Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. It is open to anyone and is a fun way to get a taste of different books. The rules are simple and everyone is welcome to participate.

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
4. Be careful NOT to include spoilers (you don’t want to ruin the book for others.)
5. Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to the TBR lists if they like your teaser.
6. After completing your post, return to Should Be Reading and add a link in their “comment” section.

The Red Necklace
By Sally Gardner
Page 285

“Yann knew there was hardly any time. The only way to get her out was to be bold—and bolder.”

Library Loot Monday

Library Loot is a weekly meme that is hosted by A Striped Arm Chair. It gives book bloggers an opportunity to share what fun books we have checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate visit A Striped Arm Chair and add your post link to their site. It’s a fun way to check out what other bloggers are reading. Below are just a few of the books I have checked out this Monday. (Photos and description from GoodReads)

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson
Katie Chandler gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., a company that tricks of the trade to the magic community. She quickly learns that office politics are even more complicated when your new boss is a real ogre, and you have a crush on the sexy, shy, ultra powerful head of the R&D department, who is so busy fighting an evil competitor threatening to sell black magic on the street that he seems barely to notice Katie. Now it’s up to Katie to pull off the impossible: save the world and–hopefully–live happily ever after.

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
A mysterious gypsy boy, Yann Margoza, and his guardian, a dwarf, work for the magician Topolain in 1789. On the night of Topolain’s death, Yann’s life truly begins. That’s when he meets Sido, an heiress with a horrible father. An attachment is born that will determine both their paths. Revolution is afoot in France, and Sido is being used as a pawn. Only Yann will dare to rescue her from a fearful villain named Count Kalliovski. It will take all of Yann’s newly discovered talent to unravel the mysteries of Sido’s past and his own and to fight the devilish count.

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
He holds the secret that can end the world. The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty. The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects; the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Genre: YA Fantasy

Author Website: www.cindachima.com

One Word Review: FANTASTIC!

First Line: “Han Alister squatted next to the steaming mud spring, praying that the thermal crust would hold his weight.”

Synopsis: Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Helena, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea-the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her--plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

Kathy’s Review: You may remember that I chose The Demon King as one of my "Waiting on Wednesday" choices. I finally picked up a copy at the store yesterday and couldn't have been happier. I loved Chima’s Wizard Heir series and just knew that this book would be awesome! As much as I loved the WH series, I think I loved this book even more. It follows the story of a reformed thief and streetlord Han Alister who is trying to turn over a new leaf in order to take care of his mom and little sister. And Raisa the Princess Heir, who is quickly approaching her sixteenth birthday and will soon be eligible for a political marriage. I loved that the book alternated between these two very different characters with their individual stories. It really gives you a chance to get to know and care for all the different characters in the forest clans and the royal court and what struggles each are going through. Chima has created a great new world full of intrigue, magic, power and even a bit of romance. Han and Raisa’s paths cross briefly and even though they each have separate love interests, I can’t help but wonder if there may be something between them in the next book. This was a great start to the trilogy, giving us a lot of background information, character development, and left things with enough closure to make me happy, yet still leaving some cliffhangers so that I really CAN’T wait to find out what happens next.

Reading Order:
Book One: The Demon King
Book Two: The Exiled Queen (Fall 2010)
Book Three: The Gray Wolf Throne (Fall 2011?)

Splendor by Anna Godbersen

Genre: YA Fiction

Author Website: www.theluxebooks.com

One Word Review: Posh

First Line: “Fifty years ago, every American girl wanted to be a European princess.”

Synopsis: “A spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes. Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty—but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle.” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: I’ve been waiting for this one for quite awhile and was excited to finally get my hands on a copy so I could dive back into the crazy socialite lives of Elizabeth, Diana, Penelope and Carolina. This was a good conclusion to the series, although I was a little disappointed with how some things ended up, for the most part I thought everyone got what they deserved. This book didn’t captivate me like its predecessors and thought it was kind of lacking some of the drama and intrigue that I enjoyed so much in the other novels and I think really would have been better as a trilogy. I thought some storylines were kind of neglected and then resolved too quickly (Elizabeth), while others were drawn out and didn’t quite have the ending I was expecting. If you enjoyed the first three books then you will probably like seeing what happens with everyone.

Reading Order:
Book One: Luxe
Book Two: Rumors
Book Three: Envy
Book Four: Splendor

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. It is open to anyone and is a fun way to get a taste of different books. The rules are simple and everyone is welcome to participate.

