Book Review: Through the Dark Woods by Joanna Swinney

Through the Dark Woods: A Young Woman's Journey Out of Depression


This is the story of a woman's battle with depression. It started when she was in school and carried into her adult life. She has many wonderful stories of the people that helped, the people that hurt, and how she's emerged a happier person. Many of the things she said made so much sense I'm amazed that everyone didn't already know them. The tips she offers for people suffering from depression and well as well as the ones trying help that with depression, are wonderful. The only down side of this book for me was the constant references to Christianity. I know these may help many people, but as someone that doesn't practice any particular religion, they seemed a bit forced at time. Still a book a would recommend to anyone with depression or anyone that knows someone with depression.

4/5

Book Review: The Bride Fair by Cheryl Reavis

The Bride Fair (Harlequin Historical Series)


This story takes place in a Southern town shortly after the Civil War...a town under Union occupation still. The hostilities between the Union army soldiers and the residents is high. That doesn't keep the mothers from trying to marry their daughters off to the ranking officers. With too few men, and too many women, the city is often referred to as a bride fair.

One young lady of marriage age is Maria Markham. Maria's two brothers and her fiance were killed in the war, and her father is quite ill. To help keep the house running they board the highest ranking Union officer in their house, a Colonel Max Woodard. Max has no nice feelings for the town. This is the town where he was kept as a prisoner of war, watching hundreds of his fellow soldiers die, nearly dieing himself. While Max is a fair leader, not allowing his men to take advantage of their situations, he holds no love for the town at all.

I loved the characters in this book. Max and Maria were both so hard headed about things, it reminded me of so many I know today. The prejudices on both sides were fascinating and added an element of danger to the story that was always lingering in the background. Reavis did a fantastic job of setting the stage for Max and Maria.

There were numerous twists and unexpected turns throughout that led up to a perfect ending. Not only must Max and Maria fight to find their own happiness, they are both fighting the strict customs and codes of the times. This would have to be one of my favorite romances so far.

4/5

Weekly Finds: 4/24/10

All new ebooks for my Nook this week.

Dirty Little Angels
From bn.com: Set in the slums of New Orleans, among clusters of crack houses and abandoned buildings, Dirty Little Angels is the story of sixteen year old Hailey Trosclair. When the Trosclair family suffers a string of financial hardships and a miscarriage, Hailey finds herself looking to God to save her family. When her prayers go unanswered, Hailey puts her faith in Moses Watkins, a failed preacher and ex-con. Fascinated by Moses' lopsided view of religion, Hailey, and her brother Cyrus, begin spending time down at an abandoned bank that Moses plans to convert into a drive-through church. Gradually, though, Moses' twisted religious beliefs become increasingly more violent, and Hailey and Cyrus soon find themselves trapped in a world of danger and fear from which there may be no escape.








Doc Sidhe
From bn.com: Olympic kickboxer Harris Greene's career has just self-destructed, and both his manager and his fiance, Gaby, have dumped him. While looking for Gaby, he interrupts a bizarre trio as they are kidnapping her, and he is hurled into another, very weird, universe. His only hope is Doc Sidhe, this Art Deco universe's greatest champion of justice.


















The Judge: The Coranite Chronicles (Volume 1)
From amazon.com: When it is discovered that the Judges--the mythical assassins who walk the shadows to silence criminals--are real, the Galactic Federation begins the manhunt to bring down the dangerous vigilantes. Darek Wayker, an innocent delivery boy, is the first suspect...and the first to be sentenced to death. Aided by his friends, Darek escapes the clutches of the government and flees to a distant world. But the world is nothing like he imagined. Monsters lurk at every step and all signs of civilized life have mysteriously vanished. With no way off the planet, Darek loses all hope. But when he finds two others who are also stranded there--the reckless heroine called Azura and the cold-blooded assassin named Sorren--they set off on a journey across the desolate land. Together, they must battle terrifying beasts, incite a revolution, survive a horde of wrathful spirits, and uncover a plot so frightening that it will change the fate of the universe...forever. A story packed with action, suspense, comedy and mystery, The Judge is an intense thrill ride from start to finish!

