Midnight Book Girl

The Chaperone Giveaway!

2012-05-27T12:16:00.000-04:00

Okay, Midnighters, I'm happy to announce a giveaway for a signed, personalized copy of The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty!!!

From Goodreads:

A captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922, and the summer that would change them both. Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and an icon for her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita to make it big in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle is a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip. She has no idea what she's in for: Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous blunt bangs and black bob, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will change their lives forever. For Cora, New York holds the promise of discovery that might prove an answer to the question at the center of her being, and even as she does her best to watch over Louise in a strange and bustling city, she embarks on her own mission. And while what she finds isn't what she anticipated, it liberates her in a way she could not have imagined. Over the course of the summer, Cora's eyes are opened to the promise of the twentieth century and a new understanding of the possibilities for being fully alive.

Here's what I thought about The Chaperone. It was a full on Midnight Read for me. Which is saying something for a book that contains no serial killers, no zombies and no revenge driven ghosts. The Chaperone is just a great book, I can't wait to discuss it with other bloggers who've read it- it's make a fantastic book club read!

Here's what a lot of smart people thought about The Chaperone:

"It's impossible not to be completely drawn in by The Chaperone. Laura Moriarty has delivered the richest and realest possible heroine in Cora Carlisle, a Wichita housewife who has her mind and heart blown wide open, and steps--with uncommon courage--into the fullness of her life. What a beautiful book. I loved every page."--Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife
"What a charming, mesmerizing, transporting novel! The characters are so fully realized that I felt I was right there alongside them. A beautiful clarity marks both the style and structure of The Chaperone."--Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab's Wife and Adam & Eve
“The Chaperone is the best kind of historical fiction, transporting you to another time and place, but even more importantly delivering a poignant story about people so real, you'll miss and remember them long after you close the book."--Jenna Blum, author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers
“THE CHAPERONE is the enthralling story of two women... In this layered and inventive story, Moriarty raises profound questions about family, sexuality, history, and whether it is luck or will - or a combination of the two - that makes for a wonderful life." -O, the Oprah Magazine
“A fun romp” –Good Housekeeping

What You've Got To Do To Win:

Entering is insanely easy, just comment below with your email address and what you'd like the author to address you as when she signs it. You don't have to be a follower (although it'd be nice!) . Winner will be picked on May 31st, so don't wait to get your entry in!

Please take the time to give Laura a Like on her Facebook page!

<--- This is the nice author who will be signing your book whilst she's in New York for BEA- so even if you can't attend you can have a little piece of BEA for yourself!

Sundays In Bed With... #11

2012-05-27T09:46:00.000-04:00

Good morning, readers! It's time for my Sundays In Bed With... Meme!

Is Blogger being temperamental for you too this morning? I hate when Blogger is moody. Thankfully I'm spending this morning in bed with some good books. Okay, I actually really slept in this morning and haven't read much other than some posts on Twitter, BUT here's what I wish I were spending the day in bed reading:

I may have said this a million times, but BEA is now just a week away!!! Well, my leaving for BEA is just a week away. And so the urgent bout of reading is pretty much done with. I would like to get to Why We Broke Up, which was a birthday gift from Kim, and Boy's Life, which Midnyte Reader was so awesome to get signed for me. On the way up I'll be finishing up A Storm of Swords and hopefully I'll get to The Scorpio Races, which Steph got me on my Kindle for my birthday. I'm only taking my Kindle and my Nook Color to New York, all books are staying at home! Which is a bit weird because even with ereaders I usually still bring a few paperbacks while on vacation. Hopefully BEA will send me home with lots of awesome reads! So what book or books are you curled up in bed reading this morning? And if you can't be in bed with a book, just let me know which book it would be if you had the time! Even better, take a picture and upload it to your blog. Answer below, or link to this post. Can't wait to see what you're reading!

Nook Color Test Drive

2012-05-26T09:20:00.000-04:00

I am trying to see if taking my Nook Color to BEA would give me enough internet access since I'm not bringing my laptop. I will schedule some blog posts during my time in NYC, but I want the option to write a post if there's something I just can't wait to share. Spell check does not seem to work though, so have patience and put those red pens away!

Laughing Out Loud!

2012-05-25T16:13:00.001-04:00

Page Babies

2012-05-24T08:20:00.000-04:00

Obviously some of you are moms and dads of children, and some of you are moms and dads of fur babies (also known as dogs and cats), but there's the kind of mom and dad we all are.

We are parents of Page Babies.

I believe I have just made this term up (on Facebook today) but maybe not. If I did then I'm a genius, and if not then at least I'm smart enough to think like a real genius. (Although according to spell check I have some trouble spelling genius... whatever).

Not all books qualify as Page Babies.

Page Babies are our favorite books. The ones we worry about if we lend them out to others to read.

I started thinking about this when Epic Reads asked if we had rules for lending books out.

And I answered that I usually just chose to loan to people I already trust, but that there are some books I'm less willing to lend.

Thus Page Babies were born.

My friend Katherine wants to borrow my copy of The Night Circus. This should not be a problem. I like and trust Katherine, I want everyone in the world to read The Night Circus. But recently I have come to realize that I'm kind of in love with this book. And I've honestly considered just buying a second copy to lend to Katherine... that's how attached I am to my Page Baby.

Or like my copy of The Fault in Our Stars. It's a signed copy. Granted, it's not a personalized copy, it's just got John Green's signature in it. But it would be very hard for me to lend that out. Maybe you could just come over and read it. ;)

There are some Page Babies that I love to buy and give to friends. Because I want them to have their permanent, forever homes. My favorite Page Babies to hand out like Cabbage Patch Kids? Odd Thomas, Eyes of the Dragon and The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club.

So am I alone in this? Do you have Page Babies? Are there books you are less willing to hand over to a friend then you would your son or daughter? Let me know I'm not crazy (at least for this particular hangup).

Divergent, Insurgent, Somethingrgent.

