Shadow of a Demon

Synopsis

"You must learn to communicate with him, to understand him," the Mother Superior of the Daughters of Mercy says of the thing that dwells inside India Terrano, the thing India regards as a demon. It is a Viseg, a creature that feeds on energy and can spit that energy out with tremendous destructive force. It has endangered India's family and blasted her fiancé's mind, leaving him a living corpse. It has made her a fugitive, hunted both by the Solarian Patrol, which intends to put her to death, and by representatives of an interplanetary corporation, which wants to experiment on her to learn to harness the Viseg's power.

I won this book thru FirstReads on Goodreads. I thought the synopsis sounded interesting and am looking forward to reading it.

New Years Resolutions

With the New Year fast approaching its time again for New Years resolutions. Like most of us, I make them and usually I try to keep them but needless to say it rarely works out. This year I am gonna do my best to catch up on all my review requests and try to diminish my to-read pile without adding to it along the way. What are you going to try to accomplish in the coming year?

Dreamsayer

Dreamsayer: Stories of the Five Worlds by Carrie R Olguin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good read! The second of the Five Worlds Series, I thought it was even better than the first (which I enjoyed also). Jewel and Wolfe are lovers that were married as children but were kept apart by others for political gain. We are introduced to them as they finally come together altho Jewel doesn't know who she is with. Full of conspiracy, mystery, love and throw in a bit of steamy sex, this book has it all. It was interesting from the begining and kept my interest to the very end. I certainly look forward to reading more stories from the Five Worlds. Loved it!Would definitely recommend it to anyone over 18 who loves a good sci-fi love story/erotica.



View all my reviews

Eirelan

I just received this ARC that I won from Firstreads. This size is a bit daunting at over 700 pgs but I'm not one to shy away from a challenge. Hopefully I will be writing the review for this soon.

Synopsis

Eirelan is a dramatic saga of a people struggling to survive against great odds. The Province of the Twenty Clans, founded on the shores of Lough Ennell in Ireland, is about to celebrate its millennial year. As this milestone year approaches, the Province and its Celtic allies in Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Brittany are threatened by an ever-colder climate overspreading Europe and by determined, powerful enemies on land and sea. The fight to defend the Province and its allies is led by Conor Laigain, a poet who dreams of peace and a hilltop cabin; his sister Fethnaid, an archer fighting in the Line of Bows who comes to realize that old ideas must change if the Province is to survive; Conor’s fiancée Mairin Fotharta, a warship captain in the Province’s naval squadron whose sleep is plagued by nightmares of a brutal childhood; and his towering Uncle Padraic, general of the army since the death of Conor’s legendary father Domnall. This is a story of human beings fighting for the right to live and enjoy the beauty of the world as they see it. When a great battle between the armies of the Province and the Ghaoth Aduiadh carpets a lovely meadow with thousands of dead and dying, Conor’s mother Liadan tries to console herself with words written by her father-in-law, philosopher Uinseann Laigain: “We must be content with life and love and the beauty of the earth. All the rest is dust in the wind."

Christmas Gifts

Thought I would share the titles that I have received so far for Christmas. I'm always excited to get new books at any time.





This one is one of those books I keep meaning to read but just haven't. Now is my chance.





This one, as noted in an earlier post, was the one I've been wishing for.

Merry Christmas

Wishing everybody a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday! Whatever your religion or view of the world, I hope you have the opportunity to spend time with your families and make connections that we may have missed throughout the year. And here's to hoping you find that book you've been wishing for in your stocking this year!

A Christmas Carol

Currently revisiting a timeless classic. This edition is beautifully illustrated adding so much to the story.

Amaranth and Ash

Amaranth and Ash by Jessica Freely

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I absolutely loved this book. This was a love story that transcended society, caste, and gender. Set in a world reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin The Left Hand of Darkness as it is a planet that mellenia before had been populated by humans and the population had split into caste one of which was hermaphroditic. Racial and ethnic barrier were very much a part of society where the elite had it all and the Chel which were the lowest had nothing even denied medical treatment. In such a society where races didn't mix Amaranth and Ash went against such societal norms and fell in love. This was an awesome book that was so much more than their love story. The societal differences, altho exaggerated, are so relevant in our own where people can be biased based on differences. Certainly not for anyone under 18 due to erotic content, but done so tastefully its very much important to the story. You truely feel the love they have for each other. A wonderful book that is relevant in any generation.