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
4. Be careful NOT to include spoilers (you don’t want to ruin the book for others.)
5. Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to the TBR lists if they like your teaser.
6. After completing your post, return to Should Be Reading and add a link in their “comment” section.

One Second After
William R Forstchen
Page 45

“It was dark. There wasn’t a single light down in the town, except for what appeared to be the flicker of a Coleman lamp, some candles.”

This book is not for the faint of heart. The premise of the book, which according to the author is a very real threat facing the United States, is downright sobering. The book has some coarse language as well. I’m letting it slide because if the US was hit with an EMP, caused by a nuke, I just don’t think, “Oh fiddlesticks!” is going to cut it. Am I right?

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

Genre: YA Fiction

Author Website: www.lisamangum.com

One Word Review: Lackluster

First Line: “It is the counting that saves him.”

Synopsis: “His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time? Abbys senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He's mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she's ever met before. Abby can't deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: I’m definitely in the minority here when I say that I wasn’t that impressed with this one. For some reason it just fell a little flat for me. One reviewer compared it to an episode of Lost where you’re constantly questioning what is going on. I felt like that for the first 200+ pages. I had a general idea what the story was about, but I was still confused and had a hard time really taking to the characters. I did like Abby. I thought she was a good character. Dante was even okay (although, I lost track of how many times his eyes changed color…). He didn’t really come across as the “hero” type, he didn’t really do anything and by the end I wasn’t really feeling it between him and Abby. I was upset that he didn’t do anything to help Abby’s friend Valerie and his decisions at the end just didn’t really make sense to me. I thought the whole time travel idea was interesting, but was executed kind of weird. Overall, I thought it was okay. I had high expectations and have read a lot of great reviews so I’m sure I am one of the few that wasn’t blown away. I’ll probably still check out the sequel, maybe it’ll be better.

Reading Order:
Book One: The Hourglass Door
Book Two: The Golden Spiral
Book Three:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Genre: Adult Fiction

Author Website: www.elizabethgilbert.com

One Word Review: A Waste (I know that is two words)

First Line: “I wish Giovanni would kiss me.”

Synopsis: At the age of thirty-one, Gilbert moved with her husband to the suburbs of New York and began trying to get pregnant, only to realize that she wanted neither a child nor a husband. Three years later, after a protracted divorce, she embarked on a yearlong trip of recovery, with three main stops: Rome, for pleasure (mostly gustatory, with a special emphasis on gelato); an ashram outside of Mumbai, for spiritual searching; and Bali, for “balancing.” These destinations are all on the beaten track, but Gilbert’s exuberance and her self-deprecating humor enliven the proceedings: recalling the first time she attempted to speak directly to God, she says, “It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, ‘I’ve always been a big fan of your work.’

Jess’s Review: I did something I rarely do, but I put this book down about 55 pages in and all I can say is hallelujah. I’ve been seeing this book everywhere so I thought I'd give it a try. Only in American can a self-centered and pathetic woman make the New York Times Bestsellers List by re-telling her so-called life story about being so darned depressed because she lives in a big house in the suburbs with a husband that for some inexplicable reason she just doesn’t love anymore. Picture that sentence written in whinny 4 year old’s voice and you’ll understand the way this book comes across while reading it. I have a solution for Miss Gilbert. Pull yourself off the bathroom floor or whatever other surface you are “sobbing” on and get a life, stop thinking (and writing) about yourself and try helping or serving someone else. Once you’ve done that, write a book that matters and stop inflicting your personal pity party on the American public. I’ve always known the following to be true and this book just drove it home for me: Ingratitude is one of the grossest sins and will leave you helpless and sad. Funny, but also how reading this book will leave you. In all fairness I did only make it 55 pages so if I missed some “a ha” moment that made this book worth the paper it is written on please feel free to call me on the carpet.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Genre: Adult Fiction

Author Website: www.guernseyliterary.com

One Word Review: Delightful

First Line: “We sold over forty copies of the book, which was very pleasant, but much more thrilling from my standpoint was the food.”

Synopsis: January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Jess’s Review: I can hardly find the words to express how much I enjoyed reading this book. The book is written as a series of letter, which at first I was very leery of, but once I got used to it, I fell in love. I savored reading each letter as if they were my own and when I was finished I literally hugged the book to my chest and sighed. Very cheesy moment, but true nevertheless. The characters were vivid and vibrant, and the story was interesting and moving. The book made me laugh and cry and had me wishing that people wrote more letters. Then I remembered all the great comments we get on Bookworm Nation and it made me feel better! Each of the characters finds solace in the books they have read and in the people they read them with. It’s the first book in a long time that I actually wrote down page numbers so I could go back and copy down the quotes. I’ll share a few with you….just to peek your interest so you’ll read this book…ASAP.

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true.” p.10

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.” P.53

“Mind you I cannot always make sense of what he [Shakespeare] says, but it will come. It seems to me the less he said, the more beauty he made. Do you know what sentence of his I admire the most? It is, “The bright day is gone, and we are for the dark.” I wish I’d known those words on the day I watched those German troops land….” P.63

A good book can bring people together as friends and I’m honored to call each of you who read this blog…friend!

Dark of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne

Genre: YA Fiction

Author Website: www.rachelhawthorne.net

One Word Review: Entertaining

First Line: “Death hovers in the shadows.”

Synopsis: “Brittany is determined to prove herself to the Dark Guardians. And yet she's been keeping a devastating secret: She hasn't experienced any of the intense, early signs of change that mark a Dark Guardian's transformation. The only intense feelings she has are for Connor—and she's kept that a secret, too. But she knows she'll never truly have Connor's love if she's not a Shifter like him. At the first full moon after her birthday, her greatest fear is realized: She doesn't transform. Brittany is so desperate to become a wolf that she'll go to extremes she never thought possible . . . and put all the Dark Guardians in incredible danger.” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: Book three in the Dark Guardian series follows Brittany. We get to see Brittany in a totally different light in this book. In the first two, she kind of comes across as moody and stuck-up. Once you get inside her head you begin to understand all her insecurities and the hardships she’s going through. I really came to love Brittany’s character in this book, she may be my favorite. Brittany has been in love with Connor (Lindsey’s boyfriend in books one and two) pretty much all her life, knowing she could never be with him. She is also approaching her seventeenth birthday where she will have her first transformation into a werewolf. In their culture you’re suppose to go through this with your mate, the only problem is that no one has claimed Brittany as their mate, so she has to face it alone. I really enjoyed Brittany and Connor’s story. I was a little confused with how quickly Connor came around, but I guess it all makes sense in the end.

I’m looking forward to reading Shadow of the Moon which comes out next Spring. Everything seemed to come together at the end of Dark of the Moon, so I’m curious to see what Hawthorne has in store for our characters.

Reading Order:
Book One: Moonlight
Book Two: Full Moon
Book Three: Dark of the Moon
Book Four: Shadow of the Moon

Full Moon by Rachel Hawthorne

Genre: YA Fiction

Author Website: www.rachelhawthorne.net

One Word Review: Entertaining

First Line: “The full moon has become my enemy.”

Synopsis: “Lindsey is wild and reckless, a natural rebel—maybe because her entire life was laid out for her even before she was born. Her parents are among the most powerful members of the Dark Guardians, an ancient tribe of werewolves, and they arranged Lindsey's betrothal to Connor long ago. The next full moon is coming all too soon, and then her commitment to Connor will be final—no turning back. She should be happy . . . so why can't she stop thinking about gorgeous, brooding Rafe? When a dangerous threat on the pack escalates, so do tensions between Connor and Rafe. A fight over Lindsey is imminent, but will it be to the death?” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: Book two in the Dark Guardian series follows Lindsey (Kayla’s best friend from book one). I was looking forward to hearing Lindsey’s story, I really enjoyed her character in Moonlight and she was enjoyable in Full Moon as well. I’m not really big on love-triangles, especially when they are really drawn out, like this one kind of was. I was getting a little tired of the back and forth, especially when the choice was so obvious. There were some good moments with Lindsey and Conner, as well as with Lindsey and Rafe. There wasn’t as much action in this one as there had been in Moonlight, but it still moved along quickly and kept my attention. Overall, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading Dark of the Moon (which will be from Brittany’s point of view).

Reading Order:
Book One: Moonlight
Book Two: Full Moon
Book Three: Dark of the Moon
Book Four: Shadow of the Moon

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Destiny’s Path
By Frewin Jones
Release Date: November 1, 2009

Synopsis: “After an epic battle that left her home in flames and her father dead, Branwen knows that now is the time to follow her Warrior Princess destiny. But she soon finds that those she trusts most are capable of the greatest betrayal.” -GoodReads

Why I’m Waiting: This is the second installment of the Warrior Princess series. I really enjoyed book one, Warrior Princess, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Branwen will be up to now. The first book was loads of fun, well written and I really like Branwen’s character. I do hope this one has a little more romance though! If you haven’t yet, you better hurry and read book one before this one comes out!