2012-05-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Divergent
by Veronica Roth
From Goodreads:

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

My Thoughts:

As the last blogger in the known universe to read Divergent I shall dispense with a full review.

Here's what you all knew but I now know.

That I was wrong not to have sold the promise of my first born child's soul in order to get a copy of Divergent sooner.

That Four is truly swoon worthy.

And that Veronica Roth is amazing.

That by not reading this book you aren't being anti-bandwagoney, you're just missing out on the awesomeness of Four. And that makes this bookworm sad. :( Don't make me a sad bookworm. Read Divergent!

That the name Tobias... is not that sexy. Sorry, but it's not. Toby as a nickname is kind of cute, for those under the age of seven or so.

Did I just lose all my followers named Tobias?

Plus, my friend Kim is amazing for lending me Divergent (which she handed over LIKE she was handing me the promise of her first born child's soul). Thanks, Kim!

And thanks to our friend, Andrea, for getting the song Like A Virgin, only with Divergent in it's place, looping endlessly in my already overcrowded and weird brain. It is firmly stuck, and I'm currently drafting a letter to Madonna to just go ahead and change the lyrics already!

Divergent gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Book Cover Rating of:

It's okay, but it didn't make me swoon. I like it better in context with the cover of the second book though.

And now from the same blogger who brought you that wonderfully insightful review of Divergent that you just read above, comes her equally insightful and quote worthy review of Insurgent! That's right folks, no wait, instant book reviewing gratification coming your way!

Insurgent
by Veronica Roth
From Goodreads:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

My Thoughts:

Four is even hotter, if possible.

The name Tobias has NOT gotten any hotter. Although I am sure the name is rising in popularity amongst new born babies. Because it's still the name of an awesome character.

Peter is kind of growing on me. Like a fungus that isn't helpful for penicillin or anything, but isn't completely toxic either.

Wait, did I just loose a few more followers?

Seriously, I know, he's awful. But he's kind of like Loki in Avengers. He shows up and causes a lot of death and destruction... actually, you know, I don't have a good argument here. I just sort of like Peter now. Go ahead and judge me. I can deal with your Candor. (haha)

The only downside to Insurgent is that I was reading a lot of other books at the same time and there's all these characters to keep straight in my head, but I finally managed to pull it together towards the end and it didn't take away at all from the story.

Tris took me on a roller coaster ride in Insurgent. One minute I wanted to slap her, and the next I wanted to be her (especially when it came to her time with Four). But I like that she's not perfect, and I even like that there's parts of her I don't like. She's no Mary Sue.

Which is a literary term for a perfect character, just so you real life Mary Sues don't stop following me. Like how Edward Cullen is a Gary Stu, because even his "faults" are kind of a turn on- wait, you only killed really awful humans and drank their blood before becoming a "vegetarian" vampire? How sexy vigilante of you, Ed! That said, I don't care that Edward Cullen is a Gary Stu, I still think he's hot.

But back to Insurgent:

I like how Tris really struggled with the fall out from her actions in Divergent. It's nice to see that no matter how strong you are, no matter how right you are to take action to defend yourself, you're still going to have nightmares and guilt over it. I'd be more concerned if Tris didn't feel horrible.

Tris and Four totally need to STOP NOT TELLING EACH OTHER THEIR SECRET SHIZ. Seriously, confide, people! Stop being dark balls of dark secrety thingys.

Did I mention that Four was even hotter in this book? Because he was. I'm pretty sure the third book is going to burst into flames once I open it.

By the way, any guesses on the name of the next book? I'm going with Convergent.

Now my main goal of BEA is to convince Veronica Roth to be my new bff and to send me an ARC of the next book so that for once I won't be behind in the series. Obviously, I won't mention my dislike of the name Tobias to her. It'll be our little secret, okay?

Insurgent gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Book Cover Rating of:

Now that it's kind of a theme, I'm liking the covers of this series. I especially dig the green.

Happy Birthday

2012-05-22T07:24:00.000-04:00

That's right, it's this Midnight Book Girl's birthday, and even Google remembered! The above cake, as I'm sure many of my friends and loved ones would agree, would be a perfect fit for me turning another year older.

I don't have any birthday plans for today, I'm actually working. The Hubs and I will probably doing a birthday dinner on Friday.

And even though I'm a little blah about this birthday (I don't like birthdays where my age ends in a 5 or a 0), bring on the bookish gifts!

Bout of Books Readathon

2012-05-21T08:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have signed up for another week long Readathon! Mostly because there's several books I want to read prior to BEA. This will be both my starting post and my update page, and once the readathon starts, I'll make this a sticky post. Please join me, just click on the picture above or right here. I've never done a Bout of Books Readathon before, so I'm excited to meet some new bloggers!

My Goals

Read some TBR books that I really need to get to!
Catch up on a fraction of reviews that I need to write.
Schedule posts for when I'm in New York.

Books To Read

The Chaperone (for review)

~~Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter~~ (for book club on the 19th)
Insurgent (finish)

Matched
~~The Fault in Our Stars~~
~~Deadly Cool~~
~~Finish Envy (Empty Coffins #1)~~ since it got pushed aside for the Veronica Roth series
Finish A Storm of Swords *at least get to 60% on my Kindle!
Listen to the audio of I Hunt Killers

Challenges

5.14.12 Bookish Questions from Sarah Says Read
“What do you like best about readathons? Do you have any readathon traditions or rituals? If this is your first readathon, what do you like so far? Discuss away!”

5.16.12 Re-Title It Challenge from Books Devoured.

Old Title: Dirty Little Secrets

New Title: Window Peeper

Okay, what I like most about participating in Readathons is the sense of community. Reading is normally such a solitary hobby, but during Readathons I end up connecting with other readers through blogs or Twitter and I love that. I don't know that I have any rituals per se, other than for Dewey's Readathon where I spend a long time finding the perfect books for my reading stack. But that's mostly because Dewey's is a 24 hour Readathon, so I need books that can keep me awake and reading. Week long Readathons are a bit more relaxed, so I can read books I need to get to or want to get to for a specific goal- in this case a review book, a book club book and some books I want to read for BEA. This is my first Bout of Books Readathon, but I assure you it won't be my last! I love that Readathons really push me to use my spare time reading, instead of vegging out in front of the tv or playing on the computer. I even have plans to possibly host my own Readathon this summer... we'll see!

