Thursday, May 31, 2012

So Excited!

The Evolution of Mara Dyer


Oh I'm so excited for this one!!! The Evolution of Mara Dyer has a release date! October 23rd 2012!

Here is the synopsis:
Two days after Mara walks into a police station in Miami at the close of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, she is committed for psychiatric treatment for what her parents believe is a mental breakdown. But what seems like a hallucination to everyone else is a chilling reality for Mara. Someone from her past has discovered her strange, disturbing secret and that someone wants her to pay. But she's about to discover that the price is more than she can bear.
Dark and thrilling, suspenseful and passionate, The Evolution of Mara Dyer will have readers breathlessly turning pages to find out what will become of Mara Dyer next.




                                                                                    I think this deserves a jumping Monkey!

Whisper by Alyson Noël (Riley Bloom #4)

Whisper (Riley Bloom #4) 

by Alyson Noël 


Summary:
This time, Riley might really have bitten off more than she’s ready for. After practically begging the Council for a more challenging Soul Catch, she is assigned an actual Roman gladiator—Theocoles, the Pillar of Doom. How is Riley, a skinny twelve-year-old, supposed to get through to him? Then she meets the beautiful Messalina, who convinces her that her only chance is to become part of this world. To accomplish this, Messalina helps Riley through a dramatic, mystical makeover, transforming her into the beautiful and mature teen she’s always wanted to be. Finally, Riley can experience her first boyfriend and her first kiss. With a dream this enchanting, will she ever want to leave?

Review:
This is such an upbeat little series! I always loved Riley when she was just Ever's little sister in the Immortals series, and getting to see her in her own series is just awesome. Yes these books are a little on the younger side but I just eat them up. Riley is a burst of pure innocence. She is quirky and sneaky and absolutely lovable.
All Riley ever wanted was to turn thirteen, but she dies in a car accident when she is twelve and never gets to that all important birthday when she would finally become a teen. In this book Riley finally gets to see herself grown up a bit with the help of a ghost that is in love with Theocoles the soul that she has been sent to catch. She also gets a first kiss! The story is light and heartfelt and just left me with a happy feeling. These books are a very fast and enjoyable read and this one didn't disappoint. If you loved Riley in the Immortals then you should defiantly check this series out. And if you have never met Riley then you should defiantly check out both of the series.

Pages: 240
Days to read: 1

Author Website: http://www.alysonnoel.com/radiance/

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Whisper-Riley-Bloom-Alyson-No%C3%ABl/dp/0312641567

Book Trailer:



Monkey's Given



Black Dawn (Morganville Vampires # 12) by Rachel Caine

Black Dawn (Morganville Vampires # 12)

by Rachel Caine      


Summary:
Ever since the draug—mysterious creatures that prey on vampires—took over Morganville, the lives of student Claire Danvers and her friends have been thrown into turmoil. Most of the town’s residents have evacuated, but Claire, Shane, Eve and Michael have chosen to stay and fight.
Using the city’s water system to spread, the draug have rapidly multiplied. Things in Morganville look grim, especially since vampire Amelie—the town founder—has been infected by the master draug’s bite.
Now, if Claire and her friends don’t figure out how to cure Amelie and defeat the draug, it looks like Morganville will become little more than a ghost town…


Review:

This whole series is awesome! I have followed Claire from her very first steps into Morganville and I have loved the whole ride. You figure when getting to the 12th book in any series that the author is just trying to hold on to their characters and it is usually pretty sad to see a great story get washed out and tired, but that just isn't the case with these books! You can tell that Rachel still has passion for Morganville and she still writes every book in the series with the same enthusiasm as the last.
In this book and the last one the Vampires of Morganville are the ones being hunted and the tables are turned and the play of power is changed. I'm not used to seeing the predators as prey and it's really been a nice change. Amelie is one of my favorite characters in these books, she is the founder of Morganville and rules with a dainty iron fist. She has been bitten by a Draug and is slowly turning into one of them. And of course it's up to Claire and her loyal friends to save the town once again. I love all of the characters in these books each one brings something to the story and without each one the story wouldn't be the same.
I like the fact that you get to see little parts of the story through each characters eyes and see what they are feeling and thinking as well as the main character Claire. I liked this one just as much as the last eleven books in the series and I got caught up wondering if Rachel was actually going to take out Amelie (you'll have to read it to find out), and whether or not Eve and Michael can get through a very ruff spot in their relationship. Myrnin gets up to his scheming in his vampire bunny slippers and always has you guessing about both his feeling for Claire and his secret motives.
All in all this is one awesome series that hooks you from the beginning and always has me waiting with baited breath for the next, and this book didn't disappoint even being the twelfth in the series. If you haven't started the series you should! And if you have you need to get this one quick.