Update: YA Blogger Debut Book Battle

Alyssa at The Shady Glade has posted the brackets for the upcoming Book Battle.  I will be judging in one of the later brackets and I can hardly wait to see what books will make it that far.

If you want to see the list and check out the brackets and see which books will be competing head to head first check HERE.

Book Review: Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

Fragile Eternity (Wicked Lovely)



Finally...a look into Ash's boyfriend, Seth. While this book doesn't necessarily revolve around him, it takes a long, hard, honest look into the relationship between the Summer Queen and her mortal boyfriend. We see how complicated and frustrated both are with the situation. While is immortal, she lives knowing that Seth will age and die and she will be without him for the majority of her life. Seth is terrified of losing Ash to the emotions and needs of her Faery Summer Court, and especially her Summer King.

Seth must find a way to stay with Ash forever, but his options are incredibly limited. To top it all off, Bananach, a faery that craves nothing but war and chaos, has her hands in the pot stirring away, hoping to start an all out war between the factions. Seth finds himself stuck in the middle, being used as a pawn to further various courts desires. Will he make the correct decisions, or will he cause the devastating war that Bananach hopes for?

This volume of Melissa Marr's series was quite intense. Everyone is at everyone else's throats over something. We are also introduced to the High Court, the court that almost never fully leaves the Faery realm. All the characters are forced to make hard decisions, decisions that could effect the balance of things everywhere. I did get a little tired of hearing Seth and Ash complain about their mortal/immortal situation. We realize this upsets you, I don't want to hear about it every 20 pages or so. However. this series just keeps going strong and it sounds like there may be more to come. I certainly hope so!

4/5

Book Battle 2010

The Shady Glade Book Blog is hosting the Debut Book Battle 2010.  I was lucky enough to be chosen as a reader...each and every book selected to compete is on my wishlist....how could I resist signing up!


I'll try to keep you updated as more news or updates come out.  For the list of nominees head on over to The Shady Glade and check it out.

Weekly Finds: 4/18/10 - Bonus Edition

Bookcloseouts.com was having a great sale on their fiction books...tons of titles for $1.99 (I believe it is still going on if you want to check it out).  My book order arrived to today.  I was good and held back, ordering only six books this time.  However, they are mostly series, so that means potentially more books later.  Oh well, I'm a sucker for a good series.

Touched by Venom: Book One of the Dragon Temple Saga by Janine Cross

From the back of the book:  Like her half-breed mother, young Zarq Darquel can't always hold her tongue as she should.  A lowly peasant on a large dragon estate in Malacar, she goes unnoticed by the watchful eye of the Temple of the Dragon, despite her rebellious ways - until she accidentally captures the attention of an eccentric and dangerous dragonmaster and unleashes a storm of tragedy.  Her clan is plunged into destitution, her beautiful sister, Waivia, sold into slavery, and her mother lost to madness.

Desperate to find Waivia, Zarq and her delirious mother flee through the underworld of their land - from the Zone of the Dead to a sanctuary for outcast dragons, through discovery and persecution.  Consumed with the desire for revenge, Zarq develops a taste for the highly addictive venom drawn from the dragons she has been taught to revere, and sinks into a realm of bizarre magics.  Here, influenced by the divine grace of dragon memories, Zarq glimpses possibilities of revenge and social revolution.  But to achieve them, she must defy not just the sexual taboos and patriarchal conventions of her society, but the Emperor who rules her nation...

Druid's Sword:  Book Four of the Trow Game by Sara Douglass

From the inside cover:  The year is 1940.  The skies above London are filled with German planes on nightly raids, a blitz that brings a barrage of bombs that pound the city into rubble.  Each morning Londoners face the previous night's handiwork, and though they are faced with the possibility of sudden death, the people of London are determined to fight the evil that threatens to destroy their nation.  They struggle to live normal lives amid the terror and chaos.

But is it only Hitler's Luftwaffe and the blitz that is responsible for all the death and destruction that the city is facing?

Brutus, the Greek Kingman who brought the bands of power to the Isle of Alba a millennia ago, once again walks the streets of London, this time as an American major.  The men and women who are is eternal companions (and sometimes lovers and enemies) have all been reborn in this time and place.  They have come together for one last battle to finally complete the magical Labyrinth buried at the heart of the city.  Half completed and resonating with an evil power, the Maze calls to them to complete the Game and find a solution that will end his age-old pain, he comes to realize that there is anew power that walks the land.  It is strong and hungry, and it has its own agenda.

