I'd So Rather Be Reading: February 2011

Book Review: Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba

Summary:

Kris Langley has always been obsessed with murder. She blames herself for the violent death of her cousin when they were kids and has let guilt invade every corner of her existence.

Now an editorial assistant and obit writer for a Massachusetts newspaper, Kris stumbles across an unsolved murder while compiling "25 Years Ago Today" items from the microfilm. She grows fascinated with the case of a young cocktail waitress who was bludgeoned to death and dumped in the woods.

Determined to solve the case and atone for the death of her cousin, Kris immerses herself in the mystery of what happened to Diana Ferguson, a talented artist who expressed herself through haunting paintings of Greek mythology.

Not only does Kris face resistance from her family and her managing editor, she also clashes with Diana's suspicious nephew, Eric Soares - until neither she nor Eric can deny the chemistry flaring between them.

Kris soon learns that old news never leaves the morgue and that yesterday's headline is tomorrow's danger, for finding out the truth about that night twenty-five years ago may shatter Kris's present, costing her love, her career, and ultimately, her life.

Release Date: October 27, 2009

Pages: 262

Age Group: Adult

Source: Review copy from author

Review:
I really enjoyed this mystery. I liked the writing style, I liked the character development, and I liked the twist at the end, which I was not at all expecting. The pacing made for a fast read and kept me reading long past when I meant to stop reading!

This book has it all: a great mystery, a sprinkle of romance, family drama, and a woman struggling to build her career. I love reading about career women trying to balance love, work and family---I guess because I am one of those women, I can really identify with the characters.

Kris, the main character, is new on the job at a newspaper. She's stuck writing obituaries until she can move up to being a "real" reporter. Kris' parents don't really approve of her career choices, and are constantly comparing her to her older sister, who is a physician like their mother. Kris lives under crushing guilt regarding the circumstances surrounding her cousin's death when they were children. Because of her past, a 25-year old story about an unsolved murder catches her interest. Kris decides to investigate the story and that's where the book really takes off.

It's nice to read an adult fiction novel that's not full of sex, which was the case here. I prefer to read about emotions, and Juba does a great job at describing her characters' emotional states. I really enjoyed this read, and would recommend it to anyone!

Just One Gripe:
I really can't think of one.

The Best Thing About This Book:
The surprise at the end. The person I believed all along to be the killer, was not the killer at all.

Appropriate for a younger audience:
Maybe. Parents, read it first and then decide.

Score:

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Setting/Imagery: 4/5

Originality: 4/5

Ending: 4/5

Total Score: 20/25

Nesting Like Crazy

So, I have been MIA from the blogosphere for a while now. If you're wondering where I've been, I'm expecting in about 6 weeks and have been nesting like crazy. I finished the nursery last weekend and thought I'd share some pictures so you could see where I've been spending all my time!

Toy box, bunny canvases, and crib

Rocker painted by an old friend

Shelf with frames I painted and Kaitlyn's first Feltman Brothers dresses

Chest of drawers---see the Peter Rabbit bookends?

Inside of her crib

Bow hanger in her closet. I converted the name plaque into a bow hanger!


A close-up of the custom-made canvases

I hope Kaitlyn likes bunnies! So, now I'm off to write some long-overdue book reviews, now that I'm "nested out." Or, I could go wash all of her toys...which do you think I'll end up doing? :)

Author Interview: Claudia Gray & Book Review: Afterlife

Today we are thrilled to welcome Claudia Gray, author of the Evernight series. We were privileged enough to receive Afterlife early and can promise that you will love the conclusion! Click here to read Kelli's review of Afterlife, which set to release March 8, 2011. So without further ado, here's Claudia!

1. One thing that sets your series apart from others are the surprises in each book. I gasped in surprise at least once a book while reading the Evernight series. Do you find it difficult to surprise your readers or does it come easily for you?

Good question! I love to sit down and plot out surprises (obviously), but sometimes readers are surprised by things I didn't intend for them to be surprised by, or catch on to things I think they'd never have caught on to. But really I think the most critical thing is that I write the stories in ways that surprise me; that I think is the main element in making sure the stories aren't too predictable.

2. Afterlife gives conclusions to many characters' stories. Did you have the ending planned out when you started the series or did it develop over time?

I had most of the ending planned out. I knew the main trajectory of Lucas and Bianca's stories, for instance, and the fundamentals of what was going on with the wraiths this whole while. But there were elements that developed over time, too. I always knew sort of what was going on with Mrs. Bethany, but when I got in and explored her story fully, that ended up being something very different than I would ever have imagined at the start.