Pages: 384
Days To Read: 4

Author Website:
http://www.rachelcaine.com/Rachel_Caine_-_Writer/Home.html

Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Dawn-The-Morganville-Vampires/dp/0451236718

Book Trailer:





Monkey's Given

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Cera's Place by Elizabeth McKenna

Cera's Place

by Elizabeth McKenna


Summary:
San Francisco saloon owner Cera Cassidy offers redemption to any woman looking for honest work. At Cera's Place, men can get a decent hot meal with a whiskey, but if they want anything more, they have to take their desires elsewhere. One summer night, a distraught Chinese girl bursts through the swinging doors with a shocking tale of murder, kidnapping, and prostitution. Outraged, Cera vows to set things right.
Jake Tanner, a scarred ex-soldier haunted by the horrors of the Civil War, is on a mission to fulfill a friend's dying wish. The trail has brought him to Cera's door. Captivated by her Irish beauty, he wants to join her fight - but will she let him?

Review:
One word: Charming
I peeked at this book before I actually read it, and I read the first several pages. I really wanted to drop the book I was reading at the time (Deadlocked) and get into this book. The beginning grabbed me right up in it's arms and didn't want to put me down. Of course I have a reading order list and I had to wait but the opening left me breathless and really wanting to get back to it soon.
Once I actually got to start it I couldn't put it down. I got emotionally involved with all of the characters in the book from the moment each hit the scene. The way that Elizabeth describes her characters makes you either love them or hate them right away.
The book starts with a jarring scene involving Jake a former Civil War Captain who's features have been hardened by the toubles of war, but have still left him with kind eyes and a sexy as hell cowboy persona. Then leads the reader from there into a very charming and sometimes downright seizing mixture of a Historical Love Story/ Western.
Cera is a saloon owner and she is a proud and sturdy woman with a softness inside for the weak and helpless. You can't help but love her and all of the workers in her saloon that she brings in to get them away from the hard life of the streets. She runs the saloon with a smile on her face and a Derringer in her pocket.
The love story between Jake and Cera is gradual leading up to some pretty awesome love scenes that left me tingling and wanting more. The action in the book revolves around the extremely detestable Biggs, a man with no morals that is selling Chinese women into prostitution. Cera decides she has to put an end to this mans reign of terror over the city. You soon find out in the book what Cera wants she damn well gets and by her owns means and determination not by passing the job off to any man. She has the help of her loyal team and family behind her and of course the sexy Jake.
All in all this book was well worth the read. I will recomend this one to many people for a quick and great read. I have one complaint about this one...it was too short! Elizabeth McKenna is a new author that really does deserve some more attention.

*Author Requested Review*
Thank you Elizabeth Mckenna for sending me your book for review

Pages: 272

Days to read: 1 1/2

Book Trailer:


Monkey's Given

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Hot & Spicy by P.T. Macias

Hot & Spicy
by P.T. Macias

Summary:
Jose Enrique De La Cruz the CEO of the De La Cruz, Inc. needs a fiancée in time for the 25th anniversary celebration. La familia is anxious to meet his fiancée, but he doesn’t have one. His hermana Patricia agreed to obtain una novia for him. Paty enticed her amiga to pretend to be his loving fiancée.
Jessica Maria Acosta agreed to be his fiancée for two reasons. One, she has always loved him and prays she can make him love her. Two, this is a great opportunity to achieve her dream of working as an Interior Decorator Design Manager.

Review: Dio's Mio!
This book lives up to it's title! It is very Hot & Spicy and has love scenes that will leave you biting your nails.The story revolves around the Del La Cruz family, a very tight nit and passionate Mexican family that has built their empire from the ground up.
The Boss Jose Enrique has a terrible problem to deal with...he has told his family that his is engaged and that he will be bringing his fiance' to the families anniversary dinner. Paty helps him out by finding the perfect girl for him. But all is not perfect for long as the Mexican Cartel gets involved.
This is a good first book and is very steamy. The characters are well defined, but I felt there were too many and I got confused with all of the cousins and friends. The author is very descriptive and builds her scenes up quite a bit, sometimes with a bit too much detail. The use of Spanglish in the book makes you almost feel as if you can speak Spanish by the end of the book but it is a bit over used and might get taxing for some. The action scenes happen late in the book making for a slow start other than the lovemaking (muy claiente'). When the action happens it comes on with a bang and has you really anxious for the safety of the whole family.
All in all it was worth the read and good for a first book. I am hoping the next book will be a bit more polished up, but you should give this new author a shot.

