{Blog Hop Challenge} CLEAN OUT YOUR E-READER (#COYER) hosted by Fantasy is More Fun & Because Reading is better than real life

My blogger buddy, +Michelle from BECAUSE READING IS BETTER THAN REAL LIFE is hosting a challenge and I had to sign up for it because...

I have a kindle freebie, netgalley, one-click problem.

It's bad. But it's so good. But it's so bad.

I can include any book I got for free or paid less than $4.99 for. This includes ARCs, kindle freebies, gifts, one-clicks, etc.  I just have to review them on my blog, on goodreads, etc. The trick is to read as much as I can squeeze in and clean out this e-reader!

I'm separating them into categories to try and be organized about this! I will update this list with strike-throughs and links as I complete it! *gulp*

And I know! This is a HUGE list. I read about 4-5 books a week on average, so it IS possible, but...YIKES. :D Here goes nothing! 

ARCs / BLOG TOURS / NETGALLEY	amazon.com freebies / <$4.99 / gifts
Neverlove	Deer in the Headlights
They All Fall Down	Snake in the Grass
Moonlight Demon Dance	Released (Mia Fox)
Rogue's Pawn	Alert the Media
Rogue's Possession
Attempting Elizabeth	Xander's Chance Fangirl Clutch (I am Just Junco #1) Charred Heart
Soul Resurrected
Shattered Skies #1
The Curse of Malenfor Manor
Hidden Gates
Broken Gates
Open Gates
Revelation of Blood
To Catch Her Death
Bitter Like Orange Peel
Bad Boy Rock Star
Fire Bolt
Little Red Gem
The Goddess's Wishes
Feeling Death Embracing Death
Shattered Skies #2 (DNF)
My Way Book 1
My Way Book 2
Death is But a Dream

ZOMG This is another busy month. I kinda go nutso with the tours, huh? I have some life changes coming up, soon, however, so I will need to cut back on the blog tours that include reviews. :( Sucks, but c'est la vie. Don't you worry though! I plan on signing up for plenty of spotlights and guest posts because I LOVE telling y'all about authors and their newest works! :) 

Update: November 26, 2013 -- 23 done for COYER. Geez. I love it, but it's been hard!

Update: November 28, 2013 -- I didn't get to all the ones I wanted to, but I'm pretty pleased with what I did. Of course, all I did was read this month. Not that I'm complaining...it was AWESOME! Thanks to Fantasy is More Fun and Because Reading for hosting this! <3 mwah="" p="">

BZZAGENT Garnier Fructis HydraRecharge

Greetings! We're going to sidestep from books for this post so I can tell you about my latest BzzAgent Campaign. BzzAgent is a word of mouth marketing program where people like me get to try products and then talk about it to people like you! :) If you're interested in becoming a bzzagent, just head to BzzAgent.com and sign up!

So the campaign is for the Hydra Recharge system from Garnier Fructis. It's for people with dry hair. Before you say, oh she just got tiny sample sizes, OH NO! Look here!

This is what was in my BzzKit - FULL SIZED products!

From the literature:
Infused with superfruits, the Hydra Recharge formula actively replenishes hair for silky-soft hydration that lasts. Hydra Recharge will recharge your thirsty locks and keep your hair super silky and surprisingly weightless for up to two whole days.

• Hydra Recharge Shampoo is a hydration innovation; the first to feature thousands of beads that burst on impact
• Hydra Recharge range contains superfruits goji berry, passion fruit and kiwi to actively replenish without heaviness
• Hydra Recharge 1-Minute Moisture-Plenish Treatment is a powerful deep treatment whose revolutionary lightweight crème-gel formula transforms dry hair with a surge of high-performance hydration in just one minute.

So...I know what you're saying. "Blah, blah, blah, she got stuff for free, I'm not gonna believe the hype." Yeah, I know. I say the same thing every time someone has a blog post like this. I usually just tweet or FB share so my friends get a heads up, but I'm blogging this time, too. 

So you know...I change the color of my hair more often than people change their pillowcases. Red. Blonde. Dark brown. Purple. Blue streaks. Light brown. And I do it from home because I'm on a budget. You know what all those chemicals do to your hair? They FRY it. 

This past winter has been hell - staticky, dry, frizzed out hair. HI! I am half-asian! I don't have frizzy hair, what the hell? Well, apparently after coloring you do! I've tried tons of different treatments and while they are a great temporary fix, they don't quite nourish the hair. And about 10 hours after using it, my hair is greasy, oily, and gross. 