And by its actions it could change the world forever.

Adam Runaway: A Novel by Peter Prince

It is 1721 and young Adam Hanaway, devastated by his father's sudden death, leaves England to seek his fortune in Lisbon, where his uncle is a successful merchant.  But almost nothing turns out as Adam planned.  His family's welcome is cool, and Adam's rise is thwarted by his uncle's treacherous clerk and also by a certain personal trait.  He's not a coward exactly, but he is inclined to boldly put himself in dangerous situations and then at the last minute run away - hence the nickname.

Adam certainly has a lot to learn.  The Inquisition grips Portugal, and those who befriend Adam may not be well intentioned.  His mother and sisters wait for him to rescue them from poverty, but he is distracted by a number of local beauties.  Then he commits a social faux pas so severe he forever ruins his chances for making a good match.  Swept up in a struggle that will require him to come into his manhood - the struggle between wickedness and humanity - it seems Adam will never find his way to success, to love, or to peace with the life fate has given him.

Outriders:  The Birthright Project, Book 1 by Kathryn Mackel

From the back of the book:  A new Ark.  An ancient enemy.  Teen warriors fighting the darkness.

Delivered through the polar ice by a whale, their journey is nothing short of miraculous, their mission, nothing short of impossible.  Their quest is to reclaim God's birthright and preserve the original creation that is being mutated out of existence.

This daring team roams the blighted earth.  They are Outriders, young warriors who wield swords and wits to protect the birthrighter camps.  When rookie birthrighters arrive from the Ark, however, the battle turns into something no one expected.  Not only must they battle the merciless warlord Alrod and his horde of gigantic mutants, but a new and more powerful enemy has revealed itself, a darkness that threatens to destroy the world they've been charged to save.

The Serpent and the Rose:  The War of the Rose, Book 1 by Kathleen Bryan

From the back of the book:  In the Kingdom of Lys, where magic is worked in the form of jeweled glass, the Knights of the Rose and the Ladies of the Isle guard the world against an ancient enemy.  Long ago, the Serpent was imprisoned by the Young God, and the Orders still keep the secret of that prison a thousand years later.  But now a traitor king is conspiring to destroy the heart and soul of his kingdom.  Only Averil, heir to the duchy of Quitaine, and Gereint, the fatherless son of a peasant farmer, have the power to stand against him.

V: The Original Miniseries by  Kenneth Johnson and A.C. Crispin

From the back of the book:  Kenneth Johnson's Warner Bros. television miniseries V swept the nation and drew in hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.  Now the novel V is finally back in print, with and all-new, never-before-seen ending.

The alien visitors arrive without warning, their enormous spaceships hovering over fifty of the world's major cities.  Their tale of an imperiled homeworld beguiles us.  Their human appearance and soothing voices reassure us.  Their calm promises of friendship and mutual aid lull us.  The aliens fool everyone - until a suspicious journalist and a Holocaust survivor point out the chilling signs that the Visitors aren't nearly as friendly as the seem.

As with so many oppressive regimes of Earth's past and present, an ill-informed, propagandized populace becomes complicit in its subjugation, turning a blind eye to atrocities committed by their tryannical overlords.  Now a small band of resistance fighters who know the aliens' true nature must stand up for all of humanity.

With nonstop action, political intrigue, and memorable characters, V is a fast-paced thriller, a cautionary tale as chillingly effective today as when first published.

Giveaway Link: Harper Teen Prize Pack

The Book Pixie is hosting a giveaway with four great young adult books.

1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
2. The Heart is Not a Size by Beth Kephart
3. The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
4. Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

There several ways to earn extra entries, but the contest ends by May 16, 2010.

For more information and to enter click HERE

Book Review: The Magic of Krynn by various authors

The Magic of Krynn Book 1 in the Tales Trilogy of DragonLance

The Magic of Krynn is the first in a series of books with short stories about the lives of the characters in the previous two trilogies of DragonLance. Some of the stories are about the main characters (the Majere twins) and some give background to some of the more popular side characters that we grew to love as we read the earlier books. This is a set of short stories that can be read as a stand alone, but having read the previous books does enhance all the tales. The short novella at the end written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is a great story. We visit Caramon and his family, his wife and 5 kids. We get a small glimpse into how his life is effecting the relationship with his three sons as they become adults and go to have their own adventures.

