My Reads For February/March....

 

1) Angelfall by Susan Ee

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again. 

2) Until I Saw Your Smile by J.J. Murray

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.

3) The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As told to Alex Haley

 With its first great victory in the landmark Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, the civil rights movement gained the powerful momentum it needed to sweep forward into its crucial decade, the 1960s. As voices of protest and change rose above the din of history and false promises, one voice sounded more urgently, more passionately, than the rest. Malcolm X—once called the most dangerous man in America—challenged the world to listen and learn the truth as he experienced it. And his enduring message is as relevant today as when he first delivered it.
 
In the searing pages of this classic autobiography, originally published in 1964, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and anti-integrationist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Black Muslim movement to veteran writer and journalist Alex Haley . In a unique collaboration, Haley worked with Malcolm X for nearly two years, interviewing, listening to, and understanding the most controversial leader of his time.
 
Raised in Lansing, Michigan, Malcolm Little journeyed on a road to fame as astonishing as it was unpredictable. Drifting from childhood poverty to petty crime, Malcolm found himself in jail. It was there that he came into contact with the teachings of a little-known Black Muslim leader renamed Elijah Muhammad. The newly renamed Malcolm X devoted himself body and soul to the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and the world of Islam, becoming the Nation’s foremost spokesman. When his conscience forced him to break with Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity to reach African Americans across the country with an inspiring message of pride, power, and self-determination.
 
The Autobiography of Malcolm X defines American culture and the African American struggle for social and economic equality that has now become a battle for survival. Malcolm’s fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American Dream, and the inherent racism in a society that denies its nonwhite citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
 
The Autobiography of Malcolm X stands as the definitive statement of a movement and a man whose work was never completed but whose message is timeless. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand America.
 

4) Sally Hemings: A Novel by Barbara Chase - Riboud

One of the greatest love stories in American history is also one of the most controversial. Thomas Jefferson had a mistress for 38 years whom he loved and lived with until he died—the beautiful and elusive Sally Hemings. But it was not simply that Jefferson had a mistress that provoked such a scandal in both his time and ours. It was that Sally Hemings was a quadroon slave and that Jefferson fathered a slave family whose descendants are alive today. In this moving novel, originally published in 1979 and having sold over two million copies worldwide, Barbara Chase-Riboud re-creates one of America’s most powerful love stories, based on the documents and evidence of the day, and gives us a poignant, tragic, and unforgettable meditation on the history of race and sex in America.

The Bookbabe Reviews.....Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #2)

Sarah J. Maas is at it again; I am completely in awe of how she weaves
a tale. The Crown of Midnight is the second book in the Throne of
Glass series. As many of my followers know I read the first book
Throne of Glass last year and was blown away by it. Maas contiunes to
expand on Celanea's story and there are so many twist and turns that I
don't even know where to start. Well, the love story that emerges
between Celaena and Chaol is beautiful and sweet but it takes a
dramatic turn after the death of a beloved character. Though, I think
that they will get back together I do see that it will take a lot of
time. Also, finally Prince Dorian seems to be ready to let Celaena go;
but after discovering that he has magic (its been banned from the
realm for almost ten years) he mistakenly ends up confiding in her and
this only deepens their friendship. We finally get to meet the
memebers heading up the resistance against the King; however, they are
a scandalous and disgusting bunch. I was really taken a back by the
way things went down. It was unexpected to say the least. The fact
that more and more of Celaena's past is finally popping up means that
there is more and more danger up head in the next few books. We
finally find out who Celaena is thanks to Chaol's sudden interest in
finding out what she's hiding. Once he puts two and two together and
with the final scene between them we finally find out that Celaena
always knew who she was. Now Chaol has to decide where his loyalites
really lie. I can honestly say that this book was amazeballs. I have
never been so interested in a fanasty novel in my life. Celaena
continues to be the kick butt, strong female lead that a lot of us
have been looking for for a long time. I really not not wait to see
what happens in Heir of Fire.

Favorite Quote:
" I worry because I care. Gods help me, I know I shouldn't, but I do.
So I will always tell you to be careful, because I will always care
what happens" Chaol to Celaena.

Overall rating: 5 Stars

New Book Alert....Stealing Marilyn Monroe by Sophie Warren

I recently downloaded this book from Net Galley! Here is the synopsis:

Juliet Chadwick has it all—a job at a New York art gallery, a great boyfriend, and a long-term career in the family business: theft. But unlike her father, Juliet plays it safe, sticking to small-time art heists and always covering her tracks. Until one day when her father’s creditors show up, demanding that she pay off his debts—or else. 

