Shiny New Book.....

Hey Lovelies I just recieved a beautiful new autographed copy of Jodi Meadows latest book Before She Ignites.

Can you see why I am so intrigued by this book ? Its YA (young adult), features dragons and the main character is a woman of color. Finally we are getting a sci fi YA character of color. I am really looking forward to curling up with this in the next few weeks. I will be sure to leave a first impressions post on here and on Litsy.

Here is the synopsis of the book:

Mira has always been a symbol of hope for the Fallen Isles, perfect and beautiful—or at least that’s how she’s forced to appear. But when she uncovers a dangerous secret, Mira is betrayed by those closest to her and sentenced to the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. Except Mira is over being a pawn. Fighting to survive against outer threats and inner demons of mental illness, Mira must find her inner fire and the scorching truth about her own endangered magic—before her very world collapses. And that’s all before she ignites (From Amazon).

Here is a fan made book trailer I found as well:

Rise...Red as the Dawn! My review of Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

It took me MONTHS to finish this book. Let me start there. Almost a year ago I read Red Queen (the first in the series) and I struggled with that. I thought perhaps it was just the fact that it was a debut novel. New concept and all. I stuck with it and finished; but, I was highly disappointed. I was expecting a more polished product then what I got. Fast forward to a few months ago and I decide to pick up Glass Sword. Especially since it was getting rave reviews and everyone was just eating it up. Saying the story was better paced etc. So I decided to give it a try. It took be three chapters to get bored. To give up and to walk away. In fact I read over 10 books before even coming back to this one. The only reason I did was because I knew I would not be satisfied until I had some closure. I will say I am glad that I came back to the story because Aveyard's finish was far better - though a bit conflicting. And left me open to reading not only the next in the series but also the novella's that have come out with the books.
In Glass Sword we meet back up with Mare Barrow and Cal as they attempt to avoid evil Prince Maven (Cal's brother) as they recruit other Red's like Mare (that have abilities). All the while Maven is killing the innocent and Mare is becoming someone not even her closest friend, Kilorn, knows anymore. She and Cal grow closer together only to be ripped apart due to Mare's mixed feelings about who to trust and her need for venegence. This book had just enough twists at the end to keep you guessing what would happen next. The action at the end was amazing - if only there would have been more of it throughout the book.
The greatest questions I have now...is what is the end game? How will Mare survive? How is Cal coping? And who is really pulling the strings? There seems to be a much bigger game being played then any of us can imagine.
I gave Glass Sword 3/5 stars on Goodreads.

Here are some of the quotes I loved:

"To rise. And rise alone. I see you as you could become, no longer the lighting, but the storm. The storm that's will swallow the world"

"Pride. I understand that too. For girls like us, who had nothing, expected nothing, it's intoxicating to know there is something of our own, something no one else can claim or take away"

"Love blinds" - Cal to Mare

These Two are Made for each other: Bookbabe Review of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

So I am just going to say it...Gillian Flynn is a bad ass!  I have never had this much fun reading a thriller. I will admit that the last real thriller (similar to this) that I enjoyed was Andrew Pyper's Lost Girls; and that was years ago. Gone Girl was definitely a book that I wish I had read in 2012 - when I originally purchased it. (Yeah I know, I let this gem linger on my shelf for a long long long long time.) Gone Girl takes us on a ride into the marriage of Amy and Nick Dunne; he is an ordinary guy and she is an extraordinary and deeply complicated woman.  Nick is the typical "man" - forgetful of almost all things sentimental, not necessarily clingy, but definitely head over heels in love with his wife. Well, at least at first! Amy is the "cool girl" - just what Nick likes. She seems to enjoy what he enjoys etc. However, that is a farce. She is just playing the "cool girl"; Amy is a sociopath. She truly does not care about anyone other than herself and is only concerned with what others can do for her. This is seen in the way she treats not only her husband but her parents; who can not seem to do enough for her. As their marriage goes along and things begin to stagnate; Nick's eye and possibly his heart begins to wander. Of course, Amy is not going to take that lying down and that is when, as they say "shit gets real"!  I will not ruin that for anyone; especially those of you that have not read the book or seen the movie. Let me just say....Amy's actions are 100% genius and 2000% crazy. I have never read a character like Amy; which is what made this book so interesting. Whats also completely crazy about this book is that while you could find something to dislike about almost every character (except maybe Go, Nick's sister) you find yourself wanting to root for both Amy and Nick. You want him to be vindicated and you want Amy's insane plan to work. Another amazing thing about this book is that it could happen. Anyone; man or woman, could pull an Amy. Of course, they would most likely be caught and we would most likely be watching the story on ID Channel because after all this is reality and not a bestselling work of fiction. 

