Review: Beckoning Light, by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Title: Beckoning Light
Series: The Afterglow Trilogy(#1)
ISBN: 9781463708849
Publisher: Createspace (July 1st 2011)

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“As Charlotte steps through the gate, she has a strong feeling that nothing will ever be the same again.   

Moving back to South Carolina after three years away, Charlotte knows she's going to have to face people from her past and adjust to a new high school, but she's completely unprepared for what else waits for her in Charleston    .

Drawn through an old garden gate, Charlotte discovers a hidden world where she meets Calvin, a boy to whom she is inexplicably attracted. As Charlotte is pulled deeper into this hidden world, it's up to her older brother Kevin to rescue her. No matter how hard Kevin tries, the rescue depends upon Charlotte fighting her intense feelings for Calvin while mastering a set of abilities that she has only just discovered she possesses.” GoodReads’ blurb

I won this book in a giveaway ages ago, and only now got around to reading and reviewing it – thanks to TBR Challenge, I must add. And after having read it, I can’t really bring myself to truly care about it.

The book alternates between Charlotte’s point of view and her brother’s Kevin – which is important in order to show what’s going on apart from Charlotte, because she’s the real protagonist here. She’s timid, in the way that she’ll often bend and go out of her way just to avoid confrontation, and she started off being quite unable to stand up for herself.

Part of the story is about this shy, unnoticeable kind of girl growing into... an important role that I mustn’t disclose for spoiler’s sake. But, yeah, character growth. It sounded promising.

Review: This Same Earth, by Elizabeth Hunter

Author: Elizabeth Hunter
Title: This Same Earth
Series: Elemental Mysteries (#2)
ASIN: B006HIR944
Publisher: E. Hunter (December 2011)

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Beatrice De Novo thought she had left the supernatural world behind…for the most part. But when the past becomes the present, will she leave her quiet life in Los Angeles to follow a mystery she thought had abandoned her? Where has Giovanni Vecchio been, and why has he returned? Giovanni has his own questions, and he’s looking to her for answers.

The sequel to A Hidden Fire will reunite Beatrice and Giovanni to continue their search through the past while both wrestle with the future. When the world as you knew it has changed forever, is there any way you can turn back?    

This Same Earth is the second book in the Elemental Mysteries series. It is a paranormal romance/mystery for adult readers” GoodReads’ blurb

If you have read my review for the first book in this series, you know how head over heels in love I’m with it. If you haven’t, I don’t know why, and you should go check it out right now – here’s the link.

That said, if you haven’t read the first book, this review of the second one might contain spoilers – though I’ll try to keep it in check. With that warning, let’s move on and discuss this amazing title.

This Same Earth lived up to each and every single one of my expectations after book one... and then some.

In My Mailbox #19

IMM Time! So... Can someone please send me over the Bookish Police, to make sure I stop buying books? Pretty pretty please? *Sigh* Anyway! This is what I got this week:

TBR Intervention #12

It's TBR Intervention Challenge time! My favorite challenge ever! We get to organize our huge To Be Read piles and actually read those books we've been wanting to (or been supposed to) for the longest time! The challenge is hosted by April @ Books4Juliet, Dani @ Refracted Light and Ayanami @ Whatever You Can Still Betray, and it's hosted every Saturday, though you're free to join every two weeks if that's more convenient for you. As always, do join us! Here's the rules:

1. Post the book(s) you committed to read in your last TBR Intervention post and tell us something about it. Did you finish it? Did you enjoy it or not? Post the link to your review (if you have one). 

2. Post a book that you want to read and already own. Pick something that has been sitting on your shelf for too long now (6 months or longer). Commit to read the book in the next couple of days or week.

3. Grab the TBR Intervention Button and post it on your blog sidebar so you will be constantly reminded of the challenge, making it easier for you to commit. This will also encourage other readers/bloggers/visitors to join the challenge.

4. Add the link to your post in the Linky below and make sure to visit the other blogs. Comment, encourage, and spread the love to our fellow readers. 

And here's how I did this week:

YA Giveaway Hop

Giveaway time! I love this moments! Thanks go to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, and Down The Rabbit Hole for hosting this one. While it's not related to any particular holiday I'm fond of or anything, this giveaway is about a genre I've re-discovered thanks to blogging, a genre I love: Young Adult!

So, what am I giving away this time?