Not with this. I LOVE IT. And best of all, it's affordable for me. We all know Garnier Fructis smells amazing, this is no different. The shampoo really gets your hair clean, the conditioner isn't watery at all - it's like a nice mousse. And the one minute treatment isn't heavy or greasy. My hair feels clean out of the shower. Styles well. And remains healthy and moisturized. I don't want to wash my hair every day because I know it's not good for it. But with other products, you just HAVE to or you end up being all greasy and gross. I've been using this system for 2.5 weeks now and LOVE IT.

As you can see from my strands, my hair is a multitude of colors at the moment, in between a bunch of shades. I'm not sure what color I'm going to do next, but there you go. And sorry...this isn't styled or smoothed out hair. I'm not dressed up or have styled it other than brushing it briefly. This is what it looks like on Day Two while using this system. Clean, shiny, light, not weighed down. And SO SOFT. I wish I had taken a before picture of my static frizz flyaway dry brittle hair. But I didn't so you only get the after effect.

I'm not paid to do this and if I hated the product, I'd be free to tell you that, too. Luckily, I love this product. It retails from $3.99-$6.99 and you can find it in your shampoo aisle.

TL;DR - Tired of your dry hair? Go get the Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge system - shampoo, conditioner, and one minute moisture treatment - and enjoy healthy, moisturized hair!

 findyourstrengthtoshine.com !

Pursuing the Times

Pursuing the Times by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I was given this book by the author in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. No monetary compensation for this review at all.

Very very rarely do you come across a book that has you grinning only a few pages in and laughing out loud a few chapters later. Mercury Lauren, the Chick Lit writer desperate for a review from the New York Times Book Review, is a chaotic, spazztic, witty, bright woman who definitely knows how to go after what she wants. She describes herself as once being a "mousy book clerk" but I fail to see how this is possible because this woman has got PERSONALITY.

The whole premise of the book is about Mercury's passion for a NYT Book Review blurb, how she doesn't write "Chick Lit" but stories about "the human condition" and as she runs into one person after another, we truly see that human condition.

The glimpses into the world of a burgeoning author (well, I guess I should say well established as she is into her fifth book) and her relationship with her agent, book tours, ARCs, and insecurities was fantastic. There were frustrating moments of her believing the slimeball, but I think it was even more frustrating for me because I am so often the victim of being too trusting myself.

Mercury's neuroses were just non-stop. It did get to be a little much at times because you just know she can be an energy drainer! I liked the golf scene where a certain someone admires her chutzpah, and I liked the vulnerability she shows at the book signing.

This was a fun, witty, laugh out loud read with a nice bit of romance, including a modern little White Knight to the Rescue bit. The bantering of emails had me snickering, her inner dialogue that quickly turns into a panicked phone call to her agent had me shaking my head, and her antics had me laughing out loud.

Thank you SO much, Lauren Baratz-Logsted!


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Tomorrow, the blog will have a little something special! I've got TWO excerpts and a link for a FREE e-book for you, no matter what kind of reader you have!

Maria Snyder's Scent of Magic

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book through netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I did NOT read the first in this series, "Touch of Power", before reading this book. I would say that you don't really need to, however, there is a lot of interaction between the "team" of players that is subtle and now I really want to read Touch of Power.

This book starts off with Avry and Kerrick parting ways with very specific set goals to help fight against Tohon. There's a lot of unspoken coupleness about these two that tell you that you're missing a whole history between them.

There is a ton of action in this book! You have two points of view, mainly - Kerrick and Avry. You have different events occurring simultaneously and I didn't once feel as if there was a very boring lull and wanted to just page through to get to something.

I liked that Ms. Snyder has a lot of strong female characters. You don't have fluff; they are all, good ones and bad ones, strong capable women, powerful and power hungry, and aren't the simpering, fainting wallflowers. I've been a fan of Wonder Woman and strong female archetypes since I was a girl.

The ending was upsetting. Talk about a cliffhanger. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? So, yes, I need to get the third book now. This is NOT a standalone.

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Core Balance Diet

The Core Balance Diet: 28 Days to Boost Your Metabolism and Lose Weight for Good by Marcelle Pick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This isn't a simple little laundry list and POOF! you'll be thin. I liked how the author gets you involved by talking to you directly, with a check list at the beginning of assessing how you feel and what your goals are.

