Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews to share your weekly book haul. It can be what you bought, received, borrowed, or were gifted. For more info you can go here.

Library
Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood #10) by J.R. Ward
The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: 14 Amazing Authors tell the Tales
A Perfect Blood (The Hollows #10) BY Kim Harrison

Won
Halloween Template from Parajunkee Design (I Love it! It's so cute but still Halloween)

Bought
Phantom in the Night (B.A.D. #2)by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love
Embrace the Twilight (Wings in the Night #8) by Maggie Shayne
Blue Twilight  (Wings in the Night #11, Black Moon #1) by Maggie Shayne
Dead After Dark by Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward, Susan Squires, and Dianna Love

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of course and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

Q.What is the BIGGEST word you’ve seen used in a book lately – that made you stop and look it up? Might as well leave the definition & book too.

A. I don't really have a big word but.. I am reading Lover Reborn by J R Ward. If you've read any of these you know there are lots of slang and other words that can throw you.

**Look at my Halloween design that I won from Parajunkee, isn't it cute!!?

Waiting on Wednesday

Spellfire (NightKeepers #8)

by Jessica Andersen
published by Signet
expected release date: November 6, 2012
genre: Adult, Fantasy, PNR, UF

Summary (Goodreads): Imprisoned and tortured by the demoness who tricked him into betraying the Nightkeepers and the woman he loves, Rabbit must endure excruciating pain to protect the diminished Skywatch army as the end-time approaches. Although an ancient prophecy says his unique powers are key to winning the final battle in the doomsday war, he hasn’t just lost his credibility—he’s lost his magic.

Myrinne is far from the woman Rabbit once knew—she’s got magic now, and despite emotional scars, she’s strong enough to help the Nightkeepers. And yet she’s not prepared to handle the fiercely driven man he’s become or the new, dangerous feelings that spark between them.

With the barrier ready to fall and a xombi outbreak in the human world, Rabbit and Myrinne must forge a new partnership amid dangerous instability and the threat of an undead army. In the end, it will be up to Rabbit to master his ferocious magic—or all will be lost. For him, for the woman he doesn’t have the right to love anymore, and for the fate of the world…

**I'm only on the second book but already Rabbit is one of my favorites and I cannot wait to get to his book.


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Book Review ~ Bitterblue

Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3)
by Kristin Cashore
published by Dial
Genre: Fantasy, YA, 

Summary (Goodreads): Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

My Thoughts: After waiting for this book for so long I feel like I should have liked it more than I did. It started off very slow for me. I had problems getting into the story and liking Bitterblue.  A lot of things she did just didn't seem plausible for someone who is the Queen. I could understand her getting away with sneaking out a couple of times without getting caught. Doing it for weeks with no one catching on and not running into anyone outside the castle that knew who she was, was a stretch.
I did like seeing some old favorites and getting to know new ones. I found myself more interested in Saf and his family and what the old characters were doing on there missions than I was in Bitterblue and her castle mysteries.
The last half of the book did pick up and there were plenty of twists and surprises that kept me reading. The resolution of the killings in the city and the strange things around the castle worked even if it was a little on the predictable side.  Finding the land to the East that Leck was trying to recreate was my favorite part. Meeting the people and learning about their ways seemed to be a great set up for a future book(series) that I would be interested in reading.

Rating: 4 (may be closer to 3.5)

New Release ~ week of 9/24/2012

**All links go to Goodreads

Sweet Laurel Falls by RaeAnne Thayne (#3 in Hope's Crossing)

Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel (#2 in Gone With the Respiration )
Blaze by Joan Swan (#2 in Phoenix Rising)
The River of No Return by Jon Voelkel (#3 in Jaguar Stones)
Wolf Pact by Melissa de la Cruz (#1 in Wolf Pact (Bliss Llewellyn))
Shadows by Ilsa J Bick (#2  Ashes Trilogy )
Lord of Temptation by Lorraine Heath (#2 in Lost Lords of Pembrook)
Breaking News by Fern Michaels (#5 in Godmothers)
A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies (#2 in A Beautiful Dark )
Rapture by J. R. Ward (#4 in Fallen Angels)
Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter (#1 in White Rabbit Chronicles)
Immortal Surrender by Claire Ashgrove (#2 The Curse of the Templars )
Dawn’s Desire by Donna Grant (#3 in Dark Kings)
Seduction's Shift by A C Arthur (#2 in Shadow Shifters)
Under Wildwood by Colin Meloy (#2 in Wildwood Chronicles)
Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks (#1 in The Montgomerys and Armstrongs )
When the Duchess Said Yes by Isabella Bradford (#2 in Wylder Sisters)
Sacrifice the Wicked by Karina Cooper (#4 in Dark Mission)

