My Current Book adventure....Until I Saw You Smile by J.J. Murray

            What I am reading now: 

              Until I saw your smile

                 By: J.J. Murray 

Synopsis: 

At Smith's Sweet Treats and Coffee, you'll find Brooklyn's best house blend and the freshest homemade pastries. It's more than a business to owner Angela Smith. It's her home and her refuge--one she stands to lose thanks to her gouging landlord. Then a new regular offers to cover her rent increase if Angela lets him meet his clients there. If Matthew McConnell weren't such a persuasive lawyer--and so sweet, funny, and sexy--she wouldn't dream of letting him in. 

Since he left a high-paying, soul-sucking legal firm to go solo, Matthew has been striking out, professionally and personally. The best part of his love life is regaling Angela with date-from-hell stories over steaming, fragrant coffee. Behind her captivating smile is a smart, sensual woman he'd love to get close to. And when a secret from her past is suddenly exposed, he gets a chance to prove he's the man she needs, in every way that matters...

My First Impression: I am five pages in and I am hooked. Murray tells the story of a would be internet lawyer and his disastrous dating life. His girlfriend has dumped him; running off with another man. Taking his food and microwave. He goes on a date with an ex co-worker only to discover that all she wants is sex and it doesn't matter who with. And the Matt goes to a protest/block party/house party only to end up helping his "date" avoid criminal charges. The first five chapters alone made me want to actually stay up and devour another fifty or so pages. I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those really quick reads. J.J. Murray has been on of my favorite authors for at least the past 12 years are so. I just can't get enough of his multicultural old school romances. If your not reading him you should be! 

Book Babe Book Blitz

Hey Book Nerds...twice every month I will be doing a book blitz. The blitz is a list of books that I have come in contact with on tumblr, amazon, the reading room and publishers newsletters. Each book featured will have a synopsis and their price (all prices will be from www.amazon.com).

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima (8.99$ on Amazon) 
Here is the synopsis: 

Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great - until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts.

Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: he is Weirlind, part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At their helm sits the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game - a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. The winning house rules the Weir.

As if his bizarre heritage isn't enough, Jack finds out that he's not just another member of Weirlind - he's one of the last of the warriors - at a time when both houses are scouting for a player.

The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler (12.61$ on Amazon)

Here is the synopsis:
Impressionable and idealistic, Esme Garland is a young British woman who finds herself studying art history in New York. She loves her apartment and is passionate about the city and her boyfriend; her future couldn’t look brighter. Until she finds out that she’s pregnant.

Esme’s boyfriend, Mitchell van Leuven, is old-money rich, handsome, successful, and irretrievably damaged. When he dumps Esme—just before she tries to tell him about the baby—she resolves to manage alone. She will keep the child and her scholarship, while finding a part-time job to make ends meet. But that is easier said than done, especially on a student visa.

The Owl is a shabby, second-hand bookstore on the Upper West Side, an all-day, all-night haven for a colorful crew of characters: handsome and taciturn guitar player Luke; Chester, who hyperventilates at the mention of Lolita; George, the owner, who lives on protein shakes and idealism; and a motley company of the timeless, the tactless, and the homeless. The Owl becomes a nexus of good in a difficult world for Esme—but will it be enough to sustain her? Even when Mitchell, repentant and charming, comes back on the scene?

A rousing celebration of books, of the shops where they are sold, and of the people who work, read, and live in them, The Bookstore is also a story about emotional discovery, the complex choices we all face, and the accidental inspirations that make a life worth the reading.

The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters (TBR October 14, 2014) (14.19$ on Amazon)
Here is the synopsis:
Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.

Trust Me, I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer
(TBR October 14, 2014) (11.37$ on Amazon)
Here is the synopsis:
Fans of Ally Carter's Heist Society novels will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, andOcean’s Eleven–inspired action.
 
Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu (TBR October 7, 2014) (12.44$ on Amazon)
Here is the synopsis:
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. 

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. 

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire (TBR October 14, 2014) (13.49$ on Amazon)
Here is the synopsis:
Pretty Little Liars meets Final Destination in this YA psychological thriller that will have readers’ hearts racing right till the very end!
 
Every year, the lives of ten girls at Vienna High are transformed.
All because of the list. Kenzie Summerall can’t imagine how she’s been voted onto a list of the hottest girls in school, but when she lands at number five, her average life becomes dazzling. Doors open to the best parties, new friends surround her, the cutest jock in school is after her. This is the power of the list. If you’re on it, your life changes.If you’re on it this year? Your life ends.

Top Banned Books of 2013 and Why They Where Banned....

