifetime with her heart.

My thoughts:  This series was good but wasn't one of my favorites of Nora Robert's.  It was strictly romance with no suspense or supernatural elements.  The fourth and last book in the series, Happy Ever After, was sweet and entertaining if not a bit predictable.  I think from the second book, we knew that Parker would be paired up with Malcolm so no surprise there.  No major conflicts or turmoil to add a little spice to it but just sweet romance.  I really enjoyed Malcolm's character and loved his mom! 

Some of the events were a little unbelievable.  These four women run a wedding business and each, with the exception of Parker, are getting married.  However, they all let Parker pick out the wedding dress.  There is no playing dress up with beautiful princess dresses in front of friends and family.  Parker just found the "perfect" dress and it magically was the one each girl wanted with no questions or doubts.  Really...what girl doesn't want to go and try on a million dresses just for the fun of it?  That's the best part of the wedding planning!

Also, some of the dialogue was a little out there.  Who says things like "I want you in my bed but this isn't the time" or "I'm sleeping with your sister so get over it"?  I thought some of the characters were a little too forward and blunt.

All in all, it was a nice little romance novel that reads quickly and easily.  I didn't get bored during it at all.  I just personally prefer her series like the Circle Trilogy or the Key Trilogy.


Friday, November 26, 2010

The Friday 56: 11/26/10

I'm a little late getting this out but since I was up at 2:00 AM doing the whole "Black Friday" craziness, I just got the motivation now to actually post stuff!  The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.  The rules are simple and as follows:
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.
Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts


"He's good at it,"  Laurel put in.  "I got singed by the heat, and I was fifteen feet away." 

Monday, November 22, 2010

Book Review: Don't Blink by James Patterson & Howard Roughan

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  New York's Lombardo's Steak House is famous for three reasons - the menu, the clientele, and now, the gruesome murder of an infamous mob lawyer. Seated at a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels accidentally captures a key piece of evidence that lands him in the middle of an all-out war between Italian and Russian mafia forces.
 
My thoughts:  First off, I have to say Nick Daniels, the main character, has more lives than a cat!  If this were real, he would seriously be the luckiest man living!  From the first chapter, his life was in danger and he managed to outrun it and stay alive and this continued throughout all 300+ pages.   
 
I enjoyed this book as it was an easy and exciting read.  I love James Patterson's writing and the fast pace of his books.  From the prologue, the book has your attention.  However, if you are squeamish or have a weak stomach, this book may not be for you.  I was cringing by the end of the third page.  It is a bit convoluted with a lot of unnecessary characters but all in all, it was a pretty good thriller!
 
 

Friday, November 19, 2010

50 State Reading Challenge


The 50 States Challenge is hosted by Book Obsessed.
The goal of this challenge is to read books that are set in each of the fifty states. Your books can be of any genre and any format (ie. paperback, ebook, audiobook, etc.). No short stories. Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine. You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. The idea of this challenge came from a Goodreads group. 

I will post the books with the link to my review on this page as I read them next to the state they take place in.
  1. Alabama
  2. Alaska
  3. Arizona
  4. Arkansas
  5. California:  Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle 
  6. Colorado:  Nightshade by Andrea Cremer 
  7. Connecticut
  8. Delaware
  9. Florida
  10. Georgia:  Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
  11. Hawaii
  12. Idaho
  13. Illinois:  Vixen by Jillian Larkin
  14. Indiana
  15. Iowa - Rotters by Daniel Kraus
  16. Kansas
  17. Kentucky:  Love Story by Jennifer Echols
  18. Louisiana:  Midnight Caller by Leslie Tentler 
  19. Maine:  Captivate by Carrie Jones 
  20. Maryland:  The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell 
  21. Massachusetts:  Clarity by Kim Harrington 
  22. Michigan:  The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
  23. Minnesota:  Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer 
  24. Mississippi
  25. Missouri
  26. Montana:  Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann 
  27. Nebraska
  28. Nevada:  Firelight by Sophie Jordan 
  29. New Hampshire
  30. New Jersey:  Rosebush by Michele Jaffe 
  31. New Mexico
  32. North Carolina:  Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
  33. New York: Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen
  34. North Dakota
  35. Ohio:  The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker
  36. Oklahoma:  The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna 
  37. Oregon:  Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
  38. Pennsylvania:  A Plague Year by Edward Boor 
  39. Rhode Island:  Strings Attached by Judy Blundell 
  40. South Carolina:  Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
  41. South Dakota
  42. Tennessee
  43. Texas
  44. Utah
  45. Vermont
  46. Virginia
  47. Washington:  The Body Finder by Kim Derting 
  48. West Virginia
  49. Wisconsin
  50. Wyoming

