Sunday, October 31, 2010

Book Review: A Dangerous Path

A Dangerous Path (Warriors #5)
Author: Erin Hunter
Title: A Dangerous Path
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: May 24, 2005
Rating: 5 Stars
Book Blurb: The saga continues in the fifth book in the Warriors series as the cat Fireheart, now deputy leader of Thunderclan, finds himself taking on even more responsibility because clan-leader Bluestar is both physically and mentally ill. Add to that the dangerous machinations of treacherous Tigarstar, the head of Shadowclan, and a pack of renegade dogs. Bluestar becomes certain that all the members of her clan, including Fireheart, have betrayed her; the ancestral Starclan cats have abandoned her; and Windclan is hunting in Thunderclan's territory. After Bluestar declares war, it's up to Fireheart to find a way to avoid the battle. Hunter maintains the established characterizations of his sentient cats, who still retain their feline natures. With compelling intrigue and fast-paced actions, this is one of the most exciting books in the series--and, happily, there's another volume to come.

Review:
I'm writing this review from a fangirl point of view. This series is fantastic, but the Erins (Erin Hunter is 3-4 people depending on the series etc) are very sadistic. They really enjoy killing off cats in strange and unusal ways.  In this book there are at least 3 cats that die, and one will totally break your heart.

I haven't totally recovered from the death of Thunderclan's medicine cat, Yellowfang from a previous book, and now this! Ahhhhh!

It is really hard to believe these are kids books, but they are grades 6 and up so I guess the kidlets can deal with the violence of the feral cats lives. I only wish that she didn't kill off so many of the cats in each book, and its always one cat that the reader is truly attached to, or a just a senseless death. This book has so many that its ridiculous.

Does it stop me from reading?

NO!

It is like a soap opera. I have to keep reading to see what happens next in the lives of these cats and it is looking like Thunderclan is going to be going through some big changes in the last book of the first series.

I can't wait to see what happens next. These cats have truly become part of my life. The sad thing is..there are two series after this!! Tis crazy, but it is a good crazy!

Love live Fireheart!!!

An Awesome Giveaway

Sanna started a Christmas Reading Challenge and she is celebrating with a great giveaway! If you want to enter, just go over to this post on Sanna's blog and get all the details!

She's giving away a beautiful book cover and one of her favorite romances!

Its a great prize if you ask me!!

Weekend Question

I haven't finished any books since yesterday, and I'm all caught up on reviews, so the only thing I can post is an meme! This meme comes from Cleverly Inked



Do you judge a book by it's cover? If so which is your favorite?

I'm a firm believer that anyone that answers this question with a no, is a downright liar. Unless it is an author that I'm totally familiar, and in love with, the first thing that draws me to a book is the cover. There is no question about it.

I'm also a lover of romance novels, so there's always a lot of really impressive, sexy covers, the better the cover the more likely I am to flip it over to read the blurb. The blurb is what sells the book.

I don't think I have a favorite. I love a lot of covers.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Book Review: The Promise

The Promise (De Warenne Dynasty)Author: Brenda Joyce
Title: The Promise
Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: Sept 28, 2010
Rating: 3 stars
Book Blurb: After a record-breaking sail from China, Alexi de Warenne's moment of triumph quickly vanishes. At his welcoming party, his bewitching childhood friend Elysse O'Neill begins flirting with a shipmate, clearly punishing Alexi for his time at sea. But when Alexi finds Elysse desperately struggling in the man's arms, tragedy ensues. Within days, Alexi weds her to save her honor—and leaves her to forge a new life.


Elysse de Warenne rules the ton with her wit and grace, but the whispers of "abandoned bride" follow her ruthlessly. Elysse will never reveal the truth: that she hasn't seen her husband in six years—and that they didn't even consummate their marriage! When Alexi unexpectedly returns to England, Elysse will do whatever it takes to win his heart and claim her place at his side….

Review:  To say this book was a disappointment is an understatement. I usually love Brenda's books, but both the hero and the heroine are so unlikable. Alexi is downright mean and hateful and Elysse is a spoiled obnoxious brat. Even though you know that after the incident that resulted in her marriage, she changed for the better, she still didn't learn much about how to behave.
 
What I really couldn't understand about both characters was their lack of communication, especially for two people who were such close friends. When things start going wrong, neither of them has the brains to tell the other how they really feel, yet both insist that they were best friends.
 
It doesn't make sense.
 
