Friday, February 25, 2011

Hop & Follow Fridays!


Hosted by Crazy For Books

Do you ever wish you would have named your blog something different?
You know, sometimes I think my blog name is a little too long. I look at some other blog names and I'm like, "Why couldn't I think of something clever like that?" But that "sometimes" and those kind of thoughts only lasts a few minutes because I have come to absolutely love my name. Why? It's self-explanatory... it's my name - which distinguishes me from others - and it tells what I do. I think that's pretty much the best kind of name that you can come up with, in my case. I like my name ... it's grown on me.


Hosted by ParaJunkee's View
; Featured Blog is Totally Obsessed
Share your current favorite television show. Tell us a bit about it...
Oh, I have so many I don't know if I can choose! I guess over all it would probably be True Blood and The Vampire Diaries... both for the vampires, obviously, but also because I follow both book series and absolutely love them. I am also madly in love with Supernatural because of its ghost, goblins, etc and incredible storyline between the brothers. Loves it! Give me some supernatural storylines and I'm all about it! Oh, then there's House ... I love that sarcastically witty man!


**Don't forget to check up top for current giveaways that you still have a chance to enter!**

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Thoughts on Thursday

Today's Topic
Do you judge a book by its cover?
- Aleetha

Honestly, it depends. If I'm looking at a book as an author request, the cover doesn't really matter to me. Content is too big of a deal for me on author's requests, so covers are only a small blip on my radar. If I'm looking online for books to add to my list or I'm shopping for books at a store... then I'm more likely to judge by the cover. Typically, if it's a cover that catches my attention then the book automatically gets more of my attention - I have to pick it up, read the blurb, see if there's any reviews, etc etc. If the cover is dull, I tend to pass up on it. Sometimes, this proves to be the wrong direction in choosing books. Some books with awesome covers are really, really crappy. Likewise, some books with crappy covers are really, really good. However, that doesn't stop me from doing it this way. In short, if it's my choosing with no request ... most likely, yes, I will judge a book by its cover.

How about you? Do you judge a book by its cover??



Have a topic for Thoughts on Thursday? Be sure to fill out this form so it can be featured!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Review: Darkness Becomes Her, by Kelly Keaton

Darkness Becomes Her
Kelly Keaton
Hardcover, 288 pages
Simon Pulse (February 22, 2011)
Source: S&S Galley Grab
Rating: (Avg 4.0)
Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.


Darkness Becomes Her went from a story that had me curious from just reading the synopsis … to having my full and undivided attention for turning into an unexpectedly fantastic read. I don't really know how to put into words for what I feel for this book without giving too much away. The plot just kept building into layers and layers of story from the very beginning, when we first meet Ari and find out about her mom. From there, we're taken to a familiar place that isn't so familiar anymore. It's been ravaged by the hurricanes, and has become a place that you'd only read about in folklore and myth. Everything in the story is weaved together perfectly – there are no stray hairs that leave you hanging. Well, of course, until you get to the end … then, there's a pretty big cliffhanger waiting for you, snaring you in its grasp and holding you hostage until the next book is released.

The characters in this book charmed me – every. single. one. I loved Ari, our heroine. She was strong, yet still vulnerable. The best part? She didn't act like a spoiled, whiny brat! The love interest, to me, is obvious from the very beginning. Sebastian is a truly swoon-worthy character, heritage or not, and I loved that he was so brave and fearless – even when he knew he wasn't invincible. I also love that Ari and Sebastian didn't go completely love-struck and just forget about the entire world around them. No, the tension was just a soft buzz. You knew it was there, but it never distracts you from the real story. The other characters, especially the house of “misfits”, was exceedingly charming and the other characters were well-fleshed out and never deviated from themselves – no matter how rotten I thought they were. Ha.

Like I said, there was a definite cliffhanger. Of course, it didn't take the cliffhanger for me to be hooked … the story pretty much had me from “hello” and I'm still not out of its trance even after I completely finished the story. One thing that caught me off-guard was the amount of offensive language in the book. I don't think it was completely necessary to the story at all, but it's there – so, if you have a younger child reading the book, you might want to take that into consideration. But it didn't make my interest in the novel stray any. This has to be one of my top most enjoyable reads so far this year. It's definitely a recommendation for paranormal lovers that may also have an interest in Greek mythology.




Find Kelly Keaton Online
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Buy Darkness Becomes Her
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository


Waiting on Wednesday


Waiting Until ...
May 31, 2011

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.


Not only is the cover to this book insanely gorgeous, but the premise is just as intriguing - if not more so. I am also a sucker for sagas.


What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Blog Tour Review: The Long Weekend, by Savita Kalhan




The Long Weekend
Savita Kalhan
Paperback, 192 pages
Anderson Press (Oct. 2, 2008)
Rating: (Avg 4.5)
Sam knows that he and his friend Lloyd made a colossal mistake when they accepted the ride home. They have ended up in a dark mansion in the middle of nowhere with man who means to harm them. But Sam doesn't know how to get them out. They were trapped, then separated. Now they are alone. Will either of them get out alive? This gripping and hypnotic thriller will have you reading late into the night.

This book was delightfully creepy, and I hate to use the word 'delightful' with such a sensitive subject matter - but the creep-factor was incredible in this. It was just the right amount without seeming fake or forced in any way.

