Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

halloween

  by *sandara

Halloween

   by ~Sidxartxa

new releases ~ week of 10/29/2012

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier (#2 in Ruby Red )
Iced by Karen Marie Moning (#1 in Dani O'Malley (Fever World Trilogy))
The Shattered Dark by Sandy Williams (#2 in McKenzie Lewis )
Rebel Heart by Moira Young (#2 in Dustlands )
Out For Blood by Kristen Painter (#4 in House of Comarre)
Eleven Pipers Piping by C C Benison (#2 in Father Christmas Mystery)
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones (#4 in Charley Davidson)
Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter by Jessica Sims (#2 in Midnight Liaisons )
The Warrior by Margaret Mallory (#3 in Return of the Highlanders)
The Scottish Witch by Cathy Maxwell (#2 in Chattan Curse)
A Tangled Bridge by Rhodi Hawk (#2 in Twisted Ladder)

Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long (#7 in Pennyroyal Green)
Furious by Mike Shepherd (#10 in Kris Longknife)
Warrior Reborn by Melissa Mayhue (#2 in The Warrior)
Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady by Tiffany Clare (#1 in Dangerous Rogues)
Dream Unchained by Kate Douglas (#2 in Dream Catchers)
Midnight's Seduction by Donna Grant (#3 in Dark Warriors)
City of Swords by Alex Archer (#39 in Rogue Angel)
Gravity by Melissa West (#1 in The Taking)
Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank (#1 in The World of the Nightwalkers)
Blood Crime by Kim Harrison (#2 in Hollows Graphic Novel)
Deviants by Maureen McGowan (#1 in Dust Chronicles)
A Trace of Moonlight by Allison Pang (#3 in Abby Sinclair )
Black Lament by Christina Henry (#4 in Black Wings)
Stalked by Allison Brennan (#5 in Lucy Kincaid)
Venom by Fiona Paul (#1 in Secrets of the Eternal Rose)
Daughter of Light by V. C. Andrews (#3 in Kindred)
To Hell and Back by Juliana Stone (#1.5 in League of Guardians)
Scorched by Laura Griffin (#6 in Tracers)
The Dead of Winter by Lee Collins (#1 in Cora Oglesby)
Shadow by Laurann Dohner (#9 in New Species )
Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi (#1.5 in Under the Never Sky )
Shadow Rising by Yasmine Galenorn (#12 in Sisters of the Moon - Otherworld )


Babycakes by Donna Kauffman (#3 in Cupcake Club)
The Clone Sedition by Steven L Kent (#8 in Clone)
Stray Souls by Kate Griffin (#1 in Magicals Anonymous )
Pandaemonium by Ben Macallan (#2 in Desdaemon)
Libera Me by Christine Fonseca (#2 in Requiem)
Damek's Redemption by N J Walters (#6 in Legacy )
Kingdom of the Snakes by Greg Farshtey (#5 in Ninjago Graphic Novels)
Small Volcanoes by Stefan Petrucha (#1 in Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew)

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee 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 writing device or trick most irritates you when reading a book? For example, if an author employs an omnipotent narrator that is sometimes considered bad form.

A. I have a few but the main one is: The Love Triangle. You can have drama in a relationship without adding a third person. It's usually contrived and you can always tell who the winning person is going to be, so waiting for the author to actually put it on the page is tiresome.

New Releases ~ week of 10/22/2012

To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander (#1 in Belle Meade Plantation)
The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (#1 in The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten )
Blue Autumn Cruise by Lisa Williams Kline (#2 in Sisters in All Seasons)
Wish You Were Eyre by Heather Vogel Frederick (#6 in Mother-Daughter Book Club)
The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds by Alexander McCall Smith (#9 in Isabel Dalhousie )
The Maelstrom by Henry H Neff (#4 in Tapestry)
Destiny Rising by L. J. Smith (#3 in The Vampire Diaries: The Hunters)
Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick (#4 in Hush)
A Dangerous Stage by Camy Tang (#2 in Protection for Hire)
Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl (#4 in Beautiful Creatures )
Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket (#1 in All the Wrong Questions)
The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (#2 in Mara Dyer )

The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima (#4 in Seven Realms)
My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr (#20 in Virgin River)
Arcade Catastrophe by Brandon Mull (#2 in Candy Shop War)
Building From Ashes by Elizabeth Hunter (#1 in Elemental World )
The Forbidden Lady by Kerrelyn Sparks (#1 in Historical Hero World )
The Injustice of Being by Carol Lynne (#16 in Campus Cravings Series)
Into the Hollow by Karina Halle (#6 in Experiment in Terror)

NBU's Art, Eats, & What Other

We went to the Lego KidsFest here in MI. These are some favorite characters made out of Lego's.