*Author Requested Review*
Thank you P.T. Macias for sending me your book for review

Pages: 454
Day's to read: 3



Book Trailer : 

Monkey's Given


 

Friday, May 18, 2012

Until I Die - Revenants #2 by Amy Plum

Until I Die - Revenants #2

 by Amy Plum


Summary:
I wish there was only today, just right now, and no forever.
It seems fitting that I fell in love in Paris. Peel back a thin layer of reality and under the city's glamorous surface is a battleground for immortal enemies.
Because with Vincent, reality is an illusion. Handsome, chivalrous, and witty, he's got everything I've ever wanted in a boyfriend...except mortality. But when I chose Vincent, I chose love over reason and safety.
Vincent swore to avoid death--to resist his very nature so that we could be together. But I refuse to stand by and watch him suffer.
I know I'll do whatever it takes--even if it means lying to the people I love--to fight against a fate that is trying to tear us apart.


Review:
One word: Cliffhanger
I really do adore this series. The covers for these books are so gorgeous! This series is about Kate a seventeen year old girl who falls in love with a Revenant named Vincent. Revenants sacrifice themselves to save the lives of humans so that they can finish their life's purpose. They reanimate three day's later at the age that they first died and trying to resist the urge to save lives is painful for them .I love this love story and the first book had me checking release dates for months for the second. It's not often I will forsake all other books in my 2 read list to read a title that just came out. Let's put it this way I have the new Morganville Vampires book and haven't started it. This one didn't disappoint. It was a little slow to begin but soon picked up the pace and I was carried along by the great writing. I never had a wish to see Paris before but now with all of the realistic imagery in Amy's writing I would love to visit that amazing city.
  The male characters in the book are drool worthy with my absolute favorite being Jules. Jules is Vincents best friend and has a fondness for flirting, and boy oh boy he's good at it. But there are times I think that he is more than just flirting with Kate and has his own feelings for her. Vincent is described gorgeously as well with his black hair in his eyes all the time. And I absolutley love Georgia, she is Kate's older sister and the love she has for her Katie-Bean is never overshadowed by her crazy party life style.
 The only part that bothers me about this series is the fact that Vincent and Kate often hide things from each other unnecessarily and put each other through some tough feelings about the other hiding things.
The ending of the book nearly brought me to tears and shocked me silly. I can't belive what Amy did! Now I'm going to be checking release dates again.
To sum it all up I love this book, and the series. They are well worth the read but have a few things I didn't like, the slow parts and the unessasary dishonesty between the couple being two.

Pages:368
Days to read: 6

Book Website :
http://www.amyplumbooks.com/

Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Until-Die-Revenants-Amy-Plum/dp/0062004042

Book Trailer:

Monkey's Given

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Excitement Abounds!

The Raven Boys

by Maggie Stiefvater

Not a Review Just a Want
As many of you will find out Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors. I even had the lovely chance to have a facebook chat with her and almost peed myself with excitment that she actually answered me within moments. I first read Shiver and I was hooked the Wolves of Mercy Falls was such a great series and I still morn it's ending. But I continued on with the Books of Faerie and lost myself for awhile. And then came the Scorpio Races and I was once again swept away by Maggie's enchanting writing. And now she has written The Raven Boys. Just read the synopsis and you can tell this is going to be one heck of a page turner just like all of her other magical writing. I don't know about you but I'm sooooo excited to see this one hit the shelves.



“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.




Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Well Shiver Me Timbers And Call Me Woody

Reading Week In Vegas

So it's reading week here in Vegas and I must say for once I am impressed with the Clark County School District. My son came home today with a large pile of free books from his school to read over the summer break. He even made me an adorable book mark. The school district here is very bad and the parents have to supply everything all the way down to the copy paper for the teachers. It's nice to see them stepping up to make sure that all the kids have reading material for the summer break. My son is also very excited about my new blog and wants to do a guest review for me on one of the books he got, so don't be surprised when a review for Double Fudge by Judy Bloom shows up here. Happy Reading Week To All Of You! And look out for my new book review coming soon, I have spent quite a bit of my free time getting this blog all purdy but I am almost ready to review Until I die by Amy Plum.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12) by Charlaine Harris

Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12)

by Charlaine Harris


Summary:
It’s vampire politics as usual around the town of Bon Temps, but never before have they hit so close to Sookie’s heart…
Growing up with telepathic abilities, Sookie Stackhouse realized early on there were things she’d rather not know. And now that she’s an adult, she also realizes that some things she knows about, she’d rather not see—like Eric Northman feeding off another woman. A younger one.
  There’s a thing or two she’d like to say about that, but she has to keep quiet—Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), is in town. It’s the worst possible time for a human body to show up in Eric’s front yard—especially the body of the woman whose blood he just drank.
Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s set out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.

