The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

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Synopsis from GoodReads:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

In this book, we are introduced to a new North America (called Panem now). There are 12 districts in Panem and they are ruled by the Capitol. In order to prevent another uprising, the Capitol shows it's power by forcing the 12 districts to randomly choose 1 boy and 1 girl between the ages of 12 - 18 to participate in the Hunger Games. All of the children chosen will be sent to an arena will they will fight to the death, and only one will emerge victorious. Katniss Everdeen lives in district 12 with her mom and sister; since her dad several years prior it was up to her to provide for the family, as her mother never could quite get over the loss. Though it was technically forbidden, she hunted and gathered to keep her family alive; with the help of her hunting partner, Gale, things could be better but at least they are surviving. It's time for the annual choosing of the Hunger Games particpants. Katniss is worried about herself and Gale because they have numerous entries (both because of their ages and prior actions that prompted more entries to be place with their names). She doesn't give a second thought about her sister Prim, because since she just turned 12 that year, she would only have 1 entry. One entry in thousands seemed like pretty good odds. But when the unthinkable happens and Prim's name is called, Katniss doesn't hesitate to volunteer to take her place. She has no delusions of winning the Games, but she knows her little sister would stand no chance. The other contender from her district: Peeta. It could not get any worse for Katniss, she can't imagine having to possibly kill this boy. Or anyone else for that matter. And so she and Peeta are sent to the Games, knowing one or both of them will not be returning to district 12. Katniss is clever, strong, and resourceful, but with the odds stacked against her (and a boy complicating everything) will she able to survive this ultimate test?

My review: I had numerous people telling me how much I needed to read this book. I put up a bit of a fight, since I have such a stack of books TBR already, but when I came across it at Walmart I decided to go ahead and pick it up and see what all of the fuss is about. Well, it didn't take long to figure out why everyone loves this series so much. It hooked me just as fast as the Twilight series did. Katniss was so strong and determined; when her mother refused to get a job so the family could survive, she had to grow up fast and take over as head of the household. And it was obvious she would do anything to protect her little sister Prim; and even though she resented her mother for being mentally absent most of the time, she loved her as well. Her relationship with Gale...to me, it seems like they were best friends and possibly had a brother/sister kind of relationship. I didn't really feel any chemistry between them; it was obvious they loved each other, but only as friends. Of course, we really didn't get to see a lot of their relationship, since the lottery for the Hunger Games happened very early on in the book. Honestly, I kind of hated how the first part of the book was all spelled out on the back in the synopsis. It would have been more shocking to learn that her sister's name was called and that she took her place, but as it was I had read the back of the book and already knew this was going to happen. Maybe I need to stop reading the synopsis for a book first! I thought the preparation they did with the contestants was interesting, I didn't expect them to go through all of that trouble for 24 kids, when only one is going to survive. I guess they were trying to make them feel special, like they should be honored that they were chosen. The suspense really picked up when the Games started and it was full of the twist and turns that I love. I was shocked, I laughed, and at least once I cried. Before I knew it, the book was over and now I'm left desperately wanting to read the next book! I don't want to give away too much in my review, so I will leave it at that (basically a more detailed version of the synopsis). If you haven't read it yet, definitely go out and buy it. I'm sure you won't regret it!

My rating: 5/5 stars

If you would like to learn more about the author and her other works, please visit Suzanne Collins' page!

Dance With The Devil (A Dark Hunter Novel) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

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Synopsis from BN.com

Zarek's Point of View:

Dark-Hunter: A soulless guardian who stands between mankind and those who would see mankind destroyed. Yeah, right. The only part of that Code of Honor I got was eternity and solitude.
 
Insanity: A condition many say I suffer from after being alone for so long. But I don't suffer from my insanity-I enjoy every minute of it.
 
Trust: I can't trust anyone...not even myself. The only thing I trust in is my ability to do the wrong thing in any situation and to hurt anyone who gets in my way.
 
Truth: I endured a lifetime as a Roman slave, and 900 years as an exiled Dark-Hunter. Now I'm tired of enduring. I want the truth about what happened the night I was exiled-I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
 
Astrid (Greek, meaning star): An exceptional woman who can see straight to the truth. Brave and strong, she is a point of light in the darkness. She touches me and I tremble. She smiles and my cold heart shatters.
 
Zarek: They say even the most damned man can be forgiven. I never believed that until the night Astrid opened her door to me and made this feral beast want to be human again. Made me want to love and be loved. But how can an ex-slave whose soul is owned by a Greek goddess ever dream of touching, let alone holding, a fiery star?

I'm giving up my 5 point review system. It was fun for awhile, but in the end it just became more of a hassle. I'll still include everything I usually do, it just won't be so organized!

This is the 3rd book in the Dark Hunters series. It's been so long since I've read the second one that I can't remember if I even DID read the second one. Is that sad or what? Anyway, moving along...in this book, Zarek is being held accountable for all of the wrongs he has committed. Artemis wants nothing more than to see him dead, so she orders his death. Acheron doesn't want to see one of his men killed unfairly, so he makes a compromise with Artemis: let Zarek be judged, and if he's found guilty then the death order will stand. He personally chooses Astrid for this task. She's never found anyone innocent and in the process of being a judge she feels like she is losing all compassion for anyone or anything. But Acheron knows she will be fair and she agrees to judge Zarek. When she first meets Zarek, he is everything they promised he would be: angry, cruel, and uncaring. Or so it seems. Part of her wants to just find him guilty and be able to go home, but there's something about Zarek that makes Asterid want to find out more about him. As she learns more about his past, she sees things that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Only Asterid seems to see the good in him, but how can you save someone that doesn't want to be saved?

