Hey there!

Hey bloggins! Just wanted to let you all know (all 3 of you that read my blog lol) that I'm still alive and kicking. I'm starting to miss blogging, so I'm taking that as a good sign my "slump" is coming to an end. I think it's pretty safe to say one more week and things should start happening on here again.

Quick Run-Down of the things: Little Man is out of school now, he's technically a 3rd grader, my little sister found out she was pregnant, and my husband got a promotion! :) I'm still working my booty off, but I'm starting to feel less blah and more aaaahhh. So Yay!

Anyways, after thinking about things. My blog's direction is still up in the air. I don't think I'll do memes or try to schedule my reading, unless I sign up for a blog tour. I WILL however try to read my ARCs on time, which is something I fell behind on. *sad face* I think my biggest downfall was to schedule my reading, and that just doesn't fly for me. I'm an ADD type of reader. I can't predict the weather, and I cannot predict what I'll wanna read at any given moment!

Also, I have stopped accepting review pitches. Not that I don't like it when I get a new book pitch, but I have plenty at the moment. If you are a writer and you are looking for reviews, I know it sucks, but try me back in a month or so? I might have caught up.

Okay, this post turned out longer than I anticipated. I hope you all are doing wonderful! :)

Taking a Blogging Vacation

I am sure you all have noticed my lack of regular posting lately. I have decided to take a little break and just chill. Must Read Faster isn't closing down, but I may be quiet for a week or two. In this time I WILL be reading and writing reviews, possibly even storing them up so I can get a good queue of posts going, but I won't be doing meme's or blog tours (unless I have specifically agreed to it.)

This isn't goodbye. This is just see ya in a little bit! :)

Happy Reading to you all!

Blog Tour: Carnage Road

About:
Boone and Walker, the last two members of the Floating Dragons motorcycle gang in Buffalo, set out to re-discover America during the zombie apocalypse. Their odyssey takes them to Ohio, Kansas, Hollywood, and a last stand in Texas. Along the way they learn just what happens when the federal government ceases to exist, and it isn’t pretty.

A tale of friendship and loyalty, Carnage Road is author Gregory Lamberson’s unforgettable ode to westerns, biker pictures, and the cinema of the living dead.




About the Author:

Gregory Lamberson is the author of five published horror novels and one nonfiction book on independent filmmaking. A two-time winner of the IPPY Gold Medal for Horror for his novels Johnny Gruesome and Personal Demons, and a three-time Bram Stoker Award finalist, he has three books scheduled for 2012: his zombie novella Carnage Road, from Creeping Hemlock Press; The Frenzy War, Book Two in his werewolf series “The Frenzy Cycle” from Medallion Press; and Tortured Spirits, Book Four in his occult detective series “The Jake Helman Files,” also from Medallion. An Active member of International Thriller Writers and the Horror Writers Association, Lamberson also has a following as a cult horror film director and is best known for Slime City and Slime City Massacre.

Visit him at his website, www.slimeguy.com

My Review:
This sounded like a really interesting concept for a zombie book. You have two guys that aren't your typical heroes. They aren't really good guys.  Walker and Boone take off with their bikes after their home base gets overrun. They leave to see the world, or what's left of it. They come across rednecks, lunatics, religious nuts, and even some decent folk.

I'm not a big fan of short stories. They always just kind of feel short and incomplete. Unfortunately this story felt that way too. I think this would have been a great full length novel. Walker and Boone would be even better if their characters were fleshed out more. This story had so much potential that I was kind of felt flat. I really wanted to know more about Walker and his history.


All in all I liked the characters, and definitely wanted to know more about them. I just felt like maybe everything was condensed into a short story and would have benefited more by being longer.

Bout of Books: Challenge Day 2

This challenge is hosted by Nyx at Nyx's Book Reviews
I chose to do the This or That? Challenge! Here are my answers! :)

Physical book or eBook? 

Physical

Paperback or Hardcover?

Paperback

Reality or Make-believe?

Make-believe

Adult or Young-Adult?

YA 

Dog ears or Bookmarks?

Book Marks

Breaking the spine or Barely open the book? 

Breaking the Spine

Tea or Coffee?

Coffee

Reading in bed or On the couch?

On the Couch

 Series or Standalone?

Series

Original or TV Adaptation?

Original

 Defy motion sickness or Audiobooks?

Audio Books

Author crushes or Who-was-that-guy-again?

Author Crushes

Interview or Guest post?

Guest Post 

 

My answers are in PURPLE! :) 

Bout of Books: Challenge Day 1

This first challenge question is hosted by Sarah over at A Bookish Question. She asked us to answer this:

“What do you like best about readathons? Do you have any readathon traditions or rituals? If this is your first readathon, what do you like so far? Discuss away!”

