Lora's bookshelf: read en-US Wed, 27 Nov 2024 04:25:51 -0800 60 Lora's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Mansfield Park 45032 488 Jane Austen Lora 0 3.86 1814 Mansfield Park
author: Jane Austen
name: Lora
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1814
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves: don-t-forget, own-unread, classics, austenlandia, 1001-tr
review:

]]> The Boy on the Bridge 16161456
As June approaches--when Laura must return to the United States--Alexei asks Laura to marry him. She's only nineteen and doesn't think she's ready to settle down. But what if Alexei is the love of her life? How can she leave him behind? If she has a chance to change his life, to rescue him from misery, shouldn't she take it?]]> 261 Natalie Standiford 0545539072 Lora 0 looks-promising, lib-look-for 3.35 2013 The Boy on the Bridge
author: Natalie Standiford
name: Lora
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: looks-promising, lib-look-for
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gilgamesh: A New English Version]]> 779852 In the ancient city of Uruk, the tyrannical King Gilgamesh tramples citizens "like a wild bull". The gods send an untamed man named Enkidu to control the ruthless king, but after fighting, Enkidu and Gilgamesh become great friends and embark on a series of adventures. They kill fearsome creatures before Enkidu succumbs to disease, leaving Gilgamesh despondent and alone. Eventually, Gilgamesh moves forward, and his quest becomes a soul-searching journey of self-discovery.

Mitchell's treatment of this extraordinary work is the finest yet, surpassing previous versions in its preservation of the wisdom and beauty of the original.

©2004 Stephen Mitchell (P)2004 Recorded Books LLC]]> 304 Anonymous 074326164X Lora 0 don-t-forget, lib-to-read 3.90 -1200 Gilgamesh: A New English Version
author: Anonymous
name: Lora
average rating: 3.90
book published: -1200
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/16
shelves: don-t-forget, lib-to-read
review:

]]> The Gargoyle 6403116 A New York Times Bestseller


The Gargoyle: the mesmerizing story of one man's descent into personal hell and his quest for salvation.

On a dark road in the middle of the night, a car plunges into a ravine. The driver survives the crash, but his injuries confine him to a hospital burn unit. There the mysterious Marianne Engel, a sculptress of grotesques, enters his life. She insists they were lovers in medieval Germany, when he was a mercenary and she was a scribe in the monastery of Engelthal. As she spins the story of their past lives together, the man's disbelief falters; soon, even the impossible can no longer be dismissed.]]> 518 Andrew Davidson 0307388670 Lora 0 3.94 2008 The Gargoyle
author: Andrew Davidson
name: Lora
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/16
shelves: to-read, adult-lit, own-unread
review:

]]> The Forsyte Saga 87712 Volume 1: The Man of Property
Volume 2: Indian Summer of a Forsyte and In Chancery
Volume 3: Awakening and To Let]]> 878 John Galsworthy 0743245024 Lora 0 4.14 1921 The Forsyte Saga
author: John Galsworthy
name: Lora
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1921
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/15
shelves: 1001-tr, lib-to-read, looks-promising
review:

]]> Oblomov 226384
A Penguin Classic

Written with sympathetic humor and compassion, this masterful portrait of upper-class decline made Ivan Goncharov famous throughout Russia on its publication in 1859. Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is a member of Russia’s dying aristocracy—a man so lazy that he has given up his job in the Civil Service, neglected his books, insulted his friends, and found himself in debt. Too apathetic to do anything about his problems, he lives in a grubby, crumbling apartment, waited on by Zakhar, his equally idle servant. Terrified by the activity necessary to participate in the real world, Oblomov manages to avoid work, postpones change, and—finally—risks losing the love of his life. This superb translation by David Magarshack captures all the subtle comedy and near-tragedy of the original.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.]]> 496 Ivan Goncharov 0140449876 Lora 0 4.06 1859 Oblomov
author: Ivan Goncharov
name: Lora
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1859
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/31
shelves: looks-promising, lib-look-for, wishlist, 1001-tr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Dark History: The Roman Emperors From Julius Caesar To The Fall Of Rome]]> 7025230 256 Michael Kerrigan 1435102088 Lora 0 4.00 2008 A Dark History: The Roman Emperors From Julius Caesar To The Fall Of Rome
author: Michael Kerrigan
name: Lora
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/05/10
shelves: don-t-forget, own-unread, nonfiction, when-in-rome
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Twelfth Night (Pelican Shakespeare)]]> 286797
Each volume features:
* Authoritative, reliable texts
* High quality introductions and notes
* New, more readable trade trim size
* An essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare and essays on Shakespeare's life and the selection of texts]]> 92 William Shakespeare 0140714898 Lora 0 looks-promising, own-unread 3.95 1602 Twelfth Night (Pelican Shakespeare)
author: William Shakespeare
name: Lora
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1602
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/15
shelves: looks-promising, own-unread
review:

]]> The Wild One 5135151
Beautiful and aloof, actress Jessica Sullivan wants nothing to do with good-for-nothing men. But when the darkly handsome Lee Montgomery walks through her door, that simple rule is forgotten forever. Because the secret hidden in her heart is about to be revealed. . .

Is All It Takes. . .

Boston-born Lee Montgomery is anything but proper. He knows he's called a rogue, and he doesn't give a damn. Jessica can keep her distance if she wants to but that won't last. Not when he longs for her the way he does. Now how in the hell did a confirmed cad fall so deeply in love--and what can he do about it? Lee intends to mend his ways--and make Jessica love him back. . ..

Praise for Denise Eagan

"Eagan debuts with a powerful novel that is. . .intensely emotional and pure romance. A desperate woman, an alpha hero, a sexually charged meeting, secrets, danger and passion all meld into one nonstop read." -- Romantic Times on Wicked Woman, 4-star review]]> 320 Denise Eagan 1420101226 Lora 4 g-hr 3.68 2009 The Wild One
author: Denise Eagan
name: Lora
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2022/05/05
shelves: g-hr
review:

]]> Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1) 8709527
Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the line.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.]]> 432 Richelle Mead 1595143173 Lora 0 4.20 2011 Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1)
author: Richelle Mead
name: Lora
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/05/05
shelves: g-ya-paranorm, lib-to-read, did-not-finish
review:
I promised myself that I wasn't going to read this spin-off series after my mixed emotions over the original VA series (and Rose), but that was before I read .
]]> Legend (Legend, #1) 9275658
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Alternate Cover edition for ISBN 9780399256752
]]> 305 Marie Lu Lora 0 Readalong with Sarah M:) 4.16 2011 Legend (Legend, #1)
author: Marie Lu
name: Lora
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/05/05
shelves: g-dystopia-post-apoc, lib-to-read, did-not-finish
review:
Readalong with Sarah M:)
]]> <![CDATA[The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1)]]> 16101128 unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.]]> 457 Rick Yancey 0399162410 Lora 0 4.01 2013 The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1)
author: Rick Yancey
name: Lora
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/05/05
shelves: g-dystopia-post-apoc, lib-to-read, may, spring, they-do-exist, did-not-finish
review:
Readalong with a bunch of Bookers. :)
]]> Northanger Abbey 414332 here.

During an eventful season at Bath, young, naive Catherine Morland experiences fashionable society for the first time. She is delighted with her new acquaintances: flirtatious Isabella, who introduces Catherine to the joys of Gothic romances, and sophisticated Henry and Eleanor Tilney, who invite her to their father's house, Northanger Abbey. There, influenced by novels of horror and intrigue, Catherine comes to imagine terrible crimes committed by General Tilney, risking the loss of Henry's affection, and has to learn the difference between fiction and reality, false friends and true. With its broad comedy and irrepressible heroine, Northanger Abbey is the most youthful and optimistic of Jane Austen's works.]]> 254 Jane Austen 0141439793 Lora 5
]]> 3.78 1817 Northanger Abbey
author: Jane Austen
name: Lora
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1817
rating: 5
read at: 2013/02/14
date added: 2021/01/05
shelves: classics, surprised-me, lib-read, favorites, austenlandia, 1001-r
review:
I have so much love for JA.


]]> Anna Karenina 5685 "Pevear and Volokhonsky are at once scrupulous translators and vivid stylists of English, and their superb rendering allows us, as perhaps never before, to grasp the palpability of Tolstoy's 'characters, acts, situations.'" (James Wood, "The New Yorker")]]> 838 Leo Tolstoy 0142000272 Lora 0 don-t-forget, lib-to-read 4.16 1878 Anna Karenina
author: Leo Tolstoy
name: Lora
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1878
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/11/29
shelves: don-t-forget, lib-to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Scandal in Bohemia - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes #1)]]> 12990177
One Voice Recordings produces faithful, unabridged and scintillating productions of the largest selection of Sherlock Holmes stories currently available anywhere, all characters rendered by renowned stage and voice actor David Ian Davies, One Voice Recordings producer and publisher.

Librarian's note: this entry is for "A Scandal in Bohemia," the first of 12 short stories from the 1892 collection, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." Collections and other stories by the author are located elsewhere on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ. The series includes four novels and 58 short stories. Entries for the short stories can be found by searching Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ for: "a Sherlock Holmes Short Story."]]> 20 Arthur Conan Doyle Lora 3 classics, g-mystery-crime-fic <b>3.5 stars</b> 3.88 1891 A Scandal in Bohemia - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes #1)
author: Arthur Conan Doyle
name: Lora
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1891
rating: 3
read at: 2013/02/04
date added: 2020/10/01
shelves: classics, g-mystery-crime-fic
review:
3.5 stars
]]> Burned (Fever, #7) 12444297
MacKayla Lane would do anything to save the home she loves. A gifted sidhe-seer, she’s already fought and defeated the deadly Sinsar Dubh—an ancient book of terrible evil—yet its hold on her has never been stronger.

When the wall that protected humans from the seductive, insatiable Fae was destroyed on Halloween, long-imprisoned immortals ravaged the planet. Now Dublin is a war zone with factions battling for control. As the city heats up and the ice left by the Hoar Frost King melts, tempers flare, passions run red-hot, and dangerous lines get crossed.

Seelie and Unseelie vie for power against nine ancient immortals who have governed Dublin for millennia; a rival band of sidhe-seers invades the city, determined to claim it for their own; Mac’s former protégé and best friend, Dani “Mega� O’Malley, is now her fierce enemy; and even more urgent, Highland druid Christian MacKeltar has been captured by the Crimson Hag and is being driven deeper into Unseelie madness with each passing day. The only one Mac can depend on is the powerful, dangerous immortal Jericho Barrons, but even their fiery bond is tested by betrayal.

It’s a world where staying alive is a constant struggle, the line between good and evil gets blurred, and every alliance comes at a price. In an epic battle against dark forces, Mac must decide who she can trust, and what her survival is ultimately worth.]]> 475 Karen Marie Moning 0385344414 Lora 4 She will never know that tonight she was mine.

So . . . this was damn good.

Moning has been promising her fans a sex scene from Barrons' POV since he won the Alpha Showdown on vampirebookclub.net back in early June. Well folks, it is finally here and, just like the man himself, it doesn't disappoint.

For me, getting inside Barrons' head is the equivalent of getting to eat a hot fudge sundae after having been on a diet for five months. It's delicious and it gives you a high that takes hours to come back down from.
I read the Fever series back in February of this year, and I must say that this has me wanting to do a reread.

This short scene was wickedly sexy and certainly worth the wait.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take a cold shower.

Merged review:

256 pages? WTF? That BETTER be wrong.

Taken from Moning's Facebook page on 4/27/13:
BURNED Update: Someone pointed out that Amazon has the hardcover listed at 256 pages. That is NOT accurate. It's going to be 500+.

Now that's more like it.]]> 4.15 2015 Burned (Fever, #7)
author: Karen Marie Moning
name: Lora
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2011/07/22
date added: 2019/12/29
shelves: to-read, urban-fantasy, wishlist, lib-look-for, 2014, ebooks, july
review:
She will never know that tonight she was mine.

So . . . this was damn good.

Moning has been promising her fans a sex scene from Barrons' POV since he won the Alpha Showdown on vampirebookclub.net back in early June. Well folks, it is finally here and, just like the man himself, it doesn't disappoint.

For me, getting inside Barrons' head is the equivalent of getting to eat a hot fudge sundae after having been on a diet for five months. It's delicious and it gives you a high that takes hours to come back down from.
I read the Fever series back in February of this year, and I must say that this has me wanting to do a reread.

This short scene was wickedly sexy and certainly worth the wait.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to take a cold shower.

Merged review:

256 pages? WTF? That BETTER be wrong.

Taken from Moning's Facebook page on 4/27/13:
BURNED Update: Someone pointed out that Amazon has the hardcover listed at 256 pages. That is NOT accurate. It's going to be 500+.

Now that's more like it.
]]> <![CDATA[The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #12)]]> 18079730 Long live the King...

After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father’s mantle—with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything—and everyone—at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she’s unprepared for Wrath’s response—or the distance it creates between them.

The question is, will true love win out... or tortured legacy take over?]]> 592 J.R. Ward 0451417054 Lora 0
WHEN BETH GOES INTO HER NEEDING QHUINN AND BLAY WILL BE GOING AT IT LIKE RABBITS FOR HOURS ON END



*passes out*
________________________________________

Scroll down for exciting news on the future of the BDB series, tidbits about the Fallen Angels series, and info on the next book. But be warned: there are spoilers if you've not finished reading Lover At Last.


>The next book is about Wrath and Beth and is titled The King; it will be about him having an heir.

>We will see more of Murdher in the future books, but something needs to happen with Xhex before Murdher will get his own book; more on that when the timing is right.

>Saxton � Big keep reading!

>About Rhage and Mary’s novella: Ward is about 146 pages in, now she only needs to finish it.

>The next Fallen Angels book is titled Possession and the cover was shown at the event. (I am guessing it will be only soon too, then?)

>Lassiter will get a book when he’s ready � he opens up a whole storyline and she’s not sure whether he’ll feature in BDB or Fallen Angels (she didn’t not say both ;) )

>What about movies? She’s focused on the books but said that could only happen with someone who could do the books justice.

>She doesn’t know how Layla’s pregnancy will go � another KEEP READING! However, she did say that Layla's pregnancy will take a long time since she is a pure bred, but Beth’s pregnancy may be more in line with humans since she is a half breed.

>Lash WILL be back, she just doesn’t know when.

>Is there a connection between Michael (Story of Son) and Murdher � answer “Duh!� but doesn’t know if it will be “seen� in a book.

>Sola isn’t related to Manny and Butch.

>How will it work with Qhuinn and Blay, Layla, Xcor and the baby � KEEEEEP REEEADING!!

>Did the Scribe Virgin create the Shadows � they are a subspecies that developed on their own.

>In regard to Assail � Warden thinks he’s awesome, she’s obsessed with him and his cousins are totally effin HOT!!

>There is a nexus with the Fallen Angels battle for good and the development of the BDB plotline � she thinks it could go either way but a crossover is logical.

>There wasn’t anything else (or anyone else) in the barrels with Luchas.

>Qhuinn and Luchas return to their parent’s house, Qhuinn sees Luchas as a victim and we’ll see more of Luchas in future books.

>Will we find out more about the glymera female who had an orgy with the Bastards � yes! She also hosted that dinner with Wrath . . . she is married to the really old guy.

>Why didn’t we get Ehric’s twin’s name � because she writes what she sees and doesn’t know it yet.

>Are Sissy and Jim going to fall in love � KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEADING!!

>Will Nalla have a book so we can see Zsadist lose his sh!t? She doesn’t know yet.

>Will Xcor turn on the Bastards for Layla � KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEEEADING!!!

>Will we find out about Butch and Manny’s father and if there are more kids � KEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEADING!!

>Layla is considered Fallen (Chosen, not angel ;) )

>Will Butch be in another book? Yes, and we’ll see some closure for him and José.

>Are they going to expand the rules for brotherhood inductions? Yes and Blay, Payne and Xhex could be inducted in future.

>Were there a lot of edits for the Blay and Qhuinn sex scenes? � There was nothing edited out.

>Payne can help heal the Brothers of injuries etc but she doesn’t know if Payne’s gift is with limits or has to be replenished but she WILL keep George alive (as in longer than reg dogs ;) )

>No definite plans for a second Insiders� Guide buuuuuuuut maybe in the future.

>Will the Sribe Virgin be in The King? She doesn’t know but something will need to be done with her.

>Wrath still owes the Scribe Virgin that favor . . .

>There WILL be more about Jane and V � she’s also talking to her publisher about revisiting each couple in full book form. (HELL YES!!!)

>Do we know who Elan was talking to? ANSWER: Yes - SAXTON’S FATHER!!!!!

>Will any major character die? KEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEADING!!!

>Both Blay and Qhuinn release bonding scents(!)

>Is Saxton working on the full blooded heir law? Not yet.

>Are Tohr and Xcor brothers? She's not saying a thing . . . (My guess is yes, and that will be Xcor's saving grace.)

>Will there be two males bonded to one female � again she ain’t talking.

>Are Throe’s family alive and in/be in the books? KEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEEEEEEADING!!!!

>Will Fritz get a story � she doesn’t think he can be developed into a story.

>Will Havers ever be redeemed and have a story? NO!!!

>Will Havers be in The King and deliver Wrath and Beth’s baby � KEEP READING (but over the WARDen’s dead body!!!)

>Is Sola human? 100%, absolutely human.

>Is Xhex living in the mansion with John Matthew? Yep, they have worked through their issues :D

>Will we see Layla’s baby soon? Yes.

>Do we know about the coffins in the garage? Not yet but she *thinks* it may come up in The King.

>Is Phury going to do better by the Chosen? KEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEEEEEADING!!

>Is Eddie coming back? We’ll see him buuuuuuuuuuut KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEADING!!!

>Phury’s future is tied up with the Scribe Virgin.

>Saxton will play a major part in an upcoming plot line.

>And, lastly, Qhuinn and Blay will be mated (as in, the whole ceremony with the carving of the names in each of their backs, true?). (Again, HELL YES!!!)]]> 4.39 2014 The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #12)
author: J.R. Ward
name: Lora
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/05/05
shelves: to-read, pr-uf-crossbreed, wishlist, lib-look-for
review:
Hey, I just thought of something . . .

WHEN BETH GOES INTO HER NEEDING QHUINN AND BLAY WILL BE GOING AT IT LIKE RABBITS FOR HOURS ON END



*passes out*
________________________________________

Scroll down for exciting news on the future of the BDB series, tidbits about the Fallen Angels series, and info on the next book. But be warned: there are spoilers if you've not finished reading Lover At Last.


>The next book is about Wrath and Beth and is titled The King; it will be about him having an heir.

>We will see more of Murdher in the future books, but something needs to happen with Xhex before Murdher will get his own book; more on that when the timing is right.

>Saxton � Big keep reading!

>About Rhage and Mary’s novella: Ward is about 146 pages in, now she only needs to finish it.

>The next Fallen Angels book is titled Possession and the cover was shown at the event. (I am guessing it will be only soon too, then?)

>Lassiter will get a book when he’s ready � he opens up a whole storyline and she’s not sure whether he’ll feature in BDB or Fallen Angels (she didn’t not say both ;) )

>What about movies? She’s focused on the books but said that could only happen with someone who could do the books justice.

>She doesn’t know how Layla’s pregnancy will go � another KEEP READING! However, she did say that Layla's pregnancy will take a long time since she is a pure bred, but Beth’s pregnancy may be more in line with humans since she is a half breed.

>Lash WILL be back, she just doesn’t know when.

>Is there a connection between Michael (Story of Son) and Murdher � answer “Duh!� but doesn’t know if it will be “seen� in a book.

>Sola isn’t related to Manny and Butch.

>How will it work with Qhuinn and Blay, Layla, Xcor and the baby � KEEEEEP REEEADING!!

>Did the Scribe Virgin create the Shadows � they are a subspecies that developed on their own.

>In regard to Assail � Warden thinks he’s awesome, she’s obsessed with him and his cousins are totally effin HOT!!

>There is a nexus with the Fallen Angels battle for good and the development of the BDB plotline � she thinks it could go either way but a crossover is logical.

>There wasn’t anything else (or anyone else) in the barrels with Luchas.

>Qhuinn and Luchas return to their parent’s house, Qhuinn sees Luchas as a victim and we’ll see more of Luchas in future books.

>Will we find out more about the glymera female who had an orgy with the Bastards � yes! She also hosted that dinner with Wrath . . . she is married to the really old guy.

>Why didn’t we get Ehric’s twin’s name � because she writes what she sees and doesn’t know it yet.

>Are Sissy and Jim going to fall in love � KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEADING!!

>Will Nalla have a book so we can see Zsadist lose his sh!t? She doesn’t know yet.

>Will Xcor turn on the Bastards for Layla � KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEEEADING!!!

>Will we find out about Butch and Manny’s father and if there are more kids � KEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEADING!!

>Layla is considered Fallen (Chosen, not angel ;) )

>Will Butch be in another book? Yes, and we’ll see some closure for him and José.

>Are they going to expand the rules for brotherhood inductions? Yes and Blay, Payne and Xhex could be inducted in future.

>Were there a lot of edits for the Blay and Qhuinn sex scenes? � There was nothing edited out.

>Payne can help heal the Brothers of injuries etc but she doesn’t know if Payne’s gift is with limits or has to be replenished but she WILL keep George alive (as in longer than reg dogs ;) )

>No definite plans for a second Insiders� Guide buuuuuuuut maybe in the future.

>Will the Sribe Virgin be in The King? She doesn’t know but something will need to be done with her.

>Wrath still owes the Scribe Virgin that favor . . .

>There WILL be more about Jane and V � she’s also talking to her publisher about revisiting each couple in full book form. (HELL YES!!!)

>Do we know who Elan was talking to? ANSWER: Yes - SAXTON’S FATHER!!!!!

>Will any major character die? KEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEADING!!!

>Both Blay and Qhuinn release bonding scents(!)

>Is Saxton working on the full blooded heir law? Not yet.

>Are Tohr and Xcor brothers? She's not saying a thing . . . (My guess is yes, and that will be Xcor's saving grace.)

>Will there be two males bonded to one female � again she ain’t talking.

>Are Throe’s family alive and in/be in the books? KEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEEEEEEADING!!!!

>Will Fritz get a story � she doesn’t think he can be developed into a story.

>Will Havers ever be redeemed and have a story? NO!!!

>Will Havers be in The King and deliver Wrath and Beth’s baby � KEEP READING (but over the WARDen’s dead body!!!)

>Is Sola human? 100%, absolutely human.

>Is Xhex living in the mansion with John Matthew? Yep, they have worked through their issues :D

>Will we see Layla’s baby soon? Yes.

>Do we know about the coffins in the garage? Not yet but she *thinks* it may come up in The King.

>Is Phury going to do better by the Chosen? KEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEEEEEEEEEEADING!!

>Is Eddie coming back? We’ll see him buuuuuuuuuuut KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP REEEEADING!!!

>Phury’s future is tied up with the Scribe Virgin.

>Saxton will play a major part in an upcoming plot line.

>And, lastly, Qhuinn and Blay will be mated (as in, the whole ceremony with the carving of the names in each of their backs, true?). (Again, HELL YES!!!)
]]> The World's Best Fairy Tales 17258308 828 Belle Becker Sideman Lora 0 classics, own-unread, on-hold To Douglas, from Grandpa Jahn - 1967. I bought it for sentimental reasons - and because I love fairy tales. :)]]> 4.38 1967 The World's Best Fairy Tales
author: Belle Becker Sideman
name: Lora
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1967
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/02/22
shelves: classics, own-unread, on-hold
review:
Found this at a tag sale for $4. Under the front cover it says To Douglas, from Grandpa Jahn - 1967. I bought it for sentimental reasons - and because I love fairy tales. :)
]]> Pride and Prejudice 1886 This is an alternative cover edition for ISBN 9780141439518

Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.]]> 367 Jane Austen Lora 0 4.29 1813 Pride and Prejudice
author: Jane Austen
name: Lora
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1813
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/02/14
shelves: to-read, classics, austenlandia, own-unread, 1001-tr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)]]> 10236501 original cover of ISBN 075640407X

My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as “quothe.� Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to.
The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending on how it's spoken, can mean The Flame, The Thunder, or The Broken Tree.
“The Flame� is obvious if you’ve ever seen me. I have red hair, bright. If I had been born a couple of hundred years ago I would probably have been burned as a demon. I keep it short but it's unruly. When left to its own devices, it sticks up and makes me look as if I have been set afire.
“The Thunder� I attribute to a strong baritone and a great deal of stage training at an early age.
I’ve never thought of “The Broken Tree� as very significant. Although in retrospect, I suppose it could be considered at least partially prophetic.
My first mentor called me E'lir because I was clever and I knew it. My first real lover called me Dulator because she liked the sound of it. I have been called Shadicar, Lightfinger, and Six-String. I have been called Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe Kingkiller. I have earned those names. Bought and paid for them.
But I was brought up as Kvothe. My father once told me it meant “to know�.
I have, of course, been called many other things. Most of them uncouth, although very few were unearned.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.

So begins the tale of Kvothe � from his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a difficult and dangerous school of magic. In these pages you will come to know Kvothe as a notorious magician, an accomplished thief, a masterful musician, and an infamous assassin. But The Name of the Wind is so much more � for the story it tells reveals the truth behind Kvothe's legend.

]]> 662 Patrick Rothfuss Lora 0 4.34 2007 The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)
author: Patrick Rothfuss
name: Lora
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/10/16
shelves: don-t-forget, fantasy, lib-to-read, summer-reads
review:

]]> <![CDATA[City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)]]> 4062214 453 Cassandra Clare 1416972242 Lora 4 g-ya-paranorm
Everyone seems to love this series, and even though I enjoyed the first installment immensely, I didn't want to get my hopes up by setting my expectations too high for this installment (considering I've been burned on sequels quite a few times: e.g. Torment, Blue Moon, Captivate, etc . . .). But, I'm very happy to report that I FREAKING LOVED THIS! (Hence the all caps;) Really, though, with a leading male character like Jace? How could I doubt him? *grin*

Honestly, though, I found City of Ashes to be just as enjoyable and entertaining as its predecessor, City of Bones. It had all of the action, suspense, romance, and the ever-lovable cliffhanger/what-the-hell-are-they-going-to-do-now ending.

I felt a much stronger connection to Clary in this installment. I think maybe my reason for not connecting with her as much in the first one was because I was too busy getting used to all of the terminology and lore that is used in this series. After reading this installment, though, I can safely say that I'm not only hooked on this series, but I'm loving the world Ms. Clare has created and I'm certainly loving her characters; including Clary.

Jace. *sigh* Don't even get me started on that boy! He's smart, sweet, hilarious, and hotter than the Sahara Desert (not that I've ever been there, but I'd wager this is true ;). Plus, he can kick major ass while bleeding to death! Can we say hot, talented, and tenacious? Yes we can!

I can't believe what happened to Simon in this one! I'll I'm going to say is that I didn't foresee the author taking his character in that direction, but I'm kind of glad she did. I think it'll make for more interesting developments with his character in future novels.

I found the more intimate scenes with Clary and Jace to be very romantic in a this-would-be-creepy-if-I-didn't-already-know-you-two-aren't-siblings sort of way. I mean, come on, there's no way that they're really related. I just wish that that could have been revealed in this installment.

I also had one other problem with this one: If Valentine is so evil and untrustworthy, why don't Clary and Jace just get a blood test to make sure that they're REALLY brother and sister? I mean, if they want to be together, then don't take psycho Valentine's word for it!

Other than that I found this one highly entertaining and unputdownable. I'm salivating for City of Glass! (Thankfully, I have a copy *wink*)]]> 4.09 2008 City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: Lora
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2011/01/06
date added: 2016/08/29
shelves: g-ya-paranorm
review:
CAUTION: Some minor spoilers ahead for those who've not yet read this.

Everyone seems to love this series, and even though I enjoyed the first installment immensely, I didn't want to get my hopes up by setting my expectations too high for this installment (considering I've been burned on sequels quite a few times: e.g. Torment, Blue Moon, Captivate, etc . . .). But, I'm very happy to report that I FREAKING LOVED THIS! (Hence the all caps;) Really, though, with a leading male character like Jace? How could I doubt him? *grin*

Honestly, though, I found City of Ashes to be just as enjoyable and entertaining as its predecessor, City of Bones. It had all of the action, suspense, romance, and the ever-lovable cliffhanger/what-the-hell-are-they-going-to-do-now ending.

I felt a much stronger connection to Clary in this installment. I think maybe my reason for not connecting with her as much in the first one was because I was too busy getting used to all of the terminology and lore that is used in this series. After reading this installment, though, I can safely say that I'm not only hooked on this series, but I'm loving the world Ms. Clare has created and I'm certainly loving her characters; including Clary.

Jace. *sigh* Don't even get me started on that boy! He's smart, sweet, hilarious, and hotter than the Sahara Desert (not that I've ever been there, but I'd wager this is true ;). Plus, he can kick major ass while bleeding to death! Can we say hot, talented, and tenacious? Yes we can!

I can't believe what happened to Simon in this one! I'll I'm going to say is that I didn't foresee the author taking his character in that direction, but I'm kind of glad she did. I think it'll make for more interesting developments with his character in future novels.

I found the more intimate scenes with Clary and Jace to be very romantic in a this-would-be-creepy-if-I-didn't-already-know-you-two-aren't-siblings sort of way. I mean, come on, there's no way that they're really related. I just wish that that could have been revealed in this installment.

I also had one other problem with this one: If Valentine is so evil and untrustworthy, why don't Clary and Jace just get a blood test to make sure that they're REALLY brother and sister? I mean, if they want to be together, then don't take psycho Valentine's word for it!

Other than that I found this one highly entertaining and unputdownable. I'm salivating for City of Glass! (Thankfully, I have a copy *wink*)
]]> Divergent (Divergent, #1) 8306857 In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

]]> 487 Veronica Roth 0062024027 Lora 0 4.28 2011 Divergent (Divergent, #1)
author: Veronica Roth
name: Lora
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/05/27
shelves: to-read, own-unread, g-dystopia-post-apoc
review:

]]> Letters to a Young Poet 539477 Listy do mlodego poety 112 Rainer Maria Rilke 0394741048 Lora 0 4.39 1929 Letters to a Young Poet
author: Rainer Maria Rilke
name: Lora
average rating: 4.39
book published: 1929
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/01/08
shelves: don-t-forget, wishlist, stephen-mitchell, nonfiction
review:

]]> The Historian 288557
Late one night in 1972, as a 16-year-old girl, she discovers a mysterious book and a sheaf of letters in her father's library -- a discovery that will have dreadful and far-reaching consequences, and will send her on a journey of mind-boggling danger. While seeking clues to the secrets of her father's past and her mother's puzzling disappearance, she follows a trail from London to Istanbul to Budapest and beyond, and learns that the letters in her possession provide a link to one of the world's darkest and most intoxicating figures. Generation after generation, the legend of Dracula has enticed and eluded both historians and opportunists alike. Now a young girl undertakes the same search that ended in the death and defilement of so many others -- in an attempt to save her father from an unspeakable fate.]]> 676 Elizabeth Kostova 0316154547 Lora 0 3.69 2005 The Historian
author: Elizabeth Kostova
name: Lora
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/11/08
shelves: looks-promising, g-horror, lib-to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)]]> 77523
All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley - a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry’s room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn’t had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry - and anyone who reads about him - will find unforgettable.