My Review: I'll admit, this book started off kind of slow for me. Not sure why, the story line actually jumped right into things, but for some reason I just couldn't get connected. It didn't take long before I just couldn't put it down! I loved Zarek, he was such a tortured soul and even though he comes off as uncaring and basically just an asshole, you know that deep down there's more to him. The scenes that chronicled his abuse were heartbreaking, even more so when you assume that some kids were are and are actually treated that way. This book actually reminded me a lot of the Black Dagger Brotherhood's Zsadist; he was also abused growing up and it very obviously shaped who he became. He's even called "Z" a lot too by those around him, so sometimes I was like "which book am I reading?" Not in a bad way though, I loved Zsadist so much and I love Zarek as well. Asterid is great too, she's a tough chick and doesn't take any of Zarek's crap. I like how even though everyone insists he's beyond help and he's such an evil person that she refuses to give up on him. Little pieces of the man underneath his hard exterior show through every once in awhile and she starts to see that the way he acts is a defense mechanism. If people don't get close to you they can't hurt you. And of course he has no reason to trust anyone, after his horrible childhood and 900 year banishment in Alaska. The romance is very hot in the book, even though it's not the main focus. It takes a long time for Zarek to even open up much to Asterid and the way she finally connects with him is unexpected. As much as I loved the main characters, I really loved the two minor characters of Sasha and Simi as well. Sasha is the werewolf that stays with Asterid while she's judging Zarek, and he absolutely HATES him. The feeling's mutual too. Sasha stays in wolf form so that Zarek doesn't realize what he is, because he can't know he's being judged, but he makes comments about Zarek constantly to Asterid (they can communicate to each other with their minds) that is most often hilarious. My favorite though is Simi, a demon who can take human form, but mostly she appears as a tattoo on Acheron's body. She's sassy, witty, and spoiled. And she absolutely hates Artemis. She always talks about barbecuing people she doesn't like and my favorite quote from her came at the end:

"I understand all right. I understand the bitch-goddess needs the Simi to barbecue her until she learns to be nice to people. I think she'd be rather attractive on fire. I could make her look like that old sea hag or something."

I definitely think the Dark Hunter series is unique and I love learning about all of them and the Greek mythology that is a central part of all of the books. This book to me wasn't as original, since like I said the story of BDB's Zsadist was very similar. But I still love love LOVED this book and can't wait to read the next one in the series!

My rating: 5/5 stars

To learn more about the author and her other works, please visit Sherrilyn Kenyon's page!

My Soul To Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent



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She doesn't see dead people, but she senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

I read the first book in Rachel Vincent's adult shifter series and I wasn't too impressed by the writing. I started seeing good things about this YA series that she had and I really thought the synopsis sounded good, so I thought I'd give it a shot. In this book, we first meet Kaylee when she is sneaking into a club with her best friend Emma. For some reason unbeknownst to her, Nash (one of the popular guy in school who always seems to have a new "flavor of the week") comes up and starts talking to her. She doesn't understand why he would want to talk to her, but she loves the attention and is thinking it's a pretty perfect night. Her perfect night is shattered however when she turns and spots a girl, who's features are all in shadow. Kaylee doesn't know how or why, but she knows this girl is going to die soon. She is overcome with the emotions of grief and despair and the unrelenting need to release an earsplitting scream. It's happened to her before and got her thrown into the hospital for a mental evaluation, so she tries everything she can to stop it from happening this time. Somehow Nash is able to keep her calm and doesn't seem too shocked by her story of what occurred. It's almost like he knows exactly what's going on with Kaylee...but how can that be? Then the girl that Kaylee had the premonition about dies, leaving her stunned and confused. Her family is keeping a huge secret from her, one that could explain everything. As more and more girls are dropping dead from unknown causes, Kaylee must find out the truth if she has any hopes of putting an end to the killings.

1) Character Development: The characters were very well developed, in my opinion. We learn about Kaylee's family and about what happened to her mom. Also about her history with these "premonitions". We also learn some about Nash, although maybe not as much (but then again he's not the main character of the story either, so that's to be expected. It's definitely easy to connect with both him and Kaylee though, and with Emma as well. The author did an excellent job of helping us readers be able to form a bond with the characters which make me just want to buy the rest of the books in the series and sit down and read them ASAP to find out what happens next!

2) The Good, The Bad, And The Sometimes Ugly: First, the good - I loved the characters and thought the story was excellent. The book was just really well written and flowed nicely along, so before I knew it I was done reading it. The bad and the ugly - honestly, I don't really have anything bad to say about this book. It was everything I hoped it would be and then some! The only thing maybe is that I'm not sure why Nash didn't try to get to know Kaylee sooner, if he knew what she was. But I do see that B&N has a prequel to this series on their website that you can read for free, so I'm going to be checking that out to see if I can get some answers!

3) Romance Sizzle Or Fizzle: Definitely sizzle, Kaylee and Nash are so cute together. He is so patient, understanding, and protective of her, which is exactly what she needed considering all of the issues she was trying to work through. Their relationship does move pretty fast, but when you find out what's going on with Kaylee and how Nash ties into all of that, it's not that unbelievable. I can't wait to see how their relationship grows and progresses in the rest of the series.

4) Uniqueness Of Plot: I thought the plot was very unique. Most of the paranormal/urban fantasy novels revolve around the usual werewolves, vampires, witches, etc., so this was a nice change of pace.

