Thursday's Dirty Little Secret #14

My favorite meme of the week! Dirty Little Secret is hosted by the lovely ladies of Under the Covers. This awesome meme challenges book bloggers to share a new dirty little secret each week.


To participate in the meme all you need to do is:


1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image (code above) and copy instructions.
3. Answer the question we propose! This can be done in any way you like, post a video, write a post etc.
4. Then add your link at Under the Covers


Non-bloggers, leave your answer in the comments! 

This week's question is:

What are your top 3 movies?

So, what's your dirty little secret?

And The Winners Are...

And The Winners Are...

Signed Print Copies

Tina Becker

Sara Kovach

Anne Muller 
 

Ebook Copies  

Linda Henderson

 Sharon Stogner

Foretta Byles

Mamabunny Shelor

Melissa Theyer 

Congratulations everyone! I have already sent out the emails, please respond within 24 hours of receiving them to claim your prize or another winner will be chosen.  Thanks everyone for entering! I hope you had lots of fun. 

WWW Wednesday #7

Another great meme hosted over at Should Be Reading

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

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

 Magic Study (Study Series #2) by Maria V Snyder

Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades Trilogy #1) by E.L. James

I'm really enjoying the process of getting back into the world of the Study Series. I missed Yelena and am very curious to see where her story goes next. So far it seems, even though she has reunited with her family, her brother is not yet ready to welcome her into the family. I'm excited to see her come into her magic and get a chance to really find out where he talents lay. 

I'm about 60% done with Fifty Shades of Grey and really not sure how I feel about. Honestly, I find the dominant and submissive relationship aspects very intriguing and fun, my problem is the writing quality. So far it has been very poor and either suggests a lack of vocabulary or suggests the author doesn't think very highly of her heroine who is constantly using expletives that begin with Holy. Holy crap, holy shit, holy cow, holy fuck, and holy mackerel seem to make an appearance at least once, (if not more) on each page. Her heroine is supposed to be a fan of classic literature, but manages to sound incredibly unintelligent. *sigh* I have no idea what I'm going to do with this book... It's intriguing one moment and downright agonizingly dumb the next. 

Just Finished

Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy #1) by Mira Grant

Firelight (Darkest London #1) by Kristen Callihan

Both of these were 5 stars for me! I absolutely loved every minute of them! I already have my review up for Feed, which you can find easily on the Reviews A-Z page. My review for Firelight  will be up on Friday! Last week was such a great week for books! 

Up Next!

White Witch by Trish Milburn

Ember (Darkest London #0.5) by Kristen Callihan

After reading and absolutely loving Firelight, I just have to read the prequel/companion novella for more Miranda and Archer! I hear from other reviewers that it's more of a fill in the blanks piece than a prequel, so I'm glad I saved it for afterwards.

I'm looking forward to reading White Witch for review for Bell Bridge! I have so many books in my review queue, and I'm trying to keep up with publication dates so I need to get this one done so I can get other out before they are published. 

Thank you Netgalley, Bell Bridge, and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with the galley versions of these books!

Teaser Tuesday #8

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading where we book bloggers give you lovely readers a tantalizing taste of whatever it is we are reading right now. To play along:
  
•  Grab your current read
•  Open to a random page
•  Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•  BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•  Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week's teaser is:

Magic Study

Maria V. Snyder

Study Trilogy #2

Genre: Fantasy

"Great. Day one and already the outcast, but did i care? Here to learn and not to make friends."

pg. 186

"I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes for good measure. Felling a little silly, I focused on the air around me, trying to sense the blanket of power."

 pg. 123

I'm excited to be reading this book as I loved the first in this series!  

What's your teaser this week?

Review: Feed

Feed
Mira Grant
Newsflesh Trilogy #1
Genre: Science Fiction, Horror
Rating: 5

In a world where zombies have become the norm and the world has learned to just live with them, bloggers and siblings, Georgia and Shaun Mason, have just gotten the opportunity of a lifetime. Their application to cover Senator Ryman's campaign for President of the United States of America has been approved and they are on their way to true blogger fame. However, when things begin to go terrifyingly wrong Georgia makes it her duty to unveil the truth  and share it with the world, even if it means wading through waters infested with politicians and zombies.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not your teenager's zombie fiction.  Grant has put together an intricate and well thought out world for her characters who are just as gritty and strong as the world they live in. I was fascinated by the political and journalism aspects and have great expectations for this series , so much so, that I went out and bought Deadline last week after only reading a few chapters of Feed.   I enjoyed how the zombies weren't exactly the main focus of the book, but always lingered in the dark corners waiting for their chance to make a move. Without giving away spoilers, I can say that less than 1/4 of the way through, you realize the zombies aren't the real villains of this novel, but a tool. This concept is what finally hooked me after the extensive info-dump the first part of the book turns out to be. 