For it’s there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that’s been waiting for him…if Harry can survive the encounter.
(front flap)]]> 309 J.K. Rowling Lora 5 I think the reason I waited so long to read this series is because I just couldn't imagine myself enjoying reading about an eleven-year-old boy and his adventures at a school of wizardry. I thought it would be too juvenile for my taste. I was wrong, of course.
I can honestly say that I loved every minute of this. It's a spectacular little romp with funny, courageous, and endearing characters that you can't help but love.
It has talking chess pieces, singing hats, a giant three-headed dog named Fluffy, a hilarious giant with a dragon fetish, a master wizard that's just a little bit crazy, mail carrier owls, goblins running a bank, unicorns, centaurs(!), trolls . . . and probably much more that I'm forgetting.
And then there's the lead characters: Hermione, the young scholar who starts out prim and up-tight but soon becomes a true friend; Ron, the boy who has little money but who has an abundance of family and loyalty to his friends to make up for it; and then there's Harry, the boy who starts out sleeping in a closet and ends up being a hero. Harry is kind to those that deserve it, fearless when it counts the most, and wonderfully intelligent. What's not to love?

In regards to the ending: [spoilers removed]

FAVORITE QUOTE: "But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to start Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.



My reviews of other titles in this series:

]]> 4.47 1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Lora
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at: 2011/06/03
date added: 2015/08/20
shelves: favorites, lib-read, book-to-movie, middle-grade-lit, surprised-me
review:
I'm going to keep this brief since there isn't much to say that hasn't already been said. *clears throat*
I think the reason I waited so long to read this series is because I just couldn't imagine myself enjoying reading about an eleven-year-old boy and his adventures at a school of wizardry. I thought it would be too juvenile for my taste. I was wrong, of course.
I can honestly say that I loved every minute of this. It's a spectacular little romp with funny, courageous, and endearing characters that you can't help but love.
It has talking chess pieces, singing hats, a giant three-headed dog named Fluffy, a hilarious giant with a dragon fetish, a master wizard that's just a little bit crazy, mail carrier owls, goblins running a bank, unicorns, centaurs(!), trolls . . . and probably much more that I'm forgetting.
And then there's the lead characters: Hermione, the young scholar who starts out prim and up-tight but soon becomes a true friend; Ron, the boy who has little money but who has an abundance of family and loyalty to his friends to make up for it; and then there's Harry, the boy who starts out sleeping in a closet and ends up being a hero. Harry is kind to those that deserve it, fearless when it counts the most, and wonderfully intelligent. What's not to love?

In regards to the ending: [spoilers removed]

FAVORITE QUOTE: "But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to start Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.



My reviews of other titles in this series:


]]> Midnight Sun [2008 Draft] 4502877 The record for the completed novel can be found here.

Midnight Sun is the much anticipated retelling of Twilight from Edward Cullen's perspective. An unedited partial draft was illegally leaked onto the internet in 2008; consequently, author Stephenie Meyer put the project on indefinite hold. Shortly afterward, she posted a letter to her fans on her website including a link to the entire partial draft of the book so that those who wanted to read it could do so legally and with her consent.

Note: Do not add a cover. Do not add translations. Do not add any other editions. Do not combine with editions of the full work. Do not add this book record to any series.]]> 264 Stephenie Meyer Lora 0 g-ya-paranorm, ebooks ]]> 4.01 2008 Midnight Sun [2008 Draft]
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Lora
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/08/13
shelves: g-ya-paranorm, ebooks
review:

]]> The Book Thief 736301 New York TimesĚýbestseller that is now a major motion picture, Markus Zusak's unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul.

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.]]> 14 Markus Zusak 0739337270 Lora 5 It's probably fair to say that in all the years of Hitler's reign, no person was able to serve the ąóĂĽłó°ů±đ°ů as loyally as me. A human doesn't have a heart like mine. The human heart is a line, whereas my own is a circle, and I have the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time. The consequence of this is that I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both. Still, they have one thing I envy. Humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die.

When you decide to write a book, you can never be sure how it will be received. Will people instantly be entraptured by the story your mind has conjured, or will they spit on the cover and rue the day they bought your work? Will any of your books make it on a bestseller list, say, the coveted New York Times? Or, will they end up on a dime store's shelf collecting dust for decades? And, perhaps most importantly, will the words you write touch someone's life at the moment they need it most? Will your story be the balm on a heart that has just been broken? Will a specific sentence from your conscious be the encouragement someone needs to make the toughest decision they've ever had to make?
All dedicated readers know that books - stories - are a powerful thing. They're a relatable friend who'll always be there for you: to comfort, to encourage, to strengthen. This line of thought got me wondering if Markus Zusak had any idea of what a colossal impact his words would have on countless lives.

The Book Thief is the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old girl whom we shortly see earn her apt epithet. When her adoptive father, Hans Hubermann, begins teaching her how to read, she soon becomes entranced by words and their power. Over the course of several years, Liesel steals many books from the mayor's library as well as other daring locales.
Although Liesel now spends her days trying to discourage Rudy Steiner's interest in kissing her and her nights reading with her papa and listening to him play the accordion, her life before Himmel St. wasn't an easy one. And soon The Book Thief's narrator, Death, lets the reader now that this isn't a story with a happy ending.
But The Book Thief truly is a story of survival in a corrupt world, finding friends and family in unlikely places, and the eventual peace we all hope to find.

I can't imagine a better book to recommend, to give, to receive - than The Book Thief. Liesel's bravery and Hans' dedication to his daughter and Rudy's longing for just one kiss and Death's inner turmoil over the lives he's compelled to take. . . . I'l always remember these characters and their story. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And I even learned a little German! Mostly curse words, but still.

Equally devastating and unforgettable, The Book Thief is rightfully beloved by many and will be remembered long after my lifetime.]]> 4.31 2005 The Book Thief
author: Markus Zusak
name: Lora
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2012/01/16
date added: 2015/07/28
shelves: lib-audiobooks, aussies-rock-my-world, favorites, quality-ya-fic
review:
It's probably fair to say that in all the years of Hitler's reign, no person was able to serve the ąóĂĽłó°ů±đ°ů as loyally as me. A human doesn't have a heart like mine. The human heart is a line, whereas my own is a circle, and I have the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time. The consequence of this is that I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both. Still, they have one thing I envy. Humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die.

When you decide to write a book, you can never be sure how it will be received. Will people instantly be entraptured by the story your mind has conjured, or will they spit on the cover and rue the day they bought your work? Will any of your books make it on a bestseller list, say, the coveted New York Times? Or, will they end up on a dime store's shelf collecting dust for decades? And, perhaps most importantly, will the words you write touch someone's life at the moment they need it most? Will your story be the balm on a heart that has just been broken? Will a specific sentence from your conscious be the encouragement someone needs to make the toughest decision they've ever had to make?
All dedicated readers know that books - stories - are a powerful thing. They're a relatable friend who'll always be there for you: to comfort, to encourage, to strengthen. This line of thought got me wondering if Markus Zusak had any idea of what a colossal impact his words would have on countless lives.

The Book Thief is the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old girl whom we shortly see earn her apt epithet. When her adoptive father, Hans Hubermann, begins teaching her how to read, she soon becomes entranced by words and their power. Over the course of several years, Liesel steals many books from the mayor's library as well as other daring locales.
Although Liesel now spends her days trying to discourage Rudy Steiner's interest in kissing her and her nights reading with her papa and listening to him play the accordion, her life before Himmel St. wasn't an easy one. And soon The Book Thief's narrator, Death, lets the reader now that this isn't a story with a happy ending.
But The Book Thief truly is a story of survival in a corrupt world, finding friends and family in unlikely places, and the eventual peace we all hope to find.

I can't imagine a better book to recommend, to give, to receive - than The Book Thief. Liesel's bravery and Hans' dedication to his daughter and Rudy's longing for just one kiss and Death's inner turmoil over the lives he's compelled to take. . . . I'l always remember these characters and their story. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And I even learned a little German! Mostly curse words, but still.

Equally devastating and unforgettable, The Book Thief is rightfully beloved by many and will be remembered long after my lifetime.
]]> <![CDATA[Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles, #1)]]> 6719736
But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.

Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock--to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

In a bold departure from her acclaimed contemporary novels, Printz Medalist Melina Marchetta has crafted an epic fantasy of ancient magic, feudal intrigue, romance, and bloodshed that will rivet you from the first page.]]> 399 Melina Marchetta 0763643610 Lora 5 Finnikin of the Rock and prove to her fans and critics alike that labels and genres mean nothing to her, that she's in the top tier no matter what the task calls for. Bravo, Marchetta. Bravo.

In the land of Skuldenore, there is a kingdom called Lumatere. Like all kingdoms, there is a King and Queen who rule over its people. These people and their rulers were happy until the day when a neighboring kingdom's rulers decided to use Lumatere as the means to eventually take over another kingdom, Belegonia. This leads to the slaughter of the King and Queen and their heirs, and soon after they are replaced by an imposter king and the majority of Lumatere's people become exiles. This is the ground work for what promises to be an epic fantasy saga.

I can't say that I expected anything less than a remarkable male lead from Marchetta (especially after recently meeting Jonah Griggs in another one of Marchetta's masterpieces, Jellicoe Road), but Finnikin still took me by surprise. I imagine it is very different and probably much more difficult to write a character in a fantasy world than in the real world, and for this reason I was curious to see how Finnikin would compare to Marchetta's other male characters. It turns
out that he is just as brilliantly crafted as his competition. He feels envy, lust, and rage, just as any human does. But those emotions are equally matched by his level of compassion, endurance, and love for his father, his homeland, and one lucky lady.
And what a lady Evanjalin is! She stirs the blood of the hopeless exiles and gets them on their feet and fighting. She carries a heavy burden, of which is unbeknownst to the reader for most of the novel, but she is resolute in her quest to restore the kingdom of Lumatere. I always appreciate characters who make you want to stand up and right the wrongs in the world, and Evanjalin's fierce determination did just that for me.

Because of her fabulous and utterly realistic portrayals of human life, Marchetta has garnered a legion of the most devoted fans an author could ask for. And I am proud to say that I'm among them. I'll be perilously balanced on the edge of my seat until the release of Froi of the Exiles.

P.S. If you'd like some snippets of info on Froi's book to tide you over until its release, check out and .]]> 4.08 2008 Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles, #1)
author: Melina Marchetta
name: Lora
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2011/09/16
date added: 2015/07/26
shelves: aussies-rock-my-world, fantasy, lib-read, favorites, quality-ya-fic
review:
Often times, when an author is highly talented in their genre, they don't do as well when trying their hand at another. Especially when the two genres in question are as dissimilar as realism and fantasy. Naturally, this sort of thing isn't a problem for an author like Melina Marchetta. As if being the fan proclaimed Queen of YA realistic fiction wasn't enough, she had to go and write Finnikin of the Rock and prove to her fans and critics alike that labels and genres mean nothing to her, that she's in the top tier no matter what the task calls for. Bravo, Marchetta. Bravo.

In the land of Skuldenore, there is a kingdom called Lumatere. Like all kingdoms, there is a King and Queen who rule over its people. These people and their rulers were happy until the day when a neighboring kingdom's rulers decided to use Lumatere as the means to eventually take over another kingdom, Belegonia. This leads to the slaughter of the King and Queen and their heirs, and soon after they are replaced by an imposter king and the majority of Lumatere's people become exiles. This is the ground work for what promises to be an epic fantasy saga.

I can't say that I expected anything less than a remarkable male lead from Marchetta (especially after recently meeting Jonah Griggs in another one of Marchetta's masterpieces, Jellicoe Road), but Finnikin still took me by surprise. I imagine it is very different and probably much more difficult to write a character in a fantasy world than in the real world, and for this reason I was curious to see how Finnikin would compare to Marchetta's other male characters. It turns
out that he is just as brilliantly crafted as his competition. He feels envy, lust, and rage, just as any human does. But those emotions are equally matched by his level of compassion, endurance, and love for his father, his homeland, and one lucky lady.
And what a lady Evanjalin is! She stirs the blood of the hopeless exiles and gets them on their feet and fighting. She carries a heavy burden, of which is unbeknownst to the reader for most of the novel, but she is resolute in her quest to restore the kingdom of Lumatere. I always appreciate characters who make you want to stand up and right the wrongs in the world, and Evanjalin's fierce determination did just that for me.

Because of her fabulous and utterly realistic portrayals of human life, Marchetta has garnered a legion of the most devoted fans an author could ask for. And I am proud to say that I'm among them. I'll be perilously balanced on the edge of my seat until the release of Froi of the Exiles.

P.S. If you'd like some snippets of info on Froi's book to tide you over until its release, check out and .
]]> The Best of Edgar Allan Poe 13488869
The tell-tale heart; The Cask of Amontillado; The Masque of the Red death; The Raven; Annabel Lee; Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar; Ulalume; The Black Cat; The Bells; The Pit and the Pendulum; The Fall of the House of Usher; The Purloined Letter; The Gold Bug]]> 5 Edgar Allan Poe 073933784X Lora 3 classics, lib-audiobooks In this auditory collection his fans get to hear several of his stories and poems come to life in a fantastical way. These stories are thrilling, creepy, and macabre. And, when narrated by the skillful Edward Blake as they are in this audio, delectable. And whether you think him a genius, a mad genius, or just plain mad, there is no doubt that Poe had a talent for story telling unlike anyone we'll probably ever meet again.

Below is the list of stories included in this collection according to the order they're given in the audio. I'm giving them individual ratings:

Tell-Tale Heart - 5 stars
The Cask of Amontillado - 2 stars
The Mask of the Red Death - 4 stars
The Raven - 3 stars
Annabel Lee - 5 stars
The Facts in the Case of M. Vlademar - 3 stars
Ulalume: A Ballad - 2 stars
A Black Cat - 5 stars (this one is especially creepy)
The Bells - 2 stars
The Pit and the Pendulum - 3 stars
The Fall of the House of Usher - 3 stars
The Purloined Letter - 3 stars
The Gold Bug - 3 stars

I highly recommend this collection to fans of Poe, or anyone interested in his works. 3.5 stars]]> 3.83 1927 The Best of Edgar Allan Poe
author: Edgar Allan Poe
name: Lora
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1927
rating: 3
read at: 2012/02/01
date added: 2015/07/05
shelves: classics, lib-audiobooks
review:
Born in the early 19th century only to die from unknown causes a mere forty years later, Edgar Allan Poe is, undoubtedly, one of the most recognizable and influencial authors of all time. His works have provided the inspiration for many of the stories we enjoy today. And although his life was short, he made a long-lasting impact on the world of English literature.
In this auditory collection his fans get to hear several of his stories and poems come to life in a fantastical way. These stories are thrilling, creepy, and macabre. And, when narrated by the skillful Edward Blake as they are in this audio, delectable. And whether you think him a genius, a mad genius, or just plain mad, there is no doubt that Poe had a talent for story telling unlike anyone we'll probably ever meet again.

Below is the list of stories included in this collection according to the order they're given in the audio. I'm giving them individual ratings:

Tell-Tale Heart - 5 stars
The Cask of Amontillado - 2 stars
The Mask of the Red Death - 4 stars
The Raven - 3 stars
Annabel Lee - 5 stars
The Facts in the Case of M. Vlademar - 3 stars
Ulalume: A Ballad - 2 stars
A Black Cat - 5 stars (this one is especially creepy)
The Bells - 2 stars
The Pit and the Pendulum - 3 stars
The Fall of the House of Usher - 3 stars
The Purloined Letter - 3 stars
The Gold Bug - 3 stars

I highly recommend this collection to fans of Poe, or anyone interested in his works. 3.5 stars
]]> Sophocles: The Complete Plays 1538 420 Sophocles 0451527844 Lora 0 looks-promising 4.30 -401 Sophocles: The Complete Plays
author: Sophocles
name: Lora
average rating: 4.30
book published: -401
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/07/02
shelves: looks-promising
review:

]]> If I Stay (If I Stay, #1) 6990472 On a day that started like any other�

Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, adoring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. Then, in an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the one decision she has left—the most important decision she’ll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, and dying.

Librarian note: an alternate cover for this edition can be found here.]]> 261 Gayle Forman 014241543X Lora 5 3.85 2009 If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)
author: Gayle Forman
name: Lora
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2015/04/07
shelves: g-ya-realistic, favorites, music, quality-ya-fic
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Love and Other Perishable Items]]> 13572862
'Miss Amelia Hayes, welcome to The Land of Dreams. I am the staff trainer. I will call you grasshopper and you will call me sensei and I will give you the good oil. Right? And just so you know, I'm open to all kinds of bribery.'

From the moment 15-year-old Amelia begins work on the checkout at Coles she is sunk, gone, lost...head-over-heels in love with Chris. Chris is the funny, charming, man-about-Woolies, but he's 21, and the 6-year difference in their ages may as well be 100. Chris and Amelia talk about everything from Second Wave Feminism to Great Expectations and Alien but will he ever look at her in the way she wants him to? And if he does, will it be everything she hopes?]]> 243 Laura Buzo 0375870008 Lora 0 skimmed-and-lost-interest 3.41 2010 Love and Other Perishable Items
author: Laura Buzo
name: Lora
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/03/20
shelves: skimmed-and-lost-interest
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend (Hamilton High, #1)]]> 6931356
But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

]]> 280 Kody Keplinger 0316084239 Lora 1 A note to anyone who chooses to read the following: I am critiquing this book solely based on the first 80 pages or so as I simply didn't have the will to continue any further.

There are some spoilers, but only for the first 80 pages.

Have you ever been sitting with a group of friends and one of them tells a joke and immediately everyone but you starts laughing? And then you sit there looking like the stupefied idiot who's just not getting it? That's how I felt while reading The DUFF. So many of my GR friends have liked this, and I've read many reviews proclaiming how awesome it is . . . but I just didn't get it. The DUFF has been blurbed by Elizabeth Scott and Simone Elkeles, both of whom are authors that I trust the opinions of. Or rather, did trust.
While I'd like to say that The DUFF starts off good but wanes, it doesn't. The DUFF starts off with Bianca sitting in a club, watching her friends dance while she drinks pop at the bar. Not long after, Wesley Rush comes up and starts telling her how he's interested in her friends, and how she's going to help him make them be the next notches on his belt. (That isn't a direct phrase from the book, just to be clear.) And, to add to the insanity, he also so graciously informs her that she is the DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend.
And so, naturally, Bianca is disgusted with him for this fact and because he's basically her school's male slut. But what happens next is what really had my head hitting the wall: She decides to use him as a distraction (where have I heard this plot line before? Hmm . . . could it be a dime store romance novel? Why yes, that's it!) and kisses him on the spot.
The guy's a brazen asshole who's trying to use you to get into your friends pants—all while telling you that you're a statistically ugly fat chick—and so you decide to make out with him? WTF? No wonder he has no respect for you!

Skip ahead a little ways and you'll find Bianca and her friends discussing Wesley's character and kissing capabilities (you know, since Bianca is an expert in that department now): her friends think that he'd be great in bed, but Bianca thinks that any one that sleeps with him is liable to get an STD shortly thereafter.
Good observation, Bianca�except—it is only around 30 or so pages later that Bianca sleeps with him herself! WTF?
And am I the only one who thinks that the first time Wesley and Bianca are together is maybe even a bit wrongly handled? When Bianca was beginning to think to herself that maybe she doesn't want to have full-blown intercourse with him, and then immediately following that thought she thinks that they are now, in fact, having sex? Again, WTF? I'm not saying that it was rape—since there was no outowards discouragement from her—but, doesn't that seem ridiculous for Bianca to allow him to continue, what with her having those doubts in her head at that very moment? Does she honestly have that little of self-control? self-worth?

And as for Wesley, let me just say this: I love arrogance in a guy (I � Barrons, BTW), but only a certain brand. Wesley's brand of arrogance is obnoxious and deplorable; it's not charming or redeemable in any way to me.

I don't know—perhaps trying to read something like this after having just finished a respectable, well-written novel like was a bad idea, but there you have it.

Blech.

(And, because I don't like to count DNFs towards my challenge, I'll just say Attempted reading on 6/28/11.)]]> 3.80 2010 The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend (Hamilton High, #1)
author: Kody Keplinger
name: Lora
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2010
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2015/02/22
shelves: did-not-finish, g-ya-realistic, lib-read
review:
A note to anyone who chooses to read the following: I am critiquing this book solely based on the first 80 pages or so as I simply didn't have the will to continue any further.

There are some spoilers, but only for the first 80 pages.

Have you ever been sitting with a group of friends and one of them tells a joke and immediately everyone but you starts laughing? And then you sit there looking like the stupefied idiot who's just not getting it? That's how I felt while reading The DUFF. So many of my GR friends have liked this, and I've read many reviews proclaiming how awesome it is . . . but I just didn't get it. The DUFF has been blurbed by Elizabeth Scott and Simone Elkeles, both of whom are authors that I trust the opinions of. Or rather, did trust.
While I'd like to say that The DUFF starts off good but wanes, it doesn't. The DUFF starts off with Bianca sitting in a club, watching her friends dance while she drinks pop at the bar. Not long after, Wesley Rush comes up and starts telling her how he's interested in her friends, and how she's going to help him make them be the next notches on his belt. (That isn't a direct phrase from the book, just to be clear.) And, to add to the insanity, he also so graciously informs her that she is the DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend.
And so, naturally, Bianca is disgusted with him for this fact and because he's basically her school's male slut. But what happens next is what really had my head hitting the wall: She decides to use him as a distraction (where have I heard this plot line before? Hmm . . . could it be a dime store romance novel? Why yes, that's it!) and kisses him on the spot.
The guy's a brazen asshole who's trying to use you to get into your friends pants—all while telling you that you're a statistically ugly fat chick—and so you decide to make out with him? WTF? No wonder he has no respect for you!

Skip ahead a little ways and you'll find Bianca and her friends discussing Wesley's character and kissing capabilities (you know, since Bianca is an expert in that department now): her friends think that he'd be great in bed, but Bianca thinks that any one that sleeps with him is liable to get an STD shortly thereafter.
Good observation, Bianca�except—it is only around 30 or so pages later that Bianca sleeps with him herself! WTF?
And am I the only one who thinks that the first time Wesley and Bianca are together is maybe even a bit wrongly handled? When Bianca was beginning to think to herself that maybe she doesn't want to have full-blown intercourse with him, and then immediately following that thought she thinks that they are now, in fact, having sex? Again, WTF? I'm not saying that it was rape—since there was no outowards discouragement from her—but, doesn't that seem ridiculous for Bianca to allow him to continue, what with her having those doubts in her head at that very moment? Does she honestly have that little of self-control? self-worth?

And as for Wesley, let me just say this: I love arrogance in a guy (I � Barrons, BTW), but only a certain brand. Wesley's brand of arrogance is obnoxious and deplorable; it's not charming or redeemable in any way to me.

I don't know—perhaps trying to read something like this after having just finished a respectable, well-written novel like was a bad idea, but there you have it.

Blech.

(And, because I don't like to count DNFs towards my challenge, I'll just say Attempted reading on 6/28/11.)
]]> A Reliable Wife 7018208
With echoes of Wuthering Heights and Rebecca, Robert Goolrick's intoxicating debut novel delivers a classic tale of suspenseful seduction, set in a world that seems to have gone temporarily off its axis.
]]> 305 Robert Goolrick 1565129776 Lora 2 g-hr Actual rating: 1.5 stars generously rounded up to 2

There are some spoilers.

This novel centers around Ralph Truitt, a man who's been wronged many times � and his misfortunes are far from over. Mind you, Truitt isn't a saint, but in this reader's opinion he doesn't deserve what happens to him in this novel.
It all starts when Truitt puts an ad in the paper looking for a "reliable wife". But the women he comes to marry is anything but reliable. (She's also a faithless scheming bitch, but more on that later.) Catherine Land is a woman with a plan and a mission. She is to marry Ralph Truitt, then slowly poison him until he dies and she becomes sole possessor of all his possessions. After this she will reconnect with her lover, Tony Moretti. But Tony Moretti is actually Antonio Truitt, Ralph's non-biological son. (Sounds like a soap opera, doesn't it?) Catherine and Antonio (or Tony, whichever you prefer) set all of this up. You see, when Catherine saw Ralph's ad in the paper and showed it to Antonio it raised all of his old hatred for his father. He saw his father's loneliness as the perfect why to not only get back at his father but also to kill him. All he had to do was get Catherine to do his dirty work.
So, Catherine marries Ralph and soon after she is sent by Ralph to get his son back. Ironic, yes, but Ralph wants to make things up to his son and try to undo his wrongs. (Also, the author is trying to incorporate twists into this sex-filled mess called a novel.) As you can imagine, when Catherine goes to get Antonio lots of fun adultery ensues. But Antonio is also angry that Ralph isn't dead yet. So, Catherine returns to Ralph without his son and then the poisoning commences.

A Reliable Wife could've just as easily been titled The Misadventures of Harlots. Everyone has sex on the brain 24/7/365. And if they aren't thinking about sex, they're having it. It truly never ends! And none of it is sex y , either: there is adultery, rape, and even talk of sex with an unconscious partner. I don't know about you, but none of that interests me.

Catherine is probably one of the most deplorable characters I've ever read about. Among many other blunders that I won't bore you with, she deludes herself into thinking that Antonio loves her when he's clearly only using her as a means to kill his father.

Somewhere around page 140 I began to skim the hell out of this. I quickly grew tired of the endless talk of the characters getting high on opium and morphine in both their past and present and the minutiae of their endless sexual excursions and reminiscence.

The very fact that this is a #1 New York Times bestseller just reaffirms my belief that that list is crap and there's a lot of people who will forever love trash.]]> 3.16 2009 A Reliable Wife
author: Robert Goolrick
name: Lora
average rating: 3.16
book published: 2009
rating: 2
read at: 2011/07/26
date added: 2015/02/15
shelves: g-hr
review:
Actual rating: 1.5 stars generously rounded up to 2

There are some spoilers.

This novel centers around Ralph Truitt, a man who's been wronged many times � and his misfortunes are far from over. Mind you, Truitt isn't a saint, but in this reader's opinion he doesn't deserve what happens to him in this novel.
It all starts when Truitt puts an ad in the paper looking for a "reliable wife". But the women he comes to marry is anything but reliable. (She's also a faithless scheming bitch, but more on that later.) Catherine Land is a woman with a plan and a mission. She is to marry Ralph Truitt, then slowly poison him until he dies and she becomes sole possessor of all his possessions. After this she will reconnect with her lover, Tony Moretti. But Tony Moretti is actually Antonio Truitt, Ralph's non-biological son. (Sounds like a soap opera, doesn't it?) Catherine and Antonio (or Tony, whichever you prefer) set all of this up. You see, when Catherine saw Ralph's ad in the paper and showed it to Antonio it raised all of his old hatred for his father. He saw his father's loneliness as the perfect why to not only get back at his father but also to kill him. All he had to do was get Catherine to do his dirty work.
So, Catherine marries Ralph and soon after she is sent by Ralph to get his son back. Ironic, yes, but Ralph wants to make things up to his son and try to undo his wrongs. (Also, the author is trying to incorporate twists into this sex-filled mess called a novel.) As you can imagine, when Catherine goes to get Antonio lots of fun adultery ensues. But Antonio is also angry that Ralph isn't dead yet. So, Catherine returns to Ralph without his son and then the poisoning commences.

A Reliable Wife could've just as easily been titled The Misadventures of Harlots. Everyone has sex on the brain 24/7/365. And if they aren't thinking about sex, they're having it. It truly never ends! And none of it is sex y , either: there is adultery, rape, and even talk of sex with an unconscious partner. I don't know about you, but none of that interests me.

Catherine is probably one of the most deplorable characters I've ever read about. Among many other blunders that I won't bore you with, she deludes herself into thinking that Antonio loves her when he's clearly only using her as a means to kill his father.

Somewhere around page 140 I began to skim the hell out of this. I quickly grew tired of the endless talk of the characters getting high on opium and morphine in both their past and present and the minutiae of their endless sexual excursions and reminiscence.

The very fact that this is a #1 New York Times bestseller just reaffirms my belief that that list is crap and there's a lot of people who will forever love trash.
]]> <![CDATA[Happy Ever After (Bride Quartet, #4)]]> 7840873 Dreams are realized in the final novel in #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts's Bride Quartet.

As the public face of Vows wedding planning company, Parker Brown has an uncanny knack for fulfilling every bride's vision. She just can't see where her own life is headed. Mechanic Malcom Kavanaugh loves figuring out how things work, and Parker Brown—with her endless legs—is no exception. But as a good friend of Parker’s brother, he knows that moving from minor flirtation to major hook-up is a serious step.

No man has rattled Parker in a long time, but the motorcycle-riding, raven-haired Mal seems to have a knack for it. His passionate kisses always catch her off guard, much like her growing feelings for him. Parker’s business risks have always paid off, but now she’ll have to take the chance of a lifetime with her heart…]]> 333 Nora Roberts 0425236757 Lora 0 4.10 2010 Happy Ever After (Bride Quartet, #4)
author: Nora Roberts
name: Lora
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/01/24
shelves: jd-robb-nora-roberts, own-will-never-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My Booky Wook: A Memoir Of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up]]> 3840810 My Booky Wook he leads readers on a rollicking journey through his disastrous school career, his infamous antics on MTV, and his multifarious sexual adventures. But this irreverent memoir is a story not simply of struggle but also of redemption, a testament to the difficulty of discovering what you want from life and the remarkable power of a bloody-minded determination to get it. My Booky Wook is a giddy trip through the brilliant mind of one of Britain's most valuable exports.]]> 368 Russell Brand 0061730416 Lora 0 nonfiction, on-hold 3.36 2007 My Booky Wook: A Memoir Of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up
author: Russell Brand
name: Lora
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/10/14
shelves: nonfiction, on-hold
review:

]]> I'll Give You the Sun 20820994
Years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways... but then Jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor. The early years are Noah's to tell; the later years are Jude's. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they'll have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant, award-winning novel from the acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

Printz Award Winner Stonewall Honor Book.]]> 371 Jandy Nelson 0803734964 Lora 0 to-read, wishlist 4.14 2014 I'll Give You the Sun
author: Jandy Nelson
name: Lora
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/09/02
shelves: to-read, wishlist
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Gospel According to Jesus: A New Translation and Guide to His Essential Teachings for Believers and Unbelievers]]> 1320178 310 Stephen Mitchell 006016641X Lora 0 4.48 1991 The Gospel According to Jesus: A New Translation and Guide to His Essential Teachings for Believers and Unbelievers
author: Stephen Mitchell
name: Lora
average rating: 4.48
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/07/19
shelves: don-t-forget, lib-to-read, stephen-mitchell
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)]]> 11264999 Librarian's Note: Alternate cover edition for ISBN 0553573403/ 9780553573404

In A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin has created a genuine masterpiece, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill the pages of the first volume in an epic series sure to delight fantansy fans everywhere.