5) Final Thoughts: I bought this book on a whim and I am so glad I did. I usually try not to look at the reviews on B&N before I buy a book because I want to form my own opinions and not have a predetermined attitude about it; so I checked them out after I was done reading and I can't imagine how someone could not like this book. I thought it was a great, fun read with twists to keep you on your toes and some humor to make you laugh every once in awhile. I most definitely recommend this book and will be buying the rest of the series soon!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Giveaway At Embrace Your Oddities!

Embrace Your Oddities is having a giveaway to celebrate reaching 100 followers (I was #100, yay!). The contest will be ending soon, so head on over to follow as well and check out the awesome prizes!

Shotgun Bride by B.J. Daniels



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Handsome as sin and wild as the western wind

That's the Corbett brothers for you, and Shane's no exception. No way is he settling down just because of some ridiculous marriage pact--especially not with a cowgirl from small-town Whitehorse who seems so young and naive. At least that's what this hardened lawman keeps insisting.

But when Maddie Cavanaugh's kidnapped and drawn into a world of violent greed and despair, Shane jumps into action. While he has no trouble subduing her captors, resisting the force of Maddie's charm is harder than he could've imagined, and it seems as if stubborn Shane may be the first of the Corbett boys to surrender his bachelorhood.

I received this ebook free for being part of Harlequin Ambassadors (check out their site here and find out what you can do to join!). I believe this book is only available in ebook format, at least at present time. After I read it I was asked to complete a survey regarding the book to see what I liked and what I didn't like about it. Surprisingly, I actually did enjoy this book! The reason I say "surprisingly" is that I didn't exactly love the cover and some of these western books can border on...well, cheesy. In this book Shane Corbett, a former Texas Ranger, and his brothers are in a bit of a predicament. One of their late mother's wishes was for all of her sons to be married to Montana women, and sooner rather than later! None of the Corbett brothers are the least bit interested in getting married right now, so they draw straws on who will be first. Shane's womanizing younger brother draws the short straw and announces he has the perfect woman that his dad and step-mom will adore: Maddie Cavanaugh. Maddie used to live in Whitehorse but escaped after a nasty break-up with her ex-fianc. Now she's back and "dating" Jud Corbett, the bad-boy Hollywood stunt man. Shane doesn't understand what Jud wants with Maddie; she's definitely not his type. But as he keeps getting thrust into situations with Maddie, he starts to see what an amazing woman she is. Unfortunately before he gets the chance to know her very well, she's kidnapped and it's up to Shane to track her down. With her life on the line and secrets lying behind every door, can Shane rescue her in time?

1) Character Development: The characters are pretty well developed in this novel. We get to learn about Maddie's past, from her cold-blooded mother to her crazy ex-fianc. We also learn a lot about the Corbett family, and what brought them to Montana. You don't get a lot of background about the other brother's individually, but we do learn some about Shane, mostly the fact that he used to be a Texas Ranger who was injured and is now on leave. It's pretty obvious that he loves and misses his job, but is also scared to return to it after what happened. We do find out that he shot and killed the man that shot him, but the book does not go into details about what exactly happened. I think the book gave just enough background to really connect with the characters (definitely with Maddie more than Shane).

2) The Good, The Bad, And Sometimes Ugly: First the good - I really liked the characters and I was so happy at the depth of the story line and the twists and turns that occured throughout the book. I was expecting a straight-forward country love story, but it was so much more than that. I love a good romance with suspense and this delivered! The bad: I felt like Shane was a main character, but he was almost pushed to the way-side throughout the book to focus on what was happening with Maddie (which was a lot). It made it hard to believe their love in the end, since they really hadn't had enough time to get to know each other. One scene really me think about an article I saw on Heroes and Heartbreakers, where they discussed a dislike for romantic suspense books - mainly when they're running from the bad guys but somehow decide that would be a perfect time to have sex. You could argue that they think they might not come out of it alive, so it's now or never. But still, it feels kind of unbelievable. The ugly: I didn't really find anything super wrong with this book (but feel free to refer back to "the bad"). Some of the dialogue came of as kind of corny to me though, but it wasn't throughout the whole book, just parts.

3) Romance Sizzle Or Fizzle: As much as I enjoyed this book, I'm going to have to say fizzle. Why? Well, like I said before, Shane and Maddie just didn't have enough time to really get to know each other and form that bond. Most of the book is spent trying to rescue her so them being in love wasn't really settling with me so well. But the book was well written enough I could overlook that! Still disappointing though.

4) Uniqueness Of Plot: I wouldn't really say this is a unique plot by any means; it's been done before. But B.J. Daniels does a great job of telling the story and sneaking in the twists and turns that gives this story it's edge. I went in not knowing what to expect and I actually had trouble putting the book down because I just had to know what happened next!

5) Final Thoughts: Very well written book. Few minor things I would change, but overall I really enjoyed this read. I knew as soon as I read that all of the Corbett brothers were supposed to get married that there would be sequels to be had...and I was right! I will most definitely be reading the rest of this series sometime in the future!

