October 31, 2010

Sunday Sweets

I get to show of my goodies for the week! Sunday Sweets I also like to tell you where I found them, what kind of deals are up for grabs. Occasionally I'll even try a different method of buying books to see if it's faster and cheaper somewhere else. (This post also follows The Story Sirens' weekly meme, In My Mailbox.) At the moment I'm a poor college student so you might not see this post every Sunday. If it's not there, that means the book gods have frowned upon me.

Only got two books this week, all bought at  Borders.

Harvest Hunting (Sisters of the Moon, #8) This is my guilty pleasure. I like to call it my "paranormal Soap Opera."   Delilah is my fav of the sisters.  I’ve noticed a pattern where I’ll stop after reading her book and wait for her next one to come out before I read the other two sisters.  What can I say, I have a favorite sister!

 

 

Return to Paradise (Leaving Paradise, #2)After really liking Leaving Paradise, I decided I had to have Return to Paradise. Apperantly my gr pals are saying book 2 is way better then book 1. Personally, this is the last book our fairy tale ending has to be here.

 

 

October 30, 2010

November Releases

Another month has passed it by, and that means more awesome book releases! I’ve got my eye on the Black Wings debut.  Plus I am way excited for the Paperback release of Dark Devine, I have been dying to read that one!
November 2
Blood Spells (Final Prophecy #5) by Jessica Andersen
Paperback Blood Spells (Final Prophecy, #5)
Firewalker (Stormwalker #2) by Allyson James
Paperback Firewalker (Stormwalker, #2)
In Dreams Begin (Harrowing book 2) by Skyler White
Paperback In Dreams Begin
Magic at the Gate (Allie Beckstrom #5) by Devon Monk
Paperback Magic at the Gate (Allie Beckstrom, #5)
Marked By The Moon (Nightcreature #9) by Lori Handeland
Paperback Marked By The Moon (Night Creature, #9)
Play of Passion (Psy-Changeling #9) by Nalini Singh
Paperback Play of Passion (Psy-Changeling #9)
Rebel (The Blades of the Rose #3) by Zoe Archer
Paperback Rebel (The Blades of the Rose, #3)
Wolfsbane (Sianim #4) by Patricia Briggs
Paperback Wolfsbane (Aralorn, 2)
Afterlight (Dark Ink Chronicles #1) by Elle Jasper
Paperback Afterlight (The Dark Ink Chronicles, #1)
Pegasus by Robin McKinley
Hardback Pegasus
The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire #1) by Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith
Paperback The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, #1)
November 3
Jeweled by Anya Bast
Paperback Jeweled November 8th
November 8
Bitten in Two (Jaz Parks, Book 7) by Jennifer Rardin
Paperback Bitten in Two (Jaz Parks, #7)
November 9
Selkie Girl by Laurie Brooks
Hardback Selkie Girl
November 15
Night Star (The Immortals #5) by Alyson Noel
Hardback Night Star (The Immortals, #5)
Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars #1) by Kersten Hamilton
Hardcover Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars, #1)
November 16
Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love
Hardback Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love
November 23
Dark Devine (The Dark Divine #1) by Bree Despain
Paperback The Dark Divine (The Dark Divine, #1)
November 30
Bone Gods (Black London #3) by Caitlin Kittredge
Mass Market Paperback Bone Gods (Black London, #3)
Counterfeit Magic (Women of the Otherworld) by Kelley Armstrong
HardcoverCounterfeit Magic (Women of the Otherworld)
Devoured by Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #7) by Alexandra Ivy
Paperback Devoured by Darkness (Guardians of Eternity, #7)
Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie
Hardcover Matched
Silver Zombie (Delilah Street #4) by Carole Nelson Douglas
Mass Market Paperback Silver Zombie (Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator, #4)
Vampires Not Invited (Night Tracker #3) by Cheyenne McCray
Mass Market Paperback Vampires Not Invited (Night Tracker, #3 )
Vicious Grace (The Black Sun's Daughter #3) by M.L.N. Hanover
Mass Market Paperback Vicious Grace (The Black Sun's Daughter, #3)
Black Wings (Madeline Black #1) by Christina Henry
Paperback Black Wings (Madeline Black, #1)

October 28, 2010

Book Blogger Hop and the Weekly Overview

Book Blogger Hop

Join this crazy-awesome event by clicking on the image above.