My favorite story is probably the one about Tasslehoff Burrfoot, the curious kender who is incapable of fear. Hearing about one of his crazy little adventures is always a treat.

3.5/5

Weekly Finds: 4/16/10

The Sword by Bryan Litfin

Received as a review copy from librarything.com early reviewers.

From the back of the book: Four hundred years after a deadly virus and nuclear war destroyed the modern world, a new and noble civilization emerges.  In this kingdom, called Chiveis, snowcapped mountains provide protection, and fields and livestock provide food.  The people live medieval-style lives, with almost no knowledge of the "ancient" world.  Safe in their natural stronghold, the Chiveisi have everything they need, even their own religion.  Christianity has been forgotten - until a young army scout comes across a strange book.

With that discovery, this work of speculative fiction takes readers on a journey that encompasses adventure, romance, and the revelation of the one true God.  Through compelling narrative and powerful character development, The Sword speaks to God's goodness, his refusal to tolerate sin, man's need to bow before him, and the eternality of his Word.  Fantasy and adventure readers will be hooked by this first book in a forthcoming trilogy.

Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire (ereader Nook) - reading as the sequel to Wicked.

From the electronic overview:  When a witch dies - not as a crone, withered and incapable, but as a woman in her prime, at the height of her passion and prowess - too much is left unsaid.  What might have happened had Elphaba lived?  Of her campaigns in defense of the Animals, of her appetite for justice, of her talent for magic itself, what good might have come?  If every death is a tragedy, the death of a woman in her prime keenly bereaves the whole world.  Ten years after the publication of Wicked, bestselling novelist Gregory Maguire returns to the land of Oz to follow the story of Liir, the adolescent boy left hiding in the shadows of the castle when Dorothy did in the witch.

A decade after the Witch has melted away, the young man Liir is discovered bruised, comatose, and left for dead in a gully.  Shattered in spirit as well as in form, he is tended by the mysterious Candle, a foundling in her own right, until failed campaigns of his childhood bear late, unexpected fruit.

Liir is only one part of the world that Elphaba left behind.  As a boy hardly in his teens, he is asked to help the needy in ways in which he may be unskilled.  Is he Elphaba's son?  Has he power of his own?  Can he liberate Princess Nastoya into a dignified death?  Can he locate his supposed half-sister, Nor, last seen in the shackles in the Wizard's protection?  Can he survive in an Oz little improved since the death of the Wicked Witch of the West?  Can he learn to fly?

In Son of a Witch, Gregory Maguire suggests that the magic we locate in distant, improbably places like Oz is no great than the magic inherent in any hard life lived fully, son of a witch or no.


The Incumbent by Alton Gansky (ereader Nook)

From the electronic overview:  Madison "Maddy" Glenn is the controversial mayor of the beautiful tourist town of Santa Rita, California.  Lisa Truccoli, her friend and treasurer of her last campaign, has been abducted.  The only thing left at the scene of the crime is a shocking clue - a clue with Maddy's name on it.  And the game begins.  She embarks on a desperate hunt for answers, finding more shocking clues in a dangerous game the abductor want to play - with Maddy.

Giveaway Link: A Golden Web by Barbara Quick

Enchanted by Josephine is hosting a giveaway for one copy of A Golden Web by Barbara Quick.  An Italian historical fiction novel that sounds great!  Giveaway ends by April 25, 2010.

For more information and to enter click HERE.

Giveaway Link: I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson

Bookin' With Bingo is hosting a giveaway for three copies of I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson.  It's a story of a man and his dog and the love they share as each goes through their lives together.  This sounds like a story that any animal lover will thoroughly enjoy.  The contest ends May 1, 2010.

For more information and to enter click HERE.

Good luck!

Book Review: Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander

Taran has finally admitted his feeling for the Princess Eilonwy. The problem now is that he doesn't believe that his bloodlines are worthy of her. She is a princess after all, and he is but a lowly assistant pig keeper, a orphan that does not know where he really came from. So he sets of with the ever faithful Gurgi as his companion in a quest to find out who he is.