Rating: 4/5 stars

To learn more about this author and her other works, please visit her website: B.J. Daniels



The Source Of All Things: A Memoir by Tracey Ross

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Synopsis from B&N.com: Tracy Ross never knew her biological father, who died after a brain aneurysm when she was still an infant. So when her mother married Donnie, a gregarious man with an all-wheel-drive jeep and a love of hiking, four-year-old Tracy was ecstatic to have a father figure in her life. A loving and devoted step-father, Donnie introduced Tracy’s family to the joys of fishing, deer hunting, camping, and hiking among the most pristine mountains of rural Idaho. Donnie was everything Tracy dreamed a dad would be—protective, brave, and kind. But when his dependence on his eight-year-old daughter’s companionship went too far, everything changed.
Once Donnie’s nighttime visits began, Tracy’s childhood became a confusing blend of normal little girl moments and the sickening, secret invasion of her safety. Tormented by this profound betrayal, Tracy struggled to reconcile deeply conflicting feelings about her stepfather: on the one hand, fear and loathing, on the other hand, the love any daughter would have for her father. It was not until she ran away from home as a teenager that her family was forced to confront the abuse—and it tore them apart.
At sixteen, realizing that she must take control of her own future, Tracy sent herself to boarding school and began the long slow process of recovery. There, in the woods of Northern Michigan, Tracy felt called back to the natural world she had loved as a child. Over the next twenty years, the mountains and rivers of North America provided Tracy with strength, confidence, comfort, and inspiration. From trekking through the glaciers of Alaska to guiding teenagers through the deserts of Utah, Tracy pushed herself to the physical limit on her way to becoming whole again. Yet, as she came into her own, found love, and even started a family, Tracy realized that in order to truly heal she had to confront her stepfather about the demons from the past haunting them both. The Source of All Things is a stunning, unforgettable story about a wounded daughter, her stepfather, and a mistake that has taken thirty years and thousands of miles of raw wilderness to reconcile. Only Tracy can know if Donnie is forgivable. But one thing is for certain: In no other story of abuse does a survivor have as much strength, compassion, bravery, and spirit as Tracy displays in The Source of All Things

I received this book for free through Shelf Awareness and was so eager to start reading it. As much as I love fiction, I also love reading true stories because there's no better way to be able to connect with characters than when you know they actually exist. Tracey Ross appears to have a good life when she was very small, living with her loving mom and older brother. Her dad died on a hiking trip when she was a baby, so she doesn't have any memories of him and no father figure in her life. Then one day her mom meets a guy named Donnie and suddenly she felt like she hit the jackpot. He's everything any kid could ask for in a dad and he dotes on her like she is his own, like she's his favorite person in the world. This fragile existence carries on for a while, until one fateful camping trip when something happens that young Tracey can't explain. She knows someone touched her inappropriately and assumes, like her mom does, that someone must have broken into their camper in the middle of the night. It further confuses her when her step-father takes her aside and explains that he was simply "tucking her in". From then on things get worse and the abuse becomes more frequent and obvious. This man who was once her champion, who was her favorite person and she felt safe with now became her own personal bogey man. After years of enduring this and her mom refusing to believe her daughter's claims, she finally runs away to escape. This book follows Tracey as she finally escapes the man she once loved as a father, attempts to move on with her life, and eventually seek to get the one thing that has eluded her all of these years: her step-father's confession.

My thoughts: This book was heartbreaking. No child should ever have to go through this, they are innocent and look to their parents to protect them from all of the evils of the world. But what can they do when the worst evil of all is living with them? I can't imagine everything that Tracey went through and to say she had a rough time getting her life back on track would be an understatement. It's very easy to see that nature held an escape for her from all of her feelings. The wilderness was a place she knew well and held very dear to her heart; it made her feel whole again. If she hadn't had something that she felt so strongly about, who knows where she might have ended up? I was so angry at her mother, the fact that Tracey told her that Donnie was molesting her and she just refused to hear it. As if her young daughter would make up a story so horrifying. She really didn't even listen to her at all; and even after Tracey ran away she still was adamant that Donnie was innocent. It would be almost impossible to get over that; to go from having two parents who you love and you think love you, to not having anyone. I would never turn my back on my child, I don't know any mother that could. It just astounds me. Tracey is extremely courageous, both in telling this story for the whole world to hear and for finally confronting her father about the molestation. She's really been able to turn her life around and that is truly remarkable. I really enjoyed reading this, even as I was horrified by some of the events I could not put it down. It made me laugh at times, pulled at my heartstrings, and made me cheer for this woman who was able to overcome unbelievable emotional pain and not let her abuser destroy her life.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday (3)

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Crazy For Books

 

This week's question: Do you only read one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?"

 

Answer: I only ever read one book at a time. The reason being I want to devote all of my attention to that one book and not be distracted by trying to read another one (or more) at the same time. I don't feel like I can completely appreciate the book unless I read it by itself. Plus sometimes if the books have similar plots or genres, it can get confusing on what is happening in which book. I don't know, maybe this is just me because I know a lot of you fellow bloggers do read more than one book at a time, but I just can't and don't want to. I tried it once and never again.

 

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View

 

This week's question: How did you come up with your blog name?

 

Answer: Along with reading, I also developed a love for baking and cake decorating. About a year ago I happened upon a site called Bakerella. She posts all sorts of incredible recipes and fun things (like Cake Pops!!!) and I really just fell in love with the blog. So when it came time to name my blog, I couldn't help but think that it would work really well for me to, if I just put in "Book" instead of "Bake". Eh, not very original, but I have no regrets and I love it! I feel like I'm paying homage to someone I look up to and admire; what's that saying, imitation is the best form of flattery? I hope that's true, because that's how I meant it.

 

I look forward to reading checking out everyone else's posts this week too!

 

Mini Challenge - Teams

Contest Craze is still going strong over at Princess Bookie so if you haven't already, head over there now! Today's mini challenge involves teams. Click here to learn more about what you need to do! It can be any team, whether from book, TV, movie, etc.

I thought long and hard about this. I was going to pick the love triangle in X-Men between Jean Gray, Cyclops, and Wolverine (woohoo, Team Wolverine. Love me some Hugh Jackman). Buuuut, then I remembered one that's even better! Drumroll please...

