Blog Hop (oh my I am late)

I totally forgot to post yesterday! So here is my blog hop post a little late. This is hosted by Crazy-for-books.

“Highlight one book you have received this week (for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc.) that you can’t wait to dig into!”

This week I got a copy of The Berlin Boxing Club for review. This is normally not my sort of book but I was intrigued by the blurb on the back. Here is the blurb:

Fourteen-year-old Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But to the bullies at his school in Naziera Berlin, it doesn't matter that Karl has never set foot in a synagogue or that his family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by relentless attacks on a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth to everyone around him.

So when Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German national hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons, Karl sees it as the perfect chance to reinvent himself. A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but as Max becomes the mentor Karl never had, Karl soon finds both his boxing skills and his art flourishing.

But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: protector of his family. Karl longs to ask his new mentor for help, but with Max's fame growing, he is forced to associate with Hitler and other Nazi elites, leaving Karl to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his dream of boxing greatness with his obligation to keep his family out of harm's way?

I can't wait to get into this one to see if it is as appealing as it seems.

Review of Bath Tangle

Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer
Pages: 368
Publisher: Sourcebook Casablanca (Reprint edition)
My review source: Sourcebook
My rating: 2.5/5

Lady Serena Carlow is an acknowledged beauty, but she's got a temper as fiery as her head of red hair. When her father dies unexpectedly, Serena discovers to her horror that she has been left a ward of Ivo Barrasford, marquis of Rotherham, a man whom Serena once jilted and who now has the power to give or withhold his consent to any marriage she might contemplate. With her father's heir eager to take over his inheritance--and Serena's lifelong home--she and her lovely young stepmother, Fanny, decide to move to Bath, where Serena makes an odd new friend and discovers an old love, Major Hector Kirkby. Before long, Serena, Fanny, Kirkby, and Rotherham are entangled in a welter of misunderstood emotions, mistaken engagements, and misdirected love.

This is my second attempt at reading Georgette Heyer, the first one was a mystery. I thought I might like her romances better but even though it was enjoyable enough it just wasn't something I favored.

Lady Serena is a spoiled little brat and I just couldn't like her character no matter what happened in the book. I wanted to like her, but she was just plain nasty. I wanted to slap her through most of the book. Rotherham is not much more appealing as he is pompous, rude and annoying. Though I think it was funny to see them in this situation as to where he has control of Serena's offers.

Hector, seems to be sweet and nice but of middle class means. In a society where its all about money he would not be a suitable suitor for someone like Lady Serena, but her life has changed. Fanny, is timid and even though she is Serena's stepmother she is younger than Serena. She is a little too timid for me.

For me it took some getting into the book before I found anything remotely interesting and even then it just wasn't flowing the way I wanted it too. I thought I might enjoy it because I love Jane Austen regency romances, but I think it was the characters that I just didn't care for. If I can't  care for them then I don't feel like it matters what happens to them.

Though I wasn't very fond of it I still would recommend it for those who like regency romances because someone else might very much enjoy it.

Review of Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs

Nice Girl's Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper
Pages: 384
My copy: Audio book
My review souce: Audibles.com (my credit)
Publisher: Pocket Book
My rating: 4/5

Jane Jameson, is your average nice girl. She is a librarian and when she gets let fired from her job she goes on a bender and gets herself pretty drunk. On her way home her car quits working and she starts walking home. She is mistaken for a deer, shot and left for dead.

The last guy she talked to at the bar was Gabriel, a vampire, and he has been following Jane. When he sees what happens he turns her into a vampire. Now instead of getting to eat that great down home southern cooking she is stocking up on blood. 

It is not at all easy to be a vampire, so its a good thing she has the Guide to the newly undead to help her out. Jane is just getting use to being a vampire, with the help of Gabriel, but now the vampire council thinks that she is behind a series of vampire murders.

Audible.com is my best friend when it comes to audio books. The only problem is trying to figure out which book to use my credit on. I have read Molly Harper's werewolf series and loved it, and I knew that she had written a vampire series so  decided to give it a try. Man, let me tell you this book was laugh out loud funny to listen too. Molly Harper has a way with words that just cracks me up, it was the one thing I loved about her werewolf series too.