View all my reviews


Synopsis

Genre: LGBT Futuristic FantasyIn a world where everyone has their place, Amaranth & Ash belong together.Amaranth is a vasai, born with both male and female characteristics, and a soul that can reach out and touch the souls of others in order to heal them. But a vasai’s services are only for the Elai, and they demand sexual satisfaction as well as healing from their beautiful servants. Frustrated with these constraints, Amaranth wants to use his talent to help those who really need it.Ash is a chel. Considered devoid of souls, chel are the lowest of the low. Not content with his lot, Ash steals from the middle class pel. One night he’s caught and brutally punished.A soul in agony calls out to Amaranth from across the city. When he discovers that it belongs to a chel, it only confirms his worst suspicions about the lies of the Elai. Amaranth takes Ash home and heals him, an act of rebellion that could cost both their lives.Amaranth's compassion for Ash soon turns to passion. Ash treats him like a person, not an instrument of sexual gratification. Neither of them have much experience with mutual pleasure but together they embark on an exploration of intimacy and desire that carries them to the heights of passion and love -- and shakes the very foundation of their world.Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations some readers may find objectionable: Intersex relationships, violence

Christmas Wishlist

With Christmas fast approaching we all have at least one book that is on our wishlist that we hope will be amongst the gifts under the tree. The book that I am hoping for (and have been asured by a friend that it will be there) is




What are you hopring to get this holiday?

Book of Prophecies

Book of Prophecies by Cesar

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I recieved a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And honestly I'm not really sure what to make of this book. This is a book of prophecies made by Cesar in an almost Nostodaumus like fashion. He explains in the begining of the book how he comes to the prophecies that he makes and how the book is laid out. It is a book of 13 chapters of prophecies. In each chapter various prophecies are made followed by a "Cryptic Script" in reality its actually all pretty cryptic to me. I've always been fairly interested in prophecies like Nostrodaumus and they need to be taken one at a time and analyzed. I don't really have the time or patience to do so. But if you do, this would be perfect for you. At the end of the book is this cryptic anagram (no I didn't take the time to decode it, but if anybody does please let me know what you make of it) which looks like it could be quite a challenge. All in all, I did find it interesting and maybe sometime I can take a closer look at it.



View all my reviews

Flux

Flux by Mark R Faulkner

Awesome new book to be published next year. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This one definitely gets 5 stars easily.

Iain, after being hit by a bus, finds himself in Hell but is given a reprieve as doctors save his life. However, hell isn't ready to let go just yet. We are drawn in to Iain's rapidly deteriorating sanity and its very hard to tell what is real and what is going on in his mind. This story grabs you from the very begining and holds your attention til the very end where you are wishing for more. Not for those under 18 or the faint of heart as we read of unspeakable horrors of hell which are very much brought to life. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good horror story. In one word I describe this book as AWESOME!!!

Theif of Hope

Thief of Hope by Cindy Young-Turner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I apprciate the opportunity to read such a wonderful book.



This book is set in a world that is in the midst of a civil war in a land ruled by the Guild. They are a tyranical organization that uses violence to rule the people. Sydney is a troubled young woman who has grown up in poverty using any means to cope and survive. She is drawn into the world of wizards, the fae, and the people figting for their freedom. This book is full of wonderful characters that have really been brought to life. You feel their heartache and pain as loved ones are murdered before their eyes. But this book is not about pain and death. Its about hope and sacrifice and how one person can make a difference. This truly is a must read.



View all my reviews

This says it all

Goodreads Choice Awards

Congratulations to Veronica Roth for Divergent winning Goodreads 2011 award for Favorite Book of 2011!! I personally loved this book and was thrilled to see it win. Check out the winners in the other chategories.

http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice/2011

Book Burning

Here is a link to Cracked.com where it lists 6 reasons why we are in a book burning period in history. Apparently as new books come into libraries room has to be made somehow and instead of donating these books they are simply destroyed. Also when bookstores like Borders go bankrupt they would rather destroy the books instead of giving them away. Not only is this such a waste of books but how many trees were destroyed to make the paper they were printed on? One thing about ebooks, no trees were harmed in the making of them.

http://www.cracked.com/article_19453_6-reasons-were-in-another-book-burning-period-in-history.html

Hal Spacejock

Hal Spacejock by Simon Haynes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I read this as a free ecopy in exchange for my honest review.



