The Anfractuous Bookaholic

Book Review: The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 07:10:00 +0000

Author: Deborah Harkness

Publisher: Penguin Books

Release Date: July 15, 2014

Page Count: 561

Chapter Count: 41

Source: Own

Format: Paperback

Read Between: June 23 - June 26, 2020

Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

What did the witches once discover? Why was the secret encoded in a mysterious manuscript called Ashmole 782 and then chased through the centuries by daemons, vampires, and the witches themselves? How can spellbound witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont fulfill their love and their mission, on contested ground and with the weight of their very different histories pulling them apart?

Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present - facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew's ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches - with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.

Opening Sentence: Ghosts didn't have much substance.

Review:

Warning: There may be Spoilers below!

To be 100% honest, I wanted to love this 3rd book in the All Souls Trilogy. In the end however, It just didn't fully pan out for me. Was it a good book? Yea, it was okay and had it's shining moments. But it also had a lot of parts that fell flat for me. Once more, just like from the second book, I felt like there were a lot of added elements in this book that didn't fully mesh with the characters that had been created from the first book. As well as elements added to other characters (*cough* Gallowglass's love interest *cough*), that really were just not needed. Also the death of a certain character, just didn't really seem necessary for the story building and felt more like it was done just to bring an element of struggle and or heartbreak to the characters to "show" them the real danger they are in for following the path that they are on. Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to author's killing off characters in a series, as long as that death truly has a purpose and helps to develop the story along, but this death really didn't serve much of a purpose but to just paint the two killers as more of a villain in the book (though this had already been accomplished in the first book).

By the end of the book, I was also no longer a fan of Matthew at the main male character of the book. I can understand keeping secrets, doing shading things, being over protective and "beast-like" towards your mate/significant other, especially when we are reading a book about paranormal creatures. But the way that Ms. Harkness did it with Matthew's character in 'The Book of Life', made Matthew come across as domineering, prick-like, underhanded and over.. untrustworthy. And while I understand that this in a lot of ways may have been done to really show how Matthew's "blood rage" really affected him, I was also not a fan of the whole "blood rage" idea when it was first introduced in the second book as it so clashed with the Matthew that was painted for us in the first book. It just really made it feel like Ms. Harkness did not fully understand all of her characters as she started writing this series and the farther along she got in writing the series, she just threw in other elements to the characters that she liked in the moment or came up with as the story developed that didn't follow along with what had already been established. Honestly, I was wishing for the "second" guy to get the girl, though of course at this point with Diana pregnant with twins this wasn't going to happen.

I didn't mind the secondary romances that popped up in this book and honestly hope that we get a better look into those romances (beyond the 4th book that I know is out there in the world for Marcus/Phoebe - of which I'd read mixed reviews on as well). Hopefully we get a book for Chris/Miriam (if that pans out) and something for Gallowglass and Fernando and especially Jack. Jack of all the characters in this entire series deserves SO much more happiness then Ms. Harkness has given him so far in this series.

Overall, though there were 3 main points that frustrated me in this series:

1 - The fact that Benjamin was built up as the "ultimate" villain to Matthew and Diana's happiness outside of the Covenant (that conveniently had a member that was a vampire/witch and descendent of Benjamin *eyeroll*) that Diana brought to their side to fight Benjamin. Why was it written in as such a necessity for them to get the Covenants "okay" to bring him down when they had already went against them in everything else (with them being together and having children together)... They are breaking the other "laws", why not break the others? But okay.. Anyways, my issue is that through the 3rd book, he's shown as the main character and a vampire who they have not been able to find in centuries since he was disowned by the de Clermont's... in within a few characters / days of them looking for him, they are able to track him down to his "lair" with his other children, infiltrate and murder his clan and Diana takes it out like it was nothing....

2 - Diana is all of a sudden a badass with her powers and in full control of them... Um.. did I miss something?? Like yea, she got some training when they were in 1590 in the second book, but by the end of that book when they went back to modern times, she was not in full control and still didn't fully understand her power or her firedrake's power. Also, for all intents and purposes, while she understood what controlled her bound magic (courtesy of her parents), she was still bound... how is a bound witch using all of her power like it's nothing??? I thought this was done to prevent a witch from using their power's ever again and yet... here she is using them. What is it??? Because she is this magical "rare" weaver, she's able to get around that rule. And by the end of the book without going through further training or control of her power, she's using it all to defeat Benjamin like it's nothing.... ummmm....

3 - This is my biggest pet peeve of the entire series.... Where's the end??? Or the over all wrap up...? We went through what was originally a TRILOGY, and at the end... SO MUCH IS LEFT UNANSWERED... What happens to Domenico and Gerbert?? Do they get what is coming for them? What happens to Satu, beyond having her power bound? What happens to the creatures as a whole if the Covenant is no longer in control to confine them from "keeping their distance from other creatures??". Is there a cure or fix for blood rage? What comes of dear, sweet Jack!!! I don't know if Ms. Harkness is planning on wrapping up a lot of things in the 4th book or if the 4th book was even planned as this is stated as a trilogy... But honestly if that is the case... why are you using Marcus/Phoebe's book to answer all these unanswered questions from Matthew/Diana's book? Things should be wrapped up in their storyline, that way the 4th book can focus on the story of Marcus/Phoebe and not on things that should have been wrapped up in the prior 3 books.

This series wasn't horrible and I've read a lot worse series then this... But honestly I don't feel like the 2nd two books in the trilogy really held up to the promise that the first book painted. Which is rather disappointing.

Teaser Tuesdays (22)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 08:19:00 +0000

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, that used to by MizB of Should Be Reading.

After coming back from blogging in 2012/13, I do not see that the meme is any longer being hosted.

So... I'm going to bring it back!! && host it here!!

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is...

Her small, milky eyes rake over me from the top of my head to my toes, and her mouth purses. "I thought it best we speak privately before you go and do something foolish," she says.

~Pg. 135, Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Book Review: Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 01:45:00 +0000

Author: Deborah Harkness

Publisher: Penguin Books

Release Date: July 10, 2012

Page Count: 577

Chapter Count: 42

Source: Own

Format: Paperback

Read Between: June 20 - June 23, 2020

Buy It: Amazon / B&N

A Discovery of Witches introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. Drawn to each other despite long-standing taboos, these two otherworldly beings found themselves at the center of a battle for a lost, enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782.

Book two of the All Souls trilogy plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies and subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew's old friends, the mysterious School of Night. The pair's mission is to find traces of Ashmole 782, but as the et of Matthew's past tightens around them they embark on a very different - and vastly more dangerous - journey.

Opening Sentence: We arrived in an undignified heap of witch and vampire.

Review:

*Sigh*... What can I say... As much as I really enjoyed reading 'A Discovery of Witches', the first book in the All Souls Trilogy, 'Shadow of Night' the second book in the series, just really was not my favorite. Now, don't get my wrong, there were parts of this book that I did rather enjoy, unfortunately though there were more parts that I really did not like. The biggest misstep for me with this second book in the series is I really did not feel as if it moved the story line along in a fashion that felt genuine to me and it actually worked more for me starting to dislike Matthew's character more then anything. The second reason for them to go to the past besides them hiding was to try and find the manuscript, and it took and yet I was through 2/3's of the book before a real attempt to find the book was even started. Also, I felt like there were a lot of elements that were added to Matthew's character that just really did not mesh with his character that was built up for him in the first book.

The start of the book worked just fine. It made sense for Diana and Matthew to escape to the past and for them to use her ability to time walk as a means for them to hide until she was able to built up her witchy strength and even for them to find some answers about Ashmole 782 that they couldn't find in their present times. It was a lot of events from the middle to the end that I didn't really care for.

