tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73148488638215380132024-03-05T01:20:59.628-05:00story on a pageninefly's book blognineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-26364263356390036482010-12-26T21:56:00.001-05:002010-12-26T21:57:50.255-05:00Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings Giveaway Winners!<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Real-Mermaids-Dont-Wear-Rings/dp/1402244126?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-2nL8kGqL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<u>Thanks to everyone who participated in my <a href="../../2010/12/giveaway-real-mermaids-dont-wear-toe.html">Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings giveaway!</a> Here are the 2 WINNERS as chosen by Random.org!</u><br />
<br />
<b class="special">1ST WINNER<br />
<font class="booktitle">#46 Sara Pauff</font></b><br />
<br />
<b class="special">2ND WINNER<br />
<font class="booktitle">#25 SasMan</font></b><br />
<br />
I've emailed the winners to confirm/request their mailing information, and they have 48 hours (2 days) to respond.<br />
<br />
Thanks again to the publisher <b>Sourcebooks</b> for letting me host this giveaway!<br />
<br />
<b class="special">HAPPY HOLIDAYS!</b>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-16586456144932536252010-12-15T01:57:00.000-05:002010-12-15T01:57:54.381-05:00Wishlist Wednesday: Vampire Crush<center><div class="wishlistwed"></div></center><br />
A weekly event on my blog where I post about books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted by <a href="http://www.bookchickcity.com" target="_blank">Book Chick City</a> & <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Crush-M-Robinson/dp/0061989711?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41N-umkwvlL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428115" target="_blank">Vampire Crush</a><br />
<u>by A. M. Robinson</u><br />
release date: 28 December 2010<br />
<blockquote class="special">First, six mysteriously pale new students show up at Sophie McGee’s high school. Then, Sophie’s childhood nemesis James reappears, still displaying a knack for making Sophie’s blood boil. When Sophie finds out that James has a connection to the new students, she decides to investigate...never expecting her life will quickly begin to resemble a campy horror movie, complete with budding crushes and bloodthirsty villains.</blockquote><br />
<b>Why it's on my wishlist</b><br />
I was very very dubious at first since the cover and title suggested nothing short of the usual vampire romance-mystery thing, but luckily I gave it a chance and went through some reviews first. From what I gather, the protagonist is snarkily hilarious and definitely not weak in the knees for pretty corpses. I'm not against vampires really (since I'm a devout follower of the Angel and Spike comic books, ahem) but the whole forbidden seduction thing is just not my thing. This book on the other hand definitely sounds like something I would enjoy.<br />
<br />
<u>Giveaway Reminder</u><br />
If you haven't signed up for my current giveaways, please take a look! I'm giving away <a href="../../2010/12/giveaway-real-mermaids-dont-wear-toe.html">2 copies of Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings</a> with <b>signed bookplates!</b> Open to US/Canada.nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-53345527611196285792010-12-14T00:01:00.002-05:002010-12-14T17:55:06.694-05:00Giveaway: Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe RingsTo make up for my absence in the past weeks (which I hereby blame on University exam season) here is another hosted giveaway for you guys, and another one hopefully coming next week!<br />
<br />
Another Canada-based author this time too! I'm a sucker for unconventional protagonists and mythical creatures, Awkward Parental Situations, and of course a little mystery. How <i>does</i> a mermaid drown?<br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Real-Mermaids-Dont-Wear-Rings/dp/1402244126?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-2nL8kGqL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7767952" target="_blank">Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings</a><br />
<u>by Hélène Boudreau</u><br />
<b>published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky</b><br />
<blockquote class="special"><b>Summary from publisher</b><br />
Fourteen-year-old Jade feels like a freak-of-nature when she finally gets her first period while trying on an XL tankini at the mall. It gets worse when she runs into handsome Luke Martin in the feminine products aisle while her dad Googles ‘menstruation’ on his phone.<br />
But "freak-of-nature" takes on a whole new meaning when raging hormones bring on another metamorphosis—complete with scales and a tail. When Jade learns she’s inherited her mermaid tendencies from her late mother, it raises the question: if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown?<br />
<br />
<b>About the Author</b><br />
Hélène Boudreau writes fiction and non-fiction for children and young adults from her home in Ontario. Her debut middle grade novel, Acadian Star, was released last fall and was recently nominated for the 2009/2010 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award.<br />
Visit her online at <a href="http://www.heleneboudreau.com" target="_blank">www.heleneboudreau.com</a><br />
<br />
<u>Special Offer!</u><br />
Anyone who purchases a copy of Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings as a gift (either for themselves or someone else!) can email proof of purchase and an address <a href="http://www.heleneboudreau.com/?page_id=10" target="_blank">to Hélène</a> and she will send you a <b>signed bookplate</b> for the holidays!<br />
<br />
<b>Available at:</b> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Real-Mermaids-Dont-Wear-Rings/dp/1402244126?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Amazon.com</a> ; <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1402244126?ie=UTF8&tag=nineflsbookbl-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=390961&creativeASIN=1402244126" target="_blank">Amazon.ca</a> ; <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9781402244124/?a_aid=ninefly" target="_blank">BookDepository</a> ; <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781402244124?aff=ninefly" target="_blank">IndieBound</a></blockquote><br />
<center><div class="giveaway"></div></center><br />
<b>I have <u>TWO (2) copies of the book</u> to give away with <u>signed bookplates</u>! Open to US/Canada addresses only.</b><br />
<br />
<ul class="list"><li><b>You must provide a <u>valid email address</u> so I can contact you.</b></li>
<li><b>You <u>do not have to be a follower</u> to enter.</b></li>
<li><b>This contest is <u>open to US/Canada residents 13 years or older.</u> Prizes will be sent by the publisher.</b></li>
<li><b>Contest will close on <u>December 21st at 11:59PM EST</u>.</b></li>
<li><b>Winners will be <u>chosen with Random.org</u> and must send me their mailing addresses within 48 hours or I will pick another winner.</b></li>
<li><b><u>Optional entries</u> (not required!)</b><br />
- GFC blog follower (+2)<br />
- twitter follower @angeltyuan (+2)<br />
- tweet giveaway (+1)<br />
- blog sidebar (+1)<br />
- blog about giveaway (+2)<br />
- blog about the book i.e. Wishlist Wednesday (+2)</li>
</ul><br />
<center><b class="booktitle">Please fill out <a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dExLUDN6cXU0MTVFcDJkMnRRd2QxSGc6MQ">THIS FORM</a> to enter. Comments on this post are NOT going to count as entries.</b></center><br />
<br />
<b>Feel free to comment if you have any questions for me or the publisher =)</b>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-36507961891773505752010-11-24T00:43:00.000-05:002010-11-24T00:43:00.040-05:00Wishlist Wednesday: Geist<center><div class="wishlistwed"></div></center><br />
A weekly event on my blog where I post about books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted by <a href="http://www.bookchickcity.com" target="_blank">Book Chick City</a> & <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Geist-Book-Order-Philippa-Ballantine/dp/0441019617?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PhPUye2TL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<b>Book of the Order #1:</b><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8058609" target="_blank">Geist</a><br />
<u>by Philippa Ballantine</u><br />
release date: 26 October 2010<br />
<blockquote class="special">Between the living and the dead is the Order of the Deacons, protectors of the Empire, guardians against possession, sentinels enlisted to ward off the malevolent haunting of the geists...<br />
Among the most powerful of the Order is Sorcha, now thrust into partnership with the novice Deacon, Merrick Chambers. They have been dispatched to the isolated village of Ulrich to aide the Priory with a surge of violent geist activity. With them is Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne that Sorcha is sworn to protect, and bearer of a terrible curse.<br />
But what greets them in the strange settlement is something far more predatory and more horrifying than any mere haunting. And as she uncovers a tradition of twisted rituals passed down through the dark reaches of history, Sorcha will be forced to reconsider everything she thinks she knows.<br />
And if she makes it out of Ulrich alive, what in Hell is she returning to?</blockquote><br />
<b>Why it's on my wishlist</b><br />
A combination of: it's lack of any paraphrasing of "and she meets a hot dark stranger who will put her life at stake", the whole "pretender to the throne" thing, and my weakness for badass chicks in capes(??).<br />
<br />
<u>RL Update</u><br />
I'm currently very very sick with the flu so I probably won't be able to do anything productive (read: reviews) for a while, but the upcoming giveaway will still be held. Hopefully I'll be able to crawl out of bed for longer than 2-hour intervals by next week orznineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-91296024452970767512010-11-21T01:23:00.000-05:002010-11-21T01:23:00.073-05:00In My Mailbox 10/11/21<center><br />
<div class="inmymailbox"></div></center><br />
Each week I will post a list of the books I've borrowed, received, or bought. I will keep a weekly tally in each post, as well as a yearly one on the sidebar. All books with PoC themes/authors will be listed for the "New Crayons" meme.<br />
All prices are listed in Canadian dollars.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted weekly by <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com" target="_blank">The Story Siren</a> / <a href="http://printedpage.us" target="_blank">The Printed Page</a>; New Crayons by <a href="http://coloronline.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Color Online</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<center><img class="frame" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PC-B9guzL._SX250_.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">Tally for 2010/11/21</b><br />
Borrowed: 0<br />
Received: 1<br />
Bought: 0<br />
<b>Total Cost: $0.00</b></center><br />
<a name='more'></a>Two great finds today at the local used bookstore~ Also saw the <b>complete</b> Count Cain manga (including God Child) in Chinese, but I'm gonna wait until December for the 20% discount before HOARDING it all >D<br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Shade-Fright-Valerie-Stevens-1/dp/1906727465?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PC-B9guzL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<b>Valerie Stevens #1:</b><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7078768" target="_blank">Shade Fright</a><br />
<u>by Sean Cummings</u><br />
<blockquote><font class="special">I fell into this job quite by accident, when I discovered that I possessed the ability to see the preternatural world. There are a handful of people with similar abilities, and part of my job is to locate them, since Government Services and Infrastructure Canada like to keep track of these things. Don't ask me why.<br />