I don't think this is anything NEW, in the dietary world. Eat right, eliminate white, processed foods (breads, pastas, marshmallows :P ), add color (leafy greens, bright fruits and veggies), and exercise. 5 small meals a day to keep your metabolism going, etc.

This is another e-book I received from the publishers for an honest review. And it's another one that I would want in physical form so that I could take notes and reference it easily.

I'm finding it harder to review books such as these where it is a very personal interaction. There isn't a story, other than the story of you and your new way of eating.



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The Mystic Cookbook - Spiritual Eating

The Mystic Cookbook: The Secret Alchemy of Food by Denise Linn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful book with many wonderful recipes and images. I found it absolutely fascinating as it explains about the different foods, their impact on you, both spiritually and physically.

I received this book through netgalley, and while the images were beautiful, it was a bit awkward to read on Adobe Digital Editions. This is one of those books that necessitates having the actual, physical book in front of you.

I liked the messages the books has about slowing down, eating with consciousness, exercising, treating your kitchen as a kind of shrine. It makes sense if you are committed to treating your body as a temple. You should put thought into what you are preparing and eating.

This book probably isn't for everyone, but I would recommend it for any foodie. :)

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Dragons, Elves, and Dwarves, oh my!

Light & Dark: The Awakening of the Mageknight by Daniel M. Fife
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: Received for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Solid 3.5 stars on this adventurous story of a young middle school aged boy, Danny, and his friends who discover that the fantasy card game they played the previous summer is in fact real. Dragons, elves, dwarves, and shadows, oh my!

I think this book would appeal to those who enjoyed Harry Potter, especially younger male audiences with the descriptions of swordplay and the camaraderie of 5 guy friend. Another school, hidden from the normal human world, teaching future generations of Light warriors how to fight, strategy, history of past battles, self-possession, etc.

Since it is an ARC e-book I received, it could very well be that the spelling and grammatical errors were from the unfinished proof. A lot of words with double Ls (shall, will, fill, tell) etc., ended up with only one L instead of both. There were a few other sentence structure choices I found odd, but then again, I am an adult reading young adult fiction. It could just be the difference in age!

That being said, if you're looking for something fantastical, with magic and dragons and swordfights, something adventurous, this new series is for you! Whether you're Danny's age (13) or mine (30something), you can easily envision the island school, the characters, and Danny's special ability.

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Three Graves Full releases on February 12!

Three Graves Full by Jamie Mason
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really didn't know what I was expecting from this book, but had I had any expectations, I'd have to say this far exceeded them. This was a well-paced read that immerses you in the story from the get go.

As the title suggests, there are three graves full, all on one property, Jason Getty's property. Jason knows about one of the graves. He should; he's the one who put the body there and it's been tormenting him for more than a year. What he didn't know is that his property has two more graves interred in his garden! Those bodies are discovered when Jason decides to have a little lawn maintenance done and from there, the dominos start to fall.

As the stories unfold and we have flashbacks from Jason, and Leah, the fiance of one of the victims, you completely empathize and understand why Jason murdered that person and hid the body. And as you learn about the other two victims on the property, you kinda rationalize it out as well. The bodies are stacking up, but who did what? And why? And can we forgive and forget and move on?

Jason's memories are very reminiscent of "The Tell-Tale Heart". He isn't a violent person so this is eating at him, bit by bit, day by day, at odd moments it rears its ugly head.

Mysteries such as these bring up subtle moral questions that would make for great book club discussion. Do you want Jason to get away with what he did? What about Leah's actions at the end? Should Bayard pursue his instincts?

Received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This releases on February 12, so go get it! Definitely recommended for a lively discussion book club read as you can discuss the moral choices and your own visceral reaction to the plot. As for me? I was satisfied with the ending.

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Goblin Fruit by Erin Burr

Goblin Fruit by Erin Burr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had added this to my to-read shelf a while ago, remembering the poem by Christina Rosetti that is referenced in this book. When I got a message today from the author letting me know it was available to read on goodreads for a limited time, I promptly dropped what I was reading and have spent the last couple hours with Clara and Frank and Audrey.

This was a heartbreaking story and such a wonderful allegory cautioning against drug abuse without feeling like one of those condescending tales. Rather, it's on the edge of paranormal. There ARE goblins.