5/18/2012
Today's challenge is hosted by The Reading Housewives of Indiana!
The challenge today was to pick out some shoes that either match a book cover, or that a character from the book would wear. I chose 2 books:

I've had Night Circus on the brain lately. Partly because it's been a long time since I've loved a book the way I love The Night Circus and a recent re-read only strengthened my love for it. Honestly, my plan to not look like a tourist in New York when I go to BEA is to dress up like I'm going to the Night Circus.

So for Celia:

And then I wanted to do something kind of Steampunkish, but I don't read that much Steampunk. But then I remembered Soulless- which I love a million red m&m's, and found the perfect boots for the well dressed, and flamboyant vampire, Lord Akeldama:

Updates

5/14
Number of books I’ve read today: Almost finished The Chaperone and listened to a little over an hour of I Hunt Killers audio.
Total number of books I’ve read: 0
Books: The Chaperone and I Hunt Killers
Pages: 259 pages of the Chaperone, 1hr 10 mins of I Hunt Killers.

5/15
Number of books I’ve read today: 2 and started Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Total number of books I’ve read: 2
Books: Finished The Chaperone, read all of Deadly Cool, started Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Pages: 59 pages of The Chaperone, 303 pages of Deadly Cool, 15 pages of Abraham Lincoln, and 1 hour of I Hunt Killers.

5/16
Number of books I’ve read today:4
Total number of books I’ve read: Finished 2, read 1 in full.
Books: Finished Envy, listened to more of I Hunt Killers, and continued reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter... and Fifty Shades Freed (hey, no judging!)

Pages: 118 if Envy, 87 pages of Abraham Lincoln, an hour of I Hunt Killers and about 14% of Fifty Shades Freed (seriously, stop judging! The books were a gift from the Hubs, it would be rude not to read them!)

5/17
Number of books I’ve read today: Read from 2, none finished.
Total number of books I’ve read: Finished 2, read 1 in full.
Books: Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter and I Hunt Killers.
Pages: 223 pages in Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter, an hour of I Hunt Killers on audio.

5/18
Number of books I’ve read today: Read from 3, Finished 1.
Total number of books I’ve read: Finished 2, read 2 in full
Books: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Insurgent and I Hunt Killers on audio.

5/19
Number of books I’ve read today:
Total number of books I’ve read:
Books:

5/20
Number of books I've read today:
Total number of books I've read:
Books:

Sundays In Bed With... #10

2012-05-20T11:05:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday again! I know this is a little late so it's not quite morning anymore, but if you had the chance to spend Sunday morning in bed with a book, what book would it be? If you want to participate, just add your link below, or let me know what book you are spending the morning with, or wish you were!

Today's the last day of the Bout of Books Readathon and these are books that I'm hoping to get to today:

I need to finish Insurgent, and hopefully I'll get to read The Fault in Our Stars and at least start Matched!

So join in and let me know what you're reading this morning, and feel free to link up!

The Chaperone Review and Book Tour

2012-05-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

The Chaperone
by Laura Moriarty
Expected Publication: 06.05.2012
From Goodreads:

A captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922, and the summer that would change them both. Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and an icon for her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita to make it big in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle is a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip. She has no idea what she's in for: Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous blunt bangs and black bob, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will change their lives forever. For Cora, New York holds the promise of discovery that might prove an answer to the question at the center of her being, and even as she does her best to watch over Louise in a strange and bustling city, she embarks on her own mission. And while what she finds isn't what she anticipated, it liberates her in a way she could not have imagined. Over the course of the summer, Cora's eyes are opened to the promise of the twentieth century and a new understanding of the possibilities for being fully alive.

My Thoughts: When I got the email inviting me to be on the blog tour for The Chaperone and an invite to meet the author at a cocktail party in New York, I immediately was excited.

Like many of you, I get a lot requests to review books, although most of mine seem to indicate that the person requesting my review hasn't bothered to even look at my blog. So even though I was super excited, I was also worried that it wouldn't be a book I'd like. I read the summary, was sold on the idea of Louise Brooks since I love old movies and yes, I subscribe to the Turner Classic Movie Guide.

I admit to feeling a bit daunted by the size of the book when it showed up. If it turned out to be a slow or boring read, then I'd be in a bind.

Thankfully, The Chaperone is easily one of my favorite reads this year.

I loved Cora! I especially loved the flashbacks to her time in the orphanage and growing up with the Kaufmans. When we first meet Cora she seems to have the perfect life, and the perfect marriage. As her past unfolds, all the things that lead to later choices by her character are easier to understand. The courtship between Cora and Alan was at first something out of a fairy tale. But when Cora learns just why Alan wed her, a reason I suspected, I was still amazed by how she handled it. I kind of wanted her to throw that in Louise's face to show the modern young lady how worldly Cora really was, but of course, ever the lady, Cora refrains.

Two scenes that had me in tears: Cora discovering the truth behind her marriage and when she reads the letter to the orphanage sent from her adoptive mother. There is so much love and simple strength in that wonderful woman's words, and you could feel what a labor of love it was from the hands of a farmer's hardworking wife. Tears, people, tears. I don't really mind crying though, because it makes my normally hazel eye's look super green.