There's a malevolent force in town, and it's quite literally Valerie Steven's job to determine who's behind it and why they want to destroy the world, starting with Calgary. She'll have help, in the form of her best friend (now more or less a zombie, unfortunately), a powerful dwarf troll, and the ghost of former Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King (but he goes by 'Bill' these days). But that's not all - Valerie has some tricks up her sleeve and, she hopes, luck on her side. Oh, and her boyfriend, Dave. He drives a dump truck.</font><br />
<br />
The cover really appeals to the semi-comic geek in me, as does the whole ragtag band of friends thing XD; Plus, definitely supporting Canadian authors! I've been to Calgary once, but since I was with a tour bus I might as well have said I've seen pictures/videos of Calgary on the internet =P<br />
<b>Won from <a href="http://www.larissaslife.com" target="_blank">Larissa's Bookish Life</a></b></blockquote>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-54439902699092341242010-11-19T21:49:00.001-05:002010-11-19T21:50:05.972-05:00My 1st Blogoversary Giveaway Winners!<center><div align="center"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-Ksa5SiyqaAOO0yzsb54558V5rS3wb9k9b_EAw_rSh0B4S2Uv22pZbcZdS-7Ks3mzdzG5IE4XQggPYwL5xX0DRrqs8VI0WKodFYkeXrP0a1C1HI7993aTMAsVk4Ln5xTJVVZxkd8UFng/" width="33%"> <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com?a_aid=ninefly&a_bid=0ad6096a" target="_blank"><img src="http://affiliates.bookdepository.com/accounts/default1/banners/125-x-125.jpg" alt="The Book Depository" title="The Book Depository" width="125" height="125" /></a><img style="border:0" src="http://affiliates.bookdepository.com:8080/scripts/imp.php?a_aid=ninefly&a_bid=0ad6096a" width="1" height="1" alt="" /> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9OEDmgxD8SkWgRkjv2LN32K3GnYbCcEGupz2pLe8KfD6rcGaoW6YLH139IircJHFboZU_0p5yIdI0XBoRKV2rZ9etXUnWoneLtN0P6WbMtpGX5M3nZPDwpeHnlAPGwENZ2o0zYhnRMU/" width="33%"></div><br />
<u>Thanks to everyone who participated in my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">first blogoversary giveaway!</a> There were <b>112 entrants</b> and a grand total of <b>732 entries</b>!<br />
<br />
Without further ado, here are the 3 WINNERS as chosen by Random.org!</u><br />
<br />
<b class="special">1ST WINNER<br />
<font class="booktitle">#671 wendy</font> (luvwendy87)</b><br />
who chose <b>2x $5 Amazon (COM or CA) giftcards</b><br />
<br />
<b class="special">2ND WINNER<br />
<font class="booktitle">#324 Rad Hall</font> (emi3mle)</b><br />
who chose <b>book up to US$9 at Book Depository</b><br />
<br />
<b class="special">3RD WINNER<br />
<font class="booktitle">#410 Damla</font> (annabell_lee_dk)</b><br />
who chose <b>2x $5 Amazon (COM or CA) giftcards</b><br />
</center><br />
Congrats to the winners! I've sent out emails to confirm/request their prize info/mailing addresses, and they have 48 hours (2 days) to respond before I'll have to choose new winners.<br />
<br />
<u>Giveaway Updates</u><br />
There will be a new giveaway coming up very soon so stay tuned!nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-48134526073633828202010-11-17T00:21:00.001-05:002010-11-17T00:22:05.233-05:00Wishlist Wednesday: StarCrossed<center><div class="wishlistwed"></div></center><br />
A weekly event on my blog where I post about books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted by <a href="http://www.bookchickcity.com" target="_blank">Book Chick City</a> & <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/StarCrossed-Elizabeth-C-Bunce/dp/0545136059?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HIPa0D1bL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8406212" target="_blank">StarCrossed</a><br />
<u>by Elizabeth C. Bunce</u><br />
release date: 1 October 2010<br />
<blockquote class="special">Digger thrives as a spy and sneak-thief among the feuding religious factions of Gerse, dodging the Greenmen who have banned all magic. But when a routine job goes horribly wrong and her partner and lover Tegen is killed, she has to get out of the city, fast, and hides herself in a merry group of nobles to do so. Accepted as a lady's maid to shy young Merista Nemair, Digger finds new peace and friendship at the Nemair stronghold--as well as plenty of jewels for the taking. But after the devious Lord Daul catches her in the act of thievery, he blackmails her into becoming his personal spy in the castle, and Digger soon realizes that her noble hosts aren't as apolitical as she thought...that indeed, she may be at the heart of a magical rebellion.</blockquote><br />
<b>Why it's on my wishlist</b><br />
I love stories about thieves, and I love stories with friendships between women that are not bound to inane talk about men. I'm really interested in how Digger and Merista will become friends, and while I'm a bit iffy about the whole blackmail thing (man holding power over strong woman), I hope to enjoy this one.<br />
<br />
<u>Giveaway Update</u><br />
I'm counting up the entries to my Blogoversary Giveaway right now, but I've got a midterm and RL business to tend to for the next few days. However, I can promise the results will be up and winners emailed by Friday. Thanks to all old and new followers for participating! =)nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-42522070860295865592010-11-14T16:12:00.001-05:002010-11-14T16:15:11.722-05:00In My Mailbox 10/11/14<center><br />
<div class="inmymailbox"></div></center><br />
Each week I will post a list of the books I've borrowed, received, or bought. I will keep a weekly tally in each post, as well as a yearly one on the sidebar. All books with PoC themes/authors will be listed for the "New Crayons" meme.<br />
All prices are listed in Canadian dollars.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted weekly by <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com" target="_blank">The Story Siren</a> / <a href="http://printedpage.us" target="_blank">The Printed Page</a>; New Crayons by <a href="http://coloronline.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Color Online</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<center><img class="frame" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-uDUYPCig2-2bR6pA0e4FRIQzZxIYZDsax58wifMRAmDsIjIib3yw4YXdS8qBgfnt01uVTIT8WqukwNQSmIeBEJanXgZxaY8_KWd0w3EjMcr_kpCmG1jHwfpv_17eydqVIuK70lxItxm/" /><br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">Tally for 2010/11/14</b><br />
Borrowed: 0<br />
Received: 0<br />
Bought: 2<br />
<b>Total Cost: $7.33</b></center><br />
<a name='more'></a>Two great finds today at the local used bookstore~ Also saw the <b>complete</b> Count Cain manga (including God Child) in Chinese, but I'm gonna wait until December for the 20% discount before HOARDING it all >D<br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Swordspoint-Ellen-Kushner/dp/0553585495?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61SFC%2BIyI8L._SX106_.jpg" align="left" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68485" target="_blank">Swordspoint</a><br />
<u>by Ellen Kushner</u><br />
<blockquote><font class="special">On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within the elite, a dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless - until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye...</font><br />
<br />
This one was recommended by Ah Yuan very enthusiastically, and I totally love the brute/frills couple dynamics she described, so I nabbed it 8D<br />
<b>Bought at used bookstore for $5.23</b></blockquote><br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Story-Stone-Barry-Hughart/dp/B000MUEAYA?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1285686387l/77207.jpg" height="106" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<b>Master Li and Number Ten Ox #2:</b><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77207" target="_blank">The Story of the Stone</a> <b class="special">⇐ New Crayon!</b><br />
<u>by Barry Hughart</u><br />
<blockquote><font class="special">In the Valley of Sorrows, a monk is brutally murdered for a worthless manuscript, and the abbot of the humble monastery calls upon Master Li and Number Ten Ox to investigate the seemingly senseless killing. The most likely suspect is the infamous Laughing Prince, founder of the valley, whose murderous frenzies have made him a legend. But even Master Li must concede that the prince has a pretty good alibi: he's been dead for more than seven hundred years.<br />
Undaunted, Master Li and Number Ten Ox begin their search for the Laughing Prince. Together they roam a mystical countryside populated by demons, ghosts, murderers, and mad kings to the very gates of heaven itself - and what they find there is stranger still.</font><br />
<br />
Finally completed my collection of the Master Li and Number Ten Ox series! This book is number 2 in the series, but apparently the hardest thing to find. I think the books are all out of print too, so really glad I found this, and so cheap too~<br />
<b>Bought at used bookstore for $2.10</b></blockquote><br />
<u>Giveaway Reminder</u><br />
If you haven't signed up for my current giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">1st blogoversary giveaway</a>, now with 3 winners! <b>Today is the LAST day to enter!</b>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-90990907614034890142010-11-10T02:01:00.001-05:002010-11-10T02:03:02.352-05:00Wishlist Wednesday: The Iron Witch<center><div class="wishlistwed"></div></center><br />
A weekly event on my blog where I post about books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted by <a href="http://www.bookchickcity.com" target="_blank">Book Chick City</a> & <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Witch-Karen-Mahoney/dp/073872582X?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51UFyTsuDRL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6930002" target="_blank">The Iron Witch</a><br />
<u>by Karen Mahoney</u><br />
release date: 8 February 2011<br />
<blockquote class="special">Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic — the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.<br />
When the darkest outcasts of Faerie — the vicious wood elves — abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend — even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.</blockquote><br />
<b>Why it's on my wishlist</b><br />
While I'm usually not a fan of fairies, I'd really like to try this book out. For one, I'm hoping that we get to see friendship that isn't overshadowed by romance. For another, alchemy just holds a special meaning to me (FullMetal Alchemist ♥) and I'd love to see the direction the author takes.<br />
<br />
<u>Giveaway Reminder</u><br />
If you haven't signed up for my current giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">1st blogoversary giveaway</a>, now with <b>3 winners!</b>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-9118639966858950312010-11-08T00:21:00.000-05:002010-11-08T00:21:07.045-05:00Monday Reading 2010/11/08<center><br />
<div class="mondayreading"></div></center><br />
A weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted weekly by <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Book Journey</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">Currently Reading</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><b><u>Downtime</u> by Tamara Allen</b></li>
<li><b><u>Warchild</u> by Karin Lowachee</b></li>
<li><b><u>Bleeding Violet</u> by Dia Reeves</b></li>
<li><b><u>Changeless</u> by Gail Carriger</b><br />
<i>Parasol Protectorate #2</i></li>
</ul><br />
<b class="booktitle">Weekly Summary</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><a href="../../2010/11/teaser-tuesday-changeless.html">Teaser Tuesday: Changeless</a></li>