Review: The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

Author: Neil Gaiman
Title: The Graveyard Book
ISBN: 9780061972652
Publisher: HarperCollins (January 2008)

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback | Hardcover | Audiobook



My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . . Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.” GoodReads’ blurb

The Graveyard Book sure is different from anything I’ve read lately. I think the magic was on the way the storytelling had that traditional feeling that makes you think of bedtime stories, of tales spun by the fireplace, and on the way the voice changed through the book.

The first reason might be a side product of this being an audiobook, in my case. It was narrated by the author himself and he spun it in a captivating way. I’m more used to first person POV in audio for it to work, but this time the narration was smooth and hooking.

Review: Summer Knight, by Jim Butcher

Author: Jim Butcher

Title: Summer Knight

Series: Dresden Files (#4)

ISBN: 9780786536511

Publisher: Roc (September 2002)

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback | Audiobook

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Harry Dresden's faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. All par for the course for Chicago s only professional wizard. But in all Harry's years of supernatural sleuthing, he's never faced anything like this: Professional wizard Harry Dresden is approached by the Winter Queen of Faerie to find out who murdered the Summer Queen's right-hand man. Soon, Harry finds out that the fate of the entire world rests on his solving this case.” GoodReads’ blurb

Before we go any further, I have to say that my take on this book is surely biased.

I mean, come on, fairies! Fairies and Dresden! How funny can that be?

Yep, dear readers: we get to see Titania, Mab, a lot of Sidhe, and even Grimalkin! As I know most of you have read and enjoyed The Iron Fey series, those names are sure to bring great memories back.

Review: Time of the Awakening, by Kirk Yuras

Author: Kirk Yuras

Title: Time of the Awakening

Series: Generations of Legends (#1)

ASIN: B005IHWEEU

Publisher: Kirk Yuras (August 21st 2011)

Disclaimer: Copy received for review purposes.

Buy your copy: Kindle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“Supernatural forces threaten the nation, Embrilliance. Men behave as if possessed – throwing themselves from towers, wading into raging currents, braving white-hot forges or burying themselves alive. Creatures long since forgotten stir in the Infested Bogs. The Walking Dead, once mindless automatons, now show signs of intelligence and organization. A demon rampages unchecked across the land. The military marches into a trap laid by a dark army amassed at the border.   

One man stands in the way of annihilation; Krylor Hendsdred.   

Hero.

Prophet.

King.

Though Krylor is gifted with prophetic insight, the villain Neiloph Ebonire holds him in check as he orchestrates the evils plaguing Embrilliance. Neiloph can read the King’s thoughts, can counter his every move and thwart any plan. Any plan except…   

[More background and A high quality Special Edition is available at GenerationsOfLegends.com” GoodReads’ blurb

If you’ve been following me, I know you’ve been expecting this review for the longest time. Finally, it’s here... And yes: this turned out to be a perfect fantasy, classic style!

Before I get into the book, though, I’d like to explain why it took me this long to finish this book. Simply put, I had the High Quality Special Edition. This was both a blessing and a curse. I loved it because it was obvious the care that had gone into the book. I caught a couple of typos and I had to cringe at the spoiled page instead of at the typo itself!

Review: The Jennifer Morgue, by Charles Stross

Author: Charles Stross

Title: The Jennifer Morgue

Series: Laundry Files (#2)

ISBN: 9780441016716

Publisher: Ace Trade(2009) (Golden Gryphon Press 2006 1st ed)

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback | Hardcover

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Bob Howard, geekish demonology hacker extraordinaire for "The Laundry," must stop ruthless billionaire Ellis Billington from unleashing an eldritch horror, codenamed "Jennifer Morgue," from the ocean's depths for the purpose of ruling the world...” GoodReads’ blurb

This is the follow-up novel to The Atrocity Archives (you can read my review for that one here) and, while reading book one is not integral to the plotline, it is important to understand the characters and, more than anything else, the world we’re reading about.

Well, and because it’s one hell of a good book and I don’t know why you’d want to skip it.

But less talking about Laundry Files #1 and more discussing #2, The Jennifer Morgue.

In My Mailbox #18

Sunday! IMM Time! I love having all my new books in one place thanks to this meme - it helps me really take notice of how much I read... and how many books I buy!