You have Clara who has never known her mom and has grown up under the assumption that her mom was a fruit user, the first catalepsy patient from abuse of Goblin Fruit. You have Audrey, whose brother is currently catatonic. You have Frank, Clara's dad, the doctor working to try and find a cure. Anna and Maria, nurses who care for the patients.

Society is in panic and it's sad. Human interaction is completely cut off due to fear of being contaminated through skin secretions of the drug. There is no more touching or handholding or shaking of hands, things that bond us together.

You travel with Clara and Audrey and revisit bits of the poem as they are grieving for their loved ones and then venturing to find a cure. I wish there had been more an explanation as to the goblins themselves. But perhaps that can be for a later book?

Excellent read. So happy to have had the chance to read this on goodreads. Thank you, Ms. Burr!

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Fun Fantasy Read in the Land of Faery!

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Received this as an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating.

This was a fantastic story of the fae. Fans of Ms. Kagawa's The Iron Fey series will trip over themselves to read this as this one is from little Ethan Chase's point of view. Remember him? Four years old, the catalyst for Meghan, his older sister, becoming the Iron Queen? Yeaaaaaah, this is HIS story. Oh, don't worry, you get to see Puck/Robin Goodfellow, Ash, and Meghan, but briefly. The story centers around Ethan, Keirran, and Kenzie.

What I really enjoyed about this book is that there is no love triangle. Ethan likes Kenzie, Kenzie likes Ethan, that's it. Keirran has his love interest, that's it. That's not to say there isn't complications to spice things up/give you heartache, but at least there isn't that formulaic, annoying love triangle, unrequited-love thing going on.

Determined not to acknowledge the presence of faerie, Ethan has no choice but to break that resolve in order to save a friend and to protect this girl (Kenzie) he is falling for.

There are tidbits of teenage angst - bullying, parents being obtuse and not understanding or forgiving, internal dialogue overanalyzing self and actions, etc., - but they really define the characters and just work.

This is book #1 for "Call of the Forgotten" so there should be more to come! But don't think you will be left hanging at the end of book one. While you can tell there is more to come, you aren't left at a cliffhanger. Sure there are unanswered questions, unresolved issues, but I found myself satisfied and content with the ending as opposed to ripping my hair out that I will have to wait a whole (year, years, decade) to find out if my characters are going to perish or not.

I found the writing smooth and entrancing, the pace rolling at a fast clip with lots of action scenes. This one is going on my re-readable shelf. Fun, fantasy read set in the Nevernever!

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Doublecrossed by Ally Carter - Free for you, too!

Got this as a "Read Now" from NetGalley and now you, too, can read it for free as the publishers have released it as a free novella for everyone! (Click the image above and it'll send you to where you can get your own copy!)

As an adult reader reading Young Adult fiction, sometimes the plots seem so kid-like or too full of teenage angst that it detracts from the storyline. This is NOT the case here.

I haven't read any of the "Spies and Thieves" series yet, but after this novella, I sure want to! Macey is a high society daughter, used to rubbing elbows with the rich, famous, and political powerhouses (her dad is a senator). But she isn't all that she seems and her demeanor is noted by Hale.

Hale is also from this society with a rich family, but he, too, doesn't quite fit what Macey expects of high society boys.

Both are very observant, quick-witted, and as you soon find out, have talents that you wouldn't associate with the Paris Hilton-type socialities. They're smart and witty and quick to act.

The writing was sound, the plot moved a quick pace (seriously! Sometimes novellas can seem like torture; this was quite the gem!). I'd like to see more of Hale, Kat, and Macey, and definitely am interested in reading the series for fun, literary escapes.

After reading this novella, I'd pick up the series as gifts for any young adult reader. There is no maiden-in-distress. The females in here are strong, confident women who are physically and intellectually capable.

Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll

Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: Received from the publishers via netgalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

26 year old Garet James is a young jewelry designer, moderately successful, who is coming home from a devastating meeting with the family lawyer regarding her father, their financial status, their gallery and home, when it starts to rain and she ducks into an alcove of an antiques shop. She steps inside for a look and is offered a commission of an exorbitant sum simply to open a lovely antique silver box that matches her family's signet ring, handed down to her from her mother. Given her current financial straits, she takes the odd request and takes the box home with her. When she opens it, a whole world previously unbeknownst to her awakens and with it, a threat to world.

Faeries. Brownies. Sylphs. Vampires. True friendship. Loss. A woman coming into her own powers. Romance. Beautiful imagery. It's all here.

