Day 237 - Friday Finds [7]

**Hosted by MizB,click here to see more Friday Finds

I usually add a lot of books on my TBR list throughout the week. This is just a small glimpse into the ones that were added on recently.

Please let me know your thoughts on a book you've read from the list. Or tell me about a good book you've found this week.

My finds this week:

Triptych :: Karin Slaughter

Sweet Surrender :: Maya Banks

Nobody's Princess :: Esther Friesner

Moonstone :: Marilee Brothers

King Dork :: Frank Portman

Breathless :: Jessica Warman

Blue is for Nightmares :: Laurie Faria Stolarz

A Darkenss Forged in Fire :: Chris Evans

Day 235 - Waiting on Wednesday [22]

from us.macmillan.com:

A teenage runaway is killed by a sadistic vampire with the pathology of a serial killer, who has stalked her family for over a decade. Brought back to life to feed on her child, she’s killed again -- but not before reviving her first victim, her firstborn. The undead infant escapes, triggering a citywide search for a vampire baby whose existence threatens to expose the entire vampire society.

And they will stop at nothing to make sure that doesn’t happen.

In the downtown art world/club scene of New York City, Steven and Lori, an artist and a writer, are in the middle of a bad break up. Instead of being able to simply move on, they are stuck with each other, bound by a contract to do a book on vampires. When they stumble across the real thing, will their feelings for each other intensify as they're reunited to battle monsters they scarcely believe exist?

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Reason: More vampires? Yes, I know. But come on...vampire babies!?!? I gotta know more, you know you're curious too!!

Cover Discussion: Pretty creepy stuff. I love the blood, it adds a more sadistic vibe to it. It makes the vampire concept more...scary rather than romantic.

Bite Marks: A Vampire Testament will be released September 15th! (my birthday =D )

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

Day 234 - Teaser Tuesday [20]

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!











"Slowly his tail floated up until he hung upside down--his twelve foot pectoral fins splayed outward from his sides like a cross--
Rotating almost imperceptibly--he began to sing again--
Creaks and moans--cries and whistles-animated the water with the pulsing power of song--
The echoes cascaded back to him off the ocean floor as the sounds revealed the texture of the deep--
Then again silence--
At last--he heard two other males singing-amplifying the sound
Then others-males and females--young and old--swam closer and closer. (1 & 2)"

Eye of the Whale :: Douglas Carlton Abrams

Day 234 - Tuber Tuesday [4]

Tuber Tuesday is hosted by Emily over at her fabulous blog AyeCaptain Reviews (go check her out!)



The purpose of Tuber Tuesday is to share a great video you've found throughout the week. It can be funny, inspirational, gut-wrenching, interesting, a book
trailer, a movie trailer, an author chat, or anything else you want to share!




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I absolutely love Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'm pretty sure the animated show is done and I wasn't able to catch the last 2 seasons. I'm planning on getting them on DVD because it's just a great show! Trust me lol. So when I went to go see Transformers the other night (which was a FANTASTIC movie) I saw this teaser....

I pretty much squealed the whole time I watched it. I can't wait to see more trailers.

And you know I kind of enjoy M. Night Shyamalan's movies.

Day 233 - It's Monday!

Photo credit : Moriza

It's Monday! What are you reading this week?, hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog, is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.





Books Gobbled Last Week:
None *tear*




Currently Gobbling Down This Week:
Undone :: Karin Slaughter
Eye of the Whale :: Douglas Carlton Abrams







**Sidenote(s)/FYI**
-I've taken The Blue Pen off my list because I'm putting the e-book on hold for now. I'm really trying to get a Sony eReader for my birthday (in September) and that will really help with my e-books.
-I would have finished Undone last night but I went to see Transformers instead lol. (Awesome movie btw!!)
-Oh and I got a 91 on my pre-calc final, yay! Don't ask me how that happened lol.
-Hopefully I'll get back in a stable reading groove soon *crosses fingers*

Day 232 - Blood, Fire, and Pillars of Smoke: The Rise of Vampires in Pop Culture

I have yet to read Royal Blood by Rona Sharon but I've heard really great things about the author's writing and her book. After receiving the article and reading through it I thought it was interesting to note what Rona said about vampires and how they are probably gonna be around for a while. I love vampires, but I do admit THEY ARE EVERYWHERE! However, I agree with Rona...