And can I say, from the very beginning I did not like Kit Marlowe, which was rather disappointing as I went into this book thinking I was going to like the addition of his character. On top of that, why the hell did his character remain in the book after the first time that he betrayed his "best friend" Matthew. I understand why he did it, jealousy can be a deadly beast especially when its because of someone you "love". But as a vampire is supposedly so dang possessive of his mate/wife, why then did Matthew allow Kit to keep coming around after thy returned to London? I understand not messing up the time line (which was already being done regardless simply by them being in the past), but this allowed Kit to betray Matthew and Diana twice more, with the each one endangering Diana's life even more with each betrayal.

By far my favorite characters in this book, at least as new additions were Phillipe, Jack and Gallowglass (ohhh sweet Gallowglass... by the end of the book he was my favorite character of the series). In the section of the book that Diana and Matthew spent in France at Sept-Tours with Phillipe, I did not initially like the over-bearing character of Phillipe and his need for control over his whole family. However, as the book proceeded it became a lot more clear that he was doing what was best for his family and Matthew and making huge sacrifices to keep them safe. No one is perfect, and Phillipe by far has his faults, but in the end he was able to see farther into the future to do what was needed to protect his family, then even Diana or Matthew could (even with the being from the future). Sweet little Jack.. I loved how Diana gave him a chance and brought him into their little fold of a family in London. In his short life he has obviously experienced a lot of hardships and he deserves to finally have some measure of peace. Though I did have a feeling that we will some how be seeing more of Jack in the next book. He has become to entangled and a part of both Diana and Matthew for him to simply die out in the series. && gallant Gallowglass, being so excepting of Diana from the very beginning and trusting of Matthew (even knowing it was a different version of him then the one that it should have been).

While I understood them being in the past to hide the fact that the majority of the book also excluded the characters of the book that we came to love in the first one was also annoying, especially when the majority of the new characters that were introduced were not that interesting and knowing that they would not be around for the third book (except for a few), made it difficult to get invested in them. By half way through the book I was extremely frustrated with the passing of the book, Diana was supposed to be building up her power as a witch and finding a powerful witch(s) to train her (as well as finding the manuscript) and none of this had even been completed yet. I felt like I learned more about the history of 1590, then the book progressing and more of a story being written. I understand that Ms. Harkness is a historian, but I'm not reading a history book, I'm reading a paranormal romance, that is what I would like to be reading.

There were good parts to this book and I enjoyed Gallowglass and Jack and look forward to seeing how their characters development in the next book. But unfortunately there were more negatives then positives for me in this second book and by the last 100-150 pages I was just reading to get through the book not for the pleasure of the story.

Stacking the Shelves (7)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 04:51:00 +0000

Is a meme hosted by - Tynga's Reviews & Reading Reality

This is where you can showcase all the book(s) you got over the past week.!.

Happy Fourth of July Everyone!

I hope everyone has had a great day and that in some compacity you were all able to celebrate and enjoy the Holiday. Here in Arizona, where I currently reside, we have been having a spike in the virus over the last several weeks and most of the celebrations for us have been canceled. While I know it can get one down having to be secluded in ones homes, I like the saying "better safe then sorry"! I everyone reading this have been safe while still enjoying the Holiday. But, onto brighter and a much happier top... Below are the beautiful books that I have gotten over the past week.

Look at these beauties that I got! Funny enough though, it wasn't until I was loading these up for the blog post that I realized how dark of the covers are. Not necessarily the stories contained within the pages, but the front covers are definitely dark. But still so beautiful.

I am currently reading 'Serpent & Dove', and am really enjoying it so far. The moment I saw this book on the Goodreads website I was instantly drawn to it and after reading the synopsis about the book, I went and bought it that night from Amazon (along with the other 4). I'm currently on page 100 of about 500+ in the story and have already laughed out loud quite a few times. It is turning out to be a great debut book from writer Shelby Mahurin.

Below I will leave a link for all of the books to their Goodreads page if you would like to read more about them and see further reviews on them. =D

Serpent & Dove
Ash Princess
Sky in the Deep
The Light at the Bottom of the World
A Curse so Dark and Lonely

Stay safe everyone! & have a great day everyone! <3

Book Review: A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 07:33:00 +0000

Author: Deborah Harkness

Publisher: Penguin Books

Release Date: February 2011

Page Count: 579

Chapter Count: 43

Source: Own

Format: Paperback

Read Between: June 18 - June 20, 2020

Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

Deep in the heart of Oxford's Bodleian Library, Diana Bishop - a young scholar and the descendant of witches - unearths an enchanted alchemical manuscript. Wanting nothing to do with sorcery, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery has set a fantastical underworld stirring, and soon a horde of daemons, witches, and other creatures descends upon the library. Among them is the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire with a keen interest in the book. Equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense, A Discovery of Witches is a mesmerizing and addictive tale of passion and obsession that reveals the closely guarded secrets of an enchanted world.

Opening Sentence: The leather-bound volume was nothing remarkable.

Review:

I was first introduced to the All Souls world via Facebook, crazy enough. I kept scrolling past ads for a TV shows that showed magic (and witches) and kept catching my eye. So I finally downloaded the app and paid the small monthly fee and started watching the show. I binge-watched it in one day. Though, this wasn't necessarily a hard feet as it was only 8 episodes long, but I was hooked. And I wanted to know what else this world had to offer me. What can I say, I've always been a sucker for "forbidden" love stories. I knew going into the TV shows that it was a book series, so after loving the shows, I went on Amazon that night and bought the trilogy box set (much cheaper that way).

Then started the waiting game and twiddling of my thumbs waiting for it to arrive.

A Discover of Witches was my first book back into the world of imagination and the magic of paranormal storytelling since the long hiatus I have taken from reading. The last book I had read was back around 2017 (WAY to long for a lover of books and a person who dreams of being a published author... but unfortunately life can get in the way at times).. Anyways, onto the actual review.

I truly enjoyed A Discovery of Witches and the book (of course) went into so much more depth and explaining of the world, then the TV shows could in 8 episodes. Diana Bishop is a witch that is doing everything she can to deny her heritage and focus all of her energy on her academic career and to a certain point she is doing an amazing job of it (or so she thinks). She has a tragic childhood, like most heroines do, but still has a loving support system in her Aunt (and her partner). While Diana is doing research in Oxford, she happens upon a book that will change the course of her life. It is shortly after the events of her finding this book that we are introduced to Matthew Clairmont (vampire) who over the last several decades has been doing DNA research and trying to figure out something vital to him and all creatures (witches, vampires and daemons). Why is it that all creatures are slowly dying out? And wouldn't you know it, Matthew has been searching for the very book that Diana has just so happened upon, a book that many creatures have been searching for... not just for decades, but for centuries. This "spellbound" manuscript may be the very answer to saving all creatures, but it will only appear for Diana, and she wants nothing to do with it.

But now that other creatures are aware that the book has finally made a reappearance, some of them are aiming for Diana. Some will try and help her, some will try and force her, but it seems all of them want the book for their own devious reasons and not all of these are for the benefit of other creatures.

We come to find that the creatures of the All Souls series do not all get along and/or tolerate each other. There are long histories of grievances between "the races" and even laws against them having "inter-creature" relationship's. However as Diana's and Matthew's paths continue to cross and get intermingled with one another, a friendship is forged. Matthew quickly comes to figure out that there is something different about her and her magic and there is something not quite right (besides his desire of her and her blood... I am hello... he is a vampire... falling in love... we all know how vampires love that blood the most). And while Matthew is slowly convincing Diana to trust and work with him, and protecting her from creatures that mean to use her by force, Diana slowly comes to learn that maybe vampires are not the evil creatures that she has always been lead to believe they are. During this road to friendship, and a few funny/exciting/thoughtful outings together (their first time at Yoga being my favorite), Diana and Matthew come to truly trust one another, and then what do you know... a "forbidden" love is born. And the fight to defend themselves, their families and their right to love one another begins. Because their are a lot of powerful creatures out their aiming to tear them apart and to get their hands on the book that can change their world.

