Let's do the Blog Hop!

Feature & Follow friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Q. What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character? Enclave by Ann Aquirre! That book felt like a movie while I was reading it. I"m not sure who I would cast though.

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.

Q. “In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite “banned or frequently challenged book”?” From the 2010 list I would have to pick The Hunger Games. Reasons given - "Reasons: sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence" and "Challenged and presented to the Goffstown, N.H. school board (2010) by a parent claiming that it gave her eleven-year-old nightmares and could numb other students to the effects of violence."

- I'm not even going to address the sexually explicit issue because it's so silly. (I wish there was a sex scene in there! Even a YA, fade to black one but there isn't)

The violence aspect. I can see how this book may be troubling and overwhelming for certain children. Personally, I think I would have had nightmares reading this book as a child. However, it's my belief that Suzanne Collins has presented a wonderful opportunity for parents to discuss war and violence with our children. It's happening. It's on the news and all over the internet every single day. Not reading The Hunger Games is not going to make it go away, instead you could start an open dialogue with your child to discuss their questions and fears.

Two other books from the list that I have read and loved are Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, both contested in part for for sexual material. I honestly don't know what the heck is going on in these people's heads when you see pornography in rape or genocide.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is in my TBR pile and I'm looking forward to reading it.

That's just my two cents.

Click here for 2010-11 list in PDF format. You can also clickHERE to view past years and choose from any of those titles!

If you're interesting in winning either The Hunger Games or The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian - click on the Banned Book Week Hop link under my header.

Review: The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire #2) by Susan and Clay Griffith

Princess Adele struggles with a life of marriage and obligation as her Equatorian Empire and their American Republic allies stand on the brink of war against the vampire clans of the north. However, the alliance's horrific strategy for total victory drives Adele to abandon her duty and embark on a desperate quest to keep her nation from staining its hands with genocide. Reunited with her great love, the mysterious adventurer known to the world as the Greyfriar, Adele is pursued by her own people as well as her vengeful husband, senator Clark. With the human alliance in disarrray, Prince Cesare, lord of the British vampire clan, seizes the initiative and strikes at the very heart of Equatoria.


As Adele labors to bring order to her world, she learns more about the strange powers she exhibited in the north. Her teacher, Mamoru, leads a secret cabal of geomancers who believe Adele is the one who can touch the vast power of the Earth that surges through ley lines and wells up at the rifts where the lines meet. These energies are the key to defeating the enemy of mankind, and if Princess Adele could ever bring this power under her command, she could be death to vampires. But such a victory will also cost the life of Adele's beloved Greyfriar.

The Rift Walker is the second book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternative history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, the Vampire Empire series brings epic politcal themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.

Review:

This is a bit of a different review for me - I'm not going to discuss the over all plot - just my thoughts without context so read the very thorough Goodreads summary above first.

I absolutely loved The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire Book 1) so I was dying to get my hands on The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire Book 2). Just look at that cover!!

Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations. First I'll point out the good things of which there are many.

What I loved:
Princess Adele continues to be one of my favorite heroines. She accepts the challenges thrown at her with a maturity we just don't see from girls her age in YA these days. She is intelligent, kind and brave. Adele sorts through her options and decides on a course of action often putting her personal happiness aside as the future ruler of her people. She's neither snarky or TSTL (too stupid to live), just a compassionate young woman with growing confidence in her abilities.

The Greyfriar is heroic and self sacrificing. He is but one person fighting against his own kind and even his own family. Like Adele, he believes there is hope for an alliance between the vampires and humans and never relents in his pursuit of peace but is willing to kill anyone who harms those he holds dear.

The world building is just as exquisite and painstakingly laid out as it was in The Greyfriar. The Griffiths excel at creating a world that is both fascinating and terrifying.

What I didn't love:
There is an epic war brewing between the humans and the vampires. I understand why there needs to be a build up to the final battle but I was shifted between so many characters POV's that I ended up not caring so much after awhile. I'm not sure it was necessary to show every single persons (even minor character's) motivations at the expense of the core story and characters. 

Princess Adele and The Greyfriar's relationship was so captivating in the first book but fell flat for me in The Rift Walker. Gone was the intellectual sparring and discovery of each other. I wasn't even sure why they were in love in this book. They save each other, admire each other but past that there wasn't the spark that I felt from the first book. Their love was almost too tragic and a little boring to read. I was left thinking that they should just end this now before it gets ugly rather than rooting for them to make it against all odds as I should be.

I still highly recommend reading The Greyfriar, and despite my personal opinion of The Rift Walker it is getting rave reviews on Goodreads. 

This is a first rate vampire series. It has the feel of an old time swashbuckling adventure with forbidden romance, hidden identities and epic battles with steampunk elements.
Another thing - these are evil vampires. Be afraid. They are out to crush humanity. They keep humans as cattle for feeding. They are NOT romanticized in this series. On another note - the humans can be fairly evil also as their goals and allegiances shift.

Rating: 2.5 out of 4 The second installment of The Vampire Empire didn't captivate me like the first book in the series but I would still recommend it to readers looking for a fresh take on the vampire genre.