I usually don't like books that are futuristic space stories but I rather enjoyed this one. It reminded me alot of the movie Spaceballs but on a less adolescent level. I thought it was a really funny book with characters full of personality. Hal Spacejock is a pilot that doesn't have a clue how to fly his spaceship. He's accompanied by an aging robot, Clunk, thats trying to escape the scrap heap, and his onboard sarcastic computer Navcom. While trying to deliver cargo to escape debt collectors he's chased about the galaxy by Ferrell and his budy Terry as well as the debt collector and his robot hinchmen. All in all a fun read. If you like outerspace humor or just a good comedy this would be a good choice.



View all my reviews

Fighting Censorship

Delete Censorship is a site I ran across that provids information about books that have been banned, information about Banned Book Week, as well as information about court cases and other reference information. I'm a firm believer in our First Ammendment rights and don't like to be told what I can read and what I can't. As an adult I feel like I should be able to make my own decisions.

http://www.deletecensorship.org/books.html

Here's another site from the ALA about banned books and censorship.

http://ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/index.cfm

NPR Top 100 Science Fiction/Fantasy Books

Here's another list for you. These books were listed by NPR as being the top 100 sci/fi fantasy books. I've only read 20 of what is on this list which surprises me since that is my genra of choice. How many have you read?

1. The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
4. The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series by George R.R. Martin
6. 1984 by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
12. The Wheel Of Time Series by Robert Jordan
13. Animal Farm by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer by William Gibson
15. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
16. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
17. Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss
19. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
23. The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
32. Watership Down by Richard Adams
33. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr
36. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
38. Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
39. The War Of The Worlds by H.G. Wells
40. The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny
41. The Belgariad by David Eddings
42. The Mists Of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
43. Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
44. Ringworld by Larry Niven
45. The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
46. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
47. The Once And Future King by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
49. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
50. Contact by Carl Sagan
51. The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons
52. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
53. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
54. World War Z by Max Brooks
55. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
56. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
57. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson
59. The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
60. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
61. The Mote In God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
62. The Sword Of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind
63. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
65. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
66. The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist
67. The Sword of Shannara Trilogy by Terry Brooks
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series by Robert E. Howard
69. The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
71. The Way Of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
72. Journey To The Center Of The Earth by Jules Verne
73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series by R. A. Salvatore
74. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
75. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
76. Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series by Jacqueline Carey
78. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
80. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen series by Steven Erikson
82. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
83. The Culture Series by Iain Banks
84. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
85. Anathem by Neal Stephenson
86. The Codex Alera Series by Jim Butcher
87. The Book Of The New Sun by Gene Wolfe
88. The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn
89. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
90. The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock
91. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
92. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
93. A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge
94. The Caves Of Steel by Isaac Asimov
95. The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson
96. Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
97. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
98. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
99. The Xanth Series by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis

The Black Book of Secrets

Synopsis

A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitch—and he is running from a most terrible past. What he is about to learn is that in this village is the life he has dreamed of—a safe place to live, and a job, as the assistant to a mysterious pawnbroker who trades people’s deepest, darkest secrets for cash. Ludlow’s job is to neatly transcribe the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome: The Black Book of Secrets.

Ludlow yearns to trust his mentor, who refuses to disclose any information on his past experiences or future intentions. What the pawnbroker does not know is, in a town brimming with secrets, the most troubling may be held by his new apprentice.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was an intriguing little book that I quite enjoyed. Written for the younger end of the spectrum of young adult or even for those of us that are young at heart, most anyone will enjoy this one. There is much that even though set in the past is relevent to today. We see, as is true in life, that we all have done things that we aren't proud of. Everyone has things in their past that they don't want others to know about. And this doesn't make them bad people, only human. Even those people that are prominent citizens or little old ladies that own book shops are not perfect. This was a fun book full of all kinds of characters and their very own secrets that we learn along the way. Am hoping there is more to come from the Secret Pawnbrokers.



View all my reviews