Even worse is the attraction they felt for each other early on that they don't act upon. It is really frustrating for the reader to know that they have these feelings but don't have the brains to share them with each other. Not to mention the fact that both keep lovers or have the appearance that they do, for all of society to see, and then wonder why the other is jealous.
 
Again it makes little sense.
 
Then there's the last 70 pages. How does Alexi miss that Elysse is a virgin? And why is he such a pigheaded fool? At least its easier to understand Elysse wanting to follow him to China after their nights of passion.
 
Definitely not one of my favorite reads by this author.
 
 
~ This book provided by Net Galley @ Harlequin

Friday, October 29, 2010

All I Want For Christmas #2

This is a feature/meme where I choose a book each week leading up to Christmas and say why it's made it onto my wishlist – and I'd love to see what books everyone else is hoping to get! I'll be posting my pick each Thursday, but you guys can link up and visit other people's posts all through the week.

I found this meme over at Danya's site, so if you decide to play along, go there and drop off your link.


Going PostalAuthor: Terry Pratchett
Title: Going Postal
Book Blurb:  British fantasist Pratchett's latest special-delivery delight, set in his wonderfully crazed city of Ankh-Morpork, hilariously reflects the plight of post offices the world over as they struggle to compete in an era when e-mail has stolen much of the glamour from the postal trade. Soon after Moist von Lipwig (aka Alfred Spangler), Pratchett's not-quite-hapless, accidental hero, barely avoids hanging, Lord Havelock Vetinari, the despotic but pretty cool ruler of Ankh-Morpork, makes him a job offer he can't refuse—postmaster general of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office. The post office hasn't been open for 20 years since the advent of the Internet-like clacks communication system. Moist's first impulse is to try to escape, but Mr. Pump, his golem parole officer, quickly catches him. Moist must then deal with the musty mounds of undelivered mail that fill every room of the decaying Post Office building maintained by ancient and smelly Junior Postman Groat and his callow assistant, Apprentice Postman Stanley. The place is also haunted by dead postmen and guarded by Mr. Tiddles, a crafty cat. Readers will cheer Moist on as he eventually finds himself in a race with the dysfunctional clacks system to see whose message can be delivered first. Thanks to the timely subject matter and Pratchett's effervescent wit, this 29th Discworld novel (after 2003's Monstrous Regiment) may capture more of the American audience he deserves.


Reason I Want This Book: I've been obsessed with getting this book since I watch the ITV movie based on this book. The movie stared my favorite UK actor, Richard Coyle as Moist Von Lipwig. Its one of the few times where I think I'll be happy to have a visual of a character before I read the book.

Want the same visual?

Thursday, October 28, 2010

I'm Addicted

I'm sure you've all notice that I've been reading a lot of the Warrior Cats books by Erin Hunter. I'm truly addicted to these books. My sister read them first and then passed them on to me.

Once I read the first one, I couldn't stop.

I haven't been reading much else, besides these books. I'm up to book 5 of the first series of 6.

They aren't even really in my comfort zone.

Yes, I love cats...but Warrior Cats?

I'm more a fan of fat lazy cats, or kittypets as Hunter calls the cats that live with Twolegs (Humans)

Oh and when it comes to crazy quizzes about the kittehs?

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Book Review: Rising Storm

Rising Storm (Warriors, Book 4)
Author: Erin Hunter
Title: Warriors: Rising Storm Book 4
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: Feb 15, 2005
Rating: 5 Stars
Book Blurb: The cat Fireheart and his fellow ThunderClan members are back in the fourth installment of the Warriors series. In this episode, Fireheart has been deputized to replace the ousted rogue cat Tigerclaw, but his new job is made harder by the lingering apathy of the clan's leader. Fireheart must overcome doubts about his ability, struggles with his apprentice, a deadly fire that threatens to finish off the clan, a potential new love, and an enemy that returns from his past. Hunter once again tells a good, suspenseful adventure story that urges readers onward, and teens may find their own journey toward adulthood echoed in the protagonist's struggles and self-doubts. Although background from earlier books may be useful, this can be read on its own; a handy list of characters at the beginning of the book will help readers keep track of Hunter's large cast.

Review:  Book four of the first Warriors series will have you crying more often than not, especially if you have fallen in love with the cats of ThunderClan. I know I have. I started the first book in series one last week and I'm starting book 5 today!