Anita Blake and...well, every male in the book! Haha (but really, if you've ever read this series you know I'm not kidding). And I'm 100% team Jean Claude!! She really played hard to get in the first couple of books which was SO frustrating. He was so obviously infatuated with her, I don't know how she turned down his advances! Ok, so she IS a vampire hunter. But who could resist that charm?? The only person I really don't mind her being with besides Jean Claude is Asher, but then again they have a history together *GRINS*. If you've never read this series before, it is beyond hot. But no matter what new guys come into Anita's life, I'll always be rooting for Jean Claude. We just have to hope he doesn't get sick of sharing her/putting up with her crap and leave. I'll bet there are some Team Richard people out there somewhere though, so feel free to let me know who's side you are on!

Storm Front (Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher

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Harry Dresden--Wizard
Lost items found. Paranormal investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties, or Other Entertainment.
 
Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things--and most of them don't play too well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a--well, whatever.
There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get... interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

Well, obviously my 5 point review system might not work so well here. This isn't my usual romance novel, so I'll go back to just a regular review for this one.

In this first book in the Dresden Files series, we meet Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. He's the only wizard in the phone book and he's open for business...only business is kind of slow these days. Mostly due to the fact that most of the population still refuses to believe that the supernatural exists. Then all of a sudden Harry gets a bunch of work dumped in his lap. First, he gets a call from the police to come in and help them with a particularly gruesome crime scene. Two people have had their hearts literally ripped from their chests and Harry is their only hope to find out who did it. He also agrees to help a woman who's husband is missing, who may be dabbling in wizardry. As Harry begins to investigate he finds out just how hard the murder case is going to be to crack. And as the only practicing wizard in the public eye, suspicion may just fall on him if he can't find out who the real kill is. With the police and the White Council watching his every move, can he solve this case before it's too late?

I've heard nothing but wonderful things about this series, so I knew I just had to start reading them. I have to admit, at first I had trouble getting into this book. I'm not sure if my mind was just somewhere else or what was wrong but I just couldn't connect at first. I'd say about 1/3 of the way into the book I really got hooked. By the end I was really loving Harry Dresden. He is so witty, even when his life is on the line. In that respect he REALLY reminds me of the Myron Bolitar character in Harlan Coben's popular series. I like characters who can lighten the mood even under the most dire circumstances. I'm a huge murder mystery fan and love paranormal books as well, so this was like the best of both worlds. There really wasn't any romance in it; first of all, Harry is kind of awkward when it comes to the fairer sex. And second, his one date in the book...well let's just say it doesn't end with a goodnight kiss! A few parts of the book made me a little frustrated because they didn't seem to give enough background. I felt like there had to be a book before this that explained some things (like the incident that caused the White Council to almost put him to death - I know that he killed someone in self defense, but I'd like to hear more about it). I think Lieutenant Murphy would be the perfect girl for Harry; they're both witty and I think she could definitely put up with them. The book didn't really specifically elude to any possible romantic future for these two, but I can definitely see it happening. This book was really different for me in the fact that the main character is male. I sat here trying to think of any books I had read before that had a male main character and I couldn't come up with any (I'm obviously excluding the romance stories that have both a male and female main character, like most of them are). There are some very interesting supporting characters in this book too; the most interesting one is the spirit, named Bob, that lives in a skull in Harry's basement. He helps Harry with his spells and potions and is always trying to get Harry to let him out of the skull to go cause mischief. Most nearly, this book reminded me of the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison, so if you like that series then I think you most defiitely would like this one. I already can't wait to start reading the next book in this series!

My rating: 4/5 stars

If you want more info about this author, please go check out Jim Butcher's page!

Half-Blood Teaser Trailer and AMAZING contest!

Here is a new trailer for Jennifer Armentrout's new book coming out later this year, Half-Blood! Check it out!




I hope you all enjoyed it! Now, if you want a chance to win some seriously fabulous prizes (and I mean really great!!) go over to Jen's blog "Ramblings and What Not" and check out what you need to do to enter. The contest runs March 14 - March 31, so head over there now! And good luck to everyone!

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren where we share all of the wonderful books we received this week!

This week I got quite a few exciting reads through Shelf Awareness that I can't wait to dive into!!

1) The Source Of All Things by Tracy Ross (buy from B&N)

Synopsis from B&N: Tracy Ross never knew her biological father, who died after a brain aneurysm when she was still an infant. So when her mother married Donnie, a gregarious man with an all-wheel-drive jeep and a love of hiking, four-year-old Tracy was ecstatic to have a father figure in her life. A loving and devoted step-father, Donnie introduced Tracy’s family to the joys of fishing, deer hunting, camping, and hiking among the most pristine mountains of rural Idaho. Donnie was everything Tracy dreamed a dad would be—protective, brave, and kind. But when his dependence on his eight-year-old daughter’s companionship went too far, everything changed.
Once Donnie’s nighttime visits began, Tracy’s childhood became a confusing blend of normal little girl moments and the sickening, secret invasion of her safety. Tormented by this profound betrayal, Tracy struggled to reconcile deeply conflicting feelings about her stepfather: on the one hand, fear and loathing, on the other hand, the love any daughter would have for her father. It was not until she ran away from home as a teenager that her family was forced to confront the abuse—and it tore them apart.
At sixteen, realizing that she must take control of her own future, Tracy sent herself to boarding school and began the long slow process of recovery. There, in the woods of Northern Michigan, Tracy felt called back to the natural world she had loved as a child. Over the next twenty years, the mountains and rivers of North America provided Tracy with strength, confidence, comfort, and inspiration. From trekking through the glaciers of Alaska to guiding teenagers through the deserts of Utah, Tracy pushed herself to the physical limit on her way to becoming whole again. Yet, as she came into her own, found love, and even started a family, Tracy realized that in order to truly heal she had to confront her stepfather about the demons from the past haunting them both. The Source of All Things is a stunning, unforgettable story about a wounded daughter, her stepfather, and a mistake that has taken thirty years and thousands of miles of raw wilderness to reconcile. Only Tracy can know if Donnie is forgivable. But one thing is for certain: In no other story of abuse does a survivor have as much strength, compassion, bravery, and spirit as Tracy displays in The Source of All Things

2) Love You More by Lisa Gardner (buy from B&N)

Synopsis from B&N:

WHO DO YOU LOVE?

