Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Midnight Lantern by Tess Gallagher

Genre: Poetry

Review: This is a collection of poetry... some new and some old but all by Gallagher.Many of them are dark and very depressing. A lot of he poems at the beginning of the book made no sense to me and I'm not sure if they gradually made more sense or if I was starting to understand Gallagher's style of poetry but the poems did eventually start making sense to me. :) Some of the poems really made me think despite the darkness in them. Here are a few lines from her poem "Lie Down With the Lamb" so you get an idea of what I mean.

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

Genre: Amish Fiction/Romance

Review: Mattie's childhood sweetheart, Gideon, broke off their engagement suddenly. Now, Mattie has started a new life for herself with a new boyfriend, Sol, and her own cake making business. Then, one day, the life she knows is destroyed and she must start over again at her home town. She must face Gideon and learn the secrets of what really happened the night they broke up.
Gideon is still in love with Mattie and when she returns he fights even harder to keep his secrets secret and distancing himself from others. Will the truth come out and will Mattie choose to go back to Gideon or remain with Sol?

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Monday, November 28, 2011

Desktop Monday 11/28/11

Because of the holidays, I have not had a chance to make the video so I'm typing out the books I've received this week instead. I hope everyone had a great holiday and is ready to start back into a normal week. I know I'm not!! :)


Invasion: A C.H.A.O.S. Novel by Jon S. Lewis
This is a complimentary copy from the publisher.
The following description is from Amazon.


He didn't ask to be a hero, but now all that stands between us and chaos . . . is Colt.
Colt McAlister was having the summer of his life. He spent his days surfing and his nights playing guitar on the beach with friends. He even met a girl and got his first car. But everything changes when his parents are killed in a freak accident.
He's forced to leave his old life behind and move to Arizona with his grandfather. The only person he knows at the new high school is a childhood friend named Dani. And Oz, a guy he's sure he's never met but who is strangely familiar.
But what if his parents' death wasn't an accident? His mother, an investigative reporter, was going to expose a secret mind-control program run by one of the world's largest companies. Before she could release the story, what if agents from Trident Biotech made sure she couldn't go public?
Vowing to uncover truth, Colt is drawn into a secret world of aliens, shapeshifters, flying motorcycles, and invisible getaways.

 The Vagabond King by James Conway
This was a complimentary copy from the author.
The following description came from Goodreads.


When his mother dies and he discovers the man he believed was his father is not, sixteen year old Chris is haunted by a mysterious apparition that forces him to question his pampered existence and embark upon a quest to find himself. Hoping she will “make a man of him”, he seeks sanctuary in the home of Magda, a middle aged waitress with a penchant for sex, only to discover she lives with her father, a cigarette smoking, beer swilling immigrant.

Chris hates his shabby new surroundings at the end of the street and the shabby old man at the end of his life who spends his days listening to old blues records and making Chris fetch him fresh cans of beer. But, when the old man tells tales of Communism, torture, escape and the mysterious medallion he wears, Chris learns that, like the old man’s skipping records, history repeats itself and the roles we play have been played many times before.

 Honor & Entropy by Arthur Spevak
This was a complimentary copy from the author.
The following description is from Goodreads.


Telly Brensen longs for his father, missing since WWII, and despises his mother’s suitors; and when her priceless ring disappears, this ignites his long smoldering rage. He hunts down the ring, maiming the thug who has it; and even though this frees a man wrongfully imprisoned for taking it, he is prosecuted into choosing between the Marines or jail. His choice lands him in Vietnam, where he carries out an act of extraordinary valor. This time, though, a gunfight with a jealous NCO turns a Medal of Honor nomination into a dishonorable discharge. Four years later, with reasons to live fading fast, Telly gets a tip concerning his father. He tracks down old friend Arthur Spevak, solicits him for backup, and sets off alone…for Borneo.

Unknown to Telly, Spevak is a tormented soul in his own right. Once orphaned, a sense of worthlessness sabotages his every attempt at romance, and in desperation, he, too, joins the Marines. When sent to Vietnam, though, anger at the world for driving him to such measures will not abate, and he becomes a notorious rogue – until the death of a brave friend sends him home with new self-loathing. By the time Telly finds him, he is living on a Chinese mountainside, alone, aimless, and broke. Now since they never crossed paths in the war, each is ignorant of the other’s disgrace, and they make an awkward pact. Then Telly vanishes, and Spevak reluctantly picks up the trail, unaware of how far the journey will one day take him.

 The Liberation of Alice Love by Abby McDonals
This was a Free Friday book from Barnes and Noble
The following description is from Goodreads.