Book 4 is the most dramatic so far. There's a lot of action and a lot Clan Cats going to StarClan. So if you are a crybaby, and I am, you will be sniffling through this book.

There's also a blossoming love, which is nice. This book needed a bit more happy.

This story also sets the stage for what's to come. Readers already know Bluestar's secret, but after the betrayal she suffers at the end of Forest Of Secrets she's changed and not for the better. The actions in the last book have taken a lot out of her. It is a good thing that Fireheart is such a strong character, even though he still falters now and then.

The bright stop in this book? Cloudpaw, the kittypet, kitten, that is Fireheart's nephew. He's so silly and arrogant, that you have to adore him.

This series is addicting. I really can't wait to continue on with the books. They are fast and fun reads and they make you wonder if your cats are really thinking some of those things!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Book Review: Forest Of Secrets

Forest of Secrets (Warriors, Book 3)
Author: Erin Hunter
Title: Warriors: Forest Of Secrets Book 3
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: October 1, 2004
Rating: 5 Stars
Book Blurb: As this third book in this series begins, Fireheart, former house pet turned warrior cat, continues to be torn between his allegiance to his Thunderclan and his suspicions that Tigerclaw is planning to take over as its leader. When Fireheart gets proof of his deceit and presents his findings to the clan's wise and compassionate leader, she refuses to believe him. Tensions are already running high between the clans because the cats are getting sick from fish from the polluted rivers, flooding is widespread, and they must invade each other's territory for food. The tragic death of Graystripe's mate as she's giving birth and his betrayal of the clan by loving a cat from an enemy clan bring the simmering tensions to a boil as both groups claim rights to the kits. Other secrets come to light as Tigerclaw, exiled in disgrace, vows revenge and Fireheart becomes the new deputy. This exciting book is not for the faint of heart as it is often violent. It is reminiscent of Greek drama, with its huge cast of characters (a chart of allegiances is included), intrigues, divided loyalties, star-crossed lovers, and parents murdering their offspring. Fans of the series will lap it up while impatiently awaiting the next entry.

Review: Have I mentioned these books are addicting? I've read the first 3 in less than a week! Each picks up right where the last one left off, so as soon as you finish reading one, you are ready to jump into another.

So far, this is my favorite of the series. It had so much action and adventure and love. Yes, there's even romance among the cats!

There's a lot going on in these books too, from betrayal of one of the cats in the higher ranks of the clan, to romances between clans and then some. It is kind of a like a cat soap opera in print.

I love the personalities of the cats. Erin really makes these cats come alive. I don't think I could pick a favorite cat..I love Yellowfang and Cloudpaw and of course, Fireheart. After so many books, these cats are as real to me as my own kittypets...erm cats.

What I find the most appealing is that though these books are written for a young audience, Grades 5 and up, they really can be read by anyone. They aren't terribly childlike, and that's good for me, because I'm thirty six!

If you like cats and fantasy, these books are definitely something to look into. I can't wait to get into book 4!

Top Ten Tuesday #5



This is an meme from The Broke and the Bookish.

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers answers.


Top Ten Books for Halloween

1. The Phantom Of The Opera:  This is a really great gothic horror romance. Not quite as scary as Dracula, but still a great Halloween read. Plus Erik (The Phantom) is one of my favorite characters of all time.


2. Dracula: This is "the" vampire book. All other vampires pale beneath him...or sparkle...and can I just say again, VAMPIRES DON'T SPARKLE!!!!!!

3. It: As if clowns weren't scary enough, Stephen King makes them more terrifying. Actually any classic Stephen King novel will do here.

4. R.L. Stine's Fear Street Series:  A Tween Series yes, but still quite scary.

5. John Saul - Suffer The Children:  No joke, this one gave me nightmares!

6. My Sweet Audrina: V.C. Andrews written by V.C. Andrews = creepy. Anything ghost written is horrid and a discredit to her wacky writing.

7.  Clive Barker - The Damnation Game: This was one of the first horror novels I read back between high school and college. Clive writes some pretty scary stuff.

8. Coraline: Its kids creepy care of Neil Gaiman...The Graveyard Book is another good kid's story.

9. Heck: Where The Bad Kids Go: Not really scary..but it is about the many circles of Heck!

10. Interview With The Vampire: Best vampire fiction aside from Dracula!! No sparkles!!!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Book Review: Lovely

Author: Kris Starr
Title: Lovely
Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: June 21, 2010
Rating: 3 Stars
Book Blurb: They call me Lovely. But I know I am not.
Once I had another name. Now, as Angelique, I do what I can to please les messieurs. What would they say if they knew I felt no pleasure? To them I am wanton, insatiable. I alone know the truth.