One question, a split-second decision, and Brian Darby lies dead on the kitchen floor. His wife, state police trooper Tessa Leoni, claims to have shot him in self-defense, and bears the bruises to back up her tale. For veteran detective D. D. Warren it should be an open-and-shut case. But where is their six-year-old daughter?

AND HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO . . .

As the homicide investigation ratchets into a frantic statewide search for a missing child, D. D. Warren must partner with former lover Bobby Dodge to break through the blue wall of police brotherhood, seeking to understand the inner workings of a trooper’s mind while also unearthing family secrets. Would a trained police officer truly shoot her own husband? And would a mother harm her own child?

. . . TO SAVE HER?

For Tessa Leoni, the worst has not yet happened. She is walking a tightrope, with nowhere to turn, no one to trust, as the clock ticks down to a terrifying deadline. She has one goal in sight, and she will use every ounce of her training, every trick at her disposal, to do what must be done. No sacrifice is too great, no action unthinkable. A mother knows who she loves. And all others will be made to pay.

Love you more . . .

3) Iron House by John Hart (available July 12, 2011; pre-order from B&N)

Synopsis from GoodReads: There was nothing but time at Iron House. Time to burn, time to kill, and time for Michael to emerge strong and unforgiving while his brother, Julian, because a tormented soul at the orphanage for boys. Two decades later Michael returns to North Carolina with a sentence on his head, the mob in hot pursuit, and his disturbed brother in trouble of a different kind.

I received one book through Paper Back Swap that I'm very excited to read:

4) Marked By Moonlight by Sharie Kohler (buy from B&N)

Synopsis from B&N:
 
She doesn't know what bit her...
Seemingly overnight, Claire Morgan has transformed: the normally mousy schoolteacher is now bold, and her behavior is truly wild. Her eyes gleam silver. Suddenly she's a self-confident femme fatale with a libido that just won't quit. After an impulsive makeover, she's even...dare she say it?...sexy. Is Claire going insane?
Then brutally handsome stranger Gideon March tells her she was bitten by a werewolf, and Claire figures he's the insane one. Sure, she was attacked by a nasty dog in a back alley, but this guy stalking her says he's a member of an underground society of lycan hunters — and his mission is to kill her immediately.
When Claire finally realizes she really is a lycan, there's no turning back — because by now Claire and Gideon are bound by a hungry passion. If they can't break the curse by the next full moon, Claire's soul will be lost forever and Gideon will be forced to terminate his prey — a woman dangerously close to devouring him, heart and soul.

And finally, I won an ARC through Library Thing's Early Reviewers:

5) Exposure by Therese Fowler (available May 3, 2011; pre-order from B&N)

Synopsis from B&N:
 
In Exposure, Therese Fowler has written her most gripping novel to date—a ripped-from-the-headlines story of ardent young love and a nightmarish legal maelstrom that threatens to destroy two families.
Amelia Wilkes’s strict father does not allow her to date, but that doesn’t stop the talented, winsome high school senior from carrying on a secret romance with her classmate Anthony Winter. Desperately in love, the two envision a life together and plan to tell Amelia’s parents only after she turns eighteen and is legally an adult. Anthony’s mother, Kim, who teaches at their school, knows—and keeps—their secret. But the couple’s passion is exposed sooner than planned: Amelia’s father, Harlan, is shocked and infuriated to find naked pictures of Anthony on his daughter’s computer. Just hours later, Anthony is arrested.
Despite Amelia’s frantic protests, Harlan uses his wealth and influence with local law enforcement and the media to label Anthony a deviant who preyed on his innocent daughter. Spearheaded by a zealous prosecutor anxious to turn the case into a public crusade against “sexting,” the investigation soon takes an even more disturbing and destructive turn.
As events spiral wildly out of control and the scandalous story makes national news, Amelia and Anthony risk everything in a bold and dangerous attempt to clear their names and end the madness once and for all.

A captivating page-turner, Therese Fowler’s Exposure is also a deftly crafted, provocative, and timely novel that serves as a haunting reminder of the consequences of love in the modern age.

Book Blogger Hop (2) and Follow Friday (2)



Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View

This week's question: Just like Ashley said (love it) "Ashley the girl..." who are You the Boy/Girl, instead of You the Blogger 

Answer: I think of myself first and foremost as Jamie the Mom. I love being a mom; I have a wonderful 3 year old son who I adore more than anything! He's SUCH a handful (as I'm sure most little boys are), but he's also the sweetest little kid. His name's Jaxson and here's a recent picture of him that I LOVE:

I'm also a wife and I have a WONDERFUL husband who is completely supportive of everything I do. Here's a fun fact: my hubby is 20 years older than me! Before you ask (or even think it), NO he is not a millionaire that I married for his money! We're not rich by any means, but we do love each other and the age difference really isn't noticable. Here's an "Awwww" inducing pic of my husband and my son:

