Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Icons - My Favorite Quotes/Lines

Icons by Margaret Stohl

* Book won from the Shelf Awareness newsletter

“She starts to dream as her mother’s heart stops beating.”


“My thief of junk.  Climber of mountains.  Builder of worlds.”

“I tell myself I don’t believe in signs, and let the heavy door fall shut behind me.  But it’s a lie, unfortunately.  Because I do.”

Monday, April 29, 2013

Question of the day - Novellas, yay or nay?


Novellas, yay or nay?

I don't know about you but I've noticed an influx of novellas that continue or enhance stories out there.  The question is to read or not to read them. I'm a bit bothered when they aren't free to read because with not knowing what they're going to say you never know if they'll be important to future stories so if you're like me you end up spending the money.  I know that they can enhance your knowledge of other characters but sometimes I wonder why the author just didn't introduce this character or fact in a different way in the story to begin with.  I'll probably continue to buy novellas I was just wondering how others felt about them.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Top 5 Sundays - Best TV Shows Based on Books!

This feature was thought up by the awesome Larissa's Bookish Life
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 - Feel free to use the Features image
4 - After you've finished your post, add your 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 =)    

Top 5 Sundays - Best TV Shows Based on Books!

I really loved this show and think it would be even better if they tried it today because the technology to illustrate the morphing would be a lot easier.
 

I have if not all at least 95% of all of The Baby-Sitters Club books.  I was thrilled when I discovered that there were TV episodes and a movie.

This was one of those shows that I became obsessed with and then I discovered that it was based on books.  The books are very different but still good reads.

 
I haven't read much of the original Sherlock Holmes books but this series really brings the character to life.

 These books are scary corny fun and the TV show continued in that same vein.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Story Time

* Please add a line to the story and determine where it goes.

Rules

1.) Only write 1 to 2 sentences
2.) Keep it clean
3.) Have fun and spread the word so the story grows

Here's the story that has formed so far:

Awesome people who have authored the story by adding lines so far: Sullivan McPig, Julie@My5monkeys, Susan Jane Bigelow, barmybex, Tiny Reverse Vampire, Man of la Book


Once upon a time in a time not that long ago there was a disturbance.

The cause of the disturbance was something that was well...truly disturbing.  In fact it was so disturbing that at first it was quite unclear what this disturbance was, because anyone who saw it was too disturbed to talk about it.

There came a noisy unruly girl who demanded that all must obey her. She was the girl of the mayor and weird things did happen around her. Pigeons tap danced when she blinked her eyes and cockroaches would mimic her words when she spoke.  Lights would go off and babies would cry when she passed.

This girl stood in the center of town, pigeons dancing, roaches waiting, lights flickering and babies crying all around.  She struck her umbrella on the cobblestones.  A hush fell over the town as purple sparks shot out of the tip of the umbrella and even the pigeons stopped their dancing and seemed to hold their breath.

As the astounded masses watched a massive hole slowly appeared in the middle of the street. As the dust settled it was revealed...a giant staircase leading down to complete darkness and then a faint music started to radiate from its depths.

There was such a ruckus in the town and trying to make sure that all the citizens were fine. The music coming out of the hole had a mesmerizing sound that attracted all the citizens.  It was almost like children's music.

The girl grinned mischievously and whistled along with the music while she slowly descended down the hole.

The further down she went the louder the music echoed. A strange shift filled the air and a cold wind howled past causing her hair to flutter round her face, but it didn't distract her. As she confidently walked on some of the pigeons and cockroaches followed her, cautiously and trembling with fear and a sense of foreboding.

"Wait," a high, piping voice said, "there are dangers below!" One of the pigeons had spoken. This was not a terrific surprise to the girl, who did not pause in her descent." Stay above ground if you don't have the courage to follow me," she stated calmly." But I must go on. The faith of the town depends on this."

As she kept traveling downward the tone of the music seemed to change and become more insistent.  Then in the distance a faint shimmering light appeared.

It glowed a dull purple at first, but then changed to a harsh, angry blue that pulsated like a frantic heartbeat that got more aggressive the closer the girl got to it.

The light was actually calling to her, and only her. She was different from everyone else in the town. It was her duty.