So I am mystified by my reaction to my latest caller. Alexandre. Handsome. Well-bred. With an air of innocence that intrigues me. And true pain in his eyes. A mere kiss on the hand inflames me as never before. In moments this man disconcerts me like no other, and soon I can think of nothing, no one else. And yet, he barely touches me.

I know my true purpose is to mend his wounds, but I wonder what lustful appetites are buried deep within him. I will do what I can to discover his secrets...

Review: This is a super short ebook at only 53 pages, but it packs a lot of heat into those pages, though a lot of that spice isn't between Angelique and Alexandre.

It's not a rather inspired tale, but it is told well, it reads like Anais Nin light.

You get only Angelique's point of view, which at times leaves a lot out, particularly when they were out and about  after dark in Paris and Alexandre sees a woman that reminds him a great deal of his dead wife.  His actions really don't seem right. One minute he's ready to go the whole way with the courtesan he's paid for, and the next minute he's all apologetic.

It really would have been wonderful to have a little more backstory on him. Kris did give her readers a bit of Angelique's past, which made her easier to understand, but leaving Alexandre a mystery was a bit of a let down.

The ending was a bit rushed but it did suit Angelique. It wasn't the happy ending most would expect, but it wasn't sad either. This was a quick read, and a good beside the bed story. I'd like to see a full length by Kris Starr.

~ ebook provided by Net Galley

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Book Review: Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice (Warriors, Book 2)
Author: Erin Hunter
Title: Warriors: Fire and Ice
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date:  2004
Rating: 4 stars
Book Blurb: Fireheart could hear a roaring around him, like wind in tall trees. The acrid stench of the Thunderpath stung his nostrils, together with a new smell, sharper and more terrifying. Fire!



Book Two of WARRIORS continues Fireheart's quest to be a true warrior, when he finds new danger lurking in the woods as the chill of winter sets in.


WindClan is missing, and hostilities between the remaining three clans place all the cats in peril. Illness and tragic accidents weaken the camp, and ThunderClan needs all its warriors to defent itself - but Fireheart suspects that certain cats may not be as loyal as they appear.

Review: Fire and Ice picks up exactly where Into The Wild leaves off, with Fireheart and Greystripe becoming warriors for Thunderclan. These are not books that you can read out of order for that reason. There's too much that can be missed if you jump around.

This book sees the two friends growing emotionally as they take on their duties as mentors. Fireheart has much to deal with has he discovers a relative when he's sent out with his apprentice to the edge of their territory near Twoleg Place. He also helps to bring back Windclan, who were driven away by Shadow Clan in the last book. There's also betrayal brewing and you can see the distrust between some of the cats grow in this book.

It is very easy to fall in love with these cats and readers will do so more and more with each story, because they really appear to be human. In this book you see one cat falling in love and another getting just a touch homesick for his kittypet family, even though he doesn't want to return to Two Leg Place.

This is wonderful story, that will leave you thirsting for the next book. Thankfully my sister read them all so I can just jump from book to book.

ARC Book Tour & Book Review: Five Flavors Of Dumb

Five Flavors of Dumb
Author: Antony John
Title: Five Flavors Of Dumb
Publisher: Dial
Publish Date: Nov 11, 2010
Rating: 5 stars
Book Blurb: The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.


The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.
The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?


Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.

Review: It is really hard to pinpoit exactly why Five Flavors Of Dumb is so good, without sounding overly gushy.  This book felt like a YA book written by Nick Hornby. Anyone that is a fan of his writing, who reads this will understand.

Even though the storyline was so unrealistic, the characters in the story were what made it such a great read. Piper was a character that many girls and women could indentify with. She struggles with self confidence and wants to be part of the "In Crowd."  She finds the means to her end with Dumb, but she gets so much more than she bargained for when she becomes their manager.

Through her gig as manager of Dumb she really becomes friends with the band, and each member has their own quirks (flavors). Tash is an angry punk girl. Kallie is girl next door gorgeous but with secrets. Will and Josh are brothers that are different as night and day. Then there's Ed, brought in as a drummer through Piper.

The only one you can't like is Josh, and that's because you really aren't supposed to. He's a jerk, in the lightest terms possible.