I wanted to smack Louise Brooks. Seriously, smack her superior attitude right off her face. I also wanted to smack her parents. Basically, early on in the book I was calling for an out and out smackdown on the Brooks family (even though the kids seemed to be taking care of business themselves). As I read on, Louise kind of grew on me... but like some kind of mold that you really don't want to like but can't help but be fascinated by it. Even though I'm a movie fan, I really didn't know that much about Louise Brooks (and I'm going to be honest and admit I had her confused with other bright and beautiful leading ladies who died at a tragically young age). Unable to wait to find out her background, I immediately ran off to Wikipedia, because I'm impatient and hate to wait for information. Plus I kind of wanted to see how closely Moriarty followed her life in a fictional account. And after reading about her life, it was hard not to feel sorry for her. Both in reality and in The Chaperone it's clear that unconditional love is not something Louise Brooks grew up with.

And I learned that Louise Brook's mother's maiden name was Rude, which says a lot. Like Cora, I was horrified at some of the things Mama Brooks chose to allow and ignore when it came to her beautiful, head strong daughter. If her mother was alive today I have no doubt she'd be a pageant mom on Toddlers and Tiaras.

The Chaperone, and Cora, continued to surprise me. Louise didn't end up surprising me (mostly because I cheated and wikied her), but instead made me sad with her choices. While Louise seemed to impact Cora during their time together, she seemed to take Cora and the lessons she had to offer for granted. It's not until later that she seems to finally understand Cora even a little bit. But as much as this book is touched by Louise Brooks, the story belongs to Cora.

Seeing New York through Cora and Louise's eyes was wonderful. The trips to the theater, including the eye-opening experience that forces Cora to ponder racial segregation, left me longing for the days when theater was popular everywhere. Even the little soda shop Cora and Louise go to frequently left me envious. This June will be my first real New York trip, and as excited as I am to see it, I'm a bit disappointed that it won't be the same New York City Cora walked through.

Hopefully NYC 2012 will smell a bit better though.

As much as I loved the time Cora spends in New York, and her flashbacks to the orphan train, it's the ending of the book where Cora really comes into her own. The mind blowing, life changing, decision she makes in New York (which I totally saw ending horrible, possibly because I watch entirely too much Criminal Minds and the ID channel), kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last.

The Chaperone is just an amazing read, a book I'd really love to discuss at book club. Hopefully I've done an adequate job of explaining how good it is, although I fear I've fallen short. To sum up: read The Chaperone. Then come and find me so we can discuss!

The Chaperone gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Book Cover Rating of:

I love the 1920's, and this cover captures the era perfectly. You know exactly what era you're about to be transported to! The only thing that would have made it perfection would be to have both Cora and Louise (and her trademark bangs!) on the cover.

Author Laura Moriarty

Doesn't she seem like someone you'd want to have cocktails in New York with?

Find her on Facebook or at her website.

***Disclaimer: I received a copy of The Chaperone in exchange for my honest opinion. I did RSVP to the cocktail party for Laura Moriarty, but only after reading the book. I didn't want to say yes if I ended up disliking the book. No, this isn't your average disclaimer. That is all.***

Spring Blog Carnival Fun House

2012-05-14T10:56:00.000-04:00

Lori of Pure Imagination is hosting this awesome event, so be sure to check out her Kissing Booth and all the other wonder filled tents!

Welcome to the Fun House!

When was the last time you read a book that made you laugh out loud while reading a book? Maybe it's been awhile, or maybe you just love to laugh, but either way, it's time to enter the Fun House tent for a your chance to win one of the books listed below. You win, you choose, and you laugh!

So what do you have to do to win?

BOOK SENTENCE CHALLENGE!

Take a look at the books you have, stack them up to make a sentence out of them, take a picture and post it as your challenge. Leave the link in the comments below. You can post the picture to your blog, Twitter or Goodreads account.

You may only use book titles, they must be real, physical books (which is why I require the picture).

Be creative, have fun!

You don't have to be a follower, but if your email address or twitter name isn't on your blog, then please leave me some way of notifying you if you win.

This contest is open until May 13th.

Open to everyone that the Book Depository ships to.

Must be 13 or older to enter.

*If by chance the winner has read all these books, then he/she will be able to pick another humorous novel.

Need book sentence examples?

The Good Fairies of New Your Loop Garden Spells Into the Dark.

When She Was Bad, Scarlett Burned Whitethorn Woods.

Now it's your turn!

Something Strange and Deadly Review

2012-05-14T08:42:00.000-04:00

Something Strange and Deadly
by Susan Dennard
Expected Publication: 07.24.12
From Goodreads:

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—
The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

My Thoughts: This book was unexpected. It didn't even feel like a YA book, despite the age of the characters, but that's not to say that it's not YA appropriate. I think it's the period of the story, because a young woman was usually much more mature than the average teen now.

Eleanor, or Miss Fitt (yes, it did take me until she figured it out that her name was misfit), is a great YA heroine. She's brave, taking care of her delusional mother and searching for her lost brother. Trying to keep her and her mother afloat financially would be hard enough, but then her brother is kidnapped by a zombie raiser and suddenly she's going all Buffy at with the help of the Spirit-Hunters.

There's a little romance in the form of two men in her life. First is her friend's rich, ambitious brother. Clarence is a jerk, but he genuinely seems shocked by Eleanor and her attitude. He's got secrets, and Eleanor is not the type of girl to just let things go. Plus her mother is fairly determined that Eleanor should marry Clarence to save the family.

Daniel is one of the Spirit-Hunters, and not even the leader. He's got his secrets too, but sparks fly between him and Eleanor in a very Hans Solo-Princess Leia way. Only because the setting is in the 1800's don't expect too much, this is a time period where just a man and woman touching in the most innocent way was considered steamy. There's a scene between Eleanor and Daniel that reminded me of the Pride and Prejudice (Kiera Knightley and Matther Macfadyen version) movie where Darcy helps Elizabeth into the carriage and their bare hands touch and it shakes both of them up. And I love that! I love that a simple touch can mean so much more in a time when unmarried people just didn't touch. In someways its a lot sexier than any actual sexual act could have achieved in the book.

