Hopping Friday

I haven't hopped in forever.  I like to do it every so often :)

This Hop is hosted by Jennifer from Crazy-For-Books, and it runs through the weekend, so if you can't today, hop on tomorrow!  Just remember, go to her site, follow the rules, visit some of the blogs and get to know em, if you start to follow tell em you met them through the hop!

This weeks ? -

Who is your fave book character?  I'll give you two but they have to be from different genres?

Ooooo, this is SO tough!  I love so many characters.  Ok, first and foremost I will always love Eric Northman, case closed.  This vamp is unapologetic about who and what he is, ruthless to the nth degree, but has the capacity to love with passion.  Next would be Skeeter Phelan from the Help.  I just loved this girl, and the book.  She was witty and sympathetic and so very brave!!

Happy Hopping!

Deadlocked

 Deadlocked
 Charlaine Harris















Book #12 in the Sookie Stacknouse series is winding down, and not in a way any of us are gonna be happy with if I read this book correctly.

WARNING NOW, there will be some small spoilers discussed here so if you haven't read, look away : )

In this book we get what is the beginning of the end with story lines being tied up.  Tara and JD having their babies, Jason getting married,  Holly and Hoyt, Andy and his wife, even Terry has found someone in Jimmie.  You can see that Charlaine is concluding and pointing to Sookie's desire and sense of loss that she won't have that life of hubby and kids with Eric.

The fae storyline comes to a head and we find out all about Claude and who put the crazy spell on sweet Dermot (forgive me if I spelled that wrong).

 As far as vamps  go, well, we don't have any real romance between Sook and Eric, time is spent with her being mad at him, and trying to discover who is framing him for murder of a young girl.  Also, Queen Freyda is here to collect on her deal made by Eric's maker Appius for she and Eric to marry.  Bill is there trying to dull the blow of what is happening with Eric explaining to her that this is really to Eric's benefit. You feel Sookie's hurt at him slipping away, Niall tells her straight up that Eric loves her, but the vamp world is a different place and it's not just cut and dry tell Freyda to get lost, especially since they have Victor's death to contend with and the King of Las Vegas will exact punishment for it if the two don't hook up, since it benefits him.

In one confrontation Eric yells that Sookie has the power to change all of this, the question is will Sookie finally use  her ancient fairy artifact once and for all?  Who will she be with in the end?  Eric, I don't know, Bill no don't think so, Sam?  Well if I vibed it right, that might just be how Miss Charlaine wraps this up once and for all.  Does it make me happy, nope, I find Sam boring, always have.  I don't think Harris has ever worried about her books ending the way her fans want it to go, I thinks she writes what she feels makes a good story in her heart.  She has said in an interview she could never "get" the love we have for Eric since he is a downright BAD guy.   Killer, selfish, self centered.  Well ya know what, ever since he sat next to her bed after those fae ripped her to pieces and she asked why didn't you come and he said in a voice just choked with tormented emotion, "you're killing me", I knew he loved her and that for all his bad, was truth.

 I know there are tons who are angry and disgusted with this book and the turn the series took, if you don't believe go to Amazon and read the excoriating reviews from all the gals.  Did Sookie piss me off some?  Yes, did Eric, yes.  Should she have confronted him more and fought, I would've, but I'm not the author.

 I blew through this book, it was a page turner for me and just because it's not going in the direction I desire I still loved the story.  It is what it is, no one said this was going to be kissy kissy with Eric and Sookie  tumbling in and out of the bed, hea's don't always happen, sometimes characters we adore kick or leave and heartbreak rips you to shreds....just like real life. If you want pure romance read a corset ripper cuz this ain't it.

4 cannolis

Wicked Appetite

Wicked Appetite
 Janet Evanovich














Amazon Blurb -
Life in Marblehead has had a pleasant predictability, until Diesel arrives. Rumor has it that a collection of priceless ancient relics representing the Seven Deadly Sins have made their way to Boston’s North Shore. Partnered with pastry chef Lizzie Tucker, Diesel bullies and charms his way through historic Salem to track them down—and his criminal mastermind cousin Gerewulf Grimorie. The black-haired, black-hearted Wulf is on the hunt for the relic representing gluttony. Caught in a race against time, Diesel and Lizzie soon find out that more isn’t always better, as they battle Wulf and the first of the deadly sins.
*****

This book was funny!  It was Stephanie Plum gone paramormal, and Evanovich is just a witty writer who knows how to make you laugh out loud which I did.