3. Many YA readers have come to expect a traditional happily-ever-after, especially at the end of a series. Did you feel pressured to provide a certain type of ending to the series?

The ending has to be satisfying, I think; readers need answers and a sense of the future. I feel like the ending of AFTERLIFE delivers -- but not in the ways people have been guessing or arguing for in their emails to me since HOURGLASS came out. But I hope that once they read it and see how things play out, they'll feel that this is absolutely the right place for Bianca and Lucas to be.

4. What's next for you?

Well, I have two more books about to come out -- stand-alone novel FATEFUL, coming Sept. 13, is about werewolves on the Titanic, and then in March 2012, you can expect BALTHAZAR, a spin-off novel about our favorite sexy vampire guy. Soon I'll start work on the SPELLCASTER trilogy, a witchcraft-based thriller series, which I'm very excited about. It's the story of Lia, a young witch who (like all witches) has been trained in secret by her mother ... until her mother abruptly leaves her father and abandons the family. Lia's not only momless; she's been abandoned at the most vital part of her supernatural education. Her heartbroken dad takes Lia and her younger brother to live in a new town, one she instantly realizes is in the grip of a deep dark magic. Among the many people touched by this malevolent power is Mateo, a guy in her class who has been cursed to see terrible visions of the future -- including one of Lia lying dead at his feet. So he tries to avoid her for her own good, but they're irresistibly drawn together. And in the end, to save both Mateo and herself, she'll have to confront an extraordinarily powerful witch on her own. I can't wait to dive into this one!

Click book titles to read Kelli's review of each book in the series: Evernight, Stargazer, Hourglass, Afterlife.

Ways to connect with Claudia: Website, My Livejournal, Facebook, and Twitter

Thank you Claudia for taking the time to answer our questions! We know you are extremely busy right now but still find the time to connect with your readers and we really appreciate all your hard work.

Stylish Blog Award and Gator Battle Award

Thank you to Melissa of Paranormally Romanced and Kari of Under the Fairy Dust for giving us the Stylish Blogger Award!

Thank you to The Book Vixen for giving us the Gator Battle Award! The Gator Battle award is for people who the nominator thinks will be worth their weight in a gator battle. We do have gators here in Southeast Texas but neither of us has ever been in a gator battle. But Natalie does occasionally have a craving for Alligator from Pappadeaux's (pronounced Pop-e-does, it's Cajun, we are really close to the Louisiana border).

We wanted to take the time to greatly thank the bloggers who awarded us these fun gifts! We couldn't decide who to pass them onto because there are so many fantastic bloggers out there and we love you all! So these awards are passed onto anyone who reads this post and thinks they could kick a "gator's" butt or those who like to be stylish in both blog and body :)

Pregnancy Update

First off, a great big "Thank You" to everyone for being so understanding of me lately. I've been a bad blogger for pretty much my entire pregnancy. Working full-time, having a difficult, high-risk pregnancy and reading/reviewing has been a challenge for me. I think Natalie has been scared I'm going to stop reading---I've been reading so much less than usual! Actually, I've been reading at a more reasonable pace---two books a week instead of four to five. I was pretty out of control with my reading there for a while.

Several of you have asked, so here's my pregnancy update. I am 33 weeks pregnant with a little girl---my first baby. I expect her on or before April 13th. My husband and I are naming her Kaitlyn Elizabeth and can't wait to see her.

One surprising thing about this pregnancy has been the amount of comments I get about my size. Every day, someone tells me how big I am. I want to say, "Oh, really? I totally hadn't noticed! Thanks for pointing that out to me!" as I'm waddling around at work. Yes, I waddle something terrible and people just LOVE to point it out to me. I don't understand why it's socially acceptable to go on and on to a pregnant woman's face about how "big" she is . You would never do that to someone who wasn't pregnant, so why is it okay to say it to a pregnant woman? Fellow moms, have you experienced this?

I have been spending a tremendous amount of time nesting and preparing Kaitlyn's nursery. So much time, in fact, that the staff at Babies "R" Us knows me by name. Yes, you read that correctly, they call me by name when I go in there! The staff at Target doesn't seem to know me as well, but I think that this is because Target is a much bigger store.

Here I am at 30 weeks, surrounded by Kaitlyn's baby shower gifts:

If I'm slow to respond to emails, if I don't return comments, if I take forever to read a review request, please know that it's not you, it's me. It really is...and it may not get better for a while. But, I plan to keep blogging and hope that you'll put up with my absenteeism for a little while longer!