In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes of the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.]]> 837 George R.R. Martin Lora 0 fantasy, on-hold 4.45 1996 A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Lora
average rating: 4.45
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/06/04
shelves: fantasy, on-hold
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)]]> 13623817
Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.]]> 284 Susan Ee 0761463275 Lora 0 4.24 2011 Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)
author: Susan Ee
name: Lora
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/05/23
shelves: lib-to-read, g-dystopia-post-apoc, looks-promising
review:

]]> Sarah's Key 3688715 Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is taken with her parents by the French police as they go door-to-door arresting French families in the middle of the night. Desperate to protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard-their secret hiding place-and promises to come back for him as soon as they are released.

Sixty Years Later: Sarah's story intertwines with that of Julia Jarmond, an American journalist investigating the roundup. In her research, Julia stumbles onto a trail of secrets that link her to Sarah, and to questions about her own romantic future.]]> 353 Tatiana de Rosnay Lora 0 4.05 2006 Sarah's Key
author: Tatiana de Rosnay
name: Lora
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/05/17
shelves: to-read, own-unread, adult-lit, summer-reads
review:

]]> Midwinterblood 15792870
An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood?

From award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick comes a book about passion and preservation and ultimately an exploration of the bounds of love.
A Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of 2013
A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2013]]> 272 Marcus Sedgwick 1596438002 Lora 0 don-t-forget, lib-to-read 3.75 2011 Midwinterblood
author: Marcus Sedgwick
name: Lora
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/02/26
shelves: don-t-forget, lib-to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Celebrity in Death (In Death, #34)]]> 11890813
Lieutenant Eve Dallas is no party girl, but she’s managing to have a reasonably good time at the celebrity-packed bash celebrating The Icove Agenda, a film based on one of her famous cases. It’s a little spooky seeing the actress playing her, who looks as though she could be her long-lost twin. Not as unsettling, though, as seeing the actress who plays Peabody—drowned in the lap pool on the roof of the director’s luxury building.

Talented but rude and widely disliked, K.T. Harris made an embarrassing scene during dinner. Now she’s at the center of a crime scene—and Eve is more than ready to get out of her high heels and strap on her holster to step into the role she was born to play: cop.]]> 389 J.D. Robb 0399158308 Lora 0 to-read, jd-robb-nora-roberts 4.11 2012 Celebrity in Death (In Death, #34)
author: J.D. Robb
name: Lora
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/02/20
shelves: to-read, jd-robb-nora-roberts
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Beyond the Highland Mist (Highlander, #1)]]> 743599
An alluring laird...

He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart—until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm's length—but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve.

A prisoner in time...

She had a perfect "no" on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side...]]> 400 Karen Marie Moning 0440244161 Lora 0 g-hr, own-unread-2, maybe 3.96 1999 Beyond the Highland Mist (Highlander, #1)
author: Karen Marie Moning
name: Lora
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/02/10
shelves: g-hr, own-unread-2, maybe
review:

]]> Between Shades of Gray 12913325 352 Ruta Sepetys 014242059X Lora 5 Actual rating: 4.5 stars

As soon as I saw , I knew I had to read this novel. Between Shades of Gray isn't the type of book I'd normally read, but I'm extremely glad that I decided to read it.

Lina is a very strong and courageous character. Despite the situation Lina is placed in at the young age of fifteen, she audaciously chooses to write about the terrible cruelties the Soviets are doing to those around her as well as her family and herself. Lina is an artist, and she uses this talent to depict the ghastly scenes she's forces to witness on a daily basis. She then hides her drawings where the , hopefully, won't find them. In this she hopes that, one day, someone will find the proof of what really occurred, and make sure that it never happens again.

I'm going to warn you, a good deal of this book is very grim and Sepetys doesn't cover up the horrors that were committed against these innocent people with euphemisms. There are quite a few shocking, disturbing, and graphic scenes in this. You'll probably want to read something light and fluffy after finishing it.
But much like the title of the book and the fledging plant sprouting up from the ice covered landscape on the book's cover signifies hope, the author does a wonderful job of incorporating snippets of hope even through the most grim of times for her characters.

Interspersed with Lina's time in the slavery camps, there are bittersweet flashbacks to Lina's life before her and her family were taken by the Soviets. I think they helped to break up the scenes of abuse and heartache, making the novel more palatable to the reader.
There is also a light romance in this that is both sweet and a welcome addition to a story such as this.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
"I shut the bathroom door and caught sight of my face in the mirror. I had no idea how quickly it was to change, to fade. If I had, I would have stared at my reflection, memorizing it. It was the last time I would look into a real mirror for more than a decade."

Ruta Sepetys' writing is erudite, yet simple, and it flows very well. I just hope that this isn't one of those one-hit-wonder cases where the author has one story to tell and never writes anything again. I'd really like to read more from Sepetys, whether it be more stories such as this, or something completely different.

On a side note, the finished, physical copy of this (I say it in this way because some people probably have an ARC or an ebook) is quite gorgeous. The jacket seems to be made of recycled paper, so it has a very natural, rustic look and feel to it. And it has deckled edges, my favorite. :)

I think this is one of those books that will be highly praised by some (like myself), and sadly overlooked by others. It's easy to be distracted by the deluge of YA paranormal novels with the pretty covers and the pomp and heavy promotion, but, I assure you, Between Shades of Gray is more than worth your reading time.

This book reminds me just how fortunate I am to be born in the era and country that I was, and I found it very humbling. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read it, and I highly recommend it.]]> 4.42 2011 Between Shades of Gray
author: Ruta Sepetys
name: Lora
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2011/04/18
date added: 2014/01/11
shelves: favorites, lib-read, g-ya-hist, want-to-reread, quality-ya-fic
review:
Actual rating: 4.5 stars

As soon as I saw , I knew I had to read this novel. Between Shades of Gray isn't the type of book I'd normally read, but I'm extremely glad that I decided to read it.

Lina is a very strong and courageous character. Despite the situation Lina is placed in at the young age of fifteen, she audaciously chooses to write about the terrible cruelties the Soviets are doing to those around her as well as her family and herself. Lina is an artist, and she uses this talent to depict the ghastly scenes she's forces to witness on a daily basis. She then hides her drawings where the , hopefully, won't find them. In this she hopes that, one day, someone will find the proof of what really occurred, and make sure that it never happens again.

I'm going to warn you, a good deal of this book is very grim and Sepetys doesn't cover up the horrors that were committed against these innocent people with euphemisms. There are quite a few shocking, disturbing, and graphic scenes in this. You'll probably want to read something light and fluffy after finishing it.
But much like the title of the book and the fledging plant sprouting up from the ice covered landscape on the book's cover signifies hope, the author does a wonderful job of incorporating snippets of hope even through the most grim of times for her characters.

Interspersed with Lina's time in the slavery camps, there are bittersweet flashbacks to Lina's life before her and her family were taken by the Soviets. I think they helped to break up the scenes of abuse and heartache, making the novel more palatable to the reader.
There is also a light romance in this that is both sweet and a welcome addition to a story such as this.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
"I shut the bathroom door and caught sight of my face in the mirror. I had no idea how quickly it was to change, to fade. If I had, I would have stared at my reflection, memorizing it. It was the last time I would look into a real mirror for more than a decade."

Ruta Sepetys' writing is erudite, yet simple, and it flows very well. I just hope that this isn't one of those one-hit-wonder cases where the author has one story to tell and never writes anything again. I'd really like to read more from Sepetys, whether it be more stories such as this, or something completely different.

On a side note, the finished, physical copy of this (I say it in this way because some people probably have an ARC or an ebook) is quite gorgeous. The jacket seems to be made of recycled paper, so it has a very natural, rustic look and feel to it. And it has deckled edges, my favorite. :)

I think this is one of those books that will be highly praised by some (like myself), and sadly overlooked by others. It's easy to be distracted by the deluge of YA paranormal novels with the pretty covers and the pomp and heavy promotion, but, I assure you, Between Shades of Gray is more than worth your reading time.

This book reminds me just how fortunate I am to be born in the era and country that I was, and I found it very humbling. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read it, and I highly recommend it.
]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)]]> 15881
And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls� bathroom. But then the real trouble begins � someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects� Harry Potter himself!]]> 352 J.K. Rowling Lora 4 middle-grade-lit, lib-read "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Albus Dumbledore

Such a wise wizard.

You know how sometimes when you read the first in a series and it turns out so much better than you originally anticipated, it makes you a little apprehensive when starting the sequel? Well, I felt that way before starting this, but I can definitely say that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is another fabulous installment in the rightfully beloved Harry Potter series!
And while I will admit to not loving it quite as much as its predecessor, I still enjoyed it a great deal.
I think the reason for my not liking it as much can be mostly credited to the introduction of a new character, Professor Lockhart. Lockhart is an annoyingly pretentious wizard who is completely full of himself, and the majority of his teachings were based on his own life and his supposed brushes with death that he escaped only because of his "heroism" and great knowledge of the magic arts. [spoilers removed]
In a summary, I didn't find the story involving Lockhart quite as interesting as Harry's realization of his true abilities and the escapades of his first year at Hogwarts.

But HP II undoubtedly still has plenty of hilarious moments and magical wonders - not to mention the lovely cast of characters - to more than compensate for this particular installment's slightly lacking plot. Hence the five stars. :)

[spoilers removed]

FAVORITE QUOTE: "I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly.
"It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," said Harry. "I'd like to see you try it."

Next up is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

***

My reviews of other titles in this series:

]]> 4.42 1998 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Lora
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at: 2011/06/14
date added: 2014/01/11
shelves: middle-grade-lit, lib-read
review:
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Albus Dumbledore

Such a wise wizard.

You know how sometimes when you read the first in a series and it turns out so much better than you originally anticipated, it makes you a little apprehensive when starting the sequel? Well, I felt that way before starting this, but I can definitely say that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is another fabulous installment in the rightfully beloved Harry Potter series!
And while I will admit to not loving it quite as much as its predecessor, I still enjoyed it a great deal.
I think the reason for my not liking it as much can be mostly credited to the introduction of a new character, Professor Lockhart. Lockhart is an annoyingly pretentious wizard who is completely full of himself, and the majority of his teachings were based on his own life and his supposed brushes with death that he escaped only because of his "heroism" and great knowledge of the magic arts. [spoilers removed]
In a summary, I didn't find the story involving Lockhart quite as interesting as Harry's realization of his true abilities and the escapades of his first year at Hogwarts.

But HP II undoubtedly still has plenty of hilarious moments and magical wonders - not to mention the lovely cast of characters - to more than compensate for this particular installment's slightly lacking plot. Hence the five stars. :)

[spoilers removed]

FAVORITE QUOTE: "I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly.
"It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them," said Harry. "I'd like to see you try it."

Next up is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

***

My reviews of other titles in this series:


]]> The Unwanteds 10582215 6 Lisa McMann 1442344911 Lora 4 ". . . Without knowledge that life can be different, there can be no desire to change it."

In the land of Quill, all thirteen-year-olds are sent to the annual Purge where they will be divided into Wanted and Unwanted. For twin brothers Alex and Aaron, this day is especially daunting as they are both now thirteen and reluctant to separate. Or at least Alex is and would like to believe his brother reciprocates this sentiment.
On the day of the Purge Alex is unsurprisingly categorized as Unwanted and his brother Aaron is chosen as a Wanted. Feeling scared and helpless, Alex goes off to meet his death along with his fellow Unwanteds. But when he arrives at the Death Farmer's doorstep, he is surprised to find a land where magic and creativity thrive. Animated origami dragons; giant talking tortoises; and a montrous, winged cheetah named Simber are just a few of the many astonishing creatures that can be found in Artime.
Still, when the Unwanteds arrive in Artime they expect to be executed momentarily. But instead all of the children are quickly assured by Mr. Today that this shall not be their fate.
Known to the people of Quill as the "Death Farmer," Mr. Today has spent many years perfecting Artime and making it a safe haven for the Unwanteds. As you can imagine, this revelation is as surprising as it is a saving grace for the kids.
But if any members of the Quilitary found out of their rebellion, it would mean a sure death for all involved. This, of course, means that neither Alex nor any of the other Unwanteds are allowed to contact anyone � friends, relatives, authorities � in Quill.
Although sad at the prospect of never seeing his brother again, with his friends supporting him, Alex moves into Artime and begins a whole new life.

Kirkus Reviews hails The Unwanteds as "the Hunger Games meets Harry Potter." After having read it myself, I must agree. This is not to say that I believe McMann is attempting to subtly copy the two bestselling series as a means to gain more attention for her fledgling series. No, I believe that she has � whether knowingly or not, I won't speculate � taken some of the very best aspects of each series and used them as the underpinning for a new middle-grade dystopian fantasy series that will surely gain many fans.

The Unwanteds turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise for me. Despite my having enjoyed some of McMann's earlier works, I somehow felt that her voyage into the dystopian genre wouldn't turn out to my liking, thus making my expectations low going in. Luckily for me, I was wrong.
Albeit lacking a little in the personality department, the characters are fresh and full of potential. I can see them growing and coming into themselves as the series progresses.
For being so young, Lani � Alex's new friend/potential love interest � hasn't had an easy life. Having her father, Quill's mayor, pull strings to get her into the Purge at the premature age of twelve in order to be rid of her [spoilers removed] has left her with only feelings of resentment and hatred for her father. But when she begins learning the art of magic � and the magic of art � she soon excels and finds new friends and a sense of belonging in Artime.
With the head of an alligator and the appendages of an octopus, Alex's art teacher, Ms. Octavia, is rather startling at first. But soon she teaches him all the tricks of the artist's trade. In Artime's school, Alex learns everything from how to use paper clips as a potentially lethal weapon to turning flowers into music boxes.

I'll freely admit that, had The Unwanteds been more dystopian than fantasy, I'd probably not have enjoyed it nearly as much. The majority of the story is set in the beautiful and magical world of Artime, and so it doesn't have the bleak and depressing atmosphere of some dystopias. It is for these reasons that I'll be eagerly awaiting the release of its sequel due out next September, Island of Silence. 3.5 stars

P.S. If you're interested in The Unwanteds, may I suggest the audio verison? I believe Simon Jones's narrative adds an extra-special something to the story.]]> 3.68 2011 The Unwanteds
author: Lisa McMann
name: Lora
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2012/02/01
date added: 2014/01/11
shelves: lib-audiobooks, middle-grade-lit, g-dystopia-post-apoc, fantasy
review:
". . . Without knowledge that life can be different, there can be no desire to change it."

In the land of Quill, all thirteen-year-olds are sent to the annual Purge where they will be divided into Wanted and Unwanted. For twin brothers Alex and Aaron, this day is especially daunting as they are both now thirteen and reluctant to separate. Or at least Alex is and would like to believe his brother reciprocates this sentiment.
On the day of the Purge Alex is unsurprisingly categorized as Unwanted and his brother Aaron is chosen as a Wanted. Feeling scared and helpless, Alex goes off to meet his death along with his fellow Unwanteds. But when he arrives at the Death Farmer's doorstep, he is surprised to find a land where magic and creativity thrive. Animated origami dragons; giant talking tortoises; and a montrous, winged cheetah named Simber are just a few of the many astonishing creatures that can be found in Artime.
Still, when the Unwanteds arrive in Artime they expect to be executed momentarily. But instead all of the children are quickly assured by Mr. Today that this shall not be their fate.
Known to the people of Quill as the "Death Farmer," Mr. Today has spent many years perfecting Artime and making it a safe haven for the Unwanteds. As you can imagine, this revelation is as surprising as it is a saving grace for the kids.
But if any members of the Quilitary found out of their rebellion, it would mean a sure death for all involved. This, of course, means that neither Alex nor any of the other Unwanteds are allowed to contact anyone � friends, relatives, authorities � in Quill.
Although sad at the prospect of never seeing his brother again, with his friends supporting him, Alex moves into Artime and begins a whole new life.

Kirkus Reviews hails The Unwanteds as "the Hunger Games meets Harry Potter." After having read it myself, I must agree. This is not to say that I believe McMann is attempting to subtly copy the two bestselling series as a means to gain more attention for her fledgling series. No, I believe that she has � whether knowingly or not, I won't speculate � taken some of the very best aspects of each series and used them as the underpinning for a new middle-grade dystopian fantasy series that will surely gain many fans.

The Unwanteds turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise for me. Despite my having enjoyed some of McMann's earlier works, I somehow felt that her voyage into the dystopian genre wouldn't turn out to my liking, thus making my expectations low going in. Luckily for me, I was wrong.
Albeit lacking a little in the personality department, the characters are fresh and full of potential. I can see them growing and coming into themselves as the series progresses.
For being so young, Lani � Alex's new friend/potential love interest � hasn't had an easy life. Having her father, Quill's mayor, pull strings to get her into the Purge at the premature age of twelve in order to be rid of her [spoilers removed] has left her with only feelings of resentment and hatred for her father. But when she begins learning the art of magic � and the magic of art � she soon excels and finds new friends and a sense of belonging in Artime.
With the head of an alligator and the appendages of an octopus, Alex's art teacher, Ms. Octavia, is rather startling at first. But soon she teaches him all the tricks of the artist's trade. In Artime's school, Alex learns everything from how to use paper clips as a potentially lethal weapon to turning flowers into music boxes.

I'll freely admit that, had The Unwanteds been more dystopian than fantasy, I'd probably not have enjoyed it nearly as much. The majority of the story is set in the beautiful and magical world of Artime, and so it doesn't have the bleak and depressing atmosphere of some dystopias. It is for these reasons that I'll be eagerly awaiting the release of its sequel due out next September, Island of Silence. 3.5 stars

P.S. If you're interested in The Unwanteds, may I suggest the audio verison? I believe Simon Jones's narrative adds an extra-special something to the story.
]]> <![CDATA[This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, #5)]]> 6871617 Danger waits on both sides of the grave.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance...

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage.

Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally" - the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war... to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.]]> 357 Jeaniene Frost 0061783188 Lora 3 pr-uf-crossbreed Unfortunately, that time has come. While I figured Frost would have to hit a plateau eventually, I had hopes that that time would never come. Looks like This Side of the Grave is it. After being so pleased by the first four installments in this series, it is clear why I'd have high expectations when starting the fifth installment. And while I did enjoy it, I don't think Frost came even close to her potential with this one.

The plot is an obvious direction that most fans of this series have probably thought of before. With two equally powerful species coexisting for millennia, they're bound to clash at some point, right? Cat's abnormalities just happen to be the catalyst that sets it off, making hers and Bones's attempt at some peace and quiet be shoved to the back burner once again.
This idea of a species war could've been explosive and entertaining, but instead it mostly felt forced and anticlimactic.
Something about the plot (specifically, its execution) just felt off to me. THANKFULLY, Cat and Bones's chemistry is still there, and there are plenty of erotic and emotional moments between them that help to revive the story.

Two words: Chapter. Twenty-One. If you're a fan of chapter thirty-two in One Foot in the Grave, you'll most likely enjoy chapter twenty-one in this. Think chapter thirty-two, only reversed, and with an extra splash of kink.

I enjoyed getting to see the couples from the spin-off series (Mencheres and Kira, Spade and Denise) in their wedded bliss.
There is, as with all of Frost's novels, comedic relief. Bones wouldn't be Bones if he didn't make you crack up at least a few times. Although I did feel that there was far less of that in this installment than in the previous books.

[spoilers removed]

Honestly, I feel like crap for having said anything even remotely cross about this book. I feel like I'm kicking a favorite pet here. But I have to give credit where credit is due, and I don't feel that Frost deserves as much credit with this one as she did with her previous novels.

I'm crossing my fingers that One Grave at a Time will bring back the magic of the first four books in this series.]]> 4.26 2011 This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, #5)
author: Jeaniene Frost
name: Lora
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2012/04/01
date added: 2014/01/11
shelves: pr-uf-crossbreed
review:
This truly saddens me. Each of the first four books in this series were astonishingly entertaining, and I had begun to wonder if Frost would ever deliver a book without it being wrapped in perfect packaging and tied with a gorgeous bow.
Unfortunately, that time has come. While I figured Frost would have to hit a plateau eventually, I had hopes that that time would never come. Looks like This Side of the Grave is it. After being so pleased by the first four installments in this series, it is clear why I'd have high expectations when starting the fifth installment. And while I did enjoy it, I don't think Frost came even close to her potential with this one.

The plot is an obvious direction that most fans of this series have probably thought of before. With two equally powerful species coexisting for millennia, they're bound to clash at some point, right? Cat's abnormalities just happen to be the catalyst that sets it off, making hers and Bones's attempt at some peace and quiet be shoved to the back burner once again.
This idea of a species war could've been explosive and entertaining, but instead it mostly felt forced and anticlimactic.
Something about the plot (specifically, its execution) just felt off to me. THANKFULLY, Cat and Bones's chemistry is still there, and there are plenty of erotic and emotional moments between them that help to revive the story.

Two words: Chapter. Twenty-One. If you're a fan of chapter thirty-two in One Foot in the Grave, you'll most likely enjoy chapter twenty-one in this. Think chapter thirty-two, only reversed, and with an extra splash of kink.

I enjoyed getting to see the couples from the spin-off series (Mencheres and Kira, Spade and Denise) in their wedded bliss.
There is, as with all of Frost's novels, comedic relief. Bones wouldn't be Bones if he didn't make you crack up at least a few times. Although I did feel that there was far less of that in this installment than in the previous books.

[spoilers removed]

Honestly, I feel like crap for having said anything even remotely cross about this book. I feel like I'm kicking a favorite pet here. But I have to give credit where credit is due, and I don't feel that Frost deserves as much credit with this one as she did with her previous novels.

I'm crossing my fingers that One Grave at a Time will bring back the magic of the first four books in this series.
]]> Hallowed (Unearthly, #2) 11563110
Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.]]> 403 Cynthia Hand 0061996181 Lora 0 ]]> 4.09 2012 Hallowed (Unearthly, #2)
author: Cynthia Hand
name: Lora
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/01/10
shelves: to-read, wishlist, lib-look-for
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes, #1)]]> 17399160 A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians� only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians� general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather � she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics � and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.]]> 422 Sara Raasch 0062286927 Lora 0 3.88 2014 Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes, #1)
author: Sara Raasch
name: Lora
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/01/10
shelves: looks-promising, lib-look-for, 2014, fantasy, fall
review:
Wow. This sounds like it might actually have some originality. Wouldn't that be refreshing? #pleasenolovetriangles
]]> Elixir (Elixir, #1) 7844725
When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance, and they discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together they race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their lives—and their futures.]]> 327 Hilary Duff 1442408537 Lora 1

Stay far, far away from this book. It does terrible things to you.]]> 3.53 2010 Elixir (Elixir, #1)
author: Hilary Duff
name: Lora
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2010
rating: 1
read at: 2010/11/01
date added: 2014/01/10
shelves: g-ya-paranorm, series-abandoned
review:


Stay far, far away from this book. It does terrible things to you.
]]> <![CDATA[The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)]]> 10215349 To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness�

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for� again.

Enter Julie Kagawa's dark and twisted world as an unforgettable journey begins.]]> 485 Julie Kagawa 0373210515 Lora 0 to-read, lib-to-read

Julie Kagawa has already mastered faeries, now she's doing vamps too? This is awesome!]]> 4.08 2012 The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)
author: Julie Kagawa
name: Lora
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/01/09
shelves: to-read, lib-to-read
review:


Julie Kagawa has already mastered faeries, now she's doing vamps too? This is awesome!
]]> <![CDATA[City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)]]> 256683
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...]]> 485 Cassandra Clare 1416914285 Lora 3 g-ya-paranorm City of Bones with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. And while I wouldn't say that I'm nuts over it, it isn't as bad as some reviewers would paint it.

The writing is, surprisingly, exceptional. I wouldn't expect good writing from a book blurbed by Stephenie Meyer, but there you have it: Clare can actually write well. Her sentences are composed with an erudite hand and make the eyes glide over them with ease.
Clary . . . well, here's the thing about her: she's heavily overshadowed by the supporting characters. She seems to have little personality and what little she does possess seems rather dull and cookie-cutter. One key point when writing a series with many characters, Clare, don't let your lead be weaker than your weakest supporting character. I can only hope that she improves as the series progresses.
Jace definitely has the sexy and aloof thing going for him, plus he plays the piano(!). Lots of personality, sarcasm, strength on the page � pretty much the opposite of Clary. I guess opposites do attract, even in fiction.
And . . . that brings me to the Jace-and-Clary love fest. Lots of chemistry, lots of sexy times going on with them. But if you've read this then you know their budding love is in serious jeopardy. [spoilers removed] Gonna have to read book two to see where that goes.
Simon. So sweet, so endearing � and so never going to have his romantic feelings for Clary reciprocated. Seriously, I can't help but feel bad for that kid.
Alec, Jace's longtime friend, was a great character who I wouldn't hesitate to call my favorite if it weren't for Jace and, oh yes, Magnus. Mustn't forget Magnus! The promise of something between him and a certain character [spoilers removed] is one of the main reasons why I plan to continue reading this series. So yes, City of Ashes is up next for me. 3.5 stars]]> 4.08 2007 City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: Lora
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2011/01/02
date added: 2014/01/08
shelves: g-ya-paranorm
review:
This series has a lot of hype behind it, of both the positive and negative variety, and so naturally I started City of Bones with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. And while I wouldn't say that I'm nuts over it, it isn't as bad as some reviewers would paint it.

The writing is, surprisingly, exceptional. I wouldn't expect good writing from a book blurbed by Stephenie Meyer, but there you have it: Clare can actually write well. Her sentences are composed with an erudite hand and make the eyes glide over them with ease.
Clary . . . well, here's the thing about her: she's heavily overshadowed by the supporting characters. She seems to have little personality and what little she does possess seems rather dull and cookie-cutter. One key point when writing a series with many characters, Clare, don't let your lead be weaker than your weakest supporting character. I can only hope that she improves as the series progresses.
Jace definitely has the sexy and aloof thing going for him, plus he plays the piano(!). Lots of personality, sarcasm, strength on the page � pretty much the opposite of Clary. I guess opposites do attract, even in fiction.
And . . . that brings me to the Jace-and-Clary love fest. Lots of chemistry, lots of sexy times going on with them. But if you've read this then you know their budding love is in serious jeopardy. [spoilers removed] Gonna have to read book two to see where that goes.
Simon. So sweet, so endearing � and so never going to have his romantic feelings for Clary reciprocated. Seriously, I can't help but feel bad for that kid.
Alec, Jace's longtime friend, was a great character who I wouldn't hesitate to call my favorite if it weren't for Jace and, oh yes, Magnus. Mustn't forget Magnus! The promise of something between him and a certain character [spoilers removed] is one of the main reasons why I plan to continue reading this series. So yes, City of Ashes is up next for me. 3.5 stars
]]> Jellicoe Road 2999475
And now Hannah, the person Taylor had come to rely on, has disappeared. Taylor's only clue is a manuscript about five kids who lived in Jellicoe eighteen years ago. She needs to find out more, but this means confronting her own story, making sense of her strange, recurring dream, and finding her mother - who abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road.

The moving, joyous and brilliantly compelling new novel from the best-selling, multi-award-winning author of Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca.]]> 419 Melina Marchetta 0061431834 Lora 5

There's a reason why books like Twilight don't receive those. They don't give those to just any book, and when you factor in excellence . . . well, a lot of titles just don't make the cut. But it is clear to me why Melina Marchetta's third tribute to YA literature received a Printz award back in 2009. It is because it is excellent, to the very meaning of the word.

If all YA contemporary writers wrote like Marchetta, I doubt I'd play in any other genre playground very often. She writes these beautifully inspirational, relatable, and emotionally-charged novels that seem to affect me in an undescribable way.

Some of the passages in Jellicoe Road seem to beat with their own heart:

"These people have history and I crave history. I crave someone knowing me so well that they can tell what I'm thinking."

"'What do you want from me?' he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More."

I've always believed that an exceptionally good writer can take you places emotionally that others can't, and, for me, Melina Marchetta is one of those writers.

I'm going to end this review here for two reasons: 1) I believe this is the type of book that should be experienced first hand, without much knowledge of the story going in. So, go read it and remember, the beginning is confusing, but plow through it and I promise you won't regret it; 2) I'm tearing up thinking about this story and its characters, so all you'll be getting from me is the aforesaid and this: I love this book and I'm anticipating the day when I can read it again. I highly recommend Jellicoe Road to everyone.

Oh, and one more thing: I � Jonah Griggs.]]> 4.24 2006 Jellicoe Road
author: Melina Marchetta
name: Lora
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2011/08/14
date added: 2014/01/08
shelves: g-ya-realistic, aussies-rock-my-world, lib-read, favorites, want-to-reread, summer-reads, quality-ya-fic
review:


There's a reason why books like Twilight don't receive those. They don't give those to just any book, and when you factor in excellence . . . well, a lot of titles just don't make the cut. But it is clear to me why Melina Marchetta's third tribute to YA literature received a Printz award back in 2009. It is because it is excellent, to the very meaning of the word.

If all YA contemporary writers wrote like Marchetta, I doubt I'd play in any other genre playground very often. She writes these beautifully inspirational, relatable, and emotionally-charged novels that seem to affect me in an undescribable way.

Some of the passages in Jellicoe Road seem to beat with their own heart:

"These people have history and I crave history. I crave someone knowing me so well that they can tell what I'm thinking."

"'What do you want from me?' he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More."

I've always believed that an exceptionally good writer can take you places emotionally that others can't, and, for me, Melina Marchetta is one of those writers.

I'm going to end this review here for two reasons: 1) I believe this is the type of book that should be experienced first hand, without much knowledge of the story going in. So, go read it and remember, the beginning is confusing, but plow through it and I promise you won't regret it; 2) I'm tearing up thinking about this story and its characters, so all you'll be getting from me is the aforesaid and this: I love this book and I'm anticipating the day when I can read it again. I highly recommend Jellicoe Road to everyone.

Oh, and one more thing: I � Jonah Griggs.
]]> My Life Next Door 12294652 A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.�

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.]]> 394 Huntley Fitzpatrick 0803736991 Lora 5 My Life Next Door is the kind of story that you expect to be light and fluffy . . . but then it surprises you.
I thought this book would be very cliché: little rich girl falls for the boy next door; gets a whole new perspective on life through the eyes of a financially-strained, but very happy � unlike her own � family; and learns something big about herself over the course of one short summer. In a lot of ways, that is what this book is about. But, in truth, it is about so much more.

Samantha Reed's character is, I think, one of the best � probably in the top ten, actually � YA heroines I've ever come across since I began reading YA fiction back in 2008. She stands up for herself and the people she cares about when it counts most, she thinks independently from her main influence in life � in this case, her mother � in a way that is smart and not just teenage rebellion. She is smart about sex choices, doesn't just jump into bed with the first boyfriend she gets � or even the third without some smart-shopping for Trojans (loved that scene!) � and is a generally well-rounded, intelligent young woman. I found being in Sam's head a very pleasant, refreshing, and, often times, spontaneously hilarious experience when compared to many of the female narrators of her genre. If Fitzpatrick's future heroines turn out to be even a tenth as good as Sam was, I'm in for a real treat.
And Jase . . . he is the kind of boy you'd want your daughter to marry. Truly. He's down to earth, loves his family, loves his animals (he's something of a zoo-keeper), and treats his girlfriend like gold. What's not to love? I think YA paranormal authors should take notes from Huntley Fitzpatrick on how to write a good male protagonist.
And Tim . . . I can't believe a debut author made me fall for a drug addict. Seriously. If the author decided to write a companion novel about Tim (maybe like Marchetta did with Thomas after Saving Francesca) and, hopefully, Alice, I'd be forever grateful to the Powers That Be.