The undead are here to stay...

Read through the article and see what you think. Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions =)

I'm happy to report I received Rona's book, Royal Blood, and I'll be reading it shortly.

Have you read it yet?

What did you think of the book?

--------------------

Blood, Fire, and Pillars of Smoke: The Rise of Vampires in Pop Culture

By Rona Sharon,

Author of Royal Blood

As popular themes go, vampires may very well win the prize of "most commonly resurrected." You may love them, hate them, or are trying very hard to ignore them, but surely you have wondered at least once what made the damned princes of darkness so bloody interesting.

If you prefer "real world" story lines and are observing the phenomenon as a baffled bystander, you might be interested to know that thousands of years before achieving mass popularity in movies such as Underworld and Twilight, and TV series like True Blood, vampires had manifested in pagan mythology, monotheistic demonology, and spiritual rituals.

Throughout history, vampire myths appeared in nearly every culture. From the ancient Middle East (Mesopotamia, Judea, Egypt), these archetypical baddies invaded Europe, where they found fertile soil in Slavic paganism, and also materialized in Africa, Asia, and the Aztec Empire.

Curiously, the earliest vampires were females -- violent dark goddesses like the Sumerian Lilitu, the Egyptian Sekhmet, and the Indian Kali, all possessing immense supernatural forces. These vampiric goddesses had both the powers to create and to destroy, to give birth and to devour.

In the Dark Ages, tales of vampires sparked public hysteria. Corpses were exhumed and stabbed. It had taken the vampire various reincarnations, through the Hebrew Talmud, Arabian Nights, Boccaccio's Il Decameron, and eclectic poetry to reemerge as the suave ageless nobleman.

This 19th century "makeover" was a direct outcome of the violent volcanic eruption in Indonesia in 1815. The Judgment Day atmosphere caused by dark skies and a frosty summer inspired Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as well as plays and operas starring the alluring vampire lord.

From this point on, the revenants' star was on the rise and shining ever so brightly with each literary, musical, or theatrical piece conceived (oftentimes as a result of consuming laudanum) in their honor. Lord Byron, Edgar Allen Poe, and Alexandre Dumas, to name a few, contributed to their eternal fame, but it was the Irish novelist Bram Stoker's Draculathat had the mightiest impact on the imagination and cast the glory of the bloodthirsty count and his court in perpetuity.

Evidently the public's fascination with vampires is not an original fad. The vampire is the most popular fiction character of all times. What is it about vampires exactly that appeals to so many people? And why, being familiar with this totally fictitious half-man, half-monster icon, people are still happy to spend their time on movies, books, and TV series that feature vampires?

Entertainment and escapism come to mind. As much as we are riveted by "real world" plots, sometimes the brain needs to zone out in fantasy land. This explanation is plausible, but it fails to prove why the vampire in particular outperforms any other fantastical creature.

We should keep in mind that the vampire has only recently assumed the role of the compelling, Gothic, martyred, seductive, gorgeous, off-limits, struggling, sympathetic, romantic outcast in love with a human. The slick hunk in black leather pants, driving a sports car in a metropolis by night, was not the bloodcurdling image that had haunted the graveyards of our ancestors.

Granted, the spooky effect has value. Sexologists believe that scary moments stimulate the libido and therefore couples may bond effectively having watched a horror movie together.

However, while this theory is bound to stick in your memory, it does not offer sufficient evidence, either.

Vampires, whether pale and beautiful or ghoulishly foul, have always been identified with death, blood-drinking, and sex, feeding on emotions such as love, guilt, dread, desire, pity, and sadism.

Far be it from me to undertake psychoanalyzing why we are obsessed with death, blood, and sex. In my capacity as a historical novelist, I choose to explore the mysteries of the human psyche through stories in the hopes of understanding why we were put on this earth and how we may improve our lot in life. Ironically, as I study the tapestry of man's fleeting existence, I see how the fruits of one generation's labor -- art, science, architecture, etc. -- are reaped by its successors.

Now, a vampire -- omnipotent, never-aging, and immortal -- may travel the centuries unscathed, unconstrained by a deadline in his pursuit of enlightenment and happiness. Would he or she be a cheerful voyager or one cursed with loneliness? Then there is the future to consider. What if the world and/or mankind are doomed to a cataclysmic end? Would anyone care to witness that?