This was a fun read for me. The pace was fluid. I could not tell that this was an author team, the narrative voice was that even. I was so happy early on in the book to have Garet's friends, Becky & Jay, immediately show concern over what happened to her and her father, to listen to Garet's story and believe her immediately without any doubt. It is tedious to read in novel after novel that the protagonist's best bosom buddy in the whole world thinks he/she is crazy.

The book moves from allusions to the fae, to a medieval alchemist (John Dee), to a vampire, to the fae and the facets of the fairy world (elementals, fairies, brownies, tricksters, goblins, etc.). Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" come to life...and yes the vampire was there for that. The description of the dark night and its facets of colors (deep indigos, purples, greys, blues, etc) was vivid and gorgeous. The claim that the fae have been inspiring artists for all time, plausible. The sympathy for Van Gogh (Starry Night is how he sees the night thanks to Otherworldly influence) I found touching. You have all these artists and writers throughout the ages that show the symbiotic nature of humans and the otherworld.

It seems like a lot all tossed in together, but it feels natural. Garet isn't your typical modern-day, leather wearing, kick ass female lead. She's...normal. And she takes her awakening to this other world bit by bit, piece by piece, and embraces it.

This is the first in a trilogy and I need to get the second book now.

The Witch of Duva

The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You can read this yourself at: http://www.tor.com/stories/2012/06/th...

It's a short story from Leigh Bardugo and it's told with the same compelling narration as Shadow & Bone. You'll find yourself gobbling up the words, leaning in a little closer, and then shaking your head sadly when you reach the conclusion.

That transition from the innocence of childhood to the beginnings of adulthood are sometimes so sad. *shudders*

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YA Historical Fiction - Sadie hasn't said a word for a decade!

Frozen by Mary Casanova
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: Received this as an ARC from NetGalley and the book's publishers in return for a unbiased, honest review!

Frozen is a story about a young girl who witnesses something traumatic, the death of her mother and those that tried to cover it up, and loses her capability of speech for more than a decade afterwards. Sadie Rose is now 16, on the cusp of womanhood, and finding a bunch of provocative (given the time period) photos of a woman, her memories of that long ago night open and trigger her capability of speech.

This is a historical fiction novel, set during prohibition.

I liked this book. That sounds so lukewarm, and it is, but I did. I liked it. I thought it was going to be a kind of horror story, focusing on Sadie Rose's mother's death and Sadie's life, etc. but it wasn't. It was more of a coming of age story, but there were so many tangents that I felt as if I didn't have a complete story...to ANY of the tangents. There's prohibition, a blossoming young woman who is mute and comes from bad circumstances, local politics focusing on environmental issues, corrupt bigwig corporate person funneling money to get what he wants politically, a whole history of the mother, Bella Rose, that is just barely touched upon, a young love story, mental illness and how it is handled, etc. SO MUCH COMMENTARY in such a short book. And when you have that much to explore, you don't really get into the depths of any of it. It's impossible.

I liked the characters, although I think Sadie goes from being a complacent mute to a rule-breaking rebel incredibly fast and it makes it a bit offputting to the reader. You hear her inner dialogue about wanting freedom, but then her first taste of it, she's walking and being heckled by coarse men. I can't see a woman who can't scream wanting to take that walk into town. Trinity and Owen and Vic and Hans and Aasta are all appealing and vibrant.

When you focus on Sadie Rose, you come away from this book happy and liking it. She goes from being a mute orphan whose future depends on the good graces of her "benefactors" to a more confident young woman who realizes that Mrs. Worthington and Hans and Aasta are her family. She gets her dream of a college education, friends of her own choosing, and a local sweetheart to boot.

The writing is sound and pulls you in, the pace is fluid with only a few bubbles that burst quickly and allow you to get back on track. It's a world well-described and easy to picture.

Frozen is already out on shelves, so go pick up a copy for a good read!



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Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman

Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First off: this was another ARC I received from NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

With 20 pages or so left to go, I felt that booklover's panic start. "What? NO! I can't be coming to the end!" Ms Newman's world is an enjoyable one. I had no problem immediately discerning that the Nether was "neither here or there", that it was an alternate verse to our world aka Mundanus. Perhaps it's from reading or or being a fan of tales of the fae, but I found myself slipping easily into Ms. Newman's world.