The bulk of this novel is about Samantha getting to know � and fall for � both Jase and his family. But towards the end, as the publisher-provided synopsis says, there is a big obstacle that is dropped on Sam's and the Garrett's heads, an obstacle that is not overcome easily. I wish there could have been a bit more resolution at the end with it [spoilers removed], but as a whole I think the climax was handled well.
And, on a side note, can I just say how utterly sexy some of this book is? I wasn't expecting that, either, but I love surprises.

Truly, I don't feel that my words can properly describe how much I loved this book, or how much I got out of it, or how much I wish more people would discover it and feel for it what I did. Does that mean this book was perfect? No, because no book is. But honestly, it was perfect for me. I'm extraordinarily pleased with it � so much so that I plan to reread it this summer � and will certainly be back for more from Fitzpatrick in future.]]> 3.97 2012 My Life Next Door
author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
name: Lora
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2013/01/24
date added: 2014/01/06
shelves: g-ya-realistic, lib-read, wishlist, favorites, want-to-reread, surprised-me, quality-ya-fic
review:
My Life Next Door is the kind of story that you expect to be light and fluffy . . . but then it surprises you.
I thought this book would be very cliché: little rich girl falls for the boy next door; gets a whole new perspective on life through the eyes of a financially-strained, but very happy � unlike her own � family; and learns something big about herself over the course of one short summer. In a lot of ways, that is what this book is about. But, in truth, it is about so much more.

Samantha Reed's character is, I think, one of the best � probably in the top ten, actually � YA heroines I've ever come across since I began reading YA fiction back in 2008. She stands up for herself and the people she cares about when it counts most, she thinks independently from her main influence in life � in this case, her mother � in a way that is smart and not just teenage rebellion. She is smart about sex choices, doesn't just jump into bed with the first boyfriend she gets � or even the third without some smart-shopping for Trojans (loved that scene!) � and is a generally well-rounded, intelligent young woman. I found being in Sam's head a very pleasant, refreshing, and, often times, spontaneously hilarious experience when compared to many of the female narrators of her genre. If Fitzpatrick's future heroines turn out to be even a tenth as good as Sam was, I'm in for a real treat.
And Jase . . . he is the kind of boy you'd want your daughter to marry. Truly. He's down to earth, loves his family, loves his animals (he's something of a zoo-keeper), and treats his girlfriend like gold. What's not to love? I think YA paranormal authors should take notes from Huntley Fitzpatrick on how to write a good male protagonist.
And Tim . . . I can't believe a debut author made me fall for a drug addict. Seriously. If the author decided to write a companion novel about Tim (maybe like Marchetta did with Thomas after Saving Francesca) and, hopefully, Alice, I'd be forever grateful to the Powers That Be.

The bulk of this novel is about Samantha getting to know � and fall for � both Jase and his family. But towards the end, as the publisher-provided synopsis says, there is a big obstacle that is dropped on Sam's and the Garrett's heads, an obstacle that is not overcome easily. I wish there could have been a bit more resolution at the end with it [spoilers removed], but as a whole I think the climax was handled well.
And, on a side note, can I just say how utterly sexy some of this book is? I wasn't expecting that, either, but I love surprises.

Truly, I don't feel that my words can properly describe how much I loved this book, or how much I got out of it, or how much I wish more people would discover it and feel for it what I did. Does that mean this book was perfect? No, because no book is. But honestly, it was perfect for me. I'm extraordinarily pleased with it � so much so that I plan to reread it this summer � and will certainly be back for more from Fitzpatrick in future.
]]> <![CDATA[The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight]]> 10798416
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.]]> 236 Jennifer E. Smith 0316122386 Lora 2 The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and a synopsis promising a British boy named Oliver, this book is pretty damn disappointing. Although it does deliver on the British boy front (who, frankly, really isn't even that great), it doesn't deliver much else.

SPLFS starts off with Hadley Sullivan missing her flight to London at JFK. Granted, Hadley would rather see her dentist than attend her father's wedding to a woman she's never even met, but her father is counting on her to make it on time.
Reluctantly, she gets a later flight --- one that leads to a whole lotta lurve.

It amazes me how such a short story can feel so slow and long-winded; at times it was like dredging through sludge. The characters and cluster of scenes that take place over the course of twenty-four hours are equally boring and uneventful.
SPLFS can be summed up as follows: A missed flight, a "fated" flight, a wedding, [spoilers removed] and a wedding reception. The End. Not much else happens. It's really all about Hadley reconciling with her father and coming to terms with the fact that, despite how much she may want it, her parents are never getting back together. And, you know, "love" at first sight in a crowded airport.

And let's talk about this love interest, shall we? He's tall, lanky, and floppy haired; you know, the standard by which all boys are messured nowadays. But even he can't seem to breathe any life into a story this boring. Seriously, my jaw still hurts from all the yawning I did while reading this. I know I must seem a little bitter, but can you really blame me for hoping that maybe, just maybe, this could turn out to be as cute and pleasantly fluffy as Anna and the French Kiss? Perhaps my expectations were too high; nevertheless, I'm sure that with better written characters, a more intriguing plot, and a more believable romance, this could've been something great.

But in the end, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is nothing to write home about.]]> 3.76 2012 The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
author: Jennifer E. Smith
name: Lora
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2012/01/10
date added: 2014/01/06
shelves: g-ya-realistic, fluffier-than-my-birman-cat
review:
Honestly, for having a name like The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and a synopsis promising a British boy named Oliver, this book is pretty damn disappointing. Although it does deliver on the British boy front (who, frankly, really isn't even that great), it doesn't deliver much else.

SPLFS starts off with Hadley Sullivan missing her flight to London at JFK. Granted, Hadley would rather see her dentist than attend her father's wedding to a woman she's never even met, but her father is counting on her to make it on time.
Reluctantly, she gets a later flight --- one that leads to a whole lotta lurve.

It amazes me how such a short story can feel so slow and long-winded; at times it was like dredging through sludge. The characters and cluster of scenes that take place over the course of twenty-four hours are equally boring and uneventful.
SPLFS can be summed up as follows: A missed flight, a "fated" flight, a wedding, [spoilers removed] and a wedding reception. The End. Not much else happens. It's really all about Hadley reconciling with her father and coming to terms with the fact that, despite how much she may want it, her parents are never getting back together. And, you know, "love" at first sight in a crowded airport.

And let's talk about this love interest, shall we? He's tall, lanky, and floppy haired; you know, the standard by which all boys are messured nowadays. But even he can't seem to breathe any life into a story this boring. Seriously, my jaw still hurts from all the yawning I did while reading this. I know I must seem a little bitter, but can you really blame me for hoping that maybe, just maybe, this could turn out to be as cute and pleasantly fluffy as Anna and the French Kiss? Perhaps my expectations were too high; nevertheless, I'm sure that with better written characters, a more intriguing plot, and a more believable romance, this could've been something great.

But in the end, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is nothing to write home about.
]]> Bloodfever (Fever, #2) 344262
When my sister was found dead in a trash-filled alley in Dublin, I came over to get answers. Now all I want is revenge. And after everything I’ve learned about myself, I know I have the power to get it�.

MacKayla Lane’s ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland’s shores and was plunged into a world of deadly sorcery and ancient secrets.

In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh–a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over both the worlds of the Fae and of Man. Pursued by Fae assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she cannot trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and irresistible men: V’lane, the insatiable Fae who can turn sensual arousal into an obsession for any woman, and the ever-inscrutable Jericho Barrons, a man as alluring as he is mysterious.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them.…]]> 303 Karen Marie Moning 038533916X Lora 5 CAUTION: This review contains minor spoilers and some spoilery quotes at the end.

More often times than not, sequels are either a hit or a miss, and I'm happy to report that, for me, this one was a definite hit.

Bloodfever starts off slow and steady, letting you get back into the story of MacKayla Lane and the enigmatic Jericho Barrons, a man who's not only more mysterious than he is trustworthy, but who's Mac's mentor and only protector without an alterior motive (at least, not much of one). Over the course of the novel you learn a bit more about its characters, see a little more of there buried feelings for one another surface, both friendly and amorous. And, most of all, you get a lot more action and suspense, if that's possible.

Suspense because we still don't know who or what Barrons really is. Is he Fae? Or something else altogether? And if so, what? One thing's for sure, he's certainly not human. Somehow Barrons holds sway over people----both human and inhuman----no one else can stand a chance against. They back down to him and either ignore him altogether or even treat him as if they fear him. It's never revealed as to what exactly he is, and I'm unsure as to whether I want to know. I'm torn between chomping at the bits in anticipation for the moment when all is revealed, and wanting the suspense to never end because I find Barrons very intriguing and attractive. While I'm certain he would still have these qualities even if the readers and Mac learned of his secrets, he's quite enjoyable as he is (that's an understatement). A fair amount of Barrons' earlier stoicism and aloofness is missing in this installment. You see with much more certainty that he cares for Mac and isn't as impervious to her as he would have you believe.

And Mac's character is the same and yet not the same; she grows quite a bit in this one, albeit by force and brutal torture, but grow she does. But Mac kicks ass in this and doesn't fail me as a reader even once. That's not something I can say of many heroines.

Another thing that I really liked: You don't see a lot of V'lane in this one. I believe his character only makes two appearances throughout the entire duration of the novel, something I found very nice. It's safe to say I'm not a member of the V'lane fan club.

This installment literally had me gripping my couch cushions, bursting out laughing, and feeling other things that are too inappropriate to include in this review (hint: they had something to do with Barrons). And all I can say is that I'm very glad that I have Faefever on my nightstand.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"I heard there are no male sidhe-seers."
"Where did you hear that?"
"Around."
"And which one of those are you in doubt about, Ms. Lane?"
"Which one of what?"
"Whether I see the Fae, or whether I'm a man. I believe I've laid your mind to rest on the former; shall I relieve it on the latter?" He reached for his belt.

"The only things you feel are greed, mockery, and occasionally you probably get a hard-on, but I bet it's not over a woman, it's over money or an artifact or a book. You're no different than any other player in this game. You're no different than V'lane. You're just a cold, mercenary---"
His hand was on my throat, and he was crushing me back with his body into the cold steel beam behind me. "Yes, I have loved, Ms. Lane, and although it's none of your business, I have lost. Many things. And no, I am not like any other player in this game and I will never be
like V'lane, and I get a hard-on a great deal more often than occasionally." He leaned fully against me and I gasped. "Sometimes it's over a spoiled little girl, not a woman at all."

(As you can see, Barrons is quite intriguing.)]]> 4.25 2007 Bloodfever (Fever, #2)
author: Karen Marie Moning
name: Lora
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2011/02/01
date added: 2014/01/05
shelves: favorites, urban-fantasy, want-to-reread
review:
CAUTION: This review contains minor spoilers and some spoilery quotes at the end.

More often times than not, sequels are either a hit or a miss, and I'm happy to report that, for me, this one was a definite hit.

Bloodfever starts off slow and steady, letting you get back into the story of MacKayla Lane and the enigmatic Jericho Barrons, a man who's not only more mysterious than he is trustworthy, but who's Mac's mentor and only protector without an alterior motive (at least, not much of one). Over the course of the novel you learn a bit more about its characters, see a little more of there buried feelings for one another surface, both friendly and amorous. And, most of all, you get a lot more action and suspense, if that's possible.

Suspense because we still don't know who or what Barrons really is. Is he Fae? Or something else altogether? And if so, what? One thing's for sure, he's certainly not human. Somehow Barrons holds sway over people----both human and inhuman----no one else can stand a chance against. They back down to him and either ignore him altogether or even treat him as if they fear him. It's never revealed as to what exactly he is, and I'm unsure as to whether I want to know. I'm torn between chomping at the bits in anticipation for the moment when all is revealed, and wanting the suspense to never end because I find Barrons very intriguing and attractive. While I'm certain he would still have these qualities even if the readers and Mac learned of his secrets, he's quite enjoyable as he is (that's an understatement). A fair amount of Barrons' earlier stoicism and aloofness is missing in this installment. You see with much more certainty that he cares for Mac and isn't as impervious to her as he would have you believe.

And Mac's character is the same and yet not the same; she grows quite a bit in this one, albeit by force and brutal torture, but grow she does. But Mac kicks ass in this and doesn't fail me as a reader even once. That's not something I can say of many heroines.

Another thing that I really liked: You don't see a lot of V'lane in this one. I believe his character only makes two appearances throughout the entire duration of the novel, something I found very nice. It's safe to say I'm not a member of the V'lane fan club.

This installment literally had me gripping my couch cushions, bursting out laughing, and feeling other things that are too inappropriate to include in this review (hint: they had something to do with Barrons). And all I can say is that I'm very glad that I have Faefever on my nightstand.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"I heard there are no male sidhe-seers."
"Where did you hear that?"
"Around."
"And which one of those are you in doubt about, Ms. Lane?"
"Which one of what?"
"Whether I see the Fae, or whether I'm a man. I believe I've laid your mind to rest on the former; shall I relieve it on the latter?" He reached for his belt.

"The only things you feel are greed, mockery, and occasionally you probably get a hard-on, but I bet it's not over a woman, it's over money or an artifact or a book. You're no different than any other player in this game. You're no different than V'lane. You're just a cold, mercenary---"
His hand was on my throat, and he was crushing me back with his body into the cold steel beam behind me. "Yes, I have loved, Ms. Lane, and although it's none of your business, I have lost. Many things. And no, I am not like any other player in this game and I will never be
like V'lane, and I get a hard-on a great deal more often than occasionally." He leaned fully against me and I gasped. "Sometimes it's over a spoiled little girl, not a woman at all."

(As you can see, Barrons is quite intriguing.)
]]> 7 Clues to Winning You 11797479
Afterwards, things don’t go to plan, though. To make amends, she teams up with Senior, Luke—the surly head of the hunt and so-called-journalist who first posted her picture. Together they defy Blythe’s father and take the Senior Scramble underground. Blythe soon realizes that Luke isn’t so bad after all. In fact, she’s drawn in by his sly geekish wit, spontaneous Shakespearean quotes, and peering gaze.

As Blythe speeds through the scavenger hunt, she faces expulsion, an arrest, and a split from her best friend. But she won’t give up. If she wins the Senior Scramble, she just might win back her reputation. And maybe even win Luke’s heart.]]> 252 Kristin Walker 0692275789 Lora 0 maybe This cover turns me off. 3.87 2012 7 Clues to Winning You
author: Kristin Walker
name: Lora
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/01/03
shelves: maybe
review:
This cover turns me off.
]]> <![CDATA[Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #10)]]> 10993282 shellan, Tohrment has been unrecognizable from the vampire leader he once was. Physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair, he has been brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel. Now, fighting once again with ruthless vengeance, he is unprepared to face a new kind of tragedy.

When Tohr begins to see his beloved in his dreams—trapped in a cold, isolated netherworld far from the peace and tranquillity of the Fade—he turns to the angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. But because Lassiter tells him he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed....

Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past and a very hot, passion-filled future…but can his heart let go and set all of them free?]]> 572 J.R. Ward 0451235843 Lora 5 g-pr
was disappointing for me on several levels. But I knew that, if Ward did it right, Tohrment's book had the potential to be the best installment to the series in a long time. I've wanted him to find peace and healing ever since that fateful scene at the end of , but I knew it would take time. And now that his time has finally come, I'm pleased to say that Ward doesn't disappoint.

Tohrment & No'One:
I know a lot of people aren't happy that Tohrment doesn't get Wellsie back. I'm not happy about it, either. But save for getting Wellsie back, I believe Tohr was dealt the best hand possible in Lover Reborn.
Let me be frank: I had very little faith that Ward could pull a romance like this off. Seriously, Tohrment and Wellsie? Probably one of the most romantic couples I've ever come across in the PNR/UF genre. Their back story, the glimpses we see of their relationship in the first three books . . . how can you possibly follow an act like that?
Some of the sentences in this are like an assault to the solar plexus. There were scenes where I felt like I was chopping onions. Suffice it to say I cried a lot while reading Tohr's story. Man, Tohrment . . . he just . . . tears me apart. Truly.

As Tohr says himself, No'One could never replace Wellsie; but the emotional � and physical � connection between Tohr and No'One is undeniable. Tohr and No'One have a lot in common (each has been through a tremendous ordeal in their lifetime), they've meant in the past and spent an entire year in each other's company, and No'One is incredibly understanding and supportive of Tohr and his situation. I don't think any other female could've brought him back from the brink the way No'One did.
I didn't expect to like No'One as much as I did � I've never really liked the Chosen women, and although No'One isn't a Chosen, she's very similar to them. But she is humble, kind, and, underneath the shield she's erected to protect herself, passionate. Ward has surprised me before, and she definitely did in the case of No'One's character.

The best part about the romance in this is how slow it builds. One year passes from beginning to end of this installment, and Tohr doesn't give himself over to the possibility of loving another easily. It isn't until near the end that he truly opens his heart to No'One. [spoilers removed]

Lassiter:
Can somebody get me a bib? Seriously, you can have all of the Brothers (except Z, of course; I got dibs on him a long time ago), just give me Lassiter! God, he just gets more interesting � and sexy � with each book. And when his own book is finally released, I'll be one of the first ones at the bookstore ready to trample over the other shoppers to get my copy.
And something tells me his book is going to be very similar to Tohr's and maybe even equally sad. If you're observant and you've read Hello, Old Friend and Book Order in the Brothers on the Board section of the insider's guide, then you know that Lassiter had a woman he loved who is now either missing or dead. There is also some hinting of that in this book. I don't know if Ward will have him get her back, or have him end up with someone else. Since Ward seems to enjoy torturing her fans, it'll probably be the latter.


John & Xhex:
Just as there was a lot of Vishous in Payne's book (for obvious reasons), there is a lot of John and, naturally, Xhex in Tohr's book. Their relationship gets tested and, similarly to Vishous and Jane in , they go through a real rough patch. One of the things I like most about Ward's couples is that, when their book is over, their story isn't. There'll always be new trials and new developments in her characters' lives.
There are some really emotional � and erotic (seriously, they get twice as many sex scenes as the main couple) � scenes with John and Xhex in this. Fans of theirs should be very happy.
And for John and Xhex, I'm sure the trials aren't over. When Murhder finally gets into the series full-time, I'm sure he'll shake things up quite a bit for them, as he is Xhex's former lover. Can you say cohntehst?

Qhuinn & Blay a.k.a. Qhuay (& Saxton and Layla, or as I like to think of them, The Third & Fourth Wheels): There isn't much Qhuinn and Blay in this. :( Neither of them get much page time, because John and Xhex and the Bastards hog it all take up the majority of the side story's time. Still, there are some good scenes with them � both together and individually --- and they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder. (Although I don't see how I could get any more fond of those two . . .) On the plus side, there aren't any lesser POVs!
Given the way chapter seventy-six ends . . . Qhuay's story must be soon. Very soon. Whether it will be a novella or a full installment remains to be seen. All I can say is, if it turns out to be the former, it sure as hell better be tome-ish, anyway. [spoilers removed]
Oh, Saxton . . . Ward has hinted as to what will become of him in a future installment, and I'm pretty sure I know what it is and that all of his fans (including myself) will not like it. Especially since in Lover Reborn it becomes pretty clear that Saxton has fallen for Blay.
As for Layla . . . well, I won't give it away, but it is now very clear who Layla's HEA is. And despite the fact that I've never been a big fan of Layla . . . I'm very much looking forward to her story. (This is really because of the male she ends up with. He is all kinds of hot.) [spoilers removed]

Band of Bastards:
I predicted in my review of that the B.o.B. (Band of Bastards) would most likely end up becoming good and each member would get their own book. Now . . . I still say that will happen, but I think it's going to take a while. I think it would be a good idea, because without them Ward doesn't have very many possibilities for future books. I think if it were ever to go in that direction, it would be a long time from now and a lot would have to happen in order for any of them to be ready for their own book. Ward actually talks about the B.o.B. in a YouTube video (specifically Xcor), which you can watch . (Turn up the volume if you wanna hear what she says) [spoilers removed]



Favorite Quotes:

"The quick and the dead are all the same. Everyone's just looking for home."

"She wished for Qhuinn this soldier. She truly did."

"Then again, he supposed the healing process, in contrast to trauma, was gentle and slow . . .
The soft closing of a door, rather than a slam."

"Our future has come."

In short, I enjoyed this installment very much and I'm happy that Tohr is finally happy.

Note: After I wrote my review, Ward announced who the next book will be about. If you want to know, click the spoiler.

[spoilers removed]


My reviews of other titles in this series:

]]> 4.32 2012 Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #10)
author: J.R. Ward
name: Lora
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2012/03/29
date added: 2014/01/03
shelves: g-pr
review:
Verily, Ward, you hath redeemed thyself in mine eyes.

was disappointing for me on several levels. But I knew that, if Ward did it right, Tohrment's book had the potential to be the best installment to the series in a long time. I've wanted him to find peace and healing ever since that fateful scene at the end of , but I knew it would take time. And now that his time has finally come, I'm pleased to say that Ward doesn't disappoint.

Tohrment & No'One:
I know a lot of people aren't happy that Tohrment doesn't get Wellsie back. I'm not happy about it, either. But save for getting Wellsie back, I believe Tohr was dealt the best hand possible in Lover Reborn.
Let me be frank: I had very little faith that Ward could pull a romance like this off. Seriously, Tohrment and Wellsie? Probably one of the most romantic couples I've ever come across in the PNR/UF genre. Their back story, the glimpses we see of their relationship in the first three books . . . how can you possibly follow an act like that?
Some of the sentences in this are like an assault to the solar plexus. There were scenes where I felt like I was chopping onions. Suffice it to say I cried a lot while reading Tohr's story. Man, Tohrment . . . he just . . . tears me apart. Truly.

As Tohr says himself, No'One could never replace Wellsie; but the emotional � and physical � connection between Tohr and No'One is undeniable. Tohr and No'One have a lot in common (each has been through a tremendous ordeal in their lifetime), they've meant in the past and spent an entire year in each other's company, and No'One is incredibly understanding and supportive of Tohr and his situation. I don't think any other female could've brought him back from the brink the way No'One did.
I didn't expect to like No'One as much as I did � I've never really liked the Chosen women, and although No'One isn't a Chosen, she's very similar to them. But she is humble, kind, and, underneath the shield she's erected to protect herself, passionate. Ward has surprised me before, and she definitely did in the case of No'One's character.

The best part about the romance in this is how slow it builds. One year passes from beginning to end of this installment, and Tohr doesn't give himself over to the possibility of loving another easily. It isn't until near the end that he truly opens his heart to No'One. [spoilers removed]

Lassiter:
Can somebody get me a bib? Seriously, you can have all of the Brothers (except Z, of course; I got dibs on him a long time ago), just give me Lassiter! God, he just gets more interesting � and sexy � with each book. And when his own book is finally released, I'll be one of the first ones at the bookstore ready to trample over the other shoppers to get my copy.
And something tells me his book is going to be very similar to Tohr's and maybe even equally sad. If you're observant and you've read Hello, Old Friend and Book Order in the Brothers on the Board section of the insider's guide, then you know that Lassiter had a woman he loved who is now either missing or dead. There is also some hinting of that in this book. I don't know if Ward will have him get her back, or have him end up with someone else. Since Ward seems to enjoy torturing her fans, it'll probably be the latter.


John & Xhex:
Just as there was a lot of Vishous in Payne's book (for obvious reasons), there is a lot of John and, naturally, Xhex in Tohr's book. Their relationship gets tested and, similarly to Vishous and Jane in , they go through a real rough patch. One of the things I like most about Ward's couples is that, when their book is over, their story isn't. There'll always be new trials and new developments in her characters' lives.
There are some really emotional � and erotic (seriously, they get twice as many sex scenes as the main couple) � scenes with John and Xhex in this. Fans of theirs should be very happy.
And for John and Xhex, I'm sure the trials aren't over. When Murhder finally gets into the series full-time, I'm sure he'll shake things up quite a bit for them, as he is Xhex's former lover. Can you say cohntehst?

Qhuinn & Blay a.k.a. Qhuay (& Saxton and Layla, or as I like to think of them, The Third & Fourth Wheels): There isn't much Qhuinn and Blay in this. :( Neither of them get much page time, because John and Xhex and the Bastards hog it all take up the majority of the side story's time. Still, there are some good scenes with them � both together and individually --- and they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder. (Although I don't see how I could get any more fond of those two . . .) On the plus side, there aren't any lesser POVs!
Given the way chapter seventy-six ends . . . Qhuay's story must be soon. Very soon. Whether it will be a novella or a full installment remains to be seen. All I can say is, if it turns out to be the former, it sure as hell better be tome-ish, anyway. [spoilers removed]
Oh, Saxton . . . Ward has hinted as to what will become of him in a future installment, and I'm pretty sure I know what it is and that all of his fans (including myself) will not like it. Especially since in Lover Reborn it becomes pretty clear that Saxton has fallen for Blay.
As for Layla . . . well, I won't give it away, but it is now very clear who Layla's HEA is. And despite the fact that I've never been a big fan of Layla . . . I'm very much looking forward to her story. (This is really because of the male she ends up with. He is all kinds of hot.) [spoilers removed]

Band of Bastards:
I predicted in my review of that the B.o.B. (Band of Bastards) would most likely end up becoming good and each member would get their own book. Now . . . I still say that will happen, but I think it's going to take a while. I think it would be a good idea, because without them Ward doesn't have very many possibilities for future books. I think if it were ever to go in that direction, it would be a long time from now and a lot would have to happen in order for any of them to be ready for their own book. Ward actually talks about the B.o.B. in a YouTube video (specifically Xcor), which you can watch . (Turn up the volume if you wanna hear what she says) [spoilers removed]



Favorite Quotes:

"The quick and the dead are all the same. Everyone's just looking for home."

"She wished for Qhuinn this soldier. She truly did."

"Then again, he supposed the healing process, in contrast to trauma, was gentle and slow . . .
The soft closing of a door, rather than a slam."

"Our future has come."

In short, I enjoyed this installment very much and I'm happy that Tohr is finally happy.

Note: After I wrote my review, Ward announced who the next book will be about. If you want to know, click the spoiler.

[spoilers removed]


My reviews of other titles in this series:


]]> <![CDATA[The Adoration of Jenna Fox (The Jenna Fox Chronicles)]]> 3134824 8 Mary E. Pearson 1427204438 Lora 3 lib-audiobooks, sci-fi "The accident was over a year ago. I've been awake for two weeks. Over a year has vanished. I've gone from sixteen to seventeen. A second woman has been elected president. A twelfth planet has been named in the solar system. The last wild polar bear has died. Headline news that couldn't stir me. I slept through it all."

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox can't remember who she is. For the last year and a half she's been in a perpetual state of vegetation, and upon waking she can remember nothing from her former life. The memory of her family, friends, and even simple words like "curious" has vanished. But even as bits and pieces of her memory begin to resurface, with the help of home videos and much encouragement from her parents, Jenna can't keep from feeling like something is wrong; with her, what her parents are telling her, and with this life she's being told is her own.
Set in the not-so-distant future, The Adoration of Jenna Fox will entertain and shock its readers with suspense, romance, and evolutionary science.

This is one of those books that is very hard to discuss without being spoilery, but I will endeavor to do so.

For Jenna Fox, there a lot of things that don't add up. Like how a video of her from seven years ago showing a scar on her chin doesn't compute with the unmarred flesh there now, how her parents keep evading her questions, and how she can't remember anything about the accident that lead to her coma.
And her parents' irrational limitations are suffocating. Even when Jenna starts to get her footing, she's not allowed to leave the house, not allowed to go to school. . . . How is Jenna supposed to get back her life when her parents won't let her? They keep telling her it's for the best, but Jenna knows something off.

I kept trying to guess at what direction Pearson was taking this story, and how science would fit into it all. I didn't even come close. The eventual revelation of why Jenna can't remember her life before the coma and why she feels so misplaced is as shocking as it is intriguing.
The romance element is light, but very effective. It takes back burner to the main plot (as it should IMO), but it plays an essential role in the story. Jenna feels lost and confused, and Ethan helps her feel centered and less afraid.

If you think you don't like science fiction, you should try this book. Sci-fi is not even my third choice when browsing genres at the library, but I can honestly say that this book has awakened a strong interest in the genre for me. And on that note, if you read this review and happen to have any sci-fi recommendations, or you know of any books similar to this, be they YA or adult, please send them my way.

Note: Although my opinion on this book still stands, I have changed my rating for it, because the two sequels to this book aren't to my liking. Originally rated 4 stars, now is 3.5 with a round down of 3.]]> 3.63 2008 The Adoration of Jenna Fox (The Jenna Fox Chronicles)
author: Mary E. Pearson
name: Lora
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2012/04/05
date added: 2014/01/02
shelves: lib-audiobooks, sci-fi
review:
"The accident was over a year ago. I've been awake for two weeks. Over a year has vanished. I've gone from sixteen to seventeen. A second woman has been elected president. A twelfth planet has been named in the solar system. The last wild polar bear has died. Headline news that couldn't stir me. I slept through it all."

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox can't remember who she is. For the last year and a half she's been in a perpetual state of vegetation, and upon waking she can remember nothing from her former life. The memory of her family, friends, and even simple words like "curious" has vanished. But even as bits and pieces of her memory begin to resurface, with the help of home videos and much encouragement from her parents, Jenna can't keep from feeling like something is wrong; with her, what her parents are telling her, and with this life she's being told is her own.
Set in the not-so-distant future, The Adoration of Jenna Fox will entertain and shock its readers with suspense, romance, and evolutionary science.

This is one of those books that is very hard to discuss without being spoilery, but I will endeavor to do so.

For Jenna Fox, there a lot of things that don't add up. Like how a video of her from seven years ago showing a scar on her chin doesn't compute with the unmarred flesh there now, how her parents keep evading her questions, and how she can't remember anything about the accident that lead to her coma.
And her parents' irrational limitations are suffocating. Even when Jenna starts to get her footing, she's not allowed to leave the house, not allowed to go to school. . . . How is Jenna supposed to get back her life when her parents won't let her? They keep telling her it's for the best, but Jenna knows something off.

I kept trying to guess at what direction Pearson was taking this story, and how science would fit into it all. I didn't even come close. The eventual revelation of why Jenna can't remember her life before the coma and why she feels so misplaced is as shocking as it is intriguing.
The romance element is light, but very effective. It takes back burner to the main plot (as it should IMO), but it plays an essential role in the story. Jenna feels lost and confused, and Ethan helps her feel centered and less afraid.