Vampire symbolism is tied in heavily with the awareness of the powers of darkness, chaos, and the occult -- ancient mysteries that add a chilling dimension to the rich layers of history and cast a question mark on the future. Doomsday prophecies made for an absorbing read as I was doing research back in 2007 for Royal Blood, my Tudor Vampires novel. Here's an example:

"Awake, ye drunkards, and weep . . . For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion . . . Sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand . . . And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come."

– Book of Joel

The vampire -- a human lookalike possessed of superior abilities, as well as frailties, dependent on man for sustenance, multifaceted and obscure -- remains an enigmatic figure. Friend or foe? Through him, we get to experience latent fancies and scenes in which the secrets of creation are unraveled. Thank heavens for fiction, I say. The world, I predict, has not seen the last of the vampire crazes. The undead are here to stay, our prolific imagination will undoubtedly continue to produce them, and even the most discriminating realist may yet cross over to the dark side.

©2009 Rona Sharon, author of Royal Blood

--------------------

Author Bio

Rona Sharon is the author of critically acclaimed historical novels of intrigue, passion, and danger. Her latest, Royal Blood, is a tale of lust and violence in the treacherous Tudor Court. From her home on the Mediterranean Coast in Tel Aviv, surrounded by thousands of years of history, Rona brings her passion for culture and travel to her writing and never fails to deliver a story that carries a punch . . . and a dagger.

For more information please visit http://www.ronasharon.com/index.html

Day 231 - New Challenge

So J. Kaye from J. Kaye's Book Blog is one of my heroes =) She has so much stuff on her plate and yet she constantly adds more onto it. She may not know when to say no or she's just plain awesome! I'm going with a little bit of both, but with more emphasis on the latter.

You can find all the rules and guidelines here and sign up to join! But basically the goal is to get caught up on the Stephanie Plum series, so create a list of the books you haven't read yet. You have between now and December 31, 2010. Don't include books you've read prior to or started before 7/23/09.

Stephanie Plum Series
1. One for the Money (1994) - Read before July 23rd
2. Two for the Dough (1995)
3. Three to Get Deadly (1997)
4. Four to Score (1998)
5. High Five (1999)
6. Hot Six (2000)
7. Seven Up (2001)
8. Hard Eight (2002)
9. To the Nines (2003)
10. Ten Big Ones (2004)
11. Eleven on Top (2005)
12. Twelve Sharp (2006)
13. Lean Mean Thirteen (2007)
14. Fearless Fourteen (2008)
15. Finger Lickin' Fifteen (2009)

Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers Novels
Visions of Sugar Plums (2002)
Plum Lovin' (2007)
Plum Lucky (2008)
Plum Spooky (2009)

Day 230 - Friday Finds [6]

**Hosted by MizB,click here to see more Friday Finds

I usually add a lot of books on my TBR list throughout the week. This is just a small glimpse into the ones that were added on recently.

Please let me know your thoughts on a book you've read from the list. Or tell me about a good book you've found this week.

I also wanted to apologize for not posting since Monday. I had my pre-calc final yesterday and I'm almost done with my speech class. I'll be back in blogging mode soon I hope.

My finds this week:

Sisters of Misery :: Megan Kelley Hall

The Eternal Kiss: 12 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire

Evening :: Susan Minot

Saving Rafael :: Leslie Wilson

Amazon Ink :: Lori Devoti

Out of the Shadows :: Sarah Singleton

Deeper :: Megan Hart

Army of the Fantastic :: Edited by John Helfers & John Marco

Day 226 - Book Arrivals

Hello lovelies! I meant to post this last night but I was totally beat. So here is what I've received over the past couple of weeks, I was going to wait another week because I'm expecting a few more pacakages but since I'm reading something out of this stack I felt I should post it. So look for another Book Arrivals shortly =)

Alright, so here we go...

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From Contests/Giveaways & Misc:

Falling Into the Sun :: Charrie Hazard

(Recieved for review)

After she stumbles upon his suicide, Kate Nardek sees her dead neighbor everywhere—hanging from the ceiling fan, in her rearview mirror—dark holes where his eyes should be. Three days after Michael’s suicide, Kate envisions her own thirteen-year-old son, Josh, hanging from a garage rafter. She realizes the kind of despair that led Michael to kill himself fuels Josh’s increasingly violent blowups. She seeks psychological help for her son, a decision that dramatically changes the course of both their lives. In her quest to vanquish Josh’s demons, Kate must face down her own, forcing her to rethink her beliefs about mental illness, good and evil, death and, finally, her own self-worth.