The Virus
I was thoroughly impressed with the intelligent tone and Grant's obvious extensive research. The Kellis-Amberlee virus isn't just some all purpose explanation for why the zombies are around. Grant describes the virus so intricately, if it didn't reanimate the dead, it would sound like something that could be present in the near future. The origin of the virus is described for the reader in great detail making the creation and spread believable by playing on the rash actions of today's extremist groups. The virus is so well developed in fact, that it really is its own character. Dark and sinister, it lays dormant in all living creatures just waiting to come in contact with an active strain of itself. Once it does, it amplifies rapidly inside its host, slowly enough for the host to get near others while still appearing normal, and quickly enough for the one person to have the potential to create a hazard zone the size of a large city. No one is safe, and eventually, everyone will succumb to the virus, even if they die a natural death.

The Pacing & Narrative
 It was kind of slow to start, but everything that contributed to the slowness was vital information. The narrative can come across a bit dry in spots between the action, however I believe this is due to the author staying true to the voice of her narrator. Georgia is such a 'let's get right down to business' sort of person that this style makes complete sense. One of the best aspects of this book is that nothing feels irrelevant. Not once did I say to myself, "Now that was definitely filler." Literally every scrap of information either helps you understand the world and the characters better or it sets up impending plot twists. 


Georgia & Shaun
This sibling duo is one of the best I've ever read. They offset each other perfectly with Shaun's mischievous, devil may care attitude balancing Georgia's more dry, goal oriented personality.  Or does she balance him?? I truly believe they need each other to function properly. Shaun adds much needed comic relief to the story and often punches up a dry section of dialogue nicely.  

I read a lot of reviews for this book before and during my read and noticed almost everyone makes a comment about an implied "relationship" between the two. While I did notice these implications, I didn't' find them as obvious or damning as others did.  I felt the implications were fairly light rather than the "in-your-face" vibe I got from some of the reviews. I agree that it does appear there is something going on there, but I don't think everyone who reads this book will notice unless it is pointed out to them. There is never any confirmation of a romantic relationship between the two and readers going into the book expecting one will be greatly disappointed. The occurrences are so light and few that they could easily mean something completely different. The only reason I feel these claims are warranted is because of a statement made by Georgia at the end of the book. I won't get into this further in order to avoid spoilers.
 
The Twists
 My God the twists! There are quite a few with two really major ones that will completely throw you for a loop. I obviously can't go into them, however I will say they make this book one of the most shocking and fluid reads I've ever had. My warning to you all is under no circumstances should you read descriptions, summaries, reviews, or the backs of the other two books in the series. These WILL give away major plot points and HUGE spoilers for the first book.

The End 
A reviewer friend of mine on Goodreads gave me the same warning that I just gave you all. Unfortunately I did not see it in time to save myself from my own curiosity. Curiosity really did kill the cat, or in this case, the ending for Feed for me. I was so mad at myself and now that I know how it all ends, I'm sad because I know this book would have been even better had I not seen it coming. Let me tell you, you do not want this epic ending spoiled for you so please stay away from the other books or anything about them until you finish this one! 

Even with the spoiler, the end still hit me hard and I literally bawled. I had myself a good, soaking wet, snotty, hiccup inducing cry. Not just because of the shock of this plot twist, but because of the way the author handles it.  The portrayal is perfect and heart-wrenching and felt so right in its context. Grant stays so true to her characters and I am just blown-away with the entire book. 

The Final Verdict 

 Feed truly lives up to the massive hype and deserves every nice thing that is said about it. I really couldn't find much fault anywhere. The writing is fluid and intelligent, the characters are well developed and maintained, and Grant's dedication to making this book absolutely brilliant shines through on every page. Personally, reading this book made me want to be a better writer, blogger, and media consumer.

Zombie skeptics and newbies will find this a nice transition book as it is more focused on the drama and the characters than  the actual zombies and gore. Zombie veterans and developing fans will find it a fresh take on their favorite rotting fiends.  Everyone will learn a thing or two about virology, politics, and just what it takes to bring us the news. I can not think of a better way to begin a series. 

In My Mailbox #6

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted over at The Story Siren where we bloggers share our book hauls for the week. I got some amazing books this week! 