Jane Jameson, is just sort of a plain Jane. She doesn't drink (except for her bender), she is a librarian, she pretty much doesn't have much of a social life at all. So she thinks it was just her luck that the one tiime she gets drunk and has to walk home she gets killed and turned into a vampire. She didn't ask for this, she doesn't want to be a vampre. How on earth will she break the news to her poor mother.  I like Jane, and its probably because she is just a average woman and now she has to deal with being above average. She can do things she never thought she would ever be doing and she has to deal with the fact that she will live forever. (Unless, set on fire or staked in the heart)

Gabriel, is a fairly old vampire who couldn't resist Jane's scent. It was the reason he followed her from the bar the night she was shot and left for dead. It was also the reason he couldn't resist making her a vampire too. He has never felt so close to someone he has made before, but he likes looking after Jane.

Now one of the things that  can make or break a audio book is the narrator. The narrator for this book is Amanda Ronconi, and although she is good, I didn't find her great. I know its hard to make male voices sometimes and that some are better at it than others but sometimes her voices sort of blended together and it was hard to tell them apart. She does have a pleasant voice and is easy to listen to and over all she did a decent job.

Over all I had a great time listening to this book, it was fun listening to all the mishaps that happened to Jane as she tries to figure out how to live being undead. It was a fun storyline and I loved most of the secondary characters like, Zeb and Dick Chaney (yep, that was sort of funny). I would recommend this book for anyone who likes those quirky kind of vampire romance novels.

Interview with Stephen Besecker + giveaway!

I got the chance to read The Samaritan, a political thriller written by Stephen Besecker and I loved it. Since I liked it so much I asked Stephen to be on my blog and he was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. Also, because I liked it so much I am going to giveaway a copy to one of my followers so that they can enjoy it as much as I did. :) (Contest information will be below the interview)


Tell me something about yourself that is not found in your author’s bio:

Coaching. I was never a big soccer fan until my kids got involved in the sport. When my daughter’s U11 team needed a coach a few years ago, I volunteered to be an assistant. An ASSISTANT. And then I inherited the team when the head coach moved on. We started off as the Bad News Bears of soccer, but after a few years, this group of girls really blossomed, and became a terrific team. I had the perfect seat watching them grow on and off the field.

Out of all the Indian Nations, why the Seneca’s?

Crazy as it may sound, my protagonist, Kevin Easter, probably started taking root when I was in the 4^th Grade. A local family became a foster parent to a Seneca Indian boy. We were both the new kids in school so hanging out came as no great surprise.

How much research went into the storyline of this book?

Geography was a big part of THE SAMARITAN. Much of the story takes place in and around the five boroughs of New York City, so it was important to actually go there, instead of just visualizing certain streets, reading a map or using Google Earth. And it was critical to drive around the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation to understand where Kevin “Hatch” Easter grew up. Yes, I took a few liberties in Western New York, but I’m hoping my readers can visualize certain landmarks. The Peace Bridge into Canada, city streets in Buffalo, etc, the Catt.

Why did you write a political action thriller?

I tried to write a story that I would like to read, with a sympathetic and flawed main character who has a few demons to contend with. I’m a huge fan of Tom Clancy, Joseph Finder, Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn, Alex Berenson, and Brian Haig, so I felt like I had a handle on the political thriller genre. Don’t ask me to write a romance novel. I’d be in way over my head.

Do you ever picture an actual person as your characters when you’re writing? If THE SAMARITAN was turned into a movie, would you have suggestions on who would play Kevin Easter and Gray Taylor?

Here’s a funny fact: When it comes to names of my characters, I have problems pulling a name out of thin air, even though I can visualize that character in my mind’s eye. In a few cases I used real names. Anthony DiFilippo IV is my cousin, who also happens to be my attorney. He doesn’t look anything like the fictitious Tony D, but the name really fits. Gray Taylor grew up in East Aurora, NY and was a boyhood friend. Hatch came from Mark Hatch, also a boyhood friend. And it doesn’t end there. But I also find names strolling through old cemeteries. Grave markers happen to give me an endless supply of names. As for actors playing these characters, I wouldn’t have a clue.