And so Juliet comes up with a desperate plan, the greatest con she’s ever attempted: She’s going to steal Andy Warhol’s famous portrait of Marilyn Monroe from bachelor billionaire Edward Aster. All she’ll have to do is pose as the Aster family’s new nanny until she can get her hands on the painting. How hard can it be?

But all too quickly, Juliet finds herself falling in love with Edward’s children, and maybe even with Edward himself. Can she bring herself to pull off the ultimate theft—if it means stealing from a man who’s stolen her heart? 

The Bookbabe Book Haul for December 2014....

These are just a few of the books that I purchased over a past 15 days...that's like almost one book every day. Several of these books are from Dover Public Library and several are from Bookoutlet.com (purchased in November but not in my possession for until this past monday). I will say that the most expensive book in this haul is the J.J. Murray one which was 5.84$ from Target. All together I spent less that 30 dollars on these books. I am really excited to have finally gotten my hands on some of the books that I have had on my wishlist for a while. Well here are the prices and the synopsis for each one of these books (in order to how they appear in these pictures).

A Good Man by J.J. Murray ($5.84 @ Target Stores)

She's had celebrity, isn't hurting for money, and is living peacefully single in Charlotte, North Carolina. Still, Sonya Richardson can't resist starring on a hit reality dating show to give America a taste of what a real black woman is like. And this former pro athlete is breaking all the rules of "Hunk or Punk," refusing to bling-up like a diva, and tackling whatever high-octane drama her suitors have in store. But one contestant is throwing Sonya off her game. He's surprisingly kind, way too easy to spill her secrets to--and giving her the kind of hope she hasn't felt in a long, long time ...

Widowed former pastor John Bond knows he's the show's "designated white guy," expected to fail every challenge and be gone in a month. He also knows he has to take risks to change his lonely life and find love again. The odds may be against him, but Sonya's honesty and resourcefulness are inspiring him to do whatever it takes to stay in the running, win her heart ... and prove their dreams can be a reality.

The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston ($0.50 @ The Dover Public Library) 

The first major bioterror event in the United States-the anthrax attacks in October 2001-was a clarion call for scientists who work with “hot” agents to find ways of protecting civilian populations against biological weapons. In The Demon in the Freezer, his first nonfiction book sinceThe Hot Zone, a #1 New York Times bestseller, Richard Preston takes us into the heart of Usamriid, the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, once the headquarters of the U.S. biological weapons program and now the epicenter of national biodefense.

Peter Jahrling, the top scientist at USAMRIID, a wry virologist who cut his teeth on Ebola, one of the world’s most lethal emerging viruses, has ORCON security clearance that gives him access to top secret information on bioweapons. His most urgent priority is to develop a drug that will take on smallpox-and win. Eradicated from the planet in 1979 in one of the great triumphs of modern science, the smallpox virus now resides, officially, in only two high-security freezers -- at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and in Siberia, at a Russian virology institute called Vector. But the demon in the freezer has been set loose. It is almost certain that illegal stocks are in the possession of hostile states, including Iraq and North Korea. Jahrling is haunted by the thought that biologists in secret labs are using genetic engineering to create a new superpox virus, a smallpox resistant to all vaccines.

Usamriid wentinto a state of Delta Alert on September 11 and activated its emergency response teams when the first anthrax letters were opened in New York and Washington, D.C. Preston reports, in unprecedented detail, on the government’s response to the attacks and takes us into the ongoing FBI investigation. His story is based on interviews with top-level FBI agents and with Dr. Steven Hatfill.

Jahrling is leading a team of scientists doing controversial experiments with live smallpox virus at CDC. Preston takes us into the lab where Jahrling is reawakening smallpox and explains, with cool and devastating precision, what may be at stake if his last bold experiment fails.

Incantation by Alice Hoffman ($4.99 @ Acorn Books; this book is used)

Estrella is a Marrano: one of the Spanish Jews living double lives when those who refused conversion risked everything. Estrella's discovery that her family secretly practices the ancient way of wisdom known as kabbalah leads her to her true self and true love-but also to a devastating confrontation with unimaginable evil, unleashed by the betrayal of a friend. With themes of faith, friendship, and persecution, Alice Hoffman's tragic and beautiful novel resonates profoundly in our times.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson ($0.50 @ The Dover Public Library)

Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that 'The Devil in the White City' is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. 

Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. 

The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert ($3.00 @ Acorn Books; this book is used)

In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want--husband, country home, successful career--but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.