The plot cruised along at a great clip and is easy to follow. I like Cathy and feel badly for her. William, I'm not completely enamored of, but I am growing to like him more. I feel like there is SO much more to the Split Worlds and I want to know more! Ms Newman could have an entire series based on the Arbiters alone, not to mention more on the families and Cat and William or sorcerers or librarians!

I am really fascinated by the whole Arbiter/soul thing and really thought the book was going to be about that as opposed to a runaway daughter and the intricacies of political marriages. I hope to find out more in the next two books!

Between Two Thorns comes out March 7, 2013. I will be snatching up a copy as it is definitely re-readable and eagerly awaiting the sequels!

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Mimi by Lucy Ellmann

Mimi by Lucy Ellmann
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Received this via the publishers in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I had a hard time getting into this book at first. It seemed like I was in for a book full of rambling rants from this plastic surgeon. Harrison is so melancholic that I wanted to smack him. He seriously needs a dose of sunshine.

And he gets it with Mimi. Mimi is a bright, vibrant spot in this man's bleak, unhappy life. He is so disenchanted with life and routine, he needs the chaos of Mimi. And she is the catalyst that opens his mind towards how he viewed women his entire life. His entire life is nothing BUT women: his sister, his horrid ex-lover Gertrude, his newly adopted cat, his mother, his other ex girlfriends, his plastic surgery patients, etc.

I liked the characters and how they complimented one another. I liked watching Harrison slowly unfurl. It felt like a slow release of tension. And I loved his 'revolution' inspired by Mimi, about taking away the societal repression of women. There are so many little underlying messages here that anyone can relate to. A solid 3.5/5 stars on the good read scale. Somewhere between "I liked it" and "I really liked it". I couldn't fully give it 4 stars because Harrison's ramblings annoyed me. While it demonstrated his melancholia and then his awakening self, sometimes I felt it just went on and on and on.

It was a bit surprising at first that the title is Mimi when she's really an ancillary to Harrison. With everything from Harrison's point of view, you figured it would be titled his name. But the more I think of it, the more appropriate it is. It's MIMI who changes Harrison and opens his eyes, Mimi who teaches him about passion (not sexual, but for life!), Mimi who has such a joie de vivre approach to everything.

I think we have all met the Gertrudes and Guses and Harrison pre-Mimi in our lives. We need to be open to more of the "crackpots" as Harrison calls Mimi in the beginning. The ones that are impassioned over the little things. The ones who change your life in a moment. As she said, she DID push him that Christmas Eve. :)

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The last two reviews (Dark Expectations and this one) have been written on Goodreads and then I've used their widget to copy and paste here. I like that! It gives you the links back to goodreads, too, so you can see what someone else is saying.

I've been reading quite a few books over the last couple days. Mimi was quite different from the genres I've been into lately. I enjoyed it! If you're interested in reading it, it comes out on February 26, 2013. You can pre-order it now on amazon.com!

Currently Listening: Big Girls by Mika
Currently Reading: Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman
Currently Watching: Downton Abbey on Netflix

Dark Expectations by Janiera Eldridge

Dark Expectations by Janiera Eldridge
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Received this for free through the "Read It and Reap" program!

This book picks up where the first book left off; Ani is now Queen Vamp and working hard to maintain peace and balance. Diego, her lover, seems to think his way is best and goes to screw it all up! I was railing at the very beginning at Diego. How dare the one person she loves and should be able to trust go behind her back like that? And then she's kidnapped...hooboy.

I like the storyline. I like this author's new definition of vampires and their creation (you get a hint of it, expanding from the first book). But I found this book hard to get into fully, mostly due to editing.

As other reviewers have noted, the book suffers from a lack of good editing. Names are interchanged, phrases are off or missing complete words (although it's funny how your brain mostly fills those in!), etc. I don't like to nitpick on those kinds of things, but it really does detract from the story because it derails the reader. The author has said there will be a new, re-edited copy soon, so that should help!

Some of the dialogue isn't very believable; it seems to stutter for me, much like how I felt in the first book with some of the action, etc., but you can feel the author's voice growing in leaps and bounds. I think with proper editing this story would grasp its readers much more quickly, pulling them in to this alternate world the author has created.

The ending is holy wow abrupt. I actually flipped back a few pages, reread, and then tried to move forward thinking I was missing something. I'm used to a lot of series having a cliffhanger ending, but this didn't feel like a cliffhanger to me. It was as if we left in the middle of a conversation and there should be another page.