Book Review: Awakened (House of Night #8) by PC and Kristin Cast

Summary:

At the start of Awakened, the pulse-pounding eighth installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey has returned, mostly whole, from the Otherworld to her rightful place as High Priestess at the House of Night. Her friends are just glad to have her back, but after losing her human consort, Heath, will Zoey—or her relationship with her super- hot Warrior, Stark—ever be the same? Stevie Rae is drawn even closer to Rephaim, the Raven Mocker with whom she shares a mysterious and powerful Imprint, but he is a dangerous secret that isolates her from her school, her red fledglings, and even her best friends. When the dark threat of Neferet—who is coming closer and closer to achieving her twisted goal of immortality—and Kalona returns, what will it take to keep the House of Night from being lost forever, and what will one desperate girl do to keep her heart from being irreparably broken?

Review:
You could have knocked me over with a feather after I closed the cover of Awakened. And considering my eight months pregnant body, that's saying a lot. I sped through this book, partly because of the fast-paced plot and partly because I was experiencing the "car-wreck" phenomenon. I had that feeling of not being able to look away from something gruesome because of the sheer entertainment value. Sad, but true. I read Awakened solely because I got it for free from my library. I swore after Burned that I would not be buying any more House of Night books, and I plan to keep that oath.

One of my main complaints about the House of Night series is the inappropriateness for young adults. If I'm reading adult fiction, I expect sex scenes. I expect (although I don't like it) bad language. I expect some raunchiness when I pick up a romance novel. I expect some gore when I read thrillers. I don't expect any of these things from YA, and that's why I like YA. I like reading clean books, books without any of the more adult themes and scenes. I read adult fiction from time to time to prevent burnout, but I like my YA pretty clean. So many YA authors have written great YA novels while staying appropriate for the genre, like Richelle Mead, Stacey Benefiel, Rachel Vincent, Jennifer Echols, Cassandra Clare, and Alex Flinn, to name a few. However, the Casts are not included in that list.

This series started off raunchy (remember the scene in Marked where Aphrodite is on her knees in front of Eric in the hall?) and instead of getting back on track, the Casts have totally derailed into overt obscenity. I might have been able to forgive some of the lewdness in light of a great plot and excellent writing. However, those two elements are missing from Awakened, and the series as a whole.

**Spoiler Alert**
Besides the sex scenes starting on the first page of the book, there were some things that really bothered me about Awakened. I'm going to summarize to keep this review from getting too long:

The Casts seem to be poking fun at Christianity. The white and dark bulls, John Heffer being caught in his office with his pants around his ankles and his secretary bent over his desk despite being a church elder, the feel of black magic in the series, all of this combined feels like a parody of Christianity. I don't like that.
These books are taking themselves way too seriously. Zoey starts out as a popular girl dating a jock in Marked, and less than a few months later, she's a High Priestess. High Priestess of what, exactly? Just because she can cast a circle? That seems more "witchy" than vampire to me.
Kalona entering Stark's body while Stark and Zoey are in bed together screams "statutory rape" to me.
I know the Casts would say it's all in the interpretation if they were ever questioned, but there's NO WAY you could tell me that Neferet does not have sex with the white bull. What else can these quotes mean?

First, an awakening of attraction between Neferet and Darkness:

"His nose did not quite touch her delicate skin, but he inhaled her scent and then his cold breath released, surrounding Neferet, caressing her most sensitive places, awakening her most secret desires."

"The bull's tongue snaked out. He licked Neferet's naked flesh, causing her to gasp in exquisite pain as her body trembled with excitement."

"'I would willingly accept any favor Darkness would do for me.' The bull's knowing chuckle rumbled through her mind."

Then, while Neferet is preparing her human sacrifice to Darkness:

"You shall pay me later, my heartless one, rumbled through her mind. Neferet shivered in anticipation."

Later, as the human is being sacrificed:

"The bull moaned in pleasure. When the human was drained to a husk of herself, and the bull was thrumming and swollen with her death, Neferet gave herself to Darkness, utterly and completely."

Lastly, after Neferet "gave herself to Darkness":

"Her body ached, but Neferet didn't mind. The truth was, she enjoyed the pain...Neferet ignored the gore that covered her skin."

