Library Dweller

More Morgan Hill Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 00:54:00 +0000

So for all of June basically we just hung around town and played outside a lot. Here are a few random pictures of our time there.

She loved taking her ball outside and running around.

Some much needed sunscreen for the California summer.

One night before we went to dinner with a bunch of Brady's old friends.

I posted this on Facebook but it's too cute not to post again.

Lily LOVES popcorn - but only if she can hold the whole bowl.

Book Review: Clockwise by Elle Strauss

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:23:00 +0000

Here's a little blurb from Goodreads:

A teenage time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward.

Boy watching with her best friend would be enough excitement for fifteen year old Casey Donovan. She doesn't even mind life at the bottom of the Cambridge High social ladder, if only she didn’t have this other much bigger problem. Unscheduled trips to the nineteenth century!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I was pleasantly surprised! I've never read a time travelling novel quite like this one. The way Casey has to have actual skills to survive in the 1860s was a realistic aspect to the story that many lack. She uses her instincts and creates ways for her to be better prepared when she goes back in time. She is smart, not just bookish but street smart in her own way. While she has that boy obsession that every heroine in YA novels has, it's very real. Being married now for years, at first I was thinking "Man, Casey, what is so great about this one guy?" But then I started to think back to how I was in high school and the boys I crushed on. I was the exact same way!

**Slight spoiler** When Casey goes to the 1960s, I wasn't really sure why that was necessary - but Strauss had a good reason for that. I also found it kind of coincidental that Nate goes on so many "trips" with her. But I can see why it was needed to forge a good bond between Casey and Nate and make their relationship be based on something other than "love at first sight." Everything wraps up very neat and tidy, maybe a little too tidy, but who doesn't love surprise coincidences and connections between seemingly random parts of a story? This was a relatively quick read and I'd recommend it!

4/5 Stars

Books I've Won Recently!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:41:00 +0000

I've recently become [slightly] obsessed with entering blog giveaways. I'd say in the past two weeks I've entered about 300 blog giveaways contests. All my hard work has paid off because I've won several contests. I'd like to thank those authors/bloggers who have given me some awesome books to read, one of which I've already finished! Here they are:

From YA Between the Lines I won the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy in e-book format!

From Lena Coakley, I won her book Witchlanders - which should be winging its way towards me in hard copy format:

I won two e-books from Elle Strauss - Clockwise and It's a Little Haywire.

G.P. Ching gave me my choice of e-book, and after much debate I chose Open Minds:

Just for entering some of the giveaways, the bloggers/authors gave everyone who entered a free e-book (or two). Here those are from Angela Carlie and Sarra Cannon:

And I feel like I should mention that I won two signed books in a before Christmas giveaway - both hard copies one from Marley Gibson:

and the other from Debbie Viguie:

Thank you all so much! It is still so crazy to me that I can be so in touch with so many awesome authors and other book lovers. I'll [hopefully] post reviews for all of these books as soon as I read them all!

Amazing Rafflecopter Giveaway!!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:23:00 +0000

Use the Rafflecopter below and be entered to win a 16 GB Apple iPad 2 and several kindle fires!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Literary Exploration Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:56:00 +0000

Literary Exploration Blog is giving away some great prizes! Here's a link to the giveaway:

http://www.literaryexploration.com/2012/01/giveaway-800-follower-giveaway.html

Book Review: Envy by Gregg Olsen

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:21:00 +0000

As if the cover of this book isn't creepy enough to get readers to buy it, the story Olsen writes is relevant and captivating. While the book is fiction, the events depicted are based on true stories Olsen read about in the news (there is a note about this at the end of the book). A little background info on the book from Goodreads.com:

Crime lives--and dies--in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen--and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic “twin-sense” to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits.

Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out--and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.

Based on the shocking true crime about cyber-bullying, Envy will take you to the edge--and push you right over.

Hayley and Taylor are girls that readers can relate to, for the most part. Perhaps not in the telepathic way but Olsen portrays them as having very realistic personalities and characteristics of girls their age. Envy gets readers to think about real world problems while being immersed in a fiction world at the same time. At times, I wished I had been able to know Katelyn better and I definitely wished that the twins would have said some of their thoughts out loud to Starla. But these people exist in real life, if going by other names. This book will get you thinking.

Busy Busy Busy Like a Really Tall Bee?