<li><a href="../../2010/11/wishlist-wednesday-slice-of-cherry.html">Wishlist Wednesday: Slice of Cherry</a></li>
</ul><br />
<b class="booktitle">New Reviews</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><b><a href="../../2010/11/review-poison-sleep-by-ta-pratt.html">Poison Sleep</a> by T.A. Pratt</b> (rated ☂☂☂.5)<br />
<i>Marla Mason #2</i></li>
</ul><br />
<b class="booktitle">Current Giveaways</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">Giveaway: My 1st Blogoversary!</a><br />
3 prizes ; 3 winners ; international ; ends 11/14 at 11:59PM</li>
</ul>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-34722320754606647412010-11-06T16:38:00.002-04:002010-11-06T17:16:35.033-04:00review: Poison Sleep by T.A. Pratt<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51l0-vYvmaL._SL250_.jpg" height="250" hspace="13" vspace="5" align="left" /><br />
<b>Marla Mason #2:</b><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2003738" target="_blank">Poison Sleep</a><br />
<u>by T.A. Pratt</u><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="special">The bad girl of the magical underworld is back and badder than ever.<br />
Someone wants Marla Mason dead. Usually that’s not news. As chief sorcerer of Felport, someone always wants her dead. But this time she’s the target of a renegade assassin who specializes in killing his victims over days, months, or even years. Not to mention a mysterious knife-wielding killer in black who pops up in the most unexpected places. To make matters worse, an inmate has broken out of the Blackwing Institute for criminally insane sorcerers—a troubled psychic who can literally reweave the fabric of reality to match her own traumatic past.<br />
With her wisecracking partner Rondeau reluctantly in tow, Marla teams up with a “love-talker” whose dangerous erotic spells not even she can resist. Together they’re searching the rapidly transforming streets of Felport for a woman who’s become the Typhoid Mary of nightmares, infecting everything — and everyone — she touches with a chaos worse than death itself.</blockquote><br />
<div align="right">adult fiction ; urban fantasy <b>{ genre</b><br />
PG-13 for violence and sexual content (including past rape) <b>{ rating</b><br />
March 25, 2008 <b>{ first released</b><br />
Spectra paperback (321 pages) <b>{ review edition</b><br />
bought at full price <b>{ acquisition</b><br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Sleep-Marla-Mason-Book/dp/0553589997?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">Amazon.com</a> ; <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0553589997?ie=UTF8&tag=nineflsbookbl-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=390961&creativeASIN=0553589997" target="_blank">Amazon.ca</a> ; <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780553589993?aff=ninefly" target="_blank">IndieBound</a> ; <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780553589993/?a_aid=ninefly" target="_blank">Book Depository</a> <b>{ purchase links</b></div><br />
<b>Why I Read This</b><br />
I own the first three novels to this series, and I liked the first book.<br />
<br />
<b>First Lines</b><br />
<blockquote><span class="bqstart">“</span>The Bentley squealed to a halt at the top of the icy horseshoe driveway before the looming brick face of the Blackwing Institute. Marla leapt from the passenger side and rushed for the front doors, purple-and-white cloak billowing after her in the gusty winter wind.</blockquote><br />
<div class="subdivide">Overall Rating</div><font style="color:#af0" size="3">☂☂☂</font><font style="color:#ccc">.5</font><br />
<br />
Marla is just as snipey and down-to-business as the first book, but we see a slightly less-prickly side of her as she gets hilariously smitten over love-talker Joshua, and employs a dying man off the street. The themes dealt with in this book are radically different from the myths and prophecies in the first, focusing instead around the various deviations of sexual attraction and power (though I wouldn't call this "steamy" lol). The twists and bends of character betrayals and deaths keep the story interesting, even if there's less action-packed violence.<br />
<br />
<font size="1">review posted to <!--<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/review/RKRZ2AKTOJHVU">Amazon.ca</a>, --><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76310096">goodreads</a>, <a href="http://www.shelfari.com/books/3581505/Blood-Engines/reviews/1418235">Shelfari</a>, <a href="http://www.librarything.com/review/52335603">LibraryThing</a></font><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="subdivide">Plot/Themes</div><font style="color:#af0" size="3">☂☂☂</font><font style="color:#ccc">.5</font><br />
<br />
Maybe it's because I've seen them played out in many books before, but themes about power dynamics through sexual acts like rape and "seduction" (as the lover-talker is a metaphor for, I'm sure) wasn't as refreshing a topic as, say, the Apocalyptic Killer Frogs From The Amazon in book one. With the rape victim in this book, Genevieve, there's the typical journey from traumatized and infantilized girl whose fear gives power to her attacker (in this case, manifesting him as an unstoppable evil jerk in her powerful magic-nightmares) to the woman who is able to conquer her fears and banish the shadow of her attacker. In the secondary plot, with the love-talker and Marla, there's some gratuitous exposition on how someone who is born a "seducer" (wherein everyone falls in love with him at first sight and becomes suggestible to his every request) can ever have his own love reciprocated in a "real" way. There's also some exploration on the "moralities" of using seduction as power and such.<br />
Both themes are interesting on their own, but they don't really bring anything new to the table with their resolutions and I felt a little let down at how predictable some of the plotlines were. However, there were a few betrayals and changes in alliance that I didn't see coming, so the overall story was kept interesting enough.<br />
<br />
<div class="subdivide">Characters</div><font style="color:#af0" size="3">☂☂☂☂</font><br />
<br />
Marla was almost adorable in this book when she falls under the "spell" of love-talker Joshua. She's an obvious top, so she keeps thinking about eating him up with icecream and keeping him as a pet (or something) and completely losing focus on the mission (which is rare, for Marla).<br />
Then there's the introduction of the slow assassins - a group of hired killers who take "contracts" that span from weeks to years and keep their victims guessing when they will die. We get a few chapters from the POV of Zealand, the assassin sent after Marla, and while I'm a bit confused as to his motivations later in the novel, he does bring a new voice to the action.<br />
We also get introduced to another character named Ted, a hobo off the streets that Marla picked as her new secretary (because she hates and is bad at paperwork). He really grew on me, just as a character who's seen the worst and makes most of what he's given. I personally wanted him to stay longer than he actually did, because he seemed to have a good effect on Marla - she cured him of his terminal disease and gave him a new life, though it's more because she can trust strangers better than people she knows, but I think she grew to like him too.<br />
I was a bit sad Rondeau didn't get to do much this time around, just mostly fixing up toilet demons and such...I did like that the "villain" was as malicious as he was desperate, and how Marla really had to just sit down and reconsider diplomacy over her usual ways of Crush Anything in My Path.<br />
<br />
<div class="subdivide">Writing</div><font style="color:#af0" size="3">☂☂☂</font><font style="color:#ccc">.5</font><br />
<br />
I'm still having some issues with the juvenile swearing and sometimes overabused sarcasm (and this is coming from someone who loves snark), but overall the writing is pretty good. I love how the landscape of Genevieve's bubble world is described, and by extension, the imagery for Marla's city, Felport.<br />
<br />
<div class="subdivide">Ending</div><font style="color:#af0" size="3">☂☂☂</font><font style="color:#ccc">.5</font><br />
<br />
And here's where I'm simultaneously pleased and exasperated by the quickness in which Mr Pratt kills off my most beloved characters. On the one hand, it is unexpected and makes great impact. On the other hand, I was really looking forward to the cannibal technomage to be a recurring character in book one, and now my new favourite minor characters in book two have also been ushered out of the picture one way or another. That is not to say it's a bad ending; Marla did grow as a character and we get a resolution for Genevieve. Either way, even if I can't look forward to seeing some of these characters again, I'm still quite excited to see what new characters are introduced <strike>and sacrificed in cold blood</strike> in the next book.<br />
<br />
<b>Marla Mason Series</b><br />
<a href="../../2009/10/review-blood-engines-by-ta-pratt.html">#1 Blood Engines</a> (2007)<br />
<b class="special">#2 Poison Sleep</b> (2008)<br />
#3 Dead Reign (2008)<br />
#4 Spell Games (2009)<br />
<u>*discontinued*</u><br />
<br />
<b>Reading Challenges</b><br />
<a href="../../2009/11/reading-challenges-2010.html#atoz">A to Z Challenge (2010)</a> → P for Poison<br />
<a href="../../2009/11/reading-challenges-2010.html#atoz">TwentyTen Challenge (2010)</a> → Win! Win!<br />
<a href="../../2009/11/reading-challenges-2010.html#atoz">What's in a Name? Challenge (2010)</a> → Food (Poison)<br />
<a href="../../2009/11/reading-challenges-2010.html#series2nd">2nd in Series Challenge (2010)</a> → Marla Mason Seriesnineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-48375059207540619772010-11-03T00:07:00.003-04:002010-11-03T00:58:20.577-04:00Wishlist Wednesday: Slice of Cherry<center><div class="wishlistwed"></div></center><br />
A weekly event on my blog where I post about books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted by <a href="http://www.bookchickcity.com" target="_blank">Book Chick City</a> & <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Slice-Cherry-Dia-Reeves/dp/1416986200?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YbwE0eSCL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7812107" target="_blank">Slice of Cherry</a><br />
<u>by Dia Reeves</u><br />
release date: 4 January 2011<br />
<blockquote class="special">Happiness is a bloody knife.<br />
Kit and Fancy Cordelle are sisters of the best kind: best friends, best confidantes, and best accomplices. The daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy are used to feeling like outsiders, and that’s just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around.<br />
It’s no surprise when Kit and Fancy start to give in to their deepest desire—the desire to kill. What starts as a fascination with slicing open and stitching up quickly spirals into a gratifying murder spree. Of course, the sisters aren’t killing just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught. So when Fancy stumbles upon a mysterious and invisible doorway to another world, she opens a door to endless possibilities...</blockquote><br />
<b>Why it's on my wishlist</b><br />
It's like a scary movie, <b>from the killers' point of view!</b> The creepy sister killers! Plus, it's Dia Reeves, and Portero is the most amazing kind of town *__*<br />
I'm unsure how to classify the cover, not as spectacular as Bleeding Violet of course...and I kind of wanted something with BLOOD RED ALL OVER lol...but the understated amount of blood works too?<br />
<br />
<u>Giveaway Reminder</u><br />
If you haven't signed up for my current giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">1st blogoversary giveaway</a>, now with <b>3 winners!</b>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-65117747227533547512010-11-02T00:06:00.000-04:002010-11-01T23:06:17.517-04:00Teaser Tuesday: Changeless<center><div class="teasertues"></div></center><br />