How did yo come up with all those great twists and turns? I thought I knew what was going on, and then the end of the book came as a surprise!! Loved it!!

Fact: I didn’t know how THE SAMARITAN was going to end. Fact: I really didn’t know who was going to survive. Fact: In the first draft, I had a different “shooter” wreaking havoc in New York City. Fact: My editor wanted Anthony DiFilippo IV dead when he first read the manuscript. Many writers outline every single chapter of their book. God only knows how they do it. I let my characters take me along for the ride. If I’m surprised, then hopefully the reader is surprised. Nutty as it may sound, I wasn’t sure how this book would play out. However, I needed a specific resolution between Kevin “Hatch” Easter and Gray Taylor because of the second book in the series, EXECUTIVE POWER.

I can’t wait for the next Kevin Easter novel. Could we have a sneak peak into what it’s going to be about?

EXECUTIVE POWER is a true political thriller. Spoiler alert: Gray Taylor and Kevin Easter are partners in the sequel, and I wrote this book before THE SAMARITAN. Easter finds a girlfriend, and she happens to have a dark past, one that catches up to her. On the professional level, Easter and Taylor uncover very damaging information about the U.S. President. What they do with this information drives the story. This second book is really a balancing act for Kevin Easter, personally as well as professionally. How does he protect his girlfriend from a very hostile stalker while performing his duties for the CIA, which takes him out of the country for long periods of time?

Okay information about the giveaway!

I will buy one copy of The Samaritan via book depository (please make sure your country is available for free shipping), this way I can make it open internationally. Ends Aug. 5th

Just fill out the form below:

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.

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

The Goddess Test by Amiee Carter
ebook version (64% into the book)

"But could you just...stay for tonight?"
Several seconds passsed, and I mentally kicked myself for asking like I had--like I was some hormonal  teenager who only wanted that. But I didn't want that at all. I wanted his company. He made me happy, and tonight of all nights, I didn't want to be alone. Most of all, I didn't want him to be either.

I finished this book and I really enjoyed it!


The Undertaker by William Brown
 ebook (30%)

There I was, strapped naked to an embalming table, with Tinkerton hovering over me with a bloody scalpel in his hand, and these two clowns couldn't make up their minds. "Come on, guys," I begged them. "Look at him. You can't leave me down here. He's going to kill me."

Still working on this one, its interesting but sometimes a little slow.
Your turn to tease me!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

Finished:

In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare (review)
The  Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (review)

Reading:

The Undertaker by William Brown
The Lightkeepers Ball by Colleen Coble
Sector by Brick Marlin

Next up:

Undecided.

So what are you reading?

Review of The Goddess Test

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Pages: 304 (my copy was a ebook)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Review source: NetGalley
My rating: 4/5

It has always been Kate and her mother and now her mother is dying. Kate's mother wants to die in the place she grew up so she makes Kate drive them to Eden. She wants Kate to have a normal life and insist that she enrolls into the High School there and try and make friends. Kate has no intentions of staying in Eden after her mother dies so she doesn't want to make any friends.

On her first day she meets Ava who dislikes her immediately. So when Ava invites her to a party out in the woods, Kate should have known it was a trick. After a prank goes wrong and Ava lies dying Kaye meets Henry. Henry tells her he can help Ava, but she would have to do something in return. She agrees, but doesn't really understand what she is agreeing too. He tells her to read the story of Persephone then make her decision, she has till the Autumn solstice.

When the time comes Kate says she wouldn't go with Henry. She couldn't believe he was what he says he was and that he really thought she would stay with him. After she realises her mistake and it can't be taken back she makes a new dill with Henry. If she agrees to stay through the autumn and winter solstice then she can have time with her mother.

