It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Jenn

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, but is now being hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of  Books so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
 

Currently Reading

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
Scar Tissue: Seven Stories of Love and Wounds by Marcus Sakey

Books to Complete This Week

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

What are you reading this week?

Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 13 Comments

Giveaway: Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Jenn

I accidentally received multiple copies of this book for review. Therefore, I’d like to pass two ARC copies on to my followers!  To enter the contest, please fill out the form below.  You must fill out the form to be entered; comments will not be counted as entries. I’m handling the mailing of this one, so US and Canadian residents only, please. 

The contest will end Friday, August 20th.  Good luck!

Posted in Bookish Chatter | 5 Comments

Review: Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Jenn

 

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin; 1 edition (August 3, 2010)
  • ISBN-10: 0312649916
  • Source: Publisher

    • Lenah Beaudonte was transformed into a vampire when she was a young teen in 15th Century England.  Through the centuries she built up her power and reputation and became one of the most respected female vampires “alive.” She became queen to a powerful and deadly coven. The vampire who transformed her, Rhode Lewin, ultimately became her closest friend and confidant.

    However, the power she holds isn’t enough; she craves the ability to feel again.  Rhode sacrifices his life in order for her to live again.  In order to do so, Lenah must hibernate for 100 years, leaving her beloved coven behind.

    It’s 2010 when she awakes at the young age of 16.  Rowan has created an identity for her at Wickham, a boarding school in New England.  Lenah to assimilate herself into the human world in order to remain safely hidden from her coven. Her coven is completely ignorant to what has happened and once they find Lenah her mortal life will be in danger. Vicken, a member of her coven, is particularly interested in her reawakening.  Her former lover, he craves to have her by his side again.

    Lenah has a difficult time assimilating into the human world.  She’s not familiar with 21st century technology.  She hasn’t been able to go outside during the day time in centuries.  However, when she befriends Tony, a loner himself, things begin to look a little more promising.  Lenah’s guard goes down when she falls for Justin Enos, a popular jock who is falling head over heels in love with her.

    Infinite Days is beautifully written.  I fell in love with the flash-backs to Lenah’s past; I really enjoyed the gothic feel to them.  I was drawn to read it based on the premise: a vampire who becomes human again.  Hello? Remind anyone of Angel? Ok, not exactly the same since Angel wasn’t “alive”, he just regained his soul.  Despite her past, Lenah is a character I really appreciated.  She’s in a constant battle between her evil past and her reborn soul.

    That said Infinite Days fell a little short with me.  Looking at other reviews, it appears as I’m the only one of this opinion. I think it had far more potential.  I would have loved to read more about Lenah’s past. The flashbacks were nice but I wanted more.  The first part of the book was great, but I lost interest near the end of the book. I think this was due to the relationship between Justin & Lenah.  He’s a cocky jock, she’s a goth loner.  It’s obvious that he’s attracted to her, but on the surface it appears to be all physical.  I found it difficult to believe the strong emotions he felt for her.  He brought her home to meet his parents because he felt they had a future together.  He didn’t leave her when she revealed her past to him.  All a bit too implausible for me.

    But without a doubt, it has a very interesting and unique storyline. I give the Maizel kudos for creating something “new” in vampire fiction. It is part of a new YA series; I’m not certain where the next book will take us. Despite the faults I found, I still recommend this book to fans of paranormal fiction, specifically those looking for something fresh and unique. 

    Check back later today and enter to win one of two copies of Infinite Days.

    Buy this now from:
    Indiebound.org

    Posted in Review, St. Martin's Griffin, YA | 8 Comments

    A Month in Review: July

    Posted on August 5, 2010 by Jenn

    Books Reviewed

    Running from the Devil by Jamie Freveletti
    Veracity by Laura Bynum 
    Labor Day by Joyce Maynard 
    For the King by Caterine Delors 
     Running Dark by Jamie Freveletti 
    An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
    Denial: A Memoir of Terror by Jessica Stern
    More of America’s Most Wanted Recipes by Ron Douglas
    Never Wave Goodbye by Doug Magee

    Total Books Reviewed: 9

    Pick of the month: Labor Day by Joyce Maynard 

    Special Events

    1. Fright Fest:You can now sign up to do a guest post for Fright Fest, my month-long celebration of all things thriller/horror. I will do a sign-up for participation later on in September.  Anyone who participates will be entered into weekly drawings for some pretty fantastic spooky stuff!