Piper also discovers music through managing the band, something she really didn't seem to care about, which makes a little sense, since she's deaf.  It is definitely an awakening for her and the more she understands it and becomes better at the job, the more she changes, but not enough that becomes unrecognizable from the Piper we meet at the beginning of the story.

The other thing that really makes this book a winner, is her relationship with her family. They are dysfunctional and loving. It is great to see a family where there's no "evil" mom or dad or step-parent. They've made mistakes and they are trying to get by.
The best part is that it works out for everyone in the end. Well, almost everyone.  This has to be one of my favorite YA books so far this year.

Friday, October 22, 2010

All I Want For Christmas....

This is a feature/meme where I choose a book each week leading up to Christmas and say why it's made it onto my wishlist – and I'd love to see what books everyone else is hoping to get! I'll be posting my pick each Thursday, but you guys can link up and visit other people's posts all through the week.

I found this meme over at Danya's site, so if you decide to play along, go there and drop off your link.

Here's my first wishlist book



Author: Sheila Roberts
Title: On Strike For Christmas
Book Blurb: Roberts's sweetly vengeful dig at do-nothing husbands follows a smalltown knitting club of wives who are sick and tired of toiling over elaborate Christmas preparations that their husbands don't appreciate. As they go on strike, the women try to stay in solidarity, while the husbands plan retaliation at the hardware store. Roberts revels in detailing the husbands' awkward, often disastrous handling of tasks their wives habitually do for Christmas (taking the kids to see Santa, planning the party, doing up the house). By the end of this gently feminist sendup, each side learns to be grateful for the other's efforts.

Why its on my wishlist: I'm a sucker for books about the holidays. I'm an even bigger sucker for books that make me laugh and this one looks like one that will have me giggling quite a bit.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Book Review: Into The Wild

Warriors #1: Into the Wild
Author: Erin Hunter
Title: Warriors: Into The Wild Book 1
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: January 2004
Rating: 5 Stars
Book Blurb: For generations, four clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to laws laid down by powerful ancestral clans. But now things are changing: ShadowClan has banished WindClan and is threatening RiverClan and ThunderClan by insisting on hunting rights within their territories. What's more, each year the TwoLegs encroach further into the forest, and prey is becoming scarce. A prophecy reveals, "Fire alone can save [the] Clan." Into this dangerous situation wanders a "kittypet," a young, bright orange tomcat whose courage earns him, despite objections by some, a place as an apprentice ThunderClan warrior and the new name of Firepaw. In this first spine-tingling episode in the planned Warriors series, Firepaw learns the ways of the wild life, facing many dangers and treachery both within and without his new clan. Intelligence notwithstanding, the cat characters are true to their feline nature, making this sure to appeal to fans of Clare Bell's long-popular Ratha's Creature (1983) and its sequels and also to followers of Brian Jacques' ongoing Redwall series.

Review:  Erin Hunter really does a nice job and bringing cats to life in her Warriors books. Into The Wild is the story of Rusty a kittypet who wanders into the forest to find an apprentice of the Thunderclan.  He leaves his life as a housecat (kittypet) behind and is allowed to join the clan.

This series of books really shows the reader a lot about human nature through the fantasy world of these cats.  Through Rusty (Firepaw) you see how bigotry can be more than a little hurtful. The Clanborn cats look down at Firepaw because he was a kittypet.

These cats' clans are like tiny countries and they wage war over territories. They hunt, they play and they survive through working together as a team.  Each of the cats has something unique that they do, be it a mother, a healer or a fighter, and if they all can't work together the clan falls apart.

In this book, Rusty turns into a regular Clan cat from housepet. We see his struggles and triumphs. We watch as he builds friendships.

There's so much that goes on in these 280ish pages, but one thing stands out above all other things. You will love these cats for the human traits Erin has given them. As soon as you finish the last page, you'll be reaching for the next book and the next after that.

The writing isn't all that fantastic, but the story is. These are definitely great books for cat lovers and tweens.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Book Review: Dark Road To Darjeeling

Author: Deanna Raybourn
Title: Dark Road To Darjeeling
Publisher: Mira
Publish Date: Oct 1, 2010
Rating: 5 Stars
Book Blurb: After eight idyllic months in the Mediterranean, Lady Julia Grey and her detective husband are ready to put their investigative talents to work once more. At the urging of Julia's eccentric family, they hurry to India to aid an old friend, the newly widowed Jane Cavendish. Living on the Cavendish tea plantation with the remnants of her husband's family, Jane is consumed with the impending birth of her child—and with discovering the truth about her husband's death. Was he murdered for his estate? And if he was, could Jane and her unborn child be next?


