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Friday, September 25, 2009

Friday Finds...with fangs!

A weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB, "Friday Finds" allows you to share with other bloggers about the new-to-you books found during the week — books you either want to add to your TBR (to be read) list, or that you just heard about that sounded interesting.

Post about your latest discoveries and then link back to the comment section on the most current "Friday Finds" at Should Be Reading.




After an short "vacation" (not by choice, unfortunately) from my memes/blog, here's my finds this week:

"Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs" by Molly Harper [found at Froggarita's Coffin]

as well as the second book...
"Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men" by Molly Harper [also found at Froggarita's Coffin]

 

Which I have subsequently bought!

Jenn

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Just for Fun... What Kind of Reader are You?

Found this at the Cupcake Witch and (unfortunately) couldn't resist having a go...

What Kind of Reader Are You?
Your Result: Dedicated Reader

You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.

Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz


"You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book..." [nods head] Aren't we all? ;-)

Jenn

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Review: "Cutting loose" by Susan Andersen

Title: Cutting Loose
Author: Susan Andersen
Series:Sisterhood Diaries, book 1
Publication: Don Mills, ON.: Harlequin Books, 2008
Tag Line: He's getting under her skin...in more ways than one
Summary: Jane thinks nothing can make her lose her cool.
But the princess of propriety blows a gasket the night she meets the contractor restoring the Wolcott mansion. Devlin Kavanagh's rugged sex appeal may buckle her knees, but the man is out of control! Jane had to deal with theatrics growing up - she won't tolerate them in someone hired to work on the house she and her two best friends have just inherited.
Dev could renovate the mansion in his sleep. But ever since the prissy owner spotted him jet-lagged, exhausted and hit hard by a couple of welcome-home drinks, she's been on his case. Yet there's something about her. Jane hides behind conservative clothes and a frosty manner, but her seductive blue eyes and leopard-print heels hint at a woman just dying to cut loose!
[back cover]



When I read Randi's review at "Readers of Romance Book Challenges" of Cutting Loose, it sounded interesting, and I placed a copy on hold at work. But I just "happened" (he he) to be in Chapters when they had a sale on romance titles, so I ended up purchasing a copy. I should have waited.

Jane and Dev's relationship grows over the course the the renovation of the newly-inherited (by Jane and her two best friends, Poppy and Ava - both of whom will have their own stories) Wolcott mansion. It progresses from snapping at each other, to a "guilt-free" (i.e. a no strings attached - snort) relationship, and finally to the HEA. As for the characters, Dev wasn't bad (introduced for the first time as the "...redhead with the seam-threatening shoulders" - I'm a sucker for redheads), Jane fell flat for me (which probably had to do with her constant need for control and her multiple attempts to repress of her emotions), while the most interesting character in the book (for me) was Dev's brother Finn (described as the "sexy monk brother" - woo hoo!).

It's not that I didn't like the book - it was diverting and entertaining. Unfortunately, the story just didn't click with me (when I start putting the book down multiple times by choice, I know I'm in trouble). The beginning set-up was interesting (if a little long), the middle bits dragged in places, before the story picked up near the end. The suspense was miniscule - it was not a question of who or why, but rather, when would he be caught (and I kind of liked getting the villain's pov - even if he was a scumbag).

Will I read the rest of the trilogy? Well, yes, because I hate leaving a series unfinished, and you never know - I might like the other stories...

Ratings:
Overall - One Read
Heat - Spicy
Language - Strong



Lists and Challenges:

"Reviews"

Readers of Romance Seasonal Book Challenge - Fall 2008: 15. "A book with a two (2) word title"

Jenn

BTT: Recent Informative...

What’s the most informative book you’ve read recently?



Just purchased, and halfway through...

Friday, September 11, 2009

Moonlight Musings (1): Character Sketch

Moonlight Musings...
          ...when the sun goes down, imaginations run wild...*


The following is a brief character sketch of Sebastian and what it means to be a vampire in Kee's world.

Sadistic. Ruthless. Cruel. She heard the whispers amongst the servants, even those hardened by years of servitude to the most pitiless of masters. "Expect no pity," her old nurse rasped, caused from years of tending to the young, "for he will offer no quarter to your pain..."



Sebastian is old: he has touched more than forty generations of life in over a thousand years of undeath. Even amongst his own kind, he is considered ancient. It is rare for a vampire to reach such an advanced age; politics, magical diseases, assassinations, blood-borne parasites...all play a part in dooming a race famed for its "immortality". Most of his kind live only for a few centuries, usually never more than three, or four, at the most. To survive in such a world, you need to be willing to do anything, without hesitation. Without regret. To survive, ultimately, you need a clade.

Sebastian rules his clade with an iron fist, brooking no opposition from anyone. Most vampires are anti-social amongst their own kind, thus the bonds formed within each "house" are unique and (usually) untouchable, especially the bonds between a younger and the clade's elder.

Around the turn of the last century, an unprecedented peace treaty was signed between a coalition of vampire clades and the witch's high council. Sebastian vehemently opposed the alliance; war had raged between the two groups for eons, and Sebastian's memory was especially long. But he was overruled, and the treaty was endorsed by representatives of both communities. A committee attempted to have him quietly assassinated. Sebastian got wind of the scheme, and none of the members were ever seen again - alive.

Except for members of his own house, Sebastian is left alone by the wider vampire community and (by unspoken agreement) he leaves them alone. A thousand-year-old vampire can do a lot of damage if left unchecked...



"A vampire has much in common with a cat. We are aloof and distainful of others, and bestow false affections upon those who would sate our hunger. We lounge carelessly during the daylight hours; our every need catered to by fawning slaves. As the sun fades from the sky, we are called to the hunt..." [Sebastian]

These are the vampires that inhabit Kee's world: dark, deadly, and definately not sparkly! ;-) Sebastian and Kee are unlikely friends, drawn together by their respective relationships with Sina: Sebastian's past lover (and previously, his only witch friend), and Kee's grandmother. Sebastian is also Kee's patron, and silent partner in her business.



So, what do you think? Too predictable?

What do you like (or dislike) about vampires? Do you think the vampire in fiction has been done to death (pun intended ;-), or is he (or she!) just peaking in popularity?

*I've thought of my best ideas at night, just before falling asleep, hence the title and sub-title (plus I liked the sound of it!)

Friday Finds: Apparently I'm on a paranormal kick...

A weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB, "Friday Finds" allows you to share with other bloggers about the new-to-you books found during the week — books you either want to add to your TBR (to be read) list, or that you just heard about that sounded interesting.

Post about your latest discoveries and then link back to the comment section on the most current "Friday Finds" at Should Be Reading.




My Finds this week:

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber - from Escape in a Book's last week Friday Finds

Bram Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation - found at PaigeTurners blog of last week's collection of Friday Finds

Soulless by Gail Carriger - found at The epic rat


So, what did you discover this week?



Filed in:
Friday Finds at Chasing the Mouse...

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays: Sigh...

It's Teaser Tuesday!
A weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Grab your current read, open to a random page and share 2 "teaser" sentences - be careful not to spoil it for others! Post your link to the current Tuesday post at the Should Be Reading blog.




"Finally, after a time-frozen moment in each other's eyes, Max cleared his throat and asked, 'Shall we dance?'"

[p. 157, Compromised by Kate Noble]

Only a one-liner today, but (I think, anyway) it's a good one! (And a good break for the tension above it... ;-)



Filed in:
Teaser Tuesdays at Chasing the Mouse...

Sunday, September 6, 2009

"...no more books, no more teacher's dirty l..." wait, no more books?!

My mouth dropped open. I sputtered, unable to speak coherently. And I read Penny's post while I was at work - in a library (you know, that thing with "outdated technology...")

What I'm ranting about (and what Penny ranted about) is the Boston Globe article concerning a New England private school that got rid of it's books. Yes, you heard me right - they got rid of their traditional library of over 20,000 books and replaced it with an e-library.

Oh, the "outdated technology" comment was made by the school's headmaster and chief architect of the whole "get rid of books" plan. His entire comment went something like this: "When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books... This isn’t ‘Fahrenheit 451’... We’re not discouraging students from reading. We see this as a natural way to shape emerging trends and optimize technology."

So, in otherwords, the school is spending $500,000 to replaced "outdated technology" (sorry, I just can't get over that one) to replace their collection with 3 large flat-screen TVs, laptop-friendly study carrels, a coffee shop ($50,000) which will include a $12,000 cappuccino machine (uh huh, coffee for teenagers - which is, you know, essential to study with), and 18 electronic readers made by Amazon.com and Sony.

What happens if there's a major blackout? What about eye and wrist strain? What happens if the "technology" is improved/altered (such as the "famous" kindle)?

Friday, September 4, 2009

Friday Finds: Cover-Lovers-R-Us!

A weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB, "Friday Finds" allows you to share with other bloggers about the new-to-you books found during the week — books you either want to add to your TBR (to be read) list, or that you just heard about that sounded interesting.

Post about your latest discoveries and then link back to the comment section on the most current "Friday Finds" at Should Be Reading.




Only one "Friday Find" this week, located when I was passing the bookstore while on my way to grocery shopping. I'm very much a "cover-lover", and a good/interesting jacket cover will draw me in more than anything else...

"Another Faust" by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

So, what did you find this week...?



Filed in:
"Friday Finds" at Chasing the Mouse...

Thursday, September 3, 2009

BTT: Recent "Chunky"...

What’s the biggest book you’ve read recently?

(Feel free to think “big” as size, or as popularity, or in any other way you care to interpret.)





Hmmm...I guess my chunkiest recent read was late last year with Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Acheron". It weighed in at a hefty 728 pages - and I finished in a day (mind you, I didn't get anything else accomplished that day)! ;-)




Filed in:
BTT at Chasing the Mouse...

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Teaser Tuesday: Oooooh...

It's Teaser Tuesday!
A weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Grab your current read, open to a random page and share 2 "teaser" sentences - be careful not to spoil it for others! Post your link to the current Tuesday post at the Should Be Reading blog.





"Criminey, it was cold. More than cold. It felt like it was getting colder by the minute - I put out a hand, testing the air, waving it back and forth slowly - yes, right here. I looked up. No ceiling register blowing down on me. The floor? There was nothing that broke the tile surface that I could see. Worse yet was the feeling that crawled over my skin the longer I stood there. Strange. Uncomfortable. As though I was an intruder in the space."

[p. 118, No Rest For the Wiccan by Madelyn Alt]