    If you are a horror/thriller author or a publicist representing a horror/thriller title and you’d like your book featured, shoot me at email at: jennsbookshelf@gmail.com

    2. Mockingjay Blog Tour: I have been selected to represent District  12 in the official Mockingjay 13 District Blog Tour. Come back on Wednesday, August 18th to see my post and enter a pretty fantastic giveaway! 

    Author Guest Posts

    The following authors guest posted this month:

    Catherine Delors, Author of For the King

    Laura Bynum, Author of Veracity

    Current Giveaways

    The following giveaways are still open! Enter now!

     For the King by Catherine Delors

    Running Dark by Jamie Freveletti

    An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

    Posts of Interest

    This month’s Adventures in Parenting discussed pride. Check out the video of my oldest son, John, reciting Obama’s Yes We Can speech.

    So, how was your reading month?

    Posted in Month in Review | 5 Comments

    Waiting on Wednesday: A Bunch of Horror Goodness!

    Posted on August 4, 2010 by Jenn

    Waiting on Wednesday is a feature hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

    I’ve begun planning for the Halloween Fright Fest  feature I’ll be hosting in October. In my planning, I’ve come across a host of outstanding horror books that I can’t wait to get my hands on. I couldn’t pick one out of the bunch, so I’m going to spotlight them all!

    The first is Wanted Undead or Alive: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil by Jonathan Maberry and  Janice Gable Bashman.  Here’s a summary:

    These days you can’t swing an undead lycanthrope without hitting a Minion of Evil. They’re everywhere-TV, film, the basement-right behind you! It’s never been more important to know what you can do to keep them at bay. Garlic? silver bullets? holy water? torch-wielding mob?

    From today’s foremost experts on nightmares-come-to-life, this indispensible guide identifies and describes mankind’s enemies-supernatural beasts, ghosts, vampires, serial killers, etc.-and unearths effective time-proven responses to each horrific threat.

    • Separate fact from fiction, the deadly from the merely creepy.
    • Learn when to stand your ground and when to run screaming for your life.
    • Determine which monster-specific heroes to call and their likelihood of success.
    • Consider your own potential as a Champion for Good, Conqueror of the Damned.

    Whether we’re talking ancient vampire hunters or modern-day FBI profilers, it’s good to know someone’s got your back in the eternal struggle between Good and Evil. And this book, with over fifty illustrations, as well as commentary from luminaries like filmmaker John Carpenter, author Peter Straub, and the legendary Stan Lee, provides all the information and reassurance you need to sleep soundly at night. Just not too soundly.

     Sounds fantastic, right!?  I don’t have much longer to wait, Wanted Undead or Alive is scheduled for release by Citadel on Tuesday, August 31st.

    The next one is Rot & Ruin, also by Jonathan Maberry.  I’m really excited about this one because it’s Maberry’s first YA book.  I was bummed that I didn’t get a copy at BEA.  Here’s a summary:

    In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn’t want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

    Oooh! Zombies!  Rot & Ruin is scheduled to be released by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing on October 5, just in time for Halloween!

    So tthere you have it! The books I’m eagerly awaiting!  Which books are you desperate to get your hands on?

    Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

    NPR Announces the Top 100 “Killer Thrillers”

    Posted on August 4, 2010 by Jenn

    Over 17,000 ballots were cast by NPR listeners for their favorite killer thrillers. I’ve listed the winners below. What do you think? What books are missing? What books shouldn’t have made list?