I would recommend this book to anyone that really enjoyed the movie; which while completely close to the adaptation but so much more in depth. I gave the book 5/5 stars on goodreads.com. 

Quotes I loved:

"Should I remove my soul before I come inside."

"Amy, I don't get why I need to prove my love to you be remembering the exact same things you do, the exact same was you do. I doesn't mean I don't love our life together."

"I have a few married friends who are married - not many who are happily married, but many married friends. The few happy ones are like my parents: they're baffled by my singleness. A smart, pretty, nice girl like me, a girl with so many interests...I know that they secretly think there's something wrong with me, something hidden away that makes me unsatisfiable, unsatisfying"

Moleskin notebooks = Trouble: Bookbabe review of Finders Keepers by Stephen King

Wow just wow. Stephen King really kept the action going with Finders Keepers and tied this book very artfully into the first novel of the Hodges series. This novel is really about obsession; one guys obsession with an author and his work of fiction. Just like the first novel the villain is identified quickly; his motives are identified quickly and we also get the feeling that the guy is way way way off the reservation. Complete nutter. (And won't King have fun with that). The book even opens up with a in your face home invasion and murder. King really held no punches in the beginning and the deep dive into the book was very necessary. 
It takes a while to get to the point where Hodges (now four years older) gets into the story. 
The story revolves mainly around Peter Saubers and his family; whose father is on the survivors of the attack as City Center. At the beginning of this story Saubers and his family have fallen on very tough times. Having to had to move to a low income neighborhood, the kids losing friends; then drowning the debt from medical bills and having to deal with the pain of living off a teachers salary. Peter is hoping for anyway to help his family and it comes; in the form of a trunk buried in an abandon field. 
Of course, we all know that sometimes something good can turn into something very bad very quickly. And this happens just a few years after Peter has found the trunk. You could say that opening that trunk was like opening Pandora's box - Peter had no clue what danger awaited him or what the consequences of his actions would be. What  I loved about this book was the growth and depth of the main character; Peter was well written and fully flushed out. We saw the good in him; along with his selfishness. And it was this selfishness that seemed to link him to the villain. It was his; as well as, the obsession of the villain that could have destroyed them both and for a while I thought that it would.
What's amazing about this book is that our previous villain plays a small role; mostly towards the end of the book - but his reintroduction is sinister and seems to foreshadow that something truly scary is coming in the next installment of the series. I really can not wait to start it. 
I gave Finders Keepers 5/5 stars on goodreads.com.

Quotes that I loved:

"You created one of the greatest characters in American literature, then shit on him...a man who could do that doesn't deserve to live"

"The critical eye should always be cold and clear"

"A good novelist does not lead his characters, he follows them. A good novelist does not create events, he watches them happen and then writes down what he sees. A good novelist realizes he is a secretary, not God"

Revolutionary Prose: The Bookbabe Reviews: Citizen by Claudia Rankine

        

                                                 

Citizen is perhaps one of the most powerful, thought provoking books that I have read in a while. The book is a collection of poems about African American life; every thing that Rankine wrote reminds you of what it feels like to sometimes doubt what you feel, and think. One of the best parts of the book is about the career of tennis star, Serena Williams. In this particular part of the collection Rankine talks about some of the open criticism that followed Williams over the years when it came to her body. The idea that she was "to big", "to man-ish". Rankine discusses why Serena boycotted the India Wells tournament; a tournament where both she and her family had been openly booed. Not to mention the fact that racial epithets had been shouted at her sister and father. Rankine points out that Serena Williams seemed to detach herself from of the slights thrown at her; maybe it was a way to deflect the pain of being considered an outsider in the tennis world. Or maybe it was because Serena did not want to make a fuss about something that she knew would never change. Rankine also includes and image of Dane Caroline Wozniacki mocking Serena by stuffing rolled up towels into her shorts and top during a televised match. What made this particular section of the book stick with me was the fact that I never knew anything about these events. Of course, I know who Serena Williams is and what an incredibly focused athlete she is but I would have never ever imagined she had experienced this kind of thing. The larger thing I got from this is that sometimes the presence of a black body can be intimidating. In fact, this was a theme that ran throughout the book. Over and over again, Rankine draws attention to the "body", almost in a detached sort of way. On of my favorite passages reads as follows: " How to care for the injured body, the kind of body that can't hold the content it is living? And where us the safest place when that place must be someplace other than the body?" 

