2011 July

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

July 31, 2011

It’s hard to believe it’s already time to talk about Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW) this year! It’s a fun week in which book bloggers get to celebrate each other and recognize just how much work we put into what we do. Book blogging really is a labor of love!

This year they aren’t allowing self-nomination, but book bloggers still need to register. You need either a Google profile or a Twitter account to register, and can do so HERE. There are daily posts and prizes and all sorts of fun. Last year I didn’t participate as much as I’d planned, but sometimes life just gets in the way!

After you register, don’t forget to grab a button HERE and spread the word! The more we have participating, the more fun we’ll have!

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Review: After Obsession

July 31, 2011

After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel

Summary (from Goodreads): Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can’t stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something-or someone- is haunting them. They’re wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it’s neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It’s Alan’s cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life-and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her.

My Thoughts: What to say … what to say. First, the cover. GORGEOUS. I love it. It looks even better holding the book in my hands than it does on the screen! I can’t stop looking at it! No, I know, you don’t want a review of the cover. LOL I’m getting to the book, I promise!

After Obsession is creepy but very good. It’s almost as creepy as it is good. The creep factor is VERY high, so if you spook easily, you might want to read this in broad daylight. (Start early in the day so you can finish by night!) If you like things that go bump in the night, then read late to maximize the creep factor! I started this in the afternoon and ended up almost finishing it at about 2 a.m. (I stayed up reading waiting for my hubby to come to bed because I was too creeped out to turn off the light! LOL ) I finished the last couple of chapters first thing this morning.

After Obsession is an absolutely fabulous book. Absolutely. I’m so glad I took a chance on this one, because it really paid off. What amazes me the most about it is the dual authors. I don’t know how collaborations work generally speaking, but in this case Carrie Jones wrote Aimee’s chapters and Steven E. Wedel wrote Alan’s chapters. I had NO IDEA it was done that way until I read an interview at the end of the book! You know what that means, right? It means it was written so well that it was impossible to notice that each character had a different author! How cool is that? Another amazing thing is that Wedel apparently writes a lot of horror, but some of the creepiest parts are written by Carrie (sorry, Steven)! And, to my knowledge, she’s primarily known for YA writing, not generally of the horror variety! Oh, and there’s humorous passages throughout, too. Just an amazingly written book.

Aimee and Alan are really neat, really strong main characters. They both grow a lot through the course of the novel. The only thing I didn’t like was their instant attraction – I just didn’t feel it. I don’t know how to explain it, but it just didn’t work for me. By the end, though, they’re acceptable as a couple, but I still don’t feel them as perfect together. I don’t know what it is. Maybe I was just too focused on the spooky stuff, so the romance seemed a bit out of place. I dunno. I almost docked the book a half of a star for this, but decided against it. I think the amazing joining of two writers’ amazing abilities plus the exceptional use of Native American mythology (not sure if that’s the right word) is done so well that I just don’t think it deserves to be docked. After Obsession deserves a full five stars.

In case you can’t tell, I would highly recommend After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel.

Source: Received through Around The World Tours for review.

Read It: After Obsession is scheduled for release on September 13, 2011. You can pre-order 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 the 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge.

Find me on Goodreads.com >>

This review is part of Book Review Party Wednesday.

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10 Comments Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 100 Books in a Year Challenge 2011, 4.5 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, Carrie Jones, paranormal, Steven E. Wedel, YA

Review: Prom and Prejudice

July 30, 2011

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Summary (from Goodreads): From the much-buzzed-about author of THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB (already blurbed by Stephenie Meyer, Lauren Myracle, and Jen Calonita), a prom-season delight of Jane Austen proportions.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date.

After winter break, the girls at very prestigious, girls-only Longbourn Academy are obsessed with the prom, which they share with the equally elitist, all-boys Pemberly school. Lizzie Bennett, who attends Longbourn on scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be – especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London

My Thoughts: What a fun twist on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice! I found myself smiling a lot, especially toward the last third (or so). With that said, I think it’s essential to elaborate a bit. This is a modern-day adaptation of the classic novel, complete with e-mail and cell phones. It’s also very condensed, which I suppose is fitting given the target audience. Despite the updating of the times (and that it takes place in the U.S. instead of England), Prom and Prejudice is amazingly accurate. I love how the names are the same – or almost, in some cases, like with Darcy, who is William instead of Fitzwilliam. The characters are very similar to their namesakes, and their personalities definitely measure up. But, I felt that some – especially Darcy – weren’t very realistic. While some teenagers have chips on their shoulders or are aloof, I just don’t see a modern-day teen boy acting in the manner he acts – or talking the way he talks.

Still, Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg is a great book, and I think teenage girls will gobble it up. And, you know, it just might serve as the perfect introduction to Pride and Prejudice.

Source: Borrowed an e-copy through ebookfling.

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 Follow that Blurb Reading Challenge (sending me to The Hunger Games – squee!).