"What is the one bookish thing you would love to have, no matter the cost?"


More books.  You know that magic library in Beauty by Robin McKinley?  Well that's what I would want, any book ever published no matter past, present, or future.  Or, since that is fantasy one, the funds for my dream library.

Weekly Overview:

I'm off getting my groove on at the Hop!

Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight (Firelight, #1)Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult

A hidden truth. Mortal enemies. Doomed love.Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form. Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.


Thought:

Firelight sucked me in with its gorgeous cover, the promised Romeo and Juliet love story, and dragon shifters. For those of you worried about it being a Twilight copy, get over that idea. It really isn't and every book is going to have similarities to others, but this one is not a Twilight reincarnate with dragons. (For those of you that are not fans of Twilight, breath easy!)

That said, this is a pretty cute romance, and a very conflicting intense one at that. Where the hunter and the hunted meet and fall in love. Truly you have to leave you skeptic at the door for this one, but then again you kind of have to for all romances.

This book is pretty fast past, no time is wasted allowing you to sink into the story swiftly. Jordan gives us time to adjust to life as a dragon, and makes it easy to understand. Her words are very simple--almost too simple at times--giving readers the brash and scary reality that Jacinda lives in. Dragons are hunted, ripped apart and the pieces sold. No one knows that dragons can shift into people and that is the one thing keeping them alive. The dragons live in guarded communities that still rely on a King and elders to rule them. Dragons are dieing out, whether from defunct children who can't shift, to hunters taking them out one by one. Jacinda is the first fire breathing dragon to be born in ages, making her a prized possession in her Pride. A Pride that has scary plans for there "property."

Jacinda heart ache is so sad to watch. As her mother takes her away from her Pride to a desert where her dragon will slowly die out. Then the sad realization that her Pride will do anything to use their prized possession as nothing more then a breeding mare. This all accented by Jacinda's growing love for the hunter Will, who she knows she should not love.

The characters interact well in this book. From Jacinda's mother who is not proud of her dragon heritage and let it die out. To her defunct twin who finally gets to be normal in there new human life. This is a different take on twins who have lost each other, but still love one another. Sometimes Jacinda's mother and sisters willingness to let her dragon die is almost sickening. Will's family life and his connections to them are also stark and some times a little scary. Leading to the question are the monsters the ones with scales and fangs, or are the true monsters those who hunt them.

The love between Will and Jacinda has a magic pull that draws them together. Jacinda needs Will because he's the only force keeping her dragon alive and he has clues to get her to other Prides. In the end the romance builds up nice and slowly so that the reader feels like the two come together for more reasons then magic and necessity. That's one of the main things I look for in a romance, I want the characters to realistically fall in love.

Bottom Line:

We get nice plot twists and turns, with a fun love triangle mixed in. While the writing is a bit simplistic, it works for this story. Go into this expecting a cute romance, because in the end that's what this is. One of those grab you by the throat-teary-eye kind of things.

Rating: 4/5- Great! Really enjoyed

Add it:

Amazon: Firelight

goodreads: Firelight

October 27, 2010

Wednesday Wishes

Hunting for books is one of my favorite things. Finding a new title is my equivalent of "getting rich." Whether the titles been around for a while, brand spanking new, or just not that common Wednesday Wishes is here for me to share them with you.

The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks

I still hadn't fully absorbed the terrible possibility that I might actually be a werewolf. A werewolf. I kept stumbling over that word; it made no sense to me. How could I be a werewolf? Werewolves didn't exist.

When Tobias Richard Vandevelde wakes up in hospital with no memory of the night before, his horrified mother tells him that he was found by the police. At Featherdale Park. In a dingo pen.

As if that isn't weird enough, suddenly a very menacing looking guy and a priest show up at his door.

As the mystery unfolds, Toby finds himself keeping company with some very strange and sickly looking people - members of a suburban vampire support group. And when he's abducted in broad daylight, he will need all their help to break free ... and to come to terms with his own incredibly rare condition.

Does this not look sweet!