Michael’s journey parallels Kate’s as his soul flies into the center of creation. There, he discovers someone—or something—has noted every twist of his life since sperm struck seed. This being’s perfect knowledge generates the healing salve of perfect compassion. If Michael will confront the truth about key people and violent episodes from his recent life, he too can learn compassion. It’s a painful exercise he can refuse. But other journeys to the center have taught him that willful ignorance is like the river Lethe; it leads to only one place. He chooses knowledge.

Undone :: Karin Slaughter

Book seven in the Grant County series

(Recieved for review for August Virtual Blog Tour)

Someone had spent time with her -- someone well-practiced in the art of pain... Three years ago former Grant County medical examiner Sara Linton moved to Atlanta hoping to leave her tragic past behind her. Now working as a doctor in Atlanta's Grady Hospital she is starting to piece her life together. But when a severely wounded young woman is brought in to the emergency room, she finds herself drawn back into a world of violence and terror. The woman has been hit by a car but, naked and brutalized, it's clear that she has been the prey of a twisted mind. When Special Agent Will Trent of the Criminal Investigation Team returns to the scene of the accident, he stumbles on a torture chamber buried deep beneath the earth. And this hidden house of horror reveals a ghastly truth - Sara's patient is just the first victim of a sick, sadistic killer. Wrestling the case away from the local police chief, Will and his partner Faith Mitchell find themselves at the center of a grisly murder hunt. And Sara, Will and Faith - each with their own wounds and their own secrets - are the only thing that stands between a madman and his next crime...

Starfinder :: John Marco

Book one in the Skylords series

(Thanks Aerin from In Search of Giants!)

Steam trains and electricity are rapidly changing the world. Moth of Calio is obsessed with the airships developed by his friend Fiona's grandfather Rendor, and dreams of taking to the air one day like his heroes, the Skyknights.But not everyone is happy to see humans reach the skies. For thousands of years, the mysterious and powerful race known as the Skylords have jealously guarded their heavenly domain. But Moth and Fiona are about to breach the magical boundary between the world of humans and the world of the Skylords.

The Devlin Diary :: Christi Phillips

London, 1672. The past twelve years have brought momentous changes: the restoration of the monarchy, a devastating plague and fire. Yet the city remains a teeming, thriving metropolis, energized by the lusty decadence of Charles II's court and burgeoning scientific inquiry. Although women enjoy greater freedom, they are not allowed to practice medicine, a restriction that physician Hannah Devlin evades by treating patients that most other doctors shun: the city's poor.

But Hannah has a special knowledge that Secretary of State Lord Arlington desperately needs. At the king's Machiavellian court, Hannah attracts the attention of two men, charming courtier Ralph Montagu and anatomist Dr. Edward Strathern, as well as the attention of the powerful College of Physicians, which views her work as criminal. When two influential courtiers are found brutally murdered, their bodies inscribed with arcane symbols, Hannah is drawn into a dangerous investigation by Dr. Strathern, who believes the murders conceal a far-reaching conspiracy that may include Hannah's late father and the king himself.

Cambridge, 2008. Teaching history at Trinity College is Claire Donovan's dream come true -- until one of her colleagues is found dead on the banks of the River Cam. The only key to the professor's unsolved murder is a seventeenthcentury diary kept by his last research subject, Hannah Devlin, physician to the king's mistress. With help from the eclectic collections of Cambridge's renowned libraries, Claire and historian Andrew Kent follow the clues Devlin left behind, uncovering secrets of London's dark past and Cambridge's equally murky present, and discovering that events of three hundred years ago may still have consequences today....

Eye of the Whale :: Douglas Carlton Abrams

(Received for review for an August Virtual Book Tour)

Elizabeth McKay is a dedicated scientist who has spent almost a decade cracking the code of humpback whale communication. Their song, the most complex in nature, may in fact reveal secrets about the animal world that no one could have imagined. When a humpback whale swims up the Sacramento River with a strange and unprecedented song, Elizabeth must decipher its meaning in order to save the whale and ultimately much more. But as her work with the whale captures the media's interest and the world's imagination, many powerful forces emerge who do not want the whale's secrets to be revealed. Soon, Elizabeth is forced to decide if her discoveries are worth losing her marriage, her career, and possibly her life.