Ok so now some more about me. I have my Registered Nurse license but I absolutely HATE being a nurse - which is why I'm currently a stay at home mom and loving it! I'm planning to go back to college this fall for Medical Technology instead. This time around I'm doing something that I really want to do. Yay! I am SO going to miss reading though...reading is such a big part of my life and I know my personal reading time is going to be greatly reduced when I'm going to school and trying to spend time with my family. Other fun facts about me:

1) I'm a gamer. I absolutely love video games; I'm best at first person shooters (such as Call Of Duty) but I like just about everything
2) I love cake decorating! Having a 3 year old is not exactly conducive to having a career as a home decorator/baker, but I do still do
    cakes and things for family and friends. If you want to see pictures of my work you can check out my Facebook page here.
3) I'm addicted to food. No really, I seriously think I am. I am constantly thinking about food or eating food or eating WHILE thinking
    about food. Hehe. I'm sure I'm not alone on this one.
4) Embarrassing but true: I still sleep with my baby blanket. Yes, I know it's sad. No, I don't care. I've had it for 26 years now and I'm
    not letting it go until it falls apart. And even then I'll keep the scraps. So there.

So there's some about me, probably more than you bargained for! Can't wait to read about everyone else!

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Crazy For Books

This week's question: "If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?"

Answer: Wow that is a really tough one! I could definitely spend a lot more than $80, as I'm sure you all could!! Ok, so here's my list:

1) Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

2) Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

3) Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris

4) Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide by J.R. Ward

5) Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

6) The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

 Ok, I'm going to be honest, I have no idea how much those books add up to but they would all definitely be on my list if I had $80 to just spend on books. So what's on everyone else's lists?

Contest Craze: Mini Challenge (Name Your Star)

It's contest craze time over at Princess Bookie and she's posted a mini challenge. If you're interested in participating too, head on over there! This mini challenge is Name Your Star; pretend you've got a date with your favorite TV/movie character - tell who your fantasy date would be with, why you chose that character, and any details about what you would do on the date.

Holy cow was this hard for me! Honestly, I've been sitting here trying to figure out who I should pick. Because let's face it, I have quite a list of possible contenders. But in the end, I started to think of it in terms of which movie do I always look at the actress and think "man I wish that could have been me!" And so here's my pick for my character date:

Johnny Castle (played by Patrick Swayze) in Dirty Dancing



I've been in love with Patrick Swayze for forever and my favorite movie is Dirty Dancing. His character, Johnny Castle, is just so incredible. He's got the looks, good personality, funny, sensitive, and is a helluva dancer! What girl ever watched Dirty Dancing and didn't wish desperately that she could be Baby? I know I do every time I watch that movie. What would we do on a date? Well, I'd love for him to teach me how to dance; that would be pretty incredible! And I wouldn't care what we had to eat because with him sitting across from me I guarantee I would not be paying attention to my food! Ah, if only this were possible...but it's nice to dream. On a side note, we all miss you Patrick. You were an incredible actor and a wonderful man who's life was cut too short. You still live on through your movies!

So who's your dream date? Head on over to Princess Bookie now to get the rest of the details and post a blog entry of your own!

P.S. Just as a fun extra, here were my runner-ups (in no particular order):
1) Logan (Wolverine) from X-Men, played by Hugh Jackman - because duh, he's completely delicious
2) Eric Northman from True Blood, played by Alexander Skarsgard (honestly I think some of the acting in True Blood is just awful and   
     the books are way better, but he's very nice to look at and at least his acting doesn't suck!)
3) Patrick Verona from 10 Things I Hate About You, played by Heath Ledger - he was very close to being my winner, LOVE LOVE
   LOVE this movie and the characters in it. I always fall for the bad boys and this character was one BUT he also had a sensitive side   and a great sense of humor, all very important traits. Plus, once again, he's hot!

Waiting On Wednesday (2)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It is a place for us to show which upcoming releases we're just dying to read!

Available March 22. Pre-order here.

Myron Bolitar has always dreamed about the voluptuous femme fatale walking into his office and asking for help. The woman standing in his doorway has killer curves all right: She’s eight months pregnant, which kind of ruins the fantasy. Former tennis star Suzze T and her rock star husband, Lex, are both clients, and over the years Myron has negotiated his share of contracts for the power pair. But now Lex has disappeared and a very pregnant Suzze is in tears, fearing the online rumors questioning the baby’s paternity have driven away the man she swears is the child’s father.
For Myron, questions of fatherhood couldn’t hit closer to home, as his dad, Al, clings to life; the brother who abandoned them all years ago is in trouble; and Myron’s teenage nephew needs an authority figure. Myron is soon forced to confront deep secrets in Suzze’s past; his family’s mortality — and before Live Wire is over, his own.

Oh my gosh, so excited for this one! Lately I've really gotten away from mystery/suspense books due to my passion for paranormal romance, but I love Harlan Coben (especially his Myron Bolitar series). They are always so witty and fun to read, with mystery and suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. Also, I'm completely in love with Win! If you've never read any books in this series before, now is your time to start. I promise you'll love them!

Be sure to visit Harlan Coben's website too!

What upcoming books are you all dying to read?

To Crave A Blood Moon by Sharie Kohler

Order from B&N here

Imprisoned and tortured by a lycan pack, half-breed Sebastian Santiago is determined not to break. But now they've come up with a cruel plan — starve Sebastian until he is half-mad with hunger, then force him to succumb to his werewolf instincts by giving him human prey to feed on.
Snatched from the streets of Istanbul, American tourist Ruby Deveraux has already seen the horror of her companions torn apart. Now she is thrown into a dark cell with a shadowy shape she can barely see. But Ruby is no ordinary woman. All her life she has been able to sense the emotions of others, and she knows instinctively that while Sebastian does not want to be her enemy, he is in the grip of sensations so dark and primitive that he can barely control them. But amid his surging feelings she can detect passion — passion for her as a woman. This, she realizes, may be her only hope. In the unrelenting dark, trapped in a hideous prison, can Ruby and Sebastian somehow forge a fragile alliance and break free from their deadly captors to seize a love neither dreamed possible?