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:11:00 +0000

I meant for this blog to be a place for me to post my reviews/thoughts of all the books I read - and I read A LOT. But from starting my first semester of my graduate degree (Library and Info Science) and having a 15 month old running around, I have been severely lax in my efforts. But, alas, that is [hopefully] about to change. I'm not sure I actually like New Year's Resolutions - I've made them in the past only to have them peter out a week or two into January. But perhaps this is one I can keep because I am always reading and always have opinions. And it shouldn't be too much extra work to just write those thoughts down, ya? Well, we'll see. Here's to hoping!

(Major bonus points if you know where the title of this post comes from. Without google-ing! A hint: It's from possibly my favorite tv show of all time).

The Lost Letters of Brother Gabriel and KNTR

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:02:00 +0000

An excerpt from Bree Despain's Blog. She writes an awesome series of YA books, called the Dark Divine.

"Today, I get to tell you that from now until June 2012 all of my proceeds from the sale of THE LOST LETTERS OF BROTHER GABRIEL will be donated to the charitable organization Kids Need To Read (KNTR). Their mission is to to create a culture of reading for children by providing inspiring books to underfunded schools, libraries, and literacy programs across the United States, especially those serving disadvantaged children."

For more info on this, go to Bree's blog: http://www.breebiesingerdespain.blogspot.com/

Book Review: Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:44:00 +0000

I really enjoyed this book! It is a long one and I read it in less than a day. The basic premise isn't perhaps the most original but I love a good camp story. Kylie sees ghosts. She doesn't know why until she is shipped off to Shadow Falls Camp. Kylie is pretty relatable and while I found her gushing over Trey really annoying (I was like "Get over him already, he's a loser!) when I thought back to one of my terrible boyfriends I understood her feelings a bit more. The book is full of all the supernatural creatures (vamps, werewolves, shape shifters, witches, fairies, etc.) so I definitely felt like it was everything I love in a good fantasy book. One thing that really bothered me was the eyebrow twitching. I understand that's how the supernaturals "read" each other but just imagining them doing it makes me think they would all look ridiculous. But I look forward to the second book coming out in October!

Book Review: Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:43:00 +0000

This story makes the reader want to do something. I feel like I wanted to jump into the pages and help scrub Jolly's house clean and hug those little kids. The name of the book comes from making the best out of the circumstances life has given you. Jolly feels stuck in her surroundings and the fortuitous meeting with LaVaughn helps her see how life could be different. LaVaughn answers an ad and becomes Jolly's babysitter and friend. Jolly needs a push to make better choices and to accept help when she really needs it and LaVaughn is the perfect person to push her. This is a story that makes the reader want to do better. It makes the reader want to look out for those people in their lives that need their attention and a little guidance. I believe this is the first book in a triology and I think I'll have to revisit this series before long.

Book Review: I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:40:00 +0000

This was a very interesting book. Interesting in a good way. It is written like poetry, and I guess I would call it more of a poem than a novel. Ava is in mourning over her boyfriend Jackson. This book is how she comes to terms with that pain and has some much needed realizations concerning the circumstances of his death. It is beautifully written, although because of the length it is hard to really get to know Ava. It is a super quick read and it kept me wanting to read more but it was a bit hard to connect to the characters. That said, I would still recommend it.

Book Review: Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:33:00 +0000

I love the way Ally Carter writes. Heist stories always make me anxious and on edge and her books do that a little bit. But she tells you they get away with it before she tells you how it happened so it doesn't feel like your going to go crazy wanting to know what happens. Not to say they get away with everything, but that is how she wrote in Heist Society. In Uncommon Criminals, Kat is feeling invincible after the job at the Henley. She is pushing everyone who loves her away and she is not sure why. She is planning on doing jobs by herself for a long time until a woman named Constance Miller finds her and begs for her help. Kat decides she can't say no to a little old lady. Plus, she's feeling cocky. It doesn't matter that no one has ever been able to steal the Cleopatra Emerald. Kat knows she can do it. Or can she? Things don't turn out quite as expected but can Kat right her wrongs? You'll just have to read this awesome mystery to find out!

Book Review: The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:18:00 +0000

I went into this book not really knowing what it was about. I was pleasantly surprised by the fairly original plot idea. Of course there is a love triangle, like almost every YA fantasy book these days. Donna is an outcast in her town and has only one friend. A best friend named Navin. Donna is the child of Alchemists, although her father is dead and her mother has some sort of spell on her that makes her appear insane. Donna isn't sure what happened the night of the accident that caused her hands and arms to be burned so badly they had to be fixed by magical means. But she is about to face the world she thought was gone forever. Along with meeting Xan, Donna starts to encounter evil wood elves and even the wood queen herself.