I love readathons because it's just such a challenge. I usually start out with a goal in mind, for say how many books/pages/hours etc that I'll try to read. I don't always get that goal but it is exciting to plan! I try and squeeze in as much time as I can. I plan out meals and clean as much as I can before time.  

Bout of Books: Starting Line

I do intend to read at least 4 books this week! I'm not going to list a stack though. I will just graze over my TBR pile and pick from there. I intend to spend at least 3 hours reading a day, more if possible. I'm going to start reading at 8am CST, after my son gets off to school. Wish me luck! :)



Updates


5/14
Starting book: The Last Bastion of the Living-Rhiannon Frater (eARC)
Number of books I’ve read today:0
Total number of books I’ve read:0
Books: 0
Pages: 63/375 (ebook)
Notes: Great start to the day! I spilled coffee on my laptop and my keyboard started going all wonky. :( I hope it's not broken. So obviously I'm a tad bit distracted.

5/15 and 5/16 (combining two days)
Book: The Last Bastion of the Living-Rhiannon Frater (eARC)
Page: 156/375 (ebook) 
Number of books I’ve read today:0
Total number of books I’ve read: 0
Notes: yesterday was rough,  but hopefully better today!I've been sucking so very hard at this read-a-thon! I just cannot...so many stupid things happening all week! :(


5/17
Book: The Last Bastion of the Living-Rhiannon Frater (eARC)
Page: 
Number of books I’ve read today:
Total number of books I’ve read:
Books:
Notes: Today I WILL finish a book! My goal!

5/18
Number of books I’ve read today:
Total number of books I’ve read:
Books:


5/19
Number of books I’ve read today:
Total number of books I’ve read:
Books:


5/20
Number of books I've read today:
Total number of books I've read:
Books:

Weekend Reading Plans

This weekend is dedicated to ALL those beautiful little walking dead fiends that make me a happy girl! Yup! I'm hereby proclaiming this weekend to be ZOMBIE themed! My weekend reading will consist entirely of zombie related bookage!

Starting with ...*appropriate drumroll of AWESOME*

The Last Bastion of the Living-Rhiannon Frater (eARC)

and
Carnage Road- Gregory Lamberson (blog tour)

Both seem like awesome reads! What are you reading this weekend?

Quick Review: Ashes

About: 
It could happen tomorrow . . .
 
An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

My Review:

I have mixed emotions about this one. On one had I enjoyed it, was curious to see how it ended. On the other hand, it felt kind of done. It's tense in the right parts and kept my attention well enough, but it wasn't all that new or fresh. Maybe I've just read too much "apocalyptic" fiction lately, but it felt...familiar.

Alex is still a pretty strong character, and the story is well written; but there's nothing ground breaking about it. Now I will say that this is a first part of a series, so it may just be getting started. I will give it the benefit of reading the next part, but for now I'm left with a "meh" feeling. The situations she found herself in where set up fairly well. I had a touch of deja vu.

Review: Soulless

About:
Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette. Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

My Review: 
I liked this book a lot more than I thought  I would. I really liked Alexia. I really liked that she was more into books and learning, than into catching a husband. That rocked my socks. I am not such a HUGE fan of steampunk, there I said it! Soulless had just enough in it to qualify it as such but not enough to make me annoyed. So that is great! When a writer can make you almost forget you dislike a certain  genre, then you know they are good at what they do. :)

Alexia and Lord Maccon, are two very fun characters. I enjoyed their gruff arguments and their somewhat steamy tumbles! They make a great team! The relationship doesn't seem forced or just thrown in for good measure. It seems like they both have genuine feelings for each other and that's sooo cute. I loved that Lord Maccon wasn't all "I love you for your beauty"..*gag* He liked her for her wit, her temper, AND for her flaws. *SWOON*

The side characters sparkled and added very well to the story. I loved LOVED flamboyant Lord Akeldama soo soo very much! He brought some fun and laughs to the mix. Definitely a character I wanna find out more about! He just was so fabulous it hurt!

All in all this is a great start to a series, definitely something I will continue to read!

Review: Siege

About:
Siege is the conclusion to Rhiannon Frater’s As the World Dies trilogy, which should appeal to fans of The Walking Dead. Both The First Days and Fighting to Survive won the Dead Letter Award from Mail Order Zombie. The First Days was named one of the Best Zombie Books of the Decade by the Harrisburg Book Examiner. The zombie illness has shattered civilization. The survivors who have found tenuous safety in Texas defend their fort against the walking dead and living bandits. Katie has made peace with the death of her wife and is pregnant and married to Travis, who has been elected Mayor. Jenni, her stepson, Jason; and Juan—Travis’s right-hand man—are a happy family, though Jenni suffers from PTSD. Both women are deadly zombie killers. In Siege, the people of Ashley Oaks are stunned to discover that the vice president of the United States is alive and commanding the remnants of the US military. What’s left of the US government has plans for this group of determined survivors.

