The Woman In Black

The Woman In Black: Movie Tie In by Susan Hill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was certainly a chilling read. Author Kipps is a young solicitor who is givin the task of settling the estate of elderly client in an out of the way area in the marshes in an old house. He arrives to find the people of the town don't wish to speak about what happens at the house and discovers the woman in black that haunts the place. This descriptions of the house and the fog that surrounds it are very vivid and very creepy. Author works to unravel the mystery that surround the ghost and gets more than he bargains for. This story definitely had a twist with the ending that I didn't see coming. After reading the book I am certainly anxious to see the movie, if its anywhere close to the story its gonna be great. I would definitley recommend this to anyone who loves a good ghost story.



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The Very Thought of Him

The Very Thought of Him by Jessa Callaver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received a free copy of this short story in exchange for my honest review.



This is a very tantalizing short story to say the least. Dara is a hard working single gal that has found Kelly on an online dating site similar to Craigslist.com. What Dara has in mind and the descriptions of the encounter are very mind tingling at the very least. The author did an awesome job describing this hot scene. But this is a short story witha surprise ending that I won't spoil for you. This is an awesome erotic read definitely for those over 18.



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Shadow of a Demon

Shadow of a Demon by E. Rose Sabin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I received this copy from FirstReads in exchange for my honest review.

I would actually give this one 3.5 stars. This was an idea that I found very interesting. When her father is killed before her eyes trying to protect them, India (unbeknownst to her at the time) who is very young at the time, receives his Viseg. A Viseg is a symbiotic entity that is very powerful but they can only survive within their host. The viseg lies dormant til circumstances cause it to assert itself and India has to come to terms with this entity. This book is listed as an adult read but it seems to me to read more like a YA book, except for one scene near the end. There were also alot of questions that just went unanswered. I would like to know more about what happened with Paolo, India's brother, and K.T. the Sister of Mercy that helped her. And underlying theme to this story is how destructive humans can be. If we don't understand something we rush to kill it. Some things should just be left to themselves without our interference. Overall, I thought this was an interesting read. I hope this story continues so that we can find out what happens to some of the other characters as well as India and Tyar.



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Happy Birthday Lewis Carroll

Happy Birthday to Lewis Carroll who would have been 180. Flavorwire.com has a tribute to the trippiest books of all time in honor of is famous book Alice in Wonderland.

http://flavorwire.com/253392/curiouser-and-curiouser-10-of-literatures-trippiest-books

Eirelan

Eirelan by Liam O'Shiel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a book that I won from FirstReads and I appreciate the opportunity to review it.



This was a truly epic read. I would have actually given this 4.5 stars but because it was so well written I rounded up to 5. This is the epic story set 1000 years after the Age of Machines in Ireland. The Twenty Clans are fighting for the very survival against clans to the north as well as enemies across the sea in Spain. This story is woven together, layer upon layer, and is filled with characters that are brought to life and full of complexities. We see not only the war and the struggles that they face with their enemies, but also the struggles of their day to day lives.Not only do we see this story from the perspective of the Twenty Clans, we are also given a glimpse of life from the perspective of their enemies. We see how hard life is for the people that live to the north of them and what motivates them to try to invade. We see leftovers of our own culture and politics and how it is still influencing wars and control. In the midst of all this we learn of thier past, which is our present. How the Age of Machines drew to a close as technology became our destruction as well as the damage left to the environment. This leaves a civilization essentionally as it was in the Middle Ages with travel by ships and horses and war with swords and the bow, but set amidst the ruin of great cities of today. One thing that would have made this work even better would have been the inclusion of a map. I would have loved to been able to better visualize the location of towns as well as where the allies and enemies of the Twenty Clans were situated. This is quite a large book (almost 800pgs) and a bit daunting at first glance but it is very well written and keeps you interested til the very end. There are places that are a bit descriptive and while the story does benefits from such passages with this being such a lengthy read I could have done without them. Overall, I loved this book and am looking forward to the next in this series.



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10 Most Expensive Books

Check out this link to an article on Flavorwire tht tells about the most expensive books that have ever been auctioned off. A rare copy of Bird of America is soon to be autioned off for possibly a new world record amount.

http://flavorwire.com/251055/the-10-most-expensive-books-in-the-world#1

Legend

Legend by Marie Lu

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If I could give half stars I would probably give this one 3.5 stars but feeling generous about this one I decided to round up instead of down. Set in California sometime in the future after the fall of the country due to plague and dissent. June is the governtments best prodigy and is set against their biggest aggrivation, Day, because of the death of her brother. Through her investigation she comes to learn that all is not as she has been taught to believe. Life is not always black and white and sometimes you can't just blindly follow orders. What I didn't like about this book is that the characters were somewhat 2 dimensional. There is a flat quality to them that makes them all seem alot alike. However, if you like dystopia this is worth the read. I enjoyed the overall story and I look forward to reading more of this series.



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Best Seller List

Here is a link to NPR Best Seller List. I saw several titles that are on my to-read list as well as one I am currently reading. Maybe you will find your next great read listed here.

http://www.npr.org/books/bestsellers/

The Most Anticipated Books of 2012

I just browsed through The Millions most anticipated list of 2012.

http://www.themillions.com/2012/01/most-anticipated-the-great-2012-book-preview.html

Two reads I am eagerly awaiting are



Expected date May 1,2012

And



This one is expected out Feb 28,2012

What books are you looking forward to this year?