All information listed below is from www.ala.org (American Library Association)

1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
   Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence
2. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
   Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
   Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
5. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
   Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
6. A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl, by Tanya Lee Stone
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
7. Looking for Alaska, by John Green
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
   Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
9. Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
   Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
10. Bone (series), by Jeff Smith
    Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence

Review of Jesus Wants to Save Christians: Learning How to read a Dangerous Book by Rob Bell and Don Golden

Wow. All I can say is Wow. What an amazing book. Rob Bell really hit one out of the park with this one. I don't even know where to begin with this book. I will say that Rob Bell's examination of the Exodus and what it means for those the follow Christ. What really blew my mind is how Bell shows us that God is doing a "new thing" when Christ comes into the world. That Christ is ushering in a new Exodus. He is here to do what Moses did with the people in Egypt but on a much grander scale. Moses was just saving one group of people; through Jesus God is saving all of Humanity. I also was very taken with how Bell explains the role of the modern church and how we have lost our way. As the people of God we have some how become comfortable and so "blessed" that we are indifferent to the cries of those that are hurting. Just as the Bible teaches us; Bell explains that Christ is a servant to humanity. He was born to serve and so are we. That through serving others we are worshiping God because God tells us to "listen" to the cries of those that are needy. I would definitely have to agree with Bell; the modern church often misses the plot of the Jesus story and has become to comfortable with not sharing their faith with those that need it to most. As one once said; sometimes we are the only bible that anyone will ever see. This book is definitely now one of my favorites. One that I will be talking about for months and months.

Here are a few quotes that I loved
"God who is defined by action on behalf of the oppressed. God is about giving the good gift. Jesus is God's good gift for the healing of the world. The church is Jesus's body, a good gift for the healing of the world"

"A Church is an organization that exists for the benefits of nonmembers...this blessing extends even to our enemies"

"Everybody would understand their role as priests. That everybody would worship God by serving each other. That those wouldn't be two things, but one. This is why God continually mentions the widow, the orphan, and the refugee. Remembering them, caring for them, serving them is worshiping God"

Review of Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard

Johannes Cabal The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard is a hilariously daring read. It is witty and funny and at times way over your head; and exactly what you need if you are in a bit of a reading slump. Which I found myself in recently after starting and not completing another book. The past thing about this book is its premise. A necromancer goes back into hell to confront Satan and to get his soul back. In order to get the soul back Johannes must run a demonic carnival; and he works along side his charming vampire brother Horst. As they go about from town to town collecting the souls little side stories begin to develop among the town folk that visit the fair. One of the creepiest had to be Trixie the doll. A young (and abusive man) named Ted ends up winning her for his girlfriend and he instantly becomes transfixed by the doll. At one point the way that the author describes the way Ted is touching and caressing the doll is down right creepy. As the story goes along you get the feeling that Johannes is a bit of an ass. He does not really explain himself, he is going about getting his souls because necromancy just has not worked out for him. He has learned all he can and nothing has changed. We never learn why he decided to sale his soul in the first place; and this is the point where I think I the author drove me mad. I wanted and needed to know why. Of course, its not until the end of the book that we find out that he was trying to bring back someone that he loved and that he was willing to move heaven and earth and sell his immortal soul to get her back. There is also a character that is introduced (a little more than half way through the book) that resembles the woman that he loves. I know that she will play a big part in the next two books (well at least I hope).

Favorite Quote from the book:
"We're supposed to be doing the devil's work and you've gone and contaminated it all with the whiff of virtue. I really don't think you've quite got the hand of being an agent of evil" - Johannes
"...early days yet, Johannes...Practice makes perfect" - Horst.

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange

This is now one of my all time favorites. Why??? Because of its fluidity and emotion. I have several favorite passages, and some of which will be written in my journal, writing diary and book log for years to come. I would definitely gift this book to friends and family or re-read it too.

Book Haul for September 7th, 2014 (the first but not the last for this month)

These are four of the books that I purchased today (unfortunately the other pictures would not load correctly). I was very lucky to have found these books at very reasonable prices. All four were purchased at an Ollie discount store. Here are the synopsis and prices for each book. (The synopsis are from www.goodreads.com).

Promises for a Jesus Freak (devotional) by D.C. Talk ($1.99)

Promises You Can Stake Your Life On 
Throughout history, Jesus freaks have valued God's Word above food, water, clothing, comfort, safety--their very lives. Why?
They understand the power of His promises to comfort them, strengthen them, correct them, inspire them, and transform them into the person God wants them to be. 
Are you ready to be a Jesus Freak? Then you got to know God's Word. 
And here is one small place to start. Discover God's wisdom and promises for your life when you need strength to overcome temptation, the power to face persecution, the words to testify for Jesus, the faith to continue your walk with Jesus when others have fallen away. Jesus Freaks know that they can stake their lives on God's promise.

Jesus Freaks: Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus, the Ultimate Jesus Freaks by D.C Talk ($4.99)

Jesus Freaks by dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs, is a companion volume to dc Talk's album of the same name. It is a book for teenagers about martyrdom, containing dozens of profiles of figures ranging from Stephen, whose martyrdom is described in the Book of Acts, to "Anila and Perveen," two teenage Pakistani girls and Christian believers. In 1997, Perveen was killed for running away in order to avoid marrying a Muslim man; Anila was imprisoned for helping her friend escape. In an introduction to the book, Michael Tait explains its purpose: "In a world built on free will instead of God's will, we must be the Freaks. While we may not be called to martyr our lives, we must martyr our way of life. We must put our selfish ways to death and march to a different beat. Then the world will see Jesus." The book's design is hip and easy to read, and its summary of Christian persecutions that continue today is useful--and frightening.

