Some facts about reading that will blow your mind!

This was shared with me by a close friend on Facebook. 

The Strain (Book 1) Review

This is most likely a repost; but I just wanted to make sure to post it due to the popularity of the tv series on FX! 

Here is the review:

This book rested on my book shelf collecting dust for some time. If memory serves me right I have had this book for the better part of about three years. After reading so much young adult lately I wanted to dive back into the realm of good old hard core fiction/horror. So I started off with this. When I first started off reading the book I was pretty sure that I would like it. I truly believed that it was going to be "another one of those" vampire novels. You know the ones...all talk no bite (lol). Well this turned out not to be the case. I actually found the book to be rather rad. Del Toro and Hogan were influenced both by Stephen King and Bram Stoker. Stokers influence is evident in the way that the vampire uses dirt from him home land to travel across the sea to the Manhattan. They use one of our most populated cities to show us what a vampire out break could look like. And man does it turn into one hot mess. I loved the way that Del Toro and Hogan set this book up as back story for the trilogy. It is obvious, even within the conflict of this book that there is something bigger coming. Something much more dangerous is lurking in the dark and there is nothing that anyone is going to be able to do to stop it because the wheels are already in motion. Another really great thing about this book is that all the characters are flawed. The main character Doctor Eph Goodweather, is a recently divorced, recovering alcoholic who is in the midst of a fierce custody battle with his ex wife Kelly. Kelly has been eclipsed by her ex husbands shadow for way to long. She uses their son Zack as a way of hurting Eph. Eph finds some comfort in his on again off again fling with co-worker Nora; who has to take a backseat to Eph's job and his love and devotion to Kelly and Zack. And there is the old man; the professor. The professor is the most interesting of all the characters. He holds the kings to the kingdom so to speak. He knows all the dirty secrets about the vampires but somehow you get the feeling at the end of the book that he is still holding out. Still holding back from Eph, Nora and Fet. The Professor has been on the hunt for the "master" for some time. He has devoted his life to hunting him down and killing him. Of course we know that this is because of his past or at least that's what we think so far. However, I get the feeling that there is a deeper cause for this hatred of "the master". Maybe he took the life of someone the professor deeply cared for. That is the beauty of a well paced series...all the secrets are not given at once. I must say that I was deeply surprised by this book. I expected something all to different and I can not wait to read the next two in the series. I only hope that the books are as good as the first and that the magic captured in the first book continues until the very last page of The Night Eternal.

Interesting scenes: Gus in the police van....that was most likely the best vampire kill of the book...not going to write any of the details...but damn the kid got the job done right. Can't wait to see what he does in the rest of the series. The vampire in times square (also with Gus) was rather intense.

Creepiest Scene: When Zack was unable to sleep, looks out the window to see a naked man standing under the street lamp. He knew that it was weird and perhaps even a little funny, a homeless, naked, possibly drunk dude just chilling outside under the lamp light. Until the guy turns and locks eyes with him. Later Zack thinks back on seeing the "Y" shaped incision in the mans chest and knowing what that means (he thinks that the guy is a zombie).

Another book synopsis

From the author of The Book of Lost Fragrances comes a hauntingly evocative and suspenseful novel about a grieving woman who discovers the long-lost letters of novelist Victor Hugo, awakening a mystery that spans centuries. 

In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo's beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, still unable to let go of his grief, Hugo began participating in hundreds of séances to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with the likes of Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus--and even the Devil himself. Hugo's transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it is believed...

One set of conversations was hidden by Hugo himself and has remained hidden for more than 160 years.

Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L'Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey--where Hugo conducted the séances--hoping to uncover a secret about the island's Celtic myths. But the man who invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, hopes she'll help him discover something quite different--Hugo's lost long conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher.

From one of America's most gifted and imaginative storytellers, Seduction- Suspense Magazine's 2013 BOOK OF THE YEAR - is an intricately plotted and atmospheric novel with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart.

Another book discovery

                                                                         

Here is the synopsis:

Florence, Italy—1533: 

An orphan named René le Florentin is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici’s perfumer. Traveling with the young duchessina from Italy to France, René brings with him a cache of secret documents from the monastery where he was trained: recipes for exotic fragrances and potent medicines—and a formula for an alchemic process said to have the potential to reanimate the dead. 

In France, René becomes not only the greatest perfumer in the country, but also the most dangerous, creating deadly poisons for his Queen to use against her rivals. But while mixing herbs and essences under the light of flickering candles, René doesn’t begin to imagine the tragic and personal consequences for which his lethal potions will be responsible.

Paris, France—The Present:

A renowned mythologist, Jac L’Etoile—trying to recover from personal heartache by throwing herself into her work—learns of the sixteenth-century perfumer who may have been working on an elixir that would unlock the secret to immortality. She becomesobsessed with René le Florentin’s work—particularly when she discovers the dying breaths he had collected during his lifetime.