Find the authors: Website, Twitter
Buy the book! The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire Book 2)
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Prometheus Books September 2011

Review: Sophie & Carter by Chelsea Fine

While other high school seniors are dreaming about their futures, Sophie and Carter are just trying to make it through each day. Carter is overwhelmed by issues at home as he struggles to support his mother. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Sophie is left to care for her three younger siblings in place of their absent and troubled mother. All that holds these two best friends together is each other, and knowing that each night they'll sit together on Sophie's front porch swing and escape from their troubles, if just for awhile. But as their relationship reaches a turning point and high school graduation near, will their friendship become something...more?

Review:

Sophie & Carter is a little gem of a story that I'm thrilled to have discovered.

I have been reading quite a few "issue" books (Every You, Every Me, You Against Me) that were wonderful but left me in a dark place for days after reading.

Sophie & Carter deals with prostitution, domestic violence, mental illness and a few other things thrown in for good measure but I could not have been happier while reading this one.

Both Sophie and Carter have suffered through years of abuse and neglect at the hands of their parents. Since they are neighbors, they have witnessed each others suffering over the years. They pretend not to know each other at school (it helps them keep their home life & troubles separate from their school life where they can be normal) but every night they meet on Sophie's front porch swing to talk about their day.

They have come to rely on each other for support and while Sophie knows she's in love with Carter, he's just coming to the realization of how much she means to him.

Told in alternating points of view we get to see how difficult life has been for each of them but also see the joy they bring to each other.

Sophie is just a delight to know. She's taking care of her brothers & sisters, lovingly nicknamed "the littles", all alone. She is one brave girl. During her POV's I felt like I was sitting at her kitchen table having a cup of coffee chatting about her story. I want to be her BFF.

Carter is swoon worthy as a boy who is unbelievably patient, kind and loyal despite his background.

This is a very short book so I don't want to spoil too much. Chelsea Fine has packed a lot of history and emotion into a little space. Despite the subject matter, Sophie & Carter is also a story filled with heart and hope. Seriously guys - check this one out! You won't be disappointed and it only took me about 3 hours to read.

Rating: 4 out 4 BIG story wrapped in a little package.

Book trailer for Sophie & Carter:

Find Chelsea Fine: website, Blog (really fun blog!), Twitter, Facebook

Buy the book! paperback, Kindle (for the ridiculously low bargain price of $2.99!!)
Publisher: Acacia Publishing, Inc. - June 20, 2011
Source: Purchased - e-book
Qualifies for the: 2011 Debut Author Challenge, Young Adult Contemporary Challenge 2011

Tune in Tuesday (#4)

Tune in Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Ginger over at GReads! to help spread the word about the music we're listening to.

I went to see Foster the People in concert last week! I have to be completely honest - I didn't really love them before I went. I've been listening to Pumped Up Kicks for awhile now and it's a good song but I didn't go crazy over it. Helena Beat was their next release and again I liked it but it sounded similar to Pumped Up Kicks to me.

I went to the concert because I have seats at House of Blues but wasn't expecting anything great. They. Blew. Me. Away. They are seriously one of the best bands I've seen and the concert makes my top 5 list. (Sorry but Mumford & Sons and The National are still at the top)

I can't even explain how amazing they are live. This is one talented band deserving of the hype. They give it their all while they are playing and the CD doesn't even come close to showing their range.

If you have a chance to see them in concert DO IT! I must see them again! lol

This is the version of Pumped Up Kicks that I really love:

"Pumped Up Kicks" Acoustic on SiriusXM Alt Nation

This is my favorite song both in concert and on the CD:

"Don't Stop (Color on the Walls" Acoustic - live at Twist & Shout Records. I literally got chills when he sang this live.

So they're super talented but wait there's more!

They are also incredibly nice. They have partnered with the Do Good Bus to spread good across North America. At each stop they fill the bus with volunteers to help out a local charity the day of the tour. For Orlando the Do Good Bus helped out The Mustard Seed of Central Florida Furniture & Clothing Bank.

The tour runs through October 20th - check out the Do Good Bus website to see if your city is on the tour and volunteer to help or donate here to help support the Do Good Bus tour. (You can get a few rewards from Foster the People for donating!)

Foster the People: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Buy the CD! Amazon
MP3: Amazon
If you have Spotify - check out the exclusive Remix EP:

Review: Junky by William S. Burroughs

Note: This is a guest review written by Alex. He started his own blog so after you finish reading this go visit him at Eclectic Inspirations! Congratulations on the new blog!!

Review:
Junky by William S. Burroughs is a part autobiographical, part fiction novel about Junk (drugs) through following William Lee (a pseudonym for Burroughs). I read it after winning it from Roof Beam Reader but when I had, I was ecstatic to have a chance to finally see what Burroughs’ books were like. It didn’t disappoint.

The story is entirely central on drugs, the users and the obtaining of one by the other (with occasionally a few pages when the habit is kicked). This may seem crude and put off readers who want to know about lives and interaction and all that, but Burroughs makes the point that when you are addicted, there is nothing else. Personal relations only mean something as a) a source of money, b) as a supplier or c) someone who’ll take drugs with you. There are times when these people seem like friends, but I always took the relationships to be as a reliance on the other person for the ‘fix’ they live for. It is a sad way to live, from the outside, but it appears that way because he wanted so determinedly to focus on the effect of drugs on the individual: he didn’t want other nonsense clogging up his novel.