Amid the lush foothills of the Himalayas, dark deeds are buried and malicious thoughts flourish. The Brisbanes uncover secrets and scandal, illicit affairs and twisted legacies. In this remote and exotic place, exploration is perilous and discovery, deadly. The danger is palpable and, if they are not careful, Julia and Nicholas will not live to celebrate their first anniversary.

Review: Dark Road to Darjeeling is the fourth Lady Julia Grey mystery and like the others, its characters grab hold of you from the start.

Julia and Nicholas are far from your typical married couple. Julia is very unconventional, and is still hell bend on working with her husband as an investigator. This time they are trying to help Portia's friend (lover) Jane Cavendish, who had abandoned her previously in favor of a husband and family.

The cast of characters in India is even more unique than in the previous novels. The Cavendish family is certainly odd with maiden aunts, twins born on the wrong side of the blanket, doctor's with a taste for drink and opium, not to mention the neighbors, Cassandra Pennyfeather, her husband the Reverend, and her two children, Primrose and Robin.

To say that this family was unconventional is an understatement, and any parts of the book with them involved are sure to get the readers attention.

Readers who have been following the series will also remember Emma and Lucy from Silent In The Sanctuary. They're back in this one only Emma is dying of breast cancer now. And there's the White Rajah who is a little more than he seems.

The thing that makes Deanna's Lady Julia books more than a little worth reading is how well she keeps the "whodunit" a secret. It is pretty impossible to guess who killed Jane Cavendish's husband Freddie. Everyone had a motive!

This makes for a real page turner!

And the ending? You won't believe any of it.  This series just gets better and better. Readers won't be able to wait for the next installment!!!

~ ebook provided by Net Galley and Harlequin

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Top Ten Tuesday #4



This is an meme from The Broke and the Bookish.

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers answers.

Top Ten Fictional Crushes

1.  Erik from The Phantom of the Opera  I was never a fan of Raoul in the musical or the book. I always wanted Christine to realize she loved Erik.

2. Ron Weasley from Harry Potter. What can I say? I'm a sucker for red heads!

3. Joe Morelli and Ranger from Stephanie Plum: Seriously! These guys are sexy...and from what I've seen with the casting...the screen versions will be sexy as well.

4. Nicholas Brisbane  from The Lady Grey Mysteries: There's something really sexy about Lady Julia's husband. Maybe it's his gypsy blood, and maybe its because he's an investigator.

5. Roux from Chocolat: another faboulous gypsy. I wonder if I would have pictured him as Johnny Depp had I not seen the film before reading the book.

6.  Dick Driver from Tender Is the Night: I remember adoring this character when I read the book in high school

7. Will Lightman from About a Boy: Hugh Grant was perfect casting for this part. No joke. He was exactly how I pictured Will.

8. Moist Von Lipwig  from Going Postal  and Making Money : I love this character and the when they cast Richard Coyle in the part...my life was complete. I went from crushing on this character to falling hopelessly in love with this character.

9. Ethan from The Haunting: How can you not love a sexy civil war ghost?

10. Luke  from Her Sexy Valentine: I loved the hero in Stephanie Bond's Valentine's Day Blaze. I would've run off with him myself if I could have

Monday, October 18, 2010

It's Monday! What Are You Reading

  From Sheila @ Book Journey.

This is the meme where we discuss what we've read in the past week and what we plan to read in the coming week.

I haven't done this meme in ages, mostly because my life has been really hectic on Mondays lately.

Last Week's Reading

Hope Tarr - A Rogue's Pleasure
Marta Perry - Leah's Choice
Stacey Kade - The Ghost & The Goth

Now here comes the fun part...

What I'm Reading Now




  


I'm not sure I plan on reading anything other than these three. Between writing reviews for my freelance job and trying to get to the YMCA most every night for at least an hour, cuts into my reading time. It doesn't help matters that the Y has that awesome lending library that I use more than I should.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Never Say Never

The Host: A Novel
Earlier this week I said that I would never ever ever read this book.

Well, I lied.

I was at the YMCA today and someone had left a copy at the lending library and I brought it home.

