Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Day 116 - Teaser Tuesday [4]

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:



-Grab your current read.
-Let the book fall open to a random page.
-Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
-You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
-Please avoid spoilers!









"Silas had stayed quiet for a bit, now he said, 'She nearly killed herself, Lee. She nearly got herself killed.'" (77)






House Rules :: Heather Lewis

Monday, March 30, 2009

Day 115 - Close Encounters [ARC Review]

Close Encounters
Katherine Allred

Series or Stand Alone: Alien Affairs, book one

Summary: [from katherinallred.com]

Kiera Smith is not like ordinary Genetically Engineered Persons...
The Bureau of Alien Affairs needed a special GEP agent with empathic abilities to handle their most extraordinary assignments - and a rogue geneticist saw to it that Kiera fit their specifications. But she turned out stronger, faster, smarter, and more impervious to harm than anyone anticipated. A reluctant "superhero", Kiera wishes she were normal, but it is not to be.

On Orpheus 2, the indigenous Buri race faces extinction, a prospect the powerful Dynatec corporation welcomes and, in fact, may be actively hastening. As a special agent for the Bureau of Alien Affairs, it is Kiera's job to protect these beautiful, exotic aliens... and to discover what there is on Orpheus 2 that Dynatec feels is worth killing for.

But the magnetic allure of the breathtaking Buri leader is proving a dangerous distraction. And now, to save Thor's people, Kiera will need a power she's never before possessed - something hidden in the unexplored recesses of her heart.

Review:

I gotta admit that this was my first science fiction romance, but definitely not my last! Kiera Smith is a GEP(genetically engineered person) who only wants to be normal. She's not only different from her non-enhanced human counterparts, the Naturals, but she's different from other GEPs as well. It seems geneticist Dr. Gertz created her to be stronger, faster, and much more harder to damage than her fellow GEPs. Kiera works for the Bureau of Alien Affairs. After a new alien species is located and studied, she comes in to help them negotiate with independent trade companies in order to market their resources. She also makes sure that none of these companies try to breach the Equality Edict and take advantage of the newly discovered species.

As the book opens Kiera is on vacation with her ship, Max, whose artificial intelligence doesn't hinder him from having his own quirky personality. Crigo, a rock-cat, is more Kiera's companion than her pet, and he's with them as well. But the vacation is cut short as Dr. Daniels, Kiera's boss, contacts her with a new assignment. It seems that one of the biggest trade companies around has a big interest in a new planet called Orpheus Two. Dynatec wants complete ownership of Orpheus Two, which is something Kiera has never encountered. The only way the company can gain full ownership is if the indigenous species is expected to die out in a period no more than 100 cycles.

The indigenous species of Orpheus Two are the Buri. A beautiful and gentle race very similar to humans. Kiera must find a way to keep the Buri from going extinct and find the true intentions of Dynatec. As she gets to know the Buri she ends up discovering the things she's always been searching for.

I thought the characters were really interesting. When Kiera first meet the Buri she nicknames them because they speak a language full of grunts and noises. I thought that was a really unique idea and I loved seeing what Kiera came up with. There isn't much conversation between the Buri and Kiera through the first half of the book, but I loved seeing things change as the story unraveled.

I really enjoyed the world of Orpheus Two including the environment and the creatures. I'm personally attached to the dragon birds. (= A small, feathered dragon-look a like. They had the cutest personalities. I'm really looking forward to seeing where the next book in this series will go. I'm curious to see if it will continue with Kiera, introduce a new hero/heroine, or continue with a current character.

I want to thank Heather from The Galaxy Express for sending me this ARC. This is my very first ARC and I was so excited to receive it (= Also a huge thank you to Katherine Allred herself for signing my book for me. It was such a pleasant surprise to find when I opened the book.

I definitely recommend giving Close Encounters a read. The book will be released tomorrow, March 31st from HarperCollins.