But don’t believe the characters are flat because of that. We don’t see the characters a lot or really get to know them, but they have different levels of empathy and cruelty as well as pasts to make each of them interesting in the short time we know them. You could name any (well almost any) character and I’m sure I’d remember something about them. I think it’s a credit to his writing that I can say this with any certainty.

Actually reading the book was marvelous too, because I never felt like I was reading. I constantly had faces and events happening before me, and I had lost 2 hours before I knew they were gone. It was absorbing- there is no other way to put it. As the author said: “I spent over a year working on this manuscript. I checked over every word many times.” I think it shows.

I found it incredibly interesting that Burroughs wanted the book to be called Junk, not Junky or Junkie. His original publishers (Ace) and later Penguin, both thought a book called Junk wouldn’t sell because it gave the wrong idea. I understand where they’re coming from, but I think you should give some credit to the guy who wrote the book. The reason I bring that up though is that it acted as a reminder, for me, that this book was about drugs, not the users. So when I read it, I tried to move away from the people and, as in maths, think of them as Xs and Ys, put there almost as catalysts. The point was made that there is no realistic ‘type’ for a user, only that they use it. He says he could identify users, but he also says they were from different walks of life. He himself was from a wealthy, middle-class background. About halfway through the book, I also realised another reason for this. He was talking about the valley his protagonist worked in, and spent a while on it. In talking about it (I won’t go into details) he seemed to link back to drugs continually in an allegorical kind of way. In hindsight, I think this helped me understand the concept and absoluteness of drug use.

There were two things I didn’t like though. One was the ghost-like appearance of his wife. She pops into scenes from time to time and does instrumental, odd things. One could consider her but a plot device, but she was there just too many times. He said that she wasn’t there because she wasn’t necessary, which I can respect, but I have to say I liked her and would have liked her opinions more often. The other thing is a bit more me being me. There was one bit that made me want to turn away and put the book down more than most violence I’ve read; and that was the protagonist taking his anger out on the cat. I am a cat owner and this just made me feel sick to read, especially when the cat hides and starts whimpering. I can reason my disgust away, but I still feel sick to read or think about it.

For me, it’s hard to pin this novel down. Try though I have, it uses story and language to an effect that I don’t believe there is one single thing to be taken away from the novel. If everyone were to read it, I honestly believe each would take one single thing away from the novel as the main idea, but still agree and understand every view out there. Okay, this happens with everything, you might say, but that is always minor. This story is an account. Yes, there are allusions to other things and what not, but they are things related to the story and there is no terrible bias and we are left to our opinions and conclusions.

So I really liked the book, because I think it was a predominantly honest insight into the mind of a user and I’ll never consider a ‘druggie’ in the same light or with the same uninformed prejudice. And they’re the best books, aren’t they? The ones that leave you better than you were when you started them.

Rating: 4 out of 4 (How could it be anything else?)

Buy the book!

The original Junky is available by various sellers on Amazon or you can buy the 50th Anniversary Edition....

Junky: The Definitive Text of "Junk" (50th Anniversary Edition)

Product Description

Before his 1959 breakthrough, Naked Lunch, an unknown William S. Burroughs wrote Junk, his first book, a candid, eyewitness account of times and places that are now long gone. This book brings them vividly to life again; it is an unvarnished field report from the American postwar underground. For this definitive 50th-anniversary edition, eminent Burroughs scholar Oliver Harris has painstakingly re-created the author's original text, word by word, from archival typescripts. Here for the first time are Burroughs's own unpublished Introduction and an entire omitted chapter, along with many "lost" passages and auxiliary texts by Allen Ginsberg and others. Harris's comprehensive Introduction reveals the composition history of Junk's text and places its contents against a lively historical background.

Sunday Ramblings....

"Dexter"

Dexter's mom is my good friend Lena from Addicted 2 Novels. Go check out her adorable kitty themed blog.

I didn't get much reading done this week. I went to a concert one night (Foster the People) and for some reason it now takes me several days to recover from such events.

We had a few cooler days - this is FL so by cool I mean upper 80's and no humidity - but then the heat came back with a vengeance so I'm hiding indoors for the weekend and hope to finish The Rift Walker by Clay & Susan Griffith and get started on Dearly Departed by Lia Habel next.

On to the Wrap-Up!

Reviews:

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan
Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews

Memes & features:

Tune in Tuesday - Ed Sheeran
In My Mailbox

Special Event:

I helped celebrate the release of Enthralled with the story Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready.

The giveaway has ended - the winner was Jessie Lou! - but you can still check out all the information and links here. It's a really great anthology with some of the top YA authors.

Giveaways!

You have 5 days left to enter the Pick your Book Giveaway!
I'm participating in the Banned Books Week Hop

Both giveaways are International.

Coming up: Guest review of Junky by William S Burroughs, I'll be reviewing Sophie and Carter by Chelsea Fine (adorable) and my Tune in Tuesday will feature Foster the People....

Have a great weekend everyone!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren to spotlight what books we've bought, borrowed or won for the week.


Only a few books this week, which is fine with me! I have a lot of catching up to do.

Bought:

The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire book 2) by Susan and Clay Griffith - Steampunk vampires!!

For Review:

Dearly Departed by Lia Habel - Steampunk zombies!

Borrowed:

And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky - no Steampunk, zombies, or vampires.....but it still sounds good.