To me, there is no mistaking that the Casts have decided to make bestiality a part of the series. This was totally unnecessary and uncalled for. It ruined the book for me and made me feel tainted.
**End Spoiler Alert**

Just One Gripe:
See above!

The Best Thing About This Book:
I had complaints about the content of Burned as well as the lack of plot. Awakened did have a much better plot and more action in it than Burned, but I just couldn't get past the lewdness.

Appropriate for a younger audience:
No! The content of the last two books has kept me from recommending the series as a whole.

Score:

Characters: 1/5

Plot: 2/5

Setting/Imagery: 1/5

Originality: 1/5

Ending: 2/5

Total Score: 7/25

I'm Reading a Book

When Kelli or myself are really into a book the world shuts down... no communication with spouse, kids eat left overs, and don't anyone dare to breathe too loudly... you get the idea. Well, I have finally found our "theme song".

And yes I downloaded this song and crack up every time it plays :) And a special thanks to one of our readers (RockellyBelly) for sending us the link.

This song is dedicated to all of our friends who enjoy reading as much as we do!

Book Review: Bloodfever (Fever Series #2) by Karen Marie Moning

Summary:

I used to think my sister and I were just two nice southern girls who'd get married in a few years and settle down to a quiet life. Then I discovered that Alina and I descend, not from good wholesome southern stock, but from an ancient Celtic bloodline of powerful sidhe-seers, people who can see the Fae. Not only can I see the terrifying otherworldly race, but I can sense the sacred Fae relics that hold the deadliest of their magic.
When my sister was found dead in a trash-filled alley in Dublin, I came over to get answers. Now all I want is revenge. And after everything I've learned about myself, I know I have the power to get it....

MacKayla Lane's ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland's shores and was plunged into a world of deadly sorcery and ancient secrets.

In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh-a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over both the worlds of the Fae and of Man. Pursued by Fae assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she cannot trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and irresistible men: V'lane, the insatiable Fae who can turn sensual arousal into an obsession for any woman, and the ever-inscrutable Jericho Barrons, a man as alluring as he is mysterious.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them....

Review:

Whoa. I was not sold on the Fever series after reading book one, Darkfever. I enjoyed Darkfever but didn't love it. After finishing book two, Bloodfever, I'm officially hooked. I can't tell you how happy I am to have discovered this series, thanks to The Book Vixen, now that the series is complete. No waiting to find out what happens for me!

I was not wowed by Darkfever, but Bloodfever definitely impressed me. I told my husband, "I like this book. It's making me happy!" That is something I haven't been able to say about too many books lately. I have very little patience with books lately and am more likely to drop books if they aren't really grabbing me. But, Bloodfever grabbed me and wouldn't let go. The cliffhanger ending only made me more excited to start book three.

I have read some complaints about the lack of sex in this series. I have the feeling Moning is going to make us wait for it, and I really like that about an author. I can't stand it when characters jump immediately into bed together. I like the build-up of a relationship, I think it makes things much more meaningful if/when they do occur. Wondering who Mac will choose or end up with has been one of my favorite parts of this series so far. I've really enjoyed reading an adult paranormal series that is NOT a romance novel.

Just One Gripe:

Every serial novel has the review of the previous book(s) at some point. Usually the review is close to the beginning of the novel. Most times the summary of previous events does not bother me, in fact, it is useful when its been a while since you read the previous book. However, Bloodfever had several "review sections," and references to book one spread throughout the entire book. I kept thinking, "enough already---I get it!" One of my biggest reading pet peeves is when authors keep telling me the same thing over and over. If something happens, I'm usually going to remember it and don't need multiple reminders. There were multiple reminders as to the events in Darkfever spread throughout Bloodfever and I got tired of them.

The Best Thing About This Book:
I knew I was liking this book when I sat at the table and read for about thirty minutes after finishing my meal. I have not been reading as much as I used to lately (I have the pregnancy nesting phase to thank for that) and for me to choose reading over cleaning right now is a big deal. So I'd have to say my favorite part of the book is the plot and pace. It kept me interested the entire time.

Appropriate for a younger audience:
No

Score:

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 5/5

Setting/Imagery: 5/5

Originality: 4/5

Ending: 5/5

Total Score: 23/25

Book Inspired Valentines

I have been seeing a lot of awesome Book Inspired Valentines floating around and I wanted to share!

Novel Novice has made several Literary Valentines and is offering them as free downloads. They are all so creative!

My favorite (or the only one I think my Sweet Stuff would accept)

Also, the girl playing Clary in the book trailer of City of Fallen Angels has made some too! You can follow her on Twitter (@TeganTheTerror) and you can view all her Valentines on her Facebook page.