Jac’s efforts put her in the path of her estranged lover, Griffin North, a linguist who has already begun translating René le Florentin’s mysterious formula. Together they confront an eccentric heiress in possession of a world-class art collection, a woman who has her own dark purpose for the elixir . . . for which she believes the ends will justify her deadly means.

This mesmerizing gothic tale zigzags from the violent days of Catherine de Medici’s court to twenty-first-century France. Fiery and lush, set against deep, wild forests and dimly lit chateaus, The Collector of Dying Breaths illuminates the true path to immortality: the legacies we leave behind.

New Book Discovery

                                                                                   

New Book Discovery (found on The Reading Room)

A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans

Here is the synopsis: 

Perched precariously on the precipice between horror and psychological drama, Evans' first novel explores the notions of demons--how real they are and how real we are able to make them. Eleven-year-old George Davies' father, a self-purported mystic and studier of demonology, dies a mysterious death after traveling to Honduras for equally mysterious purposes. Soon after, George is visited by a "Friend" that only he can see, who leads him on thrilling yet terrifying journeys to a shadowy ether-world, pulling him ever closer to a dangerous awareness of his father's death (the cornucopia of fatherhood issues emanating here would make Freud's head wobble). Is the boy really possessed, or simply crazy? And which is better? Evans deftly marks the labyrinthine wards of clinical treatment in stark contrast with scenes of floor-dropping exorcisms as the boy becomes ever more volatile and his Friend ever more diabolical. This is an edgy, compelling read--more unnerving than scary--that will slide its hooks deep inside and throttle you more than a few times before it's all over. 

Just some facts about Jane Austen and her novels!

We rock out with our books out! 

Book Shelfies

Here are my books....all 403....of course they are messy but that's the best way to keep a book shelf I think. I took these photos for my blog and the Bookbabe Reading Circle....

My most resent eBook Purchase....Midnight In Austenland (Austenland #2) by Shannon Hale

Here is the synopsis:

When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?

The follow-up to reader favorite Austenland provides the same perfectly plotted pleasures, with a feisty new heroine, plenty of fresh and frightening twists, and the possibility of a romance that might just go beyond the proper bounds of Austen's world. How could it not turn out right in the end?

I just finished Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

I usually never stay up all night with a book but once I got back into reading this one I just had to finish it. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson is just perfect. It has it all. Its witty, intelligent, romantic and extremely funny. Marianne is such and easy character to love and to root for. She is trying to make it in a world that confines her to certain societal standards. She wants to have the carefree and independent life that she had as a child on the family farm; especially since she is now removed from that happy life and sent to Bath to live with her grandmother. Of course, her grandmother wants to tame Marianne's ways; she wants her to catch a good husband and the best way to do that is through being a little more "lady like". So off to Edenbrooke she goes to visit with a friend of her mothers; Lady Caroline and her son Phillip. Of course; the trip to Edenbrooke is not smooth and they are robbed along the way. It is at the end they are laid over in after the robbery that Marianne first meets Phillip. She finds him to be a boorish, inconsiderate young flirt. She wants nothing to do with him. But, wouldn't you know it that she ends up falling in love with him by no fault of her own. Phillip reminds me a lot of Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice (by Jane Austen); he is good look, a man of good wealth and he has this "air" about him that makes you want to kiss him and strangle him at the same time. As the book progressed I fell head over heels with Phillip and I could not understand why Marianne does not take the bate right away; she was so convinced that her sister Cecily (who was also on her way to Edenbrooke from London) would be able to steal his heart. Mainly because Cecily is just everything that Marianne is not. However, Phillip is not interested in a woman that wants him for his wealth. So he does all he can to not draw attention to his fortune. He spends time with Marianne, taking her riding, watching her draw/paint and talking about books. He shows her a side of him that he only shares with his family; he begins to gain back the happiness he has lost since the death of his father and brother. The book could not have come together more perfectly. The two get together beautifully and with a bit of confusion. Marianne is unsure of the way Phillip feels and he does all that he can to prove his love. Honestly what I loved most about the book was that it was indeed a "proper" romance. There is no sex; no real need to talk about it either. I got everything that I loved about Jane Austen books in this book little book about a dreamy country estate in Kent. I see this book being on my to recommend list for a very long time.

Jamie as Mr. Grey

Today I read a lot of nastiness about Jamie as Christian Grey; mind you it was mainly from people that did not like the books. Or are still bitter about Charlie H. bowing out for the role. Honestly, Jamie is the perfect fit, he fits the physical description of Christian. He has the Christian "smolder"; its hard to explain but he is exactly what I imagine. He is pretty but not to much; he is manly, he can play cocky and dominant and he can be the playboy. Not to mention the boy looks gorgeous no matter what he's wearing...and without clothes...well...lol...we don't need to get into that. So ladies give Jamie a chance; stop hating and enjoy the show! 