Review:
One Word : Sorry Folks no one word can describe this book
  OK so Lot's of questions were answered in this book, all of those what abouts? and what ifs? were pretty much cleared up. And then you are left with new what abouts and what ifs. Sookie also makes one choice that some would say was huge and I would say was natural. She is put to a kind of test at the end of the book and she just simply makes the choice Sookie would make she doesn't even think about it as a choice. There were quite a few twists and turns in the book and one shocking revelation about a certain flamboyant fairy.
I really enjoyed the writing, and as usual with Charlaine's work couldn't put it down. But I must say in someways I was disappointed. In all of the Sookie books there are some pretty steamy love scenes that are never too raunchy but totally can get a girl worked up, this scene never happened and I waited for it through the whole book. Though I loved the book it just didn't feel like a Sookie book, it felt more like a Harper Connelly book (if you haven't read them you should) less blood, sex and action and more murder mystery.
She spends a total of ten minutes with Eric through the whole thing and those moments are none to happy.
Charlaine says she knows who Sookie will end up with at the end of the series and from what I see at the end of this book he might be more on the hot side than the cold (if you know what I mean). Charlaine has also said the next Sookie book will be her last, this breaks my heart because I have gotten to know Sookie throughout her adventures and will greatly miss the character. My only hope is that Charlaine let's Sookie go out with a little more Pizazz than this book held. I can tell that it's getting hard for her to write Sookie with the same enthusiasm that she used to put into this character and after twelve books I can understand why. I was very happy to see a appearance by Bubba my favorite vampire in all of the books he always brightens the scene up a bit but his part was sadly very short.
To sum it all up it was a great book, but didn't feel right in the series. I loved the writing and the mystery plot of the book, but missed the action and sexiness that a Sookie book should have. Well worth the read, and I can't wait for the next book, but hope that the next one gives Sookie the send off she deserves.


Pages: 336
Days to read: 4 1/2

Book Website:
http://www.charlaineharris.com/Deadlocked_2.html

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Deadlocked-Sookie-Stackhouse-Book-12/dp/1937007448

Book Trailer:


Monkey's Given

Friday, May 4, 2012

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston

The Witch's Daughter

by Paula Brackston

Summary:
My name is Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith, and my age is three hundred and eighty-four years. Each new settlement asks for a new journal, and so this Book of Shadows begins…
In the spring of 1628, the Witch finder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate at the hands of the panicked mob: the Warlock Gideon Masters, and his Book of Shadows. Secluded at his cottage in the woods, Gideon instructs Bess in the Craft, awakening formidable powers she didn’t know she had and making her immortal. She couldn't have foreseen that even now, centuries later, he would be hunting her across time, determined to claim payment for saving her life.
In present-day England, Elizabeth has built a quiet life for herself, tending her garden and selling herbs and oils at the local farmers' market. But her solitude abruptly ends when a teenage girl called Tegan starts hanging around. Against her better judgment, Elizabeth begins teaching Tegan the ways of the Hedge Witch, in the process awakening memories--and demons--long thought forgotten.

Review:
One word : Entertaining
  This book was different it combined Historical Fiction with Paranormal Fiction with Romance. I really enjoyed the book but it wasn't one of those books that I just couldn't put down, It took me much longer to finish than most books (partly due to my sons boy scout expo). I loved the character Elizabeth sometimes known as Bess, Eliza, Elise and many others over her 384 years, she was believable and easy to like though sometimes I felt she was a bit to serious. Her relationship with the young Tegan puts a lightness to her otherwise slightly gloomy nature.
I love the story settings in this book. Paula Brackston obviously did her homework for the time periods that the book is set in, I could feel the settings around me as I read. There have been many mixed reviews on this book and I can understand why, it mixes so many different genres that many people will only like certain parts of the book. I like all of the genres so that didn't get in the way of me enjoying the wonderful story line.
Gideon Masters makes for a truly hateable bad guy, he puts Elizabeth through so much for so long that I truly gained a personal hate for him. Just like Elizabeth he plays many characters throughout the book and each is just as vile as the last. The author also wrapped the story up nicely so that I didn't feel cheated in the end like I didn't get the full story.
  To sum it all up this book is worth the read, it is enjoyable but not one that will pop out in my mind years from now to recommend to a friend. The settings make you feel like you are part of the book, but the gloomy nature of the book leaves out the luster needed in any story to make the reader really excited to get back to it soon. In the end it was a satisfying read but not one that will stick with me.

Pages : 320
Days to read: 7

Authors Website: http://www.paulabrackston.com/?page_id=4

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Witchs-Daughter-Paula-Brackston/dp/031262168X

 Monkey's Given