2011 Reading Challenges: Off The Shelf!

This challenge is hosted by BA Reading Challenges.  The purpose of this challenge is to read a certain amount of books off your bookshelves.  I have so many books on my shelves that I haven't gotten around to reading so this challenge is for me! 

I am chosing the level of On a Roll:  read 50 books on your shelf!  I will list the books here and then link up the reviews as I write them.

1.  Shopaholic Takes Manhattan - Sophie Kensella
2.  The Host - Stephenie Meyers
3.  Hidden Wives - Clare Avery
4.  Christmas Letters - Debbie Macomber
5.  At Home in Mitford - Jan Karon
6.  A Light in the Window - Jan Karon
7.  Shiloh Autumn - Bodie & Brock Thoene
8.  Dewey - Vicki Myron
9.  Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
10.  City of Glass - Cassandra Clare
11.  Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
12.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
13.  Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink
14.  Guardian of the Gate - Michelle Zink
15.  Mrs. Miracle - Debbie Macomber
16.  Change of Heart - Jodi Picoult
17.  The Girls He Adored - Jonathan Nasaw
18.  Mr. Darcy's Little Sister - C. Allyn Pierson
19.  Last Sacrifice - Richelle Mead
20.  Willow - V.C. Andrews
21.  Break No Bones - Kathy Reichs
22.  206 Bones - Kathy Reichs
23.  Spider Bones - Kathy Reichs
24.  The Various Haunts of Men - Susan Hill
25.  The Pure in the Heart - Susan Hill
26.  The Risk of Darkness - Susan Hill
27.  The Shadows in the Street - Susan Hill
28.  The Vows of Silence - Susan Hill
29.  The Wedding Gift - Kathleen McKenna
30.  The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford
31.  Fallen - Lauren Kate
32.  Shadow Hills - Anastasia Hopcus
33.  Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
34.  Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
35.  Evermore - Alyson Noel
36.  Matters of the Heart - Danielle Steel
37.  The Sisterhood of the Traveling pants - Ann Brashares
38.  The Second Summer of the Sisterhood - Ann Brashares
39.  Girls in Pants - Ann Brashares
40.  Bones to Ashes - Kathy Reichs
41.  Becoming Lucy - Martha Rogers
42.  The Last Song - Nicholas Sparks
43.  Matched - Allie Condie
44.  The Summit - Kat Martin
45.  Heartsick - Chelsea Cain
46.  Dark Paradise - Tami Hoag
47.  The Ugly Duckling - Iris Johansen
48.  Say Goodbye - Lisa Gardner
49.  The Third Victim - Lisa Gardner
50.  The Next Accident - Lisa Gardner

So this will hardly make a dent in my bookshelves but I'll give it a go!  Head on over to BA Reading Challenges and sign up!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Friday 56: 11/19/10

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.  The rules are simple:

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

It's that simple.  So head on over to Freda's Voice and link up!


"Sure enough, after her little toast to me, "it" was suddenly the big white elephant in the big white marble room of the Astor Hall."  ~Don't Blink by James Patterson

Book Review: Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Bestselling author Claudia Gray’s Evernight series continues. In Hourglass, Bianca and Lucas have found a way to be together. But it means lying to the people who care about them the most.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school, Bianca and Lucas seek refuge with Black Cross, the elite group of vampire hunters led by Lucas’s stepfather. When Bianca’s close friend—the vampire Balthazar—is captured by Black Cross, Bianca knows she has to do whatever it takes to save him. But at what cost?

