General Confessions and Reviews

Review: Ten Things I Love About You

2010-06-22T14:26:00.002-04:00

By Julia Quinn
5 out of 5 stars

Back Cover:

Ten Things You Should Know About This Book

1. Sebastian Grey is a devilishly handsome rogue with a secret.

2. Annabel Winslow's family voted her The Winslow Most Likely to Speak Her Mind AND The Winslow Most Likely to Fall Asleep in Church.

3. Sebastian's uncle is the Earl of Newbury, and if he dies without siring an heir, Sebastian inherits everything.

4. Lord Newbury detests Sebastian and will stop at nothing to prevent this from happening.

5. Lord Newbury has decided that Annabel is the answer to all of his problems.

6. Annabel does not want to marry Lord Newbury, especially when she finds out he once romanced her grandmother.

7. is shocking, 8. is delicious, 9. is downright wicked, all of which leads the way to

10. Happily. Ever. After.

First of all, let me start this review off by stating that I L-O-V-E Julia Quinn. If she did not exist, the literary world would suck. I have read (and own) all of her book thus far (well, with the exception of the multi-author anthologies, but regardless). I'm pretty much in love with her (yes, I am straight and actually married, lol), and I want to be her one day.

Ok, gushing's done (for now). What did I not like about this book?.... Nothing. Not a damn thing :) Ten Things... is lovely and wonderful and witty and... well, you get the picture. Sebastian is a gorgeous and charming... well, not really a rogue but I guess he could be labeled as one. Regardless, I kept wishing he was real and that I could just meet him personally. And, Annabelle - she was charming too :) I'd like to meet her as well, actually.

Secret/possible spoiler: I love that Sebastian is an author of Gothic romance novels. It's completely adorable.

Anyway, Quinn has done it again and I'm desperately looking forward to her next book. By the by, when is that again?? ;)

Book Lists

2010-06-22T14:13:00.000-04:00

Have you ever found a book that made you want to desperately find all the other books by that author?? About a month ago, I sat down and made my book list. It has every book (that I haven't read) that I must read/buy. I made Husband come over and check the list out. His reaction? Laughter and a simple, "K babe." The authors on that list: Teresa Medeiros, Sabrina Jeffries, Sophie Jordan, and Lisa Kleypas to start with. I've read books by TM, SJeffries, and LK but never any by SJordan.

These aren't the only lists for books I've made though. At a job I had last year, I would spend quite a bit of time on USA Today's website and check out the top 150 bestselling books... which resulted in a LONG list of all the authors I wanted to check out. And since that was over 6 months ago, I've sadly lost that list and thus need to create a new one. *grin*

Anyone else make reading lists? Either to buy or just to read? I'm pretty much a list freak so this is nothing new with me, but I was simply wondering if there were many other people who make an author to-be-read list.

Mega Giveaway

2010-06-16T22:06:00.000-04:00

Miss Eliza over at Strange and Random Happenstance is having a HUGE giveaway! I know I saw this post when she first posted it but I (apparently) immediately forgot about (shame on me because it's pretty freaking awesome giveaway!). The post link is here. Enter, young grasshoppers.... :)

"Answer me this: What are you looking forward to most in the coming year with regards to publishing? From Mockingjay's release to further developments in e-publishing. What are you on the edge of your proverbial seat for?"

Hm, releases... Well, Linger by Maggie Stiefvater, the next Hellion book by Sabrina Jeffries, and Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah Maclean. Those are the ones I'm most looking forward to :)

So there you have it - my most looked forward to books. Yours??

Review - Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

2010-05-12T11:05:00.001-04:00

by Sarah Maclean
5 out of 5 stars

This is apparently only her 2nd book published... and it was wonderful :) Her writing style reminds me of both Julia Quinn and Sabrina Jeffries (which, as everyone should know, are two of my favorite authors).

Callie is an on-the-shelf spinster at age 28 in 1823 London. She's loved the Marquess of Ralston (obviously a rake of the first degree) for over a decade. Finally, she decides to make a list of things she's going to do that only men are allowed to - why should she care so much for her reputation? Her first item: to be kissed - passionately. Why not Ralston, right? This throws her into his path and sets the novel off nicely. It was witty, romantic, and really just lovely all around. It didn't include any kidnapping or murder plots; no distant family member trying to steal the fortune; and woman trying to get Callie out of the way to make room for herself. The plot is in the title: Nine. Rules. To. Break. Done.

I'm definitely going to buy this one for sure, and I really look forward to reading The Season as well as her next romance Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord (by the by, I love her titles too!).

Note: This review was supposed to come out in April. I started it then just saved it and went on the something else! But I'm back from vacation and school hasn't started yet, so I still have a couple of weeks to write my reviews for the two others I've read so far in May and hopefully read a few more books.

Anyway, pick up Nine Rules. It was wonderfully written and a lovely story.

Linger Trailer

2010-05-10T09:45:00.001-04:00

Maggie Stiefvater is having another contest! If you jump over to her blog you can read all the instructions of how to enter and what you need to do. And so! Without further ado, here is the trailer to Linger, available July 20, 2010. Enjoy!

Booking Through Thursday

2010-04-15T23:11:00.000-04:00

I realize that I'm a slacker and have skipped the past two weeks of questions. So, I apologize; but without further ado: this week's Booking Through Thursday question:

In general, do you prefer the beginnings of stories? Or the ends?

You ultimately begin a book so you can finish it. So, although one would/should be happy to read the ending of a great book, I think I prefer the beginnings. It's always the start of something new... a new adventure, if you will :) You get to know new characters, find another new and (hopefully) interesting plot, and you can immerse yourself into a new world. It's exciting... and sometimes exhilarating... and just, well, loverly (yes, loverly).