Once she agrees she is told that she must pass seven test and if she does then she will become immortal like him and help him rule. She just can't believe that Henry is Hades, ruler of the underworld. What she does see is a dark, tortured soul and she becomes very fond of being around him. If what he says is true, does she really want to be Queen of the Underworld?

***Spoiler alert toward the bottom***

Okay, so I am going to admit that I don't really know a lot about Greek Mythology. I know who a lot of the main characters are, Hades, Zeus, Aphrodite, etc. I don't know enough about them to put a lot of stock into what happens in this story.

What I found in this story was to me a very interesting and easy read. It held my attention and I read it faster than any other book I have read in a while, so for me that makes it a good read. I think that even when reading a fictional story about mythology that you must give it a bit of a leeway. So for some people I can see where this story might not be something they love.

Kate, since she was a freshman has had to take care of her dying mother. She has never had a social life, no friends, etc. So when she moves to Eden, she has no plans of making friends, which makes for a lonely life. While living in Eden Manor though she does start to make friends with the odd people that live there. She knows that she is to take seven test but she doesn't know when she will be taking them and doesn't understand what they are till close to the end. The council with make her be testing her and she is not allowed to even know who they are, though they are all around her.  She also doesn't want to like Henry, but he starts to grow on her. Kate is not a real weak character but sort of a depressed one. I liked her, and wanted to see her succeed, but sometimes she just really depressed me.

Henry, now he is my favorite. Never in all my life would I think I could actually like Hades. Maybe its because he didn't act like a total jerk like Hades probably should. He was dark, handsome, and brooding and well I guess I just like those sort of tortured soul type guys. He knows that if Kate decides not to stay that he will die, yet he doesn't want her to stay because she feels she has too. I think he also doesn't want to get to close to her in case she fails or decides to leave.  He does come to care for her as it is sort of hard to not care for someone who is trying to make you not give up.

***Spoiler alert***

I don't think I can tell you what bothered me with this book without telling to much about the story. Now I know the Gods/Goddesses are not acting like how you might think they should. I also know its because of how she writes the story and if Kate knew who the Gods were it would affect the testing. So I can handle that.

My problem was  the test in itself, the seven deadly sins. It's a Christian believe, not a Olympic God belief and I really didn't understand it being  the test. I guess I can stretch it and see that they are good points to test on, but it just really didn't make a lot of sense to me. I didn't like that aspect of the story.

Other than that I really enjoyed reading this story and I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out. I think if you liked Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton, then you might like this book as well.

Guest Post: Author G. F. Smith

Today I have a guest post from author G.F.Smith, he is the author of a series called Subjected. There are three books, Eye of God, Parallax, and the Predicate. His books are available as ebooks on amazon for $2.99 a piece, so if you like Sci-fi type books give them a try. (I personally have not read or reviewed these books)

Thanks Stormi for this Blog Post opportunity! I love your site!

SUBJECTED: (the three-book novel series – www.gfsmithbooks.com ) explores a topic that has been considered extraordinarily controversial throughout humanity’s history: Creation and Evolution; Science and Religion; God and Aliens, etc. (This is why I use the term Sci-Phi = Science/Philosophy). However, first and foremost, I did not write these books to propagate, promulgate, proselytize, or in any other way, preach the supremacy of any one perspective. I’m truly just a humble, genuine man with more questions than answers.

I do suppose though, to quote the books that, “Life has its reasons….” I think, and it is deeply related throughout the entire series, that there is more going on than what we know. We all came from somewhere, and the flow of Time is apparently taking us somewhere. Where is that? I don’t know either. But, I do believe the following:

We (all those science guys, actually) have discovered a universe of the extremely BIG: quadrillion, trillion, gazillion Stars, Galaxies, Clusters, Nebulae, Black Holes, etc., that exists in an envelope of space that is apparently growing, and one that is accelerating, not only in its expansion, but in its grandeur. We have also discovered a universe of the small, which in and of itself, contains just as many sub-components as the big universe. And we, strangely, have found ourselves smack in the middle, looking up and looking down, considering it all.

