Pre-orders I'm Exited About

Dead in the Family (A Sookie Stackhouse Novel) - Charlaine Harris - May 14, 2010
Burned (House of Night Novel) - P. C. Cast - April 27, 2010
Shades of Midnight (Midnight Breed) - Lara Adrian - December 29, 2009
The Endless Forest - Sara Donati - January 19, 2010

Her Fearful Symmetry

I began this book expecting it to be similar to Time Traveler's Wife - It wasn't even close.

The author Audrey Niffengger's writing style from Time Traveler's Wife was not present here, nor was the emotional love story, but her in-depth descriptions were definitely in full swing. Her Fearful Symmetry was enthralling from start to finish and extremely suspenseful. I honestly wanted to try and finish it on the first night, which wouldn't have been an easy task since it is just over 400 pages. The characters were extraordinarily well developed and I developed a bond with each one of them by the end of the novel. My only qualms about the book were the fact that the main characters (twins) were immensely immature despite their ages (which made it relatively unbelievable and unrealistic for me) since kids grow up so quickly now a days (which had me confused and thinking it was set in the 1920s for a while instead of the 2000's). I suppose that was intentional since it is partially meant as a coming of age story but it bothered me none the less. Overall; well written, imaginative, and a truly unforgettable book! Highly recommended. 4/5 Stars

Lucinda series by Sunny

So, I just finished Lucinda, Darkly and Lucinda, Dangerously by Sunny this past weekned. Having had already read her first series about the Monre princess Mona Lisa (which I LOVED), I was super excited to read these. They are independent of the Mona Lisa series but do of course have several tie-ins.

I enjoyed the books although not nearly as much as the Mona Lisa series for several reasons: The main character Lucinda isn't as likable as Mona Lisa but I guess that is to be expected since she is a Demon. The series isn't as sexy nor is the plot line as suspenseful but overall they were well worth the read. 3.5/5 stars

Makes for a satisfying weekend

One of my favorite authors, J. R. Ward released the first of her new series on Tuesday. I didn't waste any time and picked up a copy to read this weekend. Luckily, it was released in paperback and didn't do too much damage to my checkbook.

Covet is a great start to a new series although not as intense as the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, not yet anyway. The characters are well developed and the main character Jim has been set up to take a starring role in what looks to be another 6 books.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of J.R. Ward, Laurell K. Hamilton, Sunny, Christina Dodd or Lara Leigh.
4/5 Stars

So excited!

Picked up a few little things today... Can't wait to set aside some reading time. These should make for a very enjoyable weekend.

Upcoming books of interest:

September:

Cleopatra's Daughter - Michelle Moran - 9.22
An Echo in the Bone - Diana Gabladon - 9.22
Elphame's Choice - P.C. Cast - 9.29
Frostbitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 10) - Kelly Armstrong - 9.29
Covet - J.R. Ward - 9.29
Dark Curse - Christine Feehan - 9.29
Also out this month:
Avett Brothers - I And Love And You - 9.29

October: 
The Avenger - P. C. Cast - 10.1
Vampires - Joules Taylor - 10.1 
The Renegade Hunter - Lynsay Sands - 10.1
The Real Witches Kitchen - Kate West - 10.1
The Vampire Seduction Handbook - 10.1
The Everafter - Amy Huntley - 10.1
Fire - Kristin Cashore - 10.6 (Fantasy author of Graceling)
A Touch of Dead - Charlaine Harris - 10.6
New Moon Movie Companion - 10.6
Hex in High Heels - Linda Wisdom - 10.6
Lucinda, Dangerously - Sunny - 10.6
The Van Allen Legacy (Blue Bloods, book 4) - Melissa De La Cruz - 10.6
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte - 10/6 (with new Twilight inspired cover)
Vampire Academy Boxed Set - 10.13
Deep Kiss of Winter - Kresley Cole - 10.13
A New Dawn - Ellen Hopkins - 10.20 (Various authors perspective on Twilight)
How to Catch and Keep a Vampire - Diana Lawrence - 10.23
Tempted - P. C. Cast -10.27

