In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly blog post by Kirsti over at The Story Siren.

It was a good week for books! I got tons of stuff this week!


First I received books I bought in the Pakistan Relief Auction, SIGNED copies of The Body Finder and an ARC of Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting, plus some swag.

Then for review I got The Haven Series by Kalayna Price! The book has both Once Bitten and Twice Dead in it! 2 in 1! How awesome! I received this from Deb at Bell Bridge Books! Thanks again Deb!

Then I received 5 books that I won in the Haunted Halloween Contest from A Life Bound by Books and Confessions of a Bookaholic. My prize included: Claire De Lune by Christine Johnson, an ARC copy of Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, an ARC copy of The Dark Divine by Bree Despain, an ARC copy of Of All the Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz and The Hollow by Jessica Verday!

Then since I started reading the Fever series, I had to go out and buy the rest of the books, so I bought Bloodfever, Faefever and Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning.

So that's what I got this week! So many books! Very happy reader here! What did you get?

Cover Art--Jess Haines

Here is the cover and BOC for Jess Haines Deceived by the Others! This is the 3rd book in her series and I can't wait to read it! Can't wait to read the second either! I like the cover, although I do miss the model from the first book, this one is just a little too different, doesn't look much like the one from the second book either. Oh well! Still can't wait to read it!! It releases July 5, 2011.

THEY'RE HERE. AND THEY'RE REAL...WEREWOLVES, VAMPIRES, MAGES, AND OTHER CREATURES OF THE NIGHT. FOR NEW YORK P.I. SHIARRA WAYNEST, TAKEING CARE OF OTHER BUSINESS STARTED OUT AS A WAY TO STAY SOLVENT. BUT NOW BUSINESS IS GETTING VERY, VERY COMPLICATED...

Shiarra's relationship with sexy werewolf Chaz may be somewhat unconventional. Still, after a few bumps, Shia is finally ready to get serious. That means meeting family--or in this case, bringing Chaz's entire werewolf pack along for a rollicking full-moon weekend in the Catskills.

Soon after they arrive, threatening notes appear, warning Chaz to go home. Then their cabin is ransacked. Shia starts digging to find out whether it's the work of upstart teenaged werewolves or something more sinister. Yet as rumors about her vampire connections arouse the pack's hostility, Shia has to contend with other dangers. Not just from an adversary about to make his fatal intentions known, but from a threat that's even closer than she knows...

Book Blogger Hop

This blogger hop was created by Jennifer at Crazy for Books.

Here are the rules:

1. Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below (be sure to include how long you've been blogging and what genres you review!). If you post about the Hop on your blog, please link directly to your Hop post (don't forget to answer this week's question - see below!).

2. Visit other blogs in the Linky List! Make new friends! Follow new book bloggers! Talk about books! Rave about authors! (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)

3. Post about the Hop on your blog! Spread the word about the book party! The more the merrier!

4. In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!):

"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

My answer: Yes. Once I hear about a new series or just an old one that I've never read before I always go to book 1. Because generally things that happen in book 1 are important because it starts the series and I want to know what starts the series. Like recently with Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. Been hearing good things about it and went out and bought book 1 and LOVED it! Now I have to go buy the rest to read. The first book usually has what directs the main storyline and I feel like I miss out on things if I don't start with book 1. Like when I started reading Kim Harrison's The Hallows series, I mistakenly started with book 2, and there were constant references to characters and events I didn't know, so after a quick research I realized I was reading book 2, so I stopped and went out and bought book 1 and suddenly everything that I had previously read started to make sense!

So short answer is yes, I make sure to start with book 1 when reading/starting a new series.

Review--Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

When MacKayla's sister is murdered, she leaves behind a single clue to her death--a cryptic message on Mac's cellphone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she has no idea she possessed--a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of Man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae.

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister's death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, while at the same time, the ruthless V'lane--an immortal Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women--closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac's true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someones else claims the all-powerful Dark Book--because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control over both worlds in their hands.

So for years I've been debating starting Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, but put it off. Maybe because it was shelved in romance, I was once again worried I would be reading a book that had too much romance for my liking, I am picky in that matter. But since the series is coming to an end in January, I've been seeing the books everywhere with much excitement. And then I read some positive reviews for Darkfever, so I finally decided to give it a try.

Best decision ever!

Right away I become swept up in Mac's story and feel her pain for the loss of her sister and when she actually goes to Ireland--which seemed odd to just pick up and go, I understood her motivation and everything, but it just seemed odd that she could leave so easily and had the money to go, but then again it's a book so I just let the info pass over me and move on--she doesn't get the answers she was expecting right away.