Something Witchy This Way Comes by H P Mallory (#6 in Jolie Wilkins)
Crown Thief by David Tallerman (#2 in Tales of Easie Damasco)
Run the Risk by Lori Foster (#1 in Love Undercover)
Boyfriend From Hell by Jamie Quaid (#1 in Saturn's Daughter)
Flock by Wendy Delsol (#3 in Stork)
Wish You Were Eyre by Heather Vogel Frederick (#6 in Mother-Daughter Book Club)
My Scandalous Viscount by Gaelen Foley (#5 in Inferno Club)
Alchemystic by Anton Strout (#1 in Spellmason Chronicle)
A Lack of Temperance by Anna Loan-Wilsey (#1 in Hattie Davish Mysteries)
How to Marry a Warlock in 10 Days by Saranna DeWylde (#2 in 10 Days )
The Undead In My Bed by Molly Harper, Katie MacAlister, Jessica Sims
The Mephisto Kiss by Trinity Faegen (#2 in Mephisto Covenant)
Phoenix by Jeff Stone (#1 in Out of the Ashes)
Traps and Specters by Bryan Chick (#4 in Secret Zoo)
Brink of Chaos by Tim LaHaye, Craig Parshall (#3 in End)

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of course and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

Q: What hyped up book do you think was worth all the talk?

A. I'm going to say the first three Mortal Instruments books. The rest are/were OK but I really enjoyed original trilogy.

Book Review ~ Nightkeepers

NightKeepers (NightKeepers #1)
by Jessica Andersen
published by Signet
genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy, PNR

Summary (full @Goodreads):
As a Miami narcotics detective, Leah Daniels never knows how her day will turn out. But she certainly never expected to be strapped to a stone altar, the human sacrifice in an ancient Mayan ritual meant to coax up a demon from the underworld. Or that she'd be saved by a handsome warrior-priest king who claims to recognize her from his visions...

My Thoughts: I was in need of a new UF/PNR series and so far this one looks like a keeper (no pun intended).
Most of the fantasy series I read seem to focus around Greek mythology, I liked learning/reading about the Mayan culture and beliefs.
While there is an HEA between Strike and Leah this first book read more like UF than PNR. The romance seemed almost secondary to the battle between good and evil. Even with Leah it was about getting revenge against the ones that killed her brother and partner. While some may not like that there wasn't more focus on the romance I liked the mix and balance. It was well paced and the action kept going almost from beginning to end.
I do have mixed feelings about all the other POVs. It was nice to get to know some of the other characters. since it's a big cast, but at times I didn't feel it was needed (like with Anna and her students).
Overall this was one of the better first in a series books I've read in a while. I don't know how it'll work if the focus is more on the HEAs but I'm willing to try a few more books at least (there are already 8 out).

Rating: 3.5

New Releases ~ week of 9/17/2012

Blood Gold by Kailin Gow (#2 in Brotherhood of Blood)
Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (#2 in Fire and Thorns)
Necromancing the Stone by Lish McBride (#2 in Necromancer)
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian (#1 in Burn for Burn)
Mark of the Witch by Maggie Shayne (#2 in Portal Trilogy)
Death of a Black Rose by Tish Thawer (#3 in The Rose Trilogy )
Ceaseless by Abbi Glines (#3 in Existence Trilogy)
Seconds Away by Harlan Coben (#2 in Mickey Bolitar)
 The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (#1 in Raven Cycle )
Adaptation by Malinda Lo (#1 in Adaptation)
Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara (#8 in The Chronicles of Elantra)
The Angel by Tiffany Reisz (#2 in The Original Sinners)
Winter of the World by Ken Follett (#2 in Century)
The Diviners by Libba Bray (#1 in Diviners)
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang (#1 in The Hybrid Chronicles )
Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (#1 in Lotus War Trilogy)
Severe Clear by Stuart Woods (#24 in Stone Barrington)
Mirage by Jack du Brul, Clive Cussler (#9 in The Oregon Files)
Glass Heart by Amy Garvey (#2 in Cold Kiss)
Father Night by Eric Van Lustbader (#4 in Jack McClure)
Lowcountry Boil by Susan M. Boyer (#1 in Liz Talbot Mysteries)
Hearts Untamed by Pamela Palmer (#6.5 in Feral Warriors)
The Incense Game by Laura Joh Rowland (#16 in Sano Ichiro)
Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin (#2 in Birthright)
The Forge of Darkness by Steven Erikson (#1 in Kharkanas Trilogy)
The Unfaithful Queen by Carolly Erickson (#9 in Historical Entertainments)

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews to share your weekly book haul. It can be what you bought, received, borrowed, or were gifted. For more info you can go here.