Overall this book was a great first book in the All Souls trilogy. It did a great job of introducing the characters, developing the relationships and building of the story, as well as really showing how the connection between Diana and Matthew turned from one of tentative friendship to that of a raging romance. However, I did feel like once they had committed to each other, it went from 20 to 80 all at once. It was like a slap in the face. I know love can be all encompassing and strong, easily in the beginning but this bordered on obsession territory. However, besides this small fact, Deborah Harkness' take on a world of hidden witches, vampires and daemons living upon us was a gem to read. There were similar parallels from other paranormal books I have read, but there was also enough of a difference to make it feel like a whole new world to delve into. There was plenty of action (some of which were heart-wrenching), especially when Diana was captured and tortured by her own fellow witches. As well as introduces to secondary characters that were relatable and helped progress the story along. I came out of this book truly enjoying it and it's characters and looking forward to reading the second book in the series. There were somethings in the book that didn't make a ton of sense and/or could have been improved upon, but they were minor and did not detract from the overall book.

I would highly recommend getting your hands on this one and getting to know Diana and Matthew, and the world that they live within. And once you complete it, watch the TV series as well. It is definitely well worth the read.

Stacking the Shelves (6)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 08:34:00 +0000

Is a meme hosted by - Tynga's Reviews

This is where you can showcase all the book(s) you got over the week.

This post will actually encompass the books that I have gotten over the last 2 weeks or so. This is my first post back on this blog since around 2012/2013 and I am extremely excited to be getting back into blogging and the reading community.

All Souls Trilogy

A Court of Thorns & Roses Series

At this time I have finished reading 4 of these books and will be working on getting the Book Reviews up. I am currently reading ACOMAF (in which I kinda ruined the big plot twist in the book and it's making it harder for me to read the book. I need to come to terms with the change, which so far I'm still no okay with, lol). I have some more books that will be arriving tomorrow from Amazon, but I will save those for next week's post. That post will also be back to being posted on Saturday's like Tynga does on her blog.

I hope you have all been well during this crazy time and can not wait to see the books you have all gotten your hands on.

W.W.W. Wednesdays (44)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:33:00 +0000

W.W.W. Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

To play simply answer the questions below:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead. It is the second book in her spin-off series VA series, Bloodlines. So far I am enjoying it. It is interesting getting to know Sydney's character even better as well as the development of Jill, Eddie, Adrian and Angeline. Of course, I think I would love anything that was written by the brilliant Richelle Mead, who happens to be my favorite YA author (even adult author) at the present time. I will be ordering The Indigo Spell (the 3rd book in the series) pretty soon, seeing how The Fiery Heart (the 4th book) will be coming out shortly in November. I can't wait to see where else this series has to take me.

I haven't currently finished any book. I just got back from a hiatus from reading. Due to a move and some family problems that popped up, I was unable to read like I had been. However, I am now back on a schedule to were my reading can once again be accomplished. Which is a good thing seeing as how I have 30+ books waiting for me to read them.

What do you think you'll read next?

Next, I am going to be reading Whispers at Moonrise by C.C. Hunter. It is the 4th book in the Shadow Falls series. One of my favorite series. An interesting fact (that I didn't think about until just currently) is that I actually just moved RIGHT outside of the place that this book takes place... Spring, Texas. I am less then a 20 minute drive from it. To think that vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, faeries... and other such beings live so very close to me... LOL. One day I will have to take a drive out there and see how it is. I look forward to reading this book. I was actually sent Chosen at Nightfall the 5th and final book in this series by St. Martin's Griffin themselves. An ARC copy of it. I am so incredibly honored by them that they would give me the chance to read it early. I am kinda bummed to see this series coming to an end as well though. However, I am sure the clever mind of Ms. Hunter will be coming out with another series to capture my fascination with soon enough.

What about all of you? What book(s) are you currently reading? What book(s) did you recently finish reading? What book(s) are you going to read next?

Comment below and be sure to leave me the links to your blogs so that I can go and check out your posts as well.

Top Ten Tuesday (21)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:04:00 +0000

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they will post a 'Top Ten List' for them and bloggers alike to answer and it's always a different list question to answer.

There is some music below for your enjoyment.

This week's Top Ten to answer is:

to read when you need something light and fun

I have a few different books that I light to read when I just need something light and funny. Below is a list of some of the ones I have enjoyed most... (In no particular order)

1. The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade:

This one was a fun enjoyable read. I actually enjoyed it a lot more then I was expecting to. It was sweet to see to completely different people coming together to understand one another and help each other out. As well as seeing (or reading in my case, lol) a romance blossoming between them. I have the next book in the series that I still need to get to. I look forward to reading it and seeing where Ms. Kade takes this sweet book.

2. Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Okay, so I know that this book doesn't have the best reputation. And I have read a lot of negative reviews on it. But for myself, I rather liked it. Just like the one above, I have the next book in the series that I have yet to get to, but I look forward to reading eventually. Team David all the way.

3. Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

LOL!! This book follows the same as the two above. It was a sweet enjoyable book, light and fluffy. One that I enjoyed more then I was expecting. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

4. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Granted this book would be considered a lot more serious then the three above it. I still find this one to be a really relaxing read for me. It's a book whose main character I can associate with and understand on a very personal degree, because a lot of the things that she goes through in this book I have experienced myself. I haven't gotten to any of Ms. Kenneally's other books based in this same universe but I look forward to reading them as well one day.

5. Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch

This one has a LOT more action and mayhem then the four above it. But it is just such a FUN read. As well as it's sequels. Ms. Koch is definitely my favorite author when it comes to right humorous books. Her writing style is ingenious when it comes to wittiness. If you are looking for a great laugh while still reading something with a ton of action, this series would definitely be my first suggestion for you.

>.> mmmm... Well it seems like once again I won't be able to complete a full list for you all. Making this list has made me realize that I don't really read many "light and fun" books. Most of the books I read have a lot of heavy elements to them. Maybe because each one teaches me something different so I don't mind the heavy elements that much.

What about all of you? What books do you read when you just need something light and fun? Be sure to leave your links below so that I can check out all of your lists.

Girl on Fire by the lovely Alicia Keys.

I've had this one stuck in my head for a few days.

Domo Arigato for visiting my blog.

Teaser Tuesdays (44)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is...

"A brief moment of peace in the midst of his dark despair. That was what I had wanted, and that was what I had gotten. Was it worth it? I rubbed my fingertips together, still feeling that warmth.

Yes, I decided. Yes, it was worth it."

~Pg. 159, The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

a LONG 2 Months. Sorry I have been away!!

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Sun, 05 May 2013 05:53:00 +0000

I am terribly sorry to all of my followers, friends, fellow bloggers, publishers and authors. I have been really bad with the up keep of The Anfractuous Bookaholic over the last few months. I had a death in the family that was really hard on myself as well as a lot of my family. Along with this my job schedule became really hectic and I was still dealing with moving to a different state. All in all it is fair to say that my life over the past 2 months has not been a lot of fun.

And unfortunately because of these events, my blog has suffered terribly. I haven't been able to post anything at all. Heck I haven't even read a single book in the past 2 months. I have over 30 books waiting on me to read them and I just found out today that I had more then 2 ARC Copies that were being held at my apartment complexes office and they never deemed it necessary to tell me that I have had packages waiting for me for an extended period of time.