Day 115 - Aliens & Sex And The City

So instead of doing homework or catching up on reading last night I watched the Sex and The City movie. It was way better than I expected... which is funny because I never planned on watching it in the first place. I even teared up a little considering my own relationship status... but that's a different story.

Anywho, around 10-ish I was very into the movie when I heard a really loud noise. To tell you the truth, I actually felt the noise. It sounded like abnormaly loud thunder. I went outside to ask my sister if she had seen anything because she was outside at the time and she had seen a big flash streak across the sky. I immediately thought of aliens! - or maybe a meteor, but I was betting on aliens. My mom thought it was fireworks.

My sister had some friends over and one of them asked what I thought it was. I said "It's probably aliens. We're probably gonna die. I just want to finish Sex and The City first".
So what was this mysterious streaking light? People think it might be a meteor. Apparently it was seen and heard from Maryland down to the Hampton Roads area of Virgina (which is where I reside) and even in North Carolina. I found this around 8am in my Accounting class this morning. I found this a minute ago to see if the news had changed. This one is claiming it could be a Russian Rocket...

So, I saw the entire movie... I'm totally ready for the aliens!!



Sunday, March 29, 2009

Day 114 - Book Arrivals 6.0

Another good week in Book Arrivals (= 6.0 definitely brought Book Mooch back into action along with some other goodies.

I usually get my books 3 different ways:


  1. Barnes & Nobles
  2. Book Mooch
  3. && Contests and Giveaways from generous bloggers (=

Barnes & Nobles:


As soon as I finished Eragon & Eldestmy mom went out and bought me Brisingr which was oh so nice of her <3. She also got me a dangly book mark - I'm not really feeling the shoe part but it's still cute



Brisingr :: Christopher Paolini






Book Mooch:

A very kind book moocher gave me a 3 for 2 deal, which was so kind of her (=


The Lovely Bones :: Alice Sebold
The Five People You Meet in Heaven :: Mitch Albom
Dragon Lovers :: Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney, Karen Harbaugh, Barbara Samuel
Memoirs of a Geisha :: Arthur Golden



Contests & Giveaways:
I got the 10th anniversary Edition of Speak from Lenore from Presenting Lenore. Thank you so much!!

Speak :: Laurie Halse Anderson

&& the other book is one I received for review (=

Finding Grace :: Donna VanLiere






7.0 will probably not make an appearance until the late 1st or 2nd week of April. See you then (= Happy Reading!


Friday, March 27, 2009

Day 112 - Proxi..wha? && Zombie Chickens!?!

Ginormous hugs to Melissa over at Melissa's Bookshelf for giving me this award weeks ago and not getting ticked off that I totally forgot to thank her!

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."


I shall bestow this lovely award to:

Melange's Book Reviews
Brooke Reviews
Cheryl's Book Nook
Confessions of a Convicted Bibliophile
The Way I See It
Lurv a la Mode
Bookluver-Carol's Reviews
Book Reviews by Jess


I've seen this award floating around everywhere and was literally dieing for a nomination. A big thank you to J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog for granting my wish (= This is like the best award ever - and I think the person who made the graphic is a weirdo genius! <3


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

I'd totally take on zombie chickens for:

Melissa's Bookshelf
Drey's Library
Darque Reviews
Presenting Lenore
The Galaxy Express

If you've recieved one of these awards already than you get a cookie!! (Okay, not really but yay for you!)


Thursday, March 26, 2009

Day 111 - I Went And Did It...

...Yes, you heard right!! I decided to jump fly on the band-wagon and get myself a twitter account (=
Tweet Tweet


... Now come help me make sense of it (=

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Day 110 - Wordless Wednesday [5]

"Towards the Light"



Want more Wordless Wednesday photos? Click here.