As timely as today's ecological challenges and as timeless as the whales themselves, this novel takes readers into the mysterious world of humpback whales and great white sharks. In writing Eye of the Whale, Abrams worked closely with leading scientists and did extensive research on the shockingly true facts on which it is based. This powerful story will transform the way readers see their relationship with other species and with the fragile world in which we live.

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker

(Received for review from the author)

What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Considering how few of Queen Victoria’s Londoners knew of it, the great Romanesque fortress was dreadfully imposing, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met the powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadow, the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She knew simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow-white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gifts. But this arched stone doorway offered a portal to a new life, an education far from the convent—and an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death….

The Bone Factory :: Nate Kenyon

(Thanks to Graeme from Graeme's Fantasty Book Review!)

The Jackson Pumped Storage Project was supposed to be one of the most ambitious hydropower experiments in the world. But when a particularly brutal winter and bad planning forced a shutdown in construction, it became one of the most expensive mistakes the locals had ever seen. That is, until Hydro Development decided to try again, and awakened a sleeping giant–and the murders begin.

A thousand miles away, hydropower engineer David Pierce gets a second chance when he’s hired to head a crucial part of the resurrected facility. Recently fired from a position with a rival company, his world was swiftly crumbling before his eyes, his marriage in trouble and money growing tight. In the blink of an eye, everything changes, and he, his wife and their young daughter are driving to Quebec City to begin their new lives together.

But Jessica Pierce is no ordinary little girl, and the visions that have haunted her since birth swiftly grow worse: visions of the “blue man,” and with him comes blood and pain and terror. There begins the most horrifying few weeks of the family’s lives as they battle the unforgiving Canadian winter and a madman under the influence of something far more terrifying and destructive than anyone can understand.

Prey :: Rachel Vincent

Book four in the Shifters series

SOMETIMES PLAYING CAT AND MOUSE IS NO GAME...

Play? Right. My Pride is under fire from all sides, my father's authority is in question, and my lover is in exile. Which means I haven't laid eyes on Marc's gorgeous face in months. And with a new mother and an I-know-everything teenager under my protection, I don't exactly have time to fantasize about ever seeing him again.

Then our long-awaited reunion is ruined by a vicious ambush by strays. Now our group is under attack, Marc is missing, and I will need every bit of skill and smarts to keep my family from being torn apart. Forever.

Bound by Your Touch :: Meredith Duran

(Thanks Anna from Anna's Book Blog)

Silver-tongued Viscount Sanburne is London’s favorite scapegrace. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. When his latest escapade exposes a plot to ruin her family, she vows to handle it herself. Certainly she requires no help from a too-handsome dilettante whose main achievement is being scandalous.

But Sanburne’s golden charisma masks a sharper mind and darker history than she realizes. He shocks Lydia by breaking past her prim facade to the woman beneath . . . and the hidden fire no man has ever recognized. But as she follows him into a world of intrigue, she will learn that the greatest danger lies within—in the shadowy, secret motives of his heart.

Benny & Shrimp :: Katarina Mazetti

(Received for review)

An international sensation, this addictively readable tale asks the question: Why is it so impossible to get a relationship between two middle-aged misfits to work? The answer lies in the story of Shrimp, a young widowed librarian with a sharp intellect and a home so tidy that her jam jars are in alphabetical order; Benny, a gentle, overworked milk farmer who fears becoming the village's Old Bachelor; and an unlikely love that should not be as complicated as it seems. Reminiscent of the works of Carol Shields, this quirky, humorous, beautifully told novel breathes new life into the age-old conundrum that is love.

Royal Blood :: Rona Sharon

(Received for review)

England, 1518. During the annual celebration of the Order of the Garter, Michael Devereaux arrives in King Henry VIII's court on a mission for his benefactor. The celebration's endless feasts and sumptuous women delight the charismatic newcomer, who becomes captivated by the enigmatic Princess Renée de Valois of France. But evil, it seems, has followed Michael to the court...

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From Barnes & Noble:

Post Secret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives :: Frank Warren

The project that captured a nation's imagination.

The instructions were simple, but the results were extraordinary.

"You are invited to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything — as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Be brief. Be legible. Be creative."