Hourglass, the third book in this gripping vampire series by the author of the New York Times bestseller Stargazer, has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s books runaway successes.

My thoughts:  I thought this book was good but not nearly as good as the first two in the series.  I got really annoyed with Bianca and Lucas both.  I mean, here they are in a serious situation that her parents could help them with but because there might be a chance that they would try to take Bianca away from Lucas, neither of them will contact them.  Really??  If I was being afflicted by some mysterious illness and the only ones who could tell me what would happen was my parents, I would be emailing them ASAP!  I love Vic though so was happy to have him make some appearances in the book as well as Ranulf. 

As with the first two books, I am put off by Kate's attitude toward her son and The Black Cross group.  What kind of mother puts her son second and her "work" first?  Okay, I know they are out there but as a mom, I get really pissed off at her for being so uncaring towards Lucas. 

The end of the book however, makes the book, in my opinion.  Some people saw the end coming,  however I was completely blown away.  Looking back, yeah, it's pretty obvious what would happen but I honestly didn't see it until it happened.  And the cliffhanger leaves you anxious for the fourth book in the series, Afterlife, to come out (Spring 2011). 

Book Review: Chris Mouse and the Promise by Tina J. Lackey-Adams, BSW

Title:  Chris Mouse and the Promise
Author:  Tina J. Lackey-Adams
Publisher:  Outskirts Press, Inc.
Publication Date:  Dec. 11, 2009
Synopsis (From Goodreads):  Chris Mouse has just tucked her three little ones into bed when she notices the most beautiful bright shining star in the heavens. As she dreamily admires the star she remembers a prophecy she's heard stories about since her youth. A magnificent star would mark the birth of the Savior. Could this be the promise she had waited her entire life to see? What happens next will change the world forever. Life for Chris Mouse will never be the same.

My Thoughts:  My kids and I sat down and read this book today to get into the holiday spirit.  I really liked the casual, relaxed tone of the book.  It's just a Momma Mouse who has sat down to tell you her story like you were old friends.  Very cute!  My 2 and 5 year-olds had a little bit of confusion when we read the part about Mary going into "labor" but my 7 year-old knew that meant having a baby so he explained it to them.  It was a very condensed version of the Nativity Story but it was great for my younger ones.  I also really liked the very simple illustrations.  All in all, we thought this was a pretty cute albeit short story.  I wouldn't have minded a little more detail in it but it kept my little ones attention. 


*This book was sent to me by the author for a fair and honest review.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Teaser Tuesday: 11/16/10


Teaser Tuesdays is a fun meme hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.  The rules are:
Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • 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!
My teaser:  "All the same, I knew something was happening to me.  A change was coming."  ~page 211 of Hourglass by Claudia Gray. 

                                                                             

Friday, November 12, 2010

100 Follower Giveaway!

I just realized I am only 2 away from 100 followers!  I'm so excited and I thought I would do my first giveaway!  When I reach 100 followers, I am going to give away at least one copy of  Losing Faith by Denise Jaden.  If I reach 125 followers, I will give away 2 copies of Losing Faith and if I get 150 followers, I will give away 3 copies of Losing Faith!

Book Description (from Goodreads):  A terrible secret. A terrible fate.

When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.

As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger

To Enter:
  • You MUST be a follower of this blog.
  • Leave a comment about why you want to read this book.  Please leave your email address so I can notify you if you win!
For Extra entries (please add up your extra entries for me and don't forget to add 1 for being a follower!.):
  • Follow me on Twitter  +1
  • Tweet about this giveaway (and make sure to leave the link)  +3
  • Be my friend on Goodreads (see my sidebar button)  +2
  • Blog about this giveaway (make sure to leave your link)  +5
That's a total of 12 entries! 

