Book Bound

In My Mailbox (9)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:40:00 +0000

WARNING: In My Mailbox may lead to intolerable envy and gigantic wish lists.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

For Review:

Lothaire by Kresley Cole (With thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada)

Bought:

Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh
Across the Universe by Beth Revis

In My Mailbox (8)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:14:00 +0000

WARNING: In My Mailbox may lead to intolerable envy and gigantic wish lists.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Gift:

Kobo Vox

For Review:

Tempest by Julie Cross (With thanks to St. Martin's Press)
A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster (With thanks to Harlequin and Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc.)

Bought:

Lara by Bertrice Small
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Fracture by Megan Miranda
Legend by Marie Lu
Under the Never Sky (Kobo eBook) by Veronica Rossi
A Vampire for Christmas (Kobo eBook) by Laurie London, Michele Hauf, Caridad Pineiro, and Alexis Morgan

100+ Books in a Year Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:13:00 +0000

Adding yet another reading challenge to the list. My goal for this year is to complete 5 challenges.

The 100+ Books in a Year Reading Challenge is hosted by Book Chick City. To sign up, visit this page.

Winners: Lothaire Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:09:00 +0000

I'd to thank all of those who participated in the Lothaire Giveaway, and a huge thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for making this giveaway possible!

And now for the lucky winners:

Tynga

elaing8

~~Anabell~~

NOTE: As Anabell did not reply to the e-mail sent out to her within 48 hours, a new winner was chosen in her place. The new winner is:

Mindy

Congratulations!

I have sent an e-mail to the winners. If I have not received an e-mail by midnight, January 8, I will choose a new winner.

Follow Friday (6)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:48:00 +0000

If you are new to the #FF fun, Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Feature and Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog which will allow them to show off more new blogs!

The Rules:

{Required} Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}
{Required} Follow our Featured Bloggers - THIS WEEK: Pawing Through Books and Book Den.
Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Question:

Go count the number of unread books sitting on your shelf. How many?

Oh. Dear. God.

~returns 10 minutes later~

Okay, so it's not as bad as I thought.

276

That is not including eBooks on my Kobo, of which I have 37. So, in total, I have a TBR pile of 313 books.

Yay me!

Winner: Best of 2011 Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:54:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Best of 2011 Giveaway Hop, hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. There were a total of 320 entries!

The winner is:

HEATHER

Congratulations!

I have sent an e-mail. If I have not received a reply by 10pm of January 3rd, I will choose a new winner.

Lothaire Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:18:00 +0000

With great thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada, I have three (3) copies of the highly anticipated LOTHAIRE by Kresley Cole to giveaway! I don't know about you all, but this is by far one of my most anticipated books of 2012!

Guidelines:

Giveaway is open to CANADA ONLY.
The deadline for entries is January 6th, 2012 at 12:01 am.
Winners will be announced on January 7th, 2012 and will be contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond.
All entrants are entitled to one (1) free entry. Both name and e-mail are required (Does not have to be your real name. Your GFC name is fine).
You may gain five (5) additional entries by playing the "Kresley Cole Double Puzzle" game. Only correct answers will receive the entries. You may only attempt once.
You may gain one (1) additional entry each day by "tweeting". Tweet URL MUST be included in form to receive entry.

KRESLEY COLE DOUBLE PUZZLE

How to play:

A clue is given for each missing word(s).
Fill-in all of the missing words to reveal the code-word, which will be spelled out in the bracketed spaces.
Once you have figured out the code-word, submit it in the Rafflecopter form. If you are correct, you will receive five (5) additional entries into the Lothaire Giveaway.

Note: All of the missing words and the code-word are related to Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series.

1. _ _ _ _ [_] _ _ _

2. _ _ [_] _ _

3. _ _ _ [_]

4. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [_] _ _ _ _ _ _

5. _ _ _ _ [_] _

6. _ [_] _

7. _ _ _ [_] _ _ _ _

8. _ [_] _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Clues:

1. Main female character from 'A Hunger Like No Other'
2. ________ brothers (Vampires)
3. No ________ for the Wicked
4. Lothaire's love interest
5. Main male character from 'Dark Needs at Night's Edge'
6. Nucking Futs ________
7. The Clan ________ (Lykae)
8. Kiss of a ________ ________

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Friday (5)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

{Required} Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}
{Required} Follow our Featured Bloggers - THIS WEEK: Ex Libris and Kristin Can Read.
Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Question:

The New Year is here — and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?

This is an easy one...MORE REVIEWS! I will officially be done school in less than two weeks, so I will have more time to dedicate to reading and reviewing. I hope to consistently post 2 or 3 reviews every week. I have two people who will hopefully be submitting reviews from time to time as well, so that should help.

Best of 2011 Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 03:04:00 +0000

Let me start the post by saying MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I have been far too busy the past few days (weeks), so I apologize for the lateness.

I am one of several participating in the 'Best of 2011 Giveaway Hop' hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. Please visit the website to enter all of the fabulous giveaways.

The winner of this giveaway will get to choose one of two "favourite" books from 2011. They are:

Adam by Jacquelyn Frank

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

This is an international giveaway (to anywhere that The Book Depository ships).The giveaway will run from 12:01 am on December 27th to 12:01 am on December 31st. The winner will be announced and contacted on January 1st and will have 48 hours to reply.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In My Mailbox (7)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:54:00 +0000

WARNING: In My Mailbox may lead to intolerable envy and gigantic wish lists.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Bought

Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.

But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured.

When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.

All they want for Christmas is you…
It's the time of year for twinkling lights on trees and kisses under the mistletoe. Yet the passing of another year means nothing to the stunning immortals who lurk in the shadows of the new-fallen snow.

And they don't care if you've been naughty or nice.

Let four fanged lovers open your eyes to a passion you never dared to imagine. After all, there's no place like home for the holidays—and these dazzling vampires can't wait for an invitation.

Book OCD: Pet Peeves

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:52:00 +0000

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am slightly obsessive compulsive when it comes to my books. Okay, maybe more than slightly. But I'm fine with it. It works for me.

Though, to be honest, I worry that some people think I am a snob, because as a rule, I don't lend them out. I make a HUGE deal about the care of my books, and the few people that I am willing to lend books to, generally won't accept them because I make them nervous.

I know that I am not the only person like this. There are others like me, who suffer from Book OCD. And so I wonder, what are your biggest book pet peeves?

My one rule for lending books...is really pretty simple. Bring the book back to me in the EXACT condition that it was in when I gave it to you, and everything is fine. If not, you buy me a new book. Now, books that are ARC's or that are signed by the author...I just don't lend them out. Period. Because, really, they are kind of irreplaceable.

I had to learn this lesson the hard way, of course. In the beginning of my "reading career", I was happy to lend books out! I wanted everyone I knew to read the books that I was reading so we could gush about them and talk books. But then, on one horrible, dreary winter day, one of my books was returned to me after being borrowed. And to my horror, it had been dropped in water (because apparently, my friend reads while she is taking a bath...wtf?). So the book was all puffy, the pages were crinkled and stained, and the cover was falling off. And I think a small piece of me died that day.

So, I no longer lend books to that friend. And I stopped lending books to another friend that always marked the pages with a "dog ear". I shudder at the thought. After a while, I came to the realization that, as far as I am concerned, I am the only person who can read my books without mutilating them, and so I have more or less stopped lending them all together.

But my BIGGEST pet peeve of all...and this is one that I deal with on a near daily basis (working in a book store), is cracked spines. I stood next to a woman, just a few days ago, putting books away on their respective shelf, when all of a sudden, I hear the tell-tale sound of a spine being cracked. I look to the woman next to me, and there she is...holding a book open as wide as can be, completely oblivious. The nerve of some people! I don't understand what kind of person can treat their own books that way, but you do NOT treat books with such disrespect in a book store. That is book abuse!

I think of books as a work of art...I truly think that they are beautiful. Nothing makes me happier than a bookshelf full of books. But when they are in bad condition, it's like they exude misery. So whenever any of my books begin to look worn, I buy new copies and give away the old ones, or donate them to my local annual book sale.

Maybe it's crazy, but you know what they say...if we weren't all crazy, we'd go insane.

Follow Friday (4)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:03:00 +0000

{Required} Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}
{Required} Follow our Featured Bloggers - THIS WEEK: Books Are Vital and Once Upon a Time.
Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Question:

When you’ve read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it..?)

I am admittedly a book hoarder. Even if I really dislike a book, I keep it when I am finished with it, simply because it looks pretty. However, the books that I really like, I re-read, so it's not just a waste of space. :)

Temporary Design

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:35:00 +0000

Alright, I scrapped my old template and switched to a basic blogger template. It's far from perfect (damn header!), but hopefully people can at least READ the blog now. Lol.

Let me know if it is still showing up white. If not, hopefully this will work for a couple more weeks.

Design Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:05:00 +0000

It has been brought to my attention that some people are having trouble viewing the blog. They are seeing a white background with white text, when it should be a black background.

When I view the blog in Google Chrome, it shows up fine, but in IE or Firefox, it doesn't show up correctly. I am trying to figure out what has happened, and hopefully get it working properly for everyone. I apologize if this has been going on for a while.

If I can't fix it, for whatever reason, then I will figure something out until the new design goes live in January.

In My Mailbox (6)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 05:17:00 +0000

WARNING: In My Mailbox may lead to intolerable envy and gigantic wish lists.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

So, I am hoping to get a new webcam in the near future, and start doing IMM vlogs. But for the time being, I shall continue to do things the old fashioned way.

Bought

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Casting Call

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 05:04:00 +0000

There are going to be a lot of exciting changes coming up in 2012 for Book Bound, including more giveaways, author interviews, more reviews, and most excitingly a brand new look!

That being said, another big change I hope to implement is introducing a couple new reviewers. January is going to be really hectic for me, and so I am hoping to find new reviewers in time to make up for my current lack of posts.

I am looking for someone who enjoys reading and who is happy to contribute to a blog without having to worry about maintaining it. I would prefer someone who reads any of the following: romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, chick-lit, young adult, and historicals. I am not asking for a huge time commitment, but I need someone who will be dedicated to contributing at least one review every week. And you are welcome to write your reviews in your own style, so long as they are concise and easy to understand.

If you are interested, please fill out the following form and submit. I will be in contact with you within 24 hours. Also, please be prepared to write a sample review.

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A YA Christmas Giveaway Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 03:17:00 +0000

I would like to thank everyone who participated in the YA Christmas Giveaway and who helped spread the word. There were a total of 1290 entries, which is just amazing!

And the lucky winner is:

Kris-10

Congratulations!

I have sent an e-mail. If I have not received a reply by noon of December 12th, I will choose a new winner.

Follow Friday (3)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:14:00 +0000

{Required} Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}
{Required} Follow our Featured Bloggers - THIS WEEK: Keeping Up With Roxy's Books and Anonymous Reads.
Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Question:

Keeping with the Spirit of Giving this season, what book do you think EVERYONE should read and if you could, you would buy it for all of your family and friends?

For me, it would have to be Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. It is the book that made me fall in love with reading, and it is written beautifully. It's a shame that Arthur Golden hasn't written more books, because he is by far one of the best writers that I have come across.

The movie was a huge hit and very well made, but anyone who hasn't read the book is missing out.

In My Mailbox (5)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:27:00 +0000

WARNING: In My Mailbox may lead to intolerable envy and gigantic wish lists.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

I've been on a bit of a YA binge lately. I am stocking up on YA and trying to read as many as I can...it's kind of homework, in the sense that I am trying to write a YA and so I want to get a real good feel of the genre and get in that mind set. That being said, here is what I got this week.

Bought

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…

As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.

Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who'd cursed Micah. She sees past Micah's armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember.

Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

Follow Friday (2)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:27:00 +0000

{Required} Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}
{Required} Follow our Featured Bloggers - THIS WEEK: Fiction Book Reviews and Lauren Gets Literal.
Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Question:

What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

Okay, this is a tough one because I seriously have a LOT of pet peeves. I think my BIGGEST pet peeve is when a book starts out with a stereotypical alpha male, all sexy and mysterious and a little bit of a brute, and by the end of the book he is all puppy eyed and drooling for the heroine. I always enjoy experiencing character growth in books, but sometimes, the characters change so dramatically, that it becomes unbelievable and any connection I had with the character is lost. I don't believe for a second that a man who is foul mouthed and severe, who every person on the planet whimpers away from because he looks like evil incarnate and who maims just to get his own way could turn into a guy who calls his lover "flower", does everything to please her, and is really just a gentle and sensitive guy. Uggh. There is nothing wrong with a brute of an alpha so long as he isn't overly brutish, but he's no good if he turns into a pansy either!

Review: In Red, With Pearls by Patricia Briggs

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:07:00 +0000

Title: Down These Strange Streets
Author: George R. R. Martin (Editor), Gardner Dozois (Editor)
Publisher: Ace
Pub. Date: October 4, 2011
Format: eBook
Source: Bought

All new strange cases of death and magic in the city by some of the biggest names in urban fantasy.

In this all-new collection of urban fantasy stories, editors George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois explore the places where mystery waits at the end of every alley and where the things that go bump in the night have something to fear...

Includes stories by New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Diana Gabaldon, Simon R. Green, S. M. Stirling, and Carrie Vaughn, as well as tales by Glen Cook, Bradley Denton, M.L.N. Hanover, Conn Iggulden, Laurie R. King, Joe R. Lansdale, John Maddox Roberts, Steven Saylor, Melinda Snodgrass, and Lisa Tuttle.

Review

“In Red, With Pearls” is a short story written by Patricia Briggs in the Down These Strange Streets anthology. It is set in the world of Mercy Thompson, and is all about one of my favourite couples from the series, Warren and Kyle. Warren is by far the sexiest gay cowboy in literature...though, being a werewolf helps. I love the relationship between Warren and Kyle. They are both so very strong and masculine in their own way, but together, they have this vulnerability...I can’t help but adore them.

Despite being SO short, “In Red, With Pearls” manages to be an invigorating read. It is fast-paced and suspenseful, and the ending blew me away. My only complaint is that it is such a spectacular quickie that I want more. All I can do is hope that one day, Warren and Kyle get their own full-length HEA.

Patricia Briggs never disappoints, and “In Red, With Pearls” is no exception.

Rating

In My Mailbox (4)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:31:00 +0000

WARNING: In My Mailbox may lead to intolerable envy and gigantic wish lists.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week I received a $20 giftcard from Chapters Indigo, for being a loyal customer. How cool, right? So, I took the opportunity to purchase a bunch of eBooks for my Kobo.

Bought

Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe, lives on the edge. Now she's put over the edge when her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by vampires. Her only ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, attracted to Riley's beauty and rare blood type. To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley faces dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour it all...

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

From the time she was an orphan child, Mona Lisa knew she was different—but she never knew how different until a man of otherworldly beauty arrived during her night shift in the ER. Gryphon is hurting and hunted…and he attracts her as no man ever has before. He is a Monère, one of the children of the moon—and what’s more, so is she…

The Warlord

Nikolai Wroth, a ruthless vampire general, will stop at nothing to find his Bride, the one woman who can “blood” him, making his heart beat and filling him with strength. Coldly interested only in the power his Bride will bring, he can hardly believe when Myst the Coveted awakens him body—and soul.

The Seductress

Famed throughout the world as the most beautiful Valkyrie, Myst has devoted her life to protecting a magical jewel and to fighting the vampires.Wroth provides her with the perfect opportunity to torment her sworn enemy—for with his new heartbeat comes a consuming sexual desire that can only be slaked by her. Denying him, she flees, struggling to forget his searing, possessive kiss.

The Hunt is on…

She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen her enchanted jewel, giving him absolute power over her. Now that she’s his for the taking, he intends to make her experience first-hand the agonizing, unending lust she subjected him to for half a decade.Yet when Nikolai realizes he wants far more than vengeance from Myst and frees her, will she come back to him?

Follow Friday (1)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:20:00 +0000

{Required} Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}
{Required} Follow our Featured Bloggers - THIS WEEK: Books and Beyond and The Book Addict.
Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Question:

It's Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. so we want to know what you are Thankful for - blogging related of course! Who has helped you out along the way? What books are you thankful for reading?

First of all, I am Canadian, so my Thanksgiving has come and gone. But for those of you who are coming down from your Thanksgiving hangover, Happy Thanksgiving!

There are a couple bloggers that have helped me out along the way, either in the literal sense, or unknowingly.

Rachel @ Parajunkee Design: She came up with the current design for Book Bound and was great to work with. She has always been extremely helpful and patient...even when I was fiddling around and completely destroyed her design, only days after it went live. She fixed it without a word (although I'm sure there were unmentionable expletives on her end) and has continued to help me out along the way.

Kristi @ The Story Siren: I think Kristi is a source of inspiration for a lot of people in the blogging community. She is extremely successful, and I can't help but admire her talent and fortitude. I have her to thank for my love of YA. If not for her blog, I would never have ventured into the YA genre and realized what I was missing out on.

And of course, I must thank my followers. I blog because I love to express my thoughts about what I read. But my followers make blogging the joy that it is. My favorite feature here on Book Bound is the giveaways, and it's because I want to give back to my followers as much as you all give to me.

Books that I am thankful for:

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (the book that began my love of reading)
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole (the book that began my love or PNR)
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (the book that began my love of Jodi Picoult)
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (the first book that ever made me cry like a baby)

Review: Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:51:00 +0000

Title: Tiger's Curse
Author: Colleen Houck
Publisher: Splinter
Pub. Date: January 11, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought

Would you risk it all to change your destiny? The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that's exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

The Good

What drew me to this book was the cover, which is simply stunning. I have a thing for big cats, and I was immensely interested in reading this book after reading the coverflap.

The Bad

Once again, the premise was great, but the author just didn’t deliver. This book had amazing potential, but lacklustre writing got in the way of what could have been a great adventure.

I understand that I am older than the targeted demographic for this book. Nonetheless, I enjoy and have read many YA novels that provide an exceptional reading experience. “Tiger’s Curse”, however, reads more at a middle grade level and was excruciating to get through. I found the main character, Kelsey, to be superficial at best. She didn’t think or talk like a young adult, fresh out of high-school and it often felt like her thoughts and actions were discombobulated. Her reactions to the situations that she faced throughout the book were forced and unbelievable.

The romance between Ren and Kelsey left a sour taste in my mouth, primarily because of Kelsey’s immaturity. Ren is an ancient Indian prince, over 300 years old, and so I find it difficult to accept that he could fall in love with someone so juvenile. I was also frustrated with Kelsey’s scepticism towards love. She is far too young and inexperienced to have her guard up when it comes to her first romance, and for this reason, while I feel that the romance should have been the strongest element of this book, it completely missed the mark.

“Tiger’s Curse” has been likened to Indiana Jones, in that it is full of adventure and suspense. But I often felt bored with the plot, and the characters never find themselves in any real danger. Kelsey is supposed to be Ren’s saviour and obtains a weapon bestowed with magic, and yet she never falls into the strong female heroine that I expected her to become. In the end, Ren is his own saviour and Kelsey is just kind of along for the ride. There was very little, if any, character growth.

Overall, “Tiger’s Curse” left me frustrated. It seems to be well received by teens, and while young adult literature is often able to reach beyond its demographic, I think that this book should be left to its intended readers.

Rating

In My Mailbox (3)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:31:00 +0000

WARNING: In My Mailbox may lead to intolerable envy and gigantic wish lists.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

I was very excited to receive a package from Penguin Group Canada this week. I got three ARC's that I am stoked to read.

For Review

With thank to Penguin Group Canada.

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.

With thank to Penguin Group Canada.

Brie's life ends at sixteen: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart - literally. But now that she's in heaven, Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend knows a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost - and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul who's been D&G (dead and gone) much longer than she… and who just might hold the key to her forever after. With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on… but how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

With thank to Penguin Group Canada.

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

Michelle Zink masterfully weaves historical fantasy with paranormal romance to create a gripping tale of love and betrayal.

With thanks to NetGalley.

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.
Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life….