The two other Spirit-Hunters, Joseph and Jie, are equally awesome. Joseph is all Creole and tragic hero, and Jie is just kick ass. She lives as a Chinese boy in a time period where it's very hard to be Chinese in America, but even worse for Chinese American women. Or just women in general, because Eleanor is under a lot of pressure from society to fit into their rigid views of how women of a certain background should act. Joseph, Jie, and Daniel make a great team, and Eleanor worms her way in, and it's a perfect fit despite her friction with Daniel.

I've seen this book categorized as Steampunk, and while it does kind of have that feel when it comes to the Spirit-Hunters, I don't know that it really fits that genre. Something Strange and Deadly just isn't like a lot of other books. I really felt Susan Dennard captured the time period quite well, which I'll admit I wasn't really expecting in a YA book. I will definitely read the next book in the series, because the ending left so many loose strings, not unanswered questions necessarily- I don't want you to think the author cheats the ending, but there is definitely enough hanging in the air that you want to know what will happen to our Miss Fit and the Spirit-Hunters.

Something Strange and Deadly gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Cover Rating of:

It's pretty and eye-catching. It definitely made me want to read the book, but it doesn't really fit the book all that well. While Eleanor is pretty, she's not some 17-inch waisted Scarlett O'Hara as she's pictured on the cover. Still, it's a cool cover.

**Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sundays In Bed With... #9

2012-05-13T09:49:00.001-04:00

It's Sunday again! Happy Mother's Day to all! A lot of you probably have plans for today, but if you had the chance to spend Sunday morning in bed with a book, what book would it be? If you want to participate, just add your link below, or let me know what book you are spending the morning with, or wish you were!

This morning I wish I was spending Sundays In Bed With...

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

Lucky Fools Review

2012-05-09T09:32:00.000-04:00

Lucky Fools
by Coert Voorhees
Expected Publication: 06.10.2012
From Goodreads:

David Ellison dreams of acting at Julliard, but he's expected to attend nearby Stanford University, just like all of his classmates at hard-driving Oak Fields Prep. As if wasting his private school education weren't enough, David is also on track to destroy his relationship with his girlfriend, Ellen, when he finds himself falling for his new co-star, Vanessa.

With David's Julliard audition approaching, and his relationship teetering on the brink of disaster, Oak Fields is thrown into chaos as a mysterious prankster begins attacking the school's highest achievers, determined to sabotage their college aspirations. Anyone who excels is a potential target, and David, the star of every play, could be next.

From the author of the highly praised The Brothers Torres comes a dangerously insightful book about enduring the pressures of high school, surviving the ins and outs of love, and fighting for your dreams, no matter what.

My Thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, although the title and cover gave me the impression that it was a comedy. It even took me a few days to write this review because I wasn't sure how I felt about this book, and I'm still not. The writing was good, and it held my interest. My major problem was with David, the main character. He was kind of self-centered and fairly uninteresting. The whole love triangle aspect of the story was a bit of a dud, because David really isn't capable of being in love with anything unless it's right in front of him. He's like a bird that gets easily distracted by bright and shiny things. He's also a wannabe actor.

While I didn't like David, I really liked all the supporting characters. Ellen, Vanessa, JJ, Colter, Jake, Iggy, Geoff, all of their stories and issues interested me. Especially Vanessa and Colter. They had a complex brother/sister relationship, and I'd love to know more about their past. And Ellen! What is up with her? I hope someone reads this book soon, just so I can discuss Ellen.

Okay, so while David is having his Outsiders moment ("Life is rough all over, Ponyboy"), The Artist is attacking students at David's prep school. Not physically, but through a series of bulletin board posts that expose the true character of the victims. The school is desperate to find the culprit, and everyone is suspicious of each other because they're all vying for the only spot Stanford University is allocating to a graduating student of their school. Since Stanford is so close, they've suddenly decided to not award enrollment based on achievement alone, not when they have so many other talented students applying from all other. Not sure if Ivy League schools do this, but it strikes me as a bit disingenuous, since lots of the kids at David's school have rich and influential parents, and also because it seems like Stanford wants some of the out of town tuition. But if you want to see overachieving rich kids panic, then this books is for you. Everyone kind of goes into Blair Waldorf mode.

Yes, I just made a Gossip Girl reference.

So the whole book I am waiting for the big reveal of who the Artist is. Part of me is praying that it's David just so he'll prove me wrong about the boring part. But we don't really find out, mostly because this is David's story and he doesn't really care and that whole plot line is dropped. And yes, that really made me mad.

And while I get the point of Colter's words to David, about how just because someone else has a broken arm doesn't mean that your broken nose doesn't matter to you, it's a bit hard to really feel sorry for all these extremely privileged kids. There aren't any real consequences for most of them, not for Iggy, The Artist or even David. It's difficult to root for a character when you're actually hoping they'll fail... and then they don't!

Lucky Fools might not be my favorite book of all time, but I do want to read The Brothers Torres , also by Coert Voorhees, and a book I've heard good things about. And I liked the writing in Lucky Fools, no fault there, just didn't like the main character. It is nice to read a book with a male main character, and I found several quotes to like, so here they are:

Wrinkles seemed terrified of both her skin and her clothes.

There was a deliberate nature to the way she moved, almost like a stop-motion photograph.

"Four minutes to determine my future"
"That sounds like the tagline from a bad action movie."
I made my voice all low. "One man. Four monologues. In the balance hangs... the rest of his life."

"What do you think we talk about in the faculty room? Lesson plans?"

Lucky Fools gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Book Cover Rating of:

It's cute, it's different and it caught my eye.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Mailbox Monday #2

2012-05-07T11:25:00.000-04:00

It's time for Mailbox Monday! This month it's being hosted by Martha's Bookshelf, so be sure to stop by if you'd like to participate in the month of May.

For Review:

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

Technically I got this last week, but I'm kind of a dumb ass sometimes, so I forgot. It's for a blog tour later this month. I'm a huge fan of old movies and actors, so I'm really excited about this- plus I get to go to a party for this author in NYC when I'm there for BEA. Does life really get any better than this for a blogger?