The Giver by Lois Lowry ($5.00 @ Target Stores; this book was on sale)

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding ($2.99 @www.bookoutlet.com)

Meet Bridget Jones—a 30-something Singleton who is certain she would have all the answers if she could:

a. lose 7 pounds
b. stop smoking
c. develop Inner Poise

"123 lbs. (how is it possible to put on 4 pounds in the middle of the night? Could flesh have somehow solidified becoming denser and heavier? Repulsive, horrifying notion), alcohol units 4 (excellent), cigarettes 21 (poor but will give up totally tomorrow), number of correct lottery numbers 2 (better, but nevertheless useless)..."

Bridget Jones' Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud daily chronicle of Bridget's permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement — a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and learn to program the VCR.

Over the course of the year, Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Through it all, Bridget will have you helpless with laughter, and — like millions of readers the world round — you'll find yourself shouting, "Bridget Jones is me!"

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory ($3.99 from www.bookoutlet.com)

Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.

The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.

With The White Queen, Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series from this beloved author.

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler ($1.99 from www.bookoutlet.com

Laurie Viera Rigler's debut novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, was a hit with fans and critics, and a BookSense and Los Angeles Timesbestseller. While Confessions took twenty-first-century free spirit Courtney Stone into the social confines of Jane Austen's era, Rude Awakenings tells the parallel story of Jane Mansfield, a gentleman's daughter from Regency England who inexplicably awakens in Courtney's overly wired and morally confused L.A. life.

For Jane, the modern world is not wholly disagreeable. Her apartment may be smaller than a dressing closet, but it is fitted up with lights that burn without candles, machines that wash bodies and clothes, and a glossy rectangle in which tiny people perform scenes from her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. Granted, if she wants to travel she may have to drive a formidable metal carriage, but she may do so without a chaperone. And oh, what places she goes! Public assemblies that pulsate with pounding music. Unbound hair and unrestricted clothing. The freedom to say what she wants when she wants-even to men without a proper introduction.

Jane relishes the privacy, independence, even the power to earn her own money. But how is she to fathom her employer's incomprehensible dictates about "syncing a BlackBerry" and "rolling a call"? How can she navigate a world in which entire publications are devoted to brides but flirting and kissing and even the sexual act itself raise no matrimonial expectations? Even more bewildering are the memories that are not her own. And the friend named Wes, who is as attractive and confusing to Jane as the man who broke her heart back home. It's enough to make her wonder if she would be better off in her own time, where at least the rules are clear-that is, if returning is even an option.

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje ($0.50 from The Dover Public Library)

With ravishing beauty and unsettling intelligence, Michael Ondaatje's Booker Prize-winning novel traces the intersection of four damaged lives in an Italian villa at the end of World War II. Hana, the exhausted nurse; the maimed thief, Caravaggio; the wary sapper, Kip: each is haunted by the riddle of the English patient, the nameless, burned man who lies in an upstairs room and whose memories of passion, betrayal, and rescue illuminate this book like flashes of heat lightning.

Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More and Being

Good Enough by Jefferson Bethke ($1.00 from The Dover Public Library)

Abandon dead, dry, rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved.

Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation in 2012 with a passionate, provocative poem titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." The 4-minute video literally became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). The message blew up on social-media, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged.

In "Jesus > Religion," Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem--highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair and hope. With refreshing candor he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior.Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he's not a pastor or theologian, but simply a regular, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. Along his journey, Bethke discovered the "real" Jesus, who beckoned him beyond the props of false religion.

Something Blue (Darcy & Rachel 2) by Emily Giffin ($1.00 from The Dover Public Library)

Darcy Rhone has always been able to rely on a few things: Her beauty and charm.  Her fiance, Dex. Her lifelong best friend, Rachel.  She never needed anything else. Or so she thinks until Dex calls off their dream wedding and she uncovers the ultimate betrayal. Blaming everyone but herself, Darcy flees to London and attempts to re-create her glamorous life on a new continent. But to her dismay, she discovers that her tried-and-true tricks no longer apply--and that her luck has finally expired. It is only then that she can begin her journey toward redemption, forgiveness, and true love.

Book Blitz for December 2014

Hey Bookies...Here are some new books that I discovered over the past few weeks. Each book will be have its price listed and a brief synopsis of the book. All Prices are from amazon.com. Well here goes nothing!

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis (Hardcover $14.21)

Synopsis:

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all. Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines. When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Grey (Hardcover $11.37)

Synopsis:

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him. Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.  A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

A City of a Thousand Dolls by Miraim Forster (Paperback $9.18)

Synopsis:

An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure. Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die. Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

The Fall by Bethany Griffin (Hardcover $11.82)

Synopsis:

She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house. In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down?The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon (Paperback $7.27)

Synopsis:

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction. 