Secrets of the Highlander

'Megan MacKeage escaped the smothering protectiveness of the Highland MacKeage clan to work as a scientist on the Canadian tundra. But when fellow researcher Wayne Ferris breaks her heart by rejecting her, Megan returns to Maine alone.... Then she meets the town's new police chief, Jack Stone -- the man she knew as Wayne Ferris. Instead of the quiet scholar he posed as, he's an aggressive private eye who's willing to fight for what he wants, just like all the overbearing men in her clan. So why is Megan still feeling a dangerous attraction? And though Jack claims he followed her here because he loves her, can she ever trust a man with so many secrets?" - Amazon

• Secrets of The Highlander is the last book of the Highlander series by Janet Chapman. I finished it last night and am honestly sad to see the series end. The characters were fun and relatable and the stories they told were heartwarming, suspenseful, and well developed. 4/5 stars

You know you love books when...

You know you love books when... You take pictures of the displays at the bookstore.

Picked up my books and tickets to the book signing!!

Today's The Day!!!

So today is the day. Diana Gabaldon's An Echo in the Bone is released today!

I'll be going to Davis Kidd later on to pick up my pre-ordered copy plus my grandmothers, and my sister-in-laws. Then on Thursday, I'll get all three autographed by the lady Gabaldon herself. I don't usually care much for celebrities or autographs but I'm excited about getting these for my family. I haven't read a synopsis for this book yet and I'm not going to. I'm not letting anything spoil the surprise!!

Ghostland by Jory Strong

Just finished this book by Jory Strong, it's the first I've ever read by her & it was really good. It's basically a supernatural post-apocalyptic novel with some romance added in. It's around 300 pgs and a relatively quick read since the plot is rather complicated. It's unlike most the supernatural romances out there because the main characters are not the commonly used vampires, witches, and mermaids. The characters are well developed, the setting is unusual, and the plot is very well developed. I recommend it and the cover is also very well designed. 4/5 stars

"Welcome to a postapocalyptic world, where the afterlife holds beings that only the bravest can summon-or dare to desire.

Taken from her home and family, shamaness Aisling McConaughey must enter the "ghostlands" to save a wealthy man's mistress. But there's a price to pay for her power: She must summon the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym-and yield to his savage, sensual rage.

Zurael intends to kill Aisling after she's served as bait to find an enemy in possession of an ancient tablet. But the more he tastes her innocent spirit, the more he'll use his fiery touch to keep her hungry for his mercy-even as they weave an erotic spell that he cannot escape... " -Fallen Angel Reviews

Highlander Series by Janet Chapman

So I just finished Janet Chapman's Only With A Highlander. It was a really fun and easy read. If you are a fan of Diana Gabaldon or Karen Marie Moning, you will love these books. I did! She also has several other series with some character overlapping. 4/5 stars

"Winter MacKeage is the reason her father, Greylen, was brought from medieval Scotland to Maine. She is the seventh daughter, and the future of the world is in her hands, according to Father Daar, the wizard responsible for time travel. Father Daar believes that a powerful enemy and fellow wizard is causing a disruption of power, and he knows that Winter, now 24, must be told about her fate, but he and his wife procrastinate long enough for Matt Gregor to walk into Winter's art gallery. He buys one of her paintings and invites her to plan the house he hopes to build. Winter is unnerved by her reaction to Matt, and as her attraction grows, Matt must face her family, and Winter must face her destiny. Chapman presents an excellent addition to her entertaining Highlander series." Patty Engelmann -Booklist

• This is the 5th book of Janet Chapman's Highlander series.