The amazing part…is that we learned all of this through our little three-and-a-half-pound brains. Wow! How’d we do that? Which has led me to think that…there’s more to us than just these little three-and-a-half-pound brains.

Check out my Site/Blog and communicate some of your observations of life. I’d love to hear from you! Also, there are more books in the works.

 G. F. Smith
(www.gfsmithbooks.com  – *FB-Gary F. Smith - *Twitter-@gfsmith11)

Thanks Gary for telling us a bit about your books!

Fiction Express: Chapter reviews (Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light)

Before being contacted by Fiction Express to review one of their books Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light I had never heard of them. Laura has asked me to review each chapter as they come out on Fiction Express. So what is Fiction Express, I thought you might be wondering so I asked Laura to explain it.

"In a nutshell, Fiction Express publishes young adult fiction in weekly,serialized form over the Internet, but with the added twist that, at the end of each weekly chapter, readers get to vote on several optional choices for the plot. The author then writes the next chapter according to the most popular reader choice.

Fiction Express e-books are available anywhere in the world and we have members from many different countries.

We would love to hear from any authors interested in writing for Fiction Express – email authors@fictionexpress.co.uk"

Even though its based out of the UK, I was glad to see that any author who wants to try this way of writing was welcome to join. When I decided to check out Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light I will admit I was a bit skeptical, but I was intrigued by the first chapter. I also think it is sort of fun to get to vote on what you want to happen next. It sort of reminds me of those books I read when I was younger called Choose Your Own Adventure Books!

Rémy Brunel and the Ocean of Light by Sharon Gosling

Synopsis:
No-one performs on the circus trapeze like sixteen-year-old Rémy Brunel. But when the circus closes for the night, Rémy leads another life, as a cat burglar and jewel thief. Forced by the evil circus owner Gustave to attempt the theft of one of the world's most valuable diamonds, Rémy thinks it will be just another heist, but when she meets determined young detective Thaddeus Rec, her life changes forever. Will Thaddeus manage to rescue the jewel from Rémy’s nimble fingers? Or is it really Rémy that he needs to save?


Chapter One (review)

Remy is a very talented trapeze artist, but she is even more talented at being a jewel thief. The first chapter has her doing her circus act. When it looks as if she is going to fall to her death, a young man quickly comes to her rescue, only to be pushed aside and knocked to the ground.

Thaddeus, a young detective, who just happened to be outside the circus tent when Remy looked like she needed help. He quickly finds out she was not in need of help, and as quickly as he comes to her rescue he is gone.

Tonight, Remy finds out that Gustave wants her to do a recon on the Tower of London where the diamond is being held. She has never had to do a recon before she usually just slips in grabs the jewels and slips out, but this time it might prove a more difficult a job. I don't think it will be as easy as Remy hopes.

Thaddeus is well aware that someone will probably try and steal the diamond. He seems to be the only one worried about it as the other detectives think the Tower of London can not be broken into. Thaddeus sets out with his new fangled object that he and a friend have been working on, it is suppose to make it easier to see in the dark....

The end of the chapter leaves Remy in a tight spot and the voters get to choose what is to happen and I am finding myself very curious as to what will happen. Did how I vote get chosen or was it one of the other choices.

I have never heard of this author before, but I found the first chapter intriguing enough to want to know what will happen to Remy and Thaddeus. It is being called a Steampunk crime adventure two types of books I like combined into one, so I am excited to get to the next chapter.  It is sort of strange writing a review for a chapter not knowing how the next one will go, but its also interesting as well. The next chapter will be available 7/29/11 and I will have another chapter review on 7/30/11.

If you find this to be interesting please check out Fiction Express for more details and more books.

Review of In the Heat of the Bite

In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare
Pages: 416
Publiher: Soucebook
Review Source: Danielle from Sourcebook
My rating: 5/5

Chivalry is far from undead...

Matthew Halkett, Earl of Blodswell, is one of the few men in the ton who can claim to be a knight in shining armor- because that's precisely what he was before being turned into a vampyre. When he spies a damsel in distress in the midst of a storm in Hyde Park, his natural instinct is to rush to her aid...

But not every woman needs to be rescued...