 Thrift Store Finds

Ruthless (House of Rohan #1) by Anne Stuart

Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) by Gail Carriger

Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World #2) by Jeaniene Frost

I've already read Eternal Kiss of Darkness on ebook, but I couldn't pass up on owning a paperback copy for so cheap an in such good condition. I've read the 4th book in the House of Rohan series, but not the rest, so I was pleasantly surprised to find the first book at Goodwill! Finally, no I didn't get lucky enough to find Soulless at Goodwill, I actually picked this one up at Barnes & Noble, but didn't want to take a separate picture for it. I have seen books in this series on lots of other blogs throughout the week and finally caved and bought my own! Can't wait to get started, I hear this is a really great series. 

 More Thrift Store Finds

The Paradise War (The Song of Albion #1) by Stephen R. Lawhead

The Silver Hand (The Song of Albion #2) by Stephen R. Lawhead

The Endless Knot (The Song of Albion #3) by Stephen R. Lawhead

Daniel X: Demons and Druids (Daniel X #3) by James Patterson

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

I can't believe I found an entire trilogy in such good condition and for so cheap! I'm excited to give this author and series a try. I own the first book in the Daniel X series, but haven't read it yet, another James Patterson book I own, but haven't read yet. I can't believe I own so many of his YA novels, but I can never manage to find the time to read them! Couldn't resist adding to the series though.  Finally, I have heard lots of great things about The Tiger's Wife so when I found it at Goodwill, I thought, "Why not!?" 

So tell me, what was in your mailbox this week?

Thursday's Dirty Little Secret #13

My favorite meme of the week! Dirty Little Secret is hosted by the lovely ladies of Under the Covers. This awesome meme challenges book bloggers to share a new dirty little secret each week.


To participate in the meme all you need to do is:


1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image (code above) and copy instructions.
3. Answer the question we propose! This can be done in any way you like, post a video, write a post etc.
4. Then add your link at Under the Covers


Non-bloggers, leave your answer in the comments! 

This week's question is:

Shuffle your playlist and give us the first five songs that come up. 


Hover - Trust Company
Get Out Alive - Three Days Grace
Are You Hurting The One You Love - Florence + The Machine
The Ghost of You - My Chemical Romance
Apocalypse Please - Muse


If I didn't know any better... I would say my phone is trying to tell me something... Either the zombie apocalypse is coming, or I need to get my butt back to writing my book!

So, what's your dirty little secret?

WWW Wednesday #6

Another great meme hosted over at Should Be Reading

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

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

 Currently Reading:

Feed by Mira Grant 

 Firelight by Kristen Calihan

I'm am completely engrossed in Feed right now. There is so much wonderful detail and it is unlike any zombie book I have ever read. Grant offers readers a unique look at a possible future for the U.S. + zombies. What would it be like to have zombies be the norm in our everyday lives? Have government policy shaped around their existence? This is truly an intelligent, gritty, and at times funny read. 

 I haven't gotten into Firelight yet, but I am very interested in what it has to offer. Historical romance is one of my guilty pleasures and urban fantasy a growing addiction, so the two of them combined in one book? It has to be good!

 Recently Finished

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

This book didn't completely live up to the hype for me, however I still enjoyed it. I have a feeling the next book in the series will make up for a lot of the things I didn't like about this one, so I look forward to giving it a go. 

Up Next:

Much Ado About Rogues by Kasey Michaels

Magic Study by Maria V Snyder 

 I received Much Ado About Rogues from Harlequin for review through Netgalley. I am interested to read the next story in the Blackthron Brothers trilogy as I read and enjoyed Puck's story. I have a feeling his brother is going to be a very dark and broody alternative to his mischievous and bright brother. 

I will also be starting Magic Study, the second book in the Study Series, as a buddy read with my sister Lindsae. I'm very excited to find out what adventures await Yelena next! The first book in the series Poison Study was absolutely wonderful so I have high hopes for this one!

Feelin' Lucky Giveaway Hop!

Click Here to Visit the Host's Blog

Feelin' Lucky Giveaway Hop

Hosted by:

Fictional Candy

and

I Smell Sheep

Wicked Giveaway of:

 Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead

By Christiana Miller

Winner of Wickedly Bookish's Best Read of 2011

Description from Goodreads:

A little magic can go a long way -- to really screwing up a girl's life!

Mara is having the worst month of her life. At least, that's what her cards tell her and they've never been wrong. She's evicted from her apartment, loses her job and is banned from Beverly Hills. So when the tarot cards predict her imminent demise, she uses a little magic to make her world right.

Suddenly, an aunt she's never met dies, leaving Mara as her sole heir. But when Mara moves into her inherited home, she discovers Aunt Tillie never moved out. She's still one pissed-off old lady, even post-mortem, and she blames Mara's magical meddling for her death.