If you think you don't like science fiction, you should try this book. Sci-fi is not even my third choice when browsing genres at the library, but I can honestly say that this book has awakened a strong interest in the genre for me. And on that note, if you read this review and happen to have any sci-fi recommendations, or you know of any books similar to this, be they YA or adult, please send them my way.

Note: Although my opinion on this book still stands, I have changed my rating for it, because the two sequels to this book aren't to my liking. Originally rated 4 stars, now is 3.5 with a round down of 3.
]]> Rebecca 1494702 Time magazine

Since its original publication, Daphne du Maurier’s REBECCA has been a perennial favorite � a classic � throughout the world.

Set at the great Cornwall estate of Manderley, one of the most famous country houses in England, the story has a immediate urgency, a brilliantly created atmosphere of suspense. As the novel opens, Manderley’s glamorous mistress, Rebecca, has been dead for eight months � drowned in a tragic sailing accident. But her legacy lives on, especially in the mind of Maxim de Winter’s young and frightened second wife.

Through her eyes we come to know Rebecca, from the tall and sloping R with which she signed her name, to the way she so meticulously organized the magnificent annual costume ball that was attended by the whole countryside.

Du Maurier’s tale is deeply moving, weaving together the lives of her superbly drawn characters to create an atmosphere that alternates between the doom of impending disaster and the ecstasy of an exquisite love story, and delving deeply into the inner workings of the minds of men and women to create the unforgettable drama.]]> 376 Daphne du Maurier 0385043805 Lora 5 Rebecca is a classic tale that weaves mystery, secrets, and romance into an intricate and stunning twine. It tells the story of a young girl who is swept off her feet by a much older man with money and possessions aplenty � and even more heartache in his recent past.
Since his wife's tragic death eight months ago, Maxim de Winter has been doing everything he can to forget the horrific part of his past that has left him feeling bereft of happiness and aloof from others.
But even with this kind of emotional baggage, the young heroine of the story � who's name is never revealed � still agrees to marry Mr. de Winter because she has already fallen in love with him.
When our heroine moves into Manderley, the estate where Maxim lived not so long ago with his now deceased wife, Rebecca, she soon learns the story behind her new husband's late wife's death. She learns that Rebecca died by an accidental drowning while in a boat that capsized.
As you can image, all of this is very disconcerting to such a young and naĂŻve girl. And when she arrives at Manderley things are so very different from the life she had before: there's all the hustle and bustle of living in a mansion, and then there's Mrs. Danvers who doesn't like her simply because she's not Rebecca.
Du Maurier's Rebecca deals with a lot of themes and raises a lot of questions, one of the most intriguing being, What happens when the woman that is haunting your husband begins haunting you, too?

For me, Rebecca was truly a delight. It is expertly crafted and beautifully written, and, while reading, I had one of those strange feelings you get when you think you're enjoying something too much, that you must be sinning because you simply can't remember the last time you enjoyed yourself so much.

What I'm about to say isn't going to juxtapose well with my earlier comment about this being a "delight," but I shall say it anyway: This book has just a little bit of a depressing atmosphere to it. This is mostly because the main character is often fixated on how she'll never live up to the standards which Rebecca set before her, but it didn't bother me in the least. No, no � in fact, it only made me want to wrap the heroine in a blanket and give a her cup of hot cocoa. Some may deem her weak for not simply standing up and being everything that she can be, but I saw her as worthy of so much and strong even in her cowardice. She starts out working for a nuisance of a woman, then all of a sudden she is married to a man much older than she and with a past for which she is unsure of all the details. I really loved the heroine in this; there were several times where my heart twisted for her character and for the situation she was in.

Do NOT read this spoiler if you've not read this book. It is the type of spoiler that will drastically take away from your enjoyment should you choose to ever read this. [spoilers removed]

The fact of the lead character's name never being revealed is just one of the peculiar things about this story. It is said early on that her name is often spelt incorrectly, making the reader think that it is perhaps a very unique name. My guess as to why this is is that, because the name Rebecca � and the person � is still so very dominant in the lives of the characters and in our heroine's mind, the author chose to leave out her name to add to the sense of inferiority the heroine feels towards Manderley's former mistress. Just a guess.

FAVORITE QUOTE: "I don't want you to bear this alone," I said. "I want to share it with you. I've grown up, Maxim, in twenty-four hours. I'll never be a child again."

Upon closing this review I want to be very clear about something: My enthusiasm and enjoyment of this novel doesn't necessarily mean that you, the reader of this review, will feel the same about this book. Rebecca is very dramatic and people that don't like classics may not find as much enjoyment in it as I have. I'll freely admit that I have a penchant for things/books like this, so I'm guessing that had a lot to do with my loving this so very much. But if you're interested in this in the least, if you think this may be something you'd like, please, give it a try.]]> 4.16 1938 Rebecca
author: Daphne du Maurier
name: Lora
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1938
rating: 5
read at: 2011/07/01
date added: 2014/01/01
shelves: favorites, classics, lib-read, surprised-me, wishlist, 1001-r
review:
Rebecca is a classic tale that weaves mystery, secrets, and romance into an intricate and stunning twine. It tells the story of a young girl who is swept off her feet by a much older man with money and possessions aplenty � and even more heartache in his recent past.
Since his wife's tragic death eight months ago, Maxim de Winter has been doing everything he can to forget the horrific part of his past that has left him feeling bereft of happiness and aloof from others.
But even with this kind of emotional baggage, the young heroine of the story � who's name is never revealed � still agrees to marry Mr. de Winter because she has already fallen in love with him.
When our heroine moves into Manderley, the estate where Maxim lived not so long ago with his now deceased wife, Rebecca, she soon learns the story behind her new husband's late wife's death. She learns that Rebecca died by an accidental drowning while in a boat that capsized.
As you can image, all of this is very disconcerting to such a young and naĂŻve girl. And when she arrives at Manderley things are so very different from the life she had before: there's all the hustle and bustle of living in a mansion, and then there's Mrs. Danvers who doesn't like her simply because she's not Rebecca.
Du Maurier's Rebecca deals with a lot of themes and raises a lot of questions, one of the most intriguing being, What happens when the woman that is haunting your husband begins haunting you, too?

For me, Rebecca was truly a delight. It is expertly crafted and beautifully written, and, while reading, I had one of those strange feelings you get when you think you're enjoying something too much, that you must be sinning because you simply can't remember the last time you enjoyed yourself so much.

What I'm about to say isn't going to juxtapose well with my earlier comment about this being a "delight," but I shall say it anyway: This book has just a little bit of a depressing atmosphere to it. This is mostly because the main character is often fixated on how she'll never live up to the standards which Rebecca set before her, but it didn't bother me in the least. No, no � in fact, it only made me want to wrap the heroine in a blanket and give a her cup of hot cocoa. Some may deem her weak for not simply standing up and being everything that she can be, but I saw her as worthy of so much and strong even in her cowardice. She starts out working for a nuisance of a woman, then all of a sudden she is married to a man much older than she and with a past for which she is unsure of all the details. I really loved the heroine in this; there were several times where my heart twisted for her character and for the situation she was in.

Do NOT read this spoiler if you've not read this book. It is the type of spoiler that will drastically take away from your enjoyment should you choose to ever read this. [spoilers removed]

The fact of the lead character's name never being revealed is just one of the peculiar things about this story. It is said early on that her name is often spelt incorrectly, making the reader think that it is perhaps a very unique name. My guess as to why this is is that, because the name Rebecca � and the person � is still so very dominant in the lives of the characters and in our heroine's mind, the author chose to leave out her name to add to the sense of inferiority the heroine feels towards Manderley's former mistress. Just a guess.

FAVORITE QUOTE: "I don't want you to bear this alone," I said. "I want to share it with you. I've grown up, Maxim, in twenty-four hours. I'll never be a child again."

Upon closing this review I want to be very clear about something: My enthusiasm and enjoyment of this novel doesn't necessarily mean that you, the reader of this review, will feel the same about this book. Rebecca is very dramatic and people that don't like classics may not find as much enjoyment in it as I have. I'll freely admit that I have a penchant for things/books like this, so I'm guessing that had a lot to do with my loving this so very much. But if you're interested in this in the least, if you think this may be something you'd like, please, give it a try.
]]> The Help 4670449 Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step...

In 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, two African-American maids and one white Junior League socialite—seemingly as different from one another as can be, will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes line are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three memorable women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women—mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends—view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

An unabridged production on 15 CDs (approx. 18 hours).]]> 18 Kathryn Stockett 0143144189 Lora 4 lib-audiobooks ". . . I think about all my friends, what they done for me. What they do ever day for the white women they waiting on. That pain in Minny's voice. Treelore dead in the ground. I look down at Baby Girl, who I know, deep down, I can't keep from turning out like her mama. And all of it together roll on top a me. I close my eyes, say the Lord's prayer to myself. But it don't make me feel any better. Law help me but something's gone have to be done."

Note: My opinion on this is very much colored by the fact that I listened to the audio and it is like chocolate for the ears.

The Help is a story told from three woman's perspectives: Aibileen, Minny, and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan. It is the story of their lives, their struggles, and their attempt to right some of the wrongs that are happening all around them; the ones most people choose to ignore and even partake in. It is about the African-American race and the egregiously awful way they were treated by their employers and the authorites back in the early '60s. It is about one young woman's courageous plan to write a book that could change many lives for the better, or possibly destroy them. It is about speaking out when you are told to shut up; standing up for what you believe in; and, most of all, not being afraid to break out of the mold people see fit for you. It is about life: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful.

We all know that The Help is outrageously popular, that it is one of those break-out debuts that are highly acclaimed and usually made into a movie (check, check). With this kind of popularity comes both negative and positive reviews; all of which are very vocal, often more so on the negative side. This along with the fact that the audio is over eighteen hours long and that it is commercial fiction made me just a wee bit hesitant to try it. But I'm glad I did.
The Help made me feel joy, sadness, hatred, and hope � sometimes all at once. It is the sort of story that takes patience and a liberal mind to stick with it to the end, but it is well worth it in my opinion. I feel better for having read this story and, love it or hate it, The Help is a story you'll be hearing about for many years to come. 3.5 stars

P.S. Thanks a lot for the recommendation, Flannery. Sorry it took me so long to get to it.]]> 4.50 2009 The Help
author: Kathryn Stockett
name: Lora
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2012/02/16
date added: 2013/12/31
shelves: lib-audiobooks
review:
". . . I think about all my friends, what they done for me. What they do ever day for the white women they waiting on. That pain in Minny's voice. Treelore dead in the ground. I look down at Baby Girl, who I know, deep down, I can't keep from turning out like her mama. And all of it together roll on top a me. I close my eyes, say the Lord's prayer to myself. But it don't make me feel any better. Law help me but something's gone have to be done."

Note: My opinion on this is very much colored by the fact that I listened to the audio and it is like chocolate for the ears.

The Help is a story told from three woman's perspectives: Aibileen, Minny, and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan. It is the story of their lives, their struggles, and their attempt to right some of the wrongs that are happening all around them; the ones most people choose to ignore and even partake in. It is about the African-American race and the egregiously awful way they were treated by their employers and the authorites back in the early '60s. It is about one young woman's courageous plan to write a book that could change many lives for the better, or possibly destroy them. It is about speaking out when you are told to shut up; standing up for what you believe in; and, most of all, not being afraid to break out of the mold people see fit for you. It is about life: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful.

We all know that The Help is outrageously popular, that it is one of those break-out debuts that are highly acclaimed and usually made into a movie (check, check). With this kind of popularity comes both negative and positive reviews; all of which are very vocal, often more so on the negative side. This along with the fact that the audio is over eighteen hours long and that it is commercial fiction made me just a wee bit hesitant to try it. But I'm glad I did.
The Help made me feel joy, sadness, hatred, and hope � sometimes all at once. It is the sort of story that takes patience and a liberal mind to stick with it to the end, but it is well worth it in my opinion. I feel better for having read this story and, love it or hate it, The Help is a story you'll be hearing about for many years to come. 3.5 stars

P.S. Thanks a lot for the recommendation, Flannery. Sorry it took me so long to get to it.
]]> <![CDATA[Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, #4)]]> 6479550
When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family…]]> 349 Ilona Andrews 0441018521 Lora 5 Magic Bleeds, features a crocodile shapeshifter, a splendid impersonation of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and a battle to end all battles. It is one hell of a ride.

I think one of the best things about this series is that it is appealing to both genders. It has lots of action, which of course men like, but I think I speak for all women when I say that we like action, too. It keeps things interesting and wards off dullness. There's also just the right amount of romance. Not so much that would make guys squeamish, but still enough to keep the ladies satisfied.
And, while I think the first book was slightly lacking in this area, the humor is now on par with my taste as well. Kate seems to have better quips with each installment and never looses her nerve, even with Curran. And the banter and antics between Kate and Curran are sure to entertain most readers.

I have theories on some of the reasons why Kate and Curran are attracted to each other. I think Kate likes Curran because he's one of the few people who could take her in a fight. Imagine if every guy you met you were superior to in fighting skills and he couldn't even win against you in a late-night arm wrestle. I'm sure there are plenty of women who enjoy being the stronger of the two in their relationship, but I don't believe that's the kind of relationship Kate wants. That is just one of the many reasons why Kate and Crest never would have worked out. I think Curran makes Kate feel like a woman for the first time in a long time.
And although he'd probably never admit it, I believe Curran's attracted to Kate because she doesn't take any of his shit. Unlike everyone else in his life, she doesn't bow to him, literally or figuratively. I think, secretly, the Beast Lord wants someone to treat him like a normal man, like he's just another person, even if only in private. At times, Curran and Kate collide like fire and kerosene - but they truly fit together like two matching jigsaw pieces.

And do I smell a potential spin-off series in the oven? Granted, the buzzer won't go off for at least a couple of years, but when it does it'll surely be some good eatin'! Here's my reasoning: In Magic Strikes we find out through a conversation that Kate was nine when Curran was fifteen and made Lord of all Beasts. This, of course, tells us that Curran is six years older than Kate. Well, we know that Julie and Derek are thirteen and nineteen, respectively, as of now. Do you see where I'm going with this? Once Julie gets older, her and Derek could have their own series! Her abilities coupled with the adolescent attraction she currently has for Derek could really make for an interesting future series. . . .

I'll be honest: people with weak stomachs may not be able to stomach some of the talk of entrails and the bloody descriptions in this series. With lots of action comes lots of violence and gore. Normally that sort of thing would bother me, but I've gotten so used to it with this series that I don't even notice anymore. Plus it just seems to fit with this world.

I'm actually feeling a little sad now because I know that once I finish the next installment, Magic Slays, that'll be it until February of 2013 when the next book is released. I've quickly become addicted to this series and I'm reluctant to leave it.

P.S. But, luckily, Andrews won't leave us hanging until then! For the full info, go .

**

My reviews of other titles in this series:

Book #1 -
Book #2 -
Book #3 - ]]> 4.43 2010 Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, #4)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Lora
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2011/08/22
date added: 2013/12/30
shelves: urban-fantasy, lib-read, series-still-follow
review:
While the covers never cease being hideous, each installment in the Kate Daniels series hasn't ceased to entertain me thus far. The fourth installment, Magic Bleeds, features a crocodile shapeshifter, a splendid impersonation of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and a battle to end all battles. It is one hell of a ride.

I think one of the best things about this series is that it is appealing to both genders. It has lots of action, which of course men like, but I think I speak for all women when I say that we like action, too. It keeps things interesting and wards off dullness. There's also just the right amount of romance. Not so much that would make guys squeamish, but still enough to keep the ladies satisfied.
And, while I think the first book was slightly lacking in this area, the humor is now on par with my taste as well. Kate seems to have better quips with each installment and never looses her nerve, even with Curran. And the banter and antics between Kate and Curran are sure to entertain most readers.

I have theories on some of the reasons why Kate and Curran are attracted to each other. I think Kate likes Curran because he's one of the few people who could take her in a fight. Imagine if every guy you met you were superior to in fighting skills and he couldn't even win against you in a late-night arm wrestle. I'm sure there are plenty of women who enjoy being the stronger of the two in their relationship, but I don't believe that's the kind of relationship Kate wants. That is just one of the many reasons why Kate and Crest never would have worked out. I think Curran makes Kate feel like a woman for the first time in a long time.
And although he'd probably never admit it, I believe Curran's attracted to Kate because she doesn't take any of his shit. Unlike everyone else in his life, she doesn't bow to him, literally or figuratively. I think, secretly, the Beast Lord wants someone to treat him like a normal man, like he's just another person, even if only in private. At times, Curran and Kate collide like fire and kerosene - but they truly fit together like two matching jigsaw pieces.

And do I smell a potential spin-off series in the oven? Granted, the buzzer won't go off for at least a couple of years, but when it does it'll surely be some good eatin'! Here's my reasoning: In Magic Strikes we find out through a conversation that Kate was nine when Curran was fifteen and made Lord of all Beasts. This, of course, tells us that Curran is six years older than Kate. Well, we know that Julie and Derek are thirteen and nineteen, respectively, as of now. Do you see where I'm going with this? Once Julie gets older, her and Derek could have their own series! Her abilities coupled with the adolescent attraction she currently has for Derek could really make for an interesting future series. . . .

I'll be honest: people with weak stomachs may not be able to stomach some of the talk of entrails and the bloody descriptions in this series. With lots of action comes lots of violence and gore. Normally that sort of thing would bother me, but I've gotten so used to it with this series that I don't even notice anymore. Plus it just seems to fit with this world.

I'm actually feeling a little sad now because I know that once I finish the next installment, Magic Slays, that'll be it until February of 2013 when the next book is released. I've quickly become addicted to this series and I'm reluctant to leave it.

P.S. But, luckily, Andrews won't leave us hanging until then! For the full info, go .

**

My reviews of other titles in this series:

Book #1 -
Book #2 -
Book #3 -
]]> <![CDATA[Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1)]]> 6068551
Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human� until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.]]> 392 Maggie Stiefvater 0545123267 Lora 5 Shiver and its successor, Linger, in preparation for this trilogy's conclusion, Forever, I honestly got little butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it.
I originally read Shiver back in October of '09, and it hit me like nothing had before � and nothing has matched it since. Shiver mixes some of the sweetest, most realistic and heartwarming characters with a wonderfully chilly and melancholy atmosphere and it is written with stunningly lyrical prose. If every author wrote like Stiefvater, I dare say I'd get nothing else done save for reading.

What is there to say about Grace? I feel like if I call her strong it will seem unoriginal, but that is just what she is; there is really no other way to describe Grace. She holds it together even when Sam is emotionally in shambles. Even when hope seems as far away as ten light-years, she keeps her wits about her. I can't help but love Grace any more than Sam can.

And there really is no other male character quite like Sam Roth; he is one of a kind. No other boy would turn away out of respect when a girl is scantily clad; no other boy would unabashedly sing to the mother of said girl; no other boy would treat a girl with as much respect as Sam shows for Grace.
As I said, Sam is one of a kind. And he's definitely my kind of guy, if you know what I mean. (Oh! how I wish there were boys/men/male specimens like him in real life! But if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. *sigh*)

Moving on . . .

Just as with anything that is popular, not all people will enjoy Shiver. I think some people read the synopsis and expect a werewolf blockbuster � but that isn't what Shiver is; at its core, Shiver is a love story. The meat of the plot is simply Sam and Grace constantly fighting this physical transformation that is hell-bent on keeping them apart and stealing Sam's humanity.
The only complexity in Shiver is the mystery behind what makes the humans turn into wolves - Stiefvater leaves the old-fashioned lore to the dogs and creates her own mythology � I, personally, have never read any "werewolf" story like Stiefvater's, and that's a large portion of why I love this series so much. Rather than



you get



In the old days werewolves were men that were forever ruining their clothes and having to buy new ones � and all because of that blasted full moon. Stiefvater reimagines what makes these bitten but, in truth, innocent humans change form. And, to top that off, they don't get to keep changing. Eventually, they will stay in their wolf forms for the rest of their lives, thereby unwillingly having to give up their human life, loves, and wishes � forever. By writing it this way, Stiefvater has taken what was once a horror story and made it something beautiful and sad. And this reader can't help but love that.

This review would simply be too long if I added all of my favorite quotes (although you can read them all below), but if I had to choose just one it would be this:

FAVORITE QUOTE:
"I fell for her in summer, my lovely summer girl
From summer she is made, my lovely summer girl
I'd love to spend a winter with my lovely summer girl
But I'm never warm enough for my lovely summer girl

It's summer when she smiles, I'm laughing like a child
It's the summer of our lives; we'll contain it for a while
She holds the heat, the breeze of summer in the circle of
her hand
I'd be happy with this summer if it's all we ever had.

Between reading this and watching the other night, my tear ducts are like dried sponges. And since I'll be reading Linger and Forever next, I felt that I should prepare myself; I had this sent to my house yesterday:



Never let it be said that I was unprepared in life.

I hear people say things about their favorites like, I've read this so many times I know all of the lines by heart. But I don't ever want it to be that way for me and this book; it is such a special read that I never want to read it and feel as if I've gotten all I can out of it. I want to start Shiver each time with the sense that it is both new and old to me, but always a favorite.

___________________________________________

My reviews of other titles in this series:

]]> 3.77 2009 Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1)
author: Maggie Stiefvater
name: Lora
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2011/07/07
date added: 2013/12/30
shelves: g-ya-paranorm, favorites, series-still-follow, quality-ya-fic
review:
When I made the decision to reread Shiver and its successor, Linger, in preparation for this trilogy's conclusion, Forever, I honestly got little butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it.
I originally read Shiver back in October of '09, and it hit me like nothing had before � and nothing has matched it since. Shiver mixes some of the sweetest, most realistic and heartwarming characters with a wonderfully chilly and melancholy atmosphere and it is written with stunningly lyrical prose. If every author wrote like Stiefvater, I dare say I'd get nothing else done save for reading.

What is there to say about Grace? I feel like if I call her strong it will seem unoriginal, but that is just what she is; there is really no other way to describe Grace. She holds it together even when Sam is emotionally in shambles. Even when hope seems as far away as ten light-years, she keeps her wits about her. I can't help but love Grace any more than Sam can.

And there really is no other male character quite like Sam Roth; he is one of a kind. No other boy would turn away out of respect when a girl is scantily clad; no other boy would unabashedly sing to the mother of said girl; no other boy would treat a girl with as much respect as Sam shows for Grace.
As I said, Sam is one of a kind. And he's definitely my kind of guy, if you know what I mean. (Oh! how I wish there were boys/men/male specimens like him in real life! But if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride. *sigh*)

Moving on . . .

Just as with anything that is popular, not all people will enjoy Shiver. I think some people read the synopsis and expect a werewolf blockbuster � but that isn't what Shiver is; at its core, Shiver is a love story. The meat of the plot is simply Sam and Grace constantly fighting this physical transformation that is hell-bent on keeping them apart and stealing Sam's humanity.
The only complexity in Shiver is the mystery behind what makes the humans turn into wolves - Stiefvater leaves the old-fashioned lore to the dogs and creates her own mythology � I, personally, have never read any "werewolf" story like Stiefvater's, and that's a large portion of why I love this series so much. Rather than



you get



In the old days werewolves were men that were forever ruining their clothes and having to buy new ones � and all because of that blasted full moon. Stiefvater reimagines what makes these bitten but, in truth, innocent humans change form. And, to top that off, they don't get to keep changing. Eventually, they will stay in their wolf forms for the rest of their lives, thereby unwillingly having to give up their human life, loves, and wishes � forever. By writing it this way, Stiefvater has taken what was once a horror story and made it something beautiful and sad. And this reader can't help but love that.

This review would simply be too long if I added all of my favorite quotes (although you can read them all below), but if I had to choose just one it would be this:

FAVORITE QUOTE:
"I fell for her in summer, my lovely summer girl
From summer she is made, my lovely summer girl
I'd love to spend a winter with my lovely summer girl
But I'm never warm enough for my lovely summer girl

It's summer when she smiles, I'm laughing like a child
It's the summer of our lives; we'll contain it for a while
She holds the heat, the breeze of summer in the circle of
her hand
I'd be happy with this summer if it's all we ever had.

Between reading this and watching the other night, my tear ducts are like dried sponges. And since I'll be reading Linger and Forever next, I felt that I should prepare myself; I had this sent to my house yesterday:



Never let it be said that I was unprepared in life.

I hear people say things about their favorites like, I've read this so many times I know all of the lines by heart. But I don't ever want it to be that way for me and this book; it is such a special read that I never want to read it and feel as if I've gotten all I can out of it. I want to start Shiver each time with the sense that it is both new and old to me, but always a favorite.

___________________________________________

My reviews of other titles in this series:


]]> Hawksong (The Kiesha'ra, #1) 867754
Trust. It is all Zane asks of Danica—and all they ask of their people—but it may be more than she can give.

A School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

A VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror List selection]]> 243 Amelia Atwater-Rhodes 0385730713 Lora 4
Hawksong's premise is simple: Danica Shardae, last living heir to the avian throne, and Zane Cobriana, last living heir to the serpiente throne, must marry despite their deferences --- the former being a hawk shapeshifter and the later being a cobra --- in order to put an end to the age-old war between their species that has dwindled their numbers drastically and caused much heartache among them. It is this little plot that drew me to it years ago and that has brought me back for a second time.

Let me just say this: I, despite having read over 300 books since late 2008 (I wasn't big on reading before then), can count on one hand how many books I've taken the time to read more than once. This isn't because I'm exaggerating when I say I love a book, but because I simply don't see any reason to read something twice unless it spoke to me on a certain level the first time around. Very few have done this, but Hawksong, regardless of the years that have passed since I last turned its pages, stuck in my mind enough to make me want to read it again. And, I can honestly say that it stood the test of time; I think I even enjoyed it more now than when I read it so long ago.

Danica is the kind of heroine I wish YA authors created more these days: she's independent and strong enough to sit by the dying, holding their hand as they draw their last breaths; she's resilient and self-sacrificing, even in a case where she must commit herself to a life-long marriage with someone whom she's been raised from birth to fear, all just to try and make peace and save the lives of her people.
Zane has a hard exterior with a soft heart underneath, and is just as determined to heal the damage caused by the war as Danica is. They go together very well, they just don't realize it until it's almost too late.

When I first read Hawksong, years back, I, for some reason that escapes me now, didn't take the time to continue with the series and follow it up with Snakecharm. Why, I'll never know; but in a way I'm glad I didn't, because now I get to follow these characters into their next chapter, for the first time.]]> 4.19 2003 Hawksong (The Kiesha'ra, #1)
author: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
name: Lora
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2013/01/01
date added: 2013/12/30
shelves: lib-read, fantasy, 2013-reread-challenge
review:
Although Atwater-Rhodes has garnered much-deserved attention from critics and received several awards for her young adult stories, here on GR and on several other book-reviewing websites, her positive feedback has been moderate at best. I believe this is partially because of the age of most of her stories/series: most of them began before the Twilight era swept the world, and thus don't have the swooning heroines and brooding heroes that everyone has become accustomed to in more recent years. (They must feel as if there's something missing!) The relationships are wholesome and intriguing, sexy and provocative, but not overblown like most today.

Hawksong's premise is simple: Danica Shardae, last living heir to the avian throne, and Zane Cobriana, last living heir to the serpiente throne, must marry despite their deferences --- the former being a hawk shapeshifter and the later being a cobra --- in order to put an end to the age-old war between their species that has dwindled their numbers drastically and caused much heartache among them. It is this little plot that drew me to it years ago and that has brought me back for a second time.

Let me just say this: I, despite having read over 300 books since late 2008 (I wasn't big on reading before then), can count on one hand how many books I've taken the time to read more than once. This isn't because I'm exaggerating when I say I love a book, but because I simply don't see any reason to read something twice unless it spoke to me on a certain level the first time around. Very few have done this, but Hawksong, regardless of the years that have passed since I last turned its pages, stuck in my mind enough to make me want to read it again. And, I can honestly say that it stood the test of time; I think I even enjoyed it more now than when I read it so long ago.

Danica is the kind of heroine I wish YA authors created more these days: she's independent and strong enough to sit by the dying, holding their hand as they draw their last breaths; she's resilient and self-sacrificing, even in a case where she must commit herself to a life-long marriage with someone whom she's been raised from birth to fear, all just to try and make peace and save the lives of her people.
Zane has a hard exterior with a soft heart underneath, and is just as determined to heal the damage caused by the war as Danica is. They go together very well, they just don't realize it until it's almost too late.

When I first read Hawksong, years back, I, for some reason that escapes me now, didn't take the time to continue with the series and follow it up with Snakecharm. Why, I'll never know; but in a way I'm glad I didn't, because now I get to follow these characters into their next chapter, for the first time.
]]> Illuminated 10637723 244 Erica Orloff 0142413763 Lora 0 to-read, g-ya-realistic Absolutely love this cover! 3.48 2011 Illuminated
author: Erica Orloff
name: Lora
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/12/29
shelves: to-read, g-ya-realistic
review:
Absolutely love this cover!
]]> The Scorpio Races 10626594
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition � the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.]]> 409 Maggie Stiefvater 054522490X Lora 0
]]> 4.09 2011 The Scorpio Races
author: Maggie Stiefvater
name: Lora
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/12/27
shelves: to-read, g-ya-realistic, lib-to-read
review:
I am seriously excited for this. As excited as this kitten, in fact.


]]> <![CDATA[Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter, #1)]]> 3819326 USA Today bestselling author Nalini Singh introduces a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires�

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she’s the best—but she doesn’t know if she’s good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option…even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…]]> 339 Nalini Singh 0425226921 Lora 1 Angels' Blood is listed as an "urban fantasy with romance" - well, I'm here to tell you that if this is urban fantasy, I'm Donald Trump needlessly living out my writing fantasies by having a GR account as a girl named Lora.
It is ridiculous to call Angels' Blood an urban fantasy. It has all of the classic PR traits: an oversexed, dangerously attractive "hero" whose past issues account for his boorish attitude and make him oh so mysteriously erotic; a cookie-cutter heroine with nothing interesting about her except that every male within a ten mile radius wants to bonk her; a "romance" between said hero and heroine that wouldn't even exist if they both weren't so horny; a paranormal "story" that is seriously overshadowed by myriad scenes of near sex encounters, sexual innuendos and double entendres - and the aforesaid are all just the prelude to The Real Thing.
Any chance that Singh might have had at writing a good, entertaining, well thought out UF series went right out the window when she chose to go the paranormal romance route; at least, IMHO.
I was ˛Ô˛ąĂŻ±ą±đ±ô˛â hoping that this series would be reminiscent of the Fever series: a flawed heroine with a lot to learn but equal amounts of potential; a hero(?) that is mysterious and, yes, rude, but that has good reason for the way he is (albeit unknown to the reader as of yet); and, most of all, a world that is intriguing and maybe (dare I hope?) semioriginal. IMO, you get none of that with Singh's Angels' Blood.

In Singh's Guild Hunter series, the entire world's population is not only aware of angels, they are also ruled by them. Angels are . All government officials - be they mayors or presidents, ambassadors or prime minesters - are just for show, apparantly.
This idea actually sounded appealing to me - except - it is all abandoned for countless scenes of sexual tension and talk of how panties-melting Raphael is.
It also bothered me that it is set in our current world; for some reason I've never been able to like something where the author has created a completely different existence for people in the present. I don't know what you would call this besides an alternate universe, but it seriously irritates me.
Also, there is no explanation for where the angels come from, their origins, who made them - only that they are "all powerful" and have been in existence for eons.

And if you extracted all of the passages dedicated to Raphael's "menacing gaze" and the sentences about how "lethally attractive" (Yes! He's so attractive you'll DIE if you look at him too long! "Help me! I'm dying and swooning at the same time! It's a horrible juxtaposition!") he is, you'd literally end up with half of Angels' Blood. There is that much page time spent on how he looks and the affect he has on Elena.

The thing is, I sincerely tried; I tried to ignore the endless sexual interludes and references to Raphael's scorching masculinity in order to attempt to find an actual plot somewhere in the mess; I tried to give Angels' Blood the benefit of the doubt because I figure that the urban fantasy genre will only become more sex oriented as people (women) continue to purchase this type of "literature."
But, in the end, I have to be honest and say that I'm looking for an actual story with some depth and world building and character development as apposed to just a sh!tload of halfway sex scenes that lead up to The Real Thing.

And, whenever the story does finally start to gain some focus, it's basically just a lot of macabre scenes with people strung up with their entrails taken out.
It was like I kept getting slapped in the face with sex sex sex and then gore gore gore. And there's even a reference to necrophilia!

Bottom line, Angels' Blood just wasn't for me.]]> 4.07 2009 Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter, #1)
author: Nalini Singh
name: Lora
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2009
rating: 1
read at: 2011/06/01
date added: 2013/12/26
shelves: g-pr, series-abandoned, lib-read
review:
You know how if you eat too many sweets you eventually throw up? Well, I think that's where I'm at with the paranormal romance genre. It just isn't for me anymore.
Angels' Blood is listed as an "urban fantasy with romance" - well, I'm here to tell you that if this is urban fantasy, I'm Donald Trump needlessly living out my writing fantasies by having a GR account as a girl named Lora.
It is ridiculous to call Angels' Blood an urban fantasy. It has all of the classic PR traits: an oversexed, dangerously attractive "hero" whose past issues account for his boorish attitude and make him oh so mysteriously erotic; a cookie-cutter heroine with nothing interesting about her except that every male within a ten mile radius wants to bonk her; a "romance" between said hero and heroine that wouldn't even exist if they both weren't so horny; a paranormal "story" that is seriously overshadowed by myriad scenes of near sex encounters, sexual innuendos and double entendres - and the aforesaid are all just the prelude to The Real Thing.
Any chance that Singh might have had at writing a good, entertaining, well thought out UF series went right out the window when she chose to go the paranormal romance route; at least, IMHO.
I was ˛Ô˛ąĂŻ±ą±đ±ô˛â hoping that this series would be reminiscent of the Fever series: a flawed heroine with a lot to learn but equal amounts of potential; a hero(?) that is mysterious and, yes, rude, but that has good reason for the way he is (albeit unknown to the reader as of yet); and, most of all, a world that is intriguing and maybe (dare I hope?) semioriginal. IMO, you get none of that with Singh's Angels' Blood.

In Singh's Guild Hunter series, the entire world's population is not only aware of angels, they are also ruled by them. Angels are . All government officials - be they mayors or presidents, ambassadors or prime minesters - are just for show, apparantly.
This idea actually sounded appealing to me - except - it is all abandoned for countless scenes of sexual tension and talk of how panties-melting Raphael is.
It also bothered me that it is set in our current world; for some reason I've never been able to like something where the author has created a completely different existence for people in the present. I don't know what you would call this besides an alternate universe, but it seriously irritates me.
Also, there is no explanation for where the angels come from, their origins, who made them - only that they are "all powerful" and have been in existence for eons.

And if you extracted all of the passages dedicated to Raphael's "menacing gaze" and the sentences about how "lethally attractive" (Yes! He's so attractive you'll DIE if you look at him too long! "Help me! I'm dying and swooning at the same time! It's a horrible juxtaposition!") he is, you'd literally end up with half of Angels' Blood. There is that much page time spent on how he looks and the affect he has on Elena.

The thing is, I sincerely tried; I tried to ignore the endless sexual interludes and references to Raphael's scorching masculinity in order to attempt to find an actual plot somewhere in the mess; I tried to give Angels' Blood the benefit of the doubt because I figure that the urban fantasy genre will only become more sex oriented as people (women) continue to purchase this type of "literature."
But, in the end, I have to be honest and say that I'm looking for an actual story with some depth and world building and character development as apposed to just a sh!tload of halfway sex scenes that lead up to The Real Thing.

And, whenever the story does finally start to gain some focus, it's basically just a lot of macabre scenes with people strung up with their entrails taken out.
It was like I kept getting slapped in the face with sex sex sex and then gore gore gore. And there's even a reference to necrophilia!

Bottom line, Angels' Blood just wasn't for me.
]]> <![CDATA[Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1)]]> 6381205 Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations.

First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire--and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?]]> 357 Gail Carriger 0316056634 Lora 2 did-not-finish least three stars, and here I am not even being able to finish it. Still, I don't hate this book, so before giving my reasons for not liking it, I will be fair and go over what I did like.

Our heroine, Miss Alexia Tarabotti, hasn't had an easy life. Besides being put on the shelf at the age of fifteen by her mother, she's had to deal with unjust criticism. While the people of today spend countless dollars on cancer-causing tanning beds and spray on tan in a cans that make them look like a walking Orange Julius, in Alexia's day and age it is simply not the fashion to have a little darker skin. Nope, alabaster is where it's at! So as you can imagine, the vampires fit in quite nicely. But not our poor Miss Tarabotti! She has been shamed and ridiculed for even having lightly tanned skin practically since she popped out of her mother's womb. And what about that dreadfully large nose Miss Tarabotti sports? Well, we can't have that, now can we? No, no, no! We'll have to take the hedge trimmers to that thing! Pfft.
As I'm sure a lot of people have, I've been on the receiving end of this kind of backwards thinking that Alexia's received from her family and peers, and it doesn't feel good. So I can sympathize with Alexia. She holds her head � and her nose � high, and lets it roll off her beautifully clad shoulders. I admire that. And . . . I'm afraid that's where my interest ended.

I have read of the neck nibbling (or gnawing, as the case may be) that ensues later on, and, for obvious reasons, I sincerely tried to make it to that part. But I guess even some good smut couldn't make me continue. For me, the writing made this nearly impossible to get into. Somehow it manages to read like fanfiction while still confusing me. I had to reread several passages in order to get even a semblance of what was happening in some scenes.

Besides these reasons, I couldn't get into the world Carriger created and, other than Miss Tarabotti, none of the characters (no, not even Lord Maccon) appealed to me. I realize this could've changed had I given it more time, but as of now I don't have the interest to do so. I believe that 50 - 100 pages is enough to tell if a book is for you or not, and I gave it 80.

To all fans of this series, especially those that are my friends, I'm sorry. I tried. :(]]> 3.90 2009 Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1)
author: Gail Carriger
name: Lora
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2009
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2013/12/18
shelves: did-not-finish
review:
*sigh* Boy, am I in the minority here! Every friend of mine has given this at least three stars, and here I am not even being able to finish it. Still, I don't hate this book, so before giving my reasons for not liking it, I will be fair and go over what I did like.

Our heroine, Miss Alexia Tarabotti, hasn't had an easy life. Besides being put on the shelf at the age of fifteen by her mother, she's had to deal with unjust criticism. While the people of today spend countless dollars on cancer-causing tanning beds and spray on tan in a cans that make them look like a walking Orange Julius, in Alexia's day and age it is simply not the fashion to have a little darker skin. Nope, alabaster is where it's at! So as you can imagine, the vampires fit in quite nicely. But not our poor Miss Tarabotti! She has been shamed and ridiculed for even having lightly tanned skin practically since she popped out of her mother's womb. And what about that dreadfully large nose Miss Tarabotti sports? Well, we can't have that, now can we? No, no, no! We'll have to take the hedge trimmers to that thing! Pfft.
As I'm sure a lot of people have, I've been on the receiving end of this kind of backwards thinking that Alexia's received from her family and peers, and it doesn't feel good. So I can sympathize with Alexia. She holds her head � and her nose � high, and lets it roll off her beautifully clad shoulders. I admire that. And . . . I'm afraid that's where my interest ended.

I have read of the neck nibbling (or gnawing, as the case may be) that ensues later on, and, for obvious reasons, I sincerely tried to make it to that part. But I guess even some good smut couldn't make me continue. For me, the writing made this nearly impossible to get into. Somehow it manages to read like fanfiction while still confusing me. I had to reread several passages in order to get even a semblance of what was happening in some scenes.

Besides these reasons, I couldn't get into the world Carriger created and, other than Miss Tarabotti, none of the characters (no, not even Lord Maccon) appealed to me. I realize this could've changed had I given it more time, but as of now I don't have the interest to do so. I believe that 50 - 100 pages is enough to tell if a book is for you or not, and I gave it 80.

To all fans of this series, especially those that are my friends, I'm sorry. I tried. :(
]]> Endlessly (Paranormalcy, #3) 9064899 Paranormalcy trilogy comes to a breathless conclusion with a signature mix of wit, romance, paranormal creatures, and a truly original heroine.

In Endlessly, pink-loving, butt-kicking Evie has way too much on her to-do list. Paranormals are begging her to open a faerie gate so they can leave the human world, something Evie’s not sure she has the power to do. The Dark Queen is torturing humans and must be destroyed.

On top of all that, Evie’s prom is coming up. She’s not sure what to wear, and, oh, yeah, her shape-shifting boyfriend, Lend, has been cursed so that he falls into an enchanted sleep whenever he and Evie are in the same room…and even Evie’s ex-boyfriend, the faerie Reth, can’t reverse the dark magic.

An epic battle is looming, and the choices Evie makes will determine the fate of whole paranormal world—and her own life.]]> 385 Kiersten White 0061985880 Lora 0 to-read, g-ya-paranorm


The colors and that dress . . .

]]> 3.97 2012 Endlessly (Paranormalcy, #3)
author: Kiersten White
name: Lora
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/12/17
shelves: to-read, g-ya-paranorm
review:
*gasp* Could this cover be more gorgeous?



The colors and that dress . . .


]]> <![CDATA[Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy, #1)]]> 7719245
She’s also about to find out that she may be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.]]> 335 Kiersten White 0061985848 Lora 3 g-ya-paranorm She may have had a couple of blonde moments towards the end (no offense to blondes, of course - my mother is actually blonde) but I still think she was fierce, fun, refreshing, and insecure in a way that I found quite endearing. I alternated between wanting to grab her and hug her and wanting to go shopping with her. She just has that aura about her. And when the time came for her to make the right decision, she made it. Plain and simple. There was no messing everything up so that the stage is set for the next book to have a bunch of obstacles to move and things to fix that could have easily been avoided if the heroine had only made the right decision. To be blunt, she wasn't stupid (like some heroines I won't mention here *cough*Ever*cough*).
[spoilers removed]

Lend was completely different from what I was expecting. Kind, sweet, yet protective when the situation called for it. He was the perfect yang to Evie's yin.
And the paranormal aspect with him seemed more unique than most out there right now; I liked that.

I've never been a big fan of faeries when they're the kind that manipulate and take you away from where you're clearly supposed to be. So I think it's safe to say that I didn't really like Reth. But, in this case, I'm not quite sure you're supposed to. It seems to me that the author wants us to know he's not really a second choice for Evie—unless he changes drastically in the next installment—so much as an obstacle for Evie to overcome. So, as far as love triangles go, I'd say this novel doesn't really have one (YES! That's a good thing, IMO). And here's to hoping that doesn't change in the next installment.

Now, I think the only thing I haven't mentioned is the writing. I think that some may read this novel and feel that it's maybe too cutesy or fluffy; however, for me, it was just a nice change of pace from all of the angsty YA romances that seem to be so popular.

So, Paranormalcy is a good debut and I look forward to seeing where this story goes in the sequel, Supernaturally.]]> 3.89 2010 Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy, #1)
author: Kiersten White
name: Lora
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2010/12/30
date added: 2013/12/17
shelves: g-ya-paranorm
review:
First off, I really liked Evie. She reminded me of Mac (from the Fever series) a little, and that can't be a bad thing. I'm usually very fastidious when it comes to finding heroines that I like, but Evie was actually really nice.
She may have had a couple of blonde moments towards the end (no offense to blondes, of course - my mother is actually blonde) but I still think she was fierce, fun, refreshing, and insecure in a way that I found quite endearing. I alternated between wanting to grab her and hug her and wanting to go shopping with her. She just has that aura about her. And when the time came for her to make the right decision, she made it. Plain and simple. There was no messing everything up so that the stage is set for the next book to have a bunch of obstacles to move and things to fix that could have easily been avoided if the heroine had only made the right decision. To be blunt, she wasn't stupid (like some heroines I won't mention here *cough*Ever*cough*).
[spoilers removed]

Lend was completely different from what I was expecting. Kind, sweet, yet protective when the situation called for it. He was the perfect yang to Evie's yin.
And the paranormal aspect with him seemed more unique than most out there right now; I liked that.

I've never been a big fan of faeries when they're the kind that manipulate and take you away from where you're clearly supposed to be. So I think it's safe to say that I didn't really like Reth. But, in this case, I'm not quite sure you're supposed to. It seems to me that the author wants us to know he's not really a second choice for Evie—unless he changes drastically in the next installment—so much as an obstacle for Evie to overcome. So, as far as love triangles go, I'd say this novel doesn't really have one (YES! That's a good thing, IMO). And here's to hoping that doesn't change in the next installment.

Now, I think the only thing I haven't mentioned is the writing. I think that some may read this novel and feel that it's maybe too cutesy or fluffy; however, for me, it was just a nice change of pace from all of the angsty YA romances that seem to be so popular.

So, Paranormalcy is a good debut and I look forward to seeing where this story goes in the sequel, Supernaturally.
]]> Seriously... I'm Kidding 11276785 With the winning, upbeat candor that has made her show on of the most popular and honored daytime shows on the air, beloved talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres shares her views on life, love, and American Idol.

"I've experienced a whole lot the last few years and I have a lot to share. So I hope that you'll take a moment to sit back, relax and enjoy the words I've put together for you in this book. I think you'll find I've left no stone unturned, no door unopened, no window unbroken, no rug unvacuumed, no ivories untickled. What I'm saying is, let us begin, shall we?"

Seriously... I'm Kidding is a lively, hilarious, and often sweetly poignant look at the life of the much-loved entertainer as she opens up about her personal life, her talk show, and more.

Praise for Seriously... I'm Kidding:
"DeGeneres's amiably oddball riffs on everything from kale to catwalks to Jesus will make fans smile." - People
"Whatever the topic, DeGeneres's compulsively readable style will appeal to fans old and new." - Publishers Weekly
"Fans will not be disappointed...DeGeneres's trademark wit and openness shine through and through." - Kirkus]]> 4 Ellen DeGeneres 1609410416 Lora 3 Note: This is a review of the audio edition.

I love Ellen Degeneres. Seriously, I'm not kidding. I know what you're thinking: you can't truly love someone whom you've never met and probably never will. But I truly love her in the way you love someone � or something � that you know with your whole heart is making the world a better place to live. And I am positive of this fact when it comes to this woman.
After a hard day, her humor and generosity and overall love for people and life are a balm on the world's aches. This woman makes each day better for countless people just by being herself. Did you know that scientists have proven that laughter can increase your lifespan and even help you feel and look better?
This isn't to mention all of the people she's helped through her show. Cars, houses, miscellaneous gifts, money � all given to people who're probably much better off after having received these various gifts.

My library has shelved this book in the biography section, but in case there is any one wondering, let me be clear: This is not an autobio.
And although I laughed many, many times while listening to Ellen's words read in her own narration, I have to admit that a good deal of this book is, truly, just a bunch of babble.

At times, Ellen manages to mix philosophy and deep thoughts with spontaneous humor expertly:

There are very few things that wow us anymore. A child will see something as simple as a garage door opening and it's literally all they will talk about for weeks. As an adult, we will see a human person ride a bike, catapult over eighteen cars that are on fire, land on a skateboard, slid down a ramp, and end up in the backseat of a taxi, and be like,"Yeah, that was all right. But did you see the guy who pogo sticked over thirty-eight grandmothers?" I'm not saying we need to live like babies in every way. I mean, sure, it would be great to get carried around in a papoose. Who wouldn't want that? But I am glad I'm potty trained and I'm not always trying to eat my feet like babies do. I just wish we could hold on to that sense of wonder because sometimes we don't notice some of the most incredible things in the world. We walk by beautiful flowers and trees every day without looking at them. We rush through our day without even saying hi to most of the people we see. We take a lot for granted, and I think that's why some people say it's better to live each day as our last. That way we might start appreciating more things around us. Either that or we would immediately quit our jobs to go live in a yurt.

. . . and I love that. But � there were times when it leaned a bit too much on the babble side and I was thankful for having picked up the audio; if I hadn't, this book probably would've ended up unfinished.

In a summary, I enjoyed Seriously . . . I'm kidding. I didn't love it like I do the lady who wrote it, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.]]> 3.30 2011 Seriously... I'm Kidding
author: Ellen DeGeneres
name: Lora
average rating: 3.30
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2012/03/01
date added: 2013/12/17
shelves: lib-audiobooks, nonfiction, lib-read
review:
Note: This is a review of the audio edition.

I love Ellen Degeneres. Seriously, I'm not kidding. I know what you're thinking: you can't truly love someone whom you've never met and probably never will. But I truly love her in the way you love someone � or something � that you know with your whole heart is making the world a better place to live. And I am positive of this fact when it comes to this woman.
After a hard day, her humor and generosity and overall love for people and life are a balm on the world's aches. This woman makes each day better for countless people just by being herself. Did you know that scientists have proven that laughter can increase your lifespan and even help you feel and look better?
This isn't to mention all of the people she's helped through her show. Cars, houses, miscellaneous gifts, money � all given to people who're probably much better off after having received these various gifts.

My library has shelved this book in the biography section, but in case there is any one wondering, let me be clear: This is not an autobio.
And although I laughed many, many times while listening to Ellen's words read in her own narration, I have to admit that a good deal of this book is, truly, just a bunch of babble.

At times, Ellen manages to mix philosophy and deep thoughts with spontaneous humor expertly:

There are very few things that wow us anymore. A child will see something as simple as a garage door opening and it's literally all they will talk about for weeks. As an adult, we will see a human person ride a bike, catapult over eighteen cars that are on fire, land on a skateboard, slid down a ramp, and end up in the backseat of a taxi, and be like,"Yeah, that was all right. But did you see the guy who pogo sticked over thirty-eight grandmothers?" I'm not saying we need to live like babies in every way. I mean, sure, it would be great to get carried around in a papoose. Who wouldn't want that? But I am glad I'm potty trained and I'm not always trying to eat my feet like babies do. I just wish we could hold on to that sense of wonder because sometimes we don't notice some of the most incredible things in the world. We walk by beautiful flowers and trees every day without looking at them. We rush through our day without even saying hi to most of the people we see. We take a lot for granted, and I think that's why some people say it's better to live each day as our last. That way we might start appreciating more things around us. Either that or we would immediately quit our jobs to go live in a yurt.

. . . and I love that. But � there were times when it leaned a bit too much on the babble side and I was thankful for having picked up the audio; if I hadn't, this book probably would've ended up unfinished.

In a summary, I enjoyed Seriously . . . I'm kidding. I didn't love it like I do the lady who wrote it, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
]]> Second Chance Summer 11071466
Taylor hasn't been to the summerhouse since she was twelve, and she definitely never planned on going back. Up at the lake she is confronted with people she thought she had left behind, like her former best friend Lucy, and Henry Crosby, her first crush, who's all grown up...and a lot cuter. Suddenly Taylor is surrounded by memories she'd rather leave in the past—but she can't run away this time.

As the days lying on the beach pass into nights gazing at the stars, Taylor realizes she has a second chance—with friends, with family, maybe even with love. But she knows that once the summer ends, there is no way to recapture what she stands to lose. From Morgan Matson, the PW Flying Start author of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, this is a remarkable new novel about hope in the face of heartbreaking grief.]]> 468 Morgan Matson 1416990674 Lora 0 lib-to-read, maybe

I couldn't be any more happy right now if I were that dog. It has a synopsis and a title and a release date! Now all we need is a cover.]]> 4.11 2012 Second Chance Summer
author: Morgan Matson
name: Lora
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/12/16
shelves: lib-to-read, maybe
review:
happy dog

I couldn't be any more happy right now if I were that dog. It has a synopsis and a title and a release date! Now all we need is a cover.
]]> Everybody Sees the Ants 9711714
But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the daily mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?]]> 279 A.S. King 0316129283 Lora 5 so glad I decided to give King another try despite my mixed feelings over her Printz Honor, Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Everybody Sees the Ants is an astonishingly wonderful gift to young-adult literature, one that I feel extremely fortunate to have read.

Since the age of seven, Lucky Linderman has been having dreams in which he visits his grandfather in the prison camp where he's resided since being listed as MIA in the Vietnam War back in 1972. When his grandmother died, she asked Lucky to get her husband back, and the dreams started that very night. Coincidentally, this was also the same day Lucky began being bullied by Nader McMillan. So are these dreams really a way to get his grandfather back and hopefully heal the wound Lucky's father's always had from having never met his own father, or are they just a way to escape the harsh reality that is Lucky's life?
Another escape comes in the form of a summer vacation with his mother in Tempe, Arizona. There, Lucky bonds with his Uncle Dave, dodges an unnecessary intervention orchestrated by his pill-popping Aunt Jodi, and meets a beautiful older girl who shows him another side of life. Everybody Sees the Ants is a masterpiece that should not be overlooked by anyone who enjoy its genre.

If every story I read and its characters were as original and appealing as Everybody Sees the Ants and its characters are, I dare I say I'd get nothing done save for reading. Although all of the characters are unique and serve their purpose to make the story what it is � an amazing, inspiring example of human life and its struggles � one character in particular stood out.
I've not fallen nor cared for a character as much as Lucky in a long, long time. With each sentence, word, action � he stole my heart and made me root for him more and more with the turn of each page. He is a young, bullied kid who's not even had his first kiss yet. He's a boy with an impossible mission to save his grandfather. He's a little insecure, a proud mama's boy, and an awesome cook. He's an incredible character and all I wanted was to give him a big hug and smooch on the noggin, if such a thing were possible. I dare you not to fall for Lucky Linderman.

Upon finishing this little gem, I felt an overwhelming since of gratification and elation. It's hard to find a book that makes you feel like turning back to the first page and starting all over again, but I felt just that when I reached the end of Everybody Sees the Ants. I didn't feel ready to leave these characters, their story and lives.
Although I wasn't completely sold after reading Please Ignore Vera Dietz, I could tell that King was capable of greatness and she proved my instinct right when she wrote this story. This just shows that you shouldn't judge an author by the first book of theirs you read.

This is a book I'll cherish and reread many times in future, always enjoying it more each time. Highly, highly recommended. 4.5 stars]]> 3.99 2011 Everybody Sees the Ants
author: A.S. King
name: Lora
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2012/01/31
date added: 2013/12/16
shelves: g-ya-realistic, favorites, lib-read, surprised-me, quality-ya-fic
review:
I'm so, so glad I decided to give King another try despite my mixed feelings over her Printz Honor, Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Everybody Sees the Ants is an astonishingly wonderful gift to young-adult literature, one that I feel extremely fortunate to have read.

Since the age of seven, Lucky Linderman has been having dreams in which he visits his grandfather in the prison camp where he's resided since being listed as MIA in the Vietnam War back in 1972. When his grandmother died, she asked Lucky to get her husband back, and the dreams started that very night. Coincidentally, this was also the same day Lucky began being bullied by Nader McMillan. So are these dreams really a way to get his grandfather back and hopefully heal the wound Lucky's father's always had from having never met his own father, or are they just a way to escape the harsh reality that is Lucky's life?
Another escape comes in the form of a summer vacation with his mother in Tempe, Arizona. There, Lucky bonds with his Uncle Dave, dodges an unnecessary intervention orchestrated by his pill-popping Aunt Jodi, and meets a beautiful older girl who shows him another side of life. Everybody Sees the Ants is a masterpiece that should not be overlooked by anyone who enjoy its genre.

If every story I read and its characters were as original and appealing as Everybody Sees the Ants and its characters are, I dare I say I'd get nothing done save for reading. Although all of the characters are unique and serve their purpose to make the story what it is � an amazing, inspiring example of human life and its struggles � one character in particular stood out.
I've not fallen nor cared for a character as much as Lucky in a long, long time. With each sentence, word, action � he stole my heart and made me root for him more and more with the turn of each page. He is a young, bullied kid who's not even had his first kiss yet. He's a boy with an impossible mission to save his grandfather. He's a little insecure, a proud mama's boy, and an awesome cook. He's an incredible character and all I wanted was to give him a big hug and smooch on the noggin, if such a thing were possible. I dare you not to fall for Lucky Linderman.

Upon finishing this little gem, I felt an overwhelming since of gratification and elation. It's hard to find a book that makes you feel like turning back to the first page and starting all over again, but I felt just that when I reached the end of Everybody Sees the Ants. I didn't feel ready to leave these characters, their story and lives.
Although I wasn't completely sold after reading Please Ignore Vera Dietz, I could tell that King was capable of greatness and she proved my instinct right when she wrote this story. This just shows that you shouldn't judge an author by the first book of theirs you read.

This is a book I'll cherish and reread many times in future, always enjoying it more each time. Highly, highly recommended. 4.5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1)]]> 8788554 This whole grim reaper thing should have come with a manual.
Or a diagram of some kind.
A flow chart would have been nice.

Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can't she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.

]]> 310 Darynda Jones 0312662750 Lora 3 lib-read First Grave on the Right. I flipped through it, thought it sounded interesting but decided to put it back for the moment, since my bag was already giving me a shoulder cramp. Just as I was putting it back on the shelf, I noticed the blurb on the cover: "The best debut novel I've read in years! Hilarious and heartfelt, sexy and surprising. An absolute must-read!" � J.R. Ward
And my first thought was, J.R. Ward? Sold! So, twenty-pound, shoulder-cramping book bag in hand, I headed to the library's check out � and what a great decision that turned out to be.

Our main character, Charley, has been gifted (or cursed, depending on how the onlooker chooses to see it) with the ability to see the dead since birth. But that isn't all she does: Charley is the grim reaper. She helps the dead pass on to the other side.
At a very young age Charley began helping her father, a currently retired police detective, solve murder cases. Today, she continues this line of work as a private investigator, working with Uncle Bob. It's a lot easier to solve a crime when you know who the murderer is or where the body is stashed.
To top this off, Charley's had to deal with an evil stepmother because her biological mother died giving birth to her. As you can image, Charley's life hasn't been an easy one. But she seems to take it all in stride.

Charley is quite the character. She's very sassy and snarky, but underneath that she has a lot of heart. You can't help but like her and wish you had friend with her spirit and attitude.
And what to say about the mysterious and alluring Reyes? I won't spoil the nature of what Reyes truly is, but it is a little bit of a shocker. The book's synopsis kind of makes it sound like Reyes is an incubus . . . but I won't say what he is. Just know that it is fairly original when compared to all of the vampires and werewolves, and that this reader looks forward to delving into his character more in the sequel.

One of the best things about this book is that there is a nice helping of HUMOR. There hasn't been nearly enough humor in my reading regimen lately, but First Grave on the Right has brought back the humor for me and I'm enjoying the stomach pain.

Just check out some of these quotes:

"I awoke at the butt crack of dawn with the call of nature urging me out of bed."

"I went down like a drunken cowgirl trying to line dance to Metallica."

"I once signed up for an anger management class, but the instructor pissed me off."

And there's plenty more where those came from.

This book was just fabulous. And you know what is even more fabulous? The fact that I only have to wait until August 16th to read its sequel, Second Grave on the Left.

People looking for a feel-good, funny, sexy summer read should really enjoy First Grave on the Right.

P.S. I am envious of the cover model's feet. Or foot, as the case may be.]]> 4.02 2011 First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1)
author: Darynda Jones
name: Lora
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2011/07/18
date added: 2013/12/15
shelves: lib-read
review:
. . . So. I was browsing in the New Fiction shelves at my library the other day � you know, just like every bookaholic does � and I came across debut author Darynda Jones' First Grave on the Right. I flipped through it, thought it sounded interesting but decided to put it back for the moment, since my bag was already giving me a shoulder cramp. Just as I was putting it back on the shelf, I noticed the blurb on the cover: "The best debut novel I've read in years! Hilarious and heartfelt, sexy and surprising. An absolute must-read!" � J.R. Ward
And my first thought was, J.R. Ward? Sold! So, twenty-pound, shoulder-cramping book bag in hand, I headed to the library's check out � and what a great decision that turned out to be.

Our main character, Charley, has been gifted (or cursed, depending on how the onlooker chooses to see it) with the ability to see the dead since birth. But that isn't all she does: Charley is the grim reaper. She helps the dead pass on to the other side.
At a very young age Charley began helping her father, a currently retired police detective, solve murder cases. Today, she continues this line of work as a private investigator, working with Uncle Bob. It's a lot easier to solve a crime when you know who the murderer is or where the body is stashed.
To top this off, Charley's had to deal with an evil stepmother because her biological mother died giving birth to her. As you can image, Charley's life hasn't been an easy one. But she seems to take it all in stride.

Charley is quite the character. She's very sassy and snarky, but underneath that she has a lot of heart. You can't help but like her and wish you had friend with her spirit and attitude.
And what to say about the mysterious and alluring Reyes? I won't spoil the nature of what Reyes truly is, but it is a little bit of a shocker. The book's synopsis kind of makes it sound like Reyes is an incubus . . . but I won't say what he is. Just know that it is fairly original when compared to all of the vampires and werewolves, and that this reader looks forward to delving into his character more in the sequel.

One of the best things about this book is that there is a nice helping of HUMOR. There hasn't been nearly enough humor in my reading regimen lately, but First Grave on the Right has brought back the humor for me and I'm enjoying the stomach pain.

Just check out some of these quotes:

"I awoke at the butt crack of dawn with the call of nature urging me out of bed."

"I went down like a drunken cowgirl trying to line dance to Metallica."

"I once signed up for an anger management class, but the instructor pissed me off."

And there's plenty more where those came from.

This book was just fabulous. And you know what is even more fabulous? The fact that I only have to wait until August 16th to read its sequel, Second Grave on the Left.

People looking for a feel-good, funny, sexy summer read should really enjoy First Grave on the Right.

P.S. I am envious of the cover model's feet. Or foot, as the case may be.
]]> <![CDATA[Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss, #2)]]> 9961796 ISBN 9780525423287

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.]]> 338 Stephanie Perkins Lora 0 to-read, lib-to-read
And I love the cover!

Right now, I'm as happy as this dog:

]]> 3.90 2011 Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss, #2)
author: Stephanie Perkins
name: Lora
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/12/15
shelves: to-read, lib-to-read
review:
I'm so freaking excited for this! September can't come fast enough!

And I love the cover!

Right now, I'm as happy as this dog:


]]> The Raging Quiet 1477494
Marnie and Raver learn to communicate through a series of hand gestures, but when a death shakes the village, their special, silent bond causes the two to fall under suspicion of witchcraft.

A compelling, romantic, and revealing story for young readers, Sherryl Jordan's The Raging Quiet is an ideal kids' feature for a month of romance.]]> 266 Sherryl Jordan 0689828772 Lora 5 Emma and Jellicoe Road not so long ago, that I get nervous. This is another of those times.

I've always had a fascination with books and things set in this era. And I won't lie � that had a large influence in me loving this book. This is the kind of book that I can slip into like a warm fleece on a cold winter's night and feel cozy and comforted in. But I think most would agree that there is something special about this diamond in the rough.

The Raging Quiet is a true hidden gem. It snared my attention from the first chapter and surpassed any level of expectations I could've had going in. The characters are so rich and real and believable in their pain and love and loss and joy that I know I shall never forget them. I wept for Marnie, I was grateful for the priest's charity and kindness to two lost souls, and the boy without the blessing of sound stole my heart.

The subject of religion is handled perfectly IMO; it doesn't preach to non-believers, nor does it offend believers. Marnie is religious, but she has her struggles with God because of the terrible things she goes through in such a short time. The priest that helps Marnie and Raven isn't portrayed as a saint, but merely a spiritually faithful man with faults. And there isn't any explicit content, but the author doesn't refrain from dealing with tough subjects, either.

Sadly, this book doesn't seem to be receiving much recognition around these parts. But it is twelve years old and, although to me it is simple yet beautiful and fits the story perfectly, the cover is no longer in vogue; it is not flashy and bedazzled enough to catch the eye of most readers in today's market. It is my hope that I can bring this book at least a small portion of the attention it deserves.]]> 4.29 1999 The Raging Quiet
author: Sherryl Jordan
name: Lora
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2011/08/01
date added: 2013/12/14
shelves: lib-read, g-ya-hist, favorites, want-to-reread, summer-reads, quality-ya-fic
review:
It isn't often that I begin writing a review with trepidation and insecurities, thinking that my thoughts and feelings can't possibly do the book justice. This isn't because I have a great esteem for myself; no, it is because, while a lot of what I read I enjoy, I'm not fooling myself into thinking that the majority of it is what most would consider quality literature. It is with those kinds of books that I figure that whatever I type should suffice. But there are those times, like when I reviewed Emma and Jellicoe Road not so long ago, that I get nervous. This is another of those times.

I've always had a fascination with books and things set in this era. And I won't lie � that had a large influence in me loving this book. This is the kind of book that I can slip into like a warm fleece on a cold winter's night and feel cozy and comforted in. But I think most would agree that there is something special about this diamond in the rough.

The Raging Quiet is a true hidden gem. It snared my attention from the first chapter and surpassed any level of expectations I could've had going in. The characters are so rich and real and believable in their pain and love and loss and joy that I know I shall never forget them. I wept for Marnie, I was grateful for the priest's charity and kindness to two lost souls, and the boy without the blessing of sound stole my heart.

The subject of religion is handled perfectly IMO; it doesn't preach to non-believers, nor does it offend believers. Marnie is religious, but she has her struggles with God because of the terrible things she goes through in such a short time. The priest that helps Marnie and Raven isn't portrayed as a saint, but merely a spiritually faithful man with faults. And there isn't any explicit content, but the author doesn't refrain from dealing with tough subjects, either.

Sadly, this book doesn't seem to be receiving much recognition around these parts. But it is twelve years old and, although to me it is simple yet beautiful and fits the story perfectly, the cover is no longer in vogue; it is not flashy and bedazzled enough to catch the eye of most readers in today's market. It is my hope that I can bring this book at least a small portion of the attention it deserves.
]]> <![CDATA[Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1)]]> 15808652
Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta's magic circles.

The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate's guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she's way out of her league—but she wouldn't have it any other way.

This special edition includes in-depth information about the world of Kate Daniels, with descriptions of its characters and factions. Explore Kate’s Atlanta like never before with answers to FAQ and a quiz to find your place there. And don’t miss the prequel story “A Questionable Client,� as well as scenes of events in Magic Bites from Curran’s point of view.]]> 365 Ilona Andrews 0425264203 Lora 4 Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Well . . . damn. This didn't turn out as I'd planned. While reading this I kept thinking to myself, Just go with three stars, almost everyone else you know has. The series will get better as it goes, just as everyone says, then you can rave and give them four. Although there were plenty things that bothered me about this, there were still more things that I liked. In fact, I would say that this surpassed my expectations.

But let us get the bad stuff out of the way first: I think my biggest problem was the beginning. All of a sudden you're thrust into this world where vampires are more reptilian/alien-esque Spider-Men than the (supposedly) gorgeous immortal gods we're currently used to (which is rather nice, actually), and there's talk of dhaes and I'm like, what the hell are those? I think there should've been some type of guide in the beginning or a prologue where Kate does an introduction of the world you're about to enter. Like a preparation chapter or something.

Even though I was a little leery of her at first, I quickly grew to like Kate. She has one of those personalities that you have to get used to, but once you do she isn't bad. She has spunk and I like how simple she tries to keep her life even in the midst of the chaotic world she lives in. And I think we've only touched the surface when it comes to the magic she can wield.

I kept thinking that when Kate met the Beast Lord a.k.a. Curran, he would have a long mane of golden hair � you know, because he's a lion shapechanger � well, if it had turned out that way, that would've undoubtedly been the end for me. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Curran is described as having blonde hair that is too short to grab. Yahtzee.

The romance in this is very light, which is nice when compared to the I read not long ago. Still, I enjoy a little romance in my reading, so I'm interested to see if anything arises between Kate and Curran one of the men in her life in the next installment.
In Magic Bites Kate has a love interest for a short time but things didn't really seem right between them IMO. But there does seem to be some sexual tension (or is that just plain ol' tension?) between Kate and Curran. We shall see what becomes of that.

Although this has nothing to do with the book itself, it begs to be mentioned: I hate the cover. It looks like an amateur design effort and the girl looks like an unsuccessful* hooker brandishing a sword. Plus her nose looks as big as the cat's and she's wearing too much makeup to be the always-fuctionally-dressed Kate Daniels. Just an observation.

I do see a lot of potential in this series and if the ratings are anything to go by, this series gets better. So I'm quite anxious to begin the reading the sequel, Magic Burns.

*Unsuccessful because there is no man in his right mind who would go near a hooker with a sword. I'm sure you get my meaning.



My reviews of other titles in this series:

Book #2 -
Book #3 -
Book #4 - ]]> 3.85 2007 Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Lora
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2011/08/01
date added: 2013/12/09
shelves: lib-read, urban-fantasy, surprised-me, wishlist
review:
Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Well . . . damn. This didn't turn out as I'd planned. While reading this I kept thinking to myself, Just go with three stars, almost everyone else you know has. The series will get better as it goes, just as everyone says, then you can rave and give them four. Although there were plenty things that bothered me about this, there were still more things that I liked. In fact, I would say that this surpassed my expectations.

But let us get the bad stuff out of the way first: I think my biggest problem was the beginning. All of a sudden you're thrust into this world where vampires are more reptilian/alien-esque Spider-Men than the (supposedly) gorgeous immortal gods we're currently used to (which is rather nice, actually), and there's talk of dhaes and I'm like, what the hell are those? I think there should've been some type of guide in the beginning or a prologue where Kate does an introduction of the world you're about to enter. Like a preparation chapter or something.

Even though I was a little leery of her at first, I quickly grew to like Kate. She has one of those personalities that you have to get used to, but once you do she isn't bad. She has spunk and I like how simple she tries to keep her life even in the midst of the chaotic world she lives in. And I think we've only touched the surface when it comes to the magic she can wield.

I kept thinking that when Kate met the Beast Lord a.k.a. Curran, he would have a long mane of golden hair � you know, because he's a lion shapechanger � well, if it had turned out that way, that would've undoubtedly been the end for me. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Curran is described as having blonde hair that is too short to grab. Yahtzee.

The romance in this is very light, which is nice when compared to the I read not long ago. Still, I enjoy a little romance in my reading, so I'm interested to see if anything arises between Kate and Curran one of the men in her life in the next installment.
In Magic Bites Kate has a love interest for a short time but things didn't really seem right between them IMO. But there does seem to be some sexual tension (or is that just plain ol' tension?) between Kate and Curran. We shall see what becomes of that.

Although this has nothing to do with the book itself, it begs to be mentioned: I hate the cover. It looks like an amateur design effort and the girl looks like an unsuccessful* hooker brandishing a sword. Plus her nose looks as big as the cat's and she's wearing too much makeup to be the always-fuctionally-dressed Kate Daniels. Just an observation.

I do see a lot of potential in this series and if the ratings are anything to go by, this series gets better. So I'm quite anxious to begin the reading the sequel, Magic Burns.

*Unsuccessful because there is no man in his right mind who would go near a hooker with a sword. I'm sure you get my meaning.



My reviews of other titles in this series:

Book #2 -
Book #3 -
Book #4 -
]]> <![CDATA[Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)]]> 6936382 beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?]]> 372 Stephanie Perkins 0525423273 Lora 0 I absolutely, completely, utterly love this novel!

You say too many adverbs, I say enthusiasm!

This novel makes me question why I don't read YA contemporary more often. I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy the genre, it's just that I don't seem to pick up a contemporary novel nearly as often as I do other genres. Anna and the French Kiss has definitely changed that! I'll be reading many more contemps this year, for sure.

Now, on to the good stuff: Etienne! Anna and the French Kiss has been floating around the blogosphere for quite some time, and I FINALLY decided to pick it up the other day. And boy am I glad I did! Let's just say that it lives up to its hype and then some.

Going into this, I had very high expectations, and I'm very happy to say that they were all not only met, but surpassed. Normally I don't like a lot of the heroines I read about, but Anna totally rocked. Sometimes she makes mistakes, sometimes she doesn't, but no matter what choices she made in any situation in this novel I loved her. That's not something I can say about many heroines I read about. She's fun, smart(er now because of Etienne;), and definitely the kind of girl I want to hang out with. And boy is she lucky!

Which brings me to my favorite part of this novel: Etienne! Gosh I don't even know if I should touch (haha, get you're mind of the gutter----there isn't enough room for the both of us on this subject. He's smart, short (by the way, I LOVED IT that the author didn't go with the usual 6 foot + that most authors use; I found that VERY refreshing), British (HELL YEAH!), and sexy as hell. Oh, and he's callipygian (you know what that means if you've read this *evil grin*). Yep, Etienne's all that and a Porsche.

And you can't review this novel without mentioning the other main character; and that, of course, is Paris. I loved reading about this beautiful city, and I don't think it would be too much to say that Paris stole some of the scenes in this novel.

All in all, this novel was fabuleux.


FAVORITE QUOTE: I accept the tissue.
"I'm here." St. Claire is angry. "I'm just sorry I'm not there. With you. I wish there was something I could do."
"Wanna come beat her up for me?"
"I'm packing my throwing stars right now."

P.S. Sorry for the overzealous review; I'm just so pleased with this as I've never found chick lit this good.]]> 3.96 2010 Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)
author: Stephanie Perkins
name: Lora
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at: 2011/01/12
date added: 2013/12/08
shelves: g-ya-realistic, favorites, fluff-in-its-best-form
review:
I absolutely, completely, utterly love this novel!

You say too many adverbs, I say enthusiasm!

This novel makes me question why I don't read YA contemporary more often. I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy the genre, it's just that I don't seem to pick up a contemporary novel nearly as often as I do other genres. Anna and the French Kiss has definitely changed that! I'll be reading many more contemps this year, for sure.

Now, on to the good stuff: Etienne! Anna and the French Kiss has been floating around the blogosphere for quite some time, and I FINALLY decided to pick it up the other day. And boy am I glad I did! Let's just say that it lives up to its hype and then some.

Going into this, I had very high expectations, and I'm very happy to say that they were all not only met, but surpassed. Normally I don't like a lot of the heroines I read about, but Anna totally rocked. Sometimes she makes mistakes, sometimes she doesn't, but no matter what choices she made in any situation in this novel I loved her. That's not something I can say about many heroines I read about. She's fun, smart(er now because of Etienne;), and definitely the kind of girl I want to hang out with. And boy is she lucky!

Which brings me to my favorite part of this novel: Etienne! Gosh I don't even know if I should touch (haha, get you're mind of the gutter----there isn't enough room for the both of us on this subject. He's smart, short (by the way, I LOVED IT that the author didn't go with the usual 6 foot + that most authors use; I found that VERY refreshing), British (HELL YEAH!), and sexy as hell. Oh, and he's callipygian (you know what that means if you've read this *evil grin*). Yep, Etienne's all that and a Porsche.

And you can't review this novel without mentioning the other main character; and that, of course, is Paris. I loved reading about this beautiful city, and I don't think it would be too much to say that Paris stole some of the scenes in this novel.

All in all, this novel was fabuleux.


FAVORITE QUOTE: I accept the tissue.
"I'm here." St. Claire is angry. "I'm just sorry I'm not there. With you. I wish there was something I could do."
"Wanna come beat her up for me?"
"I'm packing my throwing stars right now."

P.S. Sorry for the overzealous review; I'm just so pleased with this as I've never found chick lit this good.
]]> <![CDATA[Once Burned (Night Prince, #1)]]> 7039218 She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.]]> 373 Jeaniene Frost 006178320X Lora 0 to-read, pr-uf-crossbreed 4.19 2012 Once Burned (Night Prince, #1)
author: Jeaniene Frost
name: Lora
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/12/08
shelves: to-read, pr-uf-crossbreed
review:
My mouth is literally watering whilst thinking about Vlad - he is one sexy a$$ed mofo. Can't wait for this^^
]]> Clarity (Clarity, #1) 6963749 This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?]]> 246 Kim Harrington 0545230500 Lora 1
I don't know much about the modus operandi of the law (other than what I've seen on Law & Order, naturally), but since when do police detectives and the mayor enlist the residential psychics to help solve a murder case?
The police have Clare investigate the scene of the crime and have her mother read the minds of a lineup of suspects! WT . . . ? I mean, would their testimony even hold up in a court of law? I realize this is fiction, but come on—I've never heard of the police taking psychics and their "abilities" that seriously. (You can actually read more about this subject .)

Another thing that I found completely ridiculous: Clare's brother's name is Periwinkle (no shit). But, of course, his friends and family just refer to him as Perry because if the girls in town found this out he wouldn't be able to get into their pants (just to be clear, the book doesn't actually describe it like that—that's just my summarization). You see, Periwinkle, excuse me *coughs*, Perry is sowing his wild oats.

I sincerely tried to find interest in Clare's character. It wasn't a matter of liking her, I just simply didn't connect with her and, quite frankly, I found most of the characters (and the writing) rather flat. Gabriel is the typical love interest:

(What follows is the scene where Clare first sees Gabriel and his father, Detective Toscano)

"The door opened, and a man I'd never seen before came in. Tall and broad-shouldered with tan skin and black hair, he was handsome for an older man. Just as I thought that, his younger clone walked in behind him. The younger guy's walk oozed confidence and his body radiated heat. He wore low-slung jeans and a black T-shirt that clung just so to his muscular frame. As he walked past our booth, he glanced at me with his dark eyes and then cracked a small smile. I nearly melted right there in my seat."

Yep. Gabriel is a human furnace and Clare is ice cream. . . . I'm afraid I've heard that one too many times.

The only two characters I found any interest in were Nate and Justin. Nate is the boy who'll always be there for you, although Clare's too busy choosing between her ex (Justin) and the new human furnace in town to recognize him as anything more than a friend.
I thought that Justin was a much more appealing choice than Gabriel. The only problem with Justin is that he cheated on Clare. And get this: Clare's mother encourages her to get back together with him! Justin's affair is described as a drunken one night stand, but, still, what kind of mother wants their daughter to get back with the boy who cheated on her?

Honestly, I'm not the kind of person who normally dislikes the paranormal genre. If you look at my shelves, you'll see that I've liked a lot of the more harshly criticized YA paranormals. This one just didn't do it for me.

To those interested in reading Clarity, I suggest you try this from your library. Who knows, you might like it more than I did.]]> 3.84 2011 Clarity (Clarity, #1)
author: Kim Harrington
name: Lora
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2011
rating: 1
read at: 2011/04/25
date added: 2013/12/07
shelves: fluffier-than-my-birman-cat, lib-read
review:
Hmm . . . I think I'm in the minority here when I say that I didn't like this.

I don't know much about the modus operandi of the law (other than what I've seen on Law & Order, naturally), but since when do police detectives and the mayor enlist the residential psychics to help solve a murder case?
The police have Clare investigate the scene of the crime and have her mother read the minds of a lineup of suspects! WT . . . ? I mean, would their testimony even hold up in a court of law? I realize this is fiction, but come on—I've never heard of the police taking psychics and their "abilities" that seriously. (You can actually read more about this subject .)

Another thing that I found completely ridiculous: Clare's brother's name is Periwinkle (no shit). But, of course, his friends and family just refer to him as Perry because if the girls in town found this out he wouldn't be able to get into their pants (just to be clear, the book doesn't actually describe it like that—that's just my summarization). You see, Periwinkle, excuse me *coughs*, Perry is sowing his wild oats.

I sincerely tried to find interest in Clare's character. It wasn't a matter of liking her, I just simply didn't connect with her and, quite frankly, I found most of the characters (and the writing) rather flat. Gabriel is the typical love interest:

(What follows is the scene where Clare first sees Gabriel and his father, Detective Toscano)

"The door opened, and a man I'd never seen before came in. Tall and broad-shouldered with tan skin and black hair, he was handsome for an older man. Just as I thought that, his younger clone walked in behind him. The younger guy's walk oozed confidence and his body radiated heat. He wore low-slung jeans and a black T-shirt that clung just so to his muscular frame. As he walked past our booth, he glanced at me with his dark eyes and then cracked a small smile. I nearly melted right there in my seat."

Yep. Gabriel is a human furnace and Clare is ice cream. . . . I'm afraid I've heard that one too many times.

The only two characters I found any interest in were Nate and Justin. Nate is the boy who'll always be there for you, although Clare's too busy choosing between her ex (Justin) and the new human furnace in town to recognize him as anything more than a friend.
I thought that Justin was a much more appealing choice than Gabriel. The only problem with Justin is that he cheated on Clare. And get this: Clare's mother encourages her to get back together with him! Justin's affair is described as a drunken one night stand, but, still, what kind of mother wants their daughter to get back with the boy who cheated on her?

Honestly, I'm not the kind of person who normally dislikes the paranormal genre. If you look at my shelves, you'll see that I've liked a lot of the more harshly criticized YA paranormals. This one just didn't do it for me.

To those interested in reading Clarity, I suggest you try this from your library. Who knows, you might like it more than I did.
]]> Ten Miles Past Normal 8663305
It would be nice to go back to that old suburban life…or some grown up, high school version of it, complete with nice, normal boyfriends who wear crew neck sweaters and like social studies. So, what’s wrong with normal? Well, kind of everything. She knows that, of course, why else would she learn bass and join Jam Band, how else would she know to idolize infamous wild-child and high school senior Emma (her best friend Sarah’s older sister), why else would she get arrested while doing a school project on a local freedom school (jail was not part of the assignment). And, why else would she kind of be falling in "like" with a boy named Monster—yes, that is his real name. Janie was going for normal, but she missed her mark by about ten miles…and we mean that as a compliment.

Frances O’Roark Dowell’s fierce humor and keen eye make her YA debut literary and wise. In the spirit of John Green and E. Lockhart, Dowell’s relatable, quirky characters and clever, fluid writing prove that growing up gets complicated…and normal is WAY overrated.]]> 211 Frances O'Roark Dowell 1416995854 Lora 1 g-ya-realistic, lib-read Ten Miles Past Normal, it would be boring.
I'll admit it: I wanted to read this because of the cute cover and because the male protagonist is named "Monster". I happen to have a penchant for guys with unusual names, and so I thought this might be worth reading. Wrong.
I thought that maybe this would be a self-discovery story, or something of the like, but it's basically just Janie prattling on about how horrible her life has been since her parents decided to live on a farm. There is no real story.
I quickly tired of Janie's inner monologue of how horrific her life is and how her mother is so incompetent in virtually everything she does. I kept thinking, Cut your mother some slack! She's only trying to be nice.
For some reason, it really bothered me the way Janie portrays her mother. Now, I'm not so naĂŻve as to think that teens don't have quarrels with their parents, but something about the way Janie treats her mother, and the way she views her mother just rankled me. And it isn't just Janie that acts this way.
Later, Janie has a conversation with a friend, Verbena, and the subject comes up about how Verbena hates that she's had to relocate so many times:
"Moving so much when I was little didn't matter. [. . .] But it gets harder every year. In fact, I'm thinking about divorcing my parents, just so I can stop moving. The damage it's done to my social life is overwhelming."

Somehow, the author implying that a person's social status is more important than their family didn't sit well with me. I realize that it was probably meant to be sarcastic rather than literal, but it bothered me nonetheless.
And it doesn't end there! Monster tells Janie that his parents are crazy (oh, but his gram is okay - thank goodness for gram!), and so he has moved out of their house and into his own.
I began to wonder if the author had some sort of personal vendetta against parents. It seemed like every character had a horrible relationship with one, if not both of their parents. I don't know - perhaps I made too much of it.
But all of this did get me wondering: Is this sort of thing the norm in a lot of YA fiction? Have I been somehow overlooking it until now?

The following quote was the best part of the whole novel:
"I think it's time Janie rejoined the family," my dad says. "I'm tired of her acting like we're not good enough for her anymore. [. . .] "She's fourteen, for Pete's sake," my mom says to my dad. "Don't you know anything about fourteen-year-old girls?"
"Not much," my dad admits. "But I don't think being fourteen excuses you from having a nice word for your mother from time to time."

I actually sat the book down and clapped after reading that sentence. Definitely the highlight of the novel.

I've read quite a few novels with practically no plot and they were just fine. But they had interesting characters and witty dialogue to compensate for the less than stellar plot. Ten Miles Past Normal has none of that. The characters are all flatter than a fritter (as my grandma would say) and held no interest for me whatsoever.

What follows is how the author describes Monster's character:
"Standing in front of us - no, make that looming over us - is a Mack truck of a guy, six-two at the very least, in overalls and a tie-dyed T-shirt, his long red hair pulled into a ponytail."

That is a walking cliché if I ever read one. I'm surprised she didn't write that he's chewing on a piece of hay and he has buck teeth. It is clear that the author wrote Monster's character to fit the stereotypical farm boy. Personally, I thought it was overkill.

While I can't say from personal experience, based on most of my GR friends' opinions I'd recommend that you read Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock and skip Ten Miles Past Normal if you're looking for a good novel featuring life on the farm.

P.S. Am I the only one that thinks the font on the cover makes this look like a verse novel?]]> 3.59 2011 Ten Miles Past Normal
author: Frances O'Roark Dowell
name: Lora
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2011
rating: 1
read at: 2011/05/11
date added: 2013/12/05
shelves: g-ya-realistic, lib-read
review:
If I had to use one word to summarize Ten Miles Past Normal, it would be boring.
I'll admit it: I wanted to read this because of the cute cover and because the male protagonist is named "Monster". I happen to have a penchant for guys with unusual names, and so I thought this might be worth reading. Wrong.
I thought that maybe this would be a self-discovery story, or something of the like, but it's basically just Janie prattling on about how horrible her life has been since her parents decided to live on a farm. There is no real story.
I quickly tired of Janie's inner monologue of how horrific her life is and how her mother is so incompetent in virtually everything she does. I kept thinking, Cut your mother some slack! She's only trying to be nice.
For some reason, it really bothered me the way Janie portrays her mother. Now, I'm not so naĂŻve as to think that teens don't have quarrels with their parents, but something about the way Janie treats her mother, and the way she views her mother just rankled me. And it isn't just Janie that acts this way.
Later, Janie has a conversation with a friend, Verbena, and the subject comes up about how Verbena hates that she's had to relocate so many times:
"Moving so much when I was little didn't matter. [. . .] But it gets harder every year. In fact, I'm thinking about divorcing my parents, just so I can stop moving. The damage it's done to my social life is overwhelming."

Somehow, the author implying that a person's social status is more important than their family didn't sit well with me. I realize that it was probably meant to be sarcastic rather than literal, but it bothered me nonetheless.
And it doesn't end there! Monster tells Janie that his parents are crazy (oh, but his gram is okay - thank goodness for gram!), and so he has moved out of their house and into his own.
I began to wonder if the author had some sort of personal vendetta against parents. It seemed like every character had a horrible relationship with one, if not both of their parents. I don't know - perhaps I made too much of it.
But all of this did get me wondering: Is this sort of thing the norm in a lot of YA fiction? Have I been somehow overlooking it until now?

The following quote was the best part of the whole novel:
"I think it's time Janie rejoined the family," my dad says. "I'm tired of her acting like we're not good enough for her anymore. [. . .] "She's fourteen, for Pete's sake," my mom says to my dad. "Don't you know anything about fourteen-year-old girls?"
"Not much," my dad admits. "But I don't think being fourteen excuses you from having a nice word for your mother from time to time."

I actually sat the book down and clapped after reading that sentence. Definitely the highlight of the novel.

I've read quite a few novels with practically no plot and they were just fine. But they had interesting characters and witty dialogue to compensate for the less than stellar plot. Ten Miles Past Normal has none of that. The characters are all flatter than a fritter (as my grandma would say) and held no interest for me whatsoever.

What follows is how the author describes Monster's character:
"Standing in front of us - no, make that looming over us - is a Mack truck of a guy, six-two at the very least, in overalls and a tie-dyed T-shirt, his long red hair pulled into a ponytail."

That is a walking cliché if I ever read one. I'm surprised she didn't write that he's chewing on a piece of hay and he has buck teeth. It is clear that the author wrote Monster's character to fit the stereotypical farm boy. Personally, I thought it was overkill.

While I can't say from personal experience, based on most of my GR friends' opinions I'd recommend that you read Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock and skip Ten Miles Past Normal if you're looking for a good novel featuring life on the farm.

P.S. Am I the only one that thinks the font on the cover makes this look like a verse novel?
]]> Dreamfever (Fever, #4) 6050298
He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge.�

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons…and about the world she thought she knew.]]> 386 Karen Marie Moning 0385341652 Lora 5
Moning posted a deleted scene from Dreamfever on her Facebook page on 4/21/13. Here it is in full, but be warned, it is spoilery unless you've read all of Dreamfever:

Deleted Scene/DREAMFEVER

“You’re not the only fucking one that got branded!� Barrons slammed his fist into the wall behind my head. Bits of plaster dusted my shoulders.

Oh, really? I wasn’t the only one walking around with a mark on me I didn’t want? Our gazes locked and I jerked. Was he letting me see this, or had intimacy given me a window into his soul. As if he had one. He deserved no less. He hadn’t done it to save me. He’d had sex with me because it was the only way he could continue using me. He’d had sex with me to steal my services back from his enemies at Camp Pri-ya.

And for the first time since the morning he’d gotten up and walked out, leaving me painfully, horrifically aware of both who I was and where I was—in Jericho Barron’s lust-drenched bed on the verge of begging him not to leave me while in full possession of my senses--I could see that it hadn’t left him nearly as untouched as I’d thought. As he’d led me to think.

I searched his face. Beneath his left eye, a tiny muscle contracted, smoothed, contracted again. That minute betrayal was Barron’s equivalent of a normal person having a full-blown hissy fit. Oh, no, far from untouched. Had he stood outside my door as I’d stood outside his, fists at his sides, lips drawn back? Did it have him as bad as it had me? Was it eating at him, gnawing at him with the same sharp vicious little teeth that wouldn’t let me sleep?

Yes, it was. I could see the rage of insatiable, uninvited lust in every line of that dark, stoic face that had once been too subtly etched for me to read. I wasn’t the only one lying awake at night, fevered with memories, tossing, turning, soaking my sheets, burning up--not for Fae sex, but him, damn it all to hell, him.

Remembering being too naked in body and soul, trembling with need. Backing to him, a wild animal. Later, straddling him, holding him down and demanding more and more because Jericho Barrons couldnâ€t be depleted. Of anything. Whatever he was. He was without limit.

He hadn’t erased the Fae Princesâ€� marks--he’d burned his own into them until I could no longer discern the shape of the marks theyâ€d left. Heâ€d scarred their scars out of me with a bigger scar. The bastard. And if I’d managed to carve up some part of him in returnâ€�

“Good,� I said, hard and low. “Welcome to my world, Barrons. I hope it hurts like hell.�

His hand was on my throat and my back was to the wall. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t need to. He was touching me. Two enormous magnets, repelling and attracting; a manifest of nature, not a matter of will at all. The air between us crackled with energy. Did I smell flesh burning?

“Good?� he said softly, and staring into those black eyes was like staring down the shadowy, demon-littered corridor of the Unseelie mirror in his study. “You think it’s good to have something like me obsessed with you? My dear, dear, bloody idiotic, suicidal Ms. Lane, you have no fucking idea what’s gotten the scent of you in its nostrils, what has the taste of you in its blood, or you’d run. You’d run for what little remains of what you think of as your life.�

He whirled, long black coat fluttering, was out the door, and gone.

I stared into the deepening twilight into which he’d disappeared. Nightfall was painting the stone walkway one of those new Fae shades that hadn’t existed before the walls had come crashing down around our ears; a dreamy silvery-violet, spider-webbed with moonbeams that was eerily beautiful. I shivered. I hated the new colors. They were�.somehow just…wrong.

I shook it off.

Obsessed, Barrons had said.

I smiled. Good.

Okay, and this was deleted why?! It's fecking awesome and HOT!


Original review:

Behold, I give to you my reaction to the first 50 pages of Dreamfever:
#*$@%*%@$@&$*(@!>?<#&WTF?*faints*#**&^@!$%^#%^7053 .........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More on that later.

Remember when I said in my review for Darkfever that I wasn't
as batshit crazy over Barrons as most people but that I eventually would be? That day has come, my friend. With each book I've grown to love him more and more. I've slowly learned how he operates and slowly become used to his ways of doing things. And let me tell you, they're anything but conventional. Barrons isn't like any leading male character that you will encounter in any genre. Simply put, he's one of a kind. Barrons is the type of character where you have to stay very open minded upon meeting him else you'll be offended almost immediately. I almost was, myself. But patience and keeping an open mind will pay off.
The thing about Barrons is, most of the time, he's rude, insensitive, stoic, and, at times, barbaric. But despite all of this he's become one of my very favorite male characters. If Ms. Moning ever chose to write a story solely about him, I'd be the first person at the bookstore to buy it.

Mac's character continues to surprise me and she'll always be a favorite of mine. The only idiotic err she made in this was at the end. How could she NOT know that he was the beast? I mean, come on! I started to figure that out in book 1! I thought that that was a simple 2 + 2 = 4 equation, but apparently I was wrong. I don't know what Mac was thinking.

Since reading Darkfever I've been thinking that it's Barrons keeping his and Mac's nonexistent relationship from ever becoming something more. I was wrong. Dreamfever shows you something else. In Dreamfever we see that while Barrons is often times aloof and hard for Mac to understand, he's been wanting Mac for quite some time. You see that if Mac would just take her foot out of her ass and take what she really wants (let's be honest with ourselves, she wants Barrons -- Who in their right mind doesn't, anyway?) she'd be a hell of a lot happier and less confused. Besides the beginning that I dare you to only read once, there're quite a few luscious little moments between these two that I really enjoyed. One of them was this:

"I'll snoop anywhere I damned well please, Ms. Lane. I'll
snoop inside your skin if I feel like it."
"You just try," I said, eyes narrowing.
He moved forward in one swift, violent lunge but caught him-
self and locked down hard.
I mirrored the move, without conscious thought at all, as if our
bodies were connected by puppet strings. Lunged forward, froze.
Fisted my hands at my sides. They wanted to touch him. I looked
down. His hands were fisted, too.
I uncurled my hands and crossed my arms.
He crossed his at exactly the same moment.
We both practically flung them down at our sides.
We stared at each other.
The silence lengthened.

You could cut the sexual tension with a knife. I found that scene to be both adorable and frustrating.

Dreamfever is easily my favorite of the series thus far because even though it's not under the circumstances I would've liked, Barrons and Mac finally get intimate. And, all jokes aside, I cried during parts of those scenes. This is one of the parts that really got to me:

He touches my face.
There is something different in his touch. It feels like he's saying good-bye, and I know a moment of panic. But my dream sky darkens and sleep's moon fills the horizon.
"Don't leave me." I thrash in the sheets.
"I'm not, Mac."
I know I am dreaming then, because dreams are home to the absurd and what he says next is beyond absurd.
"You're leaving me, Rainbow Girl."

If you've read this then you know what that is referring to and you
know what it means for Barrons to say something like that.
Yep, I'm a complete sap and I'm not afraid to admit it; I went from
having totally inappropriate/appropriate feelings while reading that
scene to crying to the point where I could no longer make out the
words on the page.
Any author that can make me feel such contrary emotions juxtaposing within the same scene is at the top tier in my opinion.

Bottom line, Dreamfever is fantastic, this whole series is fantastic, and Ms. Moning herself is one fantastic writer.

Here's to hoping that Shadowfever won't disappoint. Cheers, fellow Fever fans!]]> 4.38 2009 Dreamfever (Fever, #4)
author: Karen Marie Moning
name: Lora
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2011/02/05
date added: 2013/12/04
shelves: favorites, urban-fantasy, want-to-reread
review:
For those who don't have Facebook and didn't see this . . .

Moning posted a deleted scene from Dreamfever on her Facebook page on 4/21/13. Here it is in full, but be warned, it is spoilery unless you've read all of Dreamfever:

Deleted Scene/DREAMFEVER

“You’re not the only fucking one that got branded!� Barrons slammed his fist into the wall behind my head. Bits of plaster dusted my shoulders.

Oh, really? I wasn’t the only one walking around with a mark on me I didn’t want? Our gazes locked and I jerked. Was he letting me see this, or had intimacy given me a window into his soul. As if he had one. He deserved no less. He hadn’t done it to save me. He’d had sex with me because it was the only way he could continue using me. He’d had sex with me to steal my services back from his enemies at Camp Pri-ya.

And for the first time since the morning he’d gotten up and walked out, leaving me painfully, horrifically aware of both who I was and where I was—in Jericho Barron’s lust-drenched bed on the verge of begging him not to leave me while in full possession of my senses--I could see that it hadn’t left him nearly as untouched as I’d thought. As he’d led me to think.

I searched his face. Beneath his left eye, a tiny muscle contracted, smoothed, contracted again. That minute betrayal was Barron’s equivalent of a normal person having a full-blown hissy fit. Oh, no, far from untouched. Had he stood outside my door as I’d stood outside his, fists at his sides, lips drawn back? Did it have him as bad as it had me? Was it eating at him, gnawing at him with the same sharp vicious little teeth that wouldn’t let me sleep?

Yes, it was. I could see the rage of insatiable, uninvited lust in every line of that dark, stoic face that had once been too subtly etched for me to read. I wasn’t the only one lying awake at night, fevered with memories, tossing, turning, soaking my sheets, burning up--not for Fae sex, but him, damn it all to hell, him.

Remembering being too naked in body and soul, trembling with need. Backing to him, a wild animal. Later, straddling him, holding him down and demanding more and more because Jericho Barrons couldnâ€t be depleted. Of anything. Whatever he was. He was without limit.

He hadn’t erased the Fae Princesâ€� marks--he’d burned his own into them until I could no longer discern the shape of the marks theyâ€d left. Heâ€d scarred their scars out of me with a bigger scar. The bastard. And if I’d managed to carve up some part of him in returnâ€�

“Good,� I said, hard and low. “Welcome to my world, Barrons. I hope it hurts like hell.�

His hand was on my throat and my back was to the wall. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t need to. He was touching me. Two enormous magnets, repelling and attracting; a manifest of nature, not a matter of will at all. The air between us crackled with energy. Did I smell flesh burning?

“Good?� he said softly, and staring into those black eyes was like staring down the shadowy, demon-littered corridor of the Unseelie mirror in his study. “You think it’s good to have something like me obsessed with you? My dear, dear, bloody idiotic, suicidal Ms. Lane, you have no fucking idea what’s gotten the scent of you in its nostrils, what has the taste of you in its blood, or you’d run. You’d run for what little remains of what you think of as your life.�

He whirled, long black coat fluttering, was out the door, and gone.

I stared into the deepening twilight into which he’d disappeared. Nightfall was painting the stone walkway one of those new Fae shades that hadn’t existed before the walls had come crashing down around our ears; a dreamy silvery-violet, spider-webbed with moonbeams that was eerily beautiful. I shivered. I hated the new colors. They were�.somehow just…wrong.

I shook it off.

Obsessed, Barrons had said.

I smiled. Good.

Okay, and this was deleted why?! It's fecking awesome and HOT!


Original review:

Behold, I give to you my reaction to the first 50 pages of Dreamfever:
#*$@%*%@$@&$*(@!>?<#&WTF?*faints*#**&^@!$%^#%^7053 .........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More on that later.

Remember when I said in my review for Darkfever that I wasn't
as batshit crazy over Barrons as most people but that I eventually would be? That day has come, my friend. With each book I've grown to love him more and more. I've slowly learned how he operates and slowly become used to his ways of doing things. And let me tell you, they're anything but conventional. Barrons isn't like any leading male character that you will encounter in any genre. Simply put, he's one of a kind. Barrons is the type of character where you have to stay very open minded upon meeting him else you'll be offended almost immediately. I almost was, myself. But patience and keeping an open mind will pay off.
The thing about Barrons is, most of the time, he's rude, insensitive, stoic, and, at times, barbaric. But despite all of this he's become one of my very favorite male characters. If Ms. Moning ever chose to write a story solely about him, I'd be the first person at the bookstore to buy it.

Mac's character continues to surprise me and she'll always be a favorite of mine. The only idiotic err she made in this was at the end. How could she NOT know that he was the beast? I mean, come on! I started to figure that out in book 1! I thought that that was a simple 2 + 2 = 4 equation, but apparently I was wrong. I don't know what Mac was thinking.

Since reading Darkfever I've been thinking that it's Barrons keeping his and Mac's nonexistent relationship from ever becoming something more. I was wrong. Dreamfever shows you something else. In Dreamfever we see that while Barrons is often times aloof and hard for Mac to understand, he's been wanting Mac for quite some time. You see that if Mac would just take her foot out of her ass and take what she really wants (let's be honest with ourselves, she wants Barrons -- Who in their right mind doesn't, anyway?) she'd be a hell of a lot happier and less confused. Besides the beginning that I dare you to only read once, there're quite a few luscious little moments between these two that I really enjoyed. One of them was this:

"I'll snoop anywhere I damned well please, Ms. Lane. I'll
snoop inside your skin if I feel like it."
"You just try," I said, eyes narrowing.
He moved forward in one swift, violent lunge but caught him-
self and locked down hard.
I mirrored the move, without conscious thought at all, as if our
bodies were connected by puppet strings. Lunged forward, froze.
Fisted my hands at my sides. They wanted to touch him. I looked
down. His hands were fisted, too.
I uncurled my hands and crossed my arms.
He crossed his at exactly the same moment.
We both practically flung them down at our sides.
We stared at each other.
The silence lengthened.

You could cut the sexual tension with a knife. I found that scene to be both adorable and frustrating.

Dreamfever is easily my favorite of the series thus far because even though it's not under the circumstances I would've liked, Barrons and Mac finally get intimate. And, all jokes aside, I cried during parts of those scenes. This is one of the parts that really got to me:

He touches my face.
There is something different in his touch. It feels like he's saying good-bye, and I know a moment of panic. But my dream sky darkens and sleep's moon fills the horizon.
"Don't leave me." I thrash in the sheets.
"I'm not, Mac."
I know I am dreaming then, because dreams are home to the absurd and what he says next is beyond absurd.
"You're leaving me, Rainbow Girl."

If you've read this then you know what that is referring to and you
know what it means for Barrons to say something like that.
Yep, I'm a complete sap and I'm not afraid to admit it; I went from
having totally inappropriate/appropriate feelings while reading that
scene to crying to the point where I could no longer make out the
words on the page.
Any author that can make me feel such contrary emotions juxtaposing within the same scene is at the top tier in my opinion.

Bottom line, Dreamfever is fantastic, this whole series is fantastic, and Ms. Moning herself is one fantastic writer.

Here's to hoping that Shadowfever won't disappoint. Cheers, fellow Fever fans!
]]> <![CDATA[Moonglow (The Darkborn Legacy, #1)]]> 15811655
Something strange is going on with Dominy Robineau. All her friends in Weeping Water, Nebraska, have noticed—and it’s way beyond teenage blues. As weeks pass, Dom grows consumed by anger, aggression, and violence, and she seems powerless to stop it. Then she turns sixteen, and things get really dangerous.

When her best friend is murdered, Dominy’s father is compelled to reveal the truth behind the darkness that threatens to both overtake and empower her. Her boyfriend, Caleb, swears they’ll find a way to change her destiny. But others are hiding secrets too, and gifts that are far more terrifying than hers. And even as she struggles to control her new abilities, Dom must contend with an enemy who wants her to use the beast within to destroy all those she loves, before she destroys herself…]]> 416 Michael Griffo 0758280726 Lora 0 no-longer-interested
]]> 2.96 2013 Moonglow (The Darkborn Legacy, #1)
author: Michael Griffo
name: Lora
average rating: 2.96
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/12/04
shelves: no-longer-interested
review:
Wow, two different books, two different authors, but look at the similar cover designs:


]]> <![CDATA[The Museum of Extraordinary Things]]> 18144053 368 Alice Hoffman 1451693567 Lora 0 3.73 2014 The Museum of Extraordinary Things
author: Alice Hoffman
name: Lora
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/11/27
shelves: looks-promising, 2014, lib-to-read
review:

]]> Ex Equals 12355656
Justin Hayes isn’t after a second chance when he signs up for an algebra class taught by his ex. All he wants besides a passing grade is a chance to make amends with the man he loved and hurt while they were deployed together three years ago.

Pain, guilt, and bitterness aren’t the only lingering feelings, though, and even if three years is enough to melt the ice between them, they’ve already risked their careers for each other once. Can Justin convince Chris that what they once had is worth putting careers and hearts on the line again?]]> 122 L.A. Witt 1611241766 Lora 3 ebooks, mm 3.48 2011 Ex Equals
author: L.A. Witt
name: Lora
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2013/11/01
date added: 2013/11/22
shelves: ebooks, mm
review:

]]> True Vision (True Trilogy #1) 7236633 The author of Cold Midnight delivers a new paranormal suspense trilogy...

Newspaper reporter Charlie Trudeau is living an ordinary life, until witnessing a fatal hit-and-run accident gives her an intense psychic power she has no clue how to handle—and brings a Chicago police detective to her doorstep...

Noah Lassiter wants nothing more than to find the driver who killed his good friend. But his only lead is the beautiful Charlie Trudeau, who gets prickly when he starts nosing around town. Charlie’s clearly hiding something, but Noah needs her help unraveling the mystery of his friend’s death—even if the electricity between them complicates things.

But the more Noah and Charlie uncover, the more they realize they’re looking for a desperate killer—and the more danger they’re in. And if Charlie can’t gain control over her psychic powers, they may not survive long enough to explore the full sizzling potential of their desire…]]> 352 Joyce Lamb 0425235858 Lora 3 lib-read 3.69 2010 True Vision (True Trilogy #1)
author: Joyce Lamb
name: Lora
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2013/11/22
shelves: lib-read
review:
Haven't read a lot of romantic suspense, but this one made me want to read more. Really good.
]]> The Boy Most Likely To 18392495 My Life Next Door

Tim Mason was The Boy Most Likely To:
- find the liquor cabinet blindfolded
- need a liver transplant
- drive his car into a house

Alice Garrett was The Girl Most Likely To:
- well, not date her little brother’s baggage-burdened best friend, for starters.

For Tim, it wouldn’t be smart to fall for Alice. For Alice, nothing could be scarier than falling for Tim. But Tim has never been known for making the smart choice, and Alice is starting to wonder if the “smart� choice is always the right one. When these two crash into each other, they crash hard.

Then the unexpected consequences of Tim’s wild days come back to shock him. He finds himself in a situation that isn’t all it appears to be, that he never could have predicted . . . but maybe should have.

And Alice is caught in the middle.

Told in Tim’s and Alice’s distinctive, disarming, entirely compelling voices, this return to the world of My Life Next Door is a story about failing first, trying again, and having to decide whether to risk it all once more.]]> 434 Huntley Fitzpatrick 0147519284 Lora 0 3.77 2015 The Boy Most Likely To
author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
name: Lora
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/11/20
shelves: don-t-forget, wishlist, lib-look-for, g-ya-realistic
review:

]]> Unthinkable (Impossible, #3) 17465446 New York Times Bestseller Impossible a fantasy full of suspense, mystery, and romance will appeal to fans of Beautiful Creatures, Raven Boys, and Wicked Lovely.

Fenella was the first Scarborough girl to be cursed, hundreds of years ago, and she has been trapped in the faerie realm ever since, forced to watch generations of daughters try to break this same faerie curse that has enslaved them all. But now Fenella’s descendant, Lucy, has accomplished the impossible and broken the curse, so why is Fenella still trapped in Faerie?
Ěý
In her desperation, Fenella makes a deal with the faerie queen: If she can accomplish three acts of destruction, she will be free, at last, to die.Ěý What she doesn't realize is that these acts must be aimed at her own family and if she fails, the consequences will be dire, for all of the Scarborough girls.
Ěý
How can she possibly choose to hurt her own cherished family not to mention the new man whom she’s surprised to find herself falling in love with? But if she doesn’t go through with the tasks, how will she manage to save her dear ones?]]> 395 Nancy Werlin 0803733739 Lora 0 3.48 2013 Unthinkable (Impossible, #3)
author: Nancy Werlin
name: Lora
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/11/20
shelves: sept, fall, lib-to-read, maybe
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code]]> 13528350 From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes incredible stories of science, history, language, and music, as told by our own DNA.

In The Disappearing Spoon, bestselling author Sam Kean unlocked the mysteries of the periodic table. In The Violinist's Thumb, he explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA.

There are genes to explain crazy cat ladies, why other people have no fingerprints, and why some people survive nuclear bombs. Genes illuminate everything from JFK's bronze skin (it wasn't a tan) to Einstein's genius. They prove that Neanderthals and humans bred thousands of years more recently than any of us would feel comfortable thinking. They can even allow some people, because of the exceptional flexibility of their thumbs and fingers, to become truly singular violinists.

Kean's vibrant storytelling once again makes science entertaining, explaining human history and whimsy while showing how DNA will influence our species' future.

Genes, freaks, DNA : how do living things pass down traits to their children? --
The near death of Darwin : why did geneticists try to kill natural selection? --
Them's the DNA breaks : how does nature read --
and misread --
DNA? --
The musical scores of DNA : what kinds of information does DNA store? --
DNA vindication : why did life evolve so slowly --
then explode in complexity? --
The survivors, the livers : what's our most ancient and important DNA? --
The Machiavelli microbe : how much human DNA is actually human? --
Love and atavisms : what genes make mammals mammals? --
Humanzees and other near misses : when did humans break away from monkeys, and why? --
Scarlet A's, C's, G's, and T's : why did humans almost go extinct? --
Size matters : how did humans get such grotesquely large brains? --
The art of the gene : how deep in our DNA is artistic genius? --
The past is prologue --
sometimes : what can (and can't) genes teach us about historical heroes? --
Three billion little pieces : why don't humans have more genes than other species? --
Easy come, easy go? : how come identical twins aren't identical? --
Life as we do (and don't) know it : what the heck will happen now? --
Epilogue : genomics gets personal]]> 401 Sam Kean 0316182311 Lora 0 looks-promising, lib-to-read 3.95 2012 The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code
author: Sam Kean
name: Lora
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/11/01
shelves: looks-promising, lib-to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Possession (Fallen Angels, #5)]]> 17707740 #1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward explores what really happens when good and evil toy with humanity in her new novel of the Fallen Angels, as the salvation of a doomed soul depends once again on a crossroads...

When Cait Douglass resolves to get over her broken heart, throw off her inhibitions, and start really living, she’s unprepared for the two sensual men who cross her path.Ěý Torn between them, she doesn’t know which to choose--or what kind of dire consequences could follow.

Jim Heron, fallen angel and reluctant savior, is ahead in the war, but he puts everything at risk when he seeks to make a deal with the devil--literally.Ěý As yet another soul is unwittingly caught in the battle between him and the demon Devina, his fixation on an innocent trapped in Hell threatens to sidetrack him from his sacred duty...

Can good still prevail if true love makes a savior weak?Ěý And will a woman’s future be the key, or the curse, for all of humanity?Ěý Only time, and hearts, will tell.]]> 529 J.R. Ward 0451240197 Lora 0 4.08 2013 Possession (Fallen Angels, #5)
author: J.R. Ward
name: Lora
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/09/30
shelves: to-read, sept, pr-uf-crossbreed, lib-to-read, ebooks, own-unread
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Wed Him Before You Bed Him (School For Heiresses #6)]]> 5841529 New York Times bestselling series, Sabrina Jeffries delivers a dazzling finale imbued with surprising revelations for headmistress Charlotte Harris and the young ladies of The School for Heiresses.

At eighteen, Charlotte Page made a life-altering mistake. She wronged a man in an impulsive act that she came to deeply regret, though it led her to her present life as Mrs. Charlotte Harris, owner of Mrs. Harris's School for Young Ladies. Unbeknownst to her, that man is now her anonymous benefactor, the mysterious "Cousin Michael." His masquerade began as preparation for a devastating revenge, but became a labor of love. Now Charlotte desperately needs his help. Can he save her from disaster as his real self without revealing the ugly secret behind his charade? Or will the mistakes of both their pasts tear them apart forever?

]]> 384 Sabrina Jeffries 1416560823 Lora 0 g-hr, own-will-never-read 3.99 2009 Wed Him Before You Bed Him (School For Heiresses #6)
author: Sabrina Jeffries
name: Lora
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/09/19
shelves: g-hr, own-will-never-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Don't Bargain with the Devil (School for Heiresses, #5)]]> 5554819 372 Sabrina Jeffries 1416560815 Lora 0 g-hr, own-will-never-read 3.90 2009 Don't Bargain with the Devil (School for Heiresses, #5)
author: Sabrina Jeffries
name: Lora
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/09/19
shelves: g-hr, own-will-never-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Waiting for Ty (Lovers and Friends, #2)]]> 18053974
Landon never desired a man badly enough to explore that side of his sexuality—until he met Ty. He’s waited four long years for a sign that Ty wants him too, and he can’t deny his needs much longer. So when a career opportunity arises out-of-state, Landon wonders if maybe it’s time to move on.

Then Ty crashes at Landon’s while working on a story—and a searing kiss ignites a night of mind-blowing sex that’s better than their most erotic fantasies. Forced to face his feelings, Ty must decide if love is worth the risk after all—before he loses Landon forever.]]> 106 Samantha Ann King 1426896034 Lora 0 3.58 2013 Waiting for Ty (Lovers and Friends, #2)
author: Samantha Ann King
name: Lora
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/08/03
shelves: don-t-forget, ebooks, mm, wishlist
review:

]]> The Time Traveler's Wife 207035 (back cover)]]> 546 Audrey Niffenegger Lora 5 adult-lit, favorites 3.98 2003 The Time Traveler's Wife
author: Audrey Niffenegger
name: Lora
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/07/31
shelves: adult-lit, favorites
review:

]]> Emma 6969 The newest edition is here. Another alternate cover can be found here.

Emma Woodhouse is one of Austen's most captivating and vivid characters. Beautiful, spoilt, vain and irrepressibly witty, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village and plays matchmaker with devastating effect.]]> 474 Jane Austen 0141439580 Lora 5 Emma, is like a breath of fresh air when juxtaposed to the miasmal novels in the publishing market today; especially for someone who has been on a YA binge of late.
You see, the reason why I went for Emma as my first Austen read is because my mother has seen the latest movie adaptation, and she claims it to be her very favorite. Mind you, she hasn't read any thing of Austen's—but she loves the movie so very much that she kept pestering me to watch it (I suppose I'll have to pester her to read the book now, won't I?). To which I continually said that, no, no, I will not watch the movie until I've read the book; I positively hate to watch the movie adaptation before reading the book; it virtually cancels out any chance of me ever finding enough interest in reading the actual book to its completion.
So, after picking up Emma at least ten times in the past year, reading the first few chapters, only to sit it back down again, I finally—the other day—decided I wanted to read something of quality and something that is truly written well. Well, that is definitely Emma.

Emma, herself, is, for me, just as stunning as she is flawed; I started out thinking her a walking vexation, but somewhere in the 400+ pages I began to warm to her like you would with any inevitably lovable—albeit, at times, antagonising—character. Emma's devotion to her father is also very admirable. And by the end, Emma seemed so much more humble and less meddling that I couldn't help but be very pleased with her character.
My thoughts on Mr. Knightley are not as easily expressed; in the beginning I found him merely interesting, but somewhere in the middle he began to hold my interest as much as a mother would hold her infant (if that isn't too much of an odd metaphor); by the end he managed to surpass virtually all of the other male characters of which I've been exposed to. Granted, Mr. Knightley isn't in Emma nearly enough for my satisfaction—but when he is, the aforesaid is all too true.
I can't quite place my finger on what it is, exactly, about him that made such an impression on me—other than that I've always had a strong fascination with a true gentleman, being as that sort of thing is practically extinct in this day and age; also, I've grown very jaded with the often monotonous male characters of today.
And I do believe that my reaction to Mr. Knightley has left me at a wonder as to just want my reaction will be upon meeting the famous Mr. Darcy. I'll doubtlessly swoon just as countless other lasses have since P&P debuted in 1813.

I really think that my hesitation in reading this—as well as Austen's other works—has nothing to do with the writing, or the story, or the pacing; because, and I know this will sound strange, but, I've always loved a book that is just about people going about their daily lives and doing things—little trivial things, even—and simply living; people say that Emma doesn't have much story and is really just people planning balls and Emma interfering in peoples' lives—but I loved all of that! I'll take everyday living over complex plots any day. No, I think the reason for my waiting so long is that I psyched myself out of reading something like this; I kept thinking that it would be too long or too boring or too archaic or too something or another, but in reality this is the very type of thing that I love to read about. Regency, Victorian, etc. . . . I love to read about all of the historical periods, and I'm so very glad that I stopped procrastinating.

So, I enjoyed this a great deal and I've set a goal for myself to read all of Austen's works by this time next year (although I kindly ask you not you hold me to it ;)). I plan to continue with her other slightly lesser known titles, and finish with what appears to me to be the most well known and highly esteemed, Pride and Prejudice. In a summary, I plan to save the best—or what is often said to be the best—for last.

FAVORITE QUOTE: "One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other."

Although I have many favorite quotes from this (the rest can be read below), that particular quote stood out the most because it is so very true. Expect to see it in my future reviews.

I highly recommend Emma to everyone; both lovers and reluctant readers of classics.]]> 4.05 1815 Emma
author: Jane Austen
name: Lora
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1815
rating: 5
read at: 2011/06/01
date added: 2013/07/31
shelves: classics, favorites, surprised-me, lib-read, want-to-reread, summer-reads, austenlandia, 1001-r
review:
Although using this trite doesn't mean that the fact is any less true, it is still at the risk of sounding cliché when I say that Jane Austen's classic, Emma, is like a breath of fresh air when juxtaposed to the miasmal novels in the publishing market today; especially for someone who has been on a YA binge of late.
You see, the reason why I went for Emma as my first Austen read is because my mother has seen the latest movie adaptation, and she claims it to be her very favorite. Mind you, she hasn't read any thing of Austen's—but she loves the movie so very much that she kept pestering me to watch it (I suppose I'll have to pester her to read the book now, won't I?). To which I continually said that, no, no, I will not watch the movie until I've read the book; I positively hate to watch the movie adaptation before reading the book; it virtually cancels out any chance of me ever finding enough interest in reading the actual book to its completion.
So, after picking up Emma at least ten times in the past year, reading the first few chapters, only to sit it back down again, I finally—the other day—decided I wanted to read something of quality and something that is truly written well. Well, that is definitely Emma.

Emma, herself, is, for me, just as stunning as she is flawed; I started out thinking her a walking vexation, but somewhere in the 400+ pages I began to warm to her like you would with any inevitably lovable—albeit, at times, antagonising—character. Emma's devotion to her father is also very admirable. And by the end, Emma seemed so much more humble and less meddling that I couldn't help but be very pleased with her character.
My thoughts on Mr. Knightley are not as easily expressed; in the beginning I found him merely interesting, but somewhere in the middle he began to hold my interest as much as a mother would hold her infant (if that isn't too much of an odd metaphor); by the end he managed to surpass virtually all of the other male characters of which I've been exposed to. Granted, Mr. Knightley isn't in Emma nearly enough for my satisfaction—but when he is, the aforesaid is all too true.
I can't quite place my finger on what it is, exactly, about him that made such an impression on me—other than that I've always had a strong fascination with a true gentleman, being as that sort of thing is practically extinct in this day and age; also, I've grown very jaded with the often monotonous male characters of today.
And I do believe that my reaction to Mr. Knightley has left me at a wonder as to just want my reaction will be upon meeting the famous Mr. Darcy. I'll doubtlessly swoon just as countless other lasses have since P&P debuted in 1813.

I really think that my hesitation in reading this—as well as Austen's other works—has nothing to do with the writing, or the story, or the pacing; because, and I know this will sound strange, but, I've always loved a book that is just about people going about their daily lives and doing things—little trivial things, even—and simply living; people say that Emma doesn't have much story and is really just people planning balls and Emma interfering in peoples' lives—but I loved all of that! I'll take everyday living over complex plots any day. No, I think the reason for my waiting so long is that I psyched myself out of reading something like this; I kept thinking that it would be too long or too boring or too archaic or too something or another, but in reality this is the very type of thing that I love to read about. Regency, Victorian, etc. . . . I love to read about all of the historical periods, and I'm so very glad that I stopped procrastinating.

So, I enjoyed this a great deal and I've set a goal for myself to read all of Austen's works by this time next year (although I kindly ask you not you hold me to it ;)). I plan to continue with her other slightly lesser known titles, and finish with what appears to me to be the most well known and highly esteemed, Pride and Prejudice. In a summary, I plan to save the best—or what is often said to be the best—for last.

FAVORITE QUOTE: "One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other."

Although I have many favorite quotes from this (the rest can be read below), that particular quote stood out the most because it is so very true. Expect to see it in my future reviews.

I highly recommend Emma to everyone; both lovers and reluctant readers of classics.
]]> <![CDATA[Perfect Ruin (The Internment Chronicles, #1)]]> 17339241
Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close to the edge of Internment, the floating city and her home, can lead to madness. Even though her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. There’s too much for her on Internment: her parents, best friend Pen, and her betrothed, Basil. Her life is ordinary and safe, even if she sometimes does wonder about the ground and why it’s forbidden.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially once she meets Judas. Betrothed to the victim, Judas is being blamed for the murder, but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find—or whom she will lose.]]> 356 Lauren DeStefano 1442480610 Lora 0 maybe, lib-look-for, oct 3.75 2013 Perfect Ruin (The Internment Chronicles, #1)
author: Lauren DeStefano
name: Lora
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/07/27
shelves: maybe, lib-look-for, oct
review:

]]> All Our Yesterdays 13514612
Four years earlier, the biggest problem in Marina’s life is figuring out how to tell her shy and brilliant best friend James that she’s in love with him. That is, until he night an assassin’s bullet changes everything and sends Marina and James on a desperate hunt for answers, with a killer who seems to anticipate their every move right on their heels.

Marina will protect James at any cost. Em will sacrifice everything to rewrite her future.

Only one of them can succeed.]]> 362 Cristin Terrill 1423176375 Lora 0 4.02 2013 All Our Yesterdays
author: Cristin Terrill
name: Lora
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/07/27
shelves: looks-promising, fall, sept, lib-to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Iron King (The Accursed Kings, #1)]]> 16117911
A web of scandal, murder and intrigue is weaving itself around the Iron King; but his downfall will come from an unexpected quarter. Bent on the persecution of the rich and powerful Knights Templar, Philip sentences Grand Master Jacques Molay to be burned at the stake, thus drawing down upon upon himself a curse that will destroy his entire dynasty ...]]> 368 Maurice Druon Lora 0 4.01 1955 The Iron King (The Accursed Kings, #1)
author: Maurice Druon
name: Lora
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1955
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2013/07/27
shelves: lib-look-for, looks-promising, ebooks, own-unread, g-hist-fic
review:

]]> Equation For Love 13541296 Sex + money shouldn’t = love, but since when does the heart follow any laws but its own?

Recent college graduate and mathematical genius Skye McCord is determined that this summer he is going to do something he’s always wanted to try. Living. And, as a scientist, he’s not leaving anything to chance. He’s got a new job in Las Vegas, a signing bonus burning a hole in his pocket and what else does a brainy geek spend his money on but an education? This time of the carnal variety.

Liam Maddox isn’t your ordinary gay male escort � he’s actually gay, and he really loves his job. Especially when he meets his newest client. Skye’s cute and awkward and sort of odd, and when he informs Liam that he wants to hire him to teach him everything he needs to know about being gay, well…Liam’s too intrigued to say no.

Except what starts as light-hearted lessons in sex and seduction quickly becomes more as Liam begins to tap into a submissive side of Skye the young man never knew he had. Liam’s never been this drawn to anyone before, and he’s beginning to wonder if he can walk away when their time is up. Does happily ever after exist for someone like Liam with someone like Skye?]]> 138 Fae Sutherland Lora 4 mm, ebooks 3.53 2012 Equation For Love
author: Fae Sutherland
name: Lora
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/07/01
date added: 2013/07/26
shelves: mm, ebooks
review:

]]>