So what about you??

Sick and Lazy

2010-04-07T09:16:00.000-04:00

So I've been sick and lazy for about a week - doing a whole lot of nothing. However, here's some updates and general news:

*I missed last week's Booking Through Thursday, but I WILL put up tomorrow's sometime during the day.
*The weather's been beautiful (which makes me so happy, you don't even understand, haha), although the news just said that it'll be in the 50s tomorrow :(
*I'm getting my hair completely re-did over either tomorrow or Tuesday... and I'm *stoked*
*Bristol Palin is on the "Today Show" right now. She's gorgeous but I wish that whole family would go away.
*I have Soulless by Gail Carriger and Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson waiting for me at the library (super excited about this!).
*I'm reading The Abduction of Julia but Karen Hawkins right now. So far, so good.
*I have to have some sort of biopsy done today at 2:00p. I'll admit it: I'm a little scared.
*Husband and I have decided to quit smoking. This is day 3 of no smoking - wish me luck, haha.

I think that's all I have for right now. I have a couple other posts for later but right now, I'm getting in the shower.

Peace.

Booking Through Thursday

2010-03-25T12:37:00.000-04:00

So found this site this morning through another of the blogs I visit. It's actually a pretty cool concept. Booking Through Thursday has these weekly questions that you can post on your blog or just answer in their comment section.

Question of the day:

Do you take breaks while reading a book? Or read it straight through? (And, by breaks, I don’t mean sleeping, eating and going to work; I mean putting it aside for a time while you read something else.)

I do this all the time. Not with every book I read, of course, but there are some books from which I need a "break." I'd say it's about 70/30 for me (books I read straight through/books I need a break from). So what about you?

Once Upon a Time Challenge

2010-03-21T19:18:00.000-04:00

Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting a challenge from March 21st to June 20th. Basically, it's a fairy tale/fantasy/folk tale/mythology reading challenge with different "levels" of participation. The post is here. I haven't technically participated in one of these online reading challenges but I thought I would start with this one :) This is totally my genre.

So, I believe that my level will be this one:

"Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time IV criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres."

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Happy Reading :)

Review - Fortune's Fool

2010-03-19T14:21:00.000-04:00

Mercedes Lackey
3 Stars

Back Cover:

The seventh daughter of the Sea King, Ekaterina is more than a pampered princess—she's also the family spy. Which makes her the perfect emissary to check out interesting happenings in the neighboring kingdom…and nothing interests her more than Sasha, the seventh son of the king of Belrus. Ekaterina suspects he's far from the fool people think him. But before she can find out what lies beneath his facade, she is kidnapped!
Trapped in a castle at the mercy of a possessive Jinn, Ekaterina knows her chances of being found are slim. Now fortune, a fool and a paper bird are the only things she can count on—along with her own clever mind and intrepid heart.…

I'm a little 2-sided with this book: I honestly can't figure out whether I liked it or not - and I hate that! On one hand, you have a new telling of (what I think are) Russian/Eastern European folk tales, which is kind of awesome. On the other, it was sometimes disconnected or a little rushed (while at other times being too slow paced). See! I can't make up my mind about this book!

At any rate, you have Katya, the Sea King's seventh daughter who kind of kicks ass (sometimes). Anyway, I kind of liked her. She doesn't play the Damsel-in-Distress. Sasha, the seventh son of one of the kings on land, is a Fortunate Fool. He plays the fool in public but he's actually really wise, kind, and brings Luck to the land. This is apparently the 3rd book in the series (yeah, I didn't know that until after I finished it), but I understood everything perfectly with having started in the middle.

I'm keeping this kind of short because I really don't want to ramble. It was good but I'm still left with mixed feelings. However, if you're a Mercedes Lackey/fantasy fan, then I suggest you check it out. Even with my crazy scattered feelings about it, I enjoyed it... I think.

Review: Hush, Hush

2010-03-17T12:37:00.001-04:00

Becca Fitzpatrick
4 Stars

Back Cover:

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen -- and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

I loved this book. It reminded me of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments with the premise of fallen angels and Nephilim - but Hush, Hush took it in another, very different direction. Instead of the Nephilim being the good guys and battling demons, they're actually the immortal bad guys. But the story doesn't focus too much on this - which is kind of sad. On Goodreads, I rated this book a 5. However, after thinking about it for a while, I decided to rate it a 4 on here.

Nora isn't exactly Bella Swan (for which I am profoundly grateful), but she is kind of... bizarre, I guess. Even while she's thinking, "I need to stay away from this guy, he's dangerous," she's still overly attracted to him and keeps coming to points where she's alone with him. Too conflicting at points. Patch (the sexy but dangerous [anti] hero) is, well, pretty damn hot. He's dark, mysterious, and has some of the most awesome one-liners in the story - mostly about sex, but awesome nonetheless. And I'm ashamed to say that I took this book back to the library before writing this, because otherwise I'd be sharing those lines.

I'm not going to compare this to Twilight, because to me, it's vastly different; likewise, I'm not going to compare it The Mortal Instruments. I will say this though: I started reading another YA paranormal today and I just don't understand why these writers make the heroine completely... helpless (not always - but it's certainly overused)! All these heroines are totally enamored of the hero whether they're wrong for these chicks or not! It's so frustrating for me to read this... and even more frustrating because I keep reading them. [end rant]

Moving on ;) Regardless of Nora's sometimes overactive imagination (add to that her sometime stupidity), I did really like this book. I read it in a day and half. The last few chapters were pretty wicked - like something out of a horror film but tamer (I can handle tame!). So yeah, lovers of fallen angels, romance, suspect heroes, and pretty, pretty covers, should most definitely check this book out. Ya dig?

Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit

2010-03-13T12:52:00.000-05:00

- by Mercedes Lackey
4.5 out of 5 stars.

Back Cover:

Prolific writer Lackey (The Phoenix Endangered) tackles the complex legend of King Arthur's queens in this compelling and heart-wrenching retelling. When warrior-woman Braith announces that the Young Princess Gwen is marked by Epona, the goddess of horses, Gwen's father allows her to train on the warrior path. Although Gwen is deep into training, in the background of her life lay the tales of two other women with the same name-Gwenhwyfar the Golden-both of whom were married to King Arthur. The story of Arthur's kingdom unfolds as Gwen's path as a warrior involves Lancelin, Arthur's closest Companion, and Medraut, the illegitimate and magic-born child of Arthur and his half-sister, Anna Morgause. Lackey places the story in the early dark ages, rather than in the romanticized Camelot of the later Romances. She creates a vibrant world where the old religion and culture of the Celts vies with the invading traditions of the White Christ's followers and Roman influence. Gwen is an independent and formidable woman, determined to follow her dreams, but also dedicated to her duty and to the good of Arthur's kingdom. Though the ending of Arthur's story comes as no surprise, the way that Lackey reweaves old tales to create something new and powerful, with a compelling and sympathetic heroine, is this retelling's strength.

Everyone knows the story of King Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere - or at least, everyone should know. Gwenhwyfar was an immensely wonderful retelling of this well-known story. Gwenhwyfar is the third daughter of a king in one of the provinces? territories? of the High King Arthur's land. Her story begins with training. But what training is that to be? Gwen has two conflicting ideas/needs for her life: she must choose either the Power of her mother and the other women, or she must go the path of Epona, the horse goddess, and along the path of Cold Iron - a warrior's life. Her hero and mentor, Braith, talks to the king on Gwen's behalf to train with horses and Cold Iron. Gwen's path is set - her life is that of Warrior, not Lady.

Gwen ultimately becomes the third wife of Arthur. The end is where it sort... not really fell flat, because I still enjoyed it, but, well, it pissed me off a little. SPOILER: I know I should have known that Gwen and Lancelin (Lancelot) didn't get together because they don't in the most of the other tales. But I was hoping beyond hope that they would. It kind of broke my heart "seeing" that they were so broken down and that their lives had fallen apart. But I guess it kind of worked out because Gwen became the bridge between the Old Ways and Christianity.

All in all, it was fantastic. But I really dig those books that have kick-ass heroines/warriors/knights. Hello... one of my absolute fave authors is Tamora Pierce - that's her thing. So yeah... it was pretty awesome and I suggest anyone who loves lady warriors and all that jazz to go to your local library or bookstore. I mean it....

Giveaway!

2010-03-04T07:59:00.000-05:00

Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog is having a giveaway! Along with potentially winning Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran the lucky winner will also receive an authentic Roman coin (which I think is kind of cool by itself!). So head along over to her site and enter to win :) The full post of this giveaway is here. Her review of the book is also in the same post.

The contest ends March 29th so make sure you enter!

The Last Three Novels....

2010-03-02T15:31:00.001-05:00

While skimming through the list of the blogs I follow, Agent Kristin from PubRants wrote a post about asking a question that couldn't be answered on a resume. Obviously, she works for a publishing company. The question that she and her associate posed was this: "Tell me about the last three novels you read. Why did you choose those books? Did you enjoy them? Why or why not?" This, in turn, got me thinking. The last 3 novels I read (all the way through) were The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig, Beauty by Robin McKinley, and His Lady Mistress by Elizabeth Rolls.

I. Blood Lily
Loved. I chose this book because a) it was Willig's new book and I love her, 2) I'm in love with Regency Romances, and d) Penelope just seemed like such a different heroine than the ones we're all used to. And yes, I did enjoy it. Willig's writing flows with lovely ease and it's filled with charm and wit. Her characters are likable and the hero and heroine show you what love's all about (even with the trials and tribulations they must endure).

II. Beauty
Liked a lot. After reading such rave reviews about this book (along with the fact that "Beauty and the Beast" is one of my top 2 Disney films), I decided it was time I read this one. It was a little slow going at first, but with a different take on the family than other tellings. For one, the sisters were nice and loved Beauty; for another there was no other suitor or anyone who wanted the Beast dead - it was nice. Some of the descriptions reminded me of the 1940's French "Beauty and the Beast" film version (the castle and its inhabitants were quite similar). Overall I thought it was a pretty good book.

III. His Lady Mistress
Strongly disliked. I posted a review for this one a few weeks ago. It was horrible. I chose it because I was looking at ebooks for my Nook: it was a free download and a romance, of course I wanted it. But no, I did not enjoy it. As I've written before it was redundant, annoying, and just an overall mess. But you can read my review so I can save myself the trouble of getting all worked up again!

So... What are the last 3 novels you read? Enjoy them or no? And why or why not?

Favorite Reads

2010-02-23T14:28:00.001-05:00

I've been in a bit of a funk these past couple of weeks... not really reading anything (except Willig's The Betrayal of the Blood Lily; my review is here). Hence why my Books Read in 2010 list has only 2 books listed in February. It's really very very sad.

Anyway, I was thinking today about favorite books. You know, the book (or books) you can and have read several times. The ones that make you feel all warm inside when re-reading (who cares if you've read it so many times that you know the lines by heart or that the copy you have is so tattered and worn that there are three rolls of scotch tape holding it together?). Some of mine include the Harry Potter series (each read about 5 or 6 times), every single book written by Tamora Pierce (most read twice but a few series have been read about 3 or 4 times), in addition to a few others. I think that's why I buy books instead of just borrowing them from the library or from friends. Other than wanting to ultimately have a library as big as the one in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," it's nice to have them around when I decide to re-read them (as will eventually happen).

Additionally, I have favorites authors (doesn't everyone though?) that I have to read whenever a new one comes out. Whether I liked the previous one as much or not, doesn't even matter. I have to have their new one. Those fave authors of mine: Julia Quinn, Lauren Willig, Tamora Pierce, Maria V. Snyder, and Sabrina Jeffries, to name a few.

So what are your favorites to re-read? Or what author(s) can you NOT live without?

LINGER Giveaway

2010-02-19T12:14:00.000-05:00

Maggie Stiefvater is having a giveaway for the second novel in her Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. Needless to say, I'm excited and this is awesome! Here's her website if anyone would like peruse it :)

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.

So pop on over and check it out! You can see my review of Shiver here.

Random Reviews

2010-02-18T21:52:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since the last update or review about anything so I'm going to sum up a lot in this one post :)

* The Betrayal of the Blood Lily
By Lauren Willig
4.5 out of 5 stars

Back Cover:

Everyone warned Miss Penelope Deveraux that her unruly behavior would land her in disgrace someday. She never imagined she'd be whisked off to India to give the scandal of her hasty marriage time to die down. As Lady Frederick Staines, Penelope plunges into the treacherous waters of the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad, where no one is quite what they seem—even her own husband. In a strange country where elaborate court dress masks even more elaborate intrigues and a spy called the Marigold leaves cobras as his calling card, there is only one person Penelope can trust....

Captain Alex Reid has better things to do than play nursemaid to a pair of aristocrats. He knows what their kind is like. Or so he thinks-- until Lady Frederick Staines out-shoots, out-rides, and out-swims every man in the camp. She also has an uncanny ability to draw out the deadly plans of the Marigold and put herself in harm's way. With danger looming from local warlords, treacherous court officials, and French spies, Alex realizes that an alliance with Lady Frederick just might be the only thing standing in the way of a plot designed to rock the very foundations of the British Empire.

I love Lauren Willig's books. They're funny, charming, and just lovely all around, and Blood Lily was no exception. Set in India, and with the heroine being already married, Blood Lily was a little different than the others - the most obvious, that it was set in India and not in England. The details of the land made you want to visit, the description of the political climate made you want to study more about it, and the love story (between the married heroine and SPOILER another man who was not her husband) made you yearn for a longer book. In short, it was wonderful. It was also refreshing to have a heroine be aware of her sexuality and use it (unlike the miss-ish society of London). A must-read for all romantic enthusiasts.

The next item on the list is Marilyn Monroe. I've never been one of those hardcore fans (what with all the calendars, tattoos, and random pictures around their home and/or office) but I do like "Some Like it Hot" a great deal. However, I discovered "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" on Netflix yesterday and have been scouring the website for Instant Play movies. Monroe is adorable and Jane Russel was pretty awesome too in that movie, by the by. So today, I watched "The River of No Return," "How to Marry a Millionaire," and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" again (but this time was to make Husband watch it.... he didn't really dig it). On the list for tomorrow? "The Seven Year Itch" and "Don't Bother to Knock." There's something about the way she acts that I love. And of course, I love her voice when she sings. So woot for tomorrow!

On another note, I recently watched "Julie and Julia" for the first time (Hey, I love my movies, OK?). I just wanted to point out the shoes that Meryl Streep wears at the end (photo below) are awesome and I want them like whoa.

How awesome are they?? That's right... pretty freaking awesome.

Hmm.... Oh! I've discovered a new book series that I'm super excited about. I don't understand, though, how I could never have heard about them until last week; I mean, I love Egyptian history, I love novels, and I love anything set in the 19th century: Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody series. First written in 1975, there are now 19 (that's right, NINETEEN) books in the series (with the latest just recently coming out). So, that's going to be my next book :) Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first one. I think I'll go start that now ;)

But peace out for now.

A Good One... & A Bad One

2010-02-01T15:26:00.000-05:00

Early yesterday I finished two books that I had been reading for a few days. I'll review them one at a time.

A Good One:

Lament: the Faerie Queen's Deception
by Maggie Stiefvater
4.5 out of 5 stars

Back Cover:

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. When a mysterious boy enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of nowhere, Deirdre finds herself infatuated. Trouble is, the enigmatic and conflicted Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin—and Deirdre is meant to be his next mark. Deirdre has to decide if Luke's feelings towards her are real, or only a way to lure her deeper into the world of Faerie.

This book was pretty fantastic. If you couldn't tell, I don't really dig meek and quiet heroines. Dee, the main chick, was not that way at all and I loved it. Sure, she kept her emotions in check and sometimes drooled a little too much over Luke, but anyone would if they surrounded by a hot guy who's in love with them. But she took control of her own life and accepted what was happening to her. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel - and it'll help (somewhat) for the wait of Linger, also by Stiefvater. So, if you like contemporary fantasy with some romance, Lament is the book for you.

A Bad One:

His Lady Mistress
by Elizabeth Rolls
1.5 out of 5 stars

Back Cover:

When Max, Earl Blakehurst, meets Verity he sees a downtrodden servant. He doesn't recognize her as the daughter of a colonel under whom he used to serve, the girl he'd once helped years before. The life Verity's now living is untenable. So he proposes a shocking solution--he will set her up as his mistress.

It's only once that Verity's finally agreed, once Max is beginning to lose his heart to her, that he discovers her true identity. Max is taken aback; he would never have suggested this lady become his mistress. Now, to avoid scandal, they'll have to marry!

Ok. Now, I love Regency Romance novels. These are the main books I read! Julia Quinn, Sabrina Jeffries, Lauren Willig, and a whole helluva lot more - are authors I totally dig and whose books' release dates I count down the days (did that even make sense??). His lady Mistress, however, was boring, redundant, annoying, and, dare I say it, slightly stupid. I realize that Regency novels all kind of share some of the same plot points: rich aristocrat falls in love with a women who's beneath him and they ultimately fall in love while enduring hardships and trials along the way. But I don't care about that... at all. It's what I love about these books. You know the hero and heroine fall in love. You know that he's kind of a dumbass in terms of this particular woman. And you know that she's strong and independent, but certainly no picnic either. But the stories are pretty much awesome. They make you believe in love and hope that someday you'll find your own true love. *sigh*

This book though! Ugh, the only reason I kept reading it was so I could write a review telling you, gentle readers, not to read this book! How many times can an author write that the "heroine" is crying silently, holding her emotions inside, convinced that he wishes to be rid of her, and how much paler and thinner she's getting because her husband doesn't care about her? Apparently, about 600 pages worth. Likewise, how many times can an author write about how the girl trapped the guy in marriage and is a lying scheming wench, but wait! she's crying silently again, how hard it must be for her, but then again, my brother is holding her arm because she's dizzy but I'm going to make it out that she's a whore and it's not my brother's fault but hers.... Get the picture? And that's only in the first few chapters.

This book was worth the money I paid for it: $0 (free download on the Nook). If I had bought it, I probably would have returned it and demanded my money back. So, kids, take my advice, and leave this book alone. And if you come crying to me, saying 'I totally shouldn't have read that book!' My response will be, 'I told you so.'

Peace.

Twilight of a Queen

2010-01-26T23:58:00.000-05:00

by Susan Carroll
3.5 out of 5 stars

I have loved Carroll's Dark Queen series since I first picked up The Courtesan a couple years ago (I admit that I read this series out of order). Set in 16th century France, during the reign of Catherine de Medici, this series chronicles (now) 5 different women's journeys through a perilous time in which intrigue, massacres, and magic are an almost everyday affair.

I generally stick to the Regency era of romance novels, but these... well, these just sucked me right in. Her heroines are all strong and independent "daughters of the earth" (except the last 2 heroines - they weren't considered daughters), and the heroes are often troubled but deeply committed to their women even before they want to realize it. Her ability to write amazing details of that time period and her imagination of the magical aspects are marvelous and wonderful to behold. Therefore, obviously, I recommend this series to anyone with a passion for historical romance fiction.

However, the fifth book in the series, Twilight of a Queen, was not, unfortunately, as awesome to me as the first 4 books. Which is really saddening.

The back cover:

As war and treachery loom, an ambitious man’s mission threatens to topple two dazzling realms and their formidable rulers: Catherine de Medici, the Dark Queen, and Ariane, the Lady of Faire Isle.

It is 1588, and as the Spanish Armada prepares to besiege England, Paris balances on the brink of revolution. To maintain her grip on the throne and on the dark magic that has become her obsession, Catherine de Medici turns to Louis Xavier, a ruthless corsair who was schooled in the dark arts and has mastered piracy along the Spanish main. But Louis’s basest instincts are held in check by the kindness of Lady Jane Danvers, a British exile whose innate sense of honor is but one facet of her complex and passionate nature.

On Faire Isle, Ariane Cheney, unaware of the escalating threat from the Dark Queen, struggles with the task of protecting the daughters of the earth and their vast store of ancient magical wisdom. Weak and desperate for an advantage, the ailing Catherine makes a devil’s bargain that will cast a shadow over all.

Lady Jane Danvers is a somewhat meek and quiet heroine, even though it was alluded to, several times, that she was strong and adventurous, all the while being compared as a caged wren. A wren, in fact, that had its cage door just hanging open and she was too scared to fly out. Compared to Ariane Cheney and even Cat (the heroine from the 4th book), Jane was no where near the fierce heroine that I've been used to reading.

Instead of focusing mainly on the love story between Jane and Xavier, it was focused more on Meg (the Silver Rose) and Catherine de Medici. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the other story lines (actually more than the romance) and the novel itself was, as usual, rich in detail and wonderfully written. In saying that, though, I feel as though the book was rushed in certain parts and not always fully connected. SPOILERS AHEAD: The death of the Duc de Guise happened entirely too quickly in my opinion. Based on the events that had happened leading up to his murder, Carroll could have made another book on that with Meg being the heroine. However, with Catherine also dying, I don't suppose there could really be another book. Which is also sad.

I feel like there should be another book just to wash the bad away that this one left me. It wasn't terrible though (hence the 3.5 stars). I just really really want there to be another book - one about Meg. Her story is too... complex to let it just fall where it did. So here's hoping....

Peace.

playlist.com

2010-01-21T20:55:00.000-05:00

Finally found a replacement for imeem.com. I'm one of those people who hate radio sites (you know the ones, they pick music for you based on your picked artist but the picked music seems to usually suck). I've only ever found one that I like and it was Slacker Radio. At least it played songs that I liked and I even found new artists that I love.

However, since Imeem met it's demise in the form of Myspace (blegh), I've had to make do with listening to YouTube. BUT! Today I found a new site that seems to rock: Playlist. I can make my own lists and listen to them however many times I like :) So, if anyone's on there or would like to be on there, my username is acrae (weird I know, but ashleerae was already taken) and you can add me :)

Also, I have discovered Nightmare Revisted. It's the songs from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" re-recorded by rock artists. Amy Lee is spectacular on "Sally's Song." Just thought I'd throw that out there :)

In other (non-musical) news, I finished Serendipity, and I loved it. It was wonderfully written and a beautiful story involving three generations of women. If you love Broadway or novels with seemingly historical facts (although it is fictional - it just seemed as though that could be an actual life), I highly recommend it. They don't call me the Book Pimp for nothing ;)

Peace.

Shiver

2010-01-12T13:14:00.000-05:00

By Maggie Stiefvater
5 out 5 stars

Back Cover:
"For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever."

This novel (released in 2009) is probably one of the best books I've read in while. The chapters often switch back and forth between Grace and Sam's perspective. It's not the same with other novels, though, because this is written in first person (that is when the book is written with the narrator saying "I..." etc, right? I've kind of forgotten!) and you get more of an insight on what they're thinking and how they're feeling. Shiver delivers throughout the entire book. It's heart-wrenching, romantic, and beautiful all at once. The only problem with this book: the sequel doesn't come out until July of this year and that just doesn't sit right with me. I guess I can pick up her other books in the mean time though. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance, paranormal stories (although I wouldn't technically classify this as a paranormal), and books that you can't stop reading but immediately regret having finished it.

On another note, Lauren Willig's new book came out today! The Betrayal of the Blood Lily is Willig's sixth installment of her Pink Carnation series.

Willig quickly became one of my favorite authors a few years ago when I picked up The Secret History of the Pink Carnation on a whim at JoBeth (an independent bookstore here in Lexington). Espionage, romance, and a number of flowery-named spies all make for fantastic reading. Unfortunately, I started buying the books in paperback so I'm going to have to wait to buy this book until then... but I'm on the hold list at my local library and I'm hoping beyond hope that it doesn't take long for me to get it (I'm number 12). Until that time, however, I guess I'll have to make do with some of the other books I've got laying around the house :)

Peace.

New Books! And Boots :)

2010-01-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

As I wrote in my (very loose) Nook Review, I love the smell and feel of new (or old, or just new to me) books. And today was a very special day for me - not so much my husband or our bank account, but whatevs.

The day started out like any other day...wait. Anywho, I was fortunate enough to be gifted two gift cards for Christmas that I had yet to use. A general visa gift card and nice little Joseph Beth Bookstore gift card (courtesy of my mama). DSW Shoes - the first stop. I was in dire need of just basic black shoes. I only had a pair of brown ones and a pair of tennis shoes (as well as my dozens of heels. But really, who wants to wear heels all the time when they go out drinking and are habitually clumsy even when they aren't drunk?). After being in the store for nearly an hour, I finally made the purchase of a pair of black Bare Traps boots. However, for some reason I can't seem to find a picture of them at all online, so you'll have to take my word for it that they're pretty cute (think snow bunny, but without a high heel).

Store Number 2: JoBeth. I also spent about an hour in this store but part of that was because I couldn't find the certain book I went there for to begin with. Lauren Willig's 5th book came out in paperback yesterday and I desperately wanted it. Of course, her 6th comes out next Wednesday, but I started buying the books in paperback and will stick to that until I own them all. I just have to wait "in line" to borrow it from the library.

I completely adore her books. Espionage, romance, history, and flowery named spies.... What's not to adore?? So, this was my reward to myself :)

I also bought two other books. Now, don't laugh, but I loved "Lipstick Jungle" when it was on TV. I'm also going out to buy the DVDs (alas, only 2 seasons were ever filmed) when Best Buy releases them both in the same package - February 9th, by the by. Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle also made the buy, as did Louise Shaffer's Serendipity.

The back cover:
"A child of theatrical royalty, Carrie Manning is having a hard time getting her own act together. Thirty-seven, aimless, and having just buried a famous mother she never understood, she is desperate to uncover her family’s mysterious past in the hopes that it will help her understand herself. At the heart of Carrie’s discoveries lies the reason for her mother’s complicated life, and a dark secret that has been buried for thirty years."

I read the first couple of pages before committing to buy it, and it seems like it'll be really good. It has the feel of Monsters of Templeton and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (both are completely different but they switch back and forth from the present day to some day in the past). After I read it, I'll make sure to write what I think about it - hopefully, I'll like the book though :)

Mais, d'accord.... That's all for now.

Peace

Things that I'm...

2010-01-02T18:58:00.000-05:00

...tired of seeing on the internet:

1. The Tiger Woods Scandal

Ok, so maybe he was a bit of an idiot. And, yeah, it's totally wrong that he had, like, 15 mistresses. And, ok, he did put his wife through hell (how did she not even have a clue though??). But I'm really tired of reading about how he's in hiding, his wife is staying in an $8,000.00/night chalet in the French Alps, and how, yet again, another woman has come forward. I know he was a huge role model for millions of people, but still! Why can't we just move on? Why, for goodness sake, does everyone in the world need to know about how he can't keep it in his pants? It's the same thing with David Letterman, Bill Clinton, and other guys (and sometimes women I guess). Personally, I don't have a lot of interest in the matter. It's taking up news space online where, otherwise, I could be reading articles about "Twilight" (see #2 below) or sneak peeks at upcoming T.V. shows or other movies. So I vote everyone move and let the man get his life back together... and also to leave his (ex)wife alone. She's been through enough, people.

2. Twilight

This one really bothers me. It's not the many articles that bother me - it's all the idiots who comment on all the articles. I get where they're coming from - I really do. I was just fussing about all the articles on Tiger Woods (but in my defense, it's because I wish they'd leave him alone). No. All the "twi-haters" are annoying as shat. Listed below are some of the reasons that people hate "Twilight":

* Twilight is stupid
* Twilight is for kids and old women who have never had love in their life so they resort to crushing on 17 year old vampires that glitter
* Harry Potter is sooo much better than Twilight.
* People who read Twilight are incapable of having an intelligent thought so they read this stupid story
* Bella is not a good role model

Let's start at the beginning. I don't care if you think the book/movie is stupid, a lot of people like it and you're just gate-crashing their online party... and being a bitch about it. This is not a valid argument. Fail.
Next, this is just a mean, mean thing to say. Would you tell this to your mother if she read the books and liked them? Think about what you're saying people! Why would you say this to other mothers if you'd think twice about saying to your own mom? Fail.
Third argument. This absolutely bugs the s-h-*-t out of me, like whoa. Firstly, two completely different authors. Secondly, the stories have nothing in common except that in Harry Potter, Remus Lupin is a werewolf (a true werewolf by the by) and that there's a vamp in the 6th book on a single page. I will, however, say that JK Rowling is a better writer as a whole. Her sentences seem to flow better for me. But when everyone was saying that Twilight was the next HP, I'm more than fairly certain that they were talking about sales - NOT the stories themselves. Invalid argument. Fail.
People who read Twilight are incapable of intelligent thought?? Seriously? Whatever dude, you're on the same site as those "unintelligent" people, reading the same fluff from EW. Do you think people won't notice this fact if you use big words? Sorry to break it to you, but I consider myself to be pretty smart about some things (not all, mind you, but a few particular areas) and I've read Twilight twice. I don't feel that I should have to sit down with a thousand page textbook or computer manual (yeah, actually had a family member say that I should read that and not the books I do read, whatevs) to tell people that I'm intelligent. I read to escape the mundane, you moronic douchebag, and to use this argument is setting you up for this: FAIL.
And finally, loads of people use the fact that Bella isn't a good role model. I'm in the middle on this. On one hand, you have to realize and acknowledge that this is completely fiction and was made up when SM had a dream. You need to make sure to tell your daughters that most women in real life don't act this way (and that there aren't real glittery vampires living in rainy towns). On the other hand, Bella is kind of annoying. Especially in film: rapid eye blinking and an odd open mouth pout while panting is kind of off-putting (right word?). So I'm of two minds with this. However, the argument that she's a bad role model because she doesn't drive her truck all the time is utterly ridiculous. I remain convinced that this is a male complex because how many boyfriends or husbands usually want their ladies to drive? My husband sure as hell doesn't. It's some kind of disorder with which they were born. So the driving argument earns a fail.

So anyway, this is my little rant of the day. Just thought I'd share this with anyone that may read it :)

Peace

Christmas Presents

2009-12-25T23:36:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to everyone :)

I thought I'd nip on here and post my own personal review of the new B&N Nook (woot for awesome Christmas presents!). Pretty much all of the reviews I've read about the Nook have been good. The only negative comments I've seen online was on an admittedly pretty bad review that EW wrote a couple of weeks ago. Most of the comments on that article seemed to prefer Amazon's Kindle over the Nook and seem to think that it (being the Nook) is not all that impressive. I disagree.

I will disclose that I was VERY skeptical of any type of e-reader to begin with. I like books. I love the feel of the pages, the smell of new as well as old books, and also the fact that it's something tangible - you can hold them and feel as though you're cuddling with a (very) close friend :) With that being said, I was at work sometime in November and sort of stumbled on the Nook page on B&N. I fell in love. It's beautiful, it takes up virtually no space, and it can hold over 17,000 books when you put in an extra memory card. 17,000 people!! It's an effing LIBRARY IN YOUR PURSE!

Anyway, besides this freaking awesome fact, the Nook contains several additional features that I find completely amazing. Obviously the bottom part is all touchscreen. The majority (where you read the books, newpapers, and etc), is, also obviously, not touchscreen. Along the bottom part on the "main menu" thingy, there's 5 options to choose from: the daily, my library, shop, reading now, and settings. The daily: just random notes and such from various people, this also includes any updates that are available (which btw, you need to install one as soon as you get it). My library: the full list of books you have downloaded on it. Shop: this is pretty self-explanatory. Reading now: although you can bookmark whatever page you're on in whatever book you're reading, this actually takes you to the page you had pulled up before you stopped reading. Settings: includes registering your Nook, your screensaver and wallpaper displays, as well as contacts (those lucky people who also have a Nook and to whom you can lend your books for up to 14 days).

When you first turn on your Nook, you must register it (with the same account info on B&N - to do this is painless and takes, literally 10 seconds, depending on how fast you type), and you can also take a tutorial - which you can go back to whenever you like.

You still need a booklight or a lamp when you're reading. The "pages" actually look like a page from a real book and don't hurt your eyes at all. My biggest fear was that it would seem, however remotely, like looking at a computer screen and I was not looking forward to having my eyes hurt after reading only a few pages. It's doesn't do this.