That's it! What did you get in your mailbox this week?

HELP!!!  Question for bloggers......are any of you having problems with your Amazon widget? Mine hasn't worked in weeks :-( Has anyone been able to solve this problem?

Happy TGIF!

TGIF is hosted by GReads! to re-cap the week's post and propose a question to followers.

The question this week is: Reading Challenges: Did you sign up for any this year? How has your progression been? This question makes me feel like a loser. I seem to be Reading Challenge.....well..... challenged.
Put a challenge in front of me and I crumble. Last year I read almost 90% YA debut authors....about 50% of those books were contemporary so I signed up for The Story Siren's YA Debut Author and the Undercover Book Lover's YA Contemporary reading challenges.
The new year rolls around, I have all the books on my shelf and for some reason I don't feel like reading them. By June I had read only three YA's, none by debut authors and only one contemporary.
Total challenge fail.
So I switched tactics and signed up for the Goodreads reading challenge and picked 100 books as my goal for the year. I'm still about 20 books behind but mostly because I hadn't been adding every book I had read for the year. In reality I'm on or ahead of my target so far.
Once I stopped worrying about the challenge, low and behold I have read several YA debut authors and YA contemporaries!
I either crack under pressure or don't like being told what to read. (It's both) I am not one of those people who does well with lists and goals so I don't think challenges are the right fit for me. Not that I'll give up on them though.

How about you? Do you like challenges? Do you ever meet your goals?

This weeks posts:

Tune In Tuesday - Ed Sheeran

Review: Every You, Every Me by David Levithan 

Review: Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews

Review: Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews

Claire Shannon is a killer. She uses no weapons, only her mind.

Born on a planet locked in a long war, Claire is a psycher, a woman with the ability to attack minds and infiltrate a biological computer network where psychers battle to the death. But when the war abruptly ends, Claire must hide her psycher's ability to survive. She is deported to a new planet, a vivid beautiful place, where she meets Venturo Escana, a powerful psycher, whose presence overwhelms both her mind and her body.

She thought she had left war and death behind, but now she must fight for her new life and this battle might just cost her everything...

Note: Guest review by Tiger from All-Consuming Books

Review:
In this second novella of the Kinsmen series, Claire Shannon is a psycher on the planet of Uley. She has the ability to enter the bionet and attack the minds of other users who might be working for her enemies. But the two warring factions on Uley aren’t the standard land-greedy people groups: Uley is a mining planet colonized by two corporations who have been literally waging war on each other for almost 70 years. Claire isn’t really that much of a patriot; she simply has to work as a psychic soldier because she was born in the territory of one particular corporation. But when her side loses the war, Claire finds herself deported off-world and working as an administrative assistant for Venturo Escana, a powerful man who will likely kill her if he discovers that she’s a psycher.

Claire’s an incredibly talented woman, but most of the life and joy has been drained out of her by a lifetime of constant military service. On Uley, there is no such thing as recreation. Claire’s daily food is a tasteless substance consumed only for nutrition, her clothes are bland army-issued outfits, and her comrades aren’t allowed to have pets or even to keep a houseplant because it would be a waste of resources. In the city of New Delphi, though, the culture is totally flipped. The people wear bright colors, they laugh and sing, and though they’re serious about their work, they enjoy life as well. I love the differences in these two societies, because it makes the worldbuilding seem very real.

Venturo’s a great hero. Claire likes him right away, but she doesn’t think they could ever be involved because: 1. He’s her boss. 2. In her view, she’s quiet and mousy, unlike the lovely and vibrant women of her new city. 3. She’s a deadly psycher, just like Ven, and her life depends on keeping him in the dark about her real identity. Good stuff, yes? From Claire’s POV, we see what a great guy Ven is, how he has a volatile temper but he’s still the soul of kindness when it comes to handling his employees, clients, and family members.

In this novella, there’s action, mystery, romance, and humor, and it’s a pure pleasure to root for a strong heroine like Claire and hope that she’ll overcome all the obstacles surrounding her.

Rating: 4 of 4 stars

Karen here: I posted a mini review for Silent Blade, the first novella in the Kinsman Series here. If you're a fan of Ilona Andrews or want to get a feel for their writing style, which is rich in world building, give this one a try.

Thank you for the review Tiger!

Ilona Andrews: website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Buy the Book! Silent Blade (Book 1 Kinsman Series)
                         Silver Shark (Book 2 Kinsman Series)
Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Review: Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

In this high school-set psychological tale, a tormented teen named Evan starts to discover a series of unnerving photographs—some of which feature him. Someone is stalking him . . . messing with him . . . threatening him. Worse, ever since his best friend Ariel has been gone, he's been unable to sleep, spending night after night torturing himself for his role in her absence. And as crazy as it sounds, Evan's starting to believe it's Ariel that's behind all of this, punishing him. But the more Evan starts to unravel the mystery, the more his paranoia and insomnia amplify, and the more he starts to unravel himself. Creatively told with black-and-white photos interspersed between the text so the reader can see the photos that are so unnerving to Evan, Every You, Every Me is a one-of-a-kind departure from a one-of-a-kind author. (YA)

Review:

Every You, Every Me is unlike any book I've ever read. It is told though a series of photographs and strikeouts. According to the acknowledgments, author David Levithan saw a photograph (now the cover of Every You, Every Me) on the refrigerator of his friend, photographer Jonathan Farmer, and came up with the concept of writing a photographic novel. In a collaborative effort, Jonathan would send David a photo and he would write the novel incorporating the pictures. Jonathan didn't see the story until it was complete and David didn't know what photo would be sent next.