It all began with an idea Frank Warren had for a community art project. He began handing out postcards to strangers and leaving them in public places — asking people to write down a secret they had never told anyone and mail it to him, anonymously.

The response was overwhelming. The secrets were both provocative and profound, and the cards themselves were works of art — carefully and creatively constructed by hand. Addictively compelling, the cards reveal our deepest fears, desires, regrets, and obsessions. Frank calls them "graphic haiku," beautiful, elegant, and small in structure but powerfully emotional.

As Frank began posting the cards on his website, PostSecret took on a life of its own, becoming much more than a simple art project. It has grown into a global phenomenon, exposing our individual aspirations, fantasies, and frailties — our common humanity.

Every day dozens of postcards still make their way to Frank, with postmarks from around the world, touching on every aspect of human experience. This extraordinary collection brings together the most powerful, personal, and beautifully intimate secrets Frank Warren has received — and brilliantly illuminates that human emotions canbe unique and universal at the same time.

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Happy Reading!!

Day 226 - It's Monday!

Photo credit : Moriza

It's Monday! What are you reading this week?, hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog, is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finished this week.






Books Gobbled Last Week:
Wake :: Lisa McMann



Currently Gobbling Down This Week:
Undone :: Karin Slaughter
The Blue Pen :: Lisa Rusczyk







**Sidenote(s)/FYI**
-So I've totally been slacking in my reading, I don't know what's wrong with me.
-I did pretty much inhale Wake, which is good. But I have a feeling it'll take me a while to finish The Blue Pen because I have to read it on my computer.

Day 225 - Wake

Wake

Lisa McMann

Series or Stand Alone: Wake Trilogy, book one

Release Date: December, 2008 (Paperback Reprint)

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pages: 224

My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis [from bn.com]:

Not all dreams are sweet.

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can't tell anybody about what she does — they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

Review:

First off, I gotta say Wow! I totally loved this book. I got through it so quickly and I had such a hard time putting it down. I loved the characters and their development. I loved the unique premise of the story and how well Lisa McMann told it through the main character - Janie.

Janie can remember the first dream she was dragged into. She was eight years old and on a train with her mother to Chicago. She slips into a dream without even knowing it. It's about a bald man standing in front of a room holding a briefcase. Everyone in the room has nice suits on except for him. He's completely embarrassed and everyone is laughing at him. He looks to Janie with a look of panic. When she comes out of the dream the train whistle is blowing and it's time to get off. But not before she sees the same bald man with his briefcase in the aisle. I think Janie sums it up perfectly...

He wipes his face with a handkerchief.

Janie stares at him.

Her jaw drops. "Whoa," she whispers.

The man give her a blank look when he sees her staring, and
turns to exit the train.

(6)

Janie never understood why she gets pulled into people's dreams. And to be honest the typical falling dream and standing-naked-in-front-of-a-crowd dream are seriously getting old. Janie finds ways around it though. She makes excuses to leave her class when someone falls asleep and she memorizes her surroundings so she can try to "walk her way" out of the dreams. Because Janie doesn't fall asleep with the other person, she still has a grip on her body and where she's at although her vision is completely gone.

She can't tell anybody though. Her alcoholic mother doesn't really care, so she has no protective mom to deal with. And although Janie's a real sweet girl, her dirt-poor life is too much for the kids at school. Janie doesn't have many friends so no besties to deal with either. Even after befriending a new neighbor (that becomes pretty popular herself) Janie is still able to work around things. Her unwanted secret is safe.

While the concept of slipping into dreams may sound fun, it's something that really gets in Janie's way. When the nightmares start to happen, Janie finds herself shoved into violent and scary dreams. And when she starts to have feelings for one of her classmates, Cabel, things seem to only get more complicated.

This was such a great book! I loved how it was written in the present tense in short passages that were dated and time stamped. It had a feeling of urgency and it made me feel like I was right there with Janie, along for the ride. I can't wait to pick up Fade and I've seen the cover for the final book, Gone, which will be released February 2010! Definitely check it out, it features my favorite color - green <3!!>

Day 222 - Thursday Thunks [11]

Welcome to the July 16th version of Thursday Thunks!
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog.