Day 110 - Waiting on Wednesday [5]

I've been seeing this cover on a lot of blogs lately and I'm really excited about getting my hands on it when it comes out!! I love this series (=

City Of Souls: The Fourth Sign of the Zodiac :: Vicki Pettersson


from vickipettersson.com:


In Sin City, a little girl suffers from a strange and terrible malady. If she dies, the Light will die along with her.
Joanna Archer has survived countless otherworldly terrors, and has found her rightful place among the agents battling the all-pervasive evil of Shadow ... even as she struggles against the darkness within herself.
A war is raging for the endangered soul of Las Vegas, one that catapults Joanna into a new world hidden from mortal sight in search of a cure to a devastating sickness. In this lethally seductive alternate dimension, the lines blur between good and evil, loyalty and treachery, and here lies the last hope for the Light. But Joanna's price of admission is a piece of her own soul - and the odds of her escaping are slim ... to none.



City of Souls will be released June 30th.

What are you waiting on this week?
To see more books that are being waited for click here.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Day 109 - Eragon/Eldest Omnibus Part II

Eragon/Eldest Omnibus
Christopher Paolini

Series or Stand Alone: The Inhertiance Cycle, book one & two

Synopsis for Eldest: [from alagaesia.com]

Darkness falls…despair abounds…evil reigns…
Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesméra, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. Soon he is on the journey of a lifetime, his eyes open to awe-inspiring new places and people, his days filled with fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems. Before long, Eragon doesn’t know whom he can trust.

Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle–one that might put Eragon in even graver danger.

Will the king’s dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life. . . .

Review for Eldest:

Phew, I finally finished the second half of this book and can do Part II of this review. I can't tell you all how relieved I was as I got closer to the end. And as I read the very last sentence I was totally upset with myself for not already purchasing a copy of Brisingr. The end really had me wanting more! But that was last night and this is today and I went out and got a copy of the third book. Yay me. But onto my thoughts of Eldest...

Book two picks up directly where the first left off. The battle between the Urgals, the dwarves, and the Varden at Tronjheim has ended. Durza is defeated and Eragon is left with a terrible scar. In the aftermath, the Urgals are somehow able to surprise attack the Varden. Their leader, Ajihad, is killed and the Urgals take Murtagh and the Twins, the Varden's top magic users. After Ajihad's funeral a successor must be chosen to lead the Varden, which is where Ajihad's daughter, Nasuada steps in. Eragon and Saphira swear fealty to her as the new leader of the Varden and befriends a dwarf, Orik, who becomes a very good companion to them both.

Eragon, Saphira, Orik, and Arya set out for Ellesmera, the elf capital, where Eragon will have more training to be a Rider. Upon meeting the elven queen Islanzadi, Eragon learns that Arya is her daughter and is a princess. And if that wasn't a big enough shock, he meets the Mourning Sage who is to be his new teacher. Oromis was the one who helped shield Eragon during his battle with Durza back in Tronjheim. But the shocking part is who was with Oromis when Eragon and Saphira meet him. Oromis flies in on his own golden dragon, Glaedr, and tells Eragon how he escaped from Galbatorix during the Fall of the Riders. Both Eragon and Saphira are absolutely elated that they are not the last Dragon and Rider left. However, Oromis and Glaedr didn't escape Galbatorix without injuries.

While Eragon and Saphira continue their training with their new teachers another story unfolds for Eragon's cousin, Roran. Roran learns of his father's death and blames Eragon for the trouble he has brought the town of Carvahall with his blue stone. He quickly realizes that Galbatorix is after him as well and has sent the Ra'zac to capture him. Roran hides and tries to wait out the Ra'zac but within a short amount of time, Carvahall is under seige and Roran has no choice but to return and help. After many attacks by the Empire's soldiers, and the Ra'zac, the villagers manage to drive the small army away but not before Roran's fiance, Katrina, is taken. And now Roran's dangerous journey begins as he and the villagers travel in hopes of finding safety and Katrina.