Weather-controlling witch Rhiannon Sinclair isn't caught in a storm-she's the cause of it. She's mortified to have been caught making trouble by the imposing earl, but she doesn't need any man-never has, and is sure she never will...

But when Rhiannon encounters Matthew again, her powers go awry and his supernatural abilities run amok. Between the two of them, the ton is thrown into an uproar. There's never been a more tempestuous scandal...

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, It Happened One Bite, and one of the characters in that story that I was most interested in was Lord Blodswell. I was so excited to see that he was the main character in Lydia Dare's second book in the series, In the Heat of the Bite.

Mathew always seem so dashing and honorable in the first book, but he has never had his honor so tested as it is when he is around Rhiannon she trigger something in him that he has never felt. It has been a lot of fun reading this book. I love Mathew even more after reading it.

Mathew  Halkett has been around for century's taking blood from those that are willing and never really thinking much about it. He only takes what he needs and gives them pleasure so he figures it all balances out. Then Rhiannon gets under his skin, she is so innocent, and at first fearful of the vampyre. Maybe it would have been better for him if she was still afraid of him, then maybe she wouldn't throw herself at him willing to let him take from her. Since meeting Rhi, and refusing to take from her, trying to be a gentleman, he has found that he is having a hard time feeding. His fangs won't work for anyone by Rhi, and this could be the death of the poor vampyre. Mathew is just one hot vampyre!

Rhiannon, has never been on the receiving end of love. Her father could care less what happens to her. Her Aunt Greer, thinks she is a abomination for being a witch and won't have anything to do with her. She won't even allow Rhi to see her sister Ginny. So when she meets Lord Blodswell and finds him to be of a high noble station, she figures she can use him to help gain status and be able to see her sister. There is something very aggravating about Mathew that has her weather side always in a uproar, but there is something also so very irresistible as well.

One of the things I love about Lydia Dare's books are the fact that she makes all the characters so appealing, even those you want to hate. The only character I really, really hate is Aunt Greer! Everyone else I either love or really like to hate. I never read her werewolf series (which I need too) and I have figured out that some of the sister coven were in those book and married werewolves, but it doesn't mess with the stories in the vampyre series. Even though its always good to read all the books so you have ever bit of background I have never found these books to be so sync together that you couldn't read them as stand alones.

Lydia Dare provides a great historical romance with a perfect blend of paranormal that all who love this genre will love. They are both sensual and sweet with a dash of hotness. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves vampyres! Go check them out now!

Below is a song that popped out at while I was writing this and though this could be as song for Mathew and Rhi, so I thought I would put it on here for fun. Its a great song!

It's a Blog Hop

It's time for Friday's Blog hop. I can't believe I am actually getting my in early this time instead of being number 200 and something..LOL. Hosted by Crazy-for-books!

This weeks question is:

What’s the ONE GENRE that you wish you could get into, but just can’t?

My answer to this would have to be Science Fiction. I really like watching Sci-fi stuff on tv and movies but when it comes to reading it I have a lot harder time with it. I even like playing sci-fi video games like Mass Effect but still have a hard time reading one. :( I also wish I could get into biographies a little more but non fiction stuff just tends to bore me and I can't do it, but I love learning about peoples lives.

So what about you?

Tuesday Teaser!

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!

Bath Tangle by Georgetta Heyer
Page: 18

"Poor devil, no! If I could, I would not! You would bully him into giving his consent to marriage to the first wasterl that offered, only to break the Trust! Well, you won't bully me, so make up your mind to that, Serena!"



The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks
Ebook so not sure of a page number. 19%

"Dude." Fergus cut me off. His tone was one of strained patience. "Of course he's not going to buy it. We're not trying to  convince him that werewolves exist.  We're trying to get him on film, lying to you."

Okay, your turn to tease me! :0)

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Let me tell you it has sure been a Monday today. I almost fell down the stairs at work, but I caught myself on the railing before to much damage was done. My back is a little sore but all in all it could have been worse. :( My week has just got to get better now since I got all the nasty stuff out of the way, right? :)

It's Monday! What are you reading is hosted by Book Journey.