Just grab your current read, open to a random page, and share a few "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. <b>BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!</b> Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!<br />
<font size="1">(hosted at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Should Be Reading</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Changeless-Parasol-Protectorate-Gail-Carriger/dp/0316074144?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518kB6-xMfL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" hspace="15"></a><blockquote><span class="bqstart">“</span><font class="special">Alexia Maccon was known as a lady of regal bearing and not much more. Society generally considered her looks too swarthy to give much credence despite her rank. Alexia, herself, had always believed good posture was her last best hope and was proud to have acquired the "regal bearing" epithet. This morning, however, blankets and pillows thwarted her; she could only flounder gracelessly up to her elbows, her backbone as limp as a noodle.</font><br />
<font size="1">from chapter 1 of <b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6933876" target="_blank">Changeless</a> by Gail Carriger</b></font></blockquote><br />
Ms. Carriger really has a way with quirky wording. There are not many books these days where I love the writing as much as I love the plot, but the Parasol Protectorate series comes damn close.<br />
<br />
<u>Giveaway Reminder</u><br />
If you haven't signed up for my current giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">1st blogoversary giveaway</a>, now with <b>3 winners!</b>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-76263953485898453972010-11-01T00:14:00.000-04:002010-10-31T23:16:16.942-04:00Monday Reading 2010/11/01<center><br />
<div class="mondayreading"></div></center><br />
A weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted weekly by <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Book Journey</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">Currently Reading</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><b><u>Downtime</u> by Tamara Allen</b></li>
<li><b><u>Warchild</u> by Karin Lowachee</b></li>
<li><b><u>Bleeding Violet</u> by Dia Reeves</b></li>
</ul><br />
<b class="booktitle">Weekly Summary</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><a href="../../2010/10/award-life-is-good.html">award: Life is Good</a></li>
<li><a href="../../2010/10/ya-novel-discovery-contest.html">YA Novel Discovery Contest</a></li>
<li><a href="../../2010/10/wishlist-wednesday-huntress.html">Wishlist Wednesday: Huntress</a></li>
<li><a href="../../2010/10/cover-cravings-9-wings.html">Cover Cravings #9: Wings</a><br />
angel wings, fairy wings, animal wings</li>
<li><a href="../../2010/10/saturday-screening-summer-2010.html">Saturday Screening: Summer 2010</a><br />
recent screenings: 10 | anticipated screenings: 2</li>
<li><a href="../../2010/10/just-call-merita-giveaway-winners.html">Just Call Me...Rita Giveaway Winners!</a></li>
<li><a href="../../2010/10/in-my-mailbox-101031.html">In My Mailbox 2010/10/31</a></li>
</ul><br />
<b class="booktitle">Current Giveaways</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">Giveaway: My 1st Blogoversary!</a><br />
3 prizes ; 3 winners ; international ; ends 11/14 at 11:59PM</li>
</ul><br />
Lots of posts this week, though none are reviews...I'm still working on a new layout for my blog revamp, so keep an eye out for that soon =)nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-20609080726026431452010-10-31T12:08:00.000-04:002010-10-31T13:30:28.264-04:00In My Mailbox 10/10/31<center><br />
<div class="inmymailbox"></div></center><br />
Each week I will post a list of the books I've borrowed, received, or bought. I will keep a weekly tally in each post, as well as a yearly one on the sidebar. All books with PoC themes/authors will be listed for the "New Crayons" meme.<br />
All prices are listed in Canadian dollars.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted weekly by <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com" target="_blank">The Story Siren</a> / <a href="http://printedpage.us" target="_blank">The Printed Page</a>; New Crayons by <a href="http://coloronline.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Color Online</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<center><img class="frame" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-NRqM9j8bvAa1vQU4B4KwKhZyHfnRA_Fzi_yTKoxCLLlcA5-QtA2LGbrZU301YO_zcfQfFY40y38KwANZMb_zLiGWCfAPY_wrcx-l7qgPvl0GLc0uQzY9Ztt-ml_BEeMd2YkptBoovkC/" /><br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">Tally for 2010/10/31</b><br />
Borrowed: 0<br />
Received: 2<br />
Bought: 0<br />
<b>Total Cost: $0.00</b></center><br />
<a name='more'></a>Happy Halloween everyone! Got two out of the three books I won from author Lauren Bjorkman's giveaway, plus some awesome My Invented Life swag (a book cover, a bookmark, and some post-its)! I love the cover *__*<br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Changeless-Parasol-Protectorate-Gail-Carriger/dp/0316074144?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518kB6-xMfL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<b>Parasol Protectorate #2:</b><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6933876" target="_blank">Changeless</a><br />
<u>by Gail Carriger</u><br />
<blockquote><font class="special">Alexia Tarabotti, now Lady Maccon, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears -- leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.<br />
But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her into the backwaters of ugly waistcoats, Scotland, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only a soulless can.<br />
She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.</font><br />
<br />
Can't wait to flip this one open, I adored Soulless ♥<br />
<b>Won from <a href="http://laurenbjorkman.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Lauren Bjorkman</a></b></blockquote><br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Blood-Poppy-Z-Brite/dp/0440214920?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71X6YFN3R1L._SX106_.gif" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47588" target="_blank">Drawing Blood</a><br />
<u>by Poppy Z. Brite</u><br />
<blockquote><font class="special">Robert McGee is a man living under a dark cloud. Acclaimed cartoonist of the underground comic book Birdland, he has moved his family from Texas to New Orleans and finally to Missing Mile, North Carolina. But Robert is unable to escape the drinking and the violence that have become as natural to him as breathing. Soon after he and his family settle into a decrepit farmhouse, Robert kills his wife, his younger son, and then himself. Only his five-year-old son, Trevor, is left alive. Twenty years later Trevor McGee, also a cartoonist, returns to Missing Mile to the house in which his family once lived. He has been running from the truth for years, and finally realizes he must face his demons. He fears that what happened to his father will happen to him. But if it does, Trevor thinks, at least I won't have anyone to kill. Then he befriends Zachary Bosch, a computer hacker from New Orleans running from the law. In the house, which Trevor calls Birdland, they must confront much more than bad memories. For the house itself carries its own dark force, which threatens to envelop Trevor in the past and destroy him.</font><br />
<br />
Looks like a perfect horror novel, with computer hackers! Plus I'd love to see how Trevor and Zach's relationship works out in this haunted setting.<br />
<b>Won from <a href="http://laurenbjorkman.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Lauren Bjorkman</a></b></blockquote><br />
<u>Giveaway Reminder</u><br />
If you haven't signed up for my current giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">1st blogoversary giveaway</a>, now with 3 winners!nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-80518734408809301592010-10-31T02:47:00.004-04:002010-10-31T13:33:48.361-04:00Just Call Me...Rita Giveaway Winners!<center><a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0981060412?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0981060412"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31s0m30uJ%2BL._SX106_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />
<br />
<u>Thanks to everyone who participated in my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-just-call-merita-book-1983-by.html">first hosted giveaway!</a> Here are the 3 WINNERS as chosen by Random.org!</u><br />
<br />
<b class="special">1ST WINNER<br />
<font class="booktitle">#51 Salatiel Júnior</font></b><br />
@ <a href="http://memybookshelfandi.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Me, My Shelf and I</a><br />
<br />
<b class="special">2ND WINNER<br />
<font class="booktitle">#107 Betty</font></b><br />
@ <a href="http://reflectionswithcoffee.com/" target="_blank">Reflections with Coffee</a><br />
<br />
<b class="special">3RD WINNER<br />
<font class="booktitle">#9 amandasue</font></b></center><br />
<br />
I've emailed the winners to confirm/request their mailing information, and they have 48 hours (2 days) to respond (if they haven't given me their address already) before I'll have to choose new winners.<br />
<br />
Thanks again to the publisher <b>JD Rosy</b> for letting me host this giveaway!<br />
<br />
<b class="special">HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!</b><br />
<br />
Also, if you haven't checked it out already, I'm celebrating my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">1st blogoversary giveaway</a>, now with <b>3 winners!</b>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-64947082616820779522010-10-30T03:52:00.003-04:002010-10-30T05:28:31.601-04:00Saturday Screening: Summer 2010<center><div class="satscreen"></div></center><br />
A monthly meme where I post about movies I've recently watched and ones I'm dying to see. I'll do a mini ★ review for each movie I've seen, and express in ♥s how excited I am for trailers of movies soon to be released. See all of my movie reviews <a href="../../p/movie-reviews.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Recent Screenings:</b> 10<br />
<b>Anticipated Screenings:</b> 2<br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Man-Single-Disc-Robert-Downey/dp/B003UYV08E?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518O1mFDh6L._SL75_.jpg"></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Day-Single-Disc-Tom-Cruise/dp/B002ZG9864?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vPCX2P9YL._SL75_.jpg"></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Unthinkable-Samuel-L-Jackson/dp/B003HTSJAY?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512BtWdvk8L._SL75_.jpg"></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Accident-Blu-ray-Louis-Koo/dp/B0030BKN8A?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fKLSRHXcL._SL75_.jpg"></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Alice-Wonderland-Johnny-Depp/dp/B001HN694K?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/618uZRUCKkL._SL75_.jpg"></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/2010-Japanese-Movie-Final-Stage/dp/B00447R6NO?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TeXNkEosL._SL75_.jpg"></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Step-Up-Widescreen-Channing-Tatum/dp/B000J3OTSM?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513bWp9SrkL._SL75_.jpg"></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Step-Up-Streets-Robert-Hoffman/dp/B0012QCZ54?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61vb%2BCeA2LL._SL75_.jpg"></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Step-Up-3-Sharni-Vinson/dp/B004529NKC?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iLCbOM4ZL._SL75_.jpg"></a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Returns-Chizuru-Ikewaki/dp/B0006J28BO?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y9GA5ZTPL._SL75_.jpg"></a><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b class="booktitle">Recent Screenings</b><br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518O1mFDh6L._SL150_.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5"><br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228705/">Iron Man 2 (2010)</a> ★★★.5</b> - theatre<br />