Thanks for the read, Ms. Eldridge! I look forward to seeing this series to completion and finding out what happens!

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A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner

Description from Amazon.com: A house shrouded in time. A line of women with a heritage of loss. As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn’t believe that Susannah’s ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.

When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband’s home, it isn’t long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.

With Adelaide’s richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak— and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.

First the disclaimer: I received this book for free from the Blogging for Books program. This program gives you free books in exchange for your honest, unbiased review.

Once I got started reading this book, it was hard to put down. At first, I expected this book to be mundane and proselytizing. I have never read anything by this author, but when looking at the reviews and descriptions, it seemed to have been filed under Christian fiction. I am not a Christian and my experience with Christian fiction has been a "DEFINITELY NOT FOR ME" kind of reaction due to the excessive cajoling and inaccuracies.

Then I expected this to be a horror/ghost story from the beginnings of Pearl's exclamations at the reception.

Happily, it wasn't either. This was a story of generations of a matriarchal driven family. This was a lesson about the ghosts of the past. It's modern in its acknowledgement of mental illness and perceptions. It's modern in how it makes you think about the own yokes we give ourselves through our inability to accept what is.

I didn't fall in love with the characters, but I was mesmerized by the story telling. It focuses largely on the great-grandmother, Susannah, and her experiences and how she was perceived by the townsfolk and her family. Civil War historical fiction is always fascinating as it is a chunk of United States history where we were not so united, where both sides were sticking to the ideals of our founding fathers, where families were torn apart by geography, politics, and a different view on how to live.

I enjoyed the epistolary section, which gave a first person point of view from Susannah and what exactly happened.

Overall, I think this book is about love. How it can encompass you, how it makes you forgive, how it lets you grieve, how it mends you, how it can be learned through joint experiences. It's about choices: learning to make them and learning to live with the choices you make. It isn't a lecture or a course study; it's a lovely little escape into someone else's family and how you can extrapolate from their stories to your own life.

The Ruins of Lace by Iris Anthony

Lace is a thing like hope.

It is beauty; it is grace.

It was never meant to destroy

so many lives.

I won this book from a Sourcebooks giveaway. It had been on my to-read list at goodreads and I was so happy to have won it. 

Lace is forbidden and yet everyone wears it and wants to wear only the best: Flemish lace is at high demand. For Lisette, lace begins her downfall. For Katharina, it defines who she is. 

This tale is told from several perspectives. You have Lisette, a nobleman's daughter whose life is in tatters after she smudges a piece of lace of a guest. You have that guest, the Count, and the misery that his is life and how he takes it out on others. Katharina's life is all about lace and has been since she was taken from her family to make it for the nuns. Heilwich, Katharina's sister, spends her life trying to rescue Katharina. You have Alexandre, son of a warrior who died of leprosy, in love with Lisette, who does his best to rescue her. You have Denis, the idealistic soldier on the lookout for lace smugglers. And you have the Dog, Mon Cher Argent, abused and traumatized and used to run lace across the border. 

The chapters from the dog's perspective were the hardest for me. I cried at the scene in Crime and Punishment when the horse is beaten to death. I cried while reading The Yearling, Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller, you get the idea. And to have the dog's thoughts as he's enduring his life was heartbreaking. Moreso than the chapters of the humans and how corruption and desires ruined their lives. 

I liked switching perspectives along the same story line. The story was always moving forward, all interconnected, much like the lace that is so highly sought. I prefer this style narration over epistolary novels, hearing the inner vexations of the villain, the worries the good guy is keeping a lid on, etc. 

I pitied Lisette and the extremes to which she berates herself for something she did as a child. No matter how hard he tries, the father just cannot prove to her that it was simply circumstance. Alexandre can't seem to get it through her head either. I pitied her and yet I wanted to smack some sense into her, too. You detest the Count, especially as you learn what he ruined that family for. You cheer when the bad guys get theirs. You want to weep when it seems all for naught. 

Definitely recommended. 

CoverGirl Blast Flipstick!

As I mentioned in my first post, I am a BzzAgent. The first rule about BzzAgent is to tell everyone you are, in fact, a BzzAgent! BzzAgent is a unique word-of-mouth marketing program. Basically, you qualify for a campaign, they send you the product to try out, you tell them who you told about it, what you thought, what others thought, if people took the discount coupons from you, etc.

So! Now that you know, let's get down to the order of business of my latest campaign, CoverGirl Blast Flipstick!