Last Week I finished:

The Odd Job Squad by Karl Fields (Review) It was a cute Middle Grade book.
Changless by Gail Carriger (audiobook) (review) I liked it but not as much as  Soulless.

This week:

In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare
Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer
The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks

Next Week

Not sure, but I am curious. I just got a kindle and I have a lot of books on it already,so I was wondering. Does anyone have this problem..lol. I can't help but want to read them all, so if I get bored I move to a new one. :( Its horrible, but they are so conveniently there its easy to do.

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes,

 Alan Rickman ,etc

My rating: 4/5

"Harry Potter, the boy who lived... come to die. Avada Kedavra!"

I know for a lot of people this movie being made is a very sad event. It means the end of Harry Potter, but every good thing must come to a end sometime.

It takes up right after were it left off on part one, but I was sort of hoping for a recap because it has been a while since I seen part one. It didn't take long to get into what was going on though. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are still looking for the rest of the Horcruxes as Voldermont is getting closer to him. He now knows that Harry is hunting the Horcruxes and is not a very happy bad guy.

They return to Hogwarts and now Prof. Snapes is the headmaster and things are being ran a lot different. Oh how I love to loathe Snapes, but he is my favorite character. This movie also has the part in it I hate very very much and any other fans of Snapes knows what I am talking about. I don't want to talk about it because some may not have read the books or seen the movie yet.

Its sort of a race against time to find the hallows before Voldermont and the deathearter tear Hogwarts into tiny pieces. I don't want to talk to much about it cause you really just need to see it. But I will tell you this that one of the characters that makes this movie is Neville Longbottom!

Okay so I am going to admit that I have never reread Harry Potter so its been a while since I have read book seven, but I thought the movie went pretty much with what I remember. This time they try to put it in 3D and anyone who has read my other movie reviews with 3D knows how much I dislike this new technology. I just haven't found very many movies were they do a decent job and I just feel like I am wasting extra money. It was no different with Harry Potter in 3D. :( 

Overall I enjoyed the movie and maybe its because I can't remember the book very well, but I think part 2 was way better than part 1. :) So go join the fun and go see it! 

Review of Changeless (audiobook version)

Changeless by Gail Carriger
Audiobook version (10hrs. 333 min. 48 sec)
Publisher: Orbit
Narrator: Emily Gray
Review Source: Audible.com (used a credit)
My rating: 4/5

Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

Alexia is at it again, some how trouble finds her with out any trouble. Alexia sets out to find out why everyone is changeless (her werewolf husband can not shift), this adventure takes her searching for her husband in Scotland.

Someone is trying to kill Alexia, but who, and what does it have to do with everyone in the Scotland wolf pack not being able to change. Alexia meant to go chasing after her husband alone but finds herself with a motley crew, with Mr. Tunstle, Ivy Hisslepenny, Felicia, Angelique and Madame Lefoux. (if I spelt the names wrong I am sorry but I didn't have the book for names since this was a audio)

I did like Changeless but probably not as much as I liked Soulless, and I think the reason why was there just was not enough of some of my favorite characters. I do like the introduction of Madame Lefoux, she is pretty cool. Although I dislike cliffhanger endings, I didn't find the ending to be upsetting just that it seem to take to long in getting there. I figured out whodunnit a long time before Alexia did. Also I love Lord Maccon and the ending left me very agitated at him and I didn't like that. (although I have read a lot of reviews on this book and you would like people have never read books with cliffhanger endings. I am starting to get use to them since it seems that is how authors these days think they have to keep readers interested, oh well)

Emily Gray is the narrator of the audio version and I must say she did a wonderful job. She has a pleasant voice to listen to and it was great fun listening to all the voices she was giving everybody. When it comes to audiobooks it really is all about the narrators voice and hers was lovely.

Overall I enjoyed listening to Changeless and I am very much glad that I have the next book because of the cliffhanger. If you enjoyed Soulless, I think you will enjoy Changeless but it is really a lot different than the first book. If you have never read Soulless, you must at once! :)

Follow Friday

Hosted by Parajunkee View!

