Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from March, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (39)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews . This week I only received one book and I have actually already finished it.  I just couldn't help myself! From the Library: What books did you pick up this week?

Review: "Like Chaff in the Wind" by Anna Belfrage

  Synopsis:  Matthew Graham committed the mistake of his life when he cut off his brother’s nose.  In revenge, Luke Graham has Matthew abducted and transported to the Colony of Virginia, there to be sold as indentured labour – a death sentence more or less. Matthew arrives in Virginia in May of 1661, and any hope he had of finding someone willing to listen to his tale of unlawful abduction is quickly extinguished. If anything Matthew’s insistence that he is an innocent man leads to him being singled out for the heaviest tasks. Insufficient food, grueling days and the humid heat combine to wear Matthew down. With a sinking feeling he realises no one has ever survived the seven years of service – not on the plantation Suffolk Rose, not under the tender care of the overseer Dominic Jones. Fortunately for Matthew, he has a remarkable wife, a God’s gift who has no intention of letting her husband suffer and die, and so Alex Graham sets off on a perilous journey to br

Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish . This week's topic:  Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most 1.) The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons   2.) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon           If you read my blog at all, you know I love these two books so much!  I am not afraid to suggest them to anyone who I think might enjoy them. 3.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I was definitely recommending this book left and right when the first movie came out. 4.) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 5.) A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin           These are two books that I just recently started recommending but they are books that can appeal to anyone so they are easy picks when someone asks for a recommendation. 6.) Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead  - I get a little embarrassed when I recommend this book to people but seriously, just because it has vampires does not mean it is like Twilight. 7.) The Giver by Lois

Stacking the Shelves (38)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews . I only received one book this week but I am completely fine with that.  I actually have plenty to read right now.  For Review (from Historical Fiction Book Tours):       The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner What books did you receive this week?

Quick Review: "The Indigo Spell" by Richelle Mead

From Goodreads:  In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next. My Thoughts:  I love this series so much!  I just can't get enough of these characters and the worlds of Moroi and Alchemists.  Sydney is as awesome as ever in this installment and Adrian is j

Check it Out!

Guess what? I got a new blog design!  My two year blogoversary is coming up and I have been thinking about making some changes because my design was just not working for me anymore.  Thanks to Lori at Imagination Designs , I have an awesome new look for my blog!  If your thinking about a new design for your blog you should check out her site.  She is running a special on her premade sites (see here ).  I submitted my order for the premade site last night and by 9 am this morning, my new design was up and loaded.  It was so easy! Anyway, enough of my rambling. What do you think of the new look?

Review: "The House of Special Purpose" by John Boyne

From Goodreads:  Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, "The House of Special Purpose "illuminates an empire at the end of its reign. Eighty year old Georgy Jachmenev is haunted by his past -- a past of death, suffering and scandal that will stay with him until the end of his days. Living in England with his beloved wife Zoya, Georgy prepares to make one final journey back to the Russia he once knew and loved, the Russia that both destroyed and defined him. As Georgy remembers days gone by, we are transported to St. Petersburg in the early 20th century, to the Winter Palace of the Tsar. A time of change, threat and bloody revolution. And as Georgy overturns the most painful stone of all, we uncover the story of the house of special purpose. My Thoughts:  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I can't stay away from any book set in Russia so when I saw this book I had to read it.  The House of Special Purpose 

Stacking the Shelves (37)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews . Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!! This was a good book week!  I was so excited to find out that a hold I have been waiting for finally came in at the library!   From the Library:     I can't wait to read this! June is quickly approaching! I better get reading! What books did you get this week?

Review: "The Storyteller" by Jodi Picoult

From Goodreads:  Sage Singer befriends an old man who's particularly beloved in her community. Josef Weber is everyone's favorite retired teacher and Little League coach. They strike up a friendship at the bakery where Sage works. One day he asks Sage for a favor: to kill him. Shocked, Sage refuses…and then he confesses his darkest secret - he deserves to die, because he was a Nazi SS guard. Complicating the matter? Sage's grandmother is a Holocaust survivor. What do you do when evil lives next door? Can someone who's committed a truly heinous act ever atone for it with subsequent good behavior? Should you offer forgiveness to someone if you aren't the party who was wronged? And most of all - if Sage even considers his request - is it murder, or justice? My Thoughts:  I finished this book several days ago and I am still thinking about it.  I thought I would never enjoy a Jodi Picoult book after reading My Sister's Keeper but this book really sur

Top Ten Books On My Spring 2013 TBR list!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is: Top Ten Books on my Spring 2013 TBR list 1.) The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead - I have been waiting to read this since I finished The Golden Lily.  I can't wait until my hold comes in at the library! 2.) Lover At Last   by J.R. Ward - I love this series.  The last book was a little disappointing but I still want to see how things go with Blay and Quinn. 3.) Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare -I love the Shadowhunter world and will definitely be reading this installment when it comes out next week. 4.) The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner - I like Gortner's books and am I think this is the only one of his books I haven't read yet. 5.) Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin - Considering that baby girl will be here in a few months, I think I need to make sure I know what's going to happen. : ) 6.) Margaret Fuller by Megan Marshall - I will be read

Review: "Children of Liberty" by Paulina Simons

From Goodreads:  At the turn of the century and the dawning of the modern world, Gina from Belpasso comes to Boston’s Freedom Docks to find a new and better life, and meets Harry Barrington, who is searching for his. The fates of the Barringtons and Attavianos become entwined, on a collision course between the old and new, between what is expected and what is desired, what is chosen and what is bestowed, what is given and what is taken away. As America races headlong into the future, much will be lost and much will be gained for Gina and Harry, whose ill-fated love story will break your heart. My Thoughts:  I was so excited for this book to come out.  I loved The Bronze Horseman trilogy so I figured a prequel to it was a must read for me.  Unfortunately, I think I got my hopes up a little too high.  While I enjoyed the story, it was not as good as I expected it to be.   If you are familiar with The Bronze Horseman , the story features Alexander Belov's parents, Gina

Quick Review: "A Rip in the Veil" by Anna Belfrage

From Goodreads:  On a stifling August day in 2002, Alexandra Lind is thrown several centuries backwards in time. She lands at the feet of Matthew Graham - an escaped convict making his way home to Scotland in this the year of our Lord, 1658. Matthew doesn't quite know what to make of this concussed and injured woman who has seemingly fallen from the skies. What is she, a witch? Alex gawks at this tall, gaunt man with hazel eyes, dressed in what to her mostly looks like rags. At first she thinks he might be some sort of hermit, an oddball, but she quickly realises the odd one out is she. Catapulted from a life of modern comfort, Alex grapples with this new existence, further complicated by the dawning realisation that someone from her time has followed her here - and not exactly to extend a helping hand. Potential compensation for this brutal shift in fate comes in the shape of Matthew - a man she should never have met, not when she was born three centuries after him. He quickly p

February Wrap Up

Okay, seriously?  How is it March already?!  This year is moving way too fast!   February was a great reading month for me.  I read 10 books which puts me at 19/75 for the year.  It's been a while since I have read that many books in a month so I am very pleased with my progress.  I did kind of fail at reading books I own; only one book I read was of my shelf, the rest were from the library or were ARCs.  Hopefully next month I can do a little bit better on that front. Here is what I read in February: 1.) The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay 2.) Romancing Olive by Holly Bush 3.) City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare 4.) The Black Russian by Vladimir Alexandrov 5.) Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein 6.) A Rip in the Veil by Anna Belfrage 7.) Like Chaff in the Wind by Anna Belfrage  8.) Seduction by M.J. Rose  9.) The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne  10.) Flesh by Khanh Ha  What did you read in February?

Stacking the Shelves(36)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.   I got a couple of fun books this week that I can't wait to read!     Purchased: Children of Liberty by Paullina Simons From the Library: The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner     For Review (from Historical Fiction Book Tours): Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell   For Review (from TLC Book Tours):     Margaret Fuller by Megan Marshall   What books did you get this week?

Review: "A Shot of Sultry" by Macy Beckett

 From Goodreads:  Welcome to Sultry Springs, Texas: where home can be the perfect place for a fresh start.  For West Coast filmmaker Bobbi Gallagher, going back to Sultry Springs is a last resort. But with her career in tatters, a quick trip to her hometown might get her the footage she needs to salvage her reputation. She just can't let anything distract her again. Not even the gorgeous contractor her brother asked to watch over her. As if she can't handle filming a few rowdy Texans. Golden boy Trey Lewis, with his blond hair and Technicolor-blue eyes, is a leading man if Bobbi ever saw one. He's strong and confident and--much to her delight--usually shirtless. He thinks keeping his best friend's baby sister out of trouble will be easy. But he has no idea of the trouble in store for him.. My Thoughts:  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I love this series!!   A Shot of Sultry is the second Sultry Springs book and I abs