The Sunday Salon - Library Loot Edition

Hmm...is it a no-no to combine The Sunday Salon and Library Loot into one post? Probably but I can't wait any longer to share all of the goodies that I have brought home from the library lately. And I haven't shared my reading progress lately...plus, it IS Sunday :) Let's start with the obvious which is that once again I have way too many books checked out. I honestly don't care though as I am so excited about some of these. I can't possibly read all of these but I'm sure going to try.

In reading news, I'm currently reading Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block. Heard about this author on a couple of other blogs and I couldn't not give her a try. I've only finished the 1st Weetzie book but I liked it. Different but good is my opinion so far. I'm also still working on The Woman in White but my reading on that one has definitely slowed down. Not for any real reason other than I don't pick it up at times. I do like it though so I'm not sure exactly what my problem is. But on to my library finds:

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood- From Publishers Weekly: "Intrigued by contemporary reports of a sensational murder trial in 1843 Canada, Atwood has draw a compelling portrait of what might have been." I loved The Handmaid's Tale so I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.


A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray- From Goodreads: "A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy..." This is reloot for me but how can I resist this cover? And that description? I will HAVE to get to it this time!

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson- I've been wanting to read something by this author for awhile now. It is about 3 different mysteries that are all tied together somehow...not sure how but I'm looking forward to finding out.

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson- From Goodreads: "In this universal drama of family love and misunderstandings, of resentments harbored and driven underground, Lawson ratchets up the tension with heartbreaking humor and consummate control, continually overturning one's expectations right to the very end." Sounds intense but good!


Graceling by Kristin Cashore- I've yet to read a bad review of this book so of course I took this one home with me.

Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine- Book 2 in the Weather Warden series and one that I've been meaning to pick up for awhile now. I really liked the 1st one so I'm looking forward to this! And I believe that this may be reloot as well.

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent- From Goodreads: "Kent paints a haunting portrait, not just of Puritan New England, but also of one family's deep and abiding love in the face of fear and persecution." I picked this one up based on Dar's review and am really, really excited about it.

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton- From Goodreads: "Set as the war-shattered Edwardian summer surrenders to the decadent twenties, The House At Riverton is a thrilling mystery and a compelling love story." Sold! Sounds so good :)

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley- I was in the mood for a retelling of a fairy tale and this one jumped out at me. This is the retelling of Sleeping Beauty and hopefully it will be just what I am looking for.

The House on Tradd Street by Karen White- Another recommendation that I found over at Dar's blog. If you guys haven't checked her out you should. And this one is billed as a mystery with ghosts so of course I couldn't resist.

Wow! I really need to work on my self control :P And if you can't guess, the rest of my Sunday will probably be spent reading so I can make progress in my towering stack of books. Plus, I'll be stopping by to see what you all are up to. Happy Sunday!

Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur

Give a brief summary of the book:

Kissing Sin finds Riley lying naked in an alley, unable to remember how she got there or the previous days that have obviously passed by. She figures out all too soon that she needs to escape, and escape fast, as someone is after her and won't be happy that she is free. Once again, Riley is up against an unknown force that is trying to create the perfect breed of species and they want her as one of their test subjects.

Likes?

I liked everything about this novel and this series so far. This was a fast-paced novel that I couldn't put down as I was constantly trying to figure out what was going to happen next. And who was behind everything that is going on...I flew through this book. Riley is a great main character. She is strong and sure of herself and doesn't make apologies for the way she is. As the reader, I can't help but like her. Especially as we see her struggle with the possibilites of becoming a guardian and the killing of others that will be involved. I also like the mix that makes her both werewolf and vampire. Keri Arthur made it even more interesting in this book as she gives Riley new talents that she is just beginning to discover. Definitely a series that I will continue following!

Dislikes?

Hmm...I can't say that I have any real dislikes. I will say that I have a hard time relating to Riley when it comes to having multiple sexual partners all of the time. Which is going to sound odd unless you've read this series. Suffice it to say that it is an integral part of being a werewolf and while I understand that...well, I just have times where it is a bit too much. But it doesn't make me like the story any less if that makes any sense. Probably not :)

Additional Thoughts?

I'm finding after reading this 2nd book that I really, really like this series and am eager to pick the 3rd book up. I'm curious as to where the author will take the next book and am also curious as to how Riley will grow. I'd recommend this series (start out with the 1st one though) to paranormal romance lovers and those who enjoy urban fantasy. But be prepared to not want to set this book down once you start it!