Her motivator was hearing a message on her cell phone, which had been broken at the time, from her sister, just a few hours before she died. Mac will stop at nothing to find her sister's killer and try to decipher the strange clues that she left behind in her message.

It is then that Mac meets Jericho Barrons, owner of Barrons Books and Baubles and he seems to know something about the Sinsar Dubh, the strange book her sister mentions in her last message. And since Mac is determined to solve her sister's death, she's determined to find out what Barrons knows, but Barrons is one stubborn man!

The book was well paced and I can see why the series is so addictive, the Fae in Moning's book are like the Fae we've come to known by reading Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance book. These guys and gals put Tinkerbell to shame, but I still love her for as you may know I will always be a Disney girl at heart! (Tinkerbell was originally called a pixie in Peter Pan in 1953, then became a fairy in the Peter Pan sequel in 2002, but she still had pixie dust to make you fly! Very odd, ;) ) 

Anyway, Mac soon learns more about the Fae than she ever really wanted to, including information about herself. There were some deep dark secrets going on in Mac's life and there are still some that have yet to be revealed or studied entirely. So I definitely have to go out and buy me the rest of this series so I can ready to read Shadowfever come January!

I was actually surprised by the lack of romance (or sex) in the book. Don't get me wrong, there was quite a bit of romantic tension between Mac and Barrons, despite him being kind of a jerk at times. Of course V'lane was just sexual tension on legs! But we didn't see too much of him. I hope he shows up again in the next books, I figure he does since he's mentioned on the cover back. 

Overall I give the book 5/5 stars! A great read! Way better than what I was expecting despite having read positive reviews. Even the unnormalcy of Mac just picking up with her life savings and going across the country to try to solve her sister's murder didn't bother me so much to give a less rating! The book was just that good!

Now I'm off to the bookstore!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

The year is winding down and so are the releases that I still have to wait for for 2010! Pretty soon I'll move on to my 2011 list which I have already started in my sidebar. 2011 looks like another GREAT year for some GREAT reads!

This week I have Linda Robertson's Arcane Circle, I just started this series this year and am already addicted to it! Johnny is one helluva guy!

EVEN MAGIC CAN'T SOLVE EVERYTHING...

After facing down the forces of Fairy in mortal combat, Persephone Alcmedi still must deal with the aftermath. Not only does Seph now possess deadly secrets she must hide from the arcane and mundane world alike, but the dozens of magical creatures who’ve taken up residence behind her cornfield need food and shelter, and there’s still her foster daughter Beverly’s tenth birthday party to plan.

And that’s not all. . . . Seph’s boyfriend Johnny has revealed himself as the wærewolf Domn Lup, and the ruler of the wære world is en route from Romania to make sure Johnny really is the “king” he claims to be. But Johnny’s hiding a dangerous secret: his magic is locked in his mysterious tattoos. He and Seph must find a way for him to reclaim it—fast—despite those who have no intention of letting Johnny gain his full powers. Seph knows that, in the arcane world, strength is always a necessity and power must be constantly proven, but how far is she willing to go to succeed . . . and at what cost? 

TITLE: Arcane Circle

AUTHOR: Linda Robertson

GENRE: Urban Fantasy

RELEASE DATE: December 28, 2010

Review--Magic at the Gate by Devon Monk

ALLISON BECKSTROM IS A HOUND: SHE USES HER MAGIC TO FIND UNSCRUPULOUS MAGICIANS AND STOP THEM FROM FROM HARMING INNOCENTS WITH THEIR POWER. BUT EVERY TIME SHE CASTS A SPELL, SHE PLACES HER MIND, BODY, AND SOUL AT THE MERCY OF MAGIC, WHICH USES HER AS MUCH AS SHE USES IT...

Allie's lover Zayvion Jones, is a guardian of the gates, imbued with both light and dark magic, and responsible for ensuring those energies don't mix. But Zayvion lies in a coma, his soul trapped in death's realm.

To rescue him, Allie must follow the specter of her deceitful late sorcerer father, Daniel Beckstrom, who is more than familiar with death's domain. And when Allie discovers that the only way to save Zayvion is to sacrifice her very own magical essence, she makes a decision that may have grave consequences for the entire world...

Finished Devon Monk's Magic at the Gate today. I really couldn't put it down at all! Magic at the Gate picks up right where Magic on the Storm left off, which is a good thing, since Allie and her dad and Stone were just about to enter the other world, death! in order to save Zayvion's soul.