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee 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. When you step out of your USUAL genre what do you like to read? Best books in that genre?

A. When not reading paranormal I will read contemporary romance or mystery (I'm not a big contemporary fan). Best books: for romance I really like Nora Roberts. Mysteries: I like Sue Grafton and Patricia Cornwell

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.

Oath Bound (Unbound #3)
by Rachel Vincent
published by Mira
expected release date: May 1, 2013

Summary (Goodreads): The Tower Syndicate will fall...

The secret daughter of the head of an infamous Skilled crime family, Sera Brandt has hidden her past, her potential and especially her powers. But when a tragedy strikes her other family, Sera needs justice. And the only way to get it is to reveal her heritage– including a rare Skill– and take the reins of the Tower Syndicate from her cunning and malicious aunt.

if he can figure out how...

Kristopher Daniels might have the answer. He's fought the syndicate to protect his sisters, but he'd never realized just how close to the new heir he needed to get....

And if they can survive.

Neither is used to trusting. But there's something between them that can't be ignored. And so Sera is on the run with a man she can't figure out, a target on her back and the new knowledge of just how powerful she really is...

** I'm in the middle of book 2 right now. I've really enjoyed this series and world that the author created. It is very different from her other two series.

Book Review ~ A Perfect Blood

A Perfect Blood (The Hollows #10)
by Kim Harrison
published by HarperVoyager
genre: Adult, Fantasy, UF

Summary (Goodreads): Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled in to help investigate by the I.S. and FIB, former witch turned day-walking demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth: a human hate group is trying to create its own demons to destroy all Inderlanders, and to do so, it needs her blood.

She's faced vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, and more, but humanity itself might be her toughest challenge yet.

My Thoughts: The Good:  Lots of Trent in this one. While I loved how Rachel and Trent's relationship seemed to grow, part of me was impatient and just wanted it to move faster. I've always liked when they worked together even when they were hating each other.
I also liked the bad guys (not literally). They were a group of crazies that you could really hate without feeling bad about it. You also didn't get the impression that there would be any redemption with this group.
The Bad: This is more like the sad. I understand the growth and people going in different directions, I was sad to see the main three not be as close as they usually are. With only a couple of books left in this series, it made me curious where they were going as a group in these final books. They also felt disconnected, especially Ivy. Where before we would see her reaction when something bad happened to Rachel, in this one we are told in one line, that Ivy was crazy with worry when Rachel was missing.
I'm also not sure how I feel about them not having any allies in the FIB going forward.
Overall: This was another great book in this series. What I liked outweighed what I didn't. I'll be interested to see where these storylines go. I also want to know who is funding this hate group. Here's hoping that this series ends with a bang and not a fizzle.

Rating: 4

New Releases ~ week of 10/15/2012

The Twelve by Justin Cronin (#2 in The Passage Trilogy)

Death in the Floating City by Tasha Alexander (#7 in Emily Ashton)
The Pilgrim by Paul Almond (#4 in Alford Saga)
Panther by Nelson DeMille (#6 in John Corey)
Toxic by Jus Accardo (#2 in Denazen )
Hidden by Marianne Curley (#1 in Avena Trilogy)
Seeking Crystal by Joss Stirling (#3 in Benedict)
Sleep No More by Iris Johansen (#17 in Eve Duncan Forensics)
A Place in Time by Wendell Berry (#10 in Port William)
Threads of Faith by Andrea Boeshaar (#2 in Fabric of Time)
Second Chance by Heather Brewer (#2 in Slayer Chronicles)
Unchained by J Lynn (#1 in Nephilim Rising )
The Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell (#20 in The Scarpetta Series)
Hidden by Kristin Cast, P C Cast (#10 in House of Night)
Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal (#2 in Maggie Hope)