There is one more story along with Eragon and Roran's, and that is of Nasuada's. As the new leader of the Varden she immediately starts making decisions and decides to move the Varden to Surda in hopes of combining the rebel forces. She also learns of the fate of the child that was blessed by Eragon and Saphira when they first arrived at Tronjheim. It seems his blessing was wrongly worded and he ended up cursing the child. Elva is a really interesting character because of what has happened to her. She later serves as a type of bodyguard for Nasuada. Since the Varden are now in Surda, war with Galbatorix seems imminent. After Eragon finds that out he has no choice but to cut his training short in Ellesmera. He arrives and finds the Varden along with the Surdan Army poised for battle.

This story is as much Roran's and Nasuada's as it is Eragon's and Saphira's and I think Paolini did a really great job of weaving in and out of each perspective. And the ending really blew me away! While I enjoyed following along Eragon with his continued training as a Rider with the elves, I found Roran's journey to becoming a hero more entertaining. I think the best thing about the two books are the characters. There is such a diversity between their personalities that I find myself trying to imagine what I would do in their positions.

I'm very excited to continue the Ineritance Cycle with book three, Brisingr. And I have learned that book four is in the making and will hopefully complete Eragon's story.


Day 109 - Teaser Tuesday [3]

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:


-Grab your current read.
-Let the book fall open to a random page.
-Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
-You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
-Please avoid spoilers!









"Here's the thing," I told Crigo. "Thor and I are going to have sex, and we're going to have it on this bed whether you're in it or not." (246)






Close Encounters :: Katherine Allred

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Day 107 - Book Arrivals 5.0

Welcome back to Book Arrivals! 5.0 seemed to come a lot sooner than I anticipated since I got a good number of books this week (=

I usually get my books 3 different ways:
  1. Barnes & Nobles
  2. Book Mooch
  3. && Contests and Giveaways from generous bloggers (=
I couldn't help but spend a little bit of money at Barnes & Nobles earlier this week while I visited the mall. I decided to get the first books in some of the series I should have started ages ago...











I was also fortunate enough to win a few more books from Contests & Giveaways:


Big hugs and thanks to :

Heather for an ARC of Close Encounters :: Katherine Allred **This is my very first ARC and it was signed my Ms. Allred (=
&& Drey for the wonderful Asian author package:

Nothing from Book Mooch this week but there is some on the way to my house that you will find in BA 6.0! So until then...Happy Reading!


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Day 103 - Waiting On Wednesday [4]

I'm SOO ready to read Rehvenge's story!!

Lover Avenged :: J.R. Ward


from jrward.com:

Caldwell, NY, has long been the battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the Lessening Society. It’s also where Rehvenge has staked out his turf as a drug lord and owner of a notorious nightclub that caters to the rich and heavily armed. His shadowy reputation is exactly why he’s approached to kill Wrath, the Blind King, and leader of the Brotherhood.
Rehvenge has always kept his distance from the Brotherhood, even though his sister is married to a member. Because he’s a symphath, his identity is a deadly secret- the revelation of which will result in his banishment to a colony for sociopaths. And as plots within and outside the Brotherhood take their toll against Rehvenge, he turns to the only source of light in a darkening world- Ehlena, a vampire untouched by the corruption that has its hold on him- and the only thing standing between him and eternal destruction.



Lover Avenged will be released April 28th.

What are you waiting on this week?
To see more books that are being waited for click here.

Day 103 - Wordless Wednesday [4]

"Mountains in the Sky"



Want more Wordless Wednesday photos? Click here.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Day 102 - Green Is My Favorite Color

I just wanted to wish everyone...



Be safe and have tons of fun (=

Day 102 - Teaser Tuesday [2]

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:


-Grab your current read.
-Let the book fall open to a random page.
-Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
-You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
-Please avoid spoilers!