Clever and elegant, this novel forces you to think about how far you'd go to find the truth, and how many lies you'd tell to uncover it. Alice Love keeps her life (and boss, and family) running in perfect order, so when her bank card is declined, she thinks it's just a simple mistake. Sadly, someone has emptied her bank account, spending her savings on glamorous holidays, sexy lingerie, and a to-die-for wardrobe, and leaving Alice with lots of debt. But she soon wonders if perhaps her alter-ego's reckless, extravagant lifestyle is the one Alice should have been leading all along...
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Friday, November 25, 2011

Flashback Friday: The Secret Journal of Brett Colton by Kay Lynn Mangum

Genre: LDS Young Adult Fiction

Review: Kathy's brother, Brett, died when she was two. All she knows is that her family talks about him all the time and it's something she wasn't part of and has no memory of. When Kathy turned sixteen (same age Brett was when he died), she was given a gift from Brett -- he left her a journal. Finally, she is able to learn about this young man and brother she never knew. She is able to realize the amazing example he was and why everyone loved him.
At the same time, she is asked to tutor the popular kid in school, the quarterback. On top of all these other strikes against him he was also a Mormon. The two stories are woven together for a wonderful coming of age story of a teenage girl.

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal

Review: A normal day in Evie's life involves wearing the color pink, watching teenage drama TV shows, talking to her best friend, who is also a mermaid, and capturing paranormals to take them back to the top secret government agency she works for, IPCA. A mysterious paranormal is captured one day who makes her question everything she has ever known. Meanwhile, paranormals everywhere are dying from unknown causes and Evie may be the answer to everything.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Imperial Hostage by Phil Cantrill

This is a guest reviewer who has chosen to remain anonymous. :)
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Review: Erechtheus is to be sent to Posiedia, capital of the empire, as a hostage because his home country is required by the empire. Before he leaves his father advises him to learn all he can about their culture so they can learn the empire's strengths and weaknesses. As a hostage, at the age of twelve, Erech is sent to the Temple of Bel where he meets an old, blind priestess who prophecies that Erech will be their doom. During their attempts to destroy Erech, the priests of The Temple of One arrive just in time and save Erech. He’s sent to the Temple of One where a young girl named Ai-Ram befriends him. The high priest of the Temple of Bel is not satisfied with this arrangement and will stop at nothing to have Erech’s life.

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Monday, November 21, 2011

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Sunday Says...

'Classic.' A book which people praise and don't read.
---Mark Twain

This quote made me a little sad. I love reading classics! Please post the last classic you read or your favorite classic book that you HAVE read. I want to prove that this quote is wrong.So, please reply and show me that this quote is wrong. What is my favorite classic read you ask?

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Saturday, November 19, 2011

Collin Corner: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Genre: Children's chapter book/Fantasy

Review: Four children find themselves in another world where animals speak and magic is everywhere. An evil witch has taken over this strange world called Narnia and makes is always winter but never Christmas. The only hope the Narnians have is a prophecy involving four human children and Aslan, the King of Beasts. The children must overcome many trials along the way to hopefully save all of Narnia and become the high kinds and queens of a country they found in a wardrobe.

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Friday, November 18, 2011

Flashback Friday: Mothering with Spiritual Power by Debra Woods

Genre: Self help/LDS

Review: This book bases it's inspiring advice off of twenty five scriptures from the Book of Mormon. It shows that the answers to parenting questions and challenges can be found in the scriptures.

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Gratitude Giveaways

This is a blog hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and All Consuming Books. It is a Gratitude Giveaway so... what am I grateful for? I am grateful for all of you.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Got Great Giveaways?

Yay!! It's another Wednesday which means a blog hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. Every Wednesday blogs link up their book giveaways and post them here so check out the links below!! :)

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India Was One by An Indian

Genre: Fiction

Review: Jai and Kaahi meet in college, fall in love, marry and move to the US. India separates into North and South India due to government tension and Jai and Kaahi must check on their families but one is sent to the North and the other is sent to the South. Will India be whole again? Will they all learn to live with one another if they are on different sides of the divide?

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Monday, November 14, 2011

No Holly For Christmas by Julie N. Ford - Blog Tour

 This is a stop on No Holly For Christmas by Julie N. Ford's blog tour.


Genre: Romance Thriller

Review: Brian is a carefree attorney who has been divorced twice because the women never seem to measure up to his first love. Holly is a widow, and the six-digit income life style she was used to is no more. She is forced to raise her two daughters in a less than ideal situation (at least, in her opinion). These two come together through Holly's sister, Margo, who is also an attorney.

Margo and Brian work together and Holly is a social worker working with a murder suspect. Holly is asked to be bait for a criminal which leads to a whirlwind of danger and suspense as Holly and Brian fight for their lives and develop a relationship that neither of them were ready for.