Kings of the North

This is a FirstReads win that I shall be adding to my ever growing to-read list. I wish I had looked a bit closer to it before I entered to win as I have yet to read Part One.

The Macabre Masterpiece: Poems of Horror and Gore

The Macabre Masterpiece: Poems of Horror and Gore by Justin Bienvenue

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.



I'm not usually a big reader of poetry, but the concept of horror poetry intrigued me. This is a book of poems that ranged from dark and gruesome to evil and creepy with the occasional bit of humor thrown in. The very first poem "Buried Alive" and "Zombies" in chapt 3 were my favorite two poems but I enjoyed nearly all of them in the collection. These are definitely unique and not for the feint of heart as some are a bit gorey. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys the horror genra. This is a collection that I will definitely re-read!



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Noah Zarc

Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble by D. Robert Pease

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a wonderful book with so many messages. Noah Zarc is a paraplegic who is part of a family whose mission it is to go back in time to retrieve animals to repopulate an earth that we made uninhabitable. And of course there's a bad guy working against them to make sure they don't succeed. Noah is a very resourceful, very capable 12 yr old that shows that being a paraplegic doesn't make you incapable. Over the course of this adventure he learns that everything isn't black and white and not everything is as it seems. Family is more than your genetic makeup its about those that love and support you. There's also an important environmental message woven in about how we should be responisible for our impact on the environment. We all need to work to fix the problems that we have caused but at the same time this is a planet for humans as well. Balance is important in all that we do. This is a perfect read for middle school to junior high age but a fun read for anyone that likes sci-fi.



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Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Loved this one right from the begining. I can't imagaine a world without Love, but Lauren Oliver did and she did an awesome job bringing this world to life. Lena lives in a world where love is a disease and a cure has been found. Those that refuse the cure are killed or labeled as Invalid. Right before she is scheduled to be cured she falls in love and realizes not all is as she has been lead to believe. How easy it is for the government to control lives when all they have to do is make you believe its for you own safety. Doing what is right instead of following like sheep is never easy. Sacrifices are always harder than you think they can possibly be. She is finds reality is not what she thought it was going to be. After reading this you think about the freedoms the we actually have and maybe some we haven't thought we were missing. Just because there is a majority doesn't always make it right. This is one that I will certainly want to read again. Its very reminiscent of 1984 and Brave New World. I'm certainly looking forward to Pandemonium and am glad this series continues.



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Fable: Blood Ties

Fable: Blood Ties by Peter David

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


First, I must confess, that I have never played the game that this book was based on. Having said that, I thought this was such a fun read. The world of Albion was brought to life with such fun characters. Ben Finn, the hero that was so full of himself and had a sense of humor. And the gnome was so annoyingly funny. He was my favorite throughout the book. This was a story full of adventure, monsters, heroes, and humor. Its a fast enjoyable read with something for everyone.



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The Alchemist's Daughter

The Alchemist's Daughter by Katharine McMahon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a book that I enjoyed altho in many aspects it was full of sadness. I thought it was intersting right from the begining where we find that Emile has been raised alone by her aging father. Her mother died while giving birth to her in a time when women often died during childbirth. Her father raises her to be a natural philosopher when women weren't often taught such things. He kept her secluded however and taught her nothing about life. When she became a young woman and fell in love she was suddenly on here own, thrust out into life without any experience with it. Thru heartache and heartbreak she learns to live and comes to know the real man that her father was but only after his death. This book is full of characters that are very much brought to life and a story that draws you in from the begining. I would recommend this book for anyone that loves historical fiction.



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Books of the Immortals--Air

Books of the Immortals - Air by Barbara G.Tarn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this introduction to the world of Silvery Earth. A world of magical races, immortals and ordinary humans. I loved the way that several stories were woven together into one as the characters came together. Each searching for their desitiny and place in the world. This world was wonderfully brought to life with good and evil and gray areas much like our own world. There was some mature content as we see sex used for power as well as promiscuity but it isn't in the context of erotica as there were no detailed scenes. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys fantasy genra. I thought it was a wonderful read and I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

Synopsis

Winged Jesminder, a Sila, searches for her Destiny (aka love) as her Human friend, Sarita the sculptor, does the same. Meanwhile Takeshi the soldier flees his country for a murder he doesn't remember committing. As Takeshi looks for his past, Kumar the adventurer runs away from his –from and his wife, Princess Indira, who he rescued from an evil fate only for money. Their paths converge, leading them to the final confrontation with the Black Dame, High Priestess of the Sect.

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Looking Back

While New Years Day is a time to look forward to new beginings its also a time to reflect on the past year and all the changes it has brought. New friends that have come into my life, including a new grandbaby born in October. People that have passed out of our lives that we will never forget. Goals that have been accomplished, I was so proud of myself for meeting that goal of 100 books. New things that have been tried. I started this blog just a few months back and have enjoyed it alot. So many experiences that have accumulated over the year. I hope its been a good one for you and hopefully an even better one next year.