We are visited by several old friends from previous books in the series and introduced to a handful of new bad guys. I have to say the bad guys are getting better - or more badder? - as the series progresses and more and more inventive plans are needed to foil their plots.

Taran learns much about himself through his journey and learns some very important lessons along the way, with one of the most important being about who he really is. I loved the sorcerer, Morda. It seems all of man's faults are wrapped up quite nicely in one little package. Fflewddur returns with Llyan, such a wonderful friend that manages to save the day at least once. Kaw, the pesky crow shows us that help comes from the least likely places. And of course the faithful Gurgi, the best friend Taran could ever have is along for the ride.

I think this will have to be my favorite so far in the series. With just one more left, The High King, I can't wait to see how everything ends.

4/5

Guest Reviewer: Ima Nobody Becomes a Somebody by Brenda Poage

I'd like to announce a very special guest blogger today...my 7yr old daughter, Alyssa. She thinks is awesome that I write things on the computer that "other people" can see and read. So I had her write a short "This is what I like" type of review about the most recent book we read together.

Ima Nobody Becomes A Somebody by Brenda Poage

I like the part when Ima did not quit when Billy hit her in the head with a volleyball. I like tha part when Ima went to the circus to see the wonder dog. I learned that you never quit something that you start. I learned that you do not be a bully to someone else that doesn't look good. I learned that you fight back when someone is being a bully to you.

Now for my own personal two cents. The book was fast paced and humorous, which is great for a first grader. The names throughout the book are great, such as the gym coach Mr Go-gettum. The book is full of small lessons such as never giving up, doing everything to your best, and the big one, how to deal with a bully.  Ima learns that the best thing you can be is yourself, and that no matter what other people say even a Nobody can still be a somebody.


The book opened up many areas for Alyssa and I to discuss things that could happen to her and what the various good and bad ways to react are.  Alyssa loved Ima and cheered at the ending.  It's a great book for parent and child to read together.

Giveaway Link: Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Books and Needlepoint is hosting a giveaway for 3 copies of Jean Hanff Korelitz's book Admission.  The contest ends April 27, 2010.

For more information and to enter click HERE.

Good luck!

Book Review: Bhagavad-Gita translated by Barbara Stoler Miller

Bhagavad Gita

I picked this up because it is one of the essential texts of Hindu culture and I enjoy learning the history of culture and religions. This particular text is a series of conversations between the Arjuna (a warrior/prince) and the god Krishna. There are some interesting sections on what is the basis of action is and how we should approach it mentally and overcome our physical desires.

I don't like to rate books that can be viewed as religious texts, so I give them all 3 stars as a rule.

3/5

Book Review: Death on Demand by Carolyn G. Hart

Death on Demand (Death on Demand Mysteries, No. 1)

Annie has recently found herself owner of her late uncle's mystery bookstore named Death on Demand. Every Sunday she has a group of mystery writers in as a group to discuss whatever it is mystery writers talk about. This Sunday goes a little different than past ones. One of the writers, Elliot, is speaking on all the dirt he's managed to dig up on all the other group members. But just as Elliot gets started something happens, he ends up dead, and Annie end up the prime suspect.

As Annie and her friend Max rush around the island to find clues to clear her name, several more end up dead. This is where I started losing interest. I have read further books into the series, and enjoyed them. I just could not get into anyone here and the solution seemed somewhat thrown together at the last second. It just wasn't quite my cup of tea.

2.5/5

Book Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowlings

A collection of 5 short stories about the wizarding world of Harry Potter. These are written in ways that are similar to "muggle" fairy tales such as Red Riding Hood or Cinderella. Each tells the story implying a very valuable moral lesson throughout. All were cute stories, but I think I enjoyed the commentaries by Dumbledore the best.

3/5

Book Review: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

Courtney is having a bad couple months. She finds her fiance is a flirt and possible more and her best friend was covering for him. She decided to take solace in some nice hard liquor and a Jane Austen novel. The next morning she wakes to find herself no longer Courtney living in LA, but Jane Mansfield living in England...a long time ago.