This is the first book in a trilogy and I'm excited to see what the next two books will be like! While I didn't feel a great connection with Donna, I did like Xan a lot and will keep reading to find out what happens to him. Also, there are a lot of mysteries left unsolved at the end of The Iron Witch so I'll have to keep reading to discover the answer to those.

Book Review: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:09:00 +0000

I really like Sarah Addison Allen. I've read almost all of her other books and I have liked every one of them! They are mostly just normal fiction but there is always a little element of magic in them that I love. She makes magic seem possible in the real world, which is my opinion it is. The Sugar Queen is about a woman named Josey who is dealing with a lot of difficult issues. She lives at home as a servant to her mother, basically, and tries to make up for being a terrible child. To cope with her mother's smothering influence on her life she hides sweets, novels, and travelling magazines inside of her closet. She is stuck in her sad life until one morning she finds a woman in her closet and her entire world starts to change.

This book is a great one and has a good message too. It is all about being who you are and not being ashamed of it. I know it made me think about how I was living my life.

Book Review: Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 04:11:00 +0000

I had seen this book recommended in several different places (blogs, book lists, amazon) so I checked it out from the library but I didn't have any idea what it was about. It is probably one of the most intense, mystery steeped books I've ever read. I could not have enjoyed it more. The plot is so twisty, turny that I couldn't stop reading - even when I was getting carsick on the way home from my vacation to Cali. It starts out with Jane being in the hospital and not remembering how she got there. The rest of the book is about her slowly regaining her memory and figuring out who wants her dead. It is an awesome read and I can't wait for more from Michele Jaffe!

Book Review: Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 04:10:00 +0000

I like Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods series so I thought I'd give this series a try. I think I probably like this one better! That could have to do with Ingrid's association with libraries since that is what I'm going to do with my life. The mystery is really intriguing and the plot is complex. And just when you think you've figured it out, everything changes. However, I do feel the need to give a warning that there are several sex scenes (more than seemed really necessary) but other than that I would recommend this book!

Book Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 21:03:00 +0000

Here's the goodreads.com synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

Ok, my review. I really liked this book! Usually I am not a huge fan of werewolf books, which I thought this one was, but I wanted to give it a chance since I like Kelley Armstrong's writing. I was pleasantly surprised that this isn't a werewolf book at all. It's a were-cougar book! I am much more partial to cats than dogs so it was a good twist for me. The plot is steeped in mystery and hidden information. Some things are easily guessed while others are never answered at all.

I did not like the ending. I felt like it was too much of a cliffhanger. Even if it is a series, I feel like each book should be able to stand without the others. There should be some sort of resolution. But in The Gathering, there is none. So be prepared for that. Other than feeling cheated of some sort of ending, I look forward to the next book in the series! 4/5 stars.

Book Review: The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Wed, 25 May 2011 04:39:00 +0000

I read the first book 13 Little Blue Envelopes a couple of years ago and I remember loving it. However, I couldn't tell you much about the storyline except for the basic plot points. This happens to me a lot. Anyway, I quickly remembered the first book as I started The Last Little Blue Envelope. Fair warning, from here on there may or may not be some *SPOILERS*. Ok, so at the end of the first book the final envelope was stolen by some lowlifes in Greece. Well, as you can guess by the title, someone has found the 13th envelope and is blackmailing Ginny. I found this plot line to be somewhat unbelievable and wasn't surprised at all when Oliver didn't actually take the money. The whole thing felt shady. Also, I was unsurprised when Keith had a girlfriend. I was annoyed by this and wanted him and Ginny to be together but I suppose Oliver is an ok substitute. I did like this book because of descriptions of Europe. I have always wanted to go there but haven't ever had the chance so I feel like I'm living vicariously through Ginny. I think that's why I liked the first one so much. I'll give this book 3/5 stars. I recommend both books!

The Savage Grace by Bree Despain

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 19 May 2011 19:58:00 +0000

The third book in Bree Despain's trilogy is coming out December 27, 2011! It's called The Savage Grace. The first two books are The Dark Divine and The Lost Saint. So you have plenty of time to catch up on those books before the third one comes out!

Book Review: Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:50:00 +0000

I'm still not sure what to think about this series! This is the second book, the first book is called Incarceron. It's about Claudia, who is living in the time of protocol (everything appears to be in the 18th century even though in reality it is a much later time period) and Finn, who was a prisoner of Incarceron, and is now on the outside. The scenes inside the prison are gruesome to imagine and the stupidity of "protocol" is unbearable at times. The plot lines of this series are so complicated and interwoven that it is almost impossible to convey without giving away everything. I'd probably give Sapphique 3/5 stars.

An interesting fact about this series is that Incarceron is being made into a movie (out 2013) and Taylor Lautner will be playing Finn. So if you are a fan of Taylor, that is one reason to read these books so you can know what is going on in the movie.

Book Review: Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 14 May 2011 01:16:00 +0000

Well, when I finished Dead and Gone I just couldn't wait for the cds to be ready for me to rip onto my mp3 player so I just got the book. Here's the description from goodreads.com:

Sookie Stackhouse somehow survived the Faery War, but life never seems to get easy for Bon Temps' telepathic (but tip-poor) barmaid. In the tenth instalment of Charlaine Harris's resilient Southern Vampire series, Sookie and heartthrob Eric Northman come under intense regal scrutiny, but there are dangers even closer at hand: The doors to Faery slammed shut before some Fae were able to return and they're holding Sookie very personally responsible.

This was another pretty good read. Sookie is getting over the events at the end of Dead and Gone and her relationship with Eric is stronger than ever, or so it seems. This book lacked the intensity of Dead and Gone and I kept waiting for more breath taking events. Not many problems from the whole series were solved, just problems that began in this book. So while it wasn't as exciting as usual it was still interesting enough for me to keep reading and I can't wait to read the next installment!

3.5/5 Stars

Book Review: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 14 May 2011 01:03:00 +0000

Here's the description taken from goodreads.com:

Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps-and nothing about weres.

Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works-and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it.

But there's a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings-older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves-is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle.

I've listened to most of the Sookie Stackhouse books on my mp3 player and this was by far the most suspenseful. I really enjoyed this book and couldn't believe what some of the characters do to other people. These Sookie books are my guilty pleasure, I must say, since they can be a bit racy and graphic at times but I just can't help but love Sookie and her friends, vampire or otherwise. There are twists and turns in this book and you will be shocked by some of it! But it was a great "read". Sookie does face something she's never had to before and it's not surprising that she handles it as well as anyone could expect. Also I'm getting a little worried that, after two characters die while pregnant, no baby will ever be born in the series. We can only hope for the best for Tara and JB.

4/5 Stars

Book Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 05:26:00 +0000

Normally I steer clear of angel books. I'm not a huge fan of them but I actually liked this one. While is does have that love triangle element it was easy who to choose as the best one for her. There is an obsession-like relationship in the beginning but the real romance for Clara is just that - real. The feelings are believable and the reader truly wants things to succeed for the couple. Clara is a likable main character. The mythology is a little confusing. It's not explained really well and there are some parts with her mom and a "black wing" that are hard to follow.

There were some other things I didn't like too. Her mom gets kind of crazy and expects things of her daughter when she herself is never around. And I'm not a huge fan of the character of Angela. But other than a few hard to understand points this is bar far the best "fallen angel" novel I've read. And there's no way there's not going to be a sequel. Awesome.

5/5 Stars

Book Review: Miles To Go by Richard Paul Evans

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 05:14:00 +0000

I'm a huge fan of Richard Paul Evans. His writing is so easy to read and I can zip through a book in a day or two, even while keeping up with my baby girl. This is not to say that his stories are not deep or are lacking in any way. He writes heartfelt stories that are really applicable to each reader. Miles to Go is the second book in the Walk series. A man, Alan, loses everything and decides he wants to walk across the country because he has nothing else to do. It turns out to be an even greater experience then he thought it would be.

In book 2 he is recovering from a terrible incident at the end of book 1. He meets a woman named Angel and learns a lot about himself from her. Their relationship changes as the book goes on and Alan is able to help Angel is ways no one can predict. It is a journal format so there is a lot of description of things like what they eat and the landscape as Alan is walking, etc. But it's a good read and I would recommend this book, and all of Evans books!

4/5 Stars

Book Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 04:52:00 +0000

Here's a summary of the book found on amazon:

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

This book was pretty good. I had no idea what it was about before I started reading and I was quickly drawn in by the twisting and mysterious plot. It has the, now classic, love triangle between Clarity, her ex-boyfriend and a new hottie in town. I have to say I'm kind of getting tired of this thing but it didn't detract from the overall story. The ending was one even I couldn't figure out before hand (my husband gets mad because I can always guess how most mystery tv shows are going to end). Although, if you want to find out who the murderer is you will figure it out if you read the last page first (like I do when I can't help myself). By the romance that is left up in the air I'm assuming there will be a sequel.

3.5/5 Stars