Review
Broken by A E Rought **received from Strange Chemistry

Library
The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

Gift
Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson
Now You See Me by Tina Wainscott

Book Review ~ Lion's Heat

Lion's Heat (Breeds #21)
by Lora Leigh
published by Berkley
genre: Adult, Fantasy, PNR

Summary (Goodreads): The mating urge cannot be ignored...

Bad boy Jonas Wyatt knows it is fate that Rachel becomes his mate. He can sense it. He can also sense her reluctance. But she has little power over the mating heat of the Breeds. It is Jonas's destiny to claim her. And nothing will stop him from having his way.

My Thoughts: I'll start by saying I have not read this series in order. I haven't even read the 1st book. I know these two characters show up in previous books but I'm not familiar with them.
What I liked, Jonas. He was what I was expecting when I started reading this. He had that obvious alpha demeanor, everyone was afraid/ intimidated by him (except Rachel). My favorite scenes were the ones with him and the baby. I liked seeing the softer side, both the interactions before and after she was born.
What I didn't like, Rachel. I didn't hate her but her whole story/behavior just seemed so fake and manipulated that I couldn't get into it. If she had just started working for Jonas and their mating had happened naturally I would not have had a problem with her at all. I liked how strong she was for both herself and her baby. Finding out that she was placed in Jonas' path specifically to become is mate and get him under control just ruined the whole HEA of this book.
Overall, I liked the background story arc that goes from book to book, but since this is an HEA series and I could not get behind this couple, the book fell a little short for me. I'll still continue reading it and eventually get around to the beginning of the series.

Rating: 3

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Shadow Rising (Sisters of the Moon/ Otherworld #12)
by Yasmine Galenorn
published by Berkley
expected release date: October 30, 2012

Summary (Goodreads):We’re the D’Artigo sisters: savvy half-human, half-Fae ex-operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch with three sexy husbands. My sister Delilah is a two-faced werecat and Death Maiden. And me? I’m Menolly, a jian-tu turned vampire in love with a wildly hot werepuma. Unfortunately, life is about to get very, very nasty…

Nerissa and I can’t decide on what we want to do for our promise ceremony and we’re bickering like an old married couple. My sisters and I head to Otherworld for a meeting with Queen Asteria. Once there, we discover that Shadow Wing has dispatched Telazhar—a malevolent necromancer—to reignite the Scorching Wars. And as soon as we return back home, we find Gulakah, the Lord of Ghosts, waging a battle to control the magical beings over Earthside. Caught between two terrible enemies in a battle spanning two worlds, we can only hope we’re in time to stop all-out annihilation.

**This is one of my favorite authors and I enjoy Menolly's books.

New Releases ~ week of 9/10/2012

The Crimson Shard by Teresa Flavin (#2 in Blackhope Enigma)
The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks (#2 in Lightbringer)

The Hunt by L. J. Smith (#5 in Secret Circle)
Hidden by Sophie Jordan (#3 in Firelight)
Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry (#3 in Benny Imura)
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan (#1 in Lynburn Legacy)
The Drowned Vault by N. D. Wilson (#2 in Ashtown Burials)
Frozen Heat by Richard Castle (#4 in Nikki Heat)
Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier (#1 in Shadowfell)
A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn (#5 in Chet and Bernie Mystery)
Fool Me Twice by Michael Brandman, Robert B. Parker (#11 in Jesse Stone)
Silver Mine by Vivian Arend (#2 in Takhini Wolves )
Delusion in Death by J. D. Robb (#44 in In Death)
Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson (#1 in Jessica McCain)
A Wanted Man by Lee Child (#17 in Jack Reacher)
Tilt by Ellen Hopkins (#2 in Triangles)
Mistystar's Omen by Erin Hunter (#2 in Warriors: Novella)

NBUs Art, Eats, & What Other

War of 1812 Bicentennial 

It was Navy Week this past week in Detroit. The Navy is going to different ports, that had an impact during the War of 1812, to commemorate the 200th anniversary. You can find out more and upcoming ports on their facebook page.
These are some picks from our visit.

ART

Catch Me If You Can

by ~CdreJohnPaulJones

If you click on the picture name it tells the story behind this boat.