*Reading Order*

1. Full Moon Rising

2. Kissing Sin

LoL! Sorry but I'm going to stop there. And that is 3 for 3 for me in November so far...I am on a roll. Now if I could get some other back reviews posted...another day. Be on the lookout for a new library loot post soon. I have a BUNCH of books that I'm so excited to share about but I'm waiting until the last 2 requests come in from the library.

A Veiled Deception by Annette Blair

A Veiled Deception is the first in the cozy mystery series featuring Madeira Cutler who is a fashion designer with a love and flair for vintage clothing. But when she comes home for her youngest sister's wedding, trouble begins to brew as her sister's nemesis is found strangled with a bridal veil. Now Madeira is out to clear her sister and her family's name as well as find out who the killer really is. And while doing that she begins to discover and explore the new paranormal gifts that she inherited from her mother.

Hmm...what to say about this one other than I liked it. It wasn't great or anything but it was a fun enough read. Madeira, or Maddie as she is most often called, is an interesting main character with a lot of quirks. The way she talked at times was a bit over the top but other than that I liked her. The mystery itself was interesting and I especially liked the visions that Maddie was having of previous women wearing the same wedding dress. It was definitely a cozy mystery with nothing too over the top but a fun read nonetheless.

All in all, I would recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers who enjoy reading about fashion as well. As for myself, I'll be reading the 2nd book at some point but I won't be rushing out or anything to grab it. Good but not great :)

P.S. - 2 for 2 so far this month on reviews...woohoo!

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

"Each Reader must choose a piece of lace. It is hers for life. It might be a pattern handed down through generations or a piece cosen by the reader for its beauty or familiarity. Many Readers prefer the handmade laces, particularly the laces of old Ispwich or the new circular pieces made by the women of Yellow Dog Island. - The Lace Reader's Guide" p. 6 of The Lace Reader

I'm not even sure where to begin with this review other than to say that I found this book to be an amazing read. The Lace Reader begins with the reader meeting Towner, the main character, who admits freely that she lies and that her name is really Sophya. Towner is going back to her hometown as her Great Aunt Eva is missing. While there she will be forced to confront her demons from the past and work through the issues that are still haunting her today. The women in Towner's family are all lace readers and can read the future in the lace. But something has caused Towner to vow never to read lace again...


Oh my goodness...how I enjoyed this book! From the very beginning, I was swept up in the story that the author had written and the atmosphere that she had created. I didn't quite know what to make of Towner, I mean she admits right from the beginning that she is crazy and that she lies. So I wasn't sure at any point in the book if she was telling the truth which made for an interesting read. I ended up just letting the author take me for a ride and what a ride it was! The story was told from different viewpoints at time but it didn't detract from the story whatsoever. In fact, it made me feel even closer to the main characters. I ended up caring about Towner even though I couldn't entirely trust the story that she was telling me. And the ending of this book...blew me away. Seriously, I might have seen pieces of it coming but really in the end when I closed the book I was stunned. I think that this would be a great book to read with a book group and have a discussion over. I myself would love to hear what other readers thought of the ending of this book.


All in all, I found this to be an amazing read and will probably go on to my top reads of 2009. I'm pretty sure I've gushed enough over this book...so go pick it up and give it a try. I doubt that you'll be disappointed. Highly recommended.


P.S.- This is me meeting my November goal of reviewing books directly after I read them. I can't possibly get more behind on reviews if I do this and I'll try and catch up on a few reviews that I am behind on at some point in this month as well.

The Girl She Used To Be by David Cristofano

From Goodreads:

"When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, and they went gratefully. But the program took Melody's name, her home, her innocence, and, ultimately, her family."

My Thoughts:

The Girl She Used To Be swept me up from the beginning of the novel and didn't let go until the end. This is a fast paced moving novel that focuses on what a lack of identity can do to an individual. Melody has been multiple names and faces throughout her lifetime but never the person that she wants to be which is Melody. She is caught up in the net that is the witness protection program and struggling to find herself amongst all of the lies. Melody was an interesting main character for me. I didn't always like her or her actions at times but I couldn't stop myself from caring about what happened to her...even when she didn't care herself. The main problem I had with this book was the believability issues. As a reader, I really had to stop myself from nitpicking and just enjoy the ride. Because it is a good ride and like I said before, I found myself caught up within the pages of this book. But it isn't realistic whatsoever which did cause a few problems for me especially at the beginning of the book. All in all, I liked this book and would definitely pick up more by this author in the future.