They didn't stay for as long as I thought they would, this is only takes up the first 60 pages. And the rest of what happens is just as exciting!!

I don't want to get too into what takes place but it's big and it involves everyone and has something to do with the disks that were mentioned in Magic on the Storm as well. Magic on the Storm set up the problems that occurred here and these events will likely only be the beginning to what's coming in future books!

And there was a lot of Shame in this book! Shame really started to grow on me in Magic on the Storm and having him back and right next to Allie during the thick of things was great! He was the comic relief for a lot of...or practically all of the intense moments when some laughter was needed! He can be very serious when the need calls though and I like that about him as well.

The action was well paced, for once Allie returns from death, the real problems start to occur that leave her running from one place to the next fighting for her life.

The only thing that saddened me about the book was that Zayvion was out for most of it. I won't get into the details again, but I needed me more Zay!

Overall I give the book 4.5/5 stars and I so can't wait to read Magic on the Hunt come April 5, 2011!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly blog post by MizB over at Should Be Reading.

This week my quote comes from Magic at the Gate, which I am already loving for just being 100 pages into it! Very exciting stuff happening here!

Here are the rules to Teaser Tuesday if you happen to be new and stopping by, Hi newbies!

The Rules:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a page

3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER free

4. Name the title, author, etc.

 

 

"Stone growled and stepped toward Dad, fangs bared. That's a good gargoyle. Take a bite out of Daddy for me." p 3

TITLE: Magic at the Gate
AUTHOR: Devon Monk
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: November 2, 2010

Non-Book Related News

Was surfing the blogosphere this weekend and came across a few little tidbits that I wanted to share here as well! I don't have a lot of details or info to share but just the knowledge of it, is totally cool!

First off what has been announced already but I'll repeat Charlaine Harris's other series, the Harper Connelly series is going to be made into a TV show! And I saw it was someone from CBS, so I'm hoping that's the channel it will be on so I don't have to wait on the DVDs like I do with True Blood! Can't wait for this one to premiere but I remember when I first heard about True Blood, it was 2-3 years until it aired. So we'll see!

Next I saw on my "tour" was some release dates for movies that I can't wait to see next year! First off...

Captain Jack is back! Again! Hurrah! Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides comes to theaters May 20, 2011. So before Summer really!

The Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds! Loved him back in Waiting and I saw a preview for this awhile back and it looks pretty good so I'll be seeing it! I like some of the comic book movies, but not all, but this one I have to see!

And the release date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is July 15, 2011! Kind of glad that the last movie is in 2 parts and as they say they don't want to leave anything out. Me and my friend will see. She can remember more of the details than I can and we were kind of disappointed when Dobby wasn't there in the 4th one, but I saw him in the preview for Part 1, so Dobby returns!

After all Neville can't replace him there, especially with that one chapter title!

And the last bit of info I discovered was that the CW plans to make L.J. Smith's The Secret Circle into a TV show! That's two TV shows for L.J.! I never read this series by her, I was more interested in the vampires or her creepy stalker guy Julian from the Forbidden Game trilogy--my other fave of L.J.'s, probably even before Vampire Diaries! There wasn't a lot of details here, just the fact the CW wants to make it into a TV show. No actors. No release date or anything. But still the idea of it is pretty cool!

So that's what I found out due to my boredom! Some pretty good info and I wrote it all down so I can remember it for future use later when the movies or TV shows premiere!

Contest Alert

A new blog I'm following, Rabid Reads is having a 150 Followers contest! Look what's up for grabs:

The contest is open to international readers, wherever Book Depository will ship! Contest ends December 15, 2010.

Click here for more details!

Top 5 Sundays

Top 5 Sundays is a weekly blog meme created by Larissa at Larissa's Bookish Life.

Here's a little info about the meme taken from Larissa's blog:

Every Sunday I will post a TOP 5 list on the blog. It can be about anything and every week I'll have a new theme {You can vote on next week’s theme on my left sidebar!} and I will ad the Mr.Linky bellow the post so you can do a list with the theme and add you link to it.

Rules:

1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme I chose (or was chosen on a poll) for the week.

2 - Mention this Blog on the post and link back to it.

3 - Fell free to use the Feature's image (there is a smaller size version of it bellow)

4 - After you've finished your post, add you link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.

5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments =)

This week's theme is: FAVORITE TV SHOWS THAT GOT CANCELED

Oh my, this will be hard to limit to just 5!! And since I have so many, these will be in no particular order! Most of these shows just ended with 1 season, but a lot of the time it ended with a cliffhanger so then I'm left wondering what the heck was going to happen! So frustrating!!