When Mara accidentally releases a demon and awakens the spirit of the most powerful witch in history, Tillie's ready to kill her -- literally. It's the only way she can think of to save the girl from herself. The witch and the demon, however, have other plans for Mara's body

Giveaway Details

Mara is Feelin' Lucky when she inherits her aunt's home. What's luckier than a witch? Ring in this Saint Patrick's Day with your very own signed paperback copy of Christiana Miller's indie hit debut novel Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead. Enter for a chance to win this outrageously funny, scary good read. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you just may pee your pants in fright! Christiana has generously provided three signed copies and 5 ebook copies for this giveaway so enter now before your luck runs out.

To Enter:

1. Follow Wickedly Booksih
2. Fill out the Raffelcopter form below 
3. Don't forget to check out the linky at the end of this post for more great giveaways! 
 
  Any false entries will be deleted, that means if you said you follow Wickedly Bookish and I don't find the name you follow by in my list, then ALL of your entries will be deleted as it is a mandatory requirement.  I do check these things so please be honest! 
 

Teaser Tuesday #7

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading where we book bloggers give you lovely readers a tantalizing taste of whatever it is we are reading right now. To play along:
  
•  Grab your current read
•  Open to a random page
•  Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•  BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•  Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week's teaser is:

Feed

by Mira Grant

Newsfelsh Trilogy #1

Science-fiction, Horror

"The ASL for 'zombie' has joined the raised middle finger as one of the truly universal hand gestures. Some points just need to be made quickly."

pg. 97 

"The moral of our story, beyond the obvious 'don't play with dead things' : Some lines were never meant to be crossed, however good your cause may seem."

 pg. 212

I'm really enjoying this book so far. It has been kind of slow to start, but everything that has contributed to the slowness is vital information. Grant has put together an intricate and well thought out world for her characters who are just as gritty and strong as the world they live in. I am fascinated by the political and journalism aspects and have great expectations for this book, so much so, that I went out and bought Deadline last week after only reading a few chapters. Can't wait to see how this ones turns out! 

Review: Across the Universe

Across the Universe
Beth Revis
Across the Universe Trilogy #1
Genre: YA, Science Fiction
Rating: 3.5

Amy and her parents sign up to be cryogenically frozen so that they can travel to Centuri-Earth and help colonize a habitable planet. Staying frozen for 300 years while traveling through the stars on the ship Godspeed doesn't sound too bad, but when Amy is woken up 50 years early by a rebellious occupant of the ship her entire future is irrevocably altered. There is no way for her to be refrozen without risk of death or extensive damage so she must find a way to be content with living her life on the strange ship with a community of people who are disturbingly different. If that wasn't enough, Amy faces danger from the ship's leader, Eldest, who believes her drastic differences from the other occupants could lead to mutiny. Luckily, she seems to have made a friend in the ship's future leader Elder, a 16-year old boy who has begun to question Eldest and his methods. As a killer threatens the lives of the other frozen occupants of the ship, Amy must find a way to fit in and discover the ship's secrets before it is too late. 

I think I will start out by saying, there were many impressive dsytopian elements to this book. Revis sets the disturbing tone of the book right off the bat letting the reader know, no matter what it may seem like on the surface, something is very wrong here. The American concept of manifest destiny will undoubtedly one day extend to the stars, giving humanity hope for the future. And that's just it, voyaging among the stars and heading to a new planet to colonize should reflect hope and wonder. However, Across the Universe manages to delve deeply into the possibility for flaws and the horrific consequences of desperation. Through this work, Revis asks her readers, "When does the need for order and safety override a human's basic rights?" When it comes to saving humanity, how far is too far?  The implications this book presents to its readers are truly frightening and the part I enjoyed the most. 

Across the Universe has some amazing moments and makes for a great discussion book, however lack of strong characterization and inconsistent pacing may leave more mature readers on the fence. Now, when I say lack of strong characterization, I men that I personally had a difficult time connecting with the two main characters Amy and Elder. While Amy fights for what she believes is right and doesn't let anyone walk all over her, she also has some very childlike qualities. Throughout the book, she calls her dad, daddy and uses "It's just not fair" reasoning quite a bit. She also seems to throw abrupt temper tantrums and her thought process can be aggravatingly immature. If you are familiar with my reviews, you will know that one of my biggest pet peeves is the "damsel in distress" syndrome. Unfortunately, this happens a lot here. Elder or his best friends Harley are constantly jumping in and saving her from brainless men, Eldest, and often times herself. For me, Amy stopped being likeable after she was unfrozen, which is most of the book. 

Elder is a bit better. He questions the ethics of the way the ship is run and wonders if there isn't a better way while still managing to come across as completely ignorant, which he is. It's not really the poor guy's fault, being raised with alternative history to make totalitarian forms of government appear vastly better than the other options. Everyone on the ship is monoethnic, they all have brown skin, brown hair, etc. Everyone looks fairly similar and there is a pretty high risk for incestuous relationships, but what do you expect from a population of people that have been completely isolated for 250 years? Differences are to be feared and only prove to cause trouble. Elder can't help but appear numb or apathetic at times due to his surroundings. He is actually one of the only free-thinking people on board. I saw a lot of good development with Elder and am interested to see how he will do in the next book. 

The book also suffers from a mild case of predictability and may or may not have a mind-blowing ending depending on how perceptive you tend to be while reading. I had already figured out who was killing the frozen people by this person's second appearance. I did not see the last little plot twist coming, thank goodness, and was glad to have had a bit of a thrill from my reading experience. I just think this book does not live up to its hype and potential. However, taking in the fact that it is difficult to pull off a mind-blowing first-in-series book, I do give Revis props. Across the Universe is intriguing and an overall enjoyable read, I just wish the characters had been more developed. 

To Be Continued? - Yes, I will definitely be giving book 2, A Million Suns, a shot. I can see a lot of the problems I had with this book being resolved. 

In My Mailbox # 5

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted over at The Story Siren where we bloggers share our book hauls for the week. I got some amazing books this week! My hubby and I got our tax return and he let me have a small shopping spree in the Barnes & Noble. Love you honey! Also this week, I got a book in the mail from my sister Lindsae for our next buddy review. She's getting her very own blog started and I'm so proud! Her blog A Day in the Life of a Diva has something different every day from recipes, fashion tips and book reviews.  She is definitely the glamor girl to my nerdy girl. We make a well balanced pair!

Tax return buys!

The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Deadline (Newsflesh Trilogy #2) by Mira Grant

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Volume 3

From my sister Lindsae for our next Sister's Wicked review. Thanks sis!

Magic Study (Study Series #2) by Maria V. Snyder

Thursday's Dirty Little Secret #12

My favorite meme of the week! Dirty Little Secret is hosted by the lovely ladies of Under the Covers. This awesome meme challenges book bloggers to share a new dirty little secret each week.


To participate in the meme all you need to do is:


1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image (code above) and copy instructions.
3. Answer the question we propose! This can be done in any way you like, post a video, write a post etc.
4. Then add your link at Under the Covers


Non-bloggers, leave your answer in the comments! 

This week's question is:

Which author introduced you to urban fantasy or paranormal romance? 


This is a tough one because I have read paranormal romance type books for awhile, but they never really caught on until about 2 years ago. I read a book called The Silver Kiss when i was in middle school and loved it! Since then, everything i have read that wasn't required for school had to have some sort of supernatural or fantastical element to it, but I still wouldn't say I was into PR or UF just yet. After graduating high school, I read the Twilight books and while they were a good starting point, now that I have read more serious series, I wouldn't say this did it either. I think the pivotal point was in 2009 when I started reading the Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charliene Harris because I had just finished the first season of True Blood and wanted to know more! This got m interested in signing up for a paranormal romance addicts group on Goodreads and from there I participated in all the monthly group reads. Thanks to this wonderful group I read my first Richelle Mead book Storm Born and my first Gena Showalter book The Darkest Night and I was pretty much doomed from that point on. :-)

What's your dirty little secret?

WWW Wednesday #5

Another great meme hosted over at Should Be Reading

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

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading: Across the Universe by Beth Revis: Really enjoying this one! It starts out really strong and slows down a bit, but now that the mystery of who is tampering with all the cryo chambers is in full swing, I am excited to find out more! I also am loving the dystopia elements. These were very well thought out and add a creepy, unreal tone to the story. 

 Recently Finished: Water of Life by Rhys Astason: I had a lot of fun with this sci-fi romance! For those of you interested, please check out the review on the A-Z Reviews tab. I will be having a givingaway for this book March 17th - 24th during the Small Press Treasures Giveaway Hop so don't forget to stop by and enter!

Up Next: Firelight by Kristen Callihan: I was kindly provided with the galley for Firelight by Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing. I'm excited to get started on this one! It seems to be a mix between historical and urban fantasy and the cover is gorgeous! I have also seen so many good reviews on Goodreads, so I'm excited to get started!