This week, thankfully, was pretty quiet. Here's what I have:

TBR Intervention #11

It's TBR Intervention Challenge time! My favorite challenge ever! We get to organize our huge To Be Read piles and actually read those books we've been wanting to (or been supposed to) for the longest time! The challenge is hosted by April @ Books4Juliet, Dani @ Refracted Light and Ayanami @ Whatever You Can Still Betray, and it's hosted every Saturday, though you're free to join every two weeks if that's more convenient for you. As always, do join us! Here's the rules:

1. Post the book(s) you committed to read in your last TBR Intervention post and tell us something about it. Did you finish it? Did you enjoy it or not? Post the link to your review (if you have one). 

2. Post a book that you want to read and already own. Pick something that has been sitting on your shelf for too long now (6 months or longer). Commit to read the book in the next couple of days or week.

3. Grab the TBR Intervention Button and post it on your blog sidebar so you will be constantly reminded of the challenge, making it easier for you to commit. This will also encourage other readers/bloggers/visitors to join the challenge.

4. Add the link to your post in the Linky below and make sure to visit the other blogs. Comment, encourage, and spread the love to our fellow readers. 

And here's how I did this week:

Review: Magic High, by Christina Gaudet

Author: Christina Gaudet

Title: Magic High

ISBN: B00538A22A

Publisher: Christina Gaudet (May 2011)

Disclaimer: Copy received for review purposes.

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Welcome to Andrew High, a school for mages...   

That is, until its doors are opened to the non-magical, or “normie,” population. That means no more magic allowed on school property. For Tabetha Long, whose powers are directly related to emotions, hiding her magic is difficult. When her mother is hired as the new gym teacher, and her father comes back to town with is reality television show, difficult becomes impossible.   

Now her every move is being caught on video and everyone else at school wants in too. All Tabetha wants is to become invisible.   

But then the mysterious and cute new guy, Eric wouldn’t be able to see her either...” GoodReads’ blurb

What a delight! Reading this book was so funny that I went through it in just an evening (okay, and a bit of the following wee hours of the morning).

First off, I’d like to point out, before I forget, that I believe Magic High to be aimed more to the younger Young Adult readers, say twelve to fifteen years of age. Not that older readers won’t like it –hey, I did!- but the storyline fits better, I think.

Review: The Lure of Shapinsay, by Krista Holle

Author: Krista Holle

Title: The Lure of Shapinsay

ISBN: 2940013878815

Publisher: Self Published (December 16th 2011)

Disclaimer: Copy received for review purposes.

Buy your copy: Kindle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Ever since Kait Swanney could remember, the old crones of the village have been warning her to stay away from the selkies. They claim that like sirens of old, the seal men creep from the inky waters, shed their skins, and entice women to their deaths beneath the North Sea. But avoiding an encounter becomes impossible when Kait is spotted at the water’s edge, moments after the murder of a half-selkie infant.

Unexpectedly, Kait is awoken by a beautiful, naked selkie man seeking revenge. After she declares her innocence, the intruder darts into the night, but not before inadvertently bewitching her with an overpowering lure.   

Kait obsesses over a reunion deep beneath the bay and risks her own life to be reunited with her selkie. But when she lands the dangerous lover, the chaos that follows leaves Kait little time to wonder—is it love setting her on fire or has she simply been lured? “ GoodReads’ blurb

You know me fairly well by this point. You know I have something going on for selkies and selkie books. You shouldn’t be surprised that I accepted a selkie novel...

I was surprised, though, at how amazing it turned out to be.

The Lure of Shapinsay is probably the retelling that stays closer to the myth while giving it an entirely original style, and that alone, in a moment where everyone seems inclined to throw end-of-the-world conflicts into every faery tale while, is more than enough to shoot it to the four-star category.

Writing Tips #8: Finishing your story

So you want to write, and you’ve read and listened to every comment I’ve made. Hopefully, I’ve raised your awareness of the number of things that go behind the production of a good solid book, and the tips have made you think and find your own answers to each step of the process. It has been a long way, and now we can say that...

The hardest part is yet to come.

Yep. I hate to disappoint, but while you can’t have a great book without considering every point we’ve talked about up until now, the mere fact of considering them is not nearly enough.

You still have to put pen to paper and finish that story you’re dying to tell!

The good news is that this section is going to be short. The bad news is that this section is where most writers drop out of their marathon to authorship.

My only advice is this: persevere, and finish the story. Even if it’s not perfect, even if it’s not publishable material, you’ll learn more from creating full stories than you could any other day.

I understand that it’s difficult, that sometimes you will be lost, the story will lose its appeal, and you’ll face the dreaded writer’s block. You can’t let any of that defeat you, though, and this is what I do to keep myself motivated and productive:

333 Follower Giveaway: We've got winners!

So, this epic giveaway finished the 15th. I have to thank you for your huge support during this event, guys! You're all awesome. But since someone had to win and I couldn't give a prize to everyone, I told the Rafflecopter gadget to choose... And this is what it came up with:

Review: A Hidden Fire, by Elizabeth Hunter

Author: Elizabeth Hunter
Title: A Hidden Fire
Series: Elemental Mysteries (#1)
ISBN: 2940013283251
Publisher: E. Hunter (October 18th 2011)

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“"No secret stays hidden forever."   

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.   

A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers. It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series.   

"A tantalyzing paranormal romance, full of mystery and intrigue. One of the best books I've read in a long time. Sign me up for book 2!" Nichole Chase, author of Mortal Obligation, Book One of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy” GoodReads’ blurb

Have you ever been worried that your review couldn’t make justice to a book? Well, that’s the case here.

You know how there’s been so much written about vampires that some readers just say they’re over with the genre, or how some writers just tell the same old story with different degrees of success.

If that’s what you think and you’re loosing faith, hold on to you beloved vampires because Elemental Mysteries is not any other vampire book.

Review: Hollowland, by Amanda Hocking

Author: Amanda Hocking

Title: Hollowland

Series: The Hollows (#1)

ISBN: 9781453860953

Publisher: Amanda Hocking (2010)

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"-"This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.-" GoodReads’ blurb

This was my first zombie apocalypses novel. It won’t be the last.

Reading Hollowlands was a relief, in so many ways. You know those wild moments when you are wound too tight? How you get to your room, crank up some hard rock CD in the player, and start jumping around and screaming yourself hoarse until you’re as relaxed as a newborn baby?

Well, Hollowlands was that kind of book.

In My Mailbox #17

One more Sunday, one more visit from Mr Postman... Hosted by The Story Siren, this weekly meme is here to display my terrible weaknes! Ready so see what I got, even when I shouldn't have?

TBR Intervention #10

It's TBR Intervention Challenge time! We get to organize our huge To Be Read piles and actually read those books we've been wanting to (or been supposed to) for the longest time! The challenge is hosted by April @ Books4Juliet, Dani @ Refracted Light and Ayanami @ Whatever You Can Still Betray, and it's hosted every Saturday, though you're free to join every two weeks if that's more convenient for you. As always, do join us! Here's the rules:

1. Post the book(s) you committed to read in your last TBR Intervention post and tell us something about it. Did you finish it? Did you enjoy it or not? Post the link to your review (if you have one). 

2. Post a book that you want to read and already own. Pick something that has been sitting on your shelf for too long now (6 months or longer). Commit to read the book in the next couple of days or week.

3. Grab the TBR Intervention Button and post it on your blog sidebar so you will be constantly reminded of the challenge, making it easier for you to commit. This will also encourage other readers/bloggers/visitors to join the challenge.

4. Add the link to your post in the Linky below and make sure to visit the other blogs. Comment, encourage, and spread the love to our fellow readers. 

And here's how I did this week:

Review: Existence, by Abbi Glines

Author: Abbi Glines

Title: Existence

Series: Existence Trilogy (#1)

ASIN: B006LFVZ8E

Publisher: Wild Child Publishing (December 12th 2011)

Buy your copy: Kindle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“What happens when you're stalked by Death? You fall in love with him, of course.   

Pagan Moore doesn't cheat Death, but instead, falls in love with him.   

Seventeen year old Pagan Moore has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn't let them know she could see them, then they left her alone. Until she stepped out of her car the first day of school and saw an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead.   

Not only does he not go away when she ignores him, but he does something none of the others have ever done. He speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What she doesn't realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul at all.   

He is Death and he's about to break all the rules.” GoodReads’ blurb

Do you know, I had an opinion of this book that changed completely in the last line?

Yep. I mean, from a general public and market point of view, Existence is everything you’d expect it to. I guess it could be defined as a highly emotional romance with an impossible guy, with a perfect triangle thrown in.

The lead guy, Dank, is hot and protective and sweet. The lead girl, Pagan, is very much in love – and unique in that she can see the souls of the deceased, which makes her struggle between the “soul” she is drawn to and the perfect guy who wants to date her, Leif. So far, so good.

Review: Stone Cold: A vampire novel, by Mike Denault

Author: Mike Denault

Title: Stone Cold: A Vampire Novel

ASIN: B005IHDR4G

Publisher: First Line (2011)

Disclaimer: Copy received for review purposes.

Buy your copy: Kindle| Paperback

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

“Damien Magneson's life is anything but normal. He is part of an innocent vampire family, helping to promote peace, all while secretly working alongside the local government to track and eliminate supernatural threats that may harm society. However, when Damien meets target Aderra Fayre, who is part of a potentially sought-out and labeled family of serial killers, he feels he must protect her. Damien's life changes dramatically, now living in a world filled with constant drama, violence and sacrifice.” GoodReads’ blurb

A vampire novel? Of course I had to read and review it!

I’m still trying to figure out Stone Cold, really. I know it didn’t grip me, and I know why, but I can’t shake the feeling that the book doesn’t know which age range it’s aiming for. It might have turned out better if it had been more clearly geared towards middle grade, which is the only place I’d be comfortable with the storyline, and in that case the things that nagged at me might not be so bad.

Virtual Tour: Blood Veins, by Brian Young

  A black wave has passed over the thriving kingdom of Larista. Mysterious invaders calling themselves the Dolus have swept over the land laying waste to everything in their paths and leaving ghost towns in their wake. No one knows where they came from and no one knows what their purpose is. Tasting nothing but defeat after defeat the light of hope is fading in the kingdom; but the guerrilla forces resisting the Dolus invasion have received new information. This news has provided a small glimmer that could possibly spark into something more. Captain Maximus Rex leads a daring rescue mission deep in the Laristan forests to save the lone surviving member of the royal family.

Once freed Prince Alexander Novelle along with his friends and comrades face a perilous journey deep behind enemy lines. Their destination is Castle Varanasi. The once proud Laristan capital, gateway to heaven and salvation, lies in ruins under Dolus occupation. Mysterious assassins, underworld savages and renegade Dolus survivors stand between them the answers they seek. What they find there will shatter their perceptions and lead to unknown perils none of them are ready to face

Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, you can check out my review and thoughts here... And as promised, today we're hosting Brian Young to talk about the aspect that I liked most about his novel: the plot itself and how it came to be. I know you want to hear him and not me, so without further ado... I give you Mr Young!

Review: Blood Veins, by Brian Young

Author: Brian Young
Title: Blood Veins

ASIN: B006RYLFRA
Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press (December 2011)
Disclaimer: Copy received for review purposes.

Buy your copy: Kindle

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

“A black wave of terror has passed over the thriving kingdom of Larista. Mysterious invaders have swept over the land, laying waste to everything in their path and leaving ghost towns in their wake. No one knows where they came from and no one knows their purpose.

Tasting nothing but defeat after defeat after, the light of hope is fading in the kingdom; but the guerilla forces resisting the invasion have received new information. The news has provided a small glimmer that could possibly spark into something more. Captain Maximus Rex leads a daring rescue mission deep in the Laristan forests to save the lone surviving member of the royal family.   

Once freed, Prince Alexander Novelle, along with his friends and comrades, face a perilous journey deep behind enemy lines. Their destination is Castle Varanasi. The once proud Laristan capital, gateway to heaven and salvation, lines in ruins under Dolus occupation.

Mysterious assassins, underworld savages and renegade Dolus survivors stand between them and the answers they seek. What they find there will shatter their perceptions and lead to unknown perils none of them are ready to face.” GoodReads’ blurb

This was such a complicated book to review! A second read didn’t help at all.

There were things I liked, but there were issues that kept me from really enjoying them. The most attractive aspect here is, of course, the conflict between the Conquerors and the natives, along with the mystery of what happened in truth to allow the bad guys to take over the land. I didn’t see the resolution coming, that’s for sure! Unfortunately, that might be because I felt in over my head for most of the book... While the plot is interesting, with a lot of factions with vying interests, power and survival and information, the world building felt slightly weak for me.

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake

Author: Kendare Blake

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood

Series: Anna (#1)

ISBN: 9780765328656

Publisher: Tor Teen (August 2011)

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback | Hardcover

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.    

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life” GoodReads’ blurb

Well, first off, let me say that Anna Dressed in Blood is one of the very, very few physical books I got this year (it was the best gift ever!) and I’m so very, very glad it was: I mean, a book printed in dark blood red? How cool is that?

However, beyond any level of pretty, there’re three main reasons why I must add my voice to the noise out there and scream “Read It!”.

In My Mailbox #16

Time for an IMM! It's been ages, but now that the Christmas season is officially over (yes, here in Spain we're wired up till January the 6th, when we get a visit from the Three Wise Men loaded with gifts) I'm hopefully back in full force with this meme. If nothing else... it helps to keep track on what I got, and when I got it!

The truth is that I've already read some of these titles. But in any case, I thought it'd be nice to share everything I got lately that I didn't tell you about for one reason or another. As a way to start the year with a clean slate, so to speak. Ready to see what's new, then?

TBR Intervention #9

It's TBR Intervention Challenge time! We get to organize our huge To Be Read piles and actually read those books we've been wanting to (or been supposed to) for the longest time! The challenge is hosted by April @ Books4Juliet, Dani @ Refracted Light and Ayanami @ Whatever You Can Still Betray, and it's hosted every Saturday, though you're free to join every two weeks if that's more convenient for you. As always, do join us! Here's the rules:

1. Post the book(s) you committed to read in your last TBR Intervention post and tell us something about it. Did you finish it? Did you enjoy it or not? Post the link to your review (if you have one). 

2. Post a book that you want to read and already own. Pick something that has been sitting on your shelf for too long now (6 months or longer). Commit to read the book in the next couple of days or week.

3. Grab the TBR Intervention Button and post it on your blog sidebar so you will be constantly reminded of the challenge, making it easier for you to commit. This will also encourage other readers/bloggers/visitors to join the challenge.

4. Add the link to your post in the Linky below and make sure to visit the other blogs. Comment, encourage, and spread the love to our fellow readers. 

 

And here's how I did this week:

Review: Cinderella's Secret Diary, by Ron Vitale

Author: Ron Vitale

Title: Cinderella’s Secret Diary: Lost

Series: Cinderella’s Secret Diary(#1)

ISBN: 2940013032026

Publisher: Ron Vitale (2011)

Disclaimer: Copy received for review purposes.

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

“What happened to Cinderella after she married the Prince? Set in the late 1700s as Napoleon is rising to power, Cinderella embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she tries to come to terms with her failed marriage and her inability to have a child. Torn between the Queen's insistence that she try all means necessary to conceive and her own desires, she agrees to travel to Paris to consult with a witch to help her become pregnant. Her journey leads her to find her long lost Fairy Godmother and aids her to solve the mystery behind her mother's death. Yet the Fey Lord, the Silver Fox, also takes notice in her and her world is suddenly turned upside down...” GoodReads’ blurb

When I was approached about the chance to review a what-if follow up to the Cinderella fairy tale, I pretty much jumped like a kid who’s been given a ton of candy. Unfortunately, I found a number of issues that prevented this title from living up to my expectations.

Writing Tips #7: More Plot

Last time, we were talking about plot. About planning what’s going to happen in your book. If you missed the post, because we were holding the Midwinder Eve giveaway hop and all that, you can check it out here (I even gave examples!).

This post is a little less how-to, but still written from personal experience. Recent personal experience, as a matter of fact: I discovered this ‘impromptu plotting’ while participating NaNoWriMo this year. Currently, I’m knee deep into editing-rewriting-pulling my hair out, and as I reread the words I wrote during my frenzy I find myself thinking that, hey, it might have worked.

Which is what I’m sharing here.

Review: Dearly, Departed, by Lia Habel

Author: Lia Habel

Title: Dearly, Departed

Series: Gone with the Respiration (#1)

ISBN: 9780345523310

Publisher: Del Rey (October 2011)

Buy your copy: Kindle | Hardcover | Audiobook

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?          

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire. 

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.” GoodReads’ blurb

Everyone has been talking about Dearly, Departed... and now I know exactly why.

When this book came out, there were a lot of sceptical folks around. Myself included. The first concern was about Bram, of course. How could a zombie make for a good love interest? My greatest fear was that, in making the male lead acceptable for the heroine, the author would have stripped him of anything remotely zombie-like, so that we ended up with yet another take of undead insta-love with little to no plot, and only the name of the supernatural creature being changed from the story that’s been retold one hundred times already.

Nothing could be further from the truth.