(I received this book from the lovely folks at Hatchette and unfortunately am just now getting around to reviewing it. )

Library Loot - October 22nd

So I really didn't need anymore library books. Really. But that has never stopped me from checking out books from the library even when I know that I cannot possibly read them all. And I can't seem to help myself when I come across all of these lovely reviews from my fellow bloggers. I mean really, what's a girl to do? Here's what I picked up when I went to the library yesterday (by myself..such a treat!)

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale- All of the blame goes to Nymeth for this one. I read her review...added it to my neverending TBR list and snatched it up when I came across it while browsing through the nonfiction shelves.

The Observations by Jane Harris- Lesley at A Life In Books recently reviewed this one and boy did I want to read it after reading her review. She said it fits the RIP challenge bill so I'm going with it and hopefully I will get to it soon :)




The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman- I've heard of this author from multiple bloggers but haven't read anything by her yet. And actually I had a different book checked out by her previously but then I looked at the synopsis for this one and decided that I wanted to read this one more. I'm such a moody reader.

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmaelf Beah- I found this one browsing in nonfiction as well. Plus, I was hoping to read this one for a couple of challenges so I was excited to find it.




Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block- A new to me blogger (I'm so out of the loop sometimes) Debi recently reviewed this one and it sure sounded good. Then Andi reviewed a different book by this same author and I knew I was going to have to give her a try. Found this one on the shelves and couldn't resist...plus, don't you love this cover??

The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine- I've read the 1st book in this series and enjoyed it. Stephanie always seems to love these books which made me want to continue on even more!

See...me going to the library and checking all of these books out is basically due to everyone else and their wonderful reviews. I can't resist...and just think of all the books I'm going to learn about after you guys get done with the readathon. I can't participate myself...gotta work but I will try and stop by to cheer you all on. As always, share your thoughts if you've read any of these!

An "In Death" Series Post

I really, really, really need to catch up on my reviews. And one way to do that is knock off two reviews with one stone and talk about one of my favorite series. As regular readers of my blog know, I love, love, love the In Death series by J.D. Robb (better known as Nora Roberts). I'm going to take the time to FINALLY review two of her books that I read awhile ago that are a part of this series.

Divided In Death is according to fantastic fiction, the 21st book in the In Death series and luckily for me this series is still going strong. In this book, Eve is investigating a murder that looks like a setup and the prime suspect is one of Roarke's own employees and a personal friend. What makes this book different than previous books in the series, is that Eve and Roarke are straddling different sides of the line. Roarke takes the murder as a personal attack against him while Eve has to view it from a more technical viewpoint and from a cop's eyes. I liked this one a lot because we (the reader) got to see a different side of their relationship. It made their relationship seem like it was stronger and I just can't help but love these books because of it. The mystery kept me guessing and involved and I flew through this book just as fast as the others. Definitely recommended.

Visions In Death is the next book in the series and was another strong addition to this series. In this book, Eve is up against a killer who is killing young women and removing their eyes. With little to go on, Eve may be on her most difficult case yet especially when she begins to work with a pyschic who seems to be having visions relating to the murders. Peabody played a more prominent role in this one which was a nice change. Plus, I just love the dynamics between her and Eve so I had a fun time reading this book. Another fast-paced mystery with a great ending that I didn't see coming whatsoever.

All in all, these are fun reads for me that never fail to draw me out of a reading slump. They always keep my attention and I end up turning the pages as fast as I can. I'd recommend these to anyone that enjoys a good mystery with some romance thrown into the mix. But start at the beginning with Naked In Death!

Series Order:

1. Naked In Death (hah, I'm going to have to stop there as there are just too many to list)

but I will leave you with a link to my 1st post that I did on this series which was Holiday In Death ...sorry I read all of the others before I started blogging. If I ever catch up on this series I plan on rereading them all :P

The Lost Sister by Megan Kelley Hall

Awhile back I read and enjoyed Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall (clink on the title to read my review). When I heard that the sequel had come out...well, I had to pick it up so I instantly requested it from the library. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations but here are some of my thoughts.

Warning: This review MAY have spoilers. There is just no way to get around it because the reader needs to read Sisters of Misery before they should give this one a try. The Lost Sister picks up where the previous book left off and shows the reader what Maddie has been up to since going away to school and leaving her hometown (and bad memories) behind. Maddie is still searching for Cordelia and trying to figure out what happened to her after that horrible night on the island. The book is written in multiple viewpoints which allows the reader to begin to see things from Cordelia's experiences to where she is and what she is planning on doing. But mysterious forces are still at work which will draw both of the girls deep into danger once again.