Flying Blind (The Dragon Diaries Trilogy #1) Flying Blind (The Dragon Diaries Trilogy #1) by Deborah Cooke

Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal – well, as normal as a girl with an obsession with drawing dragons can be. The thing is that she’s always been told she’s special and destined for great things. It’s not just because of her good grades, either. Zoë’s the Wyvern, the one female dragon shapeshifter with special powers. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL. Worse, there’s no reference book to consult and the last Wyvern is dead…

Everything changes when Zoë’s best friend is bullied and Zoë reacts. Before she can blink twice, her inner dragon is loose, she’s suspended from school and headed to a boot camp for the Pyr guys she’s known all her life. But soon she’s doubting her powers—and even some of her friendships.

Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday – the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line—unless Zoë and her friends can solve the riddle, work together and save their own kind…

The cover makes me shiver!  I’m really excited to get to read something by this author.

Kiss of Death (Scarlett Wakefield, #4) Kiss of Death (Kiss/Scarlett Wakefield #4) by Lauren

Henderson No detial on this goody. The cover bodes well! 

 

 

 

Dreams of a Dark Warrior (Immortals After Dark, #11)Dreams of a Dark Warrior (Immortals After Dark #9) by Kresley Cole

It’s a gripping tale of a battle-maddened warrior driven by revenge and the Valkyrie temptress who haunts his dreams.

He vowed he’d come for her... Murdered before he could wed Regin the Radiant, warlord Aidan the Fierce seeks his beloved through eternity, reborn again and again into new identities, yet with no memories of his past lives-only an endless yearning.

She awaits his return... When Regin encounters Declan Chase, a brutal Celtic soldier, she recognizes her proud warlord reincarnated. But Declan takes her captive, intending retribution against all immortals, unaware that he belongs to their world.

To sate a desire more powerful than death... Yet every reincarnation comes with a price, for Aidan is doomed to die when he remembers his past. To save herself from Declan’s torments, will Regin rekindle the memories of the passion they once shared-even if it means once again losing the only man she could ever love?

Tee-hee, I have been waiting for Regin’s story.

Day of Sacrifice: The Prophecy (Day of Sacrifice Novella, #1) Day of Sacrifice: The Prophecy (Day of Sacrifice Novella #1) by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

With only three days left until her twenty-first birthday, her Day of Sacrifice, Flora Hamilton should be living it up. But when another Supernatural family puts a hit on her she’s forced to go into hiding with Julian, her gorgeous new Guardian Angel. Sometimes running for your life isn’t so bad.

This just gives me shivers. 

Huntress Huntress by Malinda Lo

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn’t shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people’s survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Taninli, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls’ destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo’s highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

Got to love a book with the title Huntress.

Overprotected

Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.

Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.

Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.

Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.

Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.

Daddy was wrong.

Usually I mock these kind of books, but this one just tickles.

Cleopatra's Daughter Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

The death of Cleopatra was only the beginning...

Follows the incredible life of Cleopatra's surviving children with Marc Antony -- twins, named Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene, and a younger son named Ptolemy. All three were taken to Rome and paraded through the streets, then sent off to be raised by Octavia (the wife whom Marc Antony left for Cleopatra). Raised in one of the most fascinating courts of all time, Cleopatra's children would have met Ovid, Seneca, Vitruvius (who inspired the Vitruvian man), Agrippa (who built the Pantheon), Herod, his sister Salome, the poets Virgil, Horace, Maecenas and so many others!

This has amazing reviews and I have to know what the buzz is.

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between (Rhiannon's Law, #1) Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between (Rhiannon's Law #1) by J.A. Saare

One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.

No one knows that better than Rhiannon Murphy.

She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start. A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her—until now.

The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret. When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he’s not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.

But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it’s only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.

I’ve had quite a few recommendations for this book.  Some of the quotes are really a amazing.

Jeweled Jeweled by Anya Bast

Defined by magic. Ruled by desire.

In the Court of Edaeii, magic-imbued Evangeline is rewarded for her gift with a sapphire stone set in the perfect curves of her flesh. Her greatest rival in the royal court is the enigmatic Anatol, instilled with his own powers to manipulate illusion. He may better her in magic, but he is her absolute equal in a ferocious sexual energy begging for release.