    1. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

    2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

    3. Kiss the Girls, by James Patterson

    4. The Bourne Identity, by Robert Ludlum

    5. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

    6. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown

    7. The Shining, by Stephen King

    8. And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie

    9. The Hunt tor Red October, by Tom Clancy

    10. The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    11. Dracula, by Bram Stoker

    12. The Stand, by Stephen King

    13. The Bone Collector, by Jeffery Deaver

    14. Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton

    15. Angels & Demons, by Dan Brown

    16. A Time to Kill, by John Grisham

    17. The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton

    18. Mystic River, by Dennis Lehane

    19. The Day of the Jackal, by Frederick Forsyth

    20. Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier

    21. Eye of the Needle, by Ken Follett

    22. It, by Stephen King

    23. The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas

    24. The Girl Who Played with Fire, by Stieg Larsson

    25. Jaws, by Peter Benchley

    26. The Alienist, by Caleb Carr

    27. Red Dragon, by Thomas Harris

    28. Presumed Innocent, by Scott Turow

    29. The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett

    30. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, by Stieg Larsson

    31. No Country For Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy

    32. Gone Baby Gone, by Dennis Lehane

    33. Gorky Park, by Martin Cruz Smith

    34. Rosemary’s Baby, by Ira Levin

    35. Subterranean, by James Rollins

    36. Clear and Present Danger, by Tom Clancy

    37. Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King

    38. Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane

    39. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, by John Le Carre

    40. The Poet, by Michael Connelly

    41. The Boys from Brazil, by Ira Levin

    42. Cape Fear, by John MacDonald

    43. The Bride Collector, by Ted Dekker

    44. Pet Sematary, by Stephen King

    45. Dead Zone, by Stephen King

    46. The Manchurian Candidate, by Richard Condon

    47. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, by John Le Carre

    48. The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith

    49. Tell No One, by Harlan Coben

    50. Consent to Kill, by Vince Flynn

    51. The 39 Steps, by John Buchan

    52. Blowback, by Brad Thor

    53. The Children of Men, by P.D. James

    54. 61 Hours, by Lee Child

    55. Marathon Man, by William Goldman

    56. The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins

    57. 206 Bones, by Kathy Reichs

    58. Psycho, by Robert Bloch

    59. The Killing Floor, by Lee Child

    60. Rules of Prey, by John Sandford

    61. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

    62. In the Woods, by Tana French

    63. Shogun, by James Clavell

    64. The Relic, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

    65. Intensity, by Dean Koontz

    66. Casino Royale, by Ian Fleming

    67. Metzger’s Dog, by Thomas Perry

    68. Timeline, by Michael Crichton

    69. Contact, by Carl Sagan

    70. What the Dead Know, by Laura Lippman

    71. The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

    72. The Cabinet of Curiosities, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

    73. Charm School, by Nelson DeMille

    74. Feed, by Mira Grant

    75. Gone Tomorrow, by Lee Child

    76. Darkly Dreaming Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay

    77. The Secret History, by Donna Tartt

    78. The First Deadly Sin, by Lawrence Sanders

    79. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson

    80. The Brotherhood of the Rose, by David Morrell

    81. Primal Fear, by William Diehl

    82. The Templar Legacy, by Steve Berry

    82. The Hard Way, by Lee Child [tie]

    84. The Last of the Mohicans, by James Fenimore Cooper

    85. Six Days of the Condor, by James Grady

    86. Fail-Safe, by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler

    87. Strangers on a Train, by Patricia Highsmith

    88. The Eight, by Katherine Neville

    89. The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown

    90. Goldfinger, by Ian Fleming

    91. Bangkok 8, by John Burdett

    92. The Kill Artist, by Daniel Silva

    93. Hardball, by Sara Paretsky

    94. The Club Dumas, by Arturo Perez-Reverte

    95. The Deep Blue Good-by, by John MacDonald

    96. The Monkey’s Raincoat, by Robert Crais

    96. Berlin Game, by Len Deighton [tie]

    98. A Simple Plan, by Scott Smith

    99. Child 44, by Tom Rob Smith

    100. Heartsick, by Chelsea Cain

    Posted in Bookish Chatter | 3 Comments

    Teaser Tuesday: Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

    Posted on August 3, 2010 by Jenn
    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!

     

    My teaser this week comes from Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel:

    “His lips made it clear what he was thinking.  I felt like a hybrid: half beast, half human, because it was easy for me to read him.”

    What’s your teaser this week?

    Posted in Teaser Tuesday | 7 Comments

    Giveaway: An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

    Posted on August 2, 2010 by Jenn

    Thanks to the publisher, I have two copies of An Echo in the Bone to give away: one ARC I received for review (I ended up reading an ebook version of the book) and a finished copy.  To enter, please fill out the form below.  You must fill out the form for entry; comments on this post do not count as entries.  Contest will end Monday, August 9th.  Good luck!

    Posted in Bookish Chatter | 5 Comments

    Review: An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

    Posted on August 2, 2010 by Jenn

     

  • Paperback: 848 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam; Reprint edition (June 22, 2010)
  • ISBN-10: 0385342462
  • Source: Publisher

    • *Warning: Spoiler alert! If you have not read the previous books in the Outlander series what you read below will be considered spoilers. Proceed at your own discretion!*

    In the seventh novel in the extremely popular Outlander series, we find Claire Fraser and her husband, Jaime,  in the American colonies during the revolution.  Three major storylines transpire in this lengthy novel: Claire & Jamie’s during the revolution, their daughter and her family in 1980s Scotland, and Lord Grey in Claire & Jamie’s time.  Jamie is planning on returning the family to Scotland so he can obtain his printing press, thereby allowing him to report on the war.  Nothing ever comes easy for the Fraser family and they are wrought with conflict at each stage of their journey.  Meanwhile, Claire & Jamie’s daughter, Bree, learn about her parents progress through a series of letters they wrote to her.  