Every You, Every Me was emotionally draining but SO good.

Evan is struggling without his best friend Ariel. We don't really know what has happened to her or where she has gone at first, although there are hints. Ariel's personality burned bright, experiencing wild highs along with wild lows, dragging everyone who loved her into her orbit. Evan clearly worshiped and loved Ariel but had to watch as she fell in love with Jack. Even so, he's always felt a unbreakable connection to her that he felt no outsider could touch.

Now that Ariel is gone, Evan is left with Jack, the only other person who knew Ariel the way he did. They are both in pain from "what they did to Ariel". Again we aren't really clear as to what exactly that was. Someone starts leaving pictures for Evan to find. Pictures of his time with Ariel, pictures of Ariel with strangers (to Evan), meaning that she led a life without him or Jack. A life he didn't know about. This is a psychological mystery where we are not only left to discover the person stalking Evan and Jack but also are left wondering about Evan's slipping grasp on reality.

The photograph element is used to great effect. When Evan discovers a photograph in his locker or by the road, we see it along with him. It gave an element of being "in" on the mystery and the chilling feeling of being watched. As the sender gets more aggressive also sending notes declaring that he/she knows what Evan & Jack did to Ariel, Evan becomes consumed with finding this person. Sometimes to the detriment of his own sanity.

The strikeouts took some getting used to. I felt like I was reading two different stories at first but once you get used to it, you realize just how much it adds and Every You, Every Me shouldn't be told in any other way. The strikeouts are a way for Evan to tell his story in addition to giving us glimpses of his and Ariel's past, as well as hearing Evan's thoughts unedited to let us see his real fears. Evan's head is a sad and lonely place to be in but the strikeouts allow for the range of emotions we need to complete the picture.

I have to admit I don't really like psychological mysteries or thrillers and that this one didn't grab me too much on that level either. On the positive side, I thought I had the mystery of Ariel all figured out but then something happened about halfway into the book that changed everything I thought I knew up to that point and made me question my assumptions. The resolution was satisfactory but felt a little melodramatic, with a tidy conclusion compared to the almost cluastrophobic intensity of the rest of the novel.

Rating: 3.5 out of 4 Original, clever and unrelenting in it's intensity. Every You, Every Me had me in a dark place for a few days after reading but it was worth it.

Find the author: website, Facebook, Goodreads
Buy the book! Every You, Every me
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers September 13th, 2011
Source: Received through the Amazon Vine program for my honest review

*This book qualifies for the YA Contemporary Challenge hosted by The Undercover Book Lover

Tune in Tuesday

Tune in Tuesday is hosted by Ginger over at GReads! to help spread the word about the music we're listening to.

My artist this week is English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. I keep seeing his videos popping up all over the place. Whenever I hear an acoustic song by him I stop dead in my tracks, drawn into the room, only to find out it's Ed Sheeran again.

He has a beautiful voice and moving, sometimes haunting lyrics.

According to Wikipedia, Sheeran has been recording since 2005 and has a really fascinating road to success story. Here are a few snippets that I found interesting:

"In 2009, Sheeran played 312 gigs. He said that he read an interview with James Morrison that said that Morrison had done 200 gigs in a year, and Sheeran wanted to beat him on this number."

"Sheeran bought a ticket to Los Angeles, with no contacts other than one poetry night. He played open mic nights all over the city, before being spotted at 'The Foxxhole' by Jamie Foxx, who invited him to stay at his house and record for the rest of his stay."

"With this EP, Sheeran gained mainstream attention for reaching number 1 in the iTunes chart without any promotion or label, selling over 7,000 copies in its first week.¹ Three months later, Sheeran put on a free show to fans at the Barfly in Camden. Over 1,000 fans turned up to see the show, so Sheeran ended up playing four different shows to make sure everyone saw a gig, including a gig outside on the street after the venue had closed. Later that month, Sheeran was signed to Asylum / Atlantic Records."

(Source: Wikipedia)

"Kiss Me" Acoustic from BBC Radio 5 session - SO beautiful!

"The A Team"

"Wayfaring Stranger"

Unfortunately Ed Sheeran's new CD "+" is only available in the UK right now (BOO!) so I have to resort to his YouTube Channel when I feel like listening to his music.

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Soundcloud sampler

Bridge Book Party! & A Giveaway!

Tomorrow is the release day for Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions

A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.

Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new landscapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

Suspenseful, funny, or romantic, the stories in Enthralled will leave you moved.

Edited by New York Times bestselling authors Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong.

Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Sounds amazing right?

But what really has me excited is this one particular story.....Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready because it's a story from her popular Shift series, told from Logan's POV. And I <3 Logan!

<---see! I really do <3 Logan

I know he can be wild, and even selfish but Logan loves with all his heart and I think you will see a different side of him in Bridge. This is the story of his journey of forgiveness, acceptance and letting go.
Obviously, I love Logan.....and I love Jeri, but honestly, swear to God, totally objectively, I loved Bridge. It is my favorite thing Jeri has ever written (and I've read it all).
Told in verse, it captured me from the very first line and never let me go. There is a lulling rhythm and simplicity to the story that just tore at my heart. It made me laugh and it made me cry. Buckets.
I don't have adequate words for how much I loved this story.