My Review: 
I laughed, cried, and stressed out, and that was all before I opened the book and started reading! This book is the conclusion (NOOOEESSS) of one of my new favorite series in the entire world! THE WHOLE WORLD PEOPLE!!! I loved this storyline and was just really anxious to read it. I didn't want the ride to be over, but I wanted to know what happened. I was so very seriously NOT disappointed!

Rhiannon Frater probably thinks I'm some crazy stan (click for urban dictionary definition.) I tweeted as I read the book and probably sounded borderline crazy! Tweets such as: "Omg y'all Siege is so effin' intense I am freaking out! I love this shizz!" and "I haz a sad now :( zombies are so mean" probably made her consider taking out a restraining order or something.

 
I love Katie and Jenni and I really was hoping that they all made it through, even though I know that zombies are soooo mean!  I really get possessive about my favorite characters in books. I know it's not healthy, but that's just how I roll. So there were a few shocks (and crying jags) involved with this ending. I loved the action and loved the drama. Some of my heroes expired and some of them didn't. My brain and heart were barely able to handle it. When you are legit, biting your nails while you read a book, you know it's good.

My hat goes off to RF. She held NO punches and everyone was at risk here. The ending packed a wallop and definitely made my toes curl! So much awesome packed into one book! There is no magical ending where everyone lives happily ever after in a world where there's no zombies (damnit), but it still is a very satisfying conclusion to a series that I will recommend to everyone! Seriously.

Basically, I think it's pretty obvious that I loved this book. This series is wonderful and packed full of excellent writing and vivid characters. Read it. The end.

Teaser Tuesday

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

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

My current read is:
"Candles illuminate the canvas-covered dirt floor where the seniors from all the Houses sit with their successors, waiting for the verdict.
'This is officially the passing-on ceremony, the one-in charge says. " pg. 8

Mailbox Monday

I know I don't usually post this, but last week was super good to me on the book front! I got tons of amazing goodies! So I figured why not brag?


All these are from Morrow Publishing. 
Blog Tour
ARC from Publisher
From BookMooch



So you can see I am delighted with my new goodies! :)


 

The Secret Garden Read-a-long

I'm reading along with Sheila at Book Journey this month! I haven't read this book in my whole life and for some reason I feel the urge to do so! :) I stumbled upon this read a long and decided to join in! I'm a few days late, but I think I can manage. It doesn't seem like the typical read-a-long with weekly reading counts, stop and starts, so I think I'll manage!

I'll be reading on my Nook (LOVE)! Won't you join us? :)

What are you Reading?

This is a weekly posty thing that I like to participate in, and try with all my short woman might to accomplish. I don't always succeed, but I still try! (I can has credit for that? Right?) Anyhoodle, I have designated this week to be LIBRARY WEEK! TAAA DAAA! I will focus my efforts on all my delicious sounding books that are sitting on my table right now poking me in the side whispering, "Ahem madam..what about us?" So neglect them I will no longer do!

Introducing this weeks stack o' bookage.

• The Scorpio Races
• Please Ignore Vera Dietz
• The Forgotten Garden
• Tender Morsels
• Jellicoe Road
• The Reincarnationist

Now please notice that didn't say that I would read them all. I know my book eye is bigger than my book stomach, but I will do what I can! If I don't read them all then the lovely thing about a library is that I can  just say "May I check this out again?"" and there! ;)

So my lovely readers, this be mah plans. I hope you have some wonderful plans of your own! LET ME SEES! :)

Weekend Reading...and Things!

So this week has been fun. I'm kinda enjoying my new work schedule, but it's taking some getting used to. I read more this week, but didn't QUITE read as much as I had hoped/dreamed/imagined I would. So I had this brilliant idea when I woke up this morning! I will make the to do list for things I MUSTEST do this weekend!

My  To Do:

• Read: Ashes
• Review and Schedule: Soulless
• Review and Schedule: Siege
• Set up Weekly Reading Plan post: It's Library week ya'll! 
• Also Monday Mailbox post: More books I has gotten them and it was glorious! 

There! I may try to squeeze in Eve, if I get finished with Ashes in time, but I'm not gonna go crazy here! What are your plans for the weekend?

oh yeah and random Daryl :)