<b>mini-review:</b> I was very disappointed in this sequel. I thought, with RDJ, nothing could go wrong...and I was sorta right. RDJ was AWESOME. the rest of the cast, not so much. the dialogue was a bit lifted-from-dramatic-comic-bubbles; the minor characters' acting was stilted (except for RDJ, who NEVER looks stilted in any role really); and the plot was more about emoing!Tony than anything else. I did like the Black Widow character, and Happy lol! the briefcase suit was MINDBOGGLING-Y WICKED, but might have somehow turned into the highlight of the movie...ohoh! I LOVED Whiplash's bird XD anyway, decent action movie, but doesn't live up to the amazingness that was the first<br />
<br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vPCX2P9YL._SL150_.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5"><br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1013743/">Knight and Day (2010)</a> ★★★</b> - theatre<br />
<b>mini-review:</b> admittedly I was a little ticked that I didn't get to watch Louis Koo's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535495/" target="_blank">Triple Tap</a> because my dad wanted to watch a brainless action movie (only slightly paraphrasing his words here)...well, I'm not really a Tom Cruise fan, but his character was hilarious in this movie, in the adorably CRAZY way. I liked that the girl wasn't a pushover, but I thought she was gonna be a spy or something too...and you'll need the typical action-movie suspension of belief that she would pick up firing guns THAT quickly; romance was a little cliched and I didn't like that he kept knocking her out, but the little "revenge" she got on him in the end slightly made up for it, heh<br />
<br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512BtWdvk8L._SL150_.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5"><br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914863/">Unthinkable (2010)</a> ★★★★</b><br />
<b>mini-review:</b> the only reason I watched this was because my dad borrowed it (he likes renting lots of action flicks for the weekend), and it's kind of funny how I got much more out of it than my dad did. this movie is very intense (though kinda unintentionally funny too, in the way that some of the characters are SUPER CLICHE DRAMA KINGS), it has torture (of the SHIELD YOUR CHILDREN'S EYES way) and lots of discussion on wartime morality. the woman is the embodiment of wartime empathy and sympathy, she's the one who has to step up and stop the men from doing things that make them monsters. the torturer asks the tough questions, but does as he's told, he's the anthropomorphized weapon that gets out of control. I liked the ambiguity the ending presented, is being "humane" worth it if you get thousands of people killed? is doing the unthinkable worth it, even if you save so many more lives? this may be because I study media theory and develop the habit to look at the deeper semantics behind every media text, but I was kind of disappointed the movie's message didn't seem to have sunk in for my dad at all. I was in a bit of tense state after that, because I know my dad doesn't like to overthink his entertainment and the friends of mine who could have talked it out with me were asleep halfway across the world...I got over it by looking up korean celebrity gossip.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fKLSRHXcL._SL150_.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5"><br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914863/">Accident (2009)</a> ★★★★★</b><br />
<u>country of origin: China/HongKong | actors of note: Louis Koo</u><br />
<b>mini-review:</b> OH MY GOD. this movie was AMAZING, though I can't say too much or it would spoil everything =X it had the nostalgia factor, filmed in that kind of "HongKong style" where it looks old but new. it had the LOUIS KOO factor ♥ (and surprise!Richie Ren) and it had the factor of INGENIOUS HOMICIDE PLANS THAT MASQUERADE AS "ACCIDENTS". I really wished there were more Accident Plans done by the group, but seriously, a paranoid assassin Louis Koo is worth anything. and wow, the ending was HEARTBREAK-inducing and release of TENSION all at once, I didn't see it coming (though maybe I should have). in very traditional HK style, they FORCE you to look at the complexities of the human condition, motivations, and conclusions. also, LOUIS KOO.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/618uZRUCKkL._SL150_.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5"><br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1013743/">Alice in Wonderland (2010)</a> ★★★★</b> - plane<br />
<b>mini-review:</b> I was a bit hesitant to watch this at first, but since it was available during my BORING-ASS 13-HOUR FLIGHT, I watched it. I'll have to say, Johnny Depp hasn't lost all his charms for me (though I'm never going to watch Pirates of the Caribbean 234234) and I ADORED the slightly sensitive Mad Hatter he portrayed. I liked Alice too, because she's snarky and don't care about defying social standards, and she wears a SUIT OF ARMOR YAY! I liked the Red Queen because she's evil but sad (though the fact that they BLENDED her together with the Queen of Hearts was very very stupid), and the White Queen because she's trying to be the "perfectly" gentle queen even though she's a bit crude lol; I don't really remember much about Through the Looking Glass so I'm not sure if the movie storyline follows it, but I enjoyed it as a wacky but relatable story (I refuse to watch movies in 3D lest my eyeballs break from the discomfort and my wallet breaks from the inflated ticket pricing)<br />
<br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TeXNkEosL._SL150_.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5"><br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1423953/">Liar Game: The Final Stage (2010)</a> ★★★★</b> - plane<br />
<u>country of origin: Japan | actors of note: Matsuda Shota</u><br />
<b>mini-review:</b> I still laugh myself silly over the DEAD ANIMAL living on MatsuSho's head, but still...ahh, I adored the Liar Game drama, Toda Erika is a perfect Nao, and her fearful trust dynamic with MatsuSho's Akiyama is great. as always, I loved the game itself, and just trying to imagine ways that the people will (and they DEFINITELY will) cheat - all the tension and suspense is delicious. of course, the fact that people BURST INTO MANIACAL LAUGHTER to REVEAL THEIR SECRET IDENTITY AS THE ENEMY gets old after the first FIVE TIMES it happens. I really wish the directors allowed their cast to tone down their DRAMA a bit, I would be able to take it more seriously and not snort all over myself that way...the little conclusion for Nao and Akiyama's relationship was really adorable too, though I liked the ambiguity of their mentor-keeper-friend relationship more...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513bWp9SrkL._SL150_.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5"><br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462590/">Step Up (2006)</a> ★★★★</b><br />
<b>mini-review:</b> I watched this after watching the sequel (Step Up 2), and it paled in comparison just a little, maybe because I like dance groups more than dance couples. either way, I loved Tyler's close friendship with Mac and Skinny, the comments made on how poverty makes you feel like you've got nothing to lose. I loved the short little scenes with Tyler and his fellow foster siblings, letting Camille sit with him when their foster parents argue. I loved Tyler and Nora being difficult but reluctantly curious about each other, and how Tyler turned into a great big puppy under Nora's disapproval. the mix of hip-hop music/dance and ballet was really really cool to watch too. I'm a little miffed at how Lucy's previous boyfriends all had to be jerks and she was all but pushed crying into Miles' arms, but I liked Miles so whatever. I also liked the reality of what happened to Skinny, how it was built up since the first scene, and how it affected the people around them and inspired them to rethink their future.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61vb%2BCeA2LL._SL150_.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5"><br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1023481/">Step Up 2 The Streets (2008)</a> ★★★.5</b><br />
<b>mini-review:</b> the best step up movie in my opinion, dancing-wise. plot-wise...first of all I really liked Andie, she's no Nora, she's the tough girl with the street connections and the bravado. Chase...was rather boring really. and then, there's ~*MOOSE*~ (or ~*Robert Alexander the Third*~). he's so wiry and nerdy-looking, but in such an adorable way, and then he starts DANCING and he becomes TOTALLY BADASS. his dance scenes are the ones I keep replaying over and over because they are MINDBLOWING and INTENSE. ahem, I also liked the group-dynamics, it's typical outcasts-gather-to-win-approval, but their friendship is cute, and I liked each and every one of them. not sure how I feel about Kido's accent joke, but she's an amazing dancer and doesn't seem to be particularly discriminated against. the Chase-Andie thing was a little...premature? they kinda just gravitated towards each other...I guess action movies don't really need to breed chemistry outside the UST caused by all the...action. I did like how the Sophie didn't end up just using Moose to get to Chase, their little romance was quite adorable. now, the issues I had: the whole idea of the video making fun of Tuck was just so CHILDISH and really, extremely uncalled for, no matter what his attitude was, I really didn't feel sympathy for what happened to Chase after; while I do like the idea of "taking dancing back to the streets, where it originated", I'm not sure how I feel about the white people preaching this to the black people, who invented breaking as a way to battle oppression...the whole 180 change in parental approval thing and swimming through crowds for a final kiss scenes were a bit cliche seeing the second time around<br />
<br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iLCbOM4ZL._SL150_.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5"><br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193631/">Step Up 3D (2010)</a> ★★.5</b><br />
<b>mini-review:</b> the ONLY reason this movie didn't fail was because ~*Moose*~ was in it, and it had the group dances again. EVERYTHING ELSE SUCKED. the main romance was so FORCED, I KNEW what Natalie was before the supposed "big reveal" because it was SO OBVIOUS. and speaking of, her and Camille were pretty useless female characters, both lead around by their noses by their men. I really didn't care at all about Luke and his puddle of emo (I liked Kid Darkness, an "evil" side character who appeared for like, 5 minutes, MORE than I like Luke); unlike Step Up 2, the ensemble here didn't strike a chord with me at all, they were just a random group of people who didn't have particularly developed personalities; plot and character development seemed to just be OVERSHADOWED by the OMG! 3D DANCING ACTION! even some ideas were recycled from Step Up 2 (ex. Moose's water dance). plus, the whole side plot where Moose gives up school to come to underground dance competitions is just way too irresponsible, to himself, Camille, and his parents (add onto the fact that Luke practically COMMANDS him to do it); STILL, redeeming qualities: Moose and Camille's little best-friend-turned-lovers side plot was kind of cute, and their duet was a little adorable (AND OMG THE ASIAN KID WAS HILARIOUS). Moose turning his BADASS NERDAGE on the people making fun of him. Moose's WATER DANCE (because it's still awesome even if it's reused). the Robot Dancer. Step Up 2 ensemble's cameo! the actual dancing (it's pretty good, and the light show was pretty). the "last-minute show of support" thing and "kissing after moving through a crowd" is getting ridiculous in its repetition through these movies though.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y9GA5ZTPL._SL150_.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5"><br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0347618/">The Cat Returns (2002)</a> ★★.5</b><br />