(Even my husband loved this one)

Have I peaked your interest?? Good because......

To celebrate the release of Enthralled Jeri is throwing a big all day "Bridge Party" and you're all invited!

Go to Jeri's website for all the details.

There will be TWO #SHADEboys Twitter chats with Logan & Zachary, poetry contests, and giveaways!

@keeley_logan
@moore_zachary
@jsmithready

AND for TeamLogan - as a thank you for supporting #TeamKilt-ers we get our "Forever" lyrics!

For my part, I'm giving away a copy of Enthralled. The giveaway is open to International entires but if you are a US winner your copy will personalized!

(to order your own personalized copy of Enthralled - or any other book by Jeri Smith-Ready, head over to Constellation Books. They have excellent customer service and you'll be supporting a fantastic little indie book store in Jeri's home town of MD.)

To enter:

Just fill out the form.

Giveaway ends Tuesday 11:59pm ET
Winner will be announced Wednesday here on the blog!

*You may also like:

Links for the SHIFT Blog Tour from this past April, including Logan's "Sucks to Be a Ghost (Sometimes)" Playlist

Note: ALL giveaways from the tour have closed!

Sunday Ramblings...

The Wrap up!

Reviews:

One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost
You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Tune in Tuesday:

Lana Del Ray

Better Know a Blogger:
Ann - Annabell's Book Nook

TGIF:
Biggest book disappointment

Giveaway!

Pick your book! Ends 9/30 International!

Coming up: Reviews for Every You, Every Me by David Levithan & Sophie & Carter by Chelsea Fine

Where to find me:

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Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy TGIF!

TGIF is a weekly feature hosted by GReads! to re-cap the week's posts & to propose a question for followers.

Book Disappointments: Have you ever come across a book you were so stoked to read, but it failed miserably in your eyes?
Mockingjay. That book disappointed me so much that I spiraled into a reading slump lasting almost 5 months. Plus I live in fear of ALL trilogies. It takes a lot to make me pick up a new series now and I would rather wait until all of the books are out and read them together then so I can see how other people are feeling about the series ending.
I didn't really have a lot of expectations for what Mockingjay should or would be. I was just waiting to be blown away. The last book felt so disconnected from the previous two and Suzanne Collins writing style seemed different to me. Almost like she had a different agenda. I would have enjoyed the book as a stand alone anti-war novel, but as the conclusion of my beloved series and as a goodbye to some of my favorite characters it crushed me.

My posts for the week:

Better Know A Blogger - Annabell's Book Nook
Review: You Against Me
Tune in Tuesday
Review: One Grave at a Time

Have a great weekend everyone!

Better Know A Blogger: Ann - Annabell's Book Nook

Today's featured Better Know A Blogger is Ann! Another new blog discovery for me.

Introduce yourself! Hello! I'm Ann. I'm 24 years old and live in Minnesota. The winters get too cold to do anything but read! Even though I hate the cold, I love all the time to read (and I actually am looking forward to winter because of that, but don't tell anyone else that!) I work at a school, and actually work specifically in a reading program, so my life is reading! I like many genres, but tend to read in the same genre for a while before moving onto another one.

What is the name of your blog? How did you pick your blog’s name? Annabell's Book Nook. It took me forever to come up with a blog name. When I first started all of this, I figured out all of the buttons and everything really easily, but picking a blog name was difficult! I knew it would be something I would be stuck with, so I made it simple.

Karen: Naming the blog seems to be the hardest part I think. Like you said, you're stuck with it once you pick.

How long have you been blogging? I have been blogging since January 2011. Actually, I think it was January 1st specifically. It had nothing to do with New Years or resolutions, it just had to do with me having Christmas Break off from work and wanting to try something new!

How do you measure blogging success? Is it strictly number of followers or something more? I measure my success by both the number of followers and the number of comments I receive. Certain posts (such as In My Mailbox), ALWAYS receive comments, whereas other posts do not receive any. I guess the comments would measure that specific blog post's success.

What genres/subgenres do you review, and what do you like best about those genres? I usually review YA, historical romance, and chick lit. I like YA because I can still pretend that I am 15 without a care in the world. :) I enjoy historical romance because I would love to live in those time periods when people behaved completely differently than they do now! I would very much enjoy a man behaving like a man in those days. And finally, chick lit I like because I can relate to some of it, but most if it is about somewhere I would like to be in my life.

What are you reading right now? I am rereading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I read all 4 books in high school and loved them, although I don't remember most of it. I found the whole set at a second hand store and had to buy them. It has been a year now that I have had them, and I finally have a reason to read them...I now have Sisterhood Everlasting and feel like I need to read the first 4 before I get into that one!

Do you use social media to promote your blog or discuss reading/blogging? (include links to Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc) I actually do not use social media at all to promote my blog. I do use goodreads and post reviews there as well, but I don't think I have ever even mentioned my blog on there. I don't promote my blog on facebook (and I don't have twitter) for a reason. I really enjoy keeping my blogging life separate from my real life. I don't know why, but I like coming to my blog and having a community that really enjoys reading as much as I do.