Sorry but this giveaway is only open to US and Canadian residents only.  Only one entry per person.  Contest will end on December 19, 2010 (my baby's birthday!) and winners will be notified by email.  Winners must respond within 48 hours or I will pick a new winner.   

Good Luck!

Book Beginnings on Fridays 11/12/10

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by A Few More Pages.  The rules are simple:

Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments. Include the title and the author so we know what you're reading. Then, if you feel so moved, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and let us know if you liked or did not like the sentence.

"Get out,"  I pleaded.  "Get out of town for good.  That way we don't have to kill you." ~Hourglass by Claudia Gray
This beginning grabbed my attention right away!  Who needs to get out of town?  Why?  Who's is going to kill them and why if they don't get out of town?  So many questions to have answered!  I can't wait to finish the book to see what brought this on!

The Friday 56: 11/12/10


The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.  The rules are simple:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.



"I know my running off like that had to scare you, and I wish there had been another way."  ~Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Friday, November 5, 2010

Book Beginnings on Fridays 11/5/10

Book Beginnings on Friday is a fun meme that is now hosted over at A Few More Pages.
How to participate: All you have to do is share the first line (or two, I'm not too picky) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments. Include the title and the author so we know what you're reading (and can go pick up a copy if it sounds good!). Then, if you feel so moved, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and let us know if you liked or did not like the sentence (thanks to Rose City Reader for inspiring this meme).

"Marinth.  Samuel Debney piloted his motorboat up Venice's Grand Canal, wishing he had never heard that word."  ~Shadow Zone by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen.

I like this beginning because it grabs my attention and makes me want to know what the heck Marinth even is!  I just started this book and I'm only a few pages in so I'm still not quite sure what Marinth is....just that it's dangerous!

Blog Hop Friday 11/5/10


Blog Hop is hosted by Jennifer over at Crazy-For-Books.
 
In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING!
 
This weeks question: 
"What are your feelings on losing followers? Have you ever stopped following a blog?"
 
My answer:  I'm still new to the blogging thing and haven't lost a follower yet (that I'm aware of).  When I do lose a follower, I am sure I will be disappointed but I will try not to take it personally.  I don't think you should follow someone that you don't agree with or dont' enjoy their posts.  What's the point?  I want to have followers that actually want to visit and read the contents of my posts. 
 
I haven't stopped following a blog yet.  I should probably go through and clean my list out as it is huge but it's a daunting task so I haven't done it yet! 

Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Friday 56: 11/5/10


The Friday 56 is a fun meme hosted by Freda's Voice
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

It's that simple.

"They were young when I found them, but I may be losing them as they grow to maturity." ~ Shadow Zone by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen.

Book Review: 13 to Life by Shannon Delany

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…

When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early.

My Thoughts:  Wow!  That is all I can think of to say....okay, not really but this book had me glued to it from page one!  I loved the fact that it was about werewolves and werewolves only!  Don't get me wrong...I love me a good vampire novel but after awhile a change is nice!  I am in love wit Pietr who is funny, sexy and mysterious all at the same time.  Jessica is a great character (plus she just has a great name if I do say so myself!) but I did not like the whole "martyr" thing.  I was ready to slap her by the big football game and tell her to get with the program so I am really hoping that in the second book she stands up to Sarah.  Other than that (and a few issues with the taser information in the end scene) it was an amazing, well paced book!  The only really bad thing about the book....the second one won't be out until February!  Not sure if I can wait that long!  And if you haven't read this one yet, RUN, do not walk, to the nearest book store and buy it! 


AMAZING 8 book giveaway at YA Bookie Monster!

This is an amazing giveaway!  My blogging friend Claire over at YA Bookie Monster is giving away 8 books!  She started with one book at 100 followers and added more books until she got to 170 followers!  When I visited today, she had 234 followers!  Congratulations Claire!  The books she is giving away are:

1. 

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

So, head on over and enter to win!  It's a great contest and if you don't follow her blog already, you must check it out! 

