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Month in Review: April

April 30, 2011

I have seen a few blogs around the blogosphere lately doing this monthly post, and I thought it’s such a great idea! Me, too! Me, too! ;-) Hopefully I can remember – and make sure – to do this every month. Here’s hoping!

Books Read in April

  1. Falling Under by Gwen Hayes ~ 5 stars
  2. The Inadequate Conception by Lori Green LeRoy ~ 2.5 stars
  3. Pegasus by Robin McKinley ~ 3.5 stars
  4. The Raising by Laura Kasischke ~ 5 stars
  5. Slippery Willie’s Stupid, Ugly Shoes by Larry Peterson ~ 4 stars
  6. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly ~ 4.5 stars
  7. The Night Season by Chelsea Cain ~ 2.5 stars
  8. Mommy Whispers by Jenny Lee Sulpizio ~ 5 stars
  9. Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe ~ 3.5 stars
  10. The Demon Trapper’s Daughter by Jana Oliver ~ 4.5 stars
  11. That’s When I Talk to God by Dan and Ali Morrow ~ 5 stars
  12. The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker ~ 2.5 stars
  13. How to Be God’s Little Princess by Sheila Walsh ~ 4 stars
  14. The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton ~ 4.5 stars
  15. Eat Your Peas, Faithfully by Cheryl Karpen ~ 4 stars
  16. The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder ~ 4 stars
  17. So Shelly by Ty Roth ~ 3 stars
  18. My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares ~ 3 stars

Top 5 Books Read in April

  1. Falling Under
  2. The Raising
  3. The Demon Trapper’s Daughter
  4. The Four Ms. Bradwells
  5. Revolution

Progress in Challenges

  • Mystery & Suspense: 6/12
  • iChallenges: 7/10
  • Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge: 1/21
  • Wish I’d Read That: 3/20
  • 100 Books in a Year: 49/100

Special Events

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Review: My Name is Memory

April 30, 2011

My Name Is MemoryMy Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares

Summary (from Goodreads): Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together, and he remembers it all. Daniel has “the memory”, the ability to recall past lives and recognize souls of those he’s previously known. It is a gift and a curse. For all the times that he and Sophia have been drawn together throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. A love always too short.

Interwoven through Sophia and Daniel’s unfolding present day relationship are glimpses of their expansive history together. From 552 Asia Minor to 1918 England and 1972 Virginia, the two souls share a long and sometimes torturous path of seeking each other time and time again. But just when young Sophia (now “Lucy” in the present) finally begins to awaken to the secret of their shared past, to understand the true reason for the strength of their attraction, the mysterious force that has always torn them apart reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together.

My Thoughts: I loved it until it was over …

I’m not exaggerating. While it wasn’t a knock-me-off-my-feet novel, I still really enjoyed it. I liked the characters, and I love how it was written. I love the narrative of the present-day events with the past – long past – events interwoven throughout. I love that those past stories are told in first-person from Daniel’s perspective. The reader gets a very clear view of how much he loves Sophia and how pure his love for her is. What a shame that she cannot remember as he can, that she cannot recognize him.

There were some predictable occurrences, which I’ll keep secret for you to find out for yourself – you might not find it all predictable. There also were some larger-than-life occurrences, things that are quite beyond the realm of possibility. I know the whole reincarnation thing isn’t all that logical, but it’s more so than – oh, let’s say an hours-long swim in a storm-tossed ocean …

But, I was able – and quite willing – to overlook much, if not all, of that predictability and unbelievable stuff. The novel really is very, very good. Very well-written, and very compelling. Again, I just hated the ending. I felt that there was no closure, and I was left wanting too much more to be satisfied.

Questions (minor spoilers, highlight to read)
Is Daniel successful in stopping his brother, and does he return to Lucy? Do they get to finally be together? What about the baby? Does Lucy keep it? Does she tell Daniel – even if by letter?

Way, way too many BIG questions left over for me to be happy.

My Rating: 3 stars

Source: Received through Crazy Book Tours for review.

Read It: Get your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Challenges: Counts for 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 and the Wish I’d Read That Challenge 2011,

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Book Beginnings & The Friday 56: Attachments

April 29, 2011

AttachmentsBook Beginnings is hosted at A Few More Pages, and The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda’s Voice.

For both of these, I’m using the same book, an ARC of Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, which I’ll be starting later today.

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Book Beginnings on FridayHow to participate:

Share the first line (or two) of the book you are currently reading on your blog or in the comments. Include the title and the author so we know what you’re reading. Then, if you feel so moved, let us know what your first impressions were based on that first line, and let us know if you liked or did not like the sentence. The link-up will be at A Few More Pages every Friday.

Would it kill you to get here before noon? I’m sitting here among the shards of my life as I know it, and you … if I know you, you just woke up.

My interest is definitely piqued.

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The Friday 56Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post in the Linky HERE.

You missed quite a night.

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Preview Starcrossed

April 28, 2011

StarcrossedI have seen a lot of buzz about Josephine Angelini’s Starcrossed – at least online. Here’s the synopsis:

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

I was lucky enough to get to read an ARC of this book last month, and it is GOOD. So far, I’d dare say it’s my favorite book of 2011. Yes, it’s that good. It reminded me of a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, among other works – Romeo and Juliet being the most prominent. Kinda ironic, as it’s rooted in Greek mythology. Anyway, I did write a review, so check it out. I’ll wait …

So, why am I writing this? No, I’m not just plugging this book (although I have no problems with doing so). I just wanted to share that you can get a preview of the book online! In fact, the first 99 pages of the book are posted! I guarantee you will be sucked in by that point. (Don’t believe me? Read THIS post. Again, I’ll wait …)

So, what are you waiting for?

Go check it out!

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Third Sentence Thursday: My Name is Memory

April 27, 2011

Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which waits with bated breath for third sentences from all over the world!

1) Take the book you are reading now and post the third sentence
2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)
3) Post a link to your sentence HERE or if you don’t have a blog, just post it in the comments!

My Name is MemoryHere’s mine:

I have died countless times. I forget precisely how many times. ~ My Name is Memory (ARC) by Ann Brashares

This is actually the second and third sentences, as the third one alone just didn’t seem enough for me. This is a book I’ve been (not-so-) patiently waiting to get my hands on! I’m kinda reading it with some trepidation, expecting it to be another tearjerker. I’m guessing (just from having read the synopsis, and about the first third of the book) that it’s along the lines of The Time Traveler’s Wife. I’m hoping I’m wrong.

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Series Readers: This Site’s for YOU!

April 27, 2011

I don’t actively seek out series. Series seem to find me. And, often, I don’t even know I’m getting sucked into a series until it’s too late. I read a book’s description, and decide I want to read it. I find out either after I’ve finished, during reading, or after obtaining (but before reading) the book that it’s part of a series. And, usually, when this happens, it’s not the first book in a series.

Of course not. Why would it be?

Enter FictFact.

This site is specifically about series. And let me tell you, I wish I’d known about this a long time ago. I have no idea how old/new the site is, but I know I’ve been missing out. Now, when I have a book I know is part of a series, I can make sure it’s in the order I believe it to be. And it helps you keep track. When  you’ve read part of a series, you can mark it “read” and the site will tell you what’s next. If you’re caught up, it tells you. If there are more books to come, it tells you that, too. If you know of a series that isn’t yet on the site, they take your submissions. (I requested they add Josephine Angelini’s Awakening series, and they did in a matter of hours!)

FictFact is a fabulous site that I am so glad to finally have learned about. If you are like me and need help with keeping track of all those series – or if you’re not like me and you just want to have an easy way to keep track of series – come join me!

A HUGE thank you to Jennifer, at Reading with Tequila, for her post about FictFact, which got me on board.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday: My Name Is Memory

April 27, 2011

Whatcha Reading WednesdaysThis is from Busy Moms Who Love to Read. This week’s rules: Type in the sentence that you are currently reading. (Remember to indicate any spoilers!)

My Name is MemoryHere’s mine:

“You’re such a doubter, Lefty. Just come.”

“I haven’t slept in two nights,” Lucy argued. “This place is a dump. I need to clean up.”
~ My Name Is Memory (ARC) by Ann Brashares

You can participate by leaving your WRW teaser in a comment below, or you can make a post on your own blog and share the link on the linky in this week’s post.

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