Where is your favorite place to read? My favorite place to read is Caribou Coffee! I love relaxing there, but I usually don't concentrate on my book. I am such a people watcher, so any time I hear that door ding, I am looking up to see who it is! I just have to remember to bring a sweatshirt or jacket, even in the summer, because it is always freezing in there after you sit for 15 minutes!

Karen: I can't read in public. I've tried reading on the plane or in a park but I get to distracted by the people around me. I'm a people watcher too.

What are your ideal reading conditions? I like it quiet when I am reading at my house, but when I am at a coffee shop, the noise doesn't bother me. I can zone into my book. The biggest thing for me is the temperature! I have to be warm. I love getting into a sweatshirt and comfy pants and just relaxing with a book!

What are the top 5 books in your TBR (To Be read) pile?
Never Have I Ever - Sara Shepard (just bought it tonight and will probably read the whole thing tomorrow after work)

Sisterhood Everlasting - Ann Brashares

Trial by Fire - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Hereafter - Tara Hudson

Overbite - Meg Cabot

Obligatory controversial question: Love triangles! Love ‘em or hate ‘em, and why? In my life, I hate them! In a book, I love them! I love it when a book has me thinking about which person she (or he) should choose. I guess I think some books need them to keep them interesting enough. So really, I love a book that doesn't require a love triangle to keep the romance part interesting!

What has been the best thing about blogging and reviewing books? Meeting new people! I love talking with people who love reading and blogging. I can't talk books outside of the internet as much as I'd like to. I feel like on here, it feels like I am sitting with someone having a cup of coffee and just talking about books! Man I would love that!

Karen: Most of us don't have friends or family that understand our obsession so blogging is like having one big instant family to talk to. It is such a great and supportive community.

Thanks for stopping by Ann! Be sure to visit Anna's blog and check out her cover crazy post for Hunting Lila!

Review: You Against Me by Jenny Downham

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another. (YA, Fiction)

Review:
You Against Me is a story told with so many layers that I really struggled to write this review.

First and foremost it is the story of two families torn apart by an accusation of date rape. Ellie's older brother Tom is accused of raping Mikey's sister Karyn. Of course your first instinct is to close ranks and protect your sibling from the accusation or from Mikey's side, seek revenge for his sister.

Told in the alternating POV's of Mikey who has to ask himself; how far will he go to seek revenge? Will he use an innocent person to achieve his goals? and Ellie who has to come to terms with the fact that her brother may be guilty and she may be the key to helping Karyn. The choices they make will have ripple effects that have the potential to destroy their families and their own futures.

As if that isn't heartbreaking enough, Mikey & Ellie fall in love. Not only is You Against Me about the impossible choices they must make, it's also about a boy & girl and their struggle to be together. Not just with the rape hanging over their heads either. They come from very different socio-economic backgrounds. Mikey is the glue holding his very poor and dysfunctional family together. His mom is an alcoholic, his sister is barely functional after the rape and he is trying to make his youngest sister's life as normal as possible. All while holding down a job and keeping the social workers from ripping his family apart. His dreams don't really matter anymore. Ellie is from a wealthy, yet controlling family where appearances are everything. She is often left in the shadow of her brother and ignored by her demanding father.

In Mikey, Ellie finds someone who cares about how she feels and appreciates her on her own merits. Mikey finds a girl who he can be himself with. He starts to appreciate the quiet moments and believe in the future.

I may be reading too much into this novel but I thought Downham was trying to express different views about sexuality, relationships and consent. The Tom/Karyn dynamic takes on the issue of what constitutes consent. Downham keeps the facts vague right until the end so you really have to look at the whole picture and not make snap judgements.

Then she takes on the issue of sex in whole different light with Mikey and Ellie. I found Mikey's growth to be the most fascinating aspect of the book. Mikey is by no means a rapist but he doesn't have much respect for women either. Two weeks is a long term relationship in his eyes and sometimes doesn't even get the girls clothes off before he's having sex. After his sister is raped he starts to view sex & women through this new prism. His relationship and feelings towards Ellie are so touching and beautiful. I see Ellie as controlled, or at the very least submissive and second to the men in her life. Her relationship with Mikey, although a little Edward/Bella "I'm so in love with you/I can't live without you" to me, allows her to see her self worth and gives her the strength to start standing up for herself.

Almost every character in this book has to face some sort of demon and choose between self preservation or self sacrifice. It's really fascinating to see what people will do when cornered. It's not always a pretty picture.

The ending is a very good one but without everything tied up in a neat little bow which was fitting. There are a few lose threads but I think it will still leave you happy.

Rating: 3.5 out of 4 This is a surprisingly complex story. No one is cookie cutter perfect and even Tom, the accused rapist, isn't written as one dimensional. It's a story of impossible choices, family loyalty and forbidden love. You Against Me made me squirm, made me think and made me smile.

Bonus: You Against Me takes place in the UK. I didn't always understand what everyone was saying…I had to ask my friend across the pond a few questions lol but the setting really worked for this story.

Buy the Book! You Against Me
Publisher: David Fickling Books September 13, 2010
Source: Amazon Vine program for my honest review

Tune in Tuesday

Tune in Tuesday is hosted by Ginger over at GReads! to help spread the word about the music we're listening to.