They share something else—they’re both targets of low-born revolutionaries bent on over-throwing the palace of the privileged few. Rescued from the mobs by Gregorio, a brilliant insurgent, they’re given sanctuary. But in this warm refuge, Evangeline soon finds herself torn between the magic of one man she has always desired, and the excitingly new and radical moves of another. For her, there is only one choice.

Evangeline, Anatol and Gregorio come together as one to explore the possibilities of love beyond reason, and to indulge—for as long as they can survive—in pleasure without limits.

I’m growing fond of this author and I’m curious what this will be.

October 26, 2010

Lips Don’t Lie: Author Gossip

As a reader I always want the download on what's going on with authors. Do they have new books coming out, how is the latest tour going, any thing juicy! So, I decided to bring the news to my readers. I'm lurking around all of those author blogs anyway, might as well do something productive.

Sorry this one posted a little later then usual, blogger was just giving me a hard time.

Heaven's Spite (Jill Kismet, #5)

A lot of readers have been venting on some of the groups I haunt at goodreads that Saintcrow is never going to finish her Jill Kismet series.  Well the author has let the word out.

She’s finally finished the final book, Angel town, or at least the final draft.  From her posts about it she had her doubts, but fans can finally breath easy. Author post.

Dead Witch Walking (Rachel Morgan/The Hollows, #1)I was browsing Harrison's site when one of her blog posts jumped out and gripped me.

I shifted my radio over to the 80s yesterday, which is something I do about once a month or so, just to remember what it was like to feel the way the 80s feel, and much to my surprise and delight, I realized Rachel was in love.

This isn’t a conscious decision made by the author to shift things around and tweak to start a new love interest, this is me listening to music for twelve hours and realizing that just about every song being played, (All the way from You Give Love a Bad Name, to Whip it Good, to I Love Rock and Roll, to One Night in Bangkok, to Breakfast Club, to Down Under) was swinging back to Rachel and the “New Guy.”

All I can say it’s freaking about time.

-grin- (Author Post)

Personally I concur!! Harrison’s men always leaving me drooling.

Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, #1)

For this news I’m just going to quote the author, I’m a huge fan and would hate to ruin the delivering.  I’ve already read this and I assure you there are no spoilers.

Well, I am thrilled to announce that I will be writing two more novels for the Night Huntress series, ending Cat and Bones’s storyline now at book nine instead of seven. AND, if that wasn’t enough to make my day, I am also contracted to write the first two books in a new series featuring – you guessed it – Vlad as the hero and a new character named Leila as the heroine.

I am SO excited about the opportunity to extend Cat and Bones’s storyline into nine books so I can implement the plans I have for them, instead of cutting things out to squeeze everything into seven books. Plus, anyone who’s spoken to me for longer than five minutes knows I’ve been itching to showcase Vlad in his own books, and I’ve got just the heroine to give Mr. Hot Hands a run for his money that he’ll never be expecting. Right now the tentative plan is for the first Vlad and Leila novel to release in 2012. 2011 will see the releases of the fifth Cat and Bones novel titled This Side of the Grave, Cat and Bones 6 (untitled as of now), and the holiday-themed anthology I’ll be in with Lynsay Sands that will also feature and Cat and Bones story (untitled as of now). My publisher and I are not sure if Vlad’s new stories will be called Night Huntress World, or something else since it’s the start of a new recurring-character series. More data on that once I have it.

Of course none of the above could be possible if not for the amazing support readers have given to the Night Huntress series and the Night Huntress World novels. I feel beyond blessed to have the chance to write more stories with the characters that I love. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!!

No thank you Frost, your books are just too freaking awesome! (Author Post)

The Body Finder Desires of the Dead

I have yet to read anything by Derting, but I like what I see.  For those of you who have been good fans here’s the unveiling of the prologue of book 2, Desires of the Dead.

Hands up to Confessions of a Bookaholic who’s posted it, so check it out.

This is sad news. The cover model for the Cal Leandros books is moving away. Model Randal will go and Chris V. is in. I guess it's not to bad of news because I really can't tell that much of a difference between the two.

newcal Deathwish (Cal Leandros, #4)Old Model:

New Covers:

I had no idea that Ann Aguirre was working on a YA novel. Apparently its gone a huge maker over with a new title and cover.  Personally I like the Razorland name better, and I have no idea what the old cover was.