As Courtney/Jane struggle to figure out what happened to send her into another time, place, and body...she comes to learn that not everyone is as they seem and first impressions don't usually last.

The story of Courtney as Jane is a wonderful adventure into the world of Jane Austen, full of romance, mistaken intentions, and best friends. The story ends in a somewhat traditional Austen fashion, but is even more wonderful because of it.

4/5

Book Review: Wicked by Gregory Maguire

I read this book awhile ago, shortly after it was released in hardcover, and decided to read it again before I picked up the rest of the series. In Wicked, we read about the life of Elphaba, eventually known as the wicked witch of the west. We visit the shocking circumstances of her birth - the first green child ever seen. We follow her as she grows up, a fairly normal childhood, and then leaves for school. While at school she meets the rest of our cast of characters and becomes very politically active. Here is where the book really becomes interesting so I won't say too much more and risk giving too much away.

I actually loved the young Elphaba and enjoyed seeing her grow up and learn. Maguire shows us a side of her story that does not stray from the facts of the original Wizard of Oz, but gives us an alternate viewpoint where evil may not really be so evil. Elphaba is just like any other person in the land of Oz, but gets a bad reputation by standing up to the Wizard and the things he does that she feels are wrong.

Wicked is a quick read with enjoyable characters throughout. While the story is familiar, it is told in a way that makes it seem brand new. I hope to start Son of a Witch soon.

4/5

Weekly Finds: 4/10/10

Not too many this week.  I've been doing well with not buying too many new books until I catch up a bit on my reading.   Just one new eBook this week.

The Affinity Bridge by George Mann (Nook - eBook) recommended by a steampunk reading group on librarything.com.

From the electronic description (it isn't very much):  A massively entertaining steampunk detective tale from a preeminent force in British publishing.

Book Meets Movie: The Jane Austen Book Club

The Jane Austen Book Club was a wonderful book, a story about life...a life with happy endings.  The movie follows fairly faithfully to the story.  The exception would be Allegra and Prudie. Ther stories were still great...just a little different.

The plot line introduces several things that were referenced in the book as happening in the past, as happening in the present.  These are worked in flawlessly and serve to round the characters and the personalities out very well without having to deal with multiple flashbacks or trying to show thoughts in a movie format.

If you enjoyed the book, you will enjoy the movie.  It was great to watch on a stormy evening curled up on the couch.  And to top it all off - Grigg is pretty cute!

Giveaway Link: Branded by Keary Taylor

Tynga's Reviews is hosting a contest for what sounds to be a fantastic book, Branded by Keary Taylor.  It's super easy to enter, but you only have until April 19, 2010 to enter.

For more information and to enter click HERE.

Book Review: The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

This is a simple and very real story of a group of friends that decide to get together to read the complete books of Jane Austen. As we listen to their tales and their thoughts on the books, we fall into their lives. Problems that sound so simple become complex as we see them through the people living them.


Readers of any sort will be able to relate to this group of readers. I did find some of what happened to be a bit predictable, but it was in a comfortable sort of way. I've always enjoyed books that about life, and I think this one will be read for years to come.

On a side note, I've ordered the movie from NetFlix to see how well they did it.

4/5 stars

Book Review: Twilight Phantasies by Maggie Shayne

I picked this up as my first book on my new Nook ereader because I somehow got my hands on book 12 in this series and wanted to at least read the first one before reading number twelve. I found it for waaaay to much money online or 2.99 in electronic format...so electronic it was!


Twilight Phantasies is the story of a very special woman named Tamara. Tamara works for a top secret government agency that tracks and studies people with "unusual" abilities. He guardian also works for this agency tracking a vampire named Eric Marquand. Tamara's guardian is quite fanatic in his belief that all vampire's are inherently evil and should be destroyed or made weak so he can study them.

Tamara decides to go ice skating in the middle of the night, she can no longer sleep, and meets the very same man (vampire) that her guardian has been tracking and attempting to capture this whole time. She instantly feels the connection...it's as if their minds were somehow joined.

Needless to say, when her guardian finds out, trouble arises...in many many forms. I throughly enjoyed the story and the characters. The small side plots and characters only brought the main ones to life even more. I've purchased the next couple in the series and I hope they are just as good.