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of course and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

Q. What book(s) are you reading right now? What do you think of it?

A. Reading: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, It's starting kind of slow but I'm hoping it picks up soon. I've seen many mixed reviews for this.
Lion's Heat by Lora Leigh. Almost finished with this one. I like Jonas much more than I like Rachel, have to wait to see what the final twists are.

What are you reading? Happy Reading and Hopping. Have a Great Weekend.

Book Review ~

Revenge of the Witch (The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles #1)
by Joseph Delaney
illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith
published by Greenwillow Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy

Summary (full @Goodreads):  Capturing witches Binding boggarts Driving away ghosts
For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried-some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive.
Only Thomas Ward is left. He's the last hope; the last apprentice...

My Thoughts: I picked this up on a whim from the library. I ended up really enjoying it. This book has everything needed for a good, dark fantasy.
Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son. This brings him some ability with the creepier side of life in the County. He learns early that being The Spook is a lonely solitary life, even his own family is afraid of him.
The rest of the cast is just as interesting. From the maybe good maybe bad witch Alice to Thomas' mother. The mystery of both added to the overall story and the fact that we didn't learn everything in this book makes you want to read more.
Overall I liked this story and look forward to reading more to find out the answers to all the unanswered questions.

Rating: 4

New Releases ~ week of 9/03/2012 part 2

**More new releases for this week...

Alone Time by Lauren Dane (#1 in Visits to Petal)
Crewel by Gennifer Albin (#1 in Crewel World)
Dragon's Moon by Lucy Monroe (#4 in Children of the Moon)
Impulse by Moira Rogers (#5 in Southern Arcana)
Clean by Alex Hughes (#1 in Mindspace Investigation)
Surrender by Aimee Laine (#2 in Mimics of Rune)
The Lord of Mountains by S. M. Stirling (#6 in Change)
Blood Forever by Mari Mancusi (#8 in Blood Coven)
Supernatural Born Killers by Casey Daniels (#9 in Pepper Martin Mystery)
Gone by Randy Wayne White (#1 in Hannah Smith)
Ruined By Moonlight by Emma Wildes (#1 in Whispers of Scandal)
Guardian by Catherine Mann (#5 in Dark Ops)
Fathomless by Jackson Pearce (#3 in Fairy Tale)

In the Shadows of Paris by Claude Izner (#7 in Victor Legris Mystery)
The Book of the Night by Pearl North (#3 in Libyrinth)
The Spirit Well by Stephen R Lawhead (#3 in Bright Empires)
Envy by Elizabeth Miles (#2 in Fury)
Betrayal by Gregg Olsen (#2 in Empty Coffin)
Last Wool and Testament by Molly MacRae (#1 in Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery)

New Releases ~ week of 9/03/2012 part 1

**There are so many new books this week that I split them into two posts!

Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck (#4 in Tiger's Curse)
Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire (#6 in October Daye)
Playing to Win by Jaci Burton (#4 in Play By Play)
Island of Silence by Lisa McMann (#2 in Unwanteds)
Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh (#9 in Guild Hunter)
Outpost by Ann Aguirre (#2 in Razorland )
Primal Possession by Katie Reus (#2 in Moon Shifter)
The Map of the Sky by Félix J Palma (#2 in Map of Time)
Riveted by Meljean Brook (#3 in Iron Seas)
How to Drive a Dragon Crazy by G A Aiken (#6 in Dragon Kin)
The Lost Night by Jayne Castle (#10 in Harmony World)
The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan (#1 in Jake Brogan )
An Apple for the Creature by Charlaine Harris (#13 in Short Stories in the Sookieverse )

The Matador's Crown by Alex Archer (#38 in Rogue Angel)
A Tale of Two Vampires by Katie MacAlister (#10 in Dark One)
Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts (#2 in Dark Inside )
In Rides Trouble by Julie Ann Walker (#2 in Black Knights Inc.)
The Kingmakers by Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith (#3 in Vampire Empire)
The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George (#1 in Whidbey Island )
The Tombs by Clive Cussler, Thomas Perry (#4 in Fargo Adventure)
The Skybound Sea by Sam Sykes (#3 in Aeon's Gate)
Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs (#2 in Medusa Girls)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews to share your weekly book haul. It can be what you bought, received, borrowed, or were gifted. For more info you can go here.
**All links go to Goodreads.

Won

Thanks to Armchair BEA. Had fun with the whole event and won these books!
A World Apart (The Elencheran Chronicles) by David M Brown
Fezariu's Epiphany (The Elencheran Chronicles)by David M Brown

Review
The Lure of Shapinsay by Krista Holle *received from author
Library
The Riddles of Epsilon by Christine Morton-Shaw
Chosen (The Lost Books #1) by Ted Dekker