Lucky Fools by Coert Voorhees

Got this from Around the World ARC Tours- is it any surprise that I dig that the author's last name is the same as Jason's from the Friday the 13th series? Really, anyone surprised? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Another Around the World ARC book. Obviously, the title appealed to me. ;)

Bought:

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
For book club. Because we're cool like that. And because we haven't worked up the nerve to read Fifty Shades of Grey yet... And am I the only one who has trouble spelling grey? I always want to spell it with an "a" like gray. Just curious.

So what all did you get?

Sundays In Bed With... #8

2012-05-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

Good morning, readers! This meme is for all of you to share what book you're spending your Sunday morning with, or since most of you are probably too busy, which book do you wish you could spend this morning reading? Feel free to leave a comment, or post on your blog. Better yet, take a pictured of the book in your bed!

Here's what I hope to spend some time with today:

Divergent by Veronica Roth- okay, I know I said I was going to start this last weekend, but then I got 3 review books for the ARC tour I participate in, so obviously I was got busy. But I WILL start this today! I WILL!
I'm actually going to be at work early this morning, as I started work Saturday at 9am and had a 24 hour shift. So actually I'll be on a couch, but I'll most likely be reading!

Whats your Sundays In Bed With... book? If you could stop time, curl up and read, what book would be in your bed?

Feature and Follow #95

2012-05-03T23:04:00.001-04:00

I must be feeling particularly social this week, maybe because it's only a month until I'll be in NYC for BEA, but I'm doing Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's Feature and Follow.

Q. What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?

A. I'm not really a stalker, Mr. King.

It's true, I'm not a stalker. I am far too lazy to stalk people. Although, I have a feeling I'd probably have to explain to several of my favorite authors that I'm not a stalker because I fear I give off that Annie Wilkes vibe (but that's preposterous because I can't stand the sound of breaking bones... or even cracking knuckles).

Sigh, I am really going to have to practice a non-crazy yet still admiring smile for BEA. A smile that says, yes, I love your books, but no, I'm not going to kidnap you and chain you to my guest bed until you write a novel just for me. So far, mirror results have shown little progress. I'll keep working at it, because the only thing worse than giving a creepy smile to authors is not smiling at all and looking scary/intense.

Ugh, why can't the BEA be a masked ball? I look good in masks.

So, if my answer hasn't scared you away and you've decided to give me a follow, just let me know and I'll return it!

Blog Hopping Once Again!

2012-05-02T12:03:00.001-04:00

It's time once again to hop! When I saw this on my google reader I got all excited, it's been a long time since I participated, and the question is one I definitely want to blog about!

Are you attending the Book Blogger Convention (aka Bea Bloggers) and/or Book Expo America in New York City in June? If not, will you participate in the online event called Armchair BEA?

I am attending BEA this year. It'll be my very first time, and my first real trip to NYC. I've wanted to go for the last few years, but it just seemed financially impossible. Luckily I get to share the costs with my friend, Kim, and Canadian bloggers, Cindy and Kellie, who we'll be rooming with in New York.

I'm going up on the Sunday before BEA with Kim and Steph- we're taking Megabus.

It's double decker, so yes, I will be pretending I'm on the Knight Bus.

I'm doing the Book Blogger Convention on Monday, the breakfast with John Green, and maybe Teen Carnival.

We're planning on hitting the Hard Rock Cafe when we get there, and at some point I will visit Central Park, The Strand, the Met, and Grey's Papayas. And whatever else my blogger friends want to do. There will be some subway riding, and some Maureen Johnson stalking.

I'm still in shock that I'm finally going, but I can't wait. Mostly I'm excited about meeting some of ya'll, although the authors and books are a strong draw. Can't wait for June! Which is weird, since May is my birthday month and now I can't wait to get it over with. ;)

So who all is going, who's all been and who's doing Armchair BEA?

Arise Review

2012-05-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

Arise (Hereafter #2)
by Tara Hudson
Expected Publication: 06.05.12
From Goodreads:

Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.

My Thoughts: Two things- first I really love ghost stories. And thankfully at the moment, ghosts are popular. Yay for ghosts! Second- I did not realize when I signed up for the Arise arc tour that it was a second book in the Hereafter series.

Fail.

Luckily for me, despite being unfamiliar with the series, I was able to jump right in and enjoy Arise. The only thing that confused me in the beginning was Jillian's age, she came across a lot younger until she jumped in her car and drove to school. But that's okay, Jillian doesn't really matter.

I loved Joshua. I loved how it was always Joshua and never Josh (it reminded me of Rachel in Friends and how she refused to shorten her boyfriend Joshua's name too). Joshua and Amelia have a really sweet love, a tad bit too co-dependent at times, but honestly, they're young, in love, and she's dead.

And every time they make out, Amelia disappears. Literally. It's like the best teenage birth control method I have ever heard of.

I will totally let my kids date dead people. Actually, maybe I should specify ghosts and not just dead people. No one wants to raise a necrophiliac.

So, lots of stuff goes down in Arise, and I'm totally going to have to read the first book now, because of Eli. We only briefly see him in the second book, but it sounds like he was a much bigger player and the cause of much trouble for our Amelia the friendly ghost in the first book. Anyways, Eli is past, but the demons are back and they want Amelia to be their new Eli. But even from this brief glimpse I realize that Eli was probably fairly bad boyish (bad ghostish?) in Hereafter.

And what does one do when confronted with the fact that demons may soon be torturing your loved ones if you don't help them?

That's right, road trip!

To New Orleans! I love New Orleans, I love ghost stories set in New Orleans, and I love that Amelia ends up meeting new friend Gaby in a Voodoo store. My only small complaint is that despite it being the most haunted city in America, there's only, like, five ghosts roaming around. Not going to lie, that bugged me.

However, Amelia is all torn over Joshua and their relationship. She's dealing with his grandma Ruth again, who totally tried to exorcise her in book one, and to top it off when they get to New Orleans Joshua's family has a Welcome to the House, Dead Girl teen seer gathering.