However, I am going to make a promise, that from this point on The Anfractuous Bookaholic will be starting to pick herself back up and getting back into the run of things. We will start to follow and do our memes again, as well as post up reviews as I finish books (now that I am available to read again).

While I know this post can only do so much, I hope that you will all forgive my lapse these past 2 months. Running this blog is something that I have always greatly enjoyed doing and have been able to meet a ton of great people in the process. I look forward to running it again and winning back the trust of my followers. You all mean something very special to me.

I greatly look forward to the rest of this year and bringing you all great reviews and memes. I hope you are all doing well and have a very wonderful Week to come.

Sincerely,
Cassie

Phoebe Pope Blog Tour: Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four Book Review + An Author Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:50:00 +0000

HI LOVELIES!!!! I am so excited to be one of the stop's for the Blog Tour of Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four by the lovely Nya Jade. This Blog Tour is being hosted by Giselle @ Xpresso Book Tours. Today I have the great pleasure to bring you not only my review for Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four but also an amazing Author Interview with Nya. Enough with my ramblings go check out the awesomeness below.

Author: Nya Jade
Publisher: Dreamewell Publishing
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Page Count: 335
Source: Copy from Nya
Read Between: February 18 - February 20, 2013
Buy It: Amazon / B&N /

The students of Green Lane Academy roam their halls unaware that below their manicured campus exists a prestigious school of an entirely different kind . . .

Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Pope has enrolled at the Campus Below: a spy academy for shape-shifters hidden deep beneath the grounds of a boarding school whose humans unknowingly protect it. There, thanks to a carefully planned schedule, she leads a double life: spy trainee Below and normal teenager Above.

As if two course loads, concealing a secret power she alone wields, and coping with her father’s recent death weren’t enough, Phoebe finds herself developing major feelings for actor and teen heartthrob Colten Chase, who attends the Campus Above and appears to be majoring in winning Phoebe’s heart. But when officials learn that Phoebe may be at the center of a startling prophecy, she becomes the target of shape-shifting assassins who will stop at nothing to suppress the truth.

Now Phoebe’s lessons about Shaper’s enemies and spycraft take on great importance as a menace stalks the campus, with Phoebe as its target. Meanwhile, what began as an unlikely relationship with Colten, quickly morphs into heartache when she suspects that something sinister lurks beneath this movie star’s glitter and fame. Suddenly, Phoebe’s caught in a mesh of lies, betrayals, and danger where she doesn’t know who to trust, and needs to rely on herself - and her secret power - to get to the truth and to stay alive.

Review:

A school a shape-shifting spies that lurk under a seemingly normal school... Oh yea, I needed to read this one as soon as I heard about it. So I quickly signed up to join the Blog Tour for it. And I am thoroughly satisfied that I did.

I enjoyed all the characters in this read. Phoebe was an interesting lead character and I don't think I ever once found myself annoyed by her, which is hard because most lead characters usually annoy me some how. I even like Colten. Their blooming relationship was okay for me, I don't really like relationships where one person is instantly attracted or only has eyes for the other person, just doesn't seem real to me. But there may be a reason behind this as well... My lips are sealed though, I won't reveal any spoilers for those who haven't read this one yet.

There were a few points in this read were I kind of got a "I am Number Four" feel. Where there are a certain amount of "special" people with powers and a group is out to kill them and they must be protected at all costs, kinda feeling. But it didn't take away or distract from the read because there is still enough difference to it that it didn't feel like a copy of that book, either.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend it to other. Nya Jade is an absolute doll and I really look forward to reading more books from her. I can't wait until a sequel for this comes out so I can read where she is going to take up next in this wonderful adventure.

Now it's time for the Author Interview:

First, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Sure! Thank you so much for hosting me today! I'm grateful for this opportunity. I'm a soul/pop singer-songwriter as well as a debut author. A few years ago, I decided to take a break from my hectic music career. But after years of writing songs and performing live shows, my brain and soul needed another artistic outlet. I turned to writing. It's been fun exploring another creative side of me. In terms of something folks may not know about me....Well, I'm a great cook, but I don't enjoy cooking!

1. Have you always know you wanted to be a writer?

I've always enjoyed telling stories and I've done that through the songs I've written. When I started writing my novel, it felt like a natural extension of my creative self.

2. Do any of the characters in your book resemble people you know in your real life?

I borrowed the names of people I know, but I don't think the characters resemble any of them.

3. Do you work from an outline, or just sit down and write?

I didn't use an outline for Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four. I had a general idea of where I wanted the story to go, but it took awhile to get into the groove. Even though I have an outline for the next installment, I'm discovering that I'm more of a “sit-and-write” kinda gal.

4. Who has been your easiest character to write about? Your hardest?

Phoebe was the easiest character to write because I share a few of her personality traits. Colten was harder. I had to find a way to make him relatable even though he's a major movie star.

5. Is there anything in particular that you would like to say to your readers?

You all rock!
I have a great appreciation for all of my readers. I really do. Everyone has shown me such kindness and enthusiasm and I'm humbled by it. There's a link at the end of Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four that will take readers to where they can download free mp3s from my album, The Road To Adam. It's my small way of saying thank you.

What is your favorite:

Pepsi or Coke?

Coke

Dog or Cat?

Cat

California or New York?

California

Hot Dog or Burrito?

Burrito

Just for fun:

How much wood would a Woodchuck chuck if a Woodchuck could chuck wood?

Depends. Lazy Wood Chuck or active one? Ha! A Wood Chuck would chuck as much Wood as a Wood Chuck could if a Wood Chuck could chuck wood.

Nya is a soul/pop singer-songwriter as well as a debut author. A few years ago, she decided to take a break from her hectic music career. But after years of writing songs and performing live shows, her brain and soul needed another artistic outlet. She turned to writing. It's been fun exploring another creative side of herself.

@TheNyaJade

Goodreads

Thank you all for stopping by my blog. I hope you have a ton of fun on this Blog Tour. Thank you once again to the amazing Nya Jade for the copy of Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four as well as taking the time to give us this amazing Author Interview. Take care my Lovelies. <3 XOXOXOXO

Pieces Blog Tour: Author Interview & 2 Book Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 06:00:00 +0000

HI EVERYONE!!!! I am so excited to be one of the stop's for the Blog Tour of Pieces by the very lovely Michelle Davidson Argyle. This Blog Tour is being hosted by Giselle @ Xpresso Book Tours. Today I have the great pleasure to bring you not only my review for Pieces & The Breakaway but also an amazing Author Interview with Michelle. Enough with my ramblings go check out the awesomeness below.

Author: Michelle Davidson Argyle
Publisher: Rhemalda Publishing
Release Date: February 14, 2013
Page Count: 284
Source: ARC from Michelle
Read Between: February 15 - February 16, 2013
Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

Staying in love can mean running away...

Two years after watching her kidnappers go to prison, Naomi Jensen is still in love with one of them. Jesse will be released in a few years, and Naomi knows college is the perfect distraction while she waits. But when her new friend Finn makes her question what is right and what is wrong, she begins to wonder if Jesse is the one for her...until she discovers he's out on parole. Naomi must sort through her confusion to figure out where love and freedom truly lie-in Finn, who has no connections to her past, or Jesse, who has just asked her to run away with him.

Review:

This was an interesting read for me, yet at the same time I wasn't able to get into it as much as I was hoping I would be able to.

I think the reason I couldn't get into this book as much as I was hoping was for the same reason I couldn't get that much into The Breakaway. Naomi's character is very weak. She doesn't have much of a back bone for herself. She let's other's walk over her and make decisions for herself and she is very indecisive. All of these things together have a tendency to really REALLY annoy me. But despite Naomi there were pieces of this book that I did enjoy.