We pick a subject, and your job is to interpret it anyway you want. Write about it on your blog... simple as that. Maybe you can interpret it as a picture - we don't care!Please only leave a link if you have written a Thursday Thunks post. Please mention us in your post, and link back to the blog here.Don't forget to go visit the other participants' blogs. Read and comment about all their Thursday Thunks! Thats what all this is about afterall, isn't it? We'll have so much fun and become lifelong friends....




This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Kimber, the number 15 and the color of windows.



1. Do you know anyone with heterochromia? Does it freak you out or do you think it's interesting?

No, I don't. I've never seen a person in real life with the condition. I have seen a dog or two, but no cats either. It doesn't freak me out at all though. I think it's unique and beautiful actually.

2. Should a 5th face be added to Mount Rushmore? If so, who?

Uh, no because that would be a big ass waste of money and time.

3. If you could live on any planet other than earth, which one would you choose and why?

In real life - none because I'd pretty much die on any other planet in our Solar System. I took Astrononmy last year in college, two semesters worth, and the planets make look pretty but the atmospheres are deadly. So I'll stick with Earth, thank you very much.... But say all the planets were comfortable and okay to live on, I'd pick Uranus just so I can say "Oh, yeah I'm from Uranus" lol

4. We're going to spend the night at a reportedly haunted location, are you going with us?If so, which reportedly haunted place are we going?

Hmm, considering I'd be the first one to die and/or get injured at this said haunted location I think I'll pass. Thanks though =)

5. Did you play The Queen's Meme this week? If so, was it fair of The Queen to put Berleen in the dungeon by association with Kimber? (We all know Kimber deserved it, but Berleen?!)

I'm afraid I missed the memo on this one lol

6. What color is the towel(s) hanging in your bathroom?

Well, I have an assortment of colored towels hanging for use in the bathroom. The ones that we're not supposed to touch are white with fish and seahorses on them. Water/ocean theme + Bathrooms = I know verrrry orignal =)

7. Tell us something funny that happened to you recently.

Hm well just an hour ago some guy named Wisdom hit on me in the parking lot on my college campus. I laughed when he told me his name. He didn't mind but I just thought it was funny.

8. We just bought you a cow. Do you kill it & grill it, feed it & milk it, or sell it?

I eat meat, sorry can't help it. But I couldn't eat a live cow staring me in the face. I'd feel horrible sending it off to get diced up. I'd feed it, definitely. Name is Bessie too =) or Heffer if it was a boy. I miss Rocko's Modern Life lol. I'd maybe milk it, or try to at least, but I wouldn't drink the milk even though I'm a huge milk fan. Something about warm milk coming out of cow utters scares me. I'd rather pretend it's just another man-made beverage product. Don't pop my bubble!

9. It's 115 degrees outside (46 degrees Celsius), are you able to go without Air Conditioning?

Ha, no. I need the A/C on when it's like in the high 80s.

10. When you visit the zoo do you wonder which animal tastes better with a bit of butter & spices?

No sorry. I don't think of eating zoo animals.

11. Dog ate your homework/work papers. Does it crap out Shakespeare, quantum physics, or just crap?

Just crap I'm afraid. That would be awesome if one of my boys crapped out my homework and it was still legible and whole. I'd totally still turn it in.

12. We are taking you to a broadway show, what are we going to see?

Never been to one. I want to go though. When are you taking me? Let's go see The Lion King or Cats...I've always wanted to see Cats. I wanna know what the big deal is!!!

13. Gunshots in your neighborhood. Pop, pop, pop. Do you go out to take a look, or hide?

How bout hide behind my door while peeking out to be nosy? I'm not going outside, I don't want to get shot.

Day 221 - Waiting on Wednesday [21]

from macmillan.com:

It happened quickly. Overnight, the greater Los Angeles area found itself in the horrifying grasp of a werewolf epidemic. Twenty eight days of the month they are no different than you or me--the High Bloods, who managed to go unaffected. But every full moon, they are the most ravenous creatures man has ever seen.

A new law-enforcement agency has been created to keep tabs on the those whose blood runs Lycan. Rawson is an agent for Lycan Control, and his job is to make sure all the afflicted are found, monitored, and kept at bay the night they change. But the Lycans in Hollywood have risen to cultlike proportions, and Rawson's job is getting tougher.

One night, a woman changes right in front of Rawson. And it's not a full moon. Someone deep in the annals of Hollywood has managed to trip the logic of the werewolves' being. Battling a rising tide of Lycan rights activists and a growing population of those who are choosing to be Lycan over High Blood, Rawson must carve a path to the top of the Lycan chain before all hell breaks loose.