Hey ya'll I finished a book and here is my opinion....

I must say I was a little surprised with the conclusion of this series. I loved The Strain (Book #1) and The Fall (Book #2) however this book left me wanting more. I was a little thrown by the fallen angel story line; and I really expected something every different. I didn't really see where it fit in. It almost seemed like the authors where just trying to find a neat and tidy way to wrap up the story line. Also, this book did not have the same "pace" as the others. This book was a little harder for me to get through and much easier for me to walk away from. I will say that I was happy in the wrap up of the story line for each character. Things seemed fitting and final and honestly we did not have to worry about any real lose ends. I was a little upset about the ending of Eph and Zack's story line. Mainly because I did not expect it to end in death. I hoped that they would have had a happier; if not heavily flawed ending. I expected to see them walk of into the sunset with the hopes of mending their relationship; however, I do understand the death ending. In a weird; very messed up way there was really could be no other way forward for these to characters. I will also say that Del Toro and Hogan still added to the complexity of each character. They gave you a reason to root for everyone; including the Master. I would definitely read another book by these two again.

Maybe this explains my utter hatred of reality tv?

A Harry Potter Milestone <3

At the strike of midnight on July 21st, 2007, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released. I fondly remember standing in line to buy two copies of the book; I was super excited. The Harry Potter series (in my humble opinion) remains one of my all time favorite series. It turned millions of kids into readers; lighting a spark in their imagination....May that spark grow into a steady flame that lights their way to many more interesting and exciting worlds that they can only find within the pages of a book.

A Harry Potter Milestone <3

At the strike of midnight on July 21st, 2007, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released. I fondly remember standing in line to buy two copies of the book; I was super excited. The Harry Potter series (in my humble opinion) remains one of my all time favorite series. It turned millions of kids into readers; lighting a spark in their imagination....May that spark grow into a steady flame that lights their way to many more interesting and exciting worlds that they can only find within the pages of a book.

New book discovery.... The Pleasures of Men by Kate Williams.

Here is the synopsis:

 

July 1840: The young Queen Victoria has just entered her third year on the throne when a major recession brings London's desperate and destitute into its sweltering streets. While the city crackles with tension, orphaned Catherine Sorgeiul stays locked away in her uncle's home, a peculiar place where death masks adorn the walls and certain rooms are strictly forbidden. Nineteen years old and haunted by a dark past, Catherine becomes obsessed with a series of terrible murders of young girls sweeping the city. Details of the crimes are especially gruesome—the victims' hair has been newly plaited and thrust into their mouths, and their limbs are grotesquely folded behind them, like wounded birds—and the serial killer is soon nicknamed the Man of Crows.

Catherine begins writing stories about the victims—women on their own and vulnerable in the big city—and gradually the story of the murderer as well. But she soon realizes that she has involved herself in a web of betrayal, deceit, and terror that threatens her and all those around her. A remarkable fiction debut, The Pleasures of Men is a gripping and spine-tingling thriller.

Hey guys I won a book....

I won a book from a reading circle I recently joined; I can't wait to read it...

Here is the synopsis to the book: 

Redemption isn’t a word Jim Heron knows much about—his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charge with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option. Vin DiPietro long ago sold his soul to his business, and he’s good with that — until fate intervenes in the form of a tough- talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior. But then he meets a woman who will make him question his destiny, his sanity, and his heart—and he has to work with a fallen angel to win her over and redeem his own soul.

My newest eBook purchases

I finally got a chance to watch the movie now I can not wait to read the book..it's 99 cent on nook; here is the synopsis...

Twelve Years a Slave (1853) is a memoir and slave narrative by Solomon Northup, as told to and edited by David Wilson. Northup, a black man who was born free in New York, details his kidnapping in Washington, D.C. and subsequent sale into slavery. After having been kept in bondage for 12 years in Louisiana by various masters, Northup was able to write to friends and family in New York, who were in turn able to secure his release. Northup's account provides extensive details on the slave markets in Washington, D.C. and New Orleans and describes at length cotton and sugar cultivation on major plantations in Louisiana. The work was published by Derby & Miller of Auburn, New York, soon after Harriet Beecher Stowe's best-selling novel about slavery, Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), to which it lent factual support. Northup's book, dedicated to Stowe, sold 30,000 copies, making it a bestseller in its own right. After being published in several editions in the 19th century, the book fell into obscurity for nearly 100 years, until it was re-discovered on separate occasions by two Louisiana historians, Sue Eakin (Louisiana State University at Alexandria) and Joseph Logsdon (University of New Orleans). In the early 1960s, they researched and retraced Solomon Northup’s journey and co-edited a historically annotated version that was published by LSU Press in 1968. The memoir has been adapted and produced as the 1984 PBS television movie Solomon Northup's Odyssey and the 2013 Academy Award-winning film 12 Years a Slave.