I'm going to split this review into two parts: what worked for me and what didn't. One of my favorite things about this book were reading about the different meanings of the tarot cards beginning at each chapter. It was really interesting and made me want to learn more. I'm glad that we finally find out what happened to Cordelia as the 1st book left me curious and wanting more. It was also nice to see a stronger Maddie, one that stood up for herself and made better decisions. I was able to relate to her even more in this book which was a positive thing.

Not everything worked for me in this book and one of the main problems that I had was the jumping around in narration. It wasn't always clear who was talking at times and it interrupted the flow of the story more often than not. And this bothered me as I think that the flow of the story is an important aspect to me enjoying it as a reader. I also had a hard time getting into the storyline and it wasn't until the end that I found myself really wanting to find out what was going to happen. The ending itself was pulled off nicely as it did keep me reading but all in all, I had a very easy time putting this book down.

I'll still be looking for more books by this author even if this wasn't my favorite book. Has anyone else read this? What were your thoughts...did you like it better than I did? And lastly, leave a link to your review and I'll add it to this post to give readers some other opinions on this book :)

P.S. - In other book-related news, I received Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (won in a contest @ Stark Raving Bookaholic - thanks again!!!) in the mail as well as an unexpected read from Orbit Publishing called Bite Marks by Jennifer Rardin. Don't know why they sent me this but as it is SO up my alley, well...I'm already requesting the 1st book in this series from the library :) Another new author and series for me to start...and I'll say a big thanks as well!

The Sunday Salon- 10/4

Good afternoon everyone! I'm getting a bit of a late start as it has been a lazy day in my household. My parents have my children for the weekend which meant I slept in for the 1st time in probably two years. We had a wedding last night so it has been an enjoyable weekend so far but unfortunately it has been book-less. I'm hoping to remedy that today at least until my babies are brought back to me :)

In reading news, I'm currently reading Booked To Die by John Dunning. Although I'm not very far into it yet, I am liking what I've read so far. I thought that it would be interesting to read a mystery that is centered around books and it has been. I plan on reading a good chunk of it today. I'm also still reading The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins. It is such a good book but I'm taking it slowly and reading a little bit from it each day. This really seems to be working for me and I'm thinking that maybe I should keep doing this with other classics or chunksters.

In other reading news, I recently finished a book that ended up being a bit of a disappointment to me as a reader. Especially since I so loved the 1st book by this author. I'll admit to having troubles now with what to write in the review...I may wait awhile before I post my thoughts. It begs the question of how do you all handle negative review writing...I don't want to come across as too critical and I do want the good points to come across. BUT...the bad parts need to be shared as well as I honestly wouldn't be comfortable recommending this one without reservations.

Anyways, I'm planning on reading, watching football, reading, and reading/visiting your blogs today. Hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing Sunday!

Library Loot- The Mystery Edition

It has been a few weeks since I shared the books that I've been finding at the library. And of course I have a ton of books checked out but when has that ever stopped me from bringing a few more home?? A couple of weeks ago I read a post over on Nymeth's blog about mysteries and that coupled with another post (I'm drawing a blank on where I read it) and all of the comments and suggestions concerning mysteries put me on a mystery kick. So I started looking up some of the authors that other bloggers were suggesting and went from there :) Now I have a bunch of new library books as well as a few on hold that will hopefully come in soon.
Warning: My computer or Blogger (take your pick) isn't cooperating today which is why you are only getting some of the covers and not all. Sorry!



Whose Body by Dorthy L. Sayers- My cover doesn't actually look like this one but oh well. She is listed as a classic mystery author and this is the 1st book in her Lord Peter Wimsey series.



A Morbid Taste For Bones by Ellis Peters- 1st book in the medieval mystery series...it looks SO good.

The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry- A Victorian mystery featuring William Monk.


Booked To Die by John Dunning- A mystery featuring books...how can anyone resist that? :P






Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert- Not a mystery but one that fits the RIP bill...I couldn't let you think that I had got off of that kick yet either.

Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews- 2nd book in this series and one that I have been meaning to read for awhile now.



The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie- Of course I have a Christie novel checked out if I am on a mystery kick (and my cover doesn't look like this either...I told you I was struggling)


The Ghost Orchid by Carol Goodman- I have Eva's review to blame for this one.

Rogue by Rachel Vincent- Another book that I've been meaning to read as I loved the 1st on in this series.

Larceny and Lace by Annette Blair- Just because it looked cute :)


So this is the majority of what I have checked out these past few weeks. Sorry for the crazy post but I was seriously having issues. Share your thoughts and if you have any other amazing mystery author suggestions, please share! I love adding to the tbr list!!!