Winner! -The Hunger Games

To my very first Giveaway Winner! Thanks to everyone that entered! The number picked by Random.org was 32 and the lucky person who had that number was........

Anita Yancey!!!!
Yay! Congrats to Anita!!!

Review of Devlin Diary

The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips

Thanks goes to Sarah Reidy and Pocket books for allowing me to read and review this wonderful and exciting book!

My Review:

This book was amazing! Simply put, Phillips knows how to weave an engaging tale using bits of history and her imagination! The Devlin Diary is a fast paced and well choreographed tale of two women, a royal conspiracy, murder, and how all these elements connect them over centuries. I love history. I love reading about royals and their intrigues and scandalous lives. Maybe this is why I now am a huge fan of this book and Phillips? I didn't want this book to end and was sad when the ride was over. I felt geniue affection for Hannah and her little family, and Dr. Strathern. I was really cheering for Dr. Strathern and crossing my fingers that he would ditch his sense of duty and just go with his true feelings. The story wrapped itself around my brain and imagination and wouldn't realease them until the end. I did find myself more enchanted with the historical side over the modern part of the tale but I thoroughly enjoyed this whole book! Ms. Phillips is an artist! I will be grabbing a copy of the Rossetti Letter which I believe is a prequel of sorts to the Devlin Diary.

My rating of this book is 4.5/5 stars!

Knight of Desire Review and Giveaway!!

Thanks again to Hachette and Anna Balasi for allowing me and my little blog to participate in this awesome blog tour and giveaway!

From Amazon:

FEARLESS IN BATTLE

His surcoat still bloody from battle, William FitzAlan comes to claim the strategic borderlands granted to him by the king. One last prize awaits him at the castle gates: the lovely Lady Catherine Rayburn.

TENDER IN BED

Catherine risked everything to spy for the crown. Her reward? Her lands are declared forfeit and she is given this choice: marry FitzAlan or be taken to the Tower. Catherine agrees to give her handsome new husband her body, but she's keeping secrets, and dare not give him her heart. As passion ignites and danger closes in, Catherine and William must learn to trust in each other to save their marriage, their land, and their very lives.

KNIGHT OF DESIRE

My Review:

I adored this book! There I said it! I loved it from the start to the finish! I'm not usually the type of girl that gets into books like this. I will admit to having a sort of set opinion of the Romance genre, but I figured that if I'm going to do this book reviewing and reading thing right I'll have to broaden my horizons! This book may have converted me to the throngs of "bodice ripper" fans! Seriously this book travelled with me everywhere! I believe the phrase would be; I completely devoured it! The only negative opinion I had of this book was the cover art. It was a little cliched (but a beautifully done cliche I'll add) and not really a very good representation of the story. I loved Catherine and her character. I was so glad that she wasn't a helpless female and everything she did had a purpose. She was a strong woman that took care of herself and her loved ones. I really LIKED her. William on the other hand was a little whiny at times but even that wasn't enough to make me hate him. I loved the chemistry between William and Catherine. The love story was well developed and believable. The drama was awesome! Honestly I cannot think of anything else to say but read it! Do yourself a favor and enter the contest giveaway or better yet buy a copy! It's that good!

Giveaway Details: 5 winners will receive a copy of Knight of Desire

1. follow my blog or already a follower- 1 point
2. Comment: What is your favorite romance novel? 1 point
3. Blog about my giveaway and review-2 points (please post link)

That's it! This give away ends on July 5th (winners will be posted on July 6th)
CONTEST CLOSED

My Forbidden Desire Review and Giveaway!!!

Thanks to Hachette and Anna Balasi I was able to join in on my very first blog tour! Yay! My blog feels all grown up now! Anywho, back to business! I have the details of the giveaway at the end of my review so stay tuned!


From Amazon:
TORN BETWEEN...


Alexandrine Marit is a witch in mortal danger. An evil mage craves the powerful, mysterious talisman that supplies her magic, and the only person who can keep her safe is a dark and dangerous fiend called Xia. With his fierce animosity toward witches, he's hardly the ideal bodyguard. Yet as days turn into nights, she can't deny the white-hot passion between them.


DESIRE AND TEMPTATION


Xia hates witches. They enslave and mercilessly kill his kind. But he's been ordered to protect Alexandrine, who, to his surprise, has a spirit he admires and a body he longs to possess. With the mage and his henchmen closing in, Alexandrine and her protector must trust the passion that can unite them...or risk losing everything to the enemies who can destroy them both.

My Review:
Wow! This book sorta popped my cherry in the Paranormal Romance department! I have seen several reviews for this book scattered about the web so I will try not to sound like a broken record. Well heck! I can't help it! This book was good! I really enjoyed the characters and the plot tremendously! Although to be honest, I would have liked the system of magic and it's "rules" to have been a little more fleshed out for easier understanding. I will however forgive Ms. Jewell for this small transgression (if it could be called that at all.) The reason for my leniency, you ask? The reason being how incredibly HOT the action *wink wink* is! Yup, my temperature was rising a little bit while I flipped through the pages and totally hooked me on this genre! I'd certainly recommend this naughty novel to anyone looking for a quick sexy read!

Giveaway Rules: 5 Copies are up for grabs!

1. follow my blog or already a follower -1 points
2. Answer: What do you think draws you to the Paranormal Romance genre?-1 point
3. post about my giveaway on your blog-2 points (please leave a link)

That's it! This give away ends on July 5th (winners will be posted on July 6th)

CONTEST CLOSED!

Mailbox Saturday-June 27

Well not much to report this week! I won a copy of Jane Green's book The Beach House! That's it!

I will admit to being equally disappointed and relieved. I've been spoiled with all the books I've gotten but then I have the biggest TBR pile than I've ever had in my life!

Slow Week

This week's updating and reading has been slow and for that I apologize. My son went to stay at his Grandpa's house for a couple of days so Me and the Mr. had a nice kid-free two days. We slept in, stayed out too late, and watched too many movies. So those days were wonderfully non-productive. The rest of the week was getting back into the swing of things and playing catch up. I have not succeeded yet. And sadly my poor blog has paid the price. My lack of blogging this week is reflected by one sad little What Are you Reading Monday post, sitting there all alone. Needless to say the fires have been lit under my butt and I WILL be caught up by tomorrow night! Yup, I'm switching it to serious mode and catching up on my reading, reviews, and posting! Schweet!

I have a few fun things coming up next week. A few blog tours and TWO more giveaways! So stay tuned!

ps-random picture has no relation to the post. just was for the lolz

Monday-What are you reading?-June 22nd

This week I have high expectations of myself! I've got a LOT of reading and writing to do! These are the books I hope/want to get read this week!

-The Castaways-Elin Hilderbrand
-Drawing in the Dust-Zoe Klein
-The Strain-Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
-Stardust Dads-David R. George

Sounds lofty but I have three days of kid-free silence while my son enjoys some time at his grandpa's!

What are you reading?

In the Mail-Sunday June 21st

Books Won:

Books to Review:

Review-Undiscovered Gyrl

From Amazon:

Only on the internet can you have so many friends and be so lonely.

Beautiful, wild, funny, and lost, Katie Kampenfelt is taking a year off before college to find her passion. Ambitious in her own way, Katie intends to do more than just smoke weed with her boyfriend, Rory, and work at the bookstore. She plans to seduce Dan, a thirty-two-year-old film professor.

Katie chronicles her adventures in an anonymous blog, telling strangers her innermost desires, shames, and thrills. But when Dan stops taking her calls, when her alcoholic father suffers a terrible fall, and when she finds herself drawn into a dangerous new relationship, Katie's fearless narrative begins to crack, and dark pieces of her past emerge.

Sexually frank, often heartbreaking, and bursting with devilish humor, Undiscovered Gyrl is an extraordinarily accomplished novel of identity, voyeurism, and deceit.

Check this out online!

My Review:

Wow! What can I say? I opened this book and was instantly sucked in. I seriously couldn't put it down! *much to my husband's amusement!* I first was slightly annoyed at the format of the book but that quickly vanished. Katie's story is told via blog entry. Each entry progresses the story of her life. I really liked Katie. She was both interesting and relate-able. The story reads fast, most likely because of the blog format but you don't feel like you are missing anything. Like she says, she only "posts" the important stuff that people need to know. There's not unnecessary chatter just the straight facts. This one kept me flipping the pages! The ending is..well you need to get your hands on this book. It's got a release date of August 11, 2009. You won't be disappointed!

**also if you follow the link above to the website you'll get a teaser-like movie*

I give this book a 5/5 stars!

My First Giveaway!-The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I have one copy of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins that I'm giving away to one lucky person! This book is AMAZING! This is a gently read copy that is in excellent condition!

This is my first giveaway so I will keep the rules simple.

-comment on why you'd like this book +1 entry
-follow my blog +1 entry
-post about it on your blog +2 entries (please leave a link so I can check!)

This giveaway ends on June 28th at midnight CST. Contest only available for U.S. residents only.

CONTEST NOW OVER! WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER TODAY!! MONDAY 29TH!

The 56-June 19th

1. Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).


My book is

"the plane was isolated in the hangar, like a corpse inside a massive morgue. "

**i had to use page 57 because page 56 is a blank page***

Thursday Thunks-June 18th

I stole these questions from Melissa's Bookshelf!

1. Are your ears dirty? define dirty..jk. no they are clean! squeaky even!


2. Would you rather be stung by a scorpion or bit by a snake? (Don't say either...no one wants to be in pain, that's the point. Pick one.)
what kind of snake?

3. Do loud noises make you snappish? (i.e. A loud restaurant, screaming child next to you, booming stereo from a neighbor's house?)
not really! my house is a constant whir of noises so I'm pretty much used to it!

4. PETA- thoughts on this org.?
well i can support them in their mission but i love me some steak too much to give it up! so i'm torn. love animals but love eating them too.

5. Would you rather be the discoverer of the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot? (Imagination!)
how about i discover that nessie and bigfoot are bestest friends? i stumble upon them playing poker one evening as i am strolling along the shores of the loch. i ask them politely if i can have a picture and they kindly grant me the honor! :)

6. When in a public toilet and it's not flushed: do you flush & use or move on to a clean one?
well it all depends on what is in the toilet. if its just paper then i flush and use..otherwise i move on.

7. Neighbors are having a noisy, party bonfire, what do you do?
after 9pm on a weekday..I call the cops..if it's sat or sun I join in!

8. Do you play Monopoly? If so which version of the game?
i never have played. i keep asking my husband to play but he's not into board games.

9. Are you a remote hog?
if one of my shows is on or my husband is making me watch something stupid then yes.

10. Do you like the smell of paint?
nope

Tuesday's Teaser-June 16th

Should Be Reading is the super awesome host of this weekly meme.

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

My selection is from The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips.

"hannah holds up each medicine as she gives instructions for its use. 'This tincture and this powder must be mixed in with the beer-three drops and two grains to every pint. the mademoiselle will need more blankets and fresh linens every few hours."

and

" her father once told her that she should never underestimate what people will do for love or for money, especially at court. she stands and takes a moment to prepare herself before she goes in search of lord arlington and madame severin, to tell them that the king's favorite mistress has the clap."

Monday-What are you reading Meme-June 15th

This weekly Meme is from j.Kaye's book blog!

This Monday I am reading Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory. So far I am enjoying it.

Mailbox Monday-June 15th

Most of these are review books and the two Desire books are for the upcoming blog tour! Woot!

I also won Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet from the Literary Feline! Thank you! and I purchased The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (LOVE!) so all in all it was a busy mail week again.