Angel's Ink by Jocelynn Drake (#1 in The Asylum Tales)
Crewel by Gennifer Albin (#1 in Crewel World)
Beta by Rachel Cohn (#1 in Beta)
Fever by Kailin Gow (#4 in Fade)
Tier One Wild by Dalton Fury (#2 in Delta Force)
The Dead Man's Wife by Solomon Jones (#3 in Coletti)
The Witch's Initiation by Elle James (#1 in Dark Lords)
The Snow White Christmas Cookie by David Handler (#9 in Berger and Mitry)
Blood Lance by Jeri Westerson (#5 in Crispin Guest Medieval Noir)
Zom-B by Darren Shan (#1 in Zom-B)
Blind Destiny by Shiloh Walker (#7 in Grimm’s Circle)
Armageddon by Chris Grabenstein, James Patterson (#6 in Daniel X)

NBU's Art, Eats, & What Other

Art

Hansel and Gretel - Cake House
by Iricolor

Eats

This is from Cooking Books: Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

For the Cake

2 tablespoons finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed, light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
6 oz bittersweet chocolate - 2 ounces melted, 4 ounces finely chopped
1 cup buttermilk

for the icing

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon strong coffee
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar (it's a good idea to sift this, I found)

Cake

Oven preheated to 350, rack in center

Whisk flour, baking soda and spices and set aside. If you're using a stand mixer, fit it with the paddle attachment, set on medium, and cream the butter and brown sugar together until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs in one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. My mixture looked curdled at this stage, but Dorie says that's okay, so I believe her! Add the molasses and continue beating until the mixture is smooth.

Reduce speed to low and the melted chocolate and the sugared ginger.  Then add the dry ingredients in three stages, alternating with the buttermilk.  Begin and end with the dry ingredients.  Do not over mix the batter.  Fold in the chopped chocolate and pour the batter into your 9-in square baking pan.

Bake for 40 minutes until the sides start to pull away from the pan. My cake was domed, but it settled after a few minutes of cooling. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then take it out of the pan and cool to room temperature before icing.

Icing

Melt the chocolate together with the coffee in a double boiler.  Once the chocolate is melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter one tablespoon at a time.  Sift the confectioner's sugar over the mixture and stir it in.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it set for 10 minutes.  

Pour the icing over the center of the cake and spread it to the sides.  Let the iced cake sit for 30 minutes before cutting into 9 pieces. 


What Other  Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
This movie comes out in 2013. Interested in seeing more.

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee 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 do you think would make a great Halloween movie? Please explain in graphic detail of goriness…

A. I'm going with two and one already is a movie. My most recent read that would fit this is

Anna Dressed in Blood 

One of y favorite books in high school was Needful Things by Stephen King. Some scenes in the book and movie gave me nightmares.

Book Review ~ DawnKeepers

DawnKeepers (Nightkeepers #2)
by Jessica Andersen
published by Signet
genre: Adult, UF, PNR, Fantasy, Mythology

Summary (Goodreads): Though a Nightkeeper, Nate Blackhawk refuses to allow others to control his fate. The gods have even tried to influence his love life, sending him visions of Alexis Gray, a sleek blonde who is everything he’s ever wanted in a woman.

The two warriors can’t deny their attraction. But a frightening vision leads Nate to distance himself in spite of the intense passion he feels. Thrown together once more, they must reassemble seven Mayan artifacts that hold the key to preventing the end of the world…

My Thoughts: Mixed on this one. Even more than I was on the first book. I really enjoyed the UF feel of the good vs evil storyline. I also liked the Xibalan as the bad guys. They seemed more credible than the 2012 group from the first book. They also seemed to have more of a lasting presence going forward.
What made me rate this lower than book 1 was the romance.
I liked Nate he was one of my favorites of the group. He  fits the whole damaged Alpha male part of this couple. Alexis on the other hand was a big NO. She has been a snobby, stuck up sort since the beginning but that didn't bother me. What bothered me was her willingness to sleep with anyone for more power, while saying how in love with Nate she was and she believed completely in the whole destiny mates. Luckily the remaining available guys at the compound weren't interested in playing her game. It did lead to a great "letting steam off" fight between Nate and another. After all this happened, it made it impossible for me to believe them as a complete HEA.
Overall, I'm looking forward to reading the next book. I'm wanting to read more about Rabbit. He is my favorite Hot Mess. I like this better when I go into it as a UF book rather than PNR.