<u>country of origin: Japan</u><br />
<b>mini-review:</b> I thought it would be good, since it was produced by Studio Ghibli, but I was wrong. this must be what a condensed version of Spirited Away for the attention-span challenged must be like. the plot is confusing at best and rushed at most-of-the-other-times, the main character becomes an Uber Damsel in Distress: she's FORCED into marriage to a cat that she saved, TURNED into a cat, and then RESCUED by an animated cat statue. the evil guys are evil and brainwashed and creepy and loony, the good guy is chivalrous, the fat cat is made fun of, and they all get saved by a deux ex machina BRIDGE MADE OF CROWS...on the plus side, the animation is GORGEOUS and SMOOTH and NATURAL. that's about the only thing I liked though.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">Anticipated Screenings</b><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0926084/">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (November 2010)</a> → anticipation: ♥♥♥.5</b><br />
<center><br />
<object width="432" height="266"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_EC2tmFVNNE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_EC2tmFVNNE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="432" height="266"></embed></object></center><br />
well, I never read the last Harry Potter book, mostly because I suddenly realized that I really didn't like the Trio and their self-righteousness, and because everyone said the epilogue sucked lol. also, because Draco apparently doesn't appear in it for much, and since he's my favourite character, I decided to just wait for the movie. it seems he's not in part 1 much though, so I'm only really going to watch this for sake of completion. argh, part 2 comes out NEXT YEAR. WHYYYY?<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092026/">Paul (March 2011)</a> → anticipation: ♥♥♥♥♥</b><br />
<center><br />
<object width="432" height="266"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XPBPAGo-Qn8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XPBPAGo-Qn8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="432" height="266"></embed></object></center><br />
LOVED Shaun of the Dead, LOVED Hot Fuzz, WILL DEFINITELY LOVE Paul ♥<br />
I'm curious as to what flavor icecream this movie will be ;D<br />
<br />
<u>Giveaway Reminder</u><br />
If you haven't signed up for my two giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-just-call-merita-book-1983-by.html">1st hosted giveaway</a> (ends tonight!) and my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">1st blogoversary giveaway</a>!nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-52941517419777672652010-10-29T13:30:00.000-04:002010-10-29T13:30:41.738-04:00Cover Cravings #9: Wings<center><div class="covercravings"></div></center><br />
A weekly feature on my blog where I post up cover images that fit a weekly theme - art styles, artists, colour schemes, etc. In essence, this is a meme that celebrates book covers as pieces of art. Covers link to larger images and titles to goodreads summaries.<br />
<br />
<b>This week's theme:</b> <font class="booktitle">Wings</font><br />
angel wings, fairy wings, animal wings<br />
<br />
<div class="subdivide">Examples</div><br />
<br />
<center><b class="booktitle">1) angel wings</b><br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41wniX9uXSL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41wniX9uXSL._SL150_.jpg"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KaAz4fJbL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KaAz4fJbL._SL150_.jpg"></a> <a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1288207203l/7933598.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1288207203l/7933598.jpg" height="150"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Fk-VuOUrL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Fk-VuOUrL._SL150_.jpg"></a><br />
<b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6339664">hush, hush</a> by Becca Fitzpatrick<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6752764">A Madness of Angels</a> by Kate Griffin<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7933598">Awakened (House of Night)</a> by P.C. Cast<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8841174">Awakened (Guardian Legacy)</a> by Ednah Walters</b><br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FY%2Bro7pxL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FY%2Bro7pxL._SL150_.jpg"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Pp7gZIqyL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Pp7gZIqyL._SL150_.jpg"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CrUFAYbtL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CrUFAYbtL._SL150_.jpg" height="150"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SaDjX4J%2BL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41SaDjX4J%2BL._SL150_.jpg"></a><br />
<b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7991200">Angel</a> by L.A. Weatherly<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7778981">Halo</a> by Alexandra Adornetto<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6070065">Jonas / Beautiful Dead Series</a> by Eden Maguire<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8373527">Mercy</a> by Rebecca Lim</b><br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">2) fairy wings</b><br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JhSfp94oL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JhSfp94oL._SL150_.jpg"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515lUbClKjL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515lUbClKjL._SL150_.jpg"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nWy7RAXRL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nWy7RAXRL._SL150_.jpg"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-sb5VAVFL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-sb5VAVFL._SL150_.jpg"></a><br />
<b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6383491">Blackbringer (Dreamdark #1)</a> by Laini Taylor<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6377125">Silksinger (Dreamdark #2)</a> by Laini Taylor<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3817859">Eyes Like Stars</a> by Lisa Mantchev<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3112824">Spell Hunter / Knife</a> by R.J. Anderson</b><br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">3) animal wings</b><br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GZ6KTSSZL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GZ6KTSSZL._SL150_.jpg"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KR%2BmSZe-L.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KR%2BmSZe-L._SL150_.jpg" height="150"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41vyvPQfl6L.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41vyvPQfl6L._SL150_.jpg" height="150"></a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IpIExqbQL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IpIExqbQL._SL150_.jpg" height="150"></a><br />
<b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176796">The Black Swan</a> by Mercedes Lackey<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1986012">Firebird</a> by Mercedes Lackey<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4556058">The Last Olympian</a> by Rick Riordan<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7507951">Pegasus</a> by Robin McKinley</b><br />
</center><br />
<br />
<div class="subdivide">My Thoughts</div><br />
<br />
There are a lot of black wings going around for guys, they're large, dark and spikey, and/or attached to a ripped torso - symbolizing power. For the girls, the wings are wispy and small. While it's quite impossible to attach them to a ripped torso without bordering on indecency in their case, the girls are usually wearing dresses or skirts - usually very effeminate and soft. I would really like to see some more badass-looking female angel wings - though the cover for Angel by L.A. Weatherly does make the girl look less delicate.<br />
I'm kind of confused why the wings for the girl in the Dreamdark covers shrinks in size when she's beside a male fairy. It's fine if it's plot-specific, but if it's just to make the guy seem more powerful (admittedly, in butterfly wings), I'm a bit disappointed at the artist.<br />
I would commend the artists for the two Lackey books that make the female characters' wings seem both delicate and powerful. The comparison between the two Pegasus covers also makes me think of the treatment of them as "transportation tool" or "equal", as well as whether the creatures' willingness to carry their rider factors into this...<br />
<b>As always, feel free to leave your opinions and examples in the comments!</b><br />
<br />
<u>Giveaway Reminder</u><br />
If you haven't signed up for my two giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-just-call-merita-book-1983-by.html">1st hosted giveaway</a> and my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">1st blogoversary giveaway</a>!<br />
<b class="booktitle">I've reached 200 followers! This means there will be THREE winners in my blogoversary giveaway!</b>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-73109736457963293762010-10-27T00:01:00.001-04:002010-10-27T00:01:34.819-04:00Wishlist Wednesday: Huntress<center><div class="wishlistwed"></div></center><br />
A weekly event on my blog where I post about books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted by <a href="http://www.bookchickcity.com" target="_blank">Book Chick City</a> & <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Huntress-Malinda-Lo/dp/031604007X?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1287485678l/8175750.jpg" height="106px" align="left" border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8175750" target="_blank">Huntress</a><br />
<u>by Malinda Lo</u><br />
release date: 5 April 2011<br />
<blockquote class="special">Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn’t shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people’s survival hangs in the balance.<br />
To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Taninli, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls’ destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.<br />
The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo’s highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.</blockquote><br />
<b>Why it's on my wishlist</b><br />
A fantasy quest with strong, teenage girls in the leading roles! Sweet romance between friends-by-circumstance! Chinese influences! Fierce Asian face on the cover!<br />
I admit I haven't read my copy of Ash yet, but it's definitely been bumped up to the Must Read Immediately spot on my TBR pile.<br />
<br />
<u>Giveaway Reminder</u><br />
If you haven't signed up for my two giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-just-call-merita-book-1983-by.html">1st hosted giveaway</a> and my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">1st blogoversary giveaway</a>!nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-78175637907282057662010-10-26T20:27:00.000-04:002010-10-26T20:27:11.059-04:00YA Novel Discovery ContestJust passing on word of this great novel-writing contest! If anyone's working on NaNoWriMo this year, you might be interested in this contest too =)<br />
<br />