Non-Book Related-TV Show Meme

Stole this meme from Just One More Page and thought it looked like something fun to distract me from housework for a little bit. *After looking at my answers I should just call this the Firefly/Serenity meme*

1. Name a TV show series in which you have seen every episode at least twice: Buffy and Firefly
2. Name a show you can’t miss: Castle, Legend of the Seeker
3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to watch a show: Nathan Fillion
4. Name an actor who would make you less likely to watch a show: erm..any "reality tv" guy.
5. Name a show you can, and do, quote from: Firefly and Buffy
6. Name a show you like that no one else enjoys: Legend of the Seeker and Lexx
7. Name a TV show which you’ve been known to sing the theme song: Firefly
8. Name a show you would recommend everyone to watch: Castle!
9. Name TV series' you own: none at the moment, but i have plans for Firefly and Buffy

10. Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium, but has surprised you with his/her acting choices in television: can't think of any
11. What is your favorite episode of your favorite series? Out of Gas-Firefly..cry like a baby every time!
12. Name a show you keep meaning to watch, but you just haven’t gotten around to yet: True Blood
13. Ever quit watching a show because it was so bad? Blood Ties...it had a good start
14. Name a show that’s made you cry multiple times: Firefly...

15. What do you eat when you watch TV? I don't really eat when I watch tv..I do have to have some kind of beverage.
16. How often do you watch TV? maybe once a week
17. What’s the last TV show you watched? House
19. What was the first TV show you were obsessed with? Roswell and Buffy
20. What TV show do you wish you never watched? can't think of one.
21. What’s the weirdest show you enjoyed? Lexx!!!
22. What TV show scared you the most? Tales from the Crypt (HBO) when I was a kid that Crypt Keeper thing scared me!
23. What is the funniest TV show you have ever watched? Castle is good so far!

24. What show was cancelled too early? Moonlight and Firefly!!!!!

The 56-June 12th

1. Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).


"if he wanted to act on his impulses he could. so, she was right. the towel was a good thing. he concentrated on her face even though he would have preferred to concentrate on those two lonely buttons holding together her shirt." pg. 56 from My Forbidden Desire

Upcoming Blog Tours

June 29th
My Forbidden Desire
Knight of Desire

Review-Viva Cisco

From Amazon:
Nearly true tales of a really cool parrot
"Viva Cisco" is a trilogy of funny stories for kids at the Age 10-13 reading level. All three tales unfold in a land called Topopootl, which lies in a hidden valley deep in the heart of Mexico. Because of its seclusion, the inhabitants have created a society without the benefit of human contact, and they don't seem to have missed out on anything important in the absence of that dubious blessing. In fact, they probably have more pure merriment and boisterous excitement than any human community could ever conceive. Much of the credit for that, though, must be laid at the feet of Topopootl's most..uh.. stimulating citizen, one Cisco las Verde Arara del Gucigalpa. Aka, Cisco the Parrot.

My review:
This book if full of cute stories that'll be fun for both parents and kids. Cisco has a very boring job, or so he thinks, and so one day he decides to change that. He embarks on a journey to find fame, fortune, and most importantly..his true purpose in life. I read this book to my son (who is five) and he was loving it! He actually re-named his stuffed parrot Cisco! I also found myself chuckling as I read along and couldn't stop reading. It's an adorable story and definitely something that I will save for my son when he gets older. 4/5 stars

Review-The Link

The Link by Colin Tudge

Ida is the 47 million year old fossil that is the main focus of The Link by Colin Tudge. She could potentially be the missing link between primates and ourselves. This exciting discovery answers many questions (and raises some new ones) for scientists.
I'm usually not one to pick up a non-fiction book, let alone a non-fiction SCIENCE book, but this one really sparked my interest! I have to admit that reviewing a book on a topic such as this is hard for me, basically because I'm not that big of a science nerd. I'm not gonna lie it was a little intimidating, yet, this book was written in a way that even people like me could read and understand! Yes, at times it can take a little effort to chug through but it is very much worth it!
It did take me a little longer to read this book (about two and a half days) but my husband put this book away in 2 hours! (He's a bigger science geek than I am!) If you enjoy science then this book should be on the top of your list!
This is a book that almost anyone can read and enjoy! I give it a 4/5!