She edged closer with her arm out in front of her. The blue light grew in intensity until she had to close her eyes against the glare, a warmth surrounded her arm from the light and she pulled in a satisfied breath and grinned.

As more of the light enveloped her, she felt the heat spread and her body began to hum with a sense of power.

Then in her mind she began to hear a whispering chant almost as if the power knew who she was and what she had to do.

The words and the music started to sync together and then she began to speak the chant, as she spoke the discordant words the light solidified into a wooden door which slowly began to open.

The light around the door frame was still so bright it cast shadows into the room, making it impossible to see what was in there.

She slowly peeked into the room and felt so cold that there must be something not of this world in there. She slowly found the bed and sat down on it.

Then out of nowhere a dapper looking man appeared.  He looked like a perfect gentleman; he even had a strange purple top hat on.  Though when you looked in his eyes there was no warmth to be found and his presence seemed to suck the warmth from the room.

The man seemed to be staring straight at her but there was no recognition in his eyes, just blackness. Then he opened his mouth to speak and she felt shivers shoot up and down her spine.

His voice seemed to freeze the very air and stop all sound when he said, "I know what you're here for."

Thinking this was her job and her job alone, she wondered if he was friend or foe.

She steadied herself because she knew that if she showed any fear that he might pounce and his true form would be revealed.  Her bag of tricks was pretty full though and she had the spark of an idea.

She remembered his particular fondness for word puzzles and taking a deep breath began reciting an odd sounding riddle.

In the middle of the chant he began chanting along with her, their voices rose and the atmosphere in the room grew even more tense.

The girl could have sworn she felt the very walls vibrating and the floor shaking, but she knew she couldn't stop now. If this was some sort of test she was determined to succeed.

When she finished the chant he stopped at the same time, then with a deep rumbling the floor fell away beneath them.

The pair tumbled down into the darkness, but for some reason neither one of them was scared.

They seem to fall forever, almost floating in the air. The girl held the man's hand, or was he holding hers?

The man was still chanting, while the pigeons were flying in circles around them. That is when the girl notices something that sent cold chills to her spine: the cockroaches mimicked him!

She thought everything was under control but those darn cockroaches really fouled things up.

The farther they fell the more weightless she felt and the air seemed to thicken and become colder.

The chanting continued, she glanced down and saw that they were falling quickly toward a rather large clearing that was surrounded by snow and something shadowy she couldn't quite make out.

Bracing herself for a rough landing the girl blew out a deep breath and got ready for impact. At least the snow would offer some sort of comfort, or so she thought.

The closer they got the more the view changed.  The snowflakes now seemed to be separating, darkening, and slowly but surely rising to meet them.

The girl closed her eyes in the hope she was imagining it, but when she opened them again the shadowy snow was still coming towards them and now it looked like a dark outstretched hand just waiting to snatch them both out of the air.

As the hand wrapped around them, they could feel the very breath being squeezed from their lungs. It wasn't really a hand, they had fallen into a canyon with ridges that looked like fingers. It got narrower the further down they were drawn, then they could feel something on their toes.

"what is that?" the girl asked, trying to wriggle herself away from whatever it was, scrunching her nose in disgust. Her breath caught as she slipped again and fell further into the thing below.

"Why me?" she cried.

Then his voice boomed from right behind her, "You know why, it always had to be you."

She stared shocked while he continued, “I never forgot about you and I wasn’t just going to let you go.”

Friday, April 26, 2013

Weekend Read - Icons

Icons is very intense so far.  It has quite the concept and the very first chapter will have you needing to know more.  I'm very curious as to what exactly is going on.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Gnometry Slam - Write your best book related haiku


Join in and write your best book related haiku:

Bibliognome:

This gnome loves her books
Books hoarded like dragon gold
Spread the love of books

Tiny Reverse Vampire:

Peregrines and Poofs
Cutest bodyguards around
Waiting for the toys

- inspired by Alien vs. Alien by Gini Koch

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Wolfy Beginnings

4.5 out of 5 tiara wearing bats

The readers asked for it and the author delivered.In Death’s Servant we finally get to see how Jon the sexy wolf came to be a part of the VV INN family.  

This is a great little read that not only answers some questions from the VV Inn series but also gives a nice short story all on its own to the point it could be read before or after the rest without missing a beat.  

I don’t want to spoil anything  so I will just say if you are already a fan of the series it is a must read to see exactly why Jon has the feelings he does towards the wolves and Lori.

If you are new to the world this is a great spot to start and see how the wolves and some of the other paranormal creatures interact.

 A Tiny Reverse Vampire Review

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Sentence Sneak Peek - Death's Servant


Death’s Servant by C.J. Ellisson

The first sentence from each chapter of Death’s Servant, it's a mini summary of what you can expect to read.

* Spoilers are highlighted like so :)



“Jon!”

“I drive for hours that stretch into days.”

“I start work immediately with a local landscaper and am quickly promoted to leading a crew-my knowledge of plants and ability to speak Spanish the driving forces behind the advancement.”

“Next week I ask her out again.”

“I sit in my jeep for thirty minutes, contemplating what the hell just happened.”

“Pain radiates through my skull as my surroundings slowly come into focus.”

“I stop at my new apartment, throwing every piece of clothing and anything lying around into bags-including a handful of cash, my bills, my passport-eager to get back on the road.”

“I wander our nation’s capital for two days with no luck.”

“My heart leaps into my throat and heat flushes my face.”

“Now that I have a plan, I’m reluctant to wait the full two days Rafe suggested.”

“After a late dinner, we pack and drive our two separate vehicles to Middleburg, where the property was indicated on a map, not Purcellvile like I thought.”

Dria exits the vehicle, holding open the door for me to jump out.”

Dria hangs up the phone and focuses her keen gaze on me.”

“The next five minutes shake the very foundation of my sanity.”

“What?”

Unable to resist her command, I walk slowly to the door.”

“I’m sorry.”

“The smell of fresh spilled blood fills the air between us.”


A Tiny Reverse Vampire Post

Monday, April 22, 2013

Tiny Reverse Vampire's Read of the Week

Direct Contact (New Reality Series, Book Two)
Direct Contact

This is Tiny Reverse Vampire's read of the week, she's reading it for a blog tour that will be happening sometime in May.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Reading Next - Game by Barry Lyga

Game sounds like it'll be a great sequel to I Hunt Killers.  Anyway I'm hoping it's a great sequel because the first one had quite an ending.  I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes with the story.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Rereading, yay or nay?

Do you reread books?  If so what is your favorite book or series to reread?

I do reread books a lot and here are just some of the books/series that I find myself rereading over and over:

I adore this series and have probably read the first three books at least 3-5 times or more.  It's just a great world that you can always go back to.  


This book and the other books in the series immerse you into a fantastical world where the stakes are very high.  They have intense situations and characters that you'll really care about.


The ultimate book for bookworms, this book is just so much fun to read.


The Black Jewels Trilogy and the other books set in this universe are full of awesome characters and tremendous world building.  This is the kind of world that you want to go back to over and over.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Radical Red

Written in Red by Anne Bishop

5 out of 5 gnomes

This book was so very good, good as in if this book was a person I would so want to be best friends with it, have adventures, etc...  I’ve been a fan of Anne Bishop’s books since I first discovered them in high school and this book only makes me love this author’s writing even more.  

This is the kind of book where I want to know absolutely everything about all of these characters.  I want to know about each and every one of the different gards (especially the Crowgard and the Beargards) and if there is a limit to what The Others are and what they can transform into. It’s always cool to be able to be so immersed in a world that you want to know everything about it.

World Building
The shapeshifters in this book are refreshingly different and the world building is very well done.  I like how even the names of the days and major cities/areas are something new.  It really makes you imagine how different the world would be if humans weren’t in control of everything.

Having human law not apply on the Others land and Courtyards was a point that helped show how in control they really are of the world. Humans are indeed really low on the food chain and not very “special” except in some rare circumstances.

The history of this world feels epic and like it could be a book in its own right.  I feel like there is just so much to learn about this world and that there will be some intriguing stories in the future.

Characters
Simon is in some ways a typical alpha male but he’s in charge of the Courtyard/runs a bookstore which means his life isn’t exactly stress free. He meets Meg and that’s when things really get interesting.  

Meg’s character is indeed special and not a human that you usually see out and about in the world.  She’s had what we would call a very unsavory/untraditional upbringing.  She’s like a blank slate in some ways but there’s a sweetness and resolve to her that intrigues many of the characters.

I really enjoyed the what would normally be called vampires and the way they feed is one that I wouldn’t have thought of before.  

The other fascinating group were the Crowgard because of their curiousity and how much they love the shiny.  

These characters all interact so well together and there are plenty of both serious and funny moments.

Lingering Questions/Things I Want to Know
WHAT IS TESS (I would like to know exactly what she is, it’s hinted at but I’m looking for a name.)
What are the Crowgard building?
Who is the main bad guy and what is his next evil plan going to be?
Will Meg fall in love and if so, with who?

Ending
The end was pretty darn perfect ending on a light note yet making you wish the next book would be here ASAP.  I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone that loves Urban Fantasy/discovering new worlds and characters.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Sentence Sneak Peek - Written in Red

Written in Red by Anne Bishop

The first sentence from each chapter of Written in Red, it's a mini summary of what you can expect to read.

* Spoilers are highlighted like so :)

Long ago, Namid gave birth to all kinds of life, including the beings known as humans.”

Half blinded by the storm, she stumbled into the open area between two buildings.”

This is a car, this is a train, this is a bus. . . .

Monty paid the cab driver and got out at the corner of Whitetail Road and Chestnut Street.”

The experiment with the coffeemaker was an unqualified disaster, so Meg settled for a bowl of cereal and an apple—and promised herself a ten-minute break to run over to A Little Bite and get a large cup of coffee as soon as the shop opened.”

Eight ponies showed up the following day, looking for mail and carrots.”

Simon got out of the shower and rubbed the towel briskly over his skin.”

Simon flipped the lock on Howling Good Reads’ front door, flipped the sign to Open, put on the wire-rimmed glasses, and started the rest of the routine for opening the store.”

Timing her approach, Asia drove her car into the Liaison’s Office delivery area and parked in a way that guaranteed her vehicle would clog up the most space.”

Meg bobbled the jar of sweet pickles when something thumped on her kitchen door.”

Meg sat back on her heels and stared at the Wolf pup, who stared back at her.”

Her coat dangling from one arm, Meg rushed back into Simon’s living room and shrieked, “Sam!”

After a long, hot shower and a late breakfast, Meg filled Earthday with chores, Sam, and her first social outing.”

On Sunsday morning, the new set of bowls and the dog bed for the office were delivered as promised, and Sam was delighted to have his own comfortable spot where he could watch Meg as she sorted mail and packages.”

“But I wanna go with Meg!”

On Watersday, Simon put the cash drawer in the register and opened HGR for business.”

By the time Meg woke up the next morning, the sun was shining and the sky was a clean blue.”

When Meg stepped into the office’s front room on Moonsday morning, she found a Wolf staring at her from the other side of the counter.”

With Sam beside him in the front seat, Simon drove away from the Courtyard’s school and headed for the Liaison’s Office.”

“Hello?”

“Are you sure?”

On Moonsday morning, Meg opened the office, prepared her clipboard, and breathed a sigh of relief.”

Pausing at an intersection, Meg rolled down the driver’s-side window and breathed in air that held the warmth of spring.”

With exaggerated care, Captain Burke set the phone’s receiver in its cradle.”

. . . travel advisory in effect until six a.m. tomorrow.

Slow and steady, Monty thought as the cab did a crawl and slide down Whitetail Road.”

Vlad, Nyx, and a handful of their kin flowed over the snow like segments of a black serpent as they headed for the Utilities Complex.”

The special messenger swore when the property fell through the ice.”

A car was stuck in the intersection, blocking traffic in every direction.”

Vlad studied the ash that drifted off the two bodies.”

Throughout the night, Monty, Louis, and Kowalski stood shifts outside Meg Corbyn’s hospital room, while Debany and MacDonald ferried medicines to people who needed them and could be reached.”

On the Thaisday after the storm, Monty walked into Howling Good Reads and nodded to Heather as he scanned the front of the store.”