<center><b class="booktitle">YA Novel Discovery Contest</b><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1PYGaN" target="_blank">Get in Front of Top YA Editors and Agents with ONLY the First 250 Words of Your YA Novel!</a></span></center><br />
<img src="http://www.writingclasses.com/art/BookCovers/Brooks-WritingforYA-SM.jpg" align="left" hspace="10px" vspace="5px" /><br />
<u>No query? No pitch? No problem!</u><br />
<br />
Have a young adult novel—or a YA novel idea—tucked away for a rainy day? Are you putting off pitching your idea simply because you’re not sure how to pitch an agent? No problem! All you have to do is submit the first <b>250 words</b> of your novel and you can win both exposure to editors, and a reading of your manuscript from one of New York’s TOP literary agents Regina Brooks.<br />
<br />
<b>Regina Brooks</b> is the founder of <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CAsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.serendipitylit.com%2F&ei=zmzfSvvKLtXZlAfjlZBD&usg=AFQjCNGdFXWhMooWhx_A4kczOS_oBQSf5g&sig2=S1kPuBB2jvsKjc18gQaKgA" target="_blank">Serendipity Literary Agency</a> and the author of <i><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Writing-Great-Books-for-Young-Adults/Regina-Brooks/e/9781402226618" target="_blank">Writing Great Books for Young Adults</a></i>. Brooks has been instrumental at establishing and building the careers of many YA writers, including three-time National Book Award Honoree and Michael Printz Honoree Marilyn Nelson, as well as Sundee Frazier—a Coretta Scott King Award winner, an Oprah Book Pick and an Al Roker book club selection. As an agent, she is known for her ability to turn raw talent into successful authors.<br />
<br />
<u>ADDITIONALLY:</u> The top 20 submissions will all be read by a panel of five judges comprised of top YA editors at <b>Random House, Scholastic, Candlewick, Harlequin, Sourcebooks and Penguin</b>. The first 100 will receive free autographed copies of <i>Writing Great Books for Young Adults</i> by Regina Brooks. Of the 20, they will pick the top five submissions and provide each author with commentary. These five winners will also receive a free ONE YEAR subscription to <i><a href="http://www.writermag.com/" target="_blank">The Writer</a></i> magazine. <b>ONE Grand Prize Winner</b> will win a full manuscript reading and editorial <b>consultation</b> from Regina Brooks and free 10-week writing course courtesy of the Gotham Writer’s Workshop.<br />
<br />
Please submit all entries via the contest website at <a href="http://www.writingclasses.com/ContestPages/YAPitch.php" target="_blank">WritingClasses.com/YAPitch</a>. One entry per person; anyone age 13+ can apply. Open to the U.S. & Canada (void where prohibited). Entries for the YA Novel Discovery Contest will be accepted from 12:01am (ET) November 1 until 11:59pm (ET), November 30th<br />
<br />
<u>NOVEMBER IS NaNoWriMo</u><br />
In honor of National Novel Writing Month (<a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo.org</a>) — an international event where aspiring novelists are encouraged to write an entire novel in 30 days — this contest is meant to encourage the aspiring YA author to get started on that novel by offering an incentive for completing the first 250 words.<br />
<br />
So <b>enter</b> now! <a href="http://bit.ly/YAContest" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/YAContest</a><br />
<br />
<u>GREAT PRIZES</u><br />
<b>The Grand Prize Winner</b> will have the opportunity to submit an entire manuscript to YA literary agent Regina Brooks AND receive a free, 10-week writing course, courtesy of Gotham Writers' Workshop.<br />
<br />
<b>The Top Five Entrants</b> (including the Grand Prize winner) will receive a 15-minute, one-on-one pitch session with Regina Brooks, one of New York’s premier literary agents for young adult books. They will also receive commentary on their submissions by editors at HarperCollins, Penguin, Harlequin, Random House, and Sourcebooks. In addition, they will receive a year’s subscription to <a href="http://www.writermag.com/" target="_blank">The Writer</a> magazine!<br />
<br />
<b>The Top 20 Entrants</b> will receive autographed copies of <b><i><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/bookSearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=9781402226618&lkid=J14965206&pubid=K117912&byo=1" target="_blank" title="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/bookSearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=9781402226618&lkid=J14965206&pubid=K117912&byo=1">Writing Great Books for Young Adults</a></i></b> by Regina Brooks.<br />
<br />
<u>JUDGING</u><br />
YA literary agent Regina Brooks and her team, will read all of the entries and determine the top 20 submissions. These submissions will then be read by Nancy Mercado, Executive Editor at <b>Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan); Nicole Raymond, Editor at Candlewick; Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur Levine Books (Scholastic); Leila Sales, Editor Viking (Penguin) Evette Porter, Editor at Harlequin and Leah Hultenschmidt, Executive Editor at Sourcebooks</b>. These judges will whittle the top 20 down to five, and each of the five winners will be provided commentary on their submissions.nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-89955367255553617012010-10-26T13:00:00.000-04:002010-10-27T15:34:25.294-04:00award: Life is Good<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25dgZKEO2EBvFIwniQKR9xxv5HnqQhL_eCShL8jdQZBqAgIZSCI_lnrS9cjqw2fLcml2AO4JOsf_G0iPAKB1CFygc9kLwAbenOOE3_eFKQBb6xw61ZwcqS0LYIzJ1Iw6Aq96kOKF8L4Dd/s150/award-lifeisgood.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="5" /><br />
<u>1. Thank and link back to the person that gave this award.</u><br />
<b>Thanks to <a href="http://missyreadsreviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-awards.html">Missy's Reads & Reviews</a> for this award!</b><br />
<br />
<u>2. Answer the 10 survey questions.</u><br />
<br />
<b>o1. If you blog anonymously are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?</b><br />
I'm not sure if I count as anonymous. I do use Angel as my "official" English name, and ninefly is my main screenname. I do keep anonymous on my other journals (ex. my translation journal) where I don't feel very social.<br />
<br />
<b>o2. Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side:</b><br />
whenever I'm searching for obscure files on the internet and REFUSE to use bittorrent files -- purely because I dislike them with a passion for no reason whatsoever.<br />
<br />
<b>o3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?</b><br />
I usually don't look at the mirror a lot (outside morning and night bathroom rituals), and I really hate having my photo taken, so sometimes my face looks a little foreign to me.<br />
<br />
<b>o4. What is your favourite summer cold drink?</b><br />
iced orange juice. with the orange bits in them. yum~<br />
<br />
<b>o5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?</b><br />
sleep. marathon tv shows.<br />
<br />
<b>o6. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it?</b><br />
get paid for doing something I enjoy (aka an Ideal Job).<br />
<br />
<b>o7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the shy person, or always ditching?</b><br />
the creepy silent class overachiever. apparently lots of people knew me because I got high grades.<br />
<br />
<b>o8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment of your life what would you see?</b><br />
kirito.<br />
<br />
<b>o9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?</b><br />
actually, I used to blog a lot about myself when I was a moody teenager, but I no longer possess the urge to spill my emo guts to the interweb. I personally see my opinions as part of my "true self", so I share whatever I need to say in my reviews.<br />
<br />
<b>1o. If you had the choice to sit down and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?</b><br />
I prefer amusing myself most of the time, so I guess reading. I spend most of my online time reading something or other (books, articles, dictionaries). phones are still essential since most of my family and friends live long distance. I prefer texting over calling most of the time though.<br />
<br />
<u>3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked to let them know about the award.</u><br />
<br />
Here are the latest 15 additions to my blogroll =)<b><br />
o1. <a href="http://amberinblunderland.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Down the Rabbit Hole</a><br />
o2. <a href="http://totalbookaholic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Confessions of a Bookaholic</a><br />
o3. <a href="http://bitsybling.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Bitsy Bling's Book Review</a><br />
o4. <a href="http://emiliebookworld.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Emilie's Book World</a><br />
o5. <a href="http://www.iceybooks.com/" target="_blank">Icey Books</a><br />
o6. <a href="http://misfitsalon.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Misfit Salon</a><br />
o7. <a href="http://myneuroticbookaffair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">My Neurotic Book Affair</a><br />
o8. <a href="http://www.readingangel.com/" target="_blank">Reading Angel</a><br />
o9. <a href="http://thebookishtype.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bookish Type</a><br />
1o. <a href="http://thefictionenthusiast.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Fiction Enthusiast</a><br />
11. <a href="http://happy-booker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Happy Booker</a><br />
12. <a href="http://romancebooksanonymous.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">YA Enthusiast</a><br />
13. <a href="http://jennys-books.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Dreaming</a><br />
14. <a href="http://www.abouthappybooks.com/" target="_blank">about happy books</a><br />
15. <a href="http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">My Reading Room</a></b>nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-10218602998884798622010-10-25T01:45:00.001-04:002010-10-30T16:01:33.326-04:00Monday Reading 2010/10/25<center><br />
<div class="mondayreading"></div></center><br />
A weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted weekly by <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Book Journey</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">Currently Reading</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><b><u>Downtime</u> by Tamara Allen</b></li>
<li><b><u>Warchild</u> by Karin Lowachee</b></li>
<li><b><u>Bleeding Violet</u> by Dia Reeves</b></li>
</ul><br />
<b class="booktitle">Weekly Summary</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><a href="../../2010/10/wishlist-wednesday-hold-me-closer.html">Wishlist Wednesday: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer</a></li>
</ul><br />
<b class="booktitle">Current Giveaways</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-just-call-merita-book-1983-by.html">Giveaway: "Just Call Me...Rita" BOOK 1983 by J.D. Rosy</a><br />
3 copies ; international ; ends 10/30 at 11:59PM</li>
<li><a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">Giveaway: Giveaway: My 1st Blogoversary!</a><br />
3 prizes ; 2 winners ; international ; ends 11/14 at 11:59PM</li>
</ul><br />
Okay, slacked off a little this week since I got a new Apple toy and have been fiddling with it nonstop. Got all my ebooks on there now and will be reading on-the-go! I'll be more productive this week, have a few half-finished reviews to post too.=nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-83231826497774508982010-10-20T01:38:00.001-04:002010-10-20T12:02:43.698-04:00Wishlist Wednesday: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer<center><div class="wishlistwed"></div></center><br />