Mailbox Monday-June 8th

Last week was okay. I got a lot of books (which was great) but my motivation to do anything wasn't. I definitely hope to read more and get more bloggy stuff done this week! So now I get to brag on my loot!

I Apologize by Bradley Booth-Goodreads Win

See I wasn't joking when I said I made out like a bandit last week! I don't expect such a week like that this week! I was so thrilled to get a copy of Dracula! I had forgotten about requesting it and was just a super geek when it came in! Thanks for letting me brag!

Review-Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

From Amazon:
In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina Kane has the only profession fit for an outcast: assassin. But, her latest mission threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races and Sabina must scramble to figure out which side she's on. She's never brought her work home with her---until now.

This time, it's personal.

My review:
What can I say about this book except...WOW what a ride?! I LOVED this book! It had everything a gal like me could want! Action, adventure, romance and a super awesome demon! Come on! At first I was afraid it would be another Buffy knock off, but boy was I pleasantly surprised! Sabina is NOTHING like Buffy and nothing like anything I've ever read! She's smart, funny, and ..okay I'm sounding like a crazy person but this book was just too fun! I seriously didn't want it to end! I'm definitely going to pick up the next book. This review is going to be short and sweet (and really gushy.) I loved it and if you like this genre I think you will too! I give this book a very glowing 4.5/5 stars!

Plans for this weekend-Books!

This weekend I do not have any work or plans (other than normal Mommy stuff) sooo I have some lofty reading plans! Yay goals! So I figure I could put away two books this week. So here are my picks for this weekend:

I also have one review for Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells to write and post! Them's my plans for the weekend! Wish me luck!

The 56-June 5th

1. Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).

"He'd been promoted tot he Senate only recently, but had served as their unofficial torturer almost since she made him. He'd come to Philly to do some freelance work once and hadn't liked that Tony refused to throw me in as a bonus for a job well done." pg. 56 from Touch the Dark by Karen Chance

*sniffle sniffle* Thank you!

I got this lovely award from thekoolaidmom at In the Shadow of Mt. TBR Thank you for making me smile! :)

In the Mail-Monday

Last week was awesome for me! I LOVE getting mail and LOVE getting new books! It seriously makes me dance like a loon! I call it my "geeky girl book getting" dance! Anyway, this is what I got! (bragging to ensue in 5..4...3...2...)

I am almost certain that my mail carrier is plotting my murder! I'm gonna have a LOT of reading to do! Yay!

Review-Death's Daughter

From Amazon
Calliope Reaper-Jones so just wanted a normal life: buying designer shoes on sale, dating guys from Craig’s List, web-surfing for organic dim-sum for her boss...

But when her father—who happens to be Death himself—is kidnapped, and the Devil’s Protege embarks on a hostile takeover of the family business, Death, Inc., Callie returns home to assume the CEO mantle— only to discover she must complete three nearly impossible tasks in the realm of the afterlife first.

Being a HUGE Buffy fan I just had to pick up this book! Amber Benson, who played Tara on the series, is the author of this very cool book! I may sound like a rabid fan but this was a very fun, fast paced book that I totally got into! I really didn't want to put it down, in fact I believe I read it in the car, walking to the mailbox, in the bathtub, and even as I was pouring a cup of coffee in the morning (big mistake, trust me!)

This book is about Calliope Reaper-Jones (awesome name huh?) and how she deals with the fact that her father (who just so happens to be Death himself) and his associates (including her sister) has gone missing. She has to step up and take over Death Inc, even if she's not exactly thrilled about it. I really enjoyed reading this book and honestly cannot think of one negative thing to say. Hopefully we get to see more of Calliope soon!

This is a book I definitely recommend to anyone that was a fan of Buffy and loves the Paranormal/Chick Lit genres! I give this book a 5/5 stars!