Reynir sighed and slumped against the doorframe. This was truly the best day of his life; how could tomorrow be any better? (128)






Ariel's Journey :: Doug Kane & Christy Wood

Monday, March 16, 2009

Day 101 - F*** Me Dead

F*** me dead I just climbed out from under my rock and realised I have not updated this since the Clintons were in the Whitehouse... You would not believe that my hands were chopped off and I was waiting for bionic ones. I hope you still love me!

I am overwhelmed with setting fire to people wearing Crocs, selling my soul to Google, just generally being an embarrassment to anyone unfortunate to cross my path, my day seems to be a litany of stuff and giggles from the second I am woken by murderous Teletubbies to I feel like going to bed. I am not complaining though. life happens.

I will try to remember I promised you I will blog more regularly. Promise! Don't hold your breath though, you're likely to turn blue.

Haha I thought this was so funny. I saw it on Melissa's blog. She first saw it at Wendy's Minding Spot. Go to The Lazy Bloggers Post Generator to get it on the fun. Make sure to head back to Wendy's post and provide a link to your post!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Day 100 - Book Arrivals 4.0

Welcome to Book Arrivals 4.0! I don't get many books on a weekly basis so I don't do "In My Mailbox" or memes like that. I usually just wait till I get a bunch then post it on here. The past two weeks I did get quite a bundle, which made me very happy!

I usually get my books 3 different ways:
  1. Barnes & Nobles
  2. Book Mooch
  3. && Contests and Giveaways from generous bloggers (=

These are from Contests & Giveaways:

I received the L.J. Smith book pack from Melissa. I'm looking forward to starting these and hopefully discussing them with her (= And I think the covers are so cool!








This was won from the wonderful ladies over at Book Binge for a Valentine's Day contest!


After poor career choices, a failed marriage and three moves to three different states, first-time author Greene needed to establish sanity and stability for herself and her children. What she gets when she accepts a job offer she thinks will be just a nice resting place turns out to be a wonderful new life. Greene, now the grandmother of seven, recounts the transformation of her life and her 20-year marriage to Marsh, a man she met after her move when she was in her late 30s. Greene kept a running list of the funny and touching things Marsh did for her each day, and each year, on Valentine's Day, she would share the Sweet Things List with him. Weaving recollections from this list into her story, Greene opens up memorable times of their lives: the early period in their relationship, the years in China for Marsh's career, their time sailing the Pacific and searching for a new home, his illness and the surprising publication of this book. What could have been a saccharine story filled with clichés is instead a gentle and genuine reminder that the smallest things in life are the most precious. This is a heartfelt tribute to what really matters.

My lovely cat Binx wanted to help me show you all the books I got from Book Mooch.




Nothing from Barnes & Nobles this time but I have some waiting to be shipped in April (=
So until next time, Happy Reading!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Day 98 - Eragon/Eldest Omnibus Part I

Eragon/Eldest Omnibus
Christopher Paolini

Series or Stand Alone: The Inheritance Cycle, book one & two


Synopsis for Eragon: [from bn.com]

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands....

Review for Eragon:

Since the book is a combination of book one and two of the Inheritance Cycle, I decided to do the reviews after I finished each book rather than waiting until I finished the entire thing so I would have the events fresh in my mind as I wrote each review. And yes I have seen the movie Eragon, and since this is a review for the book I'm going to try to limit my comparisons between the movie and book.

First off I have to say WOW! The magical world of Alagaesia and all of its inhabitants is simply amazing. I thought Christopher Paolini did a superb job in detailing his characters and their surroundings. After Eragon, a young farm boy, finds a mysterious blue stone in the Spine near his home, his destiny begins as a Dragon Rider. After a dragon hatches out of the blue stone Eragon's world turns upside down.

The king of the Empire, Galbatorix, is the one of the last Riders left and he has the remaining two dragon eggs in all of Alagaesia. He will do anything to get his hands on Eragon and his new dragon Saphira. Two of his minions known as the Ra'zac, are in Eragon's hometown and after they discover Eragon they lash out and kill his uncle and destroy the farm he has always known as home. With the loss of his uncle, Eragon becomes enraged and vows his revenge on the Ra'zac. He sets out after them along with the town storyteller, Brom, who turns out to be more wrapped up in Eragon's fate then he lets on.

