Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Teaser Tuesday (3)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Today's a short but sweet one from The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks.

"That's because you ate something rank.  Like a rat or a dead pigeon."

Makes me rethink my opinion that werewolves are fun.


 
Tynga's Review has a great story and giveaway posted.  You can win a copy of Blood Sacrifice by Maria Lima.
For more information and to enter click HERE.

Monday, August 29, 2011

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren.


Behind out political leaders - yes, even the "moral" ones - is an army of young, horny, professional staffers scrapping it out.
Lisa Baron should know - she used to be one of them.  With the unerring candor of George Stephanopoulos and the uncensored with of Chelsea Handler, Baron gives good anecote on a world where Godaphiles and Press Tarts work together to keep their politicos from imploding...and reveals how a not-so-nice Jewish girl became spokeswoman for the former head of the Christian Coalition until she had to kiss that career and its perks - a durnken night with Wayne Newton and dating advice from the religious right - good-bye.

Daughter of Dreams

The spector of totalitarianism hovers over the City, a vast metropolis once renowned as a center of scienific and artistic progress.  Under the guidance of the Security Committee, the Guardians partrol the streets, using a network of DNA-tracking pods to enforce their will.  The Guardians have brought stability to the City, but not everyone is happy with the cost.  The forces of dissent are growing louder, ane one of their most influential voices is a brilliant scientist named Jared Manning.  But when the tracer pods start hunting him, he knows that he has a far more urgent problem than politics.  Jared is hiding a deadly secret, and someone very powerful wants to know it.
Jared and his daughter Serda must flee the City in order to protect the secret, but the danger to Serda is great.  Without her doctor to guide her, can she control the terrifying dreams that once tore her life apart?  She fantasizes about a life in the Communes, but will their idealistic society have the wisdom to understand the darkness inside her?  She may never know, because she may never escape.  Many have tried to elude the tracers, but no one has ever succeeded.  And in one of Serda's nightmares, the City is burning...

Giveaway Link: Lost by Caridad Pineiro

The Lost (Sin Hunters)Tynga's Reviews has a great fairy tale and giveaway going on right now.  You can win a copy of Lost by Caridad Pineiro.

For more information and to enter click HERE

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Giveaway Link: Passion by Lauren Kate


Tynga's Reviews is hosting a great giveaway for Passion by Lauren Kate.

Deadline to enter is Sept 7th.  For more info and to enter click HERE.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins


Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 275
Acquired: 4/2/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: Series
Series: The Hunger Games (2)

I'm sure there have been countless other reviews of the second book in this popular series, so I'm going to be brief. I imagine there are quite a few other people out there that share my opinion.

The Capitol is very angry with Katniss and Peeta for forcing his hand in last year's hunger games. The districts are in rebellion and they are using the two as mascots and motivation. The second book in the series takes us back into the hunger games with a whole new arena. I found this arena to be much more inventive and played a major part in the story. The contestants are once again set up to battle until only one survivor is remaining, but once again things don't go as the gamemasters planned.

I did not enjoy Katniss and Peeta nearly as much as I did in the previous book. They did not seem to grow. The other contestants also seemed to be a bit shallow, even though the book was set up in a way that left the door wide open for some new favorites to emerge. I'll be reading the third because the story ended with quite a cliffhanger and I am still quite attached to many of the characters in the book.

3/5

Giveaway Link: Wayfinder by C.E. Murphy


Another great giveaway came up on Tynga's Reviews this morning.  A copy of Wayfinder by C.E. Murphy is up for grabs.

For more info and to enter click HERE.

Giveaway Link: Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs


Tynga's Reviews is hosting a giveaway for Tera Lyn Childs' mermaid books.

For more info and to enter click HERE.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Giveaway Link: Never Cry Wolf by Cynthia Eden



There is a great giveaway going on over at Tynga's Reviews, along with a fantastic spin on the Red Riding Hood Tale.  Even if you don't enter the giveaway I encourage you to go check the story out.

For more info and to enter click HERE.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Book Review: Battered Earth by D. Hilleren


Genre: End of the World
Pages: 229
Acquired: 8/4/11
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I read it: Review Copy
Series: None

The world is experiencing strangely strong natural disasters. Many believe it is a direct result of humankind's footprint on the environment. But many more believe that they are just freak anomalies that will go away if we just wait them out. A group of environmentalists and energy scientists are set to meet in Stockholm to brainstorm ways to reduce the impact we have on the environment. However, there is a group of powerful individuals that will do just about anything to make sure their ideas never see the light of day.