Seers can... see ghosts. And other things. Like we do. Only it's like the Monster Squad of seers, so only two of them can see Amelia, but the rest can hear her. Normally seers are all about banishing ghosts, but Joshua's cousins and friends appear to want to help Amelia.

Amelia is not immediately down with this. She didn't just die yesterday, after all. She's got some good instincts, which is only cool when she actually listens to them.

Besides all the demon fun, Amelia is also having strange dreams, which is unusual since as a ghost she doesn't really sleep. And somebody is trying to send her a message about something. It's still a little unclear as to what that message is, but I think it'll play in the next book.

For me this was a fun, fast read. It was spooky, there was lots of action and some very pg romance, and even some humor- mostly in the form of Gaby. And the place where Gaby lives = priceless. I'm totally thinking about squatting in celeb's homes whilst they're away at rehab too.

So, by all means read Hereafter first. I can't wait to read about Amelia and Joshua falling in love, so I will backtrack. But if you for some reason find yourself with Arise like I did, not having read Hereafter will not negatively impact your reading experience of Arise. Unless you're particularly dumb, but you probably wouldn't be reading at all if you were, so problem solved.

And I can't wait to read the next book!

Arise gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

The cover gets a Midnight Book Cover Rating of:

I love this cover, which is why I wanted to do the tour. I love that you can see the cemetery through her. You know immediately that this is a ghost story. A lot of YA books have girls in pretty dressed on the cover, but they normally don't do a good job of actually advertizing the story between the pages. But this book does. Except the plant leaves in her hands. Don't have a clue what those are supposed to mean, but I don't care. It's still a great cover!

**Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review.

Spring Horror Readathon Wrap (and warped) Up

2012-04-30T18:32:00.000-04:00

I made it! And I got some books read from my TBR shelf, go me! But I'm a little bummed it's over. I had a lot of fun. I wish I could have done more challenges, but there's always next time!

Here's what I read:

Kate's springintohorrorreadathon book montage

Kate's favorite books »

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I finished the very end of Grave Secret, and the last 140 some pages of Meet Your Match, Cupid Delaney. I started, but did not finish, Envy and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (audio).

Books I didn't get to at all: Divergent and 77 Shadow Street... kind of bummed about both and of course several review books showed up this week, so they'll have to wait a bit. Again.

I pretty much loved everything I read this readathon, and I'm so glad I signed up! I will definitely be doing any readathon's hosted by Castle Macabre. I was really impressed by how it was run, and thanks to all the bloggers and authors who donated their time to challenges, prizes, posts and reading! As much as I love the blogging community, I feel most at home with those that like the occasional darker story. ;)

Underworld Review

2012-04-30T11:25:00.000-04:00

Underworld
by Meg Cabot
Expected Publication: 05.08.12
From Goodreads:

Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape.

My Thoughts: The fist book in the series, Abandon, was just okay for me. I was expecting to love it, since I've been a long time fan of Meg Cabot's chick lit books, and Heather Wells is probably one of my all time favorite characters. I liked Underworld more, but I'm still not clicking with main character Pierce. Of course I'm not a gorgeous, rich, 17 year old girl with a hot centuries old death deity in love with me, so we really don't have that much in common.

This second book worked a bit better for me than the first, as we're given a lot more answers about John and Coffin Night. I'm still not sure what to think of Pierce and John's relationship, it feels almost like an old fashioned romance love than anything a contemporary teen would be into, but John is still sexy. I also very much enjoyed meeting John's Underworld crew, they added some humor as well as history to the story. Normally Meg Cabot's books are a wonderful mix of humor and romance, but for some reason this series isn't huge on the laughs. Pierce is still all over the place about... everything, but she has enough spunk and self awareness to make up for some of the incredibly naivety and unawareness she also displays.

There is some smexy times in this book, but I thought Cabot handled it brilliantly, it wasn't crude, it wasn't too much (it was one of those "I saw stars" and then fade to black kind of scenes). Because it's hard to believe that when teen boys and girls hookup with paranormally hot peeps that some smex isn't going to go down. Trust me, if there'd been a hot death deity haunting the Underworld of Nicktown, PA back when I was a teen then my good Catholic girl status would have taken some serious hits. That said, I don't want to read YA books full of smut... that's what Fifty Shades of Gray is for! ;)

While the first book was a bit slow and laying down the groundworkish, book two was definitely faster paced. I'll read the next book in the series, but I'm still looking more forward to the next Heather Wells book!

Underworld gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

I know, I gave 4 stars on Goodreads, but I always star up on that site since you can't do half stars!

The cover gets a Midnight Book Cover Rating of:

I both love it and have problems with it. Mainly because the dress seems ill fitting- seriously why is her chest so low down? She's 17, not 70! I do love the pose and the hand grabbing her to pull her down, very Persephone looking, and the colors are gorgeous.

**Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Around the World Arc Tours in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mailbox Monday #1

2012-04-30T01:08:00.000-04:00

Since my one of BEA roomies and blogger friend, Cindy of Cindy's Love of Books is hosting this meme for the last time this month, I thought I'd actually participate! Plus, I gots some cool books.

For Review:

Underworld by Meg Cabot. Already finished this one and I'll be mailing it off to the next blogger on the tour this morning. Review will be up soon!

Arise by Tara Hudson. Haven't read the first book, hope that doesn't make a difference. Love the cover!

Timepiece: Hourglass #2 by Myra McEntire. God bless you, Netgalley!

Gifted:

SIGNED copy of Boy's Life by Robert McCammon! God bless you, Midnyte Reader!! She attended the 2012 World Horror Convention and picked this up just for me (and now McCammon totally knows my name!). And then she shared a cab ride with him and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I am awash in jealousy and awe. But mostly I'm thankful for the book! ;)

Borrowed:

Divergent by Veronica Roth. Kim was nice enough to lend me her copy and I have promised to read it with the utmost care and consideration. ;)

Sundays In Bed With... Envy and Divergent

2012-04-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

Sundays In Bed With... is a meme I've started to share the book we're spending the morning in bed with, or the one we'd like to stay curled up in bed with all Sunday if only our busy lives would allow! For fun, take a picture of the book in your bed, or simply write up a post or comment below sharing your Sundays in Bed With book.