Their long and perilous journey is a dangerous one as they travel leagues to different cities trying to find the Ra'zac. Along the way Brom slowly and reluctantly relinquishes details of his past and his true involvement with Eragon's life. He teaches Eragon the ancient language of the Elves and how to use the language to produce magic. He also spars with him every night in hopes of developing Eragon's combat skills.

As the team confronts the Ra'zac Brom is fatally wounded and a new character is introduced, Murtagh. Brom's death is a devastating blow to both Eragon and Saphira and they must continue on their journey after the Ra'zac escape. Their new destination is to rescue the elf, Arya, that was in charge of Saphira while she was still in the egg. This new journey is much more difficult for Eragon and Saphira without Brom and it's more physically exhausting as they race to find the Varden after finding Arya. The Varden is a group of rebels that have fought against Galbatorix since the last of the Dragon Riders were wiped out.

To make matters worse Arya has been poisoned by a Shade; a vicious and evil creature that uses nothing but the darkest magic. Durza is a formidable enemy indeed. His poison is slowly killing Arya. Eragon, Murtagh, and Saphira must find the Varden before she dies and before they are found by the army of Urgals that are on their trail. Will they make it in time? And what will happen if Eragon does reach the Varden? Can he fulfill his destiny without Brom's guidance?

I have to say if I never saw the movie I would never have heard of Christopher or his books. I did like the movie, even though it pales in comparison to this book. There is so much the movie left out! And I did feel that the characters were portrayed very differently, which I must admit is very understandable. I suppose I'm very lenient when it comes to movies that are based from books. I know there's no possible way to fit everything in a movie and the book is usually always better. There are a lot of characters that I would like to discuss but I think I'll save it for the review on Eldest. I don't want to spoil the entire story of the first book for anyone that hasn't read it yet. That way if anyone joins me for Part II of this review I won't feel like I'm spoiling anything for anyone.

One thing I did love about this edition is that it included a map of Alagaesia and a pronunication guide. I'm not sure if these were in the original books but I know I had them both bookmarked and looked at them frequently. It was nice to see a spread of the land as I followed Eragon on his travels. And I wasn't confused when he used the ancient language because most of it was translated in the back as well. Definitely a nice touch (=

If you haven't read Eragon I suggest you do, whether you've seen the movie or not. Forget the movie in fact. Even though I liked it, I hardly thought about it as I got lost in Alagaesia with Eragon and Saphira. Stay tuned for Part II when I'll be reviewing Eldest.


Day 98 - Riding on Instinct Contest



I also posted this widget on my sidebar but it's here as well so you can see the full effect. Click "Enter Now" to get all the details on how to win some great prizes from erotic romance author Jaci Burton or just click here. This is a month long contest so there's no excuse to not get in on the fun. There are also daily prizes so head on over to Jaci's blog!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Day 96 - Wondrous Words Wednesday [3]



An idea I saw on bermudaonion's blog where we can share some new words we've come across in our readings. These are listed in the order I found them, color coded for whatever book they are from.



1. rapier - a small sword, esp. of the 18th century, having a narrow blade and used for thrusting.
First word up in Eragon. It was used to describe one of the elves in the very beginning of the book. Weird choice to compare him to a sword *shrugs* : "His build was slim but strong, like a rapier."

2. precipitous - extremely or impassably steep.
I immediately thought of the word precipice and with good reason. I'm sure that's the root word now (= Kind of a duh moment : "In late evening he arrived at the edge of a precipitous ravine."

3. corpulent - large or bulky of body; portly; stout; fat.
I knew from the rest of the description that this wouldn't be a nice word : " The skin around his jaw was dry and corpulent, filled with lumps of hard fat, like cold butter gone rancid."