Also she openly addresses the way we sometimes are made to feel guilty if we speak up about the things that make us uncomfortable. Like when a friend makes a racially charged joke etc. Sometimes we will call them on it only to shrink back when they deflect from it or say "none of the other black friends feel that way and how you feel is how your feel". Personally I can say that in the months after Trayvon Martin,  Mike Brown, and Freddie Grey I have felt the same way. Like I was walking on eggshells with some folks, never really able to speak to the things that they said or posted on social media that made me upset. 

What I so deeply loved about this book was that it was raw and real, a lot of the topics covered in the book is something that I think many African Americans can relate too. Also, I think its something a lot of other people would be a little shocked at. I will say that this book is definitely at the top of my gift giving list for the year. I will be recommending it to everyone I talk to that wants a good, thought provoking read. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Quotes I Loved:

"For so long you thought the ambition of racist language was to denigrate and erase you as a person. After considering Butlers's remarks, you begin to understand yourself as rendered hyper visible in the face of such language acts. Language that feels hurtful is intended to exploit all the ways that you are present. Your alertness, openness, and your desire to engage actually your presence, you're looking at, you're talking back, and, as insane as it is, saying please"

"And you were not the guys and still you fit the description because there is only one guy who is always the guys fitting the description....."

"What happens to you doesn't belong to you, only half concerns you. It's not yours. Not yours only"

      

Currently Reading: Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward

I am currently reading the seventh book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by the wonderful J.R. Ward. Here is the synopsis: 

Rehvenge is used to living in the shadows and dealing with the roughest night walkers around—including the Black Dagger Brotherhood. As his secret identity as a sympath is threatened, he turns to the only light in his ever darkening world—a female vampire untouched by corruption, who’s the only thing standing between him and eternal damnation.

First impression: (I am 15 chapters in) 

I am pretty impressed with Rev's story so far. We are finally seeing Lash's betrayal unfold. Of course, there is one big thing that is plaguing me and I am wondering how John Matthew's seeing Lash alive is going to play out. I think he is keeping that particular secret. There have been a few surprises in this book so far. Finally Wrath; the king of the vampires, is back in on the action. And Phury is making a comeback as well. I still have a lot of story to make it through but I am

Excited for this book. My plan is to have it completely read by New Years Eve.  

Tea + Books = Hot Date...Here are some of the teas that I love to drink while reading

We can all agree that tea and books just go hand and hand. I really love a great cup of tea while reading; in fact I have more than my fair share of tea mugs. (And honestly, if I bring anymore home I think my roommate with kill me). So here are a list of  top six teas that I love...attached with the name of a few books that I read while drinking them.

1) Blueberry Black Tea from The Spice and Tea Exchange (this one is pricey it starts at $5.49) - I drank this while reading Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices # 3) by Cassandra Clare and City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) also by Cassandra Clare.

2) Berry Boutique Tea (an herbal tea) from The Spice and Tea Exchange (also prices at $5.49) - I drank this one a lot over ice this summer while finishing The Night Eternal by Chuck Hogan and Gulliermo Del Toro. This tea was a nice pairing to this vampire novel. 

3) Tazo Zen (a green tea); I usually pick this up from Target for about three of so dollars. (You can usually catch these on sale). This tea is by far one of my faves to sip on while reading and is my go to tea. I drank this rather heavily while reading Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. It was an amazing pairing to this really light hearted romance.

4) Tazo Earl Grey (a black tea); this one of the strongest Earl Grey's I have ever had. I needed way to much sugar and honey with just a little lemon. Earl grey was an amazing pairing to Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan Howard. That book was dark, moody and had a lot of dry British wit. I see me reading the rest of the series with this tea on the nightstand.

5) Cranberry Apple Tart from The Spice and Tea Exchange (this one is also priced at $5.49); it was one of those teas that I drank while reading Jesus wants to save the Christians by Rob Bell. This tea was just perfect and mellow and wonderful for fall (which is when I read this book). Its a nice tea to just sit back and sip and reflect on the beauty of your surroundings. 

6) Tazo Pumpkin Chai; the first time I saw these in store was just this summer/fall. I drank this one a lot while reading Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas. It was nice and spicy much like Celaena (the main character of the series).

You can purchase these teas at www.tazo.com or www.spiceandtea.com