Here's what I'm spending my Sunday morning in bed with:

I'd like to finish Envy and at least start Divergent.

And it should come as no surprise to my readers, but I so love the cover of Envy.

It's the last day of Spring Into Horror Readathon, and I'm going to try to get a lot of reading done... but there's soooo much housework to get to too... I hate being an adult.

What are you reading this morning?

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SpringHorrorRAT Update

2012-04-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

How is your Readathon going? And if you aren't readathoning, then how was your reading week? I've been fairly productive this week. Here's what I've read going into the weekend:

Meet Your Match, Cupid Delaney (finished this one Monday but had started it Saturday)
Anna Dressed in Blood- soooooo good!
Grave Secret- finished the last hour of this audio book. I'll miss Harper Connelly!
Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour- finally got to it, and it was a great read!
The Night Circus- re-read for my book club that's meeting tonight. Can't wait to discuss!
Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft- read last night before falling asleep. Fantastically creepy!

Tuesday and Thursday were probably my slowest reading days because I had work, and then Thursday night I did an hour long Zumba class with Kim from On The Wings of Books.

Today I'm hoping to read Underworld by Meg Cabot and maybe read a bit more of Envy, which I started on Wednesday. I have a busy day- work in the morning, then book club at 6pm, then working overnight starting at 10pm. Thankfully I'm already mostly done with my Sundays In Bed With... meme post, and hopefully I'll get some major reading done on Sunday- would love to at least start Divergent!

What are you're weekend reading plans?

Spring Into Horror Readathon has Sprung!

2012-04-25T10:22:00.001-04:00

I am so glad I signed up for this challenge! So far I've finished Meet Your Match, Cupid Delaney (of course the only way that's scary is for teen girls freaking out that prom got cancelled) and Anna Dressed in Blood. Anna is awesome, by the way, and if I die and become a ghost I kind of hope I get to be all kick ass like Anna... only I don't want to die all violent, but the ripping people in half thing could come in handy...

I'm also currently re-reading The Night Circus (for book club) and Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour. I hope to start Envy today too, since I spreading The Night Circus out a bit. I have today off, so things look promising BUT our house is getting a new roof... which is loud, very loud. I will be leaving the house some today, for sure!

Onto the mini-challenges! This one is being hosted by Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Be prepared to be amazed by all the Stephen King books I own! Just saying, peeps. It's impressive. Although I will be surprised if I win this challenge, since there's so many other Stephen King loving bloggers participating and some of mine are duplicates.

Okay, let's start in the living room and then move into the office, shall we?

1. Black House*
2. Just After Sunset*
3. The Talisman (graphic novel #1)*
4. Everything's Eventual*
5. The Green Mile (hardback)*
6. Under the Dome*
7. Cycle of the Werewolf*
8. Wizard and Glass*
9. Song of Susannah*

10. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (pop-up book)*
11. The Bachman Books*
12. The Talisman*
13. Danse Macabre*
14. Eyes of the Dragon*
15. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (paperback)*
16. Nightmares & Dreamscapes*
17. Needful Things*
18.The Wastelands*
19. The Green Mile*
20. The Drawing of the Three*
21. Dreamcatcher*
22. Bag of Bones*
23. Thinner*
24. Four Past Midnight*
25. Needful Things (hardback)*
26. Nightmares & Dreamscapes (hardback)*
27. The Stand **
28. The Dark Tower*
29. The Regulators*
30. Lisey's Story*
31. From a Buick 8*
32. Duma Key*
33. Eyes of the Dragon (Hardcover) **
34. Wolves of the Calla*
35. Cell*

36. Four Past Midnight (hardback)*
37. Stephen King Collection (The Shining, 'Salem's Lot, Night Shift and Carrie)*
38. It (hardback) **
39. Desperation*
40. The Drawing of the Three (another paperback copy)*
41. The Gunslinger*
42. Storm of the Century*
43. Blaze*
44. Insomnia*
45. On Writing*
46. Stephen King Three Novels (Carrie, 'Salems Lot and The Shining)

On My Kindle
47. The Colorado Kid*
48. Full Dark, No Stars*
49. Mile 81*
50. Blockade Billy*
51. The Stand*
52. Cujo*
53. Under the Dome*
54. UR*
55. 11/22/63 *(I had the hardback version too, but it's been stolen by my family ;)

On Audio:
56. The Dark Half*
57. The Gingerbread Girl*
58. It*
59. The Mist*

At one time or another I've owned almost every Stephen King book, but between multiple moves across state and one house fire, this is what I'm left with. I think other than his book on baseball and Stephen King Goes to the Movies, I've read every book he's come out with. I'm surprised I don't have a copy of Dolores Claiborne though, that's one of my favorites. Time to start buying SK books again!

Midnight Book Girl

The Chaperone Giveaway!

Sundays In Bed With... #11

Nook Color Test Drive

Laughing Out Loud!

Page Babies

Divergent, Insurgent, Somethingrgent.

Happy Birthday

Bout of Books Readathon

Sundays In Bed With... #10

The Chaperone Review and Book Tour

Spring Blog Carnival Fun House

Kate's bookshelf: fun-house

Something Strange and Deadly Review

Sundays In Bed With... #9

Lucky Fools Review

Mailbox Monday #2

Sundays In Bed With... #8

Feature and Follow #95

Q. What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?

Blog Hopping Once Again!

Arise Review

Spring Horror Readathon Wrap (and warped) Up

Kate's springintohorrorreadathon book montage

Underworld Review

Mailbox Monday #1

Sundays In Bed With... Envy and Divergent

SpringHorrorRAT Update

Spring Into Horror Readathon has Sprung!