4. irascible - easily provoked to anger; very irritable.
Used to describe Brom in Eragon. Very understandable considering what a grump he can be : "The old man was irascible at times, but he never seemed to mind taking time for Eragon."

5. gulag - the system of forced-labor camps in the Soviet Union.
This was the first word I found in the e-book French Bred I'm reading for review. The main character (and author) Fred thinks a girl that he slept with is talking badly about him with her friends : "By morning, I’d have to resign myself to exile in the far reaches of Siberia, suffering in my personal gulag away from the snickering masses."

6. effeminate - (of a man or boy) having traits, tastes, habits, etc., traditionally considered feminine, as softness or delicacy.
This one was used to describe Fred by his friend's grandmother. She tells Fred and his friend Caroline she better not catch them doing anything they shouldn't be. She's a real hoot! : "I didn’t live this fucking long to listen to my granddaughter play the one cord fiddle with her effeminate friend."

Day 96 - Wordless Wednesday [3]


"Shade the World"


Want more Wordless Wednesday photos? Click here.

Day 96 - Waiting on Wednesday [3]

While browsing through harperteen I saw this cover and thought it was simply lovely.

Wings :: Aprilynne Pike

from harperteen.com:

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.



--Not much description, I know but it does make me curious (=



Wings will be released May 5th.

What are you waiting on this week?
To see more books that are being waited for click here.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Day 95 - Teaser Tuesday [1]

Teaser Tuesdays asks you to:

-Grab your current read.
-Let the book fall open to a random page.
-Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
-You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
-Please avoid spoilers!













A few lonely people in the corners nursed their drinks with sullen expressions. A man missing two fingers sat a far table, eyeing his twitching stumps. (176)






Eragon/Eldest :: Christopher Paolini

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Day 92 - Untamed

Untamed
P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Series or Stand Alone: House of Night, book four

Synopsis: [from back cover]


Life sucks whenyour friends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird - she's becoming an expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, of the two Zoey has left, one is undead and one is unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey's adventures at vampyre finishing school will take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened in P.C. and Kristin Cast's spellbinding fourth House of Night novel.

Review:

In the fourth installment of the House of Night series, Zoey Redbird has to deal with the consequences that the previous book put her through. She has lost all three of her boyfriends after Imprinting and giving her virginity to Loren Blake. And she is devastasted after learning of his betrayal right before he was murdered. Erik has broken up with her after catching Zoey in the act and her previous Imprint with Heath has now been painfully broken. She's lost the support and trust of her friends. Aphrodite is now an unMarked human and Stevie Rae is no longer the undead but a brand new kind of vampyre. Talk about a headache.

There's some new characters introduced as well. James Stark, a new fledgling, is transferred from the Chicago House of Night along with his amazing archery skills. I totally wanted to smack Zoey when she started to talk about her attraction for him. However, he did sound real nice (= The High Priestess of all vampyres, Shekinah, arrives at the school. And it was crazy to see someone put the Neferet in her place. And the reader also meets Sister Mary Angela of Street Cats, the charity that The Dark Daughters will be volunteering for. A strong character that is a lot like Zoey's grandmother.

Although Aphrodite is a human she is still blessed by Nyx since she retains her vision capabilities. However, her visions are far from welcome. They warn her of a terrible and ancient evil that is not only dangerous to the House of Night, but to all vampyres and humans alike. The evil involves Zoey's Native American heritage and this is where her grandmother can step in and try to help. But the gang struggles to understand Aphrodite's visioins and the connections they may have to Neferet and the new red fledglings.

The ending was definitely a page-turner. It was such a explosive move into the next book and I almost screamed in frustration because I have to wait for Hunted to come out. If you haven't started this series I suggest you do because the next book is really going to change things at the House of Night.

Blog Widget by LinkWithin