Like Finn. He was really patient with Naomi. He understood that there are just some things that you can't talk about. He has his own secrets, albeit not as life altering as Naomi's. I thought they were really adorable together, even though I went into this book completely supporting Naomi and Jesse. I have an issue with thinking you should ALWAYS wait for the one you love, no matter how long you are waiting.

She loves Jesse. So how can she possibly find a guy who could get her over him right as he gets out of prison? Jesse obviously loves Naomi as well. I mean after what he did in The Breakaway (letting her go) and then thinking of her and still caring about her after being in prison. That is love.

I won't say what happens because I don't want to spoil it for those of you who haven't read the book, but while I had my issues with this series, I would still recommend it to others. This is truly a book about learning how to let go and move on. About how hard becoming a responsible adult is... about figuring out what you truly need in life and what you only think you need. It's heart wrenching at times, after all... growing up is hard.

Author: Michelle Davidson Argyle
Publisher: Rhemalda Publishing
Release Date: May 01, 2012
Page Count: 303
Source: ARC from Michelle
Read Between: February 13 - February 15, 2013
Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

When Naomi Jensen is kidnapped, it takes her parents two days to realize she's missing. Escape isn't high on her list of priorities when all she has to return to is an abusive boyfriend and parents who never paid much attention to her. For the first time in her life she's part of a family-even if it is a family of criminals. But she's still a captive. In a desperate attempt to regain some control in her life, Naomi embarks on a dangerous plan to make one of her kidnappers think she's falling in love with him. The plan works too well, and when faced with the chance to escape, Naomi isn't sure she wants to take it.

Review:

I was thinking I was going to love this book a little more. But there was a lot about it that just didn't grab my attention.

I enjoyed how Ms. Argyle created the connection between Naomi and Jesse (that was forced on Naomi's part at first) that slowly grew into true love. Naomi was trying to get away, but actually falling for the guy hadn't been figured into her plan. But what really got in my way of enjoying what Ms. Argyle was beautifully writing about was Naomi's truly weak characters. Like I mentioned in the review above, Naomi just isn't the strongest of characters. So reading a book, let along two that are from her perspective was nearly torturous for me.

I love Ms. Argyle's writing style I just wish that she would have given Naomi a bigger back bone. She has been kidnapped for crying out loud and she barely tries at all to get away. She lives with these people for a heck of a long time. And when she does finally get away, it's because she is practically let go by somebody that has fallen in love with her. She leads poor Jesse to his disaster (not I support what he was doing, but life leads us all down some rough choices).

I don't want to say to much a ruin either book for those of you who haven't read them, but while it was hard for me to get into them (because of Naomi's characters and the fact that I think I am growing a bit tired of YA literature right now), I would still recommend both of these books to people. They can both be stand alones but I definitely suggest you read one after the other that way you have the background info going into the second book. It will definitely give you a more intensive roller coaster ride.

Ms. Argyle I love your writing style, thank you for both of these beautiful books.

Now it's time for the Author Interview:

First, tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have really weird food tastes. They aren’t weird to me, of course, but everyone else seems to think so! For instance, I’m happy as a clam eating liver and onions, but I won’t touch a carton of yogurt. I even have a hard time putting it in the cart at the grocery store (because hubby and my daughter eat it, blech!). One of my favorite foods is a tomato and peanut butter sandwich (I know, I know), as well as sashimi (raw fish), and any Asian food. You name it, I probably love it. But I won’t eat jam or jelly or any desserts with fruit in them, except apple pie. I have no idea why my tastes are this odd.

1. Have you always know you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve known for a long time, yes … since I was about ten. I used to write stories and bind them together on my own, like a book. I remember reading as many books as I could, but sometimes I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted, so I realized I have to write the books I can’t find.

2. What has been the singularly hardest thing for you to write about thus far in your career?

I think my fairy-tale novella collection, Bonded, has been the hardest thing for me to write. It included a lot of world building, which I’d never done before. I enjoyed writing fantasy, but I think I won’t be visiting it again any time soon.

3. Do you work from an outline, or just sit down and write?

I definitely work from an outline, but it’s very loose. I’m on my ninth book now, so I’m finally getting a method down that works really well for me. Sometimes I end up re-outlining halfway through the book, so I like to keep things very fluid so I can feel an organic growth in the story instead of a forced plot.

4. Who has been your easiest character to write about? Your hardest?

I think the easiest character for me to write was Naomi in The Breakaway. In contrast, the hardest character for me to write was Naomi’s mother, Karen. She was the hardest because I’m afraid to say I see a lot of me in her, so it was difficult to face that because Karen isn’t the most likeable or admirable person ever.

5. Do you have any other books planned in the future? If so, what are they about?

Yes, I’m currently writing a novel I’m calling “the country music book” until I have a proper title for it. It’s new adult contemporary. I can’t say much more about it yet, but if you follow my blog, I do regular updates on its progress.

What is your favorite:

Pepsi or Coke?

Definitely Coke! With vanilla.

Dog or Cat?

Cat! Dogs are too dependent.

New York or California?

California! Love the warm beaches.

Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook! Twitter is just too fast for me.

Just for fun:

How much wood would a Woodchuck chuck if a Woodchuck could chuck wood?

A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could if a woodchuck could chuck wood!

Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She loves the seasons, but late summer and early fall are her favorites. She adores chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in whatever time she can grab between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life.

Website

Goodreads

Thank you all for stopping by my blog. I hope you have a ton of fun on this Blog Tour. Thank you once again to the amazing Michelle Davidson Argyle for the copy of both Pieces and The Breakaway as well as taking the time to give us this amazing Author Interview. Take care Lovelies. <3 XOXOXOXO

Follow Friday (43)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 04:33:00 +0000

Is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

This is a blog hop for bloggers to get to know other bloggers, & to help some gain more of a following and support system for their blog. It looks like it should be a lot of fun. To join in, go to the host's page and follow the steps they have posted up there. =D

Some music is provided for you at the bottom. For you enjoyment. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

What is the first thing you would do if you woke up to find yourself in your favorite book?

LOL... I really enjoyed Alison's answer to this question. And I must totally agree with her on some points, because it really would depend on "what I was" when I awoke in this world.

I don't know if I can really pick a favorite book, because then I would be way to jealous of the heroines and would probably find myself trying to steal their men from them, because I'm in love with them... (Insert the wicked little laugh here)

So what if I awoke to find myself a vampire. I would be hoping to heck it wasn't day light out and trying to come to terms with how I would find my next meal. If I awake as a Werewolf I would be hoping it wasn't the full moon yet that way I could mentally prepare myself for the change. If I awake as a witch, then I would start doing all kinds of crazy spells. If I awake as a faerie... well I don't really know what my first thought would be as a faerie, lol. But to awake as any kind of mythical creature would be absolutely crazy. But a fun adventure at the same time.

What would you do first if you woke up in your favorite book?

All Of Your Love - Daniel Rosa (HelloGoodbye)

I have been rooting for this guy since Season 1 of The Voice.

His voice truly moves me.

Hope you enjoy.

Domo Arigato for visiting my blog <3.

W.W.W. Wednesdays (43)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:26:00 +0000

W.W.W. Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

To play simply answer the questions below:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Below you can find some music to listen to while reading this (for you enjoyment).

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. So far it is okay. I like Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson's character and voice. She so far has been a strong female heroine. Nothing all that majorily exciting has really happened, but the suspense is definitely being set up nicely, so that you will be like... "What the heck is going on here?" I look forward to reading more and seeing where this story takes me.

What did you recently finish reading?

I recently finished reading At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost. This is the third book in the Night Huntress Series. I really enjoyed the first two books, but this one was just okay for me. There was nothing about it that really grabbed my attention and made me want to hang on for more. I skimmed through quit a few parts. But this could also be do to the fact that I had just finished reading Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh and I absolutely LOVED that book. I still look forward to reading more in this series and seeing where it goes, because I honestly can't imagine what else Ms. Frost can really do with this series.

What do you think you'll read next?

Next I am going to read Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews. I honestly have absolutely NO clue what to expect from this book. I haven't read any reviews for it and the back blurb about it is actually a little confusing. I still look forward to reading it and seeing what it has to bring me though. Keeping my fingers crossed that I enjoy it. =D

Daniel Rosa - Performing Glad You Came by The Wanted

I am such a HUGE fan of Daniel Rosa.

Ever since his first performance on The Voice.

I am rooting for you buddy.

Get out there and so the world how great a singer you are <3<3<3<3.

Domo Arigato for visiting my blog <3.

Review: Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:52:00 +0000

Author: Molly Harper
Publisher: Pocket Star Books
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Page Count: 355
Source: The Library
Format: Paperback
Read Between: January 01 - January 03, 2013
Tag Line: She's a librarian with a really long shelf life.
Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

Unemployment Sucks

Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed twenty-five dollars in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood.

Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do?

Opening Sentence: I've always been a glass-half-full kind of girl.

Review:

Nice Girl's Don't Have Fangs started off as a really cute book. It drew me in practically from the beginning. I really enjoyed Jane's tone of voice and her sense of humor. Gabriel was a strong male lead and complimented Jane really well. He was obviously very attached and attracted to her and only wanted the very best for her, even while someone was trying to harm her and blame some murders on her.

Jane starts off by losing her job, getting head-over-heels drunk, flirting with a gorgeous stranger, getting shot and killed and then being revived as a vampire by that aforementioned gorgeous stranger. Definitely an interested and hard way to spend a day. But Jane takes it in amazing stride. I mean after all, it's not like vampires are a myth any more. Not after one came out of the closet and sued his old job to get it back and give him the night shifts he had been requesting. That was definitely an interesting take on the vampire myth. And always nice to receive a vampire welcome banquet with a starter kit that every new vampire will need to survive.

As things start to slowly head up between Jane and Gabriel they also start to look down for her. There is some one out there killing vampires... and they are trying to pin it on Jane. We are dragged into a web of lies and confusion and we have to figure out who it is that is playing these games.

However... about half way into the book. It starts to get a little to sugary sweet for my tastes. Like I said, I liked Jane's character, but she was way to reserved and to hesitant on taking risks. Especially with Gabriel. Another thing was, when they do finally have some "sexy" time together, it's during a huge fight and they are kind of doing it on top of broken glass... This just totally didn't fit in my head, it just didn't work for the story.

Besides the "too sugary" part of the books, I personally, found it a little to easy to figure out who was doing the killing and trying to pin it on Jane and exactly why he or she was doing it. Mind you, it's for a rather "weird" (yes that is my way of saying stupid) concept for a vampire want. But let's just go along with it.

All together, while I had some issues with the book, I did enjoy it and do look forward to the next one in the series.

Review: Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:12:00 +0000

Author: Karen Chance
Publisher: RoC Books
Release Date: June 06, 2006
Page Count: 307
Source: The Library
Format: Paperback
Read Between: December 30, 2012 - January 01, 2013
Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

Cassandra Palmer can see the future and communicate with spirits - talents that make her attractive to the dead and the undead. The ghosts of the dead aren't usually dangerous, they just like to talk... a lot.

The undead are another matter.

Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with vengeance on his mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection.

The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire - and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay...

Opening Sentence: I knew I was in trouble as soon as I saw the obituary.

Review:

Warning: This is an adult paranormal book

I have to say that I was expecting to like this book a lot more than I did. Or at least I was hoping that I would. I mean, the heroine's name is the same as mine (it was a little weird reading Cassie all the time, but I got used to it) and it was at vampires. My all time favorite paranormal creature to read about. But honestly, the book was barely passable for me.

It's a good 300+ page book and all of like 2 or 3 days occurred within it. And my favorite character turned out to be the traitor at the end of the book. I was also hoping for some spice romance, and while there was snippets of some romance thrown in... it was not nearly enough. And when we do finally do get to a spicy romance scene, the main character "spirits" or within 2 other characters in the... past. Yea, trust me it's as confusing and just flat out weird as it sounds. Especially when the guy that Cassie finally gets some "action" from is somebody that I can't see as anything but like an Uncle figure for her (for a lack of a better term to call him).

Another thing that got to me was the long chapters. Anybody that knows me by now is that I absolutely loathe long chapters. They make it feel like the book is dragging on and it just kills me. Like I've already said, this was a 300+ page book and there were only 14 chapters in the entirety of it. Most of them were 20+ pages long. To me that is absolutely crazy. I don't know. I know there are some people that this wouldn't affect or bother at all, but for me it was driving me absolutely insane.

I was wanting more from this book that I just wasn't getting. And for the life of me, even though we share the same name, I couldn't connect with the heroine. Which just makes a book even harder for me to read and there were already a million things that I didn't like with this series.

Cassie Palmer was a powerful character and she also had the backing of a lot of powerful vampires, but she still whined non-stop about practically everything. And then she kept going on about her desire to take revenge for her parent's but when she eventually got the chance to she let it slip right through her hands. She had the power to entire peoples minds, see and control ghosts, even travel back to the past and change history (which she did like twice in the book). But she whined about taking up a position of power because she didn't want to be used by either vampires or mages (a.k.a. witches). Dude, she would be (and will be regardless of her wanting it or not) the most powerful of them all and they would have to back down to her because they wouldn't be powerful enough to take her on when she got her full powers, but she was scared that she would just be a pawn for them.... Ummm... Do you not see that they wouldn't be able to do that unless you let them. Your the most powerful being around what's the issue. She was going to get "full" powers any ways, because they wanted to go to her after the current carrier dies (which she was going to do very soon) but she didn't want to lose her virginity because she thought that that would hold it off...

*Shaking my head right here* The lady explained to Cassie that she was going to get the powers regardless of what she wanted and that by losing her virginity she would be able to control the powers fully without them controlling her (don't ask me how this works, it's not explained). So why not do it with the guy you have been drooling over this entire book, if it's going to help you out in the end? I mean the guy has told you straight up that he's more then willing to help you out... I just couldn't understand Cassie at all.

I wanted to love this book, it just wasn't meant to be though. I will still continue on with this series in the hope that it gets better and I am maybe able to connect with Cassie the second time around, but I'm not holding my breathe.

Follow Friday (42)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:32:00 +0000

Is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Some music is provided for you at the bottom. For you enjoyment. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Who is your favorite villain from a book?

Ohhh... Good question... and to be 100% honest. I would have to say that I honestly don't have a favorite villain. I think a lot of the times, I tend to see in black and white and I come to empathize with the main characters in a book. So if there is a character that is trying to harm them or do bad by them in even the smallest degree then I immediately write them off and see them in the same color and way that the main characters do and I come to hate them just like the main characters have.

If I would have to choice one, I would have to say all the dark wizards from Harry Potter just like Ms. Alison chose. But then again, I think I would choose them because I practically grew up with those characters. So in a way, even while I hate them for what they have done to a lot of the characters in Harry Potter, they have grown on me in such a way that I don't think I could ever truly hate them. If you know what I mean.

Who are your favorite villain's? Leave a comment below with your link and I will try my hardest to comment back <3.

Mean - Taylor Swift

I'm watching 'The Voice' right now on my laptop.

&& one of the singer's sung this. Thought it was appropriate for the topic.

Domo Arigato for visiting my blog <3.

Teaser Tuesdays (43)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:28:00 +0000

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is...

Hospitals are creepy places, cold and sterile. A true reminder of the tenuous nature of mortality.
~Pg. 121, Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

Review: Touched by an Alien (Katherine "Kitty" Katt #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:58:00 +0000

Author: Gini Koch
Publisher: DAW Books
Release Date: April 06, 2010
Page Count: 389
Source: The Library
Format: Paperback
Read Between: December 25 - December 30, 2012
Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

It was just another day in Arizona

and then the monster showed up....

Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty" Katt had just finished a day on jury duty. When she stepped out of the Pueblo Caliente courthouse, all she was thinking about was the work she had to get caught up on. Then her attention was caught by a fight between a couple - a domestic dispute that looked like it was about to turn ugly. But ugly didn't even begin to cover it when the "man" suddenly transformed into a huge, winged monster right out of a grade Z science fiction movie and went on a deadly killing spree. In hindsight, Kitty realized she probably should have panicked and run screaming the way everyone around her was doing. Instead she got mad, searched her purse for a weapon, and, armed with a Mont Blanc pen, sprinted into action to take down the alien.

In the middle of all the screeching and the ensuing chaos, a tall handsome hunk of a guy in an Armani suit suddenly appeared beside her, examined the body, introduced himself as Jeff Martini with "the agency," called out to an Armani-clad colleague to perform crowd control, and then insisted on leading her to a nearby limo to talk to his "boss."

And that was how Kitty's new life among the aliens began....

Opening Sentence: My first superbeing was an accident.

Review:

Warning: This is an adult paranormal book

Oh My Gosh... How I enjoyed this book. It was action filled from beginning to end and I never knew what was coming next. The first few pages in the book was slightly confusing, I didn't understand exactly what was going on... but once I got the hang of the flow of the book, I couldn't put it down.

Kitty was a thoroughly enjoyable character to read about. She has one of the best senses of humor that I have found in book, ever. And best of all is that she didn't take a back seat to any of the "ultra hunky" guys around her. She took charge right from the get go and didn't run in the opposite direction freaking out, like you would find in a lot of other books. When it's discovered that she is surrounded by aliens, she takes it in stride and goes with the flow. She has a sharp wit and mind, was able to come up with things that the aliens (who had been fighting their nemesis for generations) couldn't even figure out. Not only was she talking the talk, but she could put the swag in her walk as well. She was kick-ass and was never afraid to take on the big scary aliens, and beat their butties.

Jeff Martini... what can I even say about him, but... where can I find a guy like that for myself. He has definitely become my latest book boyfriend. He connected with Kitty on so many different levels and not only because he had the ability to read emotions. They made a great team together and trusted each other, not running games around each other. And the chemistry, it was off the charts and they didn't play games with that either. They liked each other and they took a leap and went with it, regardless of what others might think.

I must say though, one thing that I found really annoying with the story was Kitty's mother actually. Her mother was kick-ass and strong as well (I mean both her parents were) and they were both hiding a big family secret from Kitty. But, I don't know, her mother annoyed me. She was over bearing, over-powering and at time boorish. She tried to push Christopher off on Kitty way to hard and wouldn't let her just make up her mind on her own. It pissed me off more then the "bad" guys in the book did. It found it pretty amusing that Kitty's dad's name was Sol Katt.

I enjoyed this book. It kept me up late into the night reading and laughing. It was a completely different take on Heaven, Hell and Alien's. I can't wait to start reading Alien Tango and see where this series goes next. But mostly I can't wait to get another fill of Kitty and Jeff. I definitely give this series two thumbs up. Loved it.

Review: Vamps and the City (Love at Stake #2)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 04:22:00 +0000

Author: Kerrelyn Sparks
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: April 25, 2006
Page Count: 387
Source: The Library
Format: Paperback
Read Between: December 20 - December
Tag Line: Can the Undead find real love on reality TV?
Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

Who says a vamp can't have it all?

Darcy Newhart thought it was a stroke of genius - the first-ever reality TV show where mortals vie with vampires for the title of The Sexiest Man on Earth. As the show's director, Darcy's career would be on track again. And she can finally have a life apart from the vampire harem. Okay, so she's still technically dead, but two out of three's not bad. Now she just has to make sure that a mortal doesn't win. If only she wasn't so distracted by a super-sexy and live contestant name Austin...

But Darcy doesn't know the worst of it. Austin Erickson is actually a vampire slayer! And he's got his eye on the show's leggy blond director. Only problem is, he's never want any woman - living or dead - as badly. But if he wins her heart, will he lose his soul? And if it means an eternity of hot, passionate loving with Darcy, does that really matter anyway?

Opening Sentence: "Eight-twenty P.M., male Caucasian, five-foot-ten, 180 pounds, mid-twenties, leaving a while Honda Civic," Austin Erickson murmured into his mini-recorder.

Review:

Warning: This is an adult paranormal book

*Sigh* Sadly enough this second addition in the Love at Stake Series was even harder for me to get through then the first one was.

There was absolutely no action, adventure or even suspense in this one. I mean, granted, I know I'm reading a romance and I know in the end the girl and guy are going to end up together, but I love to read about the trials and tribulations that they have to go through to get to that point. This book just dragged out and bored the living heck out of me during most of it. It took until like chapter 20 something before we even got any substantial romance between the two main characters. And during most of the book, the main male character isn't even addressed by his real name.

I can take slow plot lines as long as they are necessary to the books and characters growth, but the slowness served absolutely no purpose in this book. And some of the things and experiments that are taking place in this series just seem absolutely ridiculous. I mean you are writing about a vampires and you are trying to find a cure to turn them back into humans to please their human counterparts?? Not only that, but you made it into the fact that female vamps are stuck in periods were male rule them and can do anything to them that they like. In this series, female vamps have absolutely no voice and are simpering little wine bags that need a man to make their every decision. It was absolutely degrading in my opinion. I couldn't stand ~~most of the~~ (scratch that), all of the characters in this book.

I couldn't help but role my eyes throughout the entirety of it. I kept on with it only because it's on my list of series to finish by this year. But I doubt I will be getting to the next book in this series any time soon. I need to take a break from the world that Ms. Sparks has created here. I can only hope that when I get to the next book, it won't bore me so much that I forget most of what happened in the story, just like I have for Vamps and the City.

Review: One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:25:00 +0000

Author: Jeaniene Frost
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Page Count: 357
Source: The Library
Format: Paperback
Read Between: December 18 - December 20, 2012
Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

You can run from

the grave,

but you can't hide...

Half-Vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head - wanted: dead or half-alive - means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever... and that Bones won't let her get away again.

Opening Sentence: I waited outside the large, four-story home in Manhasset that was owned by a Mr. Liam Flannery.

Review:

Warning: This is an adult paranormal book

I started One Foot in the Grave right after finishing the first book in the series, Halfway to the Grave and I must say I enjoyed this book even more then the first.

It started off suspenseful. To see how Cat was now... after 4 years had gone by since the first book ended. The last book ended with her running away from Bones (for his "safety") with her mother and joining a secret, vampire hunting group. And she is still with this group in this book. But right from the beginning all I could think about was... how were her and Bones going to end back up together, and how would their first meeting go after being away from one another after so long.

Why Ms. Frost, you did not disappoint me.

Cat and Bones reunion was absolutely hilarious (even funnier then their interactions in the first book). I must say the whole "Chris Pin" part was the funniest in the whole book... I couldn't stop laughing for a while.

I am appreciative that when Bones and Cat finally reunite, it doesn't take over half of the book and that Cat was smart enough to know that she still loved Bones and probably always would. That she didn't fight her feelings forever (that would have just been a freaking headache).