So I've been meaning to write this review for about a week now, but I was pretty sick and just not in the mood for it. So I'm FINALLY going to get this done (because it was a great book and I want you to know about it!

The book starts out with Sebastian Santiago(a half-lycan breed called "dovenatu") being tortured by a pack of lycans. They are depriving him of food so that he is starving; then their sick plan includes throwing a human in his cell, where he will be unable to control his bloodlust. Ruby Deveraux is in Istanbul with a group of children waiting to be adopted. When two go missing, she takes it upon herself to find them before they come to harm. Unfortunately, she falls right into the hands of the lycan pack and they know just what to do with her. They throw her in to a cell with Sebastian and wait for him to break and devour her. Ruby is different too; she can read people's emotions. More than that, she can FEEL what other people are feeling (pain, anguish, joy, etc.). From the other lycans she felt a black void, immense hunger. She can feel the hunger that is consuming Sebastian, but she does not sense the black void, the darkness in him. There is more to Sebastian than meets the eye and she soon realizes that there is something else inside him that she can play off of to give her a better chance at surviving this ordeal: lust. As hungry as he is, she can sense that he craves her as well. Obviously they are going to have to work together if either of them are going to get out alive. If they can get past Sebastian's blood lust they might just have a chance...

1) Character Development: This book has excellent character development! I picked it up actually thinking that it was the first book in the series. WRONG! It's #3, and when I figured that out I was thinking "Ah man, should I wait to read this until I've read the other two books or just go for it and hope for the best?" I was not disappointed; the author does an excellent job of giving back story so that you know something of what happened in the previous books. Also, you get a lot of information about Ruby and Sebastian's pasts (especially Ruby) which really cements the connection you develop with the characters. It's really easy to relate and empathize with them.

2) The Good, The Bad, And The Sometimes Ugly: First, the good: the story was really interesting and intense. When Sebastian and Ruby are being held captive, you aren't sure what's going to happen next or how in the world they're going to get themselves out. I like how there's an obvious connection with them right away, but they don't fall head over heels for each other right away (something that most of the time just feels unrealistic). Ruby is definitely very level headed and she's only looking to survive and Sebastian is just trying to find any way to avoid killing her. But underneath it all is definitely a delicious sexual tension! The bad: I felt like Ruby played hard to get too much and was way too harsh on Sebastian sometimes when all he was doing was try to protect her. It was so obvious that he was developing major feelings for her and she (inadvertantly I guess) stomped on his feelings...although I'm not sure he even knew that what he was feeling was love. The ugly: I don't really have anything to put here. It was hard to even come up with anything for "bad" either, the book was just really good and I honestly didn't have any complaints while reading it.

3) Romance Sizzle or Fizzle: Most definitely sizzle!! They share some passion early on and even though it cools down for awhile (in the physical sense) the chemistry between them just continues to build. The sparks between them are apparent and you just want to shake them both and say "You guys are perfect for each other, quit stalling!"

4) Uniqueness Of Plot: I would say the plot is somewhat unique. I don't know about you, but I have read a LOT of paranormal romance that started out kind of in the same way, trapped in a dungeon together and although they don't necessarily like each other they have to work together. But the story still managed to feel fresh and there were some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I like when things catch me off guard; that just means that the author didn't make the plot too predictable, which gets a huge thumbs up from me!

5) Final Thoughts: I'm not really sure what else to say, except that I loved this book and was so pleasantly surprised by that fact. Literally I was just wandering through Borders (for their close-out sale) and snatched this book up. Not sure what drew me to it but I'm so glad I decided to buy it. I just ordered book #1 through Paper Back Swap so I can't wait to read it and see how the series begins. If you're a fan of any sort of paranormal romance you need to run out and get this book ASAP! You won't be disappointed!

My rating: 5/5 stars

Also, be sure and visit Sharie Kohler's website here.

Just another note for readers of my blog: my posts might be few and far between at times (especially starting this fall) because I have decided to go back to college and start on a new degree! Right now I'm studying for my math placement test which I plan on taking next week, then I will have several months where I'm going to try to get in as much personal reading as possible before school starts. Once school starts, I plan on devoting most, if not all, of my spare time studying because I want to devote maximum effort to my studies this time around. I want to be proud of what I accomplish and know that I tried my hardest. I'm so excited about going back to college, but I will miss all of the spare reading time I have now. For now though, not much will be different...just warning you all in advance!

Jodi Picoult Livestream Interview!

Watch live streaming video from atria at livestream.com

The Livestream video with Jodi Picoult discussing her new book, Sing You Home, will be start tomorrow (March 7) at 7 PM EST. Please don't miss the chance! Join me tomorrow here at Bookerella. And if you haven't already, go pick up a copy of Sing You Home; it is an amazing book!

Teaser Tuesday (1)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly 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! (be sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others)

*Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

Currently, I'm reading To Crave A Blood Moon (The Moon Chasers Series) by Sharie Kohler. My review for this book will be coming VERY soon, because I'm almost finished. Until then, here's a few teaser sentences for you!

~"He wondered if there would ever come a day when he did not see fear in her eyes. If so, he doubted he would be around to see it."

There, that's all you get! Like I said, review coming soon, probably later today or tomorrow. What book are you reading right now? Feel free to post a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in the comments!