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Sunday Says...

Sunday Says... is a day for me to post wonderful quotes from books or about books. Sometimes the words in a book can really touch someone and it's a fun chance to remember some of those wonderful words.

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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Collin's Corner: Millions of Cats

My 5 year old's name is Collin so on Saturdays he reviews a book. Well, I write it but with his opinion thrown in there. So, welcome to Collin's Corner!


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Friday, November 11, 2011

Flashback Friday: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Flashback Friday is the day that I get to review the older books that I want to read instead of the new releases that are given to me. There are some great older books out there that should get some attention, too. :) Today's Flashback Friday book was published in 2009. Enjoy!

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Know Me Better Blog Hop

Click on the image to go to I Am A Reader, Not a Writer. Every week she hosts a getting to "Know Me Better" blog hop where blog owners answer five questions that she normally asks authors so... it's your chance to know the person behind the keyboard. ;) Ya ready? Let's see which five questions she's chosen for us this week.

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Author Interview: Barbara Forte Abate

Barbara is incredibly friendly. I loved exchanging e-mails with her and reading her positive responses to everything I asked her. She has truly been a delight to "talk" to.

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Giveaways around the book bloggosphere.

Every Wednesday I Am A Reader, Not a Writer has a blog hop for giveaways going on. So, here is a list of all the giveaways!! :) Enjoy and good luck!


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The Secret of Lies by Barbara Forte Abate

Genre: Fiction - Drama

Review: Stevie Burke had the summer everyone dreams of; at least, it started off that way and then everything changed. An adult now, she runs away from her husband to a hotel room where she tries to piece together her past and remembers the first boy she loved, sister she felt she disappointed and family she watched crumble all by the end of that "perfect" summer. Now, grown and married she must figure out how to overcome the past and look to the future before it destroys her present.

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Giveaway Hop Nov 8-11th

This giveaway is now closed.

Yes!! Another Giveaway Hop!! I love these and I actually have two that I'm participating in for November... double the giveaways!! :) This hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Tristi Pinkston. I have two books to give away and one of them I haven't read yet. The other, I have reviewed on here but both are USED.

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Monday, November 7, 2011

The Soul Reader by Gerard D. Webster

Genre: Fiction/Thriller/Christian

Review: It's been a year since the murder of Ward's dad and Ward's accident. He had been framed for manslaughter by the same group of people who had murdered his dad. His relationship with the woman he loved, Carrie Hope, had broken but one day she shows up wanting to write a book on the North Beach Project which was exactly what Ward and his father had gotten into before they were both either killed or scared away from it. However, Carrie had no fears of the situation and decided to go on with the book and investigation without him. Ward decided that he would need to use his "gift" to help protect her from the horrible people involved in this who will surely be after her when she starts digging into the situation again. Soon, they find themselves on a world wide adventure as they become the target of the most dangerous assassin in the western hemisphere -- Culebre.

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Desktop Monday 11/7/11

Think of this as the caption. I figured that for those of you who didn't want to watch the video or for my deaf friends that I should still type it out.... :)

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Sunday, November 6, 2011

Sunday Says...

Sunday Says is my day to focus on some of my favorite quotes from recently read books and why I like them. :)

“Today's worries are yesterday's fears and tomorrow's stories.”
Alyson Noel, Evermore 

This one is just such a great reminder that even if this worry does seem like the end of the world -- it won't be. Life will go on and we are strong enough to make it through it.

 “I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I'll go to it laughing.”
Herman Melville, Moby Dick 

 How can someone not be happy after reading this? No matter what we do, let's smile and make the best of the situation. =o)
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Saturday, November 5, 2011

Auspicious Saturday: Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Auspicious Saturday is a day for me to post something to give children an auspicious chance. We know that reading is success so we need to give them the opportunity to be successful so Saturdays are my days to post books that my children have loved.
Genre: Fiction/Classic/Children's Chapter Book  (This was the Junior Classics for Young Readers version.)

Review: This is the story of an enormous whale named Moby Dick and a whaling ship. Moby Dick first comes into contact with the captain of this whaling ship, Ahab, and in that encounter Ahab loses his leg. Ahab is then filled with so much anger that he'll stop at nothing to get Moby Dick.
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Thursday, November 3, 2011

Giveaway! You Don't Sweat Much For A Fat Girl by Celia Rivenbark

I am giving away a nearly new advanced reader's copy of You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl. It is a collection of articles written by the author. Here is my review if you would like to take a look at it. And here is an excerpt that can be read on Amazon but I'm going to post it here for all of you too. :)

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Know Me Better

This is a fun meme from I Am A Reader, Not a Writer and it's a blog hop so check out the fellow bloggers and get to know everyone a little better. ;)

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