5.

The show didn't last long at all, but I was sorely addicted to it for some reason! It didn't even run for a full season! I can't really remember what was going on, other than there being a karate place where these teens learned. And the bad boy was super hot!

4.

Newly added to my list, I liked The Gates. I couldn't believe ABC canceled it after 1 season! Now I'll never know what they turned Charlie into! I hate shows that end on a cliffhanger!

3.

Grosse Pointe was another fave of mine that ended after 1 season with yet another cliffhanger! Arg! Why do they have to end shows on cliffhangers if there's a danger that they might not make it? Grr! I did end up buying the first and only season though just because I loved it! WB made fun of their other shows that they aired!

2.

Birds of Prey was yet another show that I loved from the WB that they canceled yet again after 1 season! And to end it with daddy Batman calling was just plain cruel!! So naturally I still own the first and only season of this as well!

1.

And here I have my Nickelodeon era! All the fantastic Nicktoons they used to have and canceled! I keep seeing this Nick Rewind thing, but can't figure out if it's going to be a station or not. I know some of these shows are on DVD but some of them I'd rather they just be on TV for me to watch.

Shows such as Rugrats, Rocko's Modern Life, Aahh! Real Monsters! Doug, The Angry Beavers, Hey Arnold!, CatDog, Kablam, Ren and Stimpy, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and Salute Your Shorts. Just to name a few!

And some other honorable mentions; Young Americans, where I first saw Iam Somerhalder! Sigh...., this one show...I can't even remember its name! It was a paranormal show where these friends, college age maybe, find this weird ring and when they wear it they see ghosts and then they help the ghosts with their unfinished business so they can move on. 

Pretty much any paranormal show that I liked to watch got canceled. Other than Buffy that is and Roswell did last 3 seasons, but still it was like the supernatural couldn't make it. Like the one show where I really can't remember its name! Driving me crazy!!

EDIT: Yeah, an edit during my post, I stopped to do some research and am about 99% positive that the show was called Dead Last. It was from 2001-2002 sometime. 13 episodes were filmed but only 8 aired. Which sounds right. It was a supernatural type show filmed at the wrong time. Had they only waited another 10 years it might have done just fine!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly blog post by Kirsti over at The Story Siren.

Got quite a few books this week! The TBR pile is back to growing, I even ordered books for the future, but sadly my mom decided to be the one to buy them to save for my bday/xmas. 1 month, not that long of a wait I guess and I have books coming in to read so no biggie!

Anyway this week I got:


An e-ARC of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand via NetGalley!

A SIGNED copy of Magic at the Gate from Devon Monk, thanks again Devon!!

So that's my mailbox this week. What was in yours?

Cover Art--Jeri Smith-Ready

Saw another cover this morning that I had to share! It's Jeri Smith-Ready's Shift, the sequel to Shade in her new YA series.

I like it! The reds are just awesome for some reason, because there are still some dark colors to the background that make the red stick out. 

There's no description of the plot yet, will post once I see it. The book releases May 3, 2011!

Saw this over at Dark Faerie Tales, but I'm sure it's popping up elsewhere too!

Cover Art--Andrea Cremer

OH WOW! Just saw this posted at Imperial Beach Teen Blog and had to post it!

It's the next book in the Nightshade series? by Andrea Cremer! Now we have an amazing green theme!! And I bet her skin skin's still shimmery, looks like it!!

Book Blogger Hop

This blogger hop was created by Jennifer at Crazy for Books.

Here are the rules:

1. Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below (be sure to include how long you've been blogging and what genres you review!). If you post about the Hop on your blog, please link directly to your Hop post (don't forget to answer this week's question - see below!).

2. Visit other blogs in the Linky List! Make new friends! Follow new book bloggers! Talk about books! Rave about authors! (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)

3. Post about the Hop on your blog! Spread the word about the book party! The more the merrier!

4. In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!):

"What are your feelings on losing followers? Have you ever stopped following a blog?"

I actually noticed this the other day, I lost a follower and felt like why? But then the other day I gained a new one, so I'm back at the same number. But It made me a little sad just because I was on a role gaining followers, I'm not a professional reviewer or anything, I just like to comment on the books I read, and soon, I really really hope, I won't even being doing this anymore because I want to be a writer myself and won't have as much time to read and blog about the books I read. I will likely still blog, but it will be as a writer.

I don't really stop following blogs. I may not visit as often but I'll still remain a follower, just because. I don't know why. I can't bring myself to stop following a blog, but I just won't be a a frequent visitor/commenter. Sometimes I don't even comment all too much either. I do try though. Even if it's just to compliment the reviewer on the review.

 

Review--Bitten in Two by Jennifer Rardin

JAZ PARKS HERE. I. AM. PISSED.

Just as Vayl and I arrive in Morocco to secure an ancient artifact, he wakes up calling me by another woman's name. And it's not even a good one. But since any form of argument transforms him into an unholy terror, I'm forced to play along until the gang and I can figure out what kind of power has so vastly altered his perceptions.

So it's time for me to do what any well-trained assassin in my position might do. I attack.

Jaz and the gang are back! It's been awhile since I last read Bite Marks, so it took some time for me to get back into the swing of things in Jennifer Rardin's Bitten in Two.

The tension was just great! Seriously! As much as I sometimes hate it, I love it because I hate it. Vayl is living in the past, the year 1777 and he thinks Jaz is one of his old servants and Cole is her husband. It was quite comical, but frustrating as well, since Jaz was frustrated.

Jaz more than ever wants to find out who cursed him and more importantly how she can reverse the curse to get her Vayl back. The one who loves and remembers her. And that's hard to do when she doesn't have much of a clue as to where to start and to top it off she does have another mission she needs to be working on.

I truly missed hanging out with Jaz. Her and her friends/crew are just too funny. Bergman has a slightly stronger role this time and made me laugh more than once with his current situation. It seems the owner of their temporary "headquarters" has developed a crush on him and Bergman is Bergman. Too smart for his own good.

Cole is once again his charming and snarky self. There are times I truly forget how old he is supposed to be by the way he acts. Outrageous and pretty damn funny too! Tensions run high between him and the demon chick that they made a deal with last time around--another thing I forgot with the passage of time.

But the book was just filled with tension and wondering if the old and normal Vayl will ever return. Plus to make matters worse or more entertaining, Jaz has developed a stalker who is literally always around hiding in the shadows with his young friend/translator. Yup, he doesn't even speak English. There were several encounters with this guy and all were pretty entertaining, for Jaz was Jaz and not Lucille when dealing with him!

The story itself was Jaz and crew trying to find an important artifact that was somewhat demon related and would help Jaz out with her little problem currently residing in the recesses of her mind.

The book ended well, but not all the problems were resolved. More problems arose, including betrayals and other secrets being revealed. Plus a new character from Jaz's past comes back to help, despite having threatened Jaz that if she ever contacted him again, after their first and last mission, he would likely kill/punish her.

Can't wait to see where the last and final book in the Jaz Parks series takes us. The Deadliest Bite will conclude the series and from what I recalled hearing early this was where Jennifer planned to end the series. I will truly miss Jaz and her crew, but can't wait to see how the series ends like I do with all my fave series.

Overall I give the book 4/5 stars!

This is a remarkable series to read if you haven't read it yet. And plus it's the cheapest way to travel as Jaz goes somewhere new in just about all the books!

Allyson James at Bitten By Books

Allyson James will be over at Bitten by Books today talking about her latest release Firewalker, the second book in her new series. I haven't read Stormwalker yet but I need to! The covers are just amazing! So bright and colorful.

Check out Stormwalker's

I'm adding these to my wishlist!

The contest at Bitten by Books entails winning an Amazon gift card! And it's open worldwide wherever Amazon ships!!

So head on over to check the interview out and ask Allyson some questions!

Click here to head on over!

Contest Alert

My blogger friend Cem has now reached 100 followers! Yay Cem! To celebrate she's having herself a 100 Followers contest! A simple entry form is all.

What can you win? A $15 Gift card to Book Depository or Amazon, winner's choice!

Click here for details and a chance to win!

Cover Art--Kalayna Price

Here's the next cover in the Alex Craft series, Grave Dance! Kalayna released it in her newsletter Monday. I think it's awesome. We get to see Alex closer up and this time the stark color is a bright green! And the background is still the smoky gray! Love it!

No description or release date yet, but will post once I find it!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

My pick this week is Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead! Cannot wait to see how this series ends!!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

TITLE: Last Sacrifice

AUTHOR: Richelle Mead

GENRE: Young Adult Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DAY: December 7, 2010

Contest Alert

I just started following this new blog called Avery's Book (and other fun stuff) Nook and she's already having an amazing contest! She's trying to gain some followers and by becoming a follower and entering her contest you could win an Amazon gift card to help stock up on books! What booklover/bibliophile doesn't love a gift card to a bookstore or website!

So head on over and become a follower today to enter this AWESOME contest! Click here for details.

Contest ends December 24, 2010!