Now to make this #FF interesting we do a FEATURE blogger. If you are interested in becoming a Feature click on the drop down link above FEATURES > Feature & Follow Friday and get on the waiting list! It is also required to follow the host blog (parajunkee.com) and the Feature blog to participate in the #FF.
Featured blogger: Angela @ Angela's Anxious Life

Q. What do I do when I are not reading?

A: When am I not reading..LOL. Well lets see I blog, play on facebook (I am terribly addicted and its not a good thing..ugh), work, play video games. :)

Blog Hop Friday

It's Friday so its time for Crazy-for-books Blog Hop! Lets see who the featured blog is and the question they give us. :)

This week’s question comes from Veronica who blogs at: Read Books, Have Fun


How/Where do you get your books? Do you buy them or go to the library? Is there a certain website you use like paperbackswap? 

The only bookstore within driving distance is Books-a-million and its a okay place to shop and sometimes has some great books on sale. It is not the main place I get my books, I normally shop at Barnes and Noble online and sometimes The Book Depository but since I got my kindle for my bday I have been doing more shopping at amazon.com. My kindle has been great for getting those books that I am not real sure about but since they are cheap in ebook form I go ahead and get it and sometimes find great books that way. I got a great deal this morning with my kindle. It had this ad on my kindle about getting a ebook for a dollar, so I checked it out got my code and guess what I got for $1, The Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs!!!! I have heard great things about this book and I got it for a buck, now that is cool!! *I love my kindle* and some of the ads it displays..LOL. 

I do go to the library for books that I am not really sure if I would like them enough to buy them. If I end up really liking the book then I can always buy it later. I am so excited because my library just got overdrive so now I can download ebooks and audiobooks!!!!

I have used some of the swapping sites and they can be really cool. I use to use paperback swap from time to time but now I am more interested in ebookfling.com because it doesn't cost to send a ebook or receive one. :)

So where do you get your books?

Review of The Odd Job Squad

The Odd Job Squad by Karl Fields
Pages: 238
Publisher: Creatspace (self pub)
My rating: 4/5

 

If found The Odd Job Squad to be a very fun and entertaining middle grade book. Its a book about revenge, but its also a book about friendship. Anyone who was never very popular can probably relate to The Odd Job Squad, a group of not so popular kids who get some payback on the popular ones.

 

Since the sixth grade and Ander and his three friends have been getting even for those who they vote deserves it, but they have rules. NEVER MAKE IT PERSONAL is one of those rules. When Anders has a chance to get back at Dorsey a football player, he sort of forgets his own rule. When this happens it throws the group into a whirlwind downfall.

 

Anders get so wrapped up in the fact that someone might know who they are that he fails to notice things that are happening to his group. They are not in the sixth grade anymore, they are in eighth grade, and things are starting to change. Shooter is just not herself and has started acting a little strange around Ander and he is pretty much clueless as to what might be going on.

 

Though Ander learns some life lessons along with his dilemmas. Behind ever bully there could be a kid who is trying to hid some pain. That getting even with someone is not always the best solution to a problem.

 

The Odd Job Squad is a very light, fun read for both girls and boys (and adults) to read. I found it very enjoyable and I would recommend it to everyone.

Waiting on Wednesday!

Waiting on Wed. is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Here are a couple of titles that I am looking forward too.

In the Forest of the Night (Book 2 of the Goblin Wars) sereise by Kersten Hamilton
Release Date: Nov 22

The battle against goblinkind continues . . . but which side will Teagan be on?
Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends. Tea knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

(I just finished Tyger, Tyger last week and I really enjoyed it and found out that the next book is coming out this winter, so I can't wait to read it. )

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
Release Date: Oct 18th

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What - or who - will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

(I have enjoyed the first two so I am curious as to how this one will go. I am actually surprised at myself for keeping up with a series..LOL  I just have to say one thing...Come on does the book have to be over 500 pages..ugh.)

What book/s are you waiting for?