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Waiting on Wednesdays: Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Waiting on Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on!  Here's mine:

A new collection of four never-before-published stories from Stephen King.

1922
The story opens with the confession of Wilfred James to the murder of his wife, Arlette, following their move to Hemingford, Nebraska onto land willed to Arlette by her father.

Big Driver
Mystery writer, Tess, has been supplementing her writing income for years by doing speaking engagements with no problems. But following a last-minute invitation to a book club 60 miles away, she takes a shortcut home with dire consequences.

Fair Extension
Harry Streeter, who is suffering from cancer, decides to make a deal with the devil but, as always, there is a price to pay.

A Good Marriage
Darcy Anderson learns more about her husband of over twenty years than she would have liked to know when she stumbles literally upon a box under a worktable in their garage

I just love Stephen King!  I cannot wait for this book to come out and to be scared out of my mind! 

Monday, November 1, 2010

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Made You Cry!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week is the top 10 books that made you cry.  Here are mine in no order:

1.  Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson:  I read this when I was pregnant with my first son so it really hit me hard!  I bawled like a baby.

2.  The Twilight Saga:  New Moon by Stephenie Meyer:  I hurt so bad for Bella when Edward left that I just had to cry. 

3.  My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult:  The unfairness of life just hit me in this one. 

4.  Night by Elie Wiesel:  The fact that this was a true story by a survivor of the Holocaust was enough.  The horrendous things that were done to people was so sad and disgusting!

5.  My Darling Elia by Eugenie Melnyk:  This was another book about the Holocaust that was just filled with heartache (although it was fiction).  The unfairness of life again got to me.

6.  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini:  There were many times during this book that I teared up. It was just a very emotional book.

7.  Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson:  I felt for the main character as a child neglected by her mom and left to be raised by nannies.  It was so sad!

8.  Dear John by Nicholas Sparks:  It takes a lot of love to let someone go and that is what this book was all about. 

9.  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne:  As a mother I could not fathom this happening to my child! 

10.  The Color Purple by Alice Walker:  Just a heartwrenching novel!

Teaser Tuesday: 11/2/10

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • 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!
"My reporter instincts made me twitch.  Even for a reporter for a small school paper has to react when a student admits to being from teh site of the bloodiest, goriest, most mysterious and bizarre wolf attack in a century."  ~page 11 of 13 To Life be Shannon Delany

Book Review: Juliet by Anne Fortier


Synopsis (from Goodreads): Twenty-five-year-old Julie Jacobs is heartbroken over the death of her beloved aunt Rose. But the shock goes even deeper when she learns that the woman who has been like a mother to her has left her entire estate to Julie’s twin sister. The only thing Julie receives is a key—one carried by her mother on the day she herself died—to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy.



This key sends Julie on a journey that will change her life forever—a journey into the troubled past of her ancestor Giulietta Tolomei. In 1340, still reeling from the slaughter of her parents, Giulietta was smuggled into Siena, where she met a young man named Romeo. Their ill-fated love turned medieval Siena upside-down and went on to inspire generations of poets and artists, the story reaching its pinnacle in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.

My Thoughts: I have to admit that I am not a Shakespeare fan nor have I ever read Romeo and Juliet. I was a liitle hesitant to read this book but I am SO glad I did! I absolutely loved it from the first chapter! I really enjoyed the flashbacks to 1340 AD and the historical history but I was kept entertained by the modern day romantic thriller part of the book. I have never been to Italy but after reading this book, I feel as if I have been to Siena before! The descriptions of the different piazza's were detailed and fun. The characters were, for the most part, entertaining and a little bit mysterious. I especially enjoyed Maestro Lippi and his craziness! Juliet (or Julie) got a little annoying in her ways a couple times (mostly involving her sister) but that is really the only complaint I had. I did not find it at all confusing, predictable or boring. In fact, I think I wll end up buying this book to reread at some point and I'm considering buying it as a Christmas gift for family members! It was just that good!