The issues that Bones and Cat faced, were even bigger and troublesome then in the first book. And a lot closer to home as well. They had to learn how to work together even more then they did in the first to overcome the "bad" guys. Cat even tracks down her daddy in this book. Who isn't really grateful to have been found.

And there is a shocker at the end of the book that I really didn't see coming but thoroughly enjoyed. I loved how Bones came to Cat's rescue.

I can't wait to start reading At Grave's End, the third book in this series and to see where Ms. Frost takes us next.

Review: Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:05:00 +0000

Author: Jeaniene Frost
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: October 30, 2007
Page Count: 358
Source: The Library
Format: Paperback
Read Between: December 12 - December 18, 2012
Tag Line: Sometimes you have to fight the undead with the half-dead...
Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father - the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner - are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her new found status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

Review:

Warning: This is an adult paranormal book

Halfway to the Grave was a really enjoyable book to read. Ms. Frost has created a truly entertaining and enjoyable ride. She has created unique and quirky, spunky and gusty characters.

Cat is a half-human, half-vampire, who kills vampires for a living while going to College during the days. She's trying to eventually find her father, the man who ruined her mother's life and helped to create her in the process. However, even though she has been relatively success to date with killing some vamps, one slip up and she is captured by a vampire hunter, who happens to be a vampire himself, Bones to be more accurate.

It is at this point that the book starts to get really interesting. The chemistry and witty banter between Cat and Bones practically sparks off the pages from their first meeting, and as they get closer to one another, those sparks only get sharper.

The book, while at times it could be a little slowly, still worked up nicely and there was plenty of action as well. Watching Bones build up Cat as a hunter was the best and to see their affection grow was oft times more entertaining and hilarious then anything else. It was obviously from the first that Bones was into Cat, but it took Cat a lot longer (with her inborn hatred of all vampires) to get over Bones being one and her to see the man behind the vampire.

The motives behind the "bad" guy in this book, was obvious from the very beginning and it was easy to point out the good side and the bad side. But that was refreshing as well. In a lot of books, I keep finding the problems the good guys have to get over in the books seem to be "overwhelmingly" against them succeeding, but not so in this book. You knew Bones and Cat would over come anything, as long as they had each other.

And then just as they over come the problems facing them, something comes up and budges in the way of their happiness... and Cat is convinced she must give up her happiness with Bones to protect him. But is this really the "end" for them. I highly doubt that. After all, Bones did promise to find her if she ever tried to run away.

W.W.W. Wednesdays (42)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 06:57:00 +0000

W.W.W. Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

To play simply answer the questions below:

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Nice Girl's Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper. I just started this one earlier today, but I am already getting into it. It had me hooked from the first chapter. It's really funny without trying to hard to be (which is hard to find in a book). It's also refreshing to find a heroine who is a full on vampire (even newly created) and isn't freaking out about it. In fact Jane, while having some issues is coming to terms with being a Vampire in a very funny and quite enjoyable fashion. I think I will like this series very much. Ms. Harper has definitely made my list of author's that I want to read more of. =D

What did you recently finish reading?

I just recently finished reading Touch the Dark by Karen Chance. It was an okay book, but there were quite a few things about it that annoyed me. The heroine, while being tough and kinda kick-ass was WAY to whiny in my opinion. She couldn't stop whining about how she didn't want the power she had and she didn't want to take on any more power... and she was afraid to "do it" because then she would take on more power... and then she would be a pawn... even though she would be the most powerful of them all and people wouldn't have the "power" to tell her what to do... but did he really want her for her, or did he want her for her power... blah, blah and more blah... Whine after whine just kept coming out of her mouth and it was killing me. And for this to be labelled a romance, there was practically no romance in it. Something else that was killing me where the extremely LONG chapters. Each chapter was at least 20 pages long. This was a 307 page novel and there was only 14 chapters. Maybe it's just me, but long chapters make it feel like a book is just dragging and taking forever... that and the fact that a GRAND total of like only 2 days took place in this entire book... sorry, but for everything that happened, that just doesn't seem plausible. I will still continue with the series, but I have my fingers crossed that it gets a lot better.

What do you think you'll read next?

Next I am going to read Under Wraps by Hannah Jayne. I honestly don't know what to expect from this Adult Paranormal Romance. I haven't really read that many reviews for it on Goodreads. From it's synopsis it sounds like it will be really interesting though. So I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will enjoy it a great deal. And I am hoping for a kiss-ass heroine, like the girl on the cover appears to be. I guess I will just have to read and see what is in store for me. =D

Already Over - Red

My friend just introduced me to this group.

Domo Arigato for visiting my blog <3.

Take care and I hope you all a WONDERFUL New Year!

Teaser Tuesdays (42)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:21:00 +0000

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

First off I want to say.... HAPPY 2013 EVERYONE!!!!

My teaser this week is...
I quickly surmised that fangs are the one thing we didn't grow back, because he was really, really pissed about it. I barely got out an "oh, cr," before I was splayed over the hood, gaining intimate personal knowledge of the hood ornament in a manner I'd rather not discuss again.
~Pg. 134, Nice Girl's Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper

Review: Storm Born (Dark Swan #1)

noreply@blogger.com (Cassie S.) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 03:54:00 +0000

Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Zebra Books
Release Date: August 01, 2008
Page Count: 361
Source: Bought
Read Between: December 08 - December 12, 2012
Tag Line: Evil brings out the best in her...
Buy It: Amazon / B&N / The Book Depository

Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants...

Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirts and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy - one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherwordly ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her...

Opening Sentence: I'd seen weirder things than a haunted shoe, but not many.

Review:

Warning: This is an adult paranormal book

Richelle Mead has firmly attached herself to me as one of my favorite authors of all time and with Storm Born she has only managed to make that hold even stronger. To say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book would be an understatement.

There were a few parts that went a lot slower then I was hoping for, but they didn't lower the pluses of the book for me.

Storm Born starts off with an action scene and reconfirms the fact that Mead is one of the best authors of kick-ass heroines out there. While I don't really like the name Eugenie, I love the female behind the name. She is witty, she is sharp and she knows how to kick some major booty. All while still remaining fabulous.

Eugenie Markham is a shaman who protects the human race from all the "mythological" beasties of the world. However, she is so much more. More then even she realizes. Something that has been kept from her by her mother and step-father. As the book goes along and Eugenie starts to become the target for practically all the mythological creatures out there, at least the male species, she comes to find out about a prophecy. One that foretells of her first born child leading the way for the concur of the human race. This leads to a lot of trouble for Eugenie. Who is busy fighting the advances of all the unwanted "love".

In her quest to save a young girl from the Otherworld, she comes into contact with two very different men. Both of who seek her attention for different reason. One of them is Kiyo, a kitsune who knows how to be an animal in the bedroom. Eugenie quickly finds herself falling for this hunch of male flesh, until she finds out about the secret that he's hiding from her. This fact quickly makes her run into the arms of Dorian, a Faerie King who has a taste for bondage. He becomes her teacher, in more ways then one.

Ohhhhh Ms. Mead... you naughty naughty girl you. You have finally managed to write in a love triangle that hasn't thoroughly annoyed the heck out of me. This love triangle is completely different then most I have read about. And it is actually important to the story line for once. Eugenie genuinely finds herself stuck between two sexy men. But who will she choose? That is if she chooses either of them?

While the beginning of this book was a little slow for me, I found myself hooked about 4 or so chapters in. Especially since Richelle didn't wait long for some sexy steamy time. Oh how I love Richelle's impulsive kick-ass heroines who take what they want and don't regret it later.

Storm Born was a good book to read. I can't wait to get my hands on Thorn Queen and see where Richelle takes us next on Eugenie's story. I especially can't what to read what happens between her and Kiyo as well as her and Dorian. I guess I will just have to wait and read.