I think this is a curiousity thing.

I've read Twilight and New Moon and I was totally  underwhelmed by the writing in both, yet oddly I can understand their appeal.

So most likely this is going to be my book project this week.

Reading The Host.

Hopefully some of you that have read this one will come back and discuss it with me when I post my review.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

On My Wishlist #15






                                               



On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.

Here are a few of the books on my wishlist right now. As some of  you can see, I'm really enjoying some of the Amish books I've discovered lately.

Anna's Return: Pleasant Valley Book Three
Author: Marta Perry
Title: Anna's Return: Pleasant Valley Book 3
Book Blurb: Marta Perry returns with a brand-new inspirational Pleasant Valley novel.

After spending three years in the English world, Anna Beiler returns to the Pleasant Valley Amish with a baby girl, which will surely cause a stir since Anna is unmarried. What they don't know is that the baby is adopted, and Anna desperately needs to protect it from its violent father...

Anna finds it reassuring to reconnect with family and old friends. But she hasn't fully faced the consequences of her irresponsible youth. And now she may be endangering her family. If she wants to stay, she must seek forgiveness from the community whose blessing she took for granted, and experience the true change of heart required to make a new beginning.



Silent On The Moor (A Lady Julia Grey Novel)Author:Deanna Raybourn
Title: Silent On The Moor
Book Blurb: Despite his admonitions to stay away, Lady Julia arrives in Yorkshire to find Brisbane as remote and maddeningly attractive as ever. Cloistered together, they share the moldering house with the proud but impoverished remnants of an ancient family—the sort that keeps their bloodline pure and their secrets close. Lady Allenby and her daughters, dependent upon Brisbane and devastated by their fall in society, seem adrift on the moor winds, powerless to change their fortunes. But poison does not discriminate between classes….

A mystery unfolds from the rotten heart of Grimsgrave, one Lady Julia may have to solve alone, as Brisbane appears inextricably tangled in its heinous twists and turns. But blood will out, and before spring touches the craggy northern landscape, Lady Julia will have uncovered a Gypsy witch, a dark rider and a long-buried legacy of malevolence and evil.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Book Review: A Rogue's Pleasure

A Rogue's Pleasure
Author: Hope Tarr
Title: A Rogue's Pleasure
Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: August 16, 2010
Rating: 5 stars
Book Blurb: Miss Chelsea Bellamy is desperate!


Her beloved brother is being held for ransom! Impoverished after the deaths of her parents, Chelsea doesn't have five shillings, never mind the five hundred pounds the kidnappers are demanding. With no one to turn to, she resorts to highway robbery to raise the sum.

Lord Anthony Grenville is bored

Viscount Montrose's coach is overtaken by a highwayman—who turns out to be no man at all! Anthony hasn't been this intrigued by anything, or anyone, since his return from the war. And when he catches the flame-haired thief breaking into his London house to further fill her coffers, he comes up with a plan to rescue her brother—and resolves to seduce her into his bed!

Their passion is mutual

Chelsea accepts Anthony's aid, but she'll never become his mistress—even if the thought of it fills her veins with liquid fire...

Review: When it comes to historical fiction, you can't go wrong with Hope Tarr. Her characters always find their way into the reader's heart, and Chelsea and Anthony are no exception.

Chelsea is a strong heroine though at times she doesn't use the brain that it is quite obvious she has. When faced with the problem of her brother's kidnapping, she turns to thievery to raise the funds for his safe return.

Not very bright, but then again, if she hadn't done that she wouldn't have met Lord Melrose, and he's a hero you can't help but love.

He's a total rogue, willing to offer her carte blanche because he is to marry the Lady Pheobe in a month's time, actually on the date she was to turn over the money to the kidnappers.

Chelsea robs him, is caught by him and he decides to help her and her butler (the former highwayman) to find the men who kidnapped her brother. From there, love blossoms, but Chelsea is too scared and proud to admit it, especially as Anthony is betrothed and only wants her as his mistress.

Probably the most memorable character, is actually One Eyed Jack, the former highwayman. His protectiveness of her is wonderful and funny, especially when he discovers that she's been with Anthony. He really is the string that binds the two of them together.

They have a lot to get through before they can be together too and its the getting there that's the fun. Plus some of the secondary characters get a happy ending too, which makes this a fantastic book from start to finish, but those of you familiar with Hope's books, know that her books are all fantastic, and this is no different.
 
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