This week I'm listening to Lana Del Rey. Her sound & look are very old Hollywood glamour while her videos seem more new Hollywood train wreck. 

I also love this quote from Bohemian-Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke that I found on her Facebook page. It seems to match her music IMO....

"Surely all art is the result of one's having been in danger, of having gone through an experience all the way to the end, where no one can go any further." 

Rainer Maria Rilke

Video Games

Blue Jeans

Lana Del Ray:
website
Facebook
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Pre-order: The single Video Games - October 17th

What are you listening to?

Review: One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost

Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans' voodoo queen just keeps on giving--leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.

Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, every All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity--forever. But how do you kill a killer who's already long dead? (PNR)

Note: This is a guest review by Tiger from All Consuming Books. 

Warning: Possible spoilers for books 1-5 but none for this book.

Review:
Cat Crawfield-Russell’s uncle Don is a ghost that can’t move on. He’d shuffle off this mortal coil if he could, but he’s stuck on the earthly plane for no good reason anyone can figure out. But that’s just a minor ghostly worry. Another ghost named Kramer can apparently manifest into physical form, and he’s out to kill some folks when Halloween night arrives. Cat’s not cool with that, so she has to figure out a way to kill a guy who’s already deader than disco.

There are a few nice developments in this book. I did like that Cat’s crew got stuck with a government pencil-pusher who was evaluating their budgets and their effectiveness, and gearing up to take over operations. It’s always funny when bureaucracy intrudes on the paranormal world and audits it. Madigan is maddening, just as he’s intended to be. Also, the villain of this story is truly chilling. Kramer’s whole “misogynistic killer ghost” thing is downright terrifying, in a way that few paranormal baddies are. Truth be told, I was so creeped out by the ghostly stuff, I skimmed most of it, just to get the broad idea of what was going on.

There are some elements that I’m on the fence about. It hasn’t reached the point of annoyance yet, but I’m not sure if I approve of Cat’s big upswing in powers. Since becoming a full vampire, she’s got an ever-changing array of weird powers, and it seems like she could easily become an Anita Blake (a woman who becomes the new queen or ruler of chieftain of something special in every passing book) if her new abilities take up too much of the plot.

And then there’s the romantic side of the plot, which is fine but not as wonderful as it used to be. Cat and Bones are married and we fans all love them greatly, but they’re not quite as interesting as they once were. As Bones puts it to Cat: “For the first time in years, our relationship is solid, no one’s actively trying to murder us, and our closest mates are happy” (pg 45). I don’t want constant breakup drama, but it’s hard to maintain intrigue when everyone’s settled and cozy. I don’t even know if this is even a legitimate complaint, since it’s notoriously difficult to keep a stable couple interesting over the course of a long series.

Side characters: It was such a relief when Ian arrived on the scene, but a letdown when he barely had any lines. When are we getting his book? Spade and Denise are nice, but Denise’s new shapeshifting abilities are truly stunning. I also liked seeing Cat’s mother, Justina, a little more.

Jeaniene Frost is still an amazing writer, and still brings us some very compelling characters, but this particular volume doesn’t really stand up to the excitement of the earliest books in this series.

Rating: 2.5 of 4 stars

Jeaniene Frost:
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Frost Fans chat forum

Buy the book! One Grave at a Time: A Night Huntress Novel


The complete Night Huntress Series including the Night Huntress World Spinoffs:
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1)
One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2)
At Grave's End (Night Huntress, Book 3)
Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Book 4)
First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, Book 1)
Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World, Book 2)
This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 5) 

Publisher: Avon Books August 30th, 2011

Read my quick review: On Goodreads

Sunday Ramblings....

Figgy - RAWR

I've Been Tagged by my friend Jen from What's On The Bookshelf. It's not a bad thing - it's a fun way to share a few things about yourself with your followers. I get to tell you 10 random things about myself and then tag 4 other people.

1. I have Starbucks Iced Coffee everyday. Every. Single. Day. I get cranky if I don't have it.

2. I love Degrassi: The Next Generation marathons on TeenNick. I can go years without watching the show but if I see a marathon, I am glued until the end.

3. I'm super shy and fairly anti-social although no one on Twitter would believe this about me.

4. I love SyFy movies. The cheesier the better.

5. I didn't really start reading until 2 years ago. Before that I only read about 6 books a year and even that was by making a New Years resolution to do so.

6. Halloween is my favorite holiday.

7. Besides reading, my favorite hobby is butterfly gardening. It's just as expensive as reading. :-(

8. I'm not very girly. I don't wear make up and hate clothes shopping. I buy 5 of whatever fits so i don't have to go again.

9. I'm short. 5' exactly

10. I'm afraid of flying.....and heights....and claustrophobic.

So there are my fascinating 10 facts. Here are the next four people I'm tagging.

Brooke
Almybnenr
Lena
Tiger

The Wrap Up:

Review:
Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Memes:

Tune in Tuesday

Waiting on Wednesday

In My Mailbox

Better Know A Blogger:
Jenna - coffee, books and me

Winners:
Giveaway Hop & Cold Kiss

Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Stone Cold Seduction Blog Tour with Jess Macallan. Win an e-book of Stone Cold Seduction. Ends tonight!

Giveaway!

September - Pick Your Book Giveaway

Where to find me:

Twitter
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Facebook

Have a great weekend everyone!