Burn by Ted Dekker ($3.99)

She escaped the fire--but not the effects of the burn.Janeal has long felt trapped in her father's Gypsy culture. Then one night a powerful man named Salazar Sanso promises her the life she longs for--if she will help recover a vast sum of money tied to her father.When the plan implodes, Sanso and his men attack the gypsy settlement and burn it to the ground. During the blaze, Janeal is faced with a staggering choice."The impact of that moment changes her forever. "As her past rises from the ashes, Janeal faces a new life-or-death choice. And this time, escape is not an option.

Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker ($3.99)

This story is for everyone--but not everyone is for this story. It is a dangerous tale of times past. A love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice. Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover. With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds. Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow. Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter. But remember, not everyone is for this story. "A heart-wrenching journey of redemption and hope that left me sobbing, laughing, and clinging to every word."--Donna McChristian, 44, Environmental Chemist

Another book I am I very interested in reading

Here is the synopsis:

Three men are found dead in the locked second-floor office of a Honolulu building, with no sign of struggle except for the ultrafine, razor-sharp cuts covering their bodies. The only clue left behind is a tiny bladed robot, nearly invisible to the human eye.

In the lush forests of Oahu, groundbreaking technology has ushered in a revolutionary era of biological prospecting. Trillions of microorganisms, tens of thousands of bacteria species, are being discovered; they are feeding a search for priceless drugs and applications on a scale beyond anything previously imagined.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, seven graduate students at the forefront of their fields are recruited by a pioneering microbiology start-up. Nanigen MicroTechnologies dispatches the group to a mysterious lab in Hawaii, where they are promised access to tools that will open a whole new scientific frontier.

But once in the Oahu rain forest, the scientists are thrust into a hostile wilderness that reveals profound and surprising dangers at every turn. Armed only with their knowledge of the natural world, they find themselves prey to a technology of radical and unbridled power. To survive, they must harness the inherent forces of nature itself. 

An instant classic, Micro pits nature against technology in vintage Crichton fashion. Completed by visionary science writer Richard Preston, this boundary-pushing thriller melds scientific fact with pulse-pounding fiction to create yet another masterpiece of sophisticated, cutting-edge entertainment.

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.

Book Discoveries

Synopsis:

My Sisters Made of Light follows three generations of a Pakistani family as they make their way through life in the political, social, and religious maze that is their motherland. This novel pulls readers into the compelling, heartbreaking, and often terrifying world of honor crimes against women in Pakistan through the life and family history of Ujala. Ujala decides to follow the path for which her mother has prepared her and pushes aside fears for her own safety to help other women escape from the impossible situations in which they find themselves. Dorothy Allison, author of the critically acclaimed Bastard Out of Carolina, says, "[Jacqueline St. Joan] brings to her story what she brought to the law, a conviction that life is full of both struggle and purpose and that grace comes to us when we have no reason to expect it."

Another new book discovery

Confused and disoriented, Georgina Ferrars awakens in a small room in Tregannon House, a private asylum in a remote corner of England. She has no memory of the past few weeks. The doctor, Maynard Straker, tells her that she admitted herself under the name Lucy Ashton the day before, then suffered a seizure. When she insists he has mistaken her for someone else, Dr. Straker sends a telegram to her uncle, who replies that Georgina Ferrars is at home with him in London: “Your patient must be an imposter.”

Suddenly her voluntary confinement becomes involuntary. Who is the woman in her uncle’s house? And what has become of her two most precious possessions, a dragonfly pin left to her by her mother and a writing case containing her journal, the only record of those missing weeks? Georgina’s perilous quest to free herself takes us from a cliffside cottage on the Isle of Wight to the secret passages of Tregannon House and into a web of hidden family ties on which her survival depends.

Another delicious read from the author praised by Ruth Rendell as having “a gift for creating suspense, apparently effortlessly, as if it belongs in the nature of fiction."

New book discovery

Synopsis....

Known throughout Tennessee as "Old Kate," the Bell Witch took up residence with John Bell's family in 1818. It was a cruel and noisy spirit, given to rapping and gnawing sounds before it found its voices.

With these voices and its supernatural acts, the Bell Witch tormented the Bell family. This extraordinary book recounts the only documented case in U.S. history when a spirit actually caused a man's death.

The local schoolteacher, Richard Powell, witnessed the strange events and recorded them for his daughter. His astonishing manuscript fell into the hands of novelist Brent Monahan, who has prepared the book for publication. Members of the Bell family have previously provided information on this fascinating case, but this book recounts the tale with novelistic vigor and verve. It is truly chilling.

Recommended for those that want a good horror/thriller