Anyway, that's a quick run-through. Never having access to any other e-reader, I can't really do a substantial review. I will say, however, that those who love to read (whether you are needy with real books or not [i.e. me]) will love this new device. I was so excited to see the letters n-o-o-k when I unwrapped this that I squealed with delight and starting bouncing up and down like a 5 year old at a Wiggles concert. Anywho, I love. I love a lot. I will continue to love a lot until I break it and then I will love the next one I get. So, please people please, go to your nearest B&N and try out the ones they have on display. You'll be as giddy as I am and start begging your 16 year old sister to give up her Christmas presents so your parents can afford it and you can have a happiness that may even rival my own.

4.5 out of 5 stars (simply because they're still not real books and I kind of can't get over that. But it really is a wonderful contraption)

Peace

Don't Bargain with the Devil

2009-12-17T15:36:00.000-05:00

by Sabrina Jeffries
2009
4 out 5 stars

I completely adore SJ's books. Her "School for Heiresses" books are very well-written, humorous, witty, and splendid romance stories. I've read the entire series, but since this is the last one I read (and after I started this blog), Don't Bargain with the Devil is the only one of the Heiress books that I'll review. However, I highly recommend reading them all.

Back Cover:

The future of Charlotte Harris's finishing school is in jeopardy when a charming Spaniard - world-famous magician Diego Montalvo - arrives to turn the bordering estate into a scandalous pleasure garden. Valiantly ignoring his wicked flirtations, outspoken Lucinda Seton vows to derail his plans and save the school, unaware that Diego's true mission is to spirit the long-lost heiress away to Spain for a handsome reward! But before long Diego's heart is playing tricks on him, and Lucy is falling under the illusionist's spell. How can the Master of Mystery go through with his devilish scheme when all he wants is to make the lovely heiress his own?

Diego isn't your typical Regency romance hero. He's not really rich nor is he even English. And although I am in love with my Regency hero's, he certainly makes it hard not to fall in love with a Spaniard. According to SJ, Diego was even based on an actual Italian magician, Giuseppe Pinetti from the eighteenth century.

Lucy, while being a more typical Regency heroine, is still slightly atypical (if that makes sense...). She's not exactly aware of her sensuality, but she knows how to use it when "forced" into a certain situation. I don't want to say too much though, because it's better if you read it.

Anyway, SJ's books are a real delight to get sucked into. She creates a world where you fall in love with the characters and you care about what happens. You don't even have to read them in order; even though it is a six book series, each book can stand alone. For anyone who enjoys romance, historical or otherwise, they will l-o-v-e this series.

Peace out.

Edit:
I forgot two lines that really stuck out to me. One is really funny, and the other... a little strange to me:

- ' "Sometimes the way to a man's heart is through his tallywhacker." ' Nettie, page 286
- 'Without her, he felt ill, like a sailor deprived of lemons to stave off the scurvy.' page 297 (strange, yes?)

Hello

2009-12-14T11:24:00.001-05:00

Ok, so after many shoulds, shouldn'ts, maybes, and yeses (!), I have finally decided to create another blog. Most of the time (it seems), I get in trouble when writing something (even though I have NO recollection of writing that said something). However, this blog, I've decided, will be my thoughts and overall review of various things. Mostly, I'll tell whoever will read this whether they should give a certain book a chance. The other important thing I'll be writing randomly about it, is shoes! I love both. I have several of both. My goal in life is to ultimately have a gigantic library and a shoe room that's about the same size (!!). Anyway, that's a quick intro.

Today, however, I'd like to rate and give a little review of a couple different kissing scenes. That's right - kissing scenes. I'm a complete romantic at heart and those final scenes kind of make me swoon a little. If I can find either video or picture, I'll post that too.

D'accord, let's get right to it, yes?

1. Andrew Lee Potts
Potts was recently in "Alice," Syfy's new mini series - a darker version of Alice in Wonderland. As Hatter, a witty and adorable con man, he falls in love with Alice along the way. I'm not going into a summary of "Alice" though, so Google it if you want to know about that. I will say, however, that even though it got some pretty bad reviews, I didn't find it to be that bad. The main reason that I watched all of it was for the inevitable romance between Alice and Hatter. I loved every scene Potts was in. His accent, his hair, his face! He's completely adorable and, even though I am happily married, I fell in love with him a little bit.

Check it:

Thanks to WoundedWolfGirl on Youtube for uploading the video for me to steal and put on here :)

Anyway, I give Potts a 9 out of 10 rating. Reasons: it makes me giddy watching the kiss; I love how he whispers, "I missed you," and keeps going; I really love (and I'm not sure why) the way you can see the underside of a man's jaw when they kiss on camera. I took a point off because it wasn't me he was kissing ;)

2. Ryan Reynolds
So I just watched "The Proposal" for the third time in as many days. Sandra Bullock was soooo funny. My fave scene: where's she chanting and it turns into rapping "Get Low" by Lil John. Sorry, but whenever someone as classy as she starts chanting "to the sweat drop down my balls," I begin to love her a little more and laugh my ass off in the process. Anyway! Their ending scene is here.

(It wouldn't let me copy the info to put the video on here - also, while you're there, check out her chanting scene!)

I give Reynolds an 8 out 10. I love: that he takes control and tells her to shut up several times; how he tosses his jacket to the side and then holds her head as he kisses her; and also that he looks at her for a second while kissing her. I gave him an 8 parce que his nose is squished against her face for a minute. Not that pretty. But his kissing looks like it would be really nice ;)

Oh, and I really like that you can see his entire his naked side halfway through the movie.

Anyway, that's all for now. I've spent long enough on this post and would like to return to drooling over Ryan R. I'll probably have more scenes with gorgeous men and their kissing ratings at some later point in time. Maybe I'll have some who seem like they can't kiss at all too - shake things up a bit. But whatev, I'm out for now.

Peace!