A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion by Ron Hansen (Paperback $12.54)

Synopsis:

Trapped in a loveless marriage, Ruth Snyder is a voluptuous, reckless, and altogether irresistible woman who wishes not only to escape her husband but that he dies; and the sooner the better. No less miserable in his own tedious marriage is Judd Gray, a dapper corset-and-brassiere salesman who travels the Northeast peddling his wares. He meets Ruth in a Manhattan diner, and soon they are conducting a white-hot affair involving hotel rooms, secret letters, clandestine travels, and above all, Ruths increasing insistence that Judd kill her husband. Could he do it? Would he? What follows is a thrilling exposition of a murder plan, a police investigation, the lovers attempt to escape prosecution, and a final reckoning for both of them that lays bare the horror and sorrow of what they have done. Dazzlingly well-written and artfully constructed, this impossible-to-put-down story marks the return of an American master known for his elegant and vivid novels that cut cleanly to the essence of the human heart, always and at once mysterious and filled with desire.

Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker (Paperback $9.98)

Synopsis:

The Mister B. of the title is Jakabob Botch, a demon whose ghastly past could make even the most merciless sociopath whimper in sympathy. Born in the deepest regions of hell, the spawn of an abusive drunkard and his whorish wife, Jakabob escapes to the world above after suffering fiendish torture. Once topside, he lands conveniently in 15th-century Mainz, the home of printing inventor Johannes Gutenberg. However, Mister B. isn't interested in merely observing history; like any other self-respecting diabolical being, he's just searching for a new demonic angle. A ghoulishly good fright fest.

Throne of Glass By Sarah J. Maas; a review by the Bookbabe of Delaware

            The beginning of this book brings us to the salt mines of Endovier as the crown prince of Adarlan; Dorian, is coming to retrieve the self proclaimed assassin of Adarlan; Celaena Sardothien. Celanea is told that she will be competing in a competition to become the kings champion; his assassin. Celaena at first is not happy about the competition because the king is a tyrant; at the kings hand anyone practicing magic has either been killed or driven into hiding. The king is also interested in taking over all the kingdom’s around him. While competing in the championship several of the champions begin to die off; and in very horrific ways. It seems like a beast of some sort is loose in the castle and that magic may be what is helping this beast evade detection. This leads Celaena to start investigating the symbols that are left behind at the scene; this in itself is dangerous because if she is caught with knowledge of this kind of magic should could be killed and implicated in the murders of her fellow champions. Celaena begins to suspect Princess Nehemia Yteger of Eyllwe; who knows about the Wyrdmarks and who may even know how to use them. Of course, by the end of the story we know exactly who was yielding the Wyrdmarks  and we even get a glimpse behind who really sit it all in motion. However, the why is still up in the air. So on to book two we go.

What I Loved about this book:

            What I enjoyed most about this book is that the love story took second place to everything else and it also took some time before it launched. Dorian, of course, is the natural on to root for but I (of course) am rooting for Chaol Westfall (the underdog). I also really loved that Celaena was very no nonsense and did not play the victim at anytime through the story. Of course, we see her vulnerable side because she is far from weak and is a fighter. And for the first time in a long time she is a female character that I really find myself loving. The book also has another strong female character in Nehemia Ytger (the Princess of Eyllwe); she was a little bit of a mystery as the story went on and I cannot wait to see what Maas does with her in the rest of the series. Another things to love about this book is the action; there is enough of it that you will never get bored.

What I didn’t like about the book but….:

            What I found a little grating about the book was that it started out a little slow and the first champion did not die for some time. I will chalk this up to the authors need to really build the characters and get the reader invested in the story and to get them to fall for the characters. I know that some authors just rush into the things and the reader can be left thinking “what the hell did I just read” (or at least I have had that issue). Maas character development really is what I loved so much about the book. I feel very happy with the way the first book wrapped up and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Favorite Quotes:

“You could rattle the stars," she whispered. "You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.” – Queen Elena to Celaena

“My name is Celaena Sardothien. But it makes no difference if my name's Celaena or Lillian or Bitch, because I'd still beat you, no matter what you call me.” – Celanea to Cain during their duel.

“No. I can survive well enough on my own— if given the proper reading material.”  - Celanea

I just had to say a few things about Jesus wants to Save Christians: Learning to read a dangerous book by Rob Bell and Don Golden

I am only 40 pages away from being finished and I can honestly say that this is one of Rob Bell's best books. As always he just gets right down to it and he is not for pussy footing (used for lack of a better term) around anything; he takes a direct stab at the evangelical right and american Christians who have just become  to comfortable with their lifestyles. So much so that they turn their backs on the suffering of others. Which means that they are missing out on the central themes of Jesus message. As a wise woman once said "once you know better, you'll do better" ( Maya Angelou)....this book is now one of my all time faves.

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.

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.

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. 

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?

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.