@TMIexaminer there is a fun Valentines giveaway for jewelry inspired by TMI. Click here for the article and details to enter to win. As a side note: Natalie (@TMIexaminer) always has the latest news on TMI news and events.

Cover Reveal: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

The US cover reveal for Bloodlines, the first installment in the spin-off series to Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, has just been released!

Release Date: August 23, 2011

The cover is fantastic and I think the script is so catchy!! I LOVE the filigree on Sydney's face and I am taking an educated *guess* that that might be Adrien on the cover but time will tell... who do you think it is? Maybe an unknown, new character?

Here is what Richelle posted about the series thus far:

"Bloodlines is the spin-off series to Vampire Academy (it's the name of the first book and of the series). It's set in the VA world but will be about different characters: Sydney (our narrator), Jill, Eddie, and one of the love interests from VA. I'm not saying who that last guy is, but it's mostly to protect those who haven't read Last Sacrifice. If you have read it, then it should be pretty obvious who the other character is."

You can also watch a video of Richelle here talking a little about the series and how Sydney and Rose differ.

Review of the final installment of Vampire Academy series, Last Sacrifice

Want to know more, visit Richelle's official page.

Book Review: Chronicles of Avonlea and Further Chronicles of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery

Summary:

Chronicles of Avonlea
This anthology collects twelve tales of secret hopes and hidden dreams, written by popular author L.M. Montgomery, filled with enchantment and humor.

Further Chronicles of Avonlea
Nestled between the ocean and the hills of Prince Edward Island is a road that leads to the house where a girl named Anne grew up, Green Gables, and to the wonderful place called Avonlea. In this second volume of heartwarming tales a Persian cat plays an astonishing part in a marriage proposal . . . a ghostly appearance in a garden leads a woman to the fulfillment of her youthful dreams . . . a young girl risks losing her mother to find the father she never knew . . . and a foolish lie threatens to make an unattached woman the town's laughingstock when an imaginary lover comes to town for real! Filled with warmth, humor, and mystery, these unforgettable stories re-create the enchanting world of Avonlea.

Review:
Short stories are not my thing, and I don't know why I keep reading them, but I do. I think I'm trying to find a collection of short stories that I love as much as David Sedaris' work. But, I don't think that I'll ever love any anthology of short stories like I will a David Sedaris book so I need to stop trying.

With all that said, I read Chronicles of Avonlea because it came as part of the Anne of Green Gables series I purchased for Nook, and because I just wasn't ready to leave the Avonlea world yet. I was disappointed that Anne and Gilbert weren't featured at all here, but enjoyed the book nonetheless. My usual complaint of short stories leaving me unsatisfied still applied, but this book was good for what it is: a sweet collection of stories that I forgot as soon as I read the last page.

Up until the last story, Further Chronicles of Avonlea was more of the same, except for a story featuring Anne, which I was pleased to read. However, the last story was so different from the rest that I was shocked! It was racist and the tone was so unlike the rest of the Avonlea stories that I wondered at its inclusion in the series. The last story was not how I wanted to end my Anne of Green Gables journey and it soured the entire Further Chronicles of Avonlea experience for me.

I would recommend these two books for fans of the Anne of Green Gables series only. If you're new to the Anne books, start with Anne of Green Gables. While I did enjoy these books, I don't think that they are enough to win over new-to-the-series readers.

Just One Gripe:
The last story in Further Chronicles of Avonlea was terrible!

The Best Thing About This Book:
Just about every story had its own little happily ever after.

Appropriate for a younger audience:
Yes

Score:

Characters: 3/5

Plot: 2/5

Setting/Imagery: 5/5

Originality: 3/5

Ending: 3/5

Total Score: 16/25

Book Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Summary:

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.

Review:

This book sounds right up my alley: historical fiction, check. Time travel, check. Strong female leads, check. The diary aspect reminds me of Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key, which I loved, so I was interested to read Revolution.

But, something went wrong and this book just wasn't happening for me. Andi is depressed for the first part of the book. Very depressed, and for good reason. The book felt extremely "down" and teen angst-y, and I decided I have enough hard things in my life without having to read about them too. I read to be uplifted and entertained. I don't need to read about people being depressed with life---I already know that life is hard. That's why I read---to escape!

So, I sent Revolution back to the library and picked up Karen Marie Moning's Fever series for some excellent escapism.

Score: