A 30 something in love with books. All books. I strive to give honest and open reviews and opinions. Since I first learned to read at 4 years old I have pretty much read anything that I can get my hands on, and I want to share that love of reading and books with you!
Do you have a book that you would like me to review? An Author your would like me to interview? Participate in a blog tour? Sounds good to me! Please take a look at my review policy and email me
So that's it for my mailbox this week. If you are into cookbooks, you need to check out the selection from Random House. They are amazing. I am quite enjoying Everyday Food Light and the recipe's are quick, easy and delicious.
I of course had to pick up a finished copy of Clockwork Prince. I have already read and reviewed it (you can read it here) and I also bought a paper copy of City of Fallen Angels to complete my Mortal Instruments collection so far.
That's it for me. What did you get in your mailbox this week?
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. Basically, it’s a chance to highlight one of the many books that you want to read but hasn’t been released just yet. This week I have selected 2 books.
My Waiting on Wednesday picks for this week are…
Title:What She Left Behind Author: Tracy Bilen Publisher: Simon Pulse Publication Date: May 1, 2012
“Don’t even think of leaving…I will find you,” he whispered. “Guaranteed.”
Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it. Each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both.
I seem to be choosing much darker books latetly. Not really sure why.
THE REISSUE OF the classic Grimm tale of a beautiful young girl with skin as white as snow, lips and cheeks as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony is breathtakingly realized by acclaimed artist Charles Santore in this lush, lovely picture book.
Just how amazing do those illustrations look? How can you possibly resist getting this version? I think I may just have to preorder it.
He counts her smiles every day and night at the train station. And morning and evening, the beautiful commuter acknowledges him—just like she does everyone else on the platform. But Blake Hartt is not like the others . . . he’s homeless. Memories of a broken childhood have robbed him of peace and twisted delusions into his soul. He stays secluded from the sun, sure the world would run from him in the harsh light of day.
Each day, Livia McHugh smiles politely and acknowledges her fellow commuters as she waits for the train to the city. She dismisses this kindness as nothing special, just like her. She’s the same as a million other girls—certainly no one to be cherished. But special or not, she smiles every day, never imagining that someone would rely on the simple gesture as if it were air to breathe.
When the moment comes that Livia must do more than smile, without hesitation she steps into the fray to defend the homeless man. And she's surprised to discover an inexplicable connection with her new friend. After danger subsides, their smiles become conversation. Their words usher in a friendship, which awakens something in each of them. But it’s not long before their bond must prove its strength. Entanglements from the past challenge both their love and their lives.
Blake’s heart beats for Livia’s, even if her hands have to keep its rhythm. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love never fails. Love never fails, right?
In an interwoven tale of unlikely loves and relationships forged by fire, Debra Anastasia takes readers into the darkest corners of human existence, only to show them the radiant power of pure adoration and true sacrifice. Complicated families and confused souls find their way to light in this novel, which manages to be racy, profane, funny, and reverent all at once.
Livia felt her rage ignite. "Well Oily Comb-Over, looks like I need to buy you a load of Shut Your Mouth for your birthday."
"I...was...screaming like a man...with a cat on his nipple." Beckett slapped his hand of his desk.
Livia held her spatula as Blake whispered in her ear. “I see us just like this a hundred years from now, old and deaf. I’ll be the luckiest man.”
Emotion caught her—this was all she wanted. Simple, beautiful frittata moments with this man.
“Someday, Livia, I’ll be man enough to buy the food,” he continued. “I’ll give you an oven. I’ll try so hard.”
I have said it before and I will say it again, I love Debra Anastasia. This love began with her debut novel Crushed Seraphim, and it then followed into my love for her on Twitter (you can follow her here). So when I was contacted about possibly reviewing a copy of her latest book Poughkeepsie, I didn’t hesitate to jump at the chance. Best. Decision. Ever.
I admit, that when I started reading Poughkeepsie, I had absolutely no idea what the book was about. The fact that Debra wrote it was more than enough to get me to read it and I can honestly say that I wasn’t disappointed.
It’s still hard for me to define Poughkeepsie and tell you exactly what it was about, but I will give it a shot.
At its core Poughkeepsie is about a romance between Blake and Livia. But to say that that was all Poughkeepsie was about is to seriously sell the book short. Yes, it is about romance. But it is also about family. It’s about connections. It’s about the resilience of the human spirit.
The characters that Debra Anastasia has created are just phenomenal and support the story so well. You have Livia who has a heart of gold, Blake whose spirit is so heartbreakingly beautiful, Kyle who is lost an constantly searching to be enough, Cole who has struggled to contain the rage inside of him, and Beckett. Who could forget wonderful, conflicted, loyal and naughty Beckett? On the surface, none of these characters seem to have anything in common with one another. As you dive further and further into the story, you see the ties and bonds between them and you watch as they are tested, reformed and strengthened.
There is plenty of action, suspense, romance and hilarity to be found in Poughkeepsie. Debra Anastasia has outdone herself with her latest novel and as long as she keeps writing like this I will keep reading.
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.
The purpose of the meme is to highlight books that you have received in your mailbox over the past week.
On Friday afternoon, myself and some of my bookish friends met up for a shopping trip to the World's Biggest Bookstore in downtown Toronto and then headed over to grab some dinner at the Pickle Barrel! It was great fun, and great to catch up with a bunch of ladies I absolutely adore. *Waves hi to Angel, Michelle, Christa, Natasha, Sara, Jen and Wendy*
Anyway, lets see what I got in my mailbox this week.
Yeah, can you tell that I am making use of my new e-reader? Oooh and I somehow got on Harlequin's auto-approve list on NetGalley. I am not really sure how, but who cares?
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.
This was Jem – her friend, as steady and reliable as a heartbeat. Jem did not set her skin on fire or make the blood rush fast inside her veins until she was dizzy.
“Until death,” Jem replied gently. “Those are the words of the oath. ‘Until aught but death part thee and me.’ Someday, Will, I will go where none can follow me, and I think it will be sooner rather than later.”
Tessa did not need to touch Jessamine’s mind to know what she was thinking. Even the diamond had not been real.
I was got an ARC of this book from the lovely Jen from Rayment's Readings, Rants & Ramblings and I am so glad that I did. Getting the ARC actually pushed me to read book one in the Infernal Devices Series, Clockwork Angel. After reading book one and enjoying it, I immediately picked up the ARC of Clockwork Prince and dived right in. Seriously, I have no idea how I am supposed to wait for book three now.
All of the things that I loved in Clockwork Angel were brought right back and doubled in Clockwork Prince. The setting, the characters, the history and story were just developed so beautifully and at such a great pace. The story just unfolds effortlessly and hooks you right from the very first page. Clockwork Prince is definitely one of my favourite books of 2011.
Remember how in my review of Clockwork Angel I said that I didn't like Will? Well let me revise that statement to say that I didn't like Will in that book, but loved him in Clockwork Prince. I found that learning that there was a motivation and reason behind his behaviour made him much more likable. In fact, by the end of the book you actually begin to see him for what he really is; a seventeen year old boy trying to make the best of a bad situation to the best of his ability.
Tessa still annoyed me, but it was nice to see her experience some personal growth. Jess still made me want to light myself on fire every time she appeared. There really is no other character, that comes to mind, that has ever made me giddily anticipate the moment they finally get what is coming to them quite like Jess does. Jem finally showed some grit and determination. There was some steel in his spine and fire in his eyes and it really made me like him that much more. And of course Magnus Bane is still made of awesome and win.
Clockwork Prince is a fabulous follow up in the Infernal Devices Series. If Cassandra Clare keeps writing like this she will continue to cement her place in the hearts and imaginations of readers everywhere.