Lizzie is living a normal life as a baker in Marblehead Mass, in the home her great aunt Ophelia left her, located just outside Salem, strumming along trying to get her cookbook published till cousins Wulf and Diesel storm into her life.  She finds out she is an unmentionable, someone who has the power to locate the enchanted  objects representing the seven deadly sins.  Wulf is dark, sexy and oh so handsome with an evil streak a mile wide, and Diesel is just as good looking and irresistible as well as her  proclaimed protector from the dastardly Wulf.  Wulf wants to collect all of the objects so he can unleash the evil and Diesel wants to get them before that can happen.

The cast of characters are just perfect.  Dazzle Bakery owner Claire, kooky counter girl wanna be witch Glo and Carl the monkey make for some of the most hilarious encounters. This was a VERY quick read, light fun and easy, I enjoyed it  very much.

Here are some funny quotes from the book -

Lizzie and Diesel in Shirley's apartment looking for one of the enchanted objects
Diesel- Yeah Shirley is a glutton and this is her apartment.
Lizzie- Ok, so she's a little on the heavy side, but I don't know if I'd say she's a glutton.

Carl nodded his head and did the monkey smile.  When Diesel turned his back to walk away, Carl gave him the finger.
"This isn't a normal monkey. "  I said to Diesel.
"Tell me about it."

Diesel, Lizzie, and Carl in a grocery store.
"Is that a monkey?" the produce guy asked.
"Are you making fun of my child?" Lizzie asked.
"No mam he's kinda hairy."
"He gets that from his father." The produce guy looked at Diesel.
"Not my bad." Diesel said.

It's banter and exchanges like this that just make it a kick. I see some reviewers on Amazon just rip this book as recycled characters and the like, I find that odd since I never picked this book up thinking it was Anna Karenina or Pride and Prejudiced. It is an easy light pick me up when you just want to giggle at some  silliness.

Wicked Appetite is book 1 in the series.

 3 1/2 cannolis

April Showers, Yada Yada Yada.....

We didn't get much rain here so the bit we did get the last couple of weeks is much needed. Got some reading done, I read 3 books in April yay me lol! For the most part they were good. The Discovery Of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I also reviewed it *HERE*. I enjoyed this book, the characters were good well rounded and relatable even though they aren't human. It's a chunkster at over 500 pgs and doesn't have that quick page turning quality, but good just the same. For book club I read Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner. This was my first time reading her. The book was just ok, I really didn't form any attachments to any of the characters but for the youngest daughter some what. At our meeting I gave it a 3, it's chick lit and I normally wouldn't have read it, but most of the gals gave it a 4 so some of you might enjoy it. J.R. Ward's Lover Reborn came out in March and I got it from the Library. This was Tohrment's story. I really liked this one. One of the Warden's better books, minimal Lessers and none of that *itch the Scribe Virgin!! Her branding wasn't off the wall crazy either. I reviewed it *HERE* I had started Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich right before I had to read my book club choice so I stopped and finished it on Monday. This book was funny! It's Stephanie Plum gone paranormal. I don't know if I'll read #2 in the series but I did enjoy this one. My review will be coming up.

 What's in store for May? Well I've already started Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris. I thought this was the last one but next May 2013 # 13 will be the last. My book club choice is The Violets Of March by Sarah Jio. My Library doesn't have this book and neither does paperbackswap.com, ya know how ticked that makes me!?! It's cheaper in paperback than kindle so I'll just order it from Amazon and them put it on pbs. What else? Hhmm I think I'll read one of the thrillers I downloaded for fre on my kindle, I hope they're good, I love sick twisted psychos : ) I don't know what else it's all in the mood baby.