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Reason: I love me some werewolves. Actually, just shapeshifters in general. And the politics and premise invovled in this story totally snagged my curiousity. I hope it doesn't disappoint because it's now pretty high on my TBR list =)

Cover Discussion: I just love the wolf image in the center of the body on the cover. Brilliant!

High Bloods will be released July 21st!

What are you waiting on this week?

To see more books that are being waited for click here.

Day 220 - Running With Scissors

Running With Scissors: A Memoir

Augusten Burroughs

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: July 2002

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 352

My Rating: 3.75/5

Synopsis [macmillan.com]:

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor’s bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year-round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull, an electroshock therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing, and bestselling account of an ordinary boy’s survival under the most extraordinary circumstances…

Review:

After a brief overview of Burroughs' life as a child, the memoir talks about his adolescent years beginning at the age of twelve. When he was younger, Augusten enjoyed shiny things, such as mirrors and jewelry. He had this peculiar fascination with polishing every coin and piece of jewelry he was able to get his hands on. He absolutely loved doctors and visiting them. He imagined himself becoming one, not to heal the people of the world, but to wear the pristine white coat and being able to have his own parking spot.

He spent his days in a very clean and orderly home and spent a lot of time obsessing over his hair and clothes, making sure there was not a piece of stray lint anywhere in sight. And while Augusten imagined his future of great potential as a doctor with high standing or some famous celebrity, his parents were always fighting in the background.

Deidre, his mother, is a poet who insists that she will be famous some day. Narcissistic and seeming bipolar she identified way too much with the late Anne Sexton. His father on the other hand, a mathematics professor at the University of Massachusetts is a severe alcoholic, insisting on drinking instead of facing his wife's slow developing illness. The relationship between the two is dysfunctional and violent at times.

The two come to an agreement of divorce. Before the divorce is even mentioned, Deidre starts to see a psychiatrist after her first minor psychotic break. Dr. Finch is unlike any psychiatrist out there. How he got his PhD is still a mystery to me. The good doctor lives in Northampton, Massachusetts with his wife and seven children (biological and adopted), along with assorted patients he has allowed to stay there. Having thought that all doctors have luxurious and tasteful homes, he is highly disappointed in finding the Finch house a run-down Victorian surrounded by the very houses that he should be in.

Augusten at first stays with the Finches under the guise of needing to be protected against his father, while his mother stays elsewhere. Eventually, Dr. Finch becomes Augusten’s legal guardian at around twelve years old. Augusten’s primary residence is at the Finch’s and he stays with his mother on occasion in Amherst.

Rules are practically non-existent and children of all ages do whatever they please in the Finch household. As Augusten stays there on a more permanent basis, his transformation from who he once was and who he is started to become is astounding. Taking after some of the most unbelievable characters I've ever read about, Augusten experiences some of the most disturbingly funny and twisted things in the span of about 5 years.

I really want to leave the Finch family and assorted guests for you to discover if you haven't picked up the book or seen the movie. They remind me of a really sick version of the Brady Bunch, which sounds awful but is really entertaining. And while I didn't love the book, I had a really hard time putting it down. I'm very interested in watching the movie and seeing how well the actors that were chosen (which seem to be awesome choices in my opinion) fit the bill, sorta speak.

I'll be picking up more of Burrough's work shortly, specifically Dry, which seems to cover the next chapter in his life. The first chapter was in the back of Running With Scissors and after reading it I seriously considered running out and buying it.

Here are two small passages from the book that I'm hoping you'll enjoy:

"As time went on, my parents' relationship became worse, not better. My father grew more hostile and remote, taking a particular liking to metallic objects and serrated edges. And my mother began to go crazy.
Not crazy like in a let's paint the kitchen bright red! sort of way. But crazy as in gas oven, toothpaste sandwhich, I am God sort of way. Gone were the days when she would stand on the deck lighting lemon-scented candles without then having to eat the wax." (30)

"But she did love him. I believe it. I know exactly how that is. To love somebody who doesn't deserve it. Because they are all you have. Because any attention is better than no attention." (148)

I wanted to include the trailer for the movie because it covered a lot of good scenes I had just finished reading in the book. And if you laugh at the trailer you'll definitely want to read the book, trust me...