Rating: 3

New Releases ~ week of 10/8/2012

Path of Beasts by Lian Tanner (#3 in Keepers)

Have Monsters--Will Travel by Lila Dubois (#4 in Monsters in Hollywood)
Guardian by Heather Burch (#2 in Halflings)
Kiss of Death by Debbie Viguie (#2 in Kiss Trilogy)
Winter White by Jen Calonita (#2 in Belles)
The Brotherhood of Coronado by B K Bostick (#2 in Huber Hill)
Absolution by Susannah Sandlin (#2 in Penton Legacy )
Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay (#2 in Juliet Immortal)
Yellowfang's Secret by Erin Hunter (#5 in Warriors: Super Edition)
Pingo and the Playground Bully by Brandon Mull (#2 in Pingo)
The Bookseller by Mark Pryor (#1 in Hugo Marston )
The Secret Cellar by Michael D Beil (#4 in Red Blazer Girls)
Into the Woods by Kim Harrison (#17 in Rachel Morgan / The Hollows )
Sky High by Patricia Reilly Giff (#7 in Zigzag Kids)

The FitzOsbornes at War by Michelle Cooper (#3 in The Montmaray Journals )
The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens (#2 in The Books of Beginning)
Velveteen by Daniel Marks (#1 in Velveteen )
Fearless Love by Meg Benjamin (#7 in Konigsburg)
The Unfailing Light by Robin Bridges (#2 in Katerina Trilogy)
Prophecy's Child by Tish Thawer (#Companion in Ovialell)
Midnight Cravings by Joelle Sterling (#1 in Eternal Dead)
Mr. Terupt Falls Again by Rob Buyea (#2 in Mr. Terupt)
Becoming Holmes by Shane Peacock (#6 in Boy Sherlock Holmes)

Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee 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 do you hope to accomplish with your blog? Is it to one day become an author yourself, just for fun, maybe get some online attention, or maybe something very different?

A. Uhm, none of the above. I've said before that I started this to vent about a character. I still do this with my reviews. They are more stream of thoughts on the book rather than a true review. That's still my basic reasoning, a place to vent while also promoting books I like. (OK this may fall under the "for fun" option)

Book Review ~ Lover Reborn

Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood #10)
by J.R. Ward
published by
genre: Adult, Fantasy, PNR

Summary (full @Goodreads): Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment has been unrecognizable from the vampire leader he once was. Physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair, he has been brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel. Now, fighting once again with ruthless vengeance, he is unprepared to face a new kind of tragedy.

When Tohr begins to see his beloved in his dreams—trapped in a cold, isolated netherworld far from the peace and tranquillity of the Fade—he turns to the angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. But because Lassiter tells him he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed....

*I'll start by saying, I did not finish Lover Unleashed. While I like both V and Jane individually, when they are together as a couple they become too stupid for me to handle. I got through about 150 pages and the book seemed to be more them than Payne and Manny so I gave up.

My Thoughts: Based on the above, I didn't think I would go forward with this series. While I really like Tohr, I just thought I would be lost with not having read the previous book. This book seemed to pick up right after Lover Mine with nothing in between. Other than Manny being at the house, I never felt like I was missing anything.
I really felt for Tohr throughout this book. The guy just couldn't seem to get a break. All he wanted to do was be faithful to his (dead) shellan but in doing that he was slowly giving her something that was worth than the death she already had.
I still, after finishing the book, am not sure about No'One/Autumn. I like her but never felt any connection to her. That's not to say I did not like them together, I'm just indifferent to it. I was glad when Tohr gave her a new real name since she did not want to be called by the previous name he knew her by.
The last scenes were some of my favorites. From Tohr finally clicking and figuring out that act of sex was not him moving on, to the Fade ceremony and consequent reactions. Autumn's issue didn't really click for me until I read it, then it made perfect sense.
Lassiter is one of my favorite side characters and we got plenty of him and it just made me want more. I was glad when he showed up with dinner at the end.
The background stories were just that for me. While I don't like any at the moment, I found the BoB interesting. I actually like Xcor more than Throe but want to get to know all of them better. The complications of anything between Xcor and Layla adds another dimension to the battle between this group and the brotherhood.
John and Xhex. The drama between them just wasn't needed for me. I understood the parallels that were being drawn but didn't need them to add to the drama of Tohr's stroy. I was glad when it came to some kind of ending but feel like it may keep coming up.
Quinn and Blay. This is the real reason I read this book. I want to read the next one and felt I would be too lost missing the two books before it.

Rating: 4

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.

Sapphire Blue (Edelstein Trilogy #2)

by Kerstin Gier

published by Henry Holt and Co

expected release date: October 30, 2012

Summary (Goodreads): Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

 

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

**I really enjoyed the first one, looking forward to finding out where the story and characters go.

New Releases ~ week of 10/1/2012

**It's the beginning of the month so the list is long :)

Ever Fire by Alexia Purdy (#2 in A Dark Faerie Tale )
Death's Rival by Faith Hunter (#5 in Jane Yellowrock)
Fury's Kiss by Karen Chance (#3 in Dorina Basarab, Dhampir)
Mate Claimed by Jennifer Ashley (#4 in Shifters Unbound)
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (#3 in Heroes of Olympus)
Dark Storm by Christine Feehan (#23 in The Carpathians (Dark))
Deadly Patterns by Melissa Bourbon (#3 in Magical Dressmaking Mystery)
If Mashed Potatoes Could Dance by Paige Shelton (#2 in Country Cooking School Mystery)
Phantom Shadows by Dianne Duvall (#3 in Immortal Guardians)
Feedback by Robison Wells (#2 in Variant)
Wicked Whispers by Nina Bangs (#6 in Castle of Dark Dreams)
Darkness Rising by Pete Nelson, Lis Wiehl (#2 in The East Salem Trilogy )
Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks (#9 in World of the Lupi)

Spirits of the Season by Phoebe Rivers (#4 in Saranormal)
Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi (#1.5 in Shatter Me)
Unlocking the Spell by E D Baker (#2 in Wide-Awake Princess)
Rev It Up by Julie Ann Walker (#3 in Black Knights Inc.)
The Mysterious Madam Morpho by Delilah S Dawson (#1.5 in Blud)
Echo of the Reich by James Becker (#5 in Chris Bronson)
Poison Princess by Kresley Cole (#1 in Arcana Chronicles)
Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones (#1 in Darklight)
Ironskin by Tina Connolly (#1 in Ironskin )
Reflected in You by Sylvia Day (#2 in Crossfire)
Edge of Oblivion by J. T. Geissinger (#2 in Night Prowler )
Ember's Kiss by Deborah Cooke (#8 in Dragonfire )
Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein (#1 in Fated Blades)
Passenger by Andrew Smith (#2 in The Marbury Lens )
Whispers at Moonrise by C C Hunter (#4 in Shadow Falls)

Redoubt by Mercedes Lackey (#4 in Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles)
Savage Hunger by Terry Spear (#1 in Heart of the Jaguar)
Ghost of Memories by Barb Hendee (#5 in Vampire Memories)
Promised by Caragh M O'Brien (#3 in Birthmarked)
Revelation by Erica Hayes (#1 in Seven Signs)
My Regelence Rake by J L Langley (#3 in Sci-Regency)
The Trouble With Highlanders by Mary Wine (#2 in War of the Roses)
Sultry with a Twist by Macy Beckett (#1 in Sultry Springs)
The Silence by Alison Bruce (#4 in DC Gary Goodhew Mystery)
Beauty and the Bounty Hunter by Lori Austin (#1 in Once Upon a Time in the West )
The Thursday War by Karen Traviss (#10 in Halo)

Invisible Murder by Agnete Friis, Lene Kaaberbol (#2 in Nina Borg Mysteries)
Undeniable by Alison Kent (#1 in Dalton Gang)
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M Valente (#2 in Fairyland)
Son by Lois Lowry (#4 in The Giver Trilogy )
Just Grace, Star on Stage by Charise Mericle Harper (#9 in Just Grace)
The Geneva Trap by Stella Rimington (#7 in Liz Carlyle)