    It’s hard to give a synopsis of the storyline without giving too much away to future readers.  Therefore, I’ll go right to my opinons of the book.  I’ve been a fan of the Outlander series for several years.  Gabaldon never fails to provide well-thought out, developed characters.  I love the relationship shared by Claire & Jamie.  It’s quite the interesting one, given that they are both from vastly different times. They are now residing in Claire’s past, but Jamie’s future.

    The storyline is well developed and researched.  I couldn’t help but read other reviews of this book, with readers complaining about the confusing jump in storylines and the unresolved ending.  Flat out, the Outlander books are meant to be savored and enjoyed.  Each book is several hundred pages long; if you rush through the reading you will undoubtably miss out on a lot.  I didn’t find the jump in storylines confusing at all, as each “leap” is clearly indicated or broken up by chapters.  Each of the storylines are melded together at the end, providing for a very satisfying read. The unresolved ending? Hello! This is part of a series. Leaving an unresolved ending forces the reader to crave for the next book in the series. This is fairly typical and not out of the norm.

    The great thing about this series is that it falls under several genres: science fiction, historical fiction & romance. It really has a bit of something for everyone.

    Although it is possible to pick up any Outlander book and start reading from there, I can’t say enough how much I recommend that you start from the beginning.  Although the author provides adequate back story, one can’t truly get the depth of the characters and the richness of each of the storylines without first reading each of the books. Yes, they are all quite lengthy, but definitely well worth it. 

    I do recommend that those that might be put off by each book’s length try the audiobooks.  The narrator is spot-on with the pronunciations of terms that might prove to be difficult if just reading the book alone. 

    Just a few warnings before I close. There is a good deal of violence…we are dealing with a few wars here.  None of it is out of context or inappropriate though.  And yes…there is sex.  Jamie and Claire have quite the healthy marriage and Gabaldon doesn’t fail to share this with her readers.  The love scenes aren’t raunchy but some can be quite descriptive.

    Ok, bottom line: if you haven’t read any of the Outlander series, I suggest you run out and pick up the first now.  I guarantee you will enjoy it and will become instantly enamored by the characters. So….what are you waiting for? Go!

    Thank you to TLC Book Tours for reinvigorating my love of these books and for permitting me to participate in these tours.  Be sure to check out the other stops:

    Wednesday, August 4th:  The Literate Housewife Review (Voyager)

    Monday, August 9th:  Musings of an All Purpose Monkey (Outlander)

    Wednesday, August 11th:  Starting Fresh (An Echo in the Bone)

    Thursday, August 12th:  Under the Boardwalk (An Echo in the Bone)

    Monday, August 16th:  Planet Books (Outlander)

    Thursday, August 19th:  Rundpinne (An Echo in the Bone)

    Wednesday, August 25th:  MoonCat Farms Meanderings (An Echo in the Bone)

    Monday, August 30th:  Hey, Lady!  Whatcha Readin’? (Outlander)

    Tuesday, August 31st:  The Brain Lair (Outlander)

    Wednesday, September 1st:  My Two Blessings (Outlander)

    Thursday, September 2nd:  Life in the Thumb (An Echo in the Bone)

    Tuesday, September 7th:  That’s What She Read (Dragonfly in Amber)

    Monday, September 13th:  Suko’s Notebook (Outlander)

    Tuesday, September 14th:  Luxury Reading (Outlander)

    Wednesday, September 15th:  The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader (An Echo in the Bone)

    Thursday, September 16th:  Pop Culture Junkie (Outlander)

    Friday, September 17th:  Devourer of Books (Outlander)

    Be sure to check back later today and enter to win one of two copies of An Echo in the Bone!

    Posted in Historical Fiction, Review | 11 Comments

    It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?

    Posted on August 2, 2010 by Jenn

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    It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, but is now being hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of  Books so stop by and join in!

    Books Completed Last Week

     

    Currently Reading

    Infinite Days (Vampire Queen) by Rebecca Maizel
    Gone Tomorrow (Jack Reacher, No. 13) by Lee Child

    Books to Complete This Week

    The Death (and Further Adventures) of Silas Winterbottom: The Body Thief by Stephen M. Giles
     

    What are you reading this week?

    Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 11 Comments