Nicole Hunter is the host of the meeting in Stockholm. She is determined to find a way to reduce our use of fossil fuels for energy. When there is an attack and someone from the meeting is killed Oliver Odin shows up to investigate. His investigation leads him on quite a chase across Europe and Asia, uncovering a huge plot that could potentially kill millions.

The writing style of this book threw me off at first. It is not written in a typical novel fashion. It struck me as much more like the human interest pieces you often read in the local papers. A lot of facts, and a little personality. Whether or not the author intended it to read this way, it worked once you got used to it. I found myself eagerly anticipating the next "edition/chapter" and wondering where the story would turn next.

4/5

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Book Review: The Serpent and the Rose by Kathleen Bryan


Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 316
Acquired: 4/17/10
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I read it:
Series: The War of the Rose (1)

The Kingdom of Lys has an interesting form of magic. It is worked by knights, magicians, and the Ladies of the Isle. Using glass to concentrate and hold the magic they shape. They also hold the great responisiblity of keeping the Serpent imprisoned by holding the secret of his location as a sacred secret.

Averil has been trained as a Lady of the Isle but was called back home prematurely to help her father, who is the Duke of Quitaine. The Duke has good reasn te fear for the safety of his throne, so he wants his daughter home and wed to secure the succession of his lands. But when everyone's worst fears and more come to pass, she is forced to flee with a band of knights and Gereint.

Gereint is a farmboy, but not so plain and simple. He has magic of an unknown nature running through his veins. His mother, in a misguided effort to protect him, has forbidden him from seeking out the knights for training. He slips away one day to follow the knights and find his destiny. It takes him far from home where he meets Averil. When Averil is forced to run from the invaders, he goes with.

Their journey takes them to places that are made of myth and legend, and dark secrets are revealed and discovered. As they try to find safety and a return to their old ways, it dawns on them that much has been forgotten, and to win they must remember and learn.

A fantasy tale with a touch of christian story mixed with magic, I loved the characters. They were incredibly dynamic. Tere were many I loved and the ones I hated, I loved to hate. Their fourney is a fantastic one that kept the pages turning. The only draw back was that at times the point was driven home a little too hard. There is much to say for subtlety and at times it was lacking.

3/5

Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox, pg. 111

"Her father was broken and beyond reproach, Rose was right to hate her, and she had been wrong to keep her own promises.  But Nown made her feel like God on the first Sabbath; he was a great responsibility, ut he was good, like the world, and being with him made Laura sleepy with happiness."

Monday, August 22, 2011

In My Mailbox (5)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren.  I have just one this week.  A contest win from One Page At A Time.


My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythis Academy - a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off someone's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.
But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos.  First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities.  Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War.  You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things.  Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why - especially since I should have been the one who died...

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Book Review: Outriders by Kathryn Mackel


Genre: Christian Fantasy
Pages: 288
Acquired: 4/17/10
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I read it:
Series: The Birthright Project (1)

The world has almost come to an end. Vast areas have been rendered desolate by bombs and disasters. What remains is ruled by evil overlords that force the people to undergo cruel experiments in the endless effort to rule over all. But hope is not lost. Far beneath the polar ice caps a second ark lies, housing people and animals untouched by the blight that has swept across the surface. The time has come for the Birthrighters, as they call themselves, to venture out into the world. Setting up outposts where they can, they fight against the overlords and rescue what they can of the remaining animals and plants that have retained their original form.

I was a little leary when I realized this was a Christian book, many of them get too preachy for my taste. However, Outriders' mix was just right. There was plenty of lessons to learn as the people fought against the overlord Alrod and his mutants, most of which were created against their will from the peasants under his rule. The Outriders must learn to fight when it is needed while learning to accept that it is not always the only way. The overlord isn't their only concern. As the first group to leave the arc enters their 20's, they begin to fight temptation and jealousy. There is much to overcome if the Birthrighters want to succeed in their mission of returning the earth to its original glory.

3.5/5

Monday, August 15, 2011

In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren.  I broke down and bought a batch of books from bookcloseouts.com that came last week.  This website is my downfall, I have a hard time not buying up more than I can afford!

Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox:  The dreamhunting began as a beautiful thing, when Tziga Hame discovered that he could enter the Place and share the dreams he found there with other people.  But Tziga Hame has disappeared and Laura, his daughter, knows that the dreams have turned sour.  The wealthy still experience sweet dreams, but the government has been using nightmares to keep the convicts obedient and content.  On St. Lazarus's Eve, when elite citizens gather in the dream palace, Laura is determined to show them the truth.  She plunges them into the nightmare used to control the convicts.  But as she struggles to counter the government's sinister plans, a deeper mystery surfaces, a puzzle only Laura can unravel, a puzzle having to do with the very nature of the Place.  What is the Place, after all?  And what does it want from her?


In Mistress of Dragons we are introduced to a orld where political deception, greed, and avarice have lead to a violation of the "hands off" policy of the Parliament of Dragons concerning the affairs of men.
Indeed that violation threatens more than policy and order...it threatens the freedoms and survival of the entire human race.


Spellfire is the most powerful magic in the land.
It's a dangeous weapon in anyone's hands.
In the wrong hands, it can destroy the world.
Shandril Shessair wanted a taste of adventure.  She got spellfire, and now she's fleeing for her life across Faerun, searching for somewhere to hide.  More evil wizards, warriors, and priests than she can count are trying to get it from her, and they'll kill or enslave her without hesitation.  Her last, desparate hope is to take refuge in the sheltered city of Silverymoon.
If she makes it that far.


When a blood-thirsty band of orcs, led by an as-yet-unseen enemy, comes rampaging out of the Spine of the World, it lays waste to everything in its path.  Dark elf ranger Drizzt Do'Urden and his most trusted friends find themselves in the path of destruction.  As blades slash and feet trample, even they may not withstand the Thousand Orcs.


Every creature on Faerun has its dark mirror in the undead - from the ghosts of ancient warriors to the rune-scribed skeletons of dragons.  And is a world with as rich and bloody a history as the Forgotten Realms, they are legion - outshining the living in variety and number.
Here are a dozen of the most terrifying tales of the haunted Realms.


The mage Raistlin Majere has become a Black Robe and, with the dragon orb in his possession, he travels to Neraka to further his quest for power in the service of the Dark Queen.  But Raistlin realizes that if Takhisis wins, he will always be her slave.  And so he resorts to a dangerous and deadly game.  He acts as a double agent, offering his services to both the side of darkness and that of light, working for Emperor Ariakas and for the resistance in Neraka.

For years Emily has been living happily in the underground goblin kingdom.  Now she is old enough to marry, but when her childhood friend Seylin proposes, she doesn't take him seriously.
Devastated, Seylin leaves the kingdom, intent on finding his own people: the elves.  Too late, Emily realizes what Seylin means to her and sets out in search of him.  But as Emily and Seylin come closer to their goals, they bring two worlds onto a collision course, awakening hatreds and prejudices that have slumbered for hundreds of years.


Raised in a new ark beneath polar ice, delivered by whales to a blighted surface, the young men and women of the Birthright Project have pledged their lives to a risky and redemptive mission - preserving God's original creation from human depravity and the destruction of the Endless Wars.
They've roamed the earth tracking original species.  They've successfully battled sorcerers, warlords, and armies of mutants.  But now a twisted new enemy in on the march.  An explosive ancient secret lurks beneath the glitter of a decadent city.  And the mysterious darkness that swallowed a mountain spreads toward an innocent mill town.
Before they can prevail, the Birthrighters must confront their most difficult challenge: overcoming their individual desires that threaten to betray the group.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Book Review: Kendermore by Mary Kirchoff

Kendermore
Kendermore by Mary Kirchoff


Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 342
Acquired: ???
Book of Your Shelf? Yes
Why I read it: Re-read of older books
Series: DragonLance, Preludes (2)

Tasslehoff Burrfoot is a kender, a race known for their light-fighers, fearlessness, and love of a good story. Tasslehoff has been summoned back home to marry, but he's really not too interested in settling down just yet. The mayor sends a bounty hunter off after him and on their way back, they encounter quite an adventure. They travel across the world of Krynn to encountering freak storms on the sea, mad wizards that want to pickle him for their museum, treasure hunters, and a sinister force out to stop them.

Tasslehoff has always been one of my favorite characters in the DragonLance world and he doesn't disappoint in this story. It is a fun romp through the world from a kender's perspective. While reading previous books in the series may help understand some of the finer points of the story, it is not necessary in order to enjoy the story.

4/5