A weekly event on my blog where I post about books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted by <a href="http://www.bookchickcity.com" target="_blank">Book Chick City</a> & <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Hold-Closer-Necromancer-Lish-McBride/dp/0805090983?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51L9SMcnF7L._SX106_.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8041873" target="_blank">Hold Me Closer, Necromancer</a><br />
<u>by Lish McBride</u><br />
release date: 12 October 2010<br />
<blockquote class="special">Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.<br />
Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces...or else. <br />
With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?</blockquote><br />
<b>Why it's on my wishlist</b><br />
I adore the title for some reason lol. Anyway, guy hanging between a choice between "good" or "evil" and the gathering of strangers into friends-by-circumstance appeals to me on many many levels. I'm really looking forward to the creepy-guy 8D<br />
<br />
<u>Giveaway Reminder</u><br />
If you haven't signed up for my two giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-just-call-merita-book-1983-by.html">1st hosted giveaway</a> and my <a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">1st blogoversary giveaway</a>!nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-52226861442652880082010-10-18T01:09:00.002-04:002010-10-30T16:01:45.993-04:00Monday Reading 2010/10/18<center><br />
<div class="mondayreading"></div></center><br />
A weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted weekly by <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Book Journey</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">Currently Reading</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><b><u>Downtime</u> by Tamara Allen</b></li>
<li><b><u>Warchild</u> by Karin Lowachee</b></li>
<li><b><u>Bleeding Violet</u> by Dia Reeves</b></li>
</ul><br />
<b class="booktitle">Movies Watched</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><b>Step Up</b> (2006)</li>
<li><b>Step Up 2 the Streets</b> (2008)</li>
<li><b>Step Up 3D</b> (2010)</li>
<li><b>The Cat Returns</b> (2002)</li>
</ul><br />
<b class="booktitle">Weekly Summary</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><a href="../../2010/10/wishlist-wednesday-dust-city.html">Wishlist Wednesday: Dust City</a></li>
<li><a href="../../2010/10/in-my-mailbox-20101017.html">In My Mailbox 2010/10/17</a></li>
</ul><br />
<b class="booktitle">Current Giveaways</b><br />
<ul class="list"><li><a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-just-call-merita-book-1983-by.html">Giveaway: "Just Call Me...Rita" BOOK 1983 by J.D. Rosy</a><br />
3 copies ; international ; ends 10/30 at 11:59PM</li>
<li><a href="../../2010/10/giveaway-my-1st-blogoversary.html">Giveaway: Giveaway: My 1st Blogoversary!</a><br />
3 prizes ; 2 winners ; international ; ends 11/14 at 11:59PM</li>
</ul><br />
Went out for the weekend so no new reviews this week. I did pick up the books I won over the summer though, and won another giveaway at <a href="http://laurenbjorkman.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Lauren Bjorkman's blog</a>! Watched all 3 Step Up movies, LOVED the first two, thought the 3rd played up the 3D-ness too much and lost its vision for the main couple (regardless, Moose was in it so I was happy). Will be reviewing them for the next Saturday Screening.nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7314848863821538013.post-51276110748831843932010-10-17T18:58:00.000-04:002010-10-17T18:58:19.760-04:00In My Mailbox 2010/10/17<center><br />
<div class="inmymailbox"></div></center><br />
Each week I will post a list of the books I've borrowed, received, or bought. I will keep a weekly tally in each post, as well as a yearly one on the sidebar. All books with PoC themes/authors will be listed for the "New Crayons" meme.<br />
All prices are listed in Canadian dollars.<br />
<font size="1">(hosted weekly by <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com" target="_blank">The Story Siren</a> / <a href="http://printedpage.us" target="_blank">The Printed Page</a>; New Crayons by <a href="http://coloronline.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Color Online</a>)</font><br />
<br />
<center><img class="frame" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsS3mwU9W3QycxZ6sryNguJWmKdOUQ2_V_IqhmWVjel-QBMWCb6DoO4cR4paPUNDSfKivLqgnExg9n4uNiEPolugGXobO1DN8flYe5pSMwf0Yhyl5XEpgq02Zlhfz8N_Gb4ku0W-o43S9i/" /><br />
<br />
<b class="booktitle">Tally for 2010/10/17</b><br />
Borrowed: 0<br />
Received: 5<br />
Bought: 0<br />
<b>Total Cost: $0.00</b></center><br />
<a name='more'></a>Went out this weekend and collected the books I won over the summer!<br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Spellmans-Strike-Again-Spellman-Mysteries/dp/1416593403?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51P2jYcLaGL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<b>The Spellmans #4:</b><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6571967" target="_blank">The Spellmans Strike Again</a><br />
<u>by Lisa Lutz</u><br />
<blockquote><font class="special">At the ripe old age of thirty-two, former wild child Isabel "Izzy" Spellman has finally agreed to take over the family business. And the transition won't be a smooth one. First among her priorities as head of Spellman Investigations is to dig up some dirt on the competition, slippery ex-cop Rick Harkey--a task she may enjoy a little too much. Next, faced with a baffling missing-persons case at the home of an aging millionaire, Izzy hires an actor friend, Len, to infiltrate the mansion as an undercover butler--a role he may enjoy a little much. Meanwhile, Izzy is being blackmailed by her mother (photographic evidence of Prom Night 1994) to commit to regular blind dates with promising professionals--an arrangement that doesn't thrill Connor, an Irish bartender on the brink of becoming Ex-boyfriend #12.<br />
At Spellman headquarters, it's business as unusual. Doorknobs and light fixtures are disappearing every day, Mom's been spotted crying in the pantry, and a series of increasingly demanding Spellman Rules (Rule #27: No Speaking Today) can't quite hold the family together. Izzy also has to decipher weekly "phone calls from the edge" from her octogenarian lawyer, Morty, as well as Detective Henry Stone's mysterious interest in rekindling their relationsh...well, whatever it was. Just when it looks like things can't go more haywire, little sister Rae's internship researching pro bono legal cases leads the youngest Spellman to launch a grassroots campaign that could spring an innocent man from jail--or land Rae in it. The Spellmans Strike Again is hands down the most hilarious, thrilling, and moving book in this bestselling, award-nominated series. And it proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Isabel Spellman, no matter how much she matures, will never be able to follow Rule #1: Act Normal.</font><br />
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Don't usually start a series on the last book, but I love how quirky this sounds.<br />
<b>Won from <a href="http://strange-and-random-happenstance.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Miss Eliza @ strange and random happenstance</a></b> *hardcover<br />
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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Paris-Pan-Takes-Dare-Cynthea/dp/B00394DOIE?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51qErj2qmBL._SX106_.jpg" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5509523" target="_blank">Paris Pan Takes the Dare</a> <b class="special">⇒ New Crayon!</b><br />
<u>by Cynthea Liu</u><br />
<blockquote><font class="special">So what if it’s a rite of passage for every seventhgrade girl in town to spend a night in the woods? Paris Pan only just moved here, the woods are supercreepy, and she has enough weirdness to deal with in her own family. Finding out a girl died mysteriously years ago while on the Dare—right near Paris’s new house, no less—is bad enough, but the unmistakably ghostlike noises coming out of the broken-down shed at the edge of the Pan’s property? Definite deal breaker.<br />
All Paris wants is to make friends, try to fit in, and not have to deal with a dead girl. But everyone has to take the Dare, and the new girl’s turn is up.</font><br />
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I rarely read middle-grade books, but multiple reviews alerted me to the cute family-ness in it and I couldn't resist =D Also got some adorable swag!<br />
<b>Won from <a href="http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Ari @ Reading in Color</a></b> *hardcover +signed!</blockquote><br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Man-2-Alexander-Irvine/dp/0446564583?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51xZT2BufOL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7679127" target="_blank">Iron Man 2</a> (novelization)<br />
<u>by Alexander Irvine</u><br />
<blockquote><font class="special">"I am Iron Man." With those words, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark revealed his secret identity. Now a famous high-tech superhero, he uses his powers to protect mankind. Yet things are not going well for Tony Stark. The U.S. military demands control of the most powerful weapon on earth--the Iron Man suit. His beautiful new assistant has a strange, mysterious agenda while his best friend, Rhodey, has betrayed him. And Tony is hunted by a vengeful Russian criminal armed with a lethal technology that may be stronger than Tony's suit. But even as he fights his demons, the hero faces his greatest threat--one that no armor can defend against...</font><br />
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Compared to the amazing first movie, IM2 was a bit disappointing on the script/dialogue/acting side for me (from everyone other than RDJ), maybe it works better in novel form?<br />
<b>Won from <a href="http://www.luxuryreading.com" target="_blank">Vera @ Luxury Reading</a></b></blockquote><br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Iron-King-Harlequin-Teen/dp/0373210086?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YsUdc9-rL._SX106_.jpg" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<b>Iron Fey #1:</b><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6644117" target="_blank">The Iron King</a> <b class="special">⇒ New Crayon!</b><br />
<u>by Julie Kagawa</u><br />
<blockquote><font class="special">Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy...and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart.</font><br />
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I do rather like the evil/dangerous fairy idea, plus, half-brothers and the rescuing of them by their sisters, yay!<br />
<b>Won from <a href="http://jojosbookcorner.blogspot.com" target="_blank">JoJo's Book Corner</a></b></blockquote><br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Home-End-World-Novel-Paperback/dp/B003FV7J0U?ie=UTF8&tag=storyonapage-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Iequ8WnRL._SX106_.jpg" align="left" hspace="15" vspace="5" /></a><br />
<a class="booktitle" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2137" target="_blank">A Home at the End of the World</a><br />
<u>by Michael Cunningham</u><br />
<blockquote><font class="special">Two lifelong friends in their 20s form a triangle with a young woman in New York City. When she becomes pregnant, the three move to the country to set up housekeeping in Woodstock, embarking on a daring voyage toward a new vision of what a family can be. </font><br />
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I've mentioned that I have a weakness for unique family dynamics right? Though I cheated and peeked at the last page...this might be a tragedy TAT<br />
<b>Mooched from BookMooch</b></blockquote><br />
Also, be sure to check out my two current giveaways! Both are international and have multiple winners =)nineflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07248914607640118555noreply@blogger.com10