Saw this website on Pinterest, by the way I LOVE Pinterest, 40 Books You Won't Be Able To Put Down I've read 5 of them and of those 5, Catcher In The Rye stunk!!  That's just my opinion.  How about you, read any?

Ok, who's a Vampire Diary fan? The tv show that is. I won't read the books, they're YA and I don't want to spoil my fun. Alan Ball has already done that royally with HBO's True Blood, that bastard, and I'm addicted and can't stop watching always with some sick stupid hope that the storyline will come around to the book *tear* Anyway, next week is the season finale and I loved this season!!! To be honest, I kinda like Claus and his crush on Caroline is a great story. I'm not a Tyler fan. I was a bit sad to see what happened to Claus, but lets see how it wraps next week. I'll tell you, the tears were rolling from last weeks show with Alaric! Wow super emotional!

By the way, I am really hating the new blogger format!!!  And facebook's new look too, what the heck?!

I'ts May folks!!!  My kids have exactly 6 weeks of school left!  Summer's coming baby :)

Lover Reborn

 Lover Reborn
 J.R. Ward














Amazon Blurb -
Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment has been unrecognizable from the vampire leader he once was. Physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair, he has been brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel. Now, fighting once again with ruthless vengeance, he is unprepared to face a new kind of tragedy. When Tohr begins to see his beloved in his dreams—trapped in a cold, isolated netherworld far from the peace and tranquillity of the Fade—he turns to the angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. But because Lassiter tells him he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed.... Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past and a very hot, passion-filled future…but can his heart let go and set all of them free? 
*****

Well she's done it again! I really enjoyed this book, the story behind it, the new bad guys, all of it. I loved that there wasn't much of the Lessers and the Omega, NO Scribe Virgin, Woo Hoo!!! I'll get right to the point. Wellsie and their infant son is stuck in the vamps version of Purgatory for lack of a better term, and she is begining to fade into nothingness. Lassiter is trying to help Tohr release her once and for all so the two can move on to their "heaven".  The problem is it involves another woman and Tohr is having all sorts of struggles with that.

Along with Tohr's story you have John Matthew's and Xhex's marriage hitting a bit of a rocky point due to her being independent and a fighter by nature, and him being, well, a bonded male who doesn't want her to be out there.  You have the new bad guys, Band Of Bastards led by Xcor who want to kill Wrath with some help from the Glymera.

We get to see just a bit of Blay and Qhuinn interact.  I have heard that their story will be next. I'm also curious to see what is going to happen with these bad guys, especially since Xcor who never cared about anyone, much less a woman, is suddenly very attracted to one of the Chosen.

This book moved quickly for me, even with it's 500 and something pages!  I borrowed it from the Library since I'm trying to not buy if I don't have to, and collecting this series really isn't that important to me any more.  I have most on my kindle, but the couple of paperbacks I had went to paperbackswap.com.  I look forward to the next, which probably won't be till 2013 sometime *sigh*  Can't these authors write any faster, we're all dying to see what happens to these characters!  LOL

4 cannolis

A Discovery Of Witches

A Discovery Of Witches
Deborah Harkness













Amazon Blurb -

In Harkness's lively debut, witches, vampires, and demons outnumber humans at Oxford's Bodleian Library, where witch and Yale historian Diana Bishop discovers an enchanted manuscript, attracting the attention of 1,500-year-old vampire Matthew Clairmont. The orphaned daughter of two powerful witches, Bishop prefers intellect, but relies on magic when her discovery of a palimpsest documenting the origin of supernatural species releases an assortment of undead who threaten, stalk, and harass her. Against all occult social propriety, Bishop turns for protection to tall, dark, bloodsucking man-about-town Clairmont. Their research raises questions of evolution and extinction among the living dead, and their romance awakens centuries-old enmities. Harkness imagines a crowded universe where normal and paranormal creatures observe a tenuous peace. "Magic is desire made real," Bishop says after both her desire and magical prowess exceed her expectations. Harkness brings this world to vibrant life and makes the most of the growing popularity of gothic adventure with an ending that keeps the Old Lodge door wide open.
*****

Diana Bishop is a major historian.  She loves it and holds a doctorate in the subject, she went to Yale and now is at Oxford.  Being a witch is something she doesn't connect with, hides it actually.  While in the library doing her usual research an ancient manual, Ashmole 782 lands in her pile of books, it is enchanted and all the supes want to get their hands on it. Diana just returns it to the librarian with the rest of her books and all hell basically breaks loose.