As a matter of fact, this whole book flowed perfectly well with no sense of discord or falsehood at all. From the characters to what happens to them... everything connected and flowed perfectly. I think the most shocking part to me was how Savita managed to capture an 11-year-old boy's voice so well. All of his emotions seemed completely genuine. Everything he felt, you felt. Sam and Lloyd are both the "boy next door" types and very easy to relate to. Very easy to empathize with.

From the characters to the actual storytelling, I was absolutely blown away. Somehow, the author managed to leave out graphic details and still be able to give me goosebumps from the creepiness of it all. Coming from someone who's been into horror most of her life - that's no easy feat! From beginning to end, I was on the very edge of my seat eagerly reading to find out what happens to the boys. Because of how easily it is to relate to Sam and Lloyd, you can't help but root for them.

I cannot sing my praises loud enough for this book - it's everything I've always loved in thriller books. If you love psychological thrillers as much as I do, that have a nice helping of the creeps, then I strongly suggest this book.


Find Savita Kalhan Online
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Buy The Long Weekend
Amazon (ebook)| The Book Depository
**Enter to win The Long Weekend! Just click here. (Ends 2/25)**


Teaser Tuesdays!




Sam didn't need to watch any more. He had to get away. He wriggled backwards ever so slowly, flat on his stomach, and didn't stand up until he was deep inside the enveloping darkness of the woodland.

- p. 77, The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan

Monday, February 21, 2011

Review: Logic of Demons, by H.A. Goodman

Logic of Demons
H.A. Goodman

AuthorHouse (July 14, 2010)
Paperback, 272 pages
Rating: (Avg 3.5)
Source: Author
What would you do if the love of your life was murdered by a deranged killer? Would you become a vigilante and seek retribution? And would this revenge affect those you care for in the afterlife? LOGIC OF DEMONS The Quest for Nadine's Soul takes you on a journey inside the psyches of men and women forced to deal with the spiritual consequences of their decisions. Through the lives of a demon, two Angels, and a mysterious teenage girl, a plethora of politically and socially relevant issues ranging from the roots of genocide and sex trafficking to child conscription and religious fundamentalism are addressed in this fantasy thriller. Life as well as the afterlife converge in this novel to explain certain peculiarities of the human condition. Whether you are God fearing individual or an atheist, LOGIC OF DEMONS The Quest for Nadine's Soul addresses moral and theological issues of interest for people of all backgrounds.
Although this book is about a lot of heavier topics, I found it to be an easy and enjoyable read. The story revolves a lot around choices and consequences, which not only gives us more insight into the book but also into our own characters as well.

While we're on the subject of characters, there is an entire cast of them that make up Logic of Demons - everyone of them important to the story. I liked Devin as a character. Though I became a little annoyed with his actions and choices at times because he seemed to leap into things without thinking about the consequences. Considering his ultimate goal, you'd think he would put a little more thought into this. However... even though it wasn't necessarily always the right choices, I could understand his reasoning behind his actions somewhat, which made it a little easier to relate. Nadine is a creative and amazing soul. I wish that we could have seen more of her besides just little snippets through other peoples' minds. Along with these and the other characters, the way the story was told gave it more dimension than a good many of books that I have read.

The amount of description and detail in this book offers that the author put a lot of research and thought into his writing... and it shows. Logic of Demons is a thrill ride full of twists and turns that will have you holding your breath from the exhilaration of the experience until the end. With some of the graphic nature and heavier content in this book, I'd recommend it for a more adult crowd - we'll say mature YA and up.


Find H.A. Goodman Online
Website | Goodreads

Buy Logic of Demons: The Quest for Nadine's Soul
Amazon | AuthorHouse | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository


Monday, Monday!

Mondays always come entirely too soon, don't they? Nevertheless, it's here ... so, what can you do? I got some reading done this weekend, which made me extremely happy. The husband wanted to catch up on his gaming, so I caught up on my TBR pile. It's still massive, but I did put a dent in it. All of my review books for February are done! Now, I'll have a few days to do some pleasure reading as well as catching up on author and blogger e-mails.

Last Week...
The Demon Trapper's Daughter, by Jana Oliver
Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale, by Ramona Wray
Deadly, by Julie Chibbaro
In The Company of Vampires, by Katie MacAlister
Casanova: Actor, Lover, Priest, Spy, by Ian Kelly

This Week...
Warped, by Maurissa Guibord
Overprotected, by Jennifer Laurens
Evercrossed, by Elizabeth Chandler
Once in a Full Moon, by Ellen Schreiber
Angelfire, by Courtney Allison Moulton
Unearthly, by Cynthia Hand

Things To Note...
- The international contest for a copy of Savita Kalhan's The Long Weekend is still open. Go here.
- My giveaway for a book from one of January's Before & After authors is still open until the end of this month. Click here to go to the post.
- Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale's review is scheduled for next week, along with an interview with author Ramona Wray... as well as a giveaway for a copy of the book. So be on the lookout for that!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

In My Mailbox (10)

Hosted By: The Story Siren
Inspired By: Pop Culture Junkie



For Review

Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale, by Ramona Wray
Overprotected, by Jennifer Laurens
Warped, by Maurissa Guibord

Purchased

All Just Glass, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Delirium, by Lauren Oliver
I Am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore
In The Company of Vampires, by Katie MacAlister

Gifted

Across the Universe, by Beth Revis
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