Taken by the Others by Jess Haines is getting a German look. Personally I love it and can't wait to see the French version that Haines has been talking about!  Additional information about Haines! 

DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS, book 3, was accepted by her editor.  Cover art should be up soon to post!!  I’ve really become quite fond of Haines books. 

Oh, this has to be the best House of Night cover yet!!

Awakenedcast

There are some awesome oversea covers for some of Meads books!

First up is a truly elegant Estonia cover for Vampire Academy.

estonian-va-small

Bulgaria's release of Spirit Bound is cool, but leaves something to be desired.  It looks like some kind of movie cover.

bulgaria-SB-small

The next two covers are from Turkey, but they don’t match.  First one is Shadow Kiss and the next one is Blood Promise.

Turkish-SK

turkishbloodpromise

The UK is getting a re-release all the covers should look about like this one.  These new covers are supposed to be textured so it will probably look richer.

UK-LastSacrifice

It comes as a surprise to me that the Hollows series by Kim Harrison was being made into a graphic novel.  The first one will be released July 12, 2011.  I really find the cover striking.  While I like the cover for the books, this one is just too cool!

blood-workhollowsgn

This just looks like a sweet anthology, some great author line-ups there!

corsetsandclockwork

A stunning anthology of the very best of steampunk that's taking teen fiction by storm. Bestselling romance editor Trisha Telep brings an exciting new element to the fast-growing sub-genre of steampunk, which bends and blends the old and the new in increasingly popular dark urban fantasies. Young heroes and heroines battle evil, in various forms with the help of super-technological or supernatural powers, while falling in and out of love. Contributors include:
* Ann Aguirre a bestselling author who writes urban fantasy (the Corine Solomon series from Roc), romantic science fiction (the Jax series from Ace), apocalyptic paranormal romance (as Ellen Connor, writing with Carrie Lofty, from Penguin), paranormal romantic suspense (as Ava Gray from Berkley), and post-apocalyptic dystopian young adult fiction (Razorland and Wireville coming in 2011 from Feiwel & Friends).
* Tessa Gratton, her debut novel Blood Magic arrives in 2011 from Random House Children's Books, followed by the companion Crow Magic in 2012.
* Jaclyn Dolamore is the debut author of Magic Under Glass from Bloomsbury USA.
* Lesley Livingston is the award-winning author of Wondrous Strange and Darklight, the first two books in the bestselling trilogy from HarperCollins.
* Caitlin Kittredge is the author of the Iron Codex trilogy, a Lovecraftian steampunk adventure.
* Dru Pagliassotti's first novel Clockwork Heart was one of the first in the rising new genre of steampunk romance and was named by Library Journal as one of the five steampunk novels to read in 2009.
* Dia Reeves is the debut author of the critically acclaimed YA Bleeding Violet.
* Michael Scott is the Irish-born, New York Times bestselling author of the six part epic fantasy series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel.
* Maria V. Snyder is the New York Times bestselling author of the Study series (Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study) about a young woman forced to become a poison taster.
* Tiffany Trent the author of the acclaimed YA dark fantasy series Hallowmere, which was an IndieBound Children's Pick and a New York Public Library Book of the Teen Age 2008.
* Kiersten White is the debut author of Paranormalacy, the first book in a new trilogy, which was published by HarperTeen in August of 2010.
* Adrienne Kress, is the author of Alex and the Ironic Gentleman and Timothy and the Dragon's Gate. I really had a bunch of fun writing this one and I can't wait to see it all wrapped up with stories from this amazing collection of authors! (Author Post)

Author Wit:

I really liked author Kaylana Price’s post about her vampire kitty.  Which was ironic since one of her series is about a cat/vampire. Check it here.

Marjorie M. Liu has a fun post about “bending the word” with Eminem.

Stacking ammo.  Bending words.  As a writer, those are ideas that strike a hard chord in me.  Because that’s the way it is when you’re telling a story.  Words are weapons.  Words are elastic.  Language is an art that expresses the heart of the artist.

Check out the full post here.