This is the order in which the books of the series should be read:

Charming the Highlander

Loving the Highlander

Wedding the Highlander

Tempting the Highlander

Only With A Highlander

Secrets of the Highlander

Annette Blair Graphic & Quote Contest

Annette Blair is offering up $50 book gift certificates to people who show their support. Check out the contest by clicking here.

The Triplet Witch trilogy is my favorite of Annette Blairs. LOVE THEM!
FYI: Annette Blair's witch books; have overlapping characters and both series are in my top favorites. I rank them ALL 4/5 stars!

The Time Travelers Wife

Second best book of all time (again this is a challenge to writers to write something better). I know that this may be a wasted post because it is such a famous book now that there is a movie, but I couldn't leave this book out of my blog since it is such a favorite of mine.

"On the surface, Henry and Clare Detamble are a normal couple living in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Henry works at the Newberry Library and Clare creates abstract paper art, but the cruel reality is that Henry is a prisoner of time. It sweeps him back and forth at its leisure, from the present to the past, with no regard for where he is or what he is doing. It drops him naked and vulnerable into another decade, wearing an age-appropriate face. In fact, it's not unusual for Henry to run into the other Henry and help him out of a jam. Sound unusual? Imagine Clare Detamble's astonishment at seeing Henry dropped stark naked into her parents' meadow when she was only six. Though, of course, until she came of age, Henry was always the perfect gentleman and gave young Clare nothing but his friendship as he dropped in and out of her life. It's no wonder that the film rights to this hip and urban love story have been acquired." - Elsa Gaztambide (BookList)

• This was the first book I read after about a 3 year hiatus from reading. My co-worker Helene demanded that I read it, although I wasn't interested in "wasting my time freakin' reading." She was right about this book in so many ways. Not only was it one of the best books I have ever gotten my hands on, but it was a book that changed my views on reading all-together.

The love story between Claire and Henry is both inspiring and devastating and I could honestly NOT PUT IT DOWN. The Time Travelers wife is not an easy read. It is brilliantly written but can be very confusing if you don't pay attention to every word. This is not a book that you can skim through and still expect to get the 'full effect'.

I have recommended this book to several people. All of them loved it with the exception of my mother, who thought it was 'too depressing'. I won't lie - it is a sad book - but the love story and the imagination it ensues makes it worth every tear! 5/5 stars •

Outlander: My favorite book of all time

Outlander: My favorite book of all time (This is a challenge to all authors to write a better book)

"In Outlander, a 600-page time-travel romance, strong-willed and sensual Claire Randall leads a double life with a husband in one century, and a lover in another. Torn between fidelity and desire, she struggles to understand the pure intent of her heart. But don't let the number of pages and the Scottish dialect scare you. It's one of the fastest reads you'll have in your library.

While on her second honeymoon in the British Isles, Claire touches a boulder that hurls her back in time to the forbidden Castle Leoch with the MacKenzie clan. Not understanding the forces that brought her there, she becomes ensnared in life-threatening situations with a Scots warrior named James Fraser. But it isn't all spies and drudgery that she must endure. For amid her new surroundings and the terrors she faces, she is lured into love and passion like she's never known before." --Amazon Review

• Outlander was recommended to me by my my Grandmother Ruth, who I will always be grateful to for doing so. This book changed my life in so many ways. For one, it was one of the reasons I began to read again. For years I detested reading. Mainly because of the 'Required Reading' lists that my school inflicted on me - which I never seemed to enjoy. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Nease High School for making me hate books (actually I blame the school system who chooses shitty books to make us read). I hate the fact that a school I loved - and love to this day -  ruined me on reading for so many years. I'll probably discuss this topic on a later date...

But - thank you to Diana Gabaldon for writing this enthralling story and to my grandmother for recomending this book. Because of them I have found my love for reading and I hope that gift never leaves me again! 5/5 stars •

Like vampires?

You like vampires? Like Twilight? Like silly vampire stories and Twilight spoofs???
Check out this mini-series!

Books I can't wait to get my hands on: