Home is where the book is

An Open Essay

2015-05-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

I have not posted in almost two years. I know it has been long, too long. Over the last two years, so much has changed in my life and I have neglected my reading and writing. I often think of my blog, almost always with longing. This is not a typical post for me, but I need to get my thoughts out and I need to connect to what matters to me.

From the time I was a little girl, I wanted to be a writer. I wanted people to pick up a book I wrote and not be able to put it down; I wanted to be the writer people recommended to their friends.

I have a degree in English Literature. I chose this major because I love reading, because it matters to me. When I was an undergraduate, I took a position in a bank to get me through school and I have stayed in banking for 10 years, although it was not what I went to school for and not something I ever envisioned for myself. I will never regret my choices because I believe it led me to where I am today. Although I like what I do, I don't love it. Instead of feeling satisfied and accomplished, I feel drained. I want to do something I love, something that makes me feel satisfied. I want to be happy.

Driving home tonight, I had a moment of self awareness. I asked myself two important questions, who am I and what are my fundamentals. What defines me.

I believe reading is fundamental. I belive reading enables you to succeed. It opens new worlds and new ideas. It allows you to see other points of view, to disect and form opinions. Reading and analyzing literature gives you the ability to think critically and opens your mind to alternative possibilities. In short, I believe reading gives you the power to succeed.

I watched my five year old son playing today and as I sat there I thought about how I would do anything for him, I want him to be anything and do anything. Right now the world is limitless for him. Every parent should feel that hope and openness for their child. But in our society, that is not the case. Every child deserves a chance, regardless of their skin color. Children are precious, they are gifts and they deserve everything, they deserve to know they matter.

Everything that is happening in our country right now have opened up discussions about education and the lack of education in our country. Education is so important. I never want to stop learning. I have often thought about going back to school for my Masters degree but I never have for many reasons. Lately, I have been considering going back to school for my teaching certification. I have never seen myself as a teacher, but I have a deep belief that reading is fundamental, reading gives you skills that will empower you to succeed and everyone should have that opportunity.

I have been picturing myself in a classroom, talking about literature, opening students minds to possibilites. Would I be good at it? I'm scared but I also think about how exciting and satisfying it would be to help a child understand their potential because I believe every one of us has potential and it is our job as parents and educators to help a child reach their potential and give them the tools to succeed.

Change is so scary, it's a natural emotion, but I don't want it to define me. I have been thinking of my favorite poem, "The Road Not Taken". In the last year, I changed my life in a major way, but I know in my soul it was absolutely the right path and I have never looked back. I don't want to look back one day and regret not doing something I love. I don't want to get stuck because it was the easy thing to do. I've never taken the easy route in my life and why should I stop now?

From "The Road Not Taken":

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Exciting news in the Outlander world today!

2013-07-09T16:10:00.001-07:00

IT’S OFFICIAL!

SAM HEUGHAN CAST AS JAMIE FRASER IN STARZ & SONY PICTURES TV’S “OUTLANDER”

New Original Series Based on Diana Gabaldon’s International Best-Selling Novels

From “Battlestar Galactica” Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore

Beverly Hills, Calif., July 9, 2013 – Starz in association with Sony Pictures Television has announced today that Sam Heughan will play the role of Jamie Fraser in the original series “Outlander,” adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling books, which will premiere on STARZ in 2014. The chivalrous young Scottish warrior, Jamie Fraser, has been adored worldwide by fans of the seven-book series that has sold more than 20 million copies and has graced the New York Times best-sellers list six times.

Diana Gabaldon said, “Oh. My. God. That man is a Scot to the bone and Jamie Fraser to the heart. Having seen Sam Heughan not just act, but be Jamie, I feel immensely grateful to the production team for their painstaking attention to the soul of the story and characters."

"From the very beginning, I knew the part of Jamie Fraser would be difficult to cast,” said Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore. “I had no one in mind for the part. I knew that someone would just come into the audition and be Jamie Fraser. And that's what Sam did."

In “Outlander,” Jamie Fraser strikes up a passionate affair with Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743. Armed with sheer grit and enduring strength, he is a strapping young Scottish clan lord with a complicated past and a disarming sense of humor. He is intelligent, principled, and, by 18th century standards, educated and worldly, with a tenderness and compassion that stands out in contrast to his contemporaries. A natural leader of men, he has no political ambitions or desire for battlefield glories. Instead, he wishes to remove the price on his head and return to his family’s ancestral farm.

Sam Heughan is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, he was a 2003 nominee for the Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Performance for his work in the program. Last year, he originated the role of Batman in the DC/Warner Brothers and Waterlane production of "Batman Live," an international tour which opened at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles and went on to tour in South America and throughout Europe. In 2010, he was nominated for a British Soap Award for “Villain of the Year” for his role as Scott Neilson in the BBC soap opera "Doctors." He has also had roles in a range of television series including, "River City," "Island at War," "The Wild West," "Midsomer Murders," and, most recently, "Any Human Heart" as Lieutenant McStay. His TV movie credits include, "Breaking the Mould" for BBC Television, "A Very British Sex Scandal" for Channel 4 and "First Light" for BBC2. He was nominated for a "Grace award" for his performance as Prince Ashton, the son of Sir Roger Moore, in “A Princess for Christmas” for Hallmark Channel. His film credits include the short film Small Moments, and the feature films Alexander the Great from Macedonia and Emulsion. He will also be seen in the upcoming film Heart of Lightness. On stage, Heughan has performed at a variety of theatres in such productions as “King John,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Vortex,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and more. At the Royal Scottish Academy, Heughan starred in productions including “Crime & Punishment,” “The Seagull,” and “Prometheus Bound.” He is repped by United Talent Agency in the US and United Agents in the UK.

The series adaptation for “Outlander” will be written by Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation”). Ronald D. Moore and Jim Kohlberg are executive producers of “Outlander,” which is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining & Supply Company and Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television.

The series will begin filming in Scotland this fall.

About Starz
Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), www.starz.com.

Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. As of March 31, 2013, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 56.7 million subscribers, including 21.6 million at STARZ, and 35.1 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S. STARZ® and ENCORE®, along with Starz Networks’ third network MOVIEPLEX®, air more than 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television. Starz Distribution’s home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties. Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.

About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com/), a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, is one of the television industry’s leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, around the world and for a multitude of platforms. In addition to one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) boasts a current program slate that includes top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. SPT has 18 wholly-owned or joint venture production companies in 15 countries outside the U.S. and also maintains offices in 32 countries. SPT’s worldwide television networks portfolio includes 124 channel feeds available in 159 countries, reaching more than 800 million households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE’s premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns production company Embassy Row and is a part owner of cable channel Game Show Network (GSN), 3D channel 3net, premier horror/thriller website and VOD service FEARnet and national U.S media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premier national advertising sales companies and handles the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as in U.S. digital businesses including FEARnet, DrOz.com and PlayStation.
###

“Outlander” Online
Facebook: www.facebook.com/outlandertvseries.starz
Twitter: @Outlander_Starz - join the conversation with‎#Outlander and ‎#STARZ

--Article originally posted on Diana Gabaldon's Facebook page.

Is it Tuesday yet?

2013-03-28T19:02:00.002-07:00

Julie James's latest book Love Irresistibly hits bookstores this coming Tuesday, April 2. I've been looking forward to this since around last April, when I finished her then just released About that Night. Her books are seriously addictive. Every new release finds me rushing to the bookstore and snatching it up the day it comes out and devouring it the same day, followed by days and months of berating myself for reading too quickly that I have to wait another year to get a fresh story.

Luckily, I'm in love with all of her books and they are some of my favorite re-reads. Last week after I posted about Something about You on sale in e-book form for $1.99 here, I snuggled up with a glass of wine and my Kindle and re-acquainted myself with one of my favorite romance heroes, Jack Pallas. Of course I couldn't stop there and downloaded Practice Makes Perfect immediately and fell in love with Payton and J D all over again.

Now I'm bouncing around plotting how I can make it to the bookstore Tuesday and when I can have some quiet time with Love Irresistibly.

HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS…

A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.

AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER.

A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love . .

Synopsis from Goodreads

And the winner is....

2013-03-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Alisia for winning a hardback copy of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Happy Spring!

2013-03-20T16:21:00.001-07:00

Happy First day of Spring! Have you signed up to win a copy of Diana Gabaldon's An Echo in the Bone yet??

Since I've been gone so long and it's coming up on my one year blog anniversary, I want to have some fun and do a giveaway.

Around Christmas time, I was out shopping with my brother and as I always do, I stopped at the discount book table in a store. I was shocked to see hardcover copies of Diana Gabaldon's An Echo in the Bone on the table and only selling for $2.99! Although I have multiple copies of this book, I couldn't just let it sit there so I snatched it up, planning to give it away. Now here's my chance.

Outlander fans everywhere are anticipating the release of Written in My Own Heart's Blood sometime later this year and many of us will be re-reading the series before the release date so I'm giving away a hardback copy of An Echo in the Bone ( Book 7 in the series). If you are already a fan and just want a new copy, don't have a copy, or you haven't read the series and would like to, sign up below!

Contest ends on March 24
Winner will be picked by Random.org
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email before a new winner is picked.
See Giveaway Tab for my contest rules.

To participate, please fill out the form below. *Note* You must follow this blog to qualify*

If you have any questions, you can email me @ HomeisWheretheBookis@gmail.com.
Thank you for entering and good luck!

Loading...

Romance goodies

2013-03-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Here are two nice treats on the day before Spring starts:

Julie James' novel, Something About You is currently priced at $1.99 for the e-book version only. Even if you already have a paperback, for $1.99 it's a steal to load onto your Kindle or Nook. This is my favorite JJ book so I already snatched my e-book copy.
Here's the link from Julie's Facebook page.
Click here for Nook

Fate has thrown two sworn enemies...

Of all the hotel rooms rented by all the adulterous politicians in Chicago, female Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde had to choose the one next to 1308, where some hot-and-heavy lovemaking ends with a death. And of all the FBI agents in Illinois, it had to be Special Agent Jack Pallas who gets assigned to this high-profile homicide. The same Jack Pallas who still blames Cameron for a botched crackdown three years ago—and for nearly ruining his career.

Into each other's arms...

Work with Cameron Lynde? Are they kidding? Maybe, Jack thinks, this is some kind of welcome-back prank after his stint away from Chicago. But it's no joke; the pair is going to have to put their rocky past behind them and focus on the case at hand. That is, if they can cut back on the razor-sharp jibes—and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension.

Synopsis from Goodreads.

Jill Shalvis continues the fabulous Lucky Harbor series this Spring/Summer. The first book in the new trilogy is titled It Had to Be You. Right now when you pre-order an e-book version of the book, you will get a bonus copy of Blue Flame(part of an old firefighter trilogy). Available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble (not sure of other retailers).

Ali Winters is not having a good day. Her boyfriend left her, everyone in town thinks she's a thief, and now she's about to be kicked out of her home. Her only shot at keeping a roof over her head and clearing her name is to beg for help from a police detective who's as sexy as he is stern....

After a high-profile case goes wrong, Luke Hanover returns to his hometown for some peace and quiet. Instead he finds a bombshell brunette in a heap of trouble. As he helps Ali put her world back together, the pieces of Luke's own life finally seem to fall into place. Is this the start of a sizzling fling? Or are Luke and Ali on the brink of something big in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

Synopsis from Goodreads.
Click here for Nook
Click here for Amazon

So two pretty sweet deals for romance lovers out there by two of my favorite romance authors.

Happy Reading everyone!

Quote of the Day

2013-03-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to pick just one, so here are two quotes from the Outlander series on this dreary Monday:

He took both my hands in his, then, and kissed them---the left, which still bore the gold ring of my marriage to Frank, and then the right, with his own silver ring.
"Da mi basia mille," he whispered, smiling. Give me a thousand kisses. It was the inscription inside my ring, a brief quotation from a love song by Catullus. I bent and gave him one back. "Dien mille altera," I said. Then a thousand more.

Drums of Autumn,Chapter 9: Two Thirds of a Ghost

"I love you, a nighean donn. I have loved ye from the moment I saw ye, I will love ye 'til time itself is done, and so long as you are by my side, I am well pleased wi' the world."
The Fiery Cross Chapter 99: Brother

Giveaway- An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

2013-03-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

I'm back!

2013-03-17T11:50:00.003-07:00

I can't believe it has been so long since I've been on here. This past month has been crazy, a lot of family stuff going on and I went back to work. I've been extremely busy. Shout out to all those working full-time and still updating your blogs frequently!

I've barely been plugged into my laptop in the past month. I'm so behind on my books news and writing but I'm back and will be updating more in the next week.

It's good to be home again!

Outlander Challenge - March Link-up

2013-03-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Outlander Fans!

Here is the March Link-up for the 2013 Outlander Challenge.
I'll post a link to this post on the Outlander Challenge page.

Thanks everyone and happy reading!

Love Quotes for V Day

2013-02-14T04:50:00.002-08:00

A little snippet of love quotes for Valentine's Day:

“Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.”
― William Goldman, The Princess Bride

“Your face is my heart Sassenach, and the love of you is my soul”
― Diana Gabaldon, Drums of Autumn

“Come grow old with me. The best is yet to be.”
― Robert Browning

“I love you. I am who I am because of you. You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, everyday we are together is the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours. ”
― Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever.”
~Alfred Lord Tennyson

“You were made perfectly to be loved and surely I have loved you in the idea of you my whole life long. ”
― Elizabeth Barrett Browning

“Then let amourous kisses dwell
On our lips, begin and tell
A Thousand and a Hundred score
A Hundred and a Thousand more”
― Diana Gabaldon, Dragonfly in Amber

“You have been the last dream of my soul.”
― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

“If there is love, smallpox scars are as pretty as dimples. I'll love your face no matter what is looks like. Because it's yours”
― Stephen King, 11/22/63

“It’s dark now and I am very tired. I love you, always. Time is nothing.”
― Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife

“If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.”
― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

“When the day shall come that we do part," he said softly, and turned to look at me, "if my last words are not 'I love you'-ye'll ken it was because I didna have time.”
― Diana Gabaldon, The Fiery Cross

If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.
- Anonymous

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you. ~ A. A. Milne

“You are my courage, as I am your conscience," he whispered. "You are my heart---and I your compassion. We are neither of us whole, alone. Do ye not know that, Sassenach?”
― Diana Gabaldon, Drums of Autumn

The Painted Girls

2013-02-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

Paris. 1878. Following their father’s sudden death, the van Goethem sisters find their lives upended. Without his wages, and with the small amount their laundress mother earns disappearing into the absinthe bottle, eviction from their lodgings seems imminent. With few options for work, Marie is dispatched to the Paris Opéra, where for a scant seventy francs a month, she will be trained to enter the famous ballet. Her older sister, Antoinette, finds work—and the love of a dangerous
young man—as an extra in a stage adaptation of Émile Zola’s naturalist masterpiece L’Assommoir.

Marie throws herself into dance and is soon modelling in the studio of Edgar Degas, where her
image will forever be immortalized as Little Dancer
Aged Fourteen. Antoinette, meanwhile, descends
lower and lower in society, and must make the choice between a life of honest labor and the more profitable avenues open to a young woman of the Parisian demimonde—that is, unless her love affair derails her completely.

Set at a moment of profound artistic, cultural,
and societal change, The Painted Girls is a tale of two remarkable sisters rendered uniquely vulnerable to the darker impulses of “civilized society.”

Loved, loved, loved this book! I have a feeling The Painted Girls is going to make my list of favorite reads in 2013. Blending history and fiction together, Ms. Buchanan has brought the van Goethem girls to life and they leap of the pages of her latest historical fiction.

I read The Day the Falls Stood Still when it came out a few years ago and really enjoyed it, so when I saw Buchanan had a new novel and it was getting really good reviews, I snatched it right up. There are times when a novel seems to just fall in your lap and beg to be read and there is a feeling of giddy anticipation, knowing this book is going to live up to the hype. The Painted Girls did just that.

The Painted Girls is a fictionalized account of Degas’ real life model for his Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. Intertwined into the lives of the van Goethem girls, Buchanan also blends the fictionalized account of a murder trial that occurred in the same time period.

Aside from the interesting historical aspect, The Painted Girls tackles issues such as destiny, family and love and asks the question is it possible to become something more than what you were born to or will poor always be poor and rich always rich.

The plot unfolds in the shifting perspectives of Marie and Antoinette. I really liked Marie in the beginning but Antoinette was hard for me to like at first. Somewhere along the way, I found my sympathies switching to Antoinette and disapproving of Marie. Questions were raised along with way that changed my view, what lengths do you go for love or family, security and success.

The historical aspects were just as engaging. The seedy streets of Paris circa 1873 come alive and as you read, are walking the same streets as Marie and Antoinette. It was really intriguing to read about a murder trial that took place over a century ago and to glimpse the inside of the Paris Opera.

Overall, I think this was a fantastic read and one I would recommend to anyone looking for the next great read. It would make a really interesting book club discussion as well.

Quote of the Day

2013-02-13T07:36:00.001-08:00

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quote of the Day

2013-02-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

I've posted this in the past but I'm feeling nostalgic today:

“If there is love, smallpox scars are as pretty as dimples. I'll love your face no matter what is looks like. Because it's yours”
― Stephen King, 11/22/63

To re-read or not...

2013-02-06T09:27:00.001-08:00

So I finished The Painted Girls last week and I absolutely loved it. Since then I've been staring at my bookshelves waiting for my next suck me in, can't eat, can't sleep because all I think about is you book and I'm coming up blank so I've resorted to the old stand by of reading romance novels. They've been good, but it's not what I'm looking for. Now I'm debating re-reading and re-capturing that feeling with an old favorite.

I'm planning a trip to the bookstore at some point to pick up the new Lisa Kleypas, Crystal Cove and I've been eyeing up a debut, Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell which sounds really interesting especially since I have been on a historical kick for awhile (when I wasn't reading romance) but neither are calling to me right now.

The re-reads I'm eyeing are: 11/22/63, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn or the Fever series. I could always read an Outlander book but I'm trying to build the anticipation for another month or two to get me by until book eight is released later this year.

So does anyone have that suck me in, change your life book or should I just go with a re-read?

What are your favorite re-reads?

Outlander Challenge - February Link-up

2013-02-05T07:10:00.002-08:00

Hi Outlander Fans!

Here is the February Link-up for the 2013 Outlander Challenge.
I'll post a link to this post on the Outlander Challenge page.

Thanks everyone and happy reading!

New fan of Downton Abbey

2013-02-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was recovering from a fantastic bachelorette party with my favorite girls in the world and I decided to check out Downton Abbey. I've been seeing it on Facebook all the time and it now pops up on demand as it's own tab, so I decided to give it a try. Loving it! I still have two more episodes in the first season to watch, not to mention getting to the second season, but I'm hooked. I can't wait until tonight to watch more!

Any other Downton Abbey fans out there? (No spoilers please :)

In other news, what's everyone reading lately? I finished The Painted Girls, last week and it was excellent! I'm slacking on reviews so far this month but I should have some up this week. I'll also be posting about new releases I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

Too Good to be True

2013-01-24T07:17:00.000-08:00

Last January I happily discovered Karen Marie Moning and her fabulous Highlander series and although I didn’t discover the Fever series until much later in the year, KMM was one of my best discoveries of 2012. It seems I’m keeping with this tradition again this year, I’ve just finished my first Kristan Higgans book and I think I’m in love.

Too Good to be True is the story of Grace Emerson. Grace lives in a small town in Connecticut. Recently dumped by her ex-fiancé, who’s now dating her sister, the history teacher and Civil war fanatic has had it with her family looking at her like a wounded puppy so she does what she thinks is the best solution- she invents a fake boyfriend.

When Callahan O’Shea moves in next door, they get off on the wrong foot and things don’t go so smoothly from there. Grace wants to know all about Cal’s illustrious past and while she is secretly fantasizing about him, she knows he’s not the right guy for her.

The characters of Grace and Cal are really good, they have a lot of chemistry but there is also a lot of laugh out loud moments from the moment they meet throughout the rest of the book. Higgins fills the book with great one liners and truly funny moments.

While this is a romance novel, there is a lot more going on in the story than Grace falling in love; she’s also trying to find herself again after being dumped by her fiancé and learning to stand up for herself. Her family plays a pivotal role in her story, not just her role in the family, but their love lives as well.

Higgins surprised me a few times and the story took a few turns I wasn’t expecting, which I really enjoyed. Although I knew Grace and Callahan would get a HEA it’s nice to break out of that romance mold once in a while and be taken by surprise.

One thing that surprised me but by no means disappointed me was the lack of hmmpm in the book. While it was implied, Higgins never went into descriptive detail. I actually found it refreshing and felt the book had a lot more to offer that it was able to stand on its own without the hmmpm.

What did annoy me in the book was Grace’s sister Natalie. She needed a good slap. She’s spoiled, sheltered and has never had anything bad happen to her. She is dating her sister’s ex-fiancé for crying out loud and she doesn’t see anything wrong with that and Grace just stands by and accepts it?

This was the first Kristan Higgins book I read and it was not the last, she snagged me with Too Good to be True. I really loved this book and this led me to discover other books by Kristan Higgins. I’m looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

The Lost Wife

2013-01-18T09:48:00.000-08:00

In pre-war Prague, Lenka and Josef are young students and blissfully in love. When war looms, they are separated, but decades later in New York chance upon each other again.

I liked the premise of The Lost Wife and I knew it was going to be a tragic story going in, any book that focuses on WWII and the Holocaust are bound to be tear jerkers. There were definite bring out the tissue moments but overall I wasn’t impressed with this one.

The novel starts at the end in New York and through Lenka and Josef’s perspectives, shifts back in time to tell their story from the beginning until they meet again in New York.

I couldn’t connect with Josef through most of the story and although I can’t imagine the horrific and tragic circumstances that family and lovers were forced to face, I still found myself judging him for leaving Lenka behind in Prague.

At times the same memory is told from both Lenka and Josef’s perspectives and I thought it was redundant and should have focused on the most important voice.

Lenka’s voice was more powerful and her story is the heart and soul of this novel. She was an incredible woman and I was happy that after the war, she was able to build a life and seemed to be more than content.

I did enjoy some of the questions the book raised, would you be able to flee to safety and leave your family behind, not knowing what horrors they would face but knowing things were going to be bad. How do you choose between your husband/wife and your parents.

The ending was the final straw for me; I wanted to throw the book by that point. I felt like it was a real letdown. The whole novel is building to Lenka and Josef’s reunion and I wanted a whole lot more than the author gave us. I wanted to at least be given Lenka’s perspective on seeing Josef again.

Overall, this was not a great read for me. I loved the premise and I think it had a lot of potential but it just didn’t grab me the way I was hoping it would.

Quote of the Day

2013-01-17T08:41:00.001-08:00

“It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.”
― Oscar Wilde

Free Book!

2013-01-11T10:25:00.003-08:00

It seems I’m keeping with this tradition again this year, I’ve just finished my first Kristan Higgans book and I think I’m in love. I've already picked up a few more of her books and I'm flying through them.

Today on Barnes and Noble, Nook users can get a free copy of Kristan' s book Just one of the Guys. For Kindle readers, I believe there is a way for you to download the Nook app and get the free book that way, or read on your computer.

Here's the link - enjoy!

Just one of the Guys by Kristan Higgins

Being one of the guys isn't all it's cracked up to beSo when journalist Chastity O'Neill returns to her hometown, she decides it's time to start working on some of those feminine wiles. Two tiny problems: #1—she's five feet eleven inches of rock-solid girl power, and #2—she's cursed with four alpha-male older brothers.

While doing a story on local heroes, she meets a hunky doctor and things start to look up. Now there's only one problem: Trevor Meade, her first love and the one man she's never quite gotten over—although he seems to have gotten over her just fine.

Yet the more time she spends with Dr. Perfect, the better Trevor looks. But even with the in-your-face competition, the irresistible Trevor just can't seem to see Chastity as anything more than just one of the guys
Synopsis from Goodreads.

A little something to get through the day...

2013-01-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

Quote of the Day

2013-01-10T07:53:00.003-08:00

"I love you, a nighean donn. I have loved ye from the moment I saw ye, I will love ye 'til time itself is done, and so long as you are by my side, I am well pleased wi' the world."

- Diana Gabaldon, The Fiery Cross Chapter 99: Brother

Iced

2013-01-09T07:22:00.001-08:00

The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be.

Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.

Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux.

When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.

Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced.

Synopsis from Goodreads.

It took me a little while to get into Dani’s POV as opposed to Mac’s in the Fever series. They are completely different voices, not to mention all of the feck’s. But I did get used to it and was soon engrossed in the fever world. I did find myself missing Mac and Barrons though.

I loved seeing more of Ryodan in Iced and it looks like he is going to be a main character in the rest of the Dani O’Malley series. On the flip side, at first I felt the same way about Christian. I loved him in the Fever books but his character does a complete 180 in Iced. He just comes across as really creepy and I don’t think all of it has to do with him becoming an Unseelie prince. I hope in future books he tones it down. I loved Dancer as well but there is definitely more to him than he’s letting on. I’m looking forward to finding out his deep, dark past.

I would like to see Dani age a bit more in the next two books. Partly because I would like to see her character’s transformation with a little emotional maturity but mainly because there is some major sexual tension going on and it’s built to the point where Ryodan, Christian and Dancer all are going to be vying for her affections and I want to see who she will choose. Right now I’m sticking with Ryodan because the feeling I got in Iced was he was the one.

The mystery itself was decent and kept me guessing but for me it’s really hard to be in Fever Dublin without Mac and Barrons fighting the good fight and I kept wondering what they were up to that kept them away from the mystery.

I will definitely continue reading this series. Not only does it keep me in touch with the Fever world until the next Mac and Barrons book (which won’t be for a few years) but KMM has snagged my interest in Dani and I want to see how she grows up. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for the next installment. Until then we can always re-read Fever.

Quote of the Day

2013-01-08T05:46:00.000-08:00

I have come to believe that love is not a noun but a verb. An action. Like water, it flows to its own current. If you were to corner it in a dam, true love is so bountiful it would flow over. Even in seperation, even in death, it moves and changes. It lives within memory.
- Alyson Richman, The Lost Wife