3.5/5

Giveaway Link: Presumed Innocent by Scott Turo

Joystory is hosting a giveaway for the book Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow.  You only have until noon on May 1, 2010 to enter, and her rules are wonderfully simple.

For more information and to enter go HERE.

Book Review: Shades of Gray by Wendy Douglas

Derek Fontaine is running from his past and his family. He is going to claim the ranch in Texas that was given to him by his recently deceased uncle. He does not expect an overly warm welcome from the ranch hands, but when he stumbles into cattle rustlers and murder, he's definately in for more than he bargained for.


One of the unexpected things on Derek's new ranch is Amber. His uncle's housekeeper who has stayed on waiting for Derek to arrive hoping that he will allow her to stay. Amber is also running from her past and the nearby town that has shunned her unjustly.

As Derek struggles to bring the ranch back into operation, he develops a deep respect for Amber's hard work and dedication to his Uncle and the ranch. However, will his assumptions about her past tear them apart or bring them back together?

3/5

Weekly Finds: 4/2/10

Union of Renegades -The Rys Chronicles book 1 by Tracy Falbe (Nook - ebook)

From the electronic overview:  The Rys Chronicles begin with this character-rich adventure that follows the travels of Driebrand Veta, an ambitious warrior who seeks to rebuild his noble family's fortune.  He is the first to join the powerful rys spellcaster Shan, whose race possesses magical powers and whose Queen Onja rules many human kingdoms as their Goddess.  The wickedness and tyranny on Onja disgust Shan and he desires to seize the rys throne from her.  The third renegade is Miranda.  After escaping from her abusive slave master she becomes a crucial player in Shan's bid for power.  To weaken Onja, Shan raises rebellion amoung her human subjects and gathers allies to his cause.  Shan demonstrates his magic in battle and convinces his followers that the fearsome rys Queen can be overthrown.  For over two thousand years Onja has ruled, but now, not even fear of her ability to enslave souls will stop her ambitious enemies.

Hero Wanted by Dan McGirt (Nook - ebook)

From the electronic overview:  A rollicking fantasy romp across the Eleven Kingdoms with reluctant hero Jason Cosmo and the cynical wizard Mercury Boltblaster.  Forced to flee his home in Lower Hicksnittle and pursued by bounty hunters, demons, and the sinister Dark Magic Society, Jason goes from the bright realm of The Gods to the depths of the incredibly Dark Forest to learn the awful truth behind the price on his head.

The Unsuspecting Mage - Morcyth Saga book 1 by Brian S. Pratt (Nook - ebook)

From the electronic overview:  The Unsuspecting Mage is the first book in The Morcyth Saga, a new epic fantasy series by Brian S. Pratt.  From beginning to end, it's jammed pact with action and adventure.  Not knowing what is going on from the antagonist's viewpoint gives this book an excitement others lack.  An avid reader for years, Mr. Pratt brings his own original slant to the genre that has entertained millions.

Twilight Phantasies - Wings in the Night book 1 by Maggie Shayne (Nook - ebook)

From the electronic overview:  In two centures of living death, Eric Marquand had never once cried out against the cruel fate that had condemned him to walk forever in shadows.  But then, he found the woman he knew was his chosen one - and understood that to possess her was to destroy her...

Tamara Day trembled at the aura of dread and despair that enshrouded this creature of the night.  And yet, against all reason, she saw clearly that her destiny was eternally entwined with his, and that she must know - even welcome - the terror and the splendor of the vampire's kiss...

Wings in the Night Part 1 (6 Wings of the Night books) by Maggie Shayne (Nook - ebook)

From the electronic overview:  Indulge in six dark and sexy tales from Maggie Shayne's award-winning vampire series Wings in the Night.  Part 1 of the collection includes Twilight Phantasies, Twilight Memories, Twilight Illusions, Beyond Twilight, Born in Twilight, and Twilight Vows.

(I will probably be posting a review for each separately).

Dracula by Bram Stoker (Nook - ebook)

A Little Behind

I have three reviews to write this weekend.  I've gotten behind as life took over for awhile and I wasn't online so much for a couple weeks.  I'll be finishing the up and posting them tonight and tomorrow.