In Harkness' tale the supes consist of witches, vampires and demons.  Matthew Clairmont is an ancient vamp who has his eye on Diana. He see's that all the otherworldly are now after her, wanting her to get that book back again and he becomes her protector.  Of course romance blossoms even though there is a Congregation that forbids the mix of species.

It ends on a cliffhanger since this is #1 of 3 with Diana and Matthew's families getting involved in helping  Diana be safe.  There is some humor and some violence, even a few sniffles for me.  What this book isn't - pnr or uf, you won't find Night Huntress or The Blackdagger Brotherhood type of love scenes in here, nor is there world building such as Kate Daniels or Rachel Morgan.  It is actually very tame, with the author building the tension between the two protagonists.

I liked this book a lot it's been on my bookshelf for many months now and I'm glad I picked it up.  It was long, 592 pgs and took me several days to read, it didn't have that all out page turner anxiety in it, but worth it in my opinion.  Diana and Matthew were wonderful characters as were all the side players as well.  Her aunt Sarah was quite funny and Matthew's Maman Ysabeau was great.  To see both these woman eventually put aside the hatred of the others species was a wonderful part of the story. I will most certainly read the next, Shadow Of Night when it comes out in July.

4 cannoli's

March Madness

Nah, not really, and I'm no basketball fan either ;) It came in like a lamb for the most part and it kinda left the same way. We really had no winter this year in so cali. No complaints from me, I hate the cold, just can't handle it any more.

Well you wanna talk about a sleepy reading month, this was certainly it!! I read two, that's right, you're seeing correctly, two books. The first was The Remains by Vincent Zandri which did nothing for me. The second was book club choice, Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult. It was classic Picoult in that you are angered, saddened, moved to feel these strong emotions. It wasn't bad, the book had a decent pace, she writes very well, but it angered me so much so,that I only gave it a three during our meeting. One gal said any book that gets her emotions going gets a five, but when something really pisses me off, especially the ending, I can't give it a five. If you like Jodi and don't mind being heartbroken, read this one.

Right now I'm reading A Discovery Of Witches by Deborah Harkness. So far so good. I'm only about a hundred pages in and I like the characters. It's a chunkster over 500 pages long, and at the pace I've been reading, this month might be a twobie also : ) Our book club choice for April is Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner. This is a first for me I've never read her before, and this is certainly chick lit from the description I read.

What else do I want to read? I have no darn idea! I'd like to read a good psycho thriller for my challenge that Marce is hosting. So far the three I've read have been busts. My reading has slowed immensely these past few months, that's ok, right now I'd just like to read something that makes me go wow, that was just fantastic :) How about you all out there, anything worth the paper its printed on?

I've noticed that almost everyone and their brother who has been stopping by  my blog has been landing on my Fifty Shades Of Grey by E.L James review.  I gave it 4 1/2 cannolis.  Ana bothered me a bit, I find it hard to believe that someone who's been away at college is just that shy and naive.  My opinion of her didn't get any better in #2, and #3 I started and actually stopped because it wasn't doing anything for me. I won't drop it, I will go back, but for me this author was a one hit wonder.  Her writing deteriorates with each book, if I have to hear one more time, "My fifty" I'm gonna puke. I also feel that she isn't true to Christian's personality or propensity to the bdsm lifestyle I should say.  Much like J.R.Ward has Vishous take a back seat with Jane and become the sub, uh uh not buying it.  That said, the gal has nailed a movie deal netting 5 million for the rights.  The Hollywood Reporter has more, click to read.  Possible Christians are going from Kellan Lutz, Ryan Gossling, to Chris Pine according to People mag, Chris Pine gets my vote.

In the meantime it's stinking April already!!!

Happy reading, happy spring : )