Find me on Goodreads.com >>

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11 Comments Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 100 Books in a Year Challenge 2011, 4 stars, Elizabeth Eulberg, Follow that Blurb, Jane Austen, kindle, Pride and Prejudice, review, YA

Review: The Awakening

July 29, 2011

The Awakening by L.J. Smith

Summary: Elena Gilbert is a pretty, popular teen who was orphaned when her parents were killed in an accident. Despite the tragedy, her life has always been normal and wholesome. Until the beginning of the school year, when two new vampire brothers show up to shake the peaceful universe at Robert E. Lee High.

My Thoughts: I’m not sure what I was expecting, but The Awakening by L.J. Smith was a huge disappointment. I only finished it because it’s a fast, easy read. If it was a longer book, or written in a way that makes it slower to read, this would have been a DNF.

Why? One word: Melodrama. Oh, yes, this book is overly melodramatic. I found myself rolling my eyes over and over and over – it’s amazing I didn’t get dizzy while reading. (I couldn’t help but think a few times that I could see how this translated into a popular CW network show!) Why else? I couldn’t connect with or feel for any of the characters. They’re flat, one-dimensional, and just not in the least bit relatable.

Words I rarely, if ever utter/write: I don’t intend to continue with this series. Despite the HUGE cliffhanger ending, one book was more than enough for me. (And, believe me, this is HUGE. I don’t think I’ve ever given up on a series before!)

Source: I purchased my own copy (then promptly gave it away).

Challenges: Counts for 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011 and iChallenges 2011.

Find me on Goodreads.com >>

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7 Comments Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 1 star, 100 Books in a Year Challenge 2011, iChallenges 2011, L.J. Smith, paranormal, The Vampire Diaries, YA

Book Beginnings and The Friday 56: Prom and Prejudice

July 29, 2011

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

Today’s book is an e-copy of Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg. As such, I’ll pick from 56% for The Friday 56 part!

Summary:

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise.

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How 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.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date.

This is all it takes for the reader to know that this story is very much based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice!

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Rules:

*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.

I had even been looking forward to work more, as it was my only real social interaction during the week.

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2 Comments Filed Under: Memes Tagged With: Book Beginnings Friday, The Friday 56

Blog Tour: 40 Days to Better Living

July 29, 2011

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

Dr. Scott Morris

and the book:

40 Days to Better Living–Optimal Health

Barbour Books (July 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From the time Scott Morris was just a teenager, he knew he would do two things with his future—serve God and work with people. Growing up in Atlanta, he felt drawn to the Church and at the same time drawn to help others, even from a very young age. It was naturally intrinsic, then, that after completing his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia he went on to receive his M.Div. from Yale University and finally his M.D. at Emory University in 1983.

After completing his residency in family practice, Morris arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1986 without knowing a soul, but determined to begin a health care ministry for the working poor. He promptly knocked on the doors of St. John’s Methodist Church and Methodist Hospital in Memphis inviting them to help, and then found an old house to refurbish and renovate. By the next year, the Church Health Center opened with one doctor—Dr. Scott Morris—and one nurse. They saw twelve patients the first day and Morris began living his mission to reclaim the Church’s biblical commitment to care for our bodies and spirits.

From the beginning, Morris saw each and every patient as a whole person, knowing that without giving careful attention to both the body and soul the person would not be truly well.

Visit the author’s website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Many of us would admit to being a little out of balance these days. We all want to feel happier, healthier, and more vibrantly alive. What if in just 40 days we could reach a new level of wellness and balance that we’ve never experienced before? In 40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health (Barbour Publishing, July 2011), Dr. Scott Morris, founder of Church Health Center, the largest faith-based clinic of its type in the United States, offers a straightforward and successful plan to get there.

The first in a series of striking full color health and wellness books by Dr. Morris and the Church Health Center staff, 40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health confirms and clarifies what many of us already suspect: living the life we’ve always wanted must go deeper than a diet and exercise program and an occasional attempt to “do better.” Morris is convinced that to achieve the highest degree of wellness requires a multi-dimensional approach and a concentrated effort to be healthy in both body and spirit. He believes, “True health is grounded in the spiritual life that embraces the physical bodies God gives us.” Morris adds, “Instead of the absence of disease, I see health as the presence of those elements that lead us to joy and love, and that drive us closer to God. Finding balance by nurturing our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical needs is essential to the real health of the whole person.”

40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health offers clear, manageable steps to life-changing attitudes and actions in a context of understanding and grace for all people at all points on the journey to optimal health. With plenty of practical advice, spiritual encouragement, and real stories of those who have found a better life, this simple and skillfully crafted book inspires readers to customize their own path to wellness by using the 7-Step Model for Healthy Living as a guide:

· Nutrition: pursuing smarter food choices and eating habits

· Friends and family: giving and receiving support through relationships

· Emotional life: understanding feelings and managing stress to better care for yourself

· Work: appreciating your skills, talents, and gifts

· Movement: discovering ways to enjoy physical activity

· Medical care: partnering with health care providers to optimize medical care

· Faith life: building a relationship with God, neighbors, and self

Product Details:

List Price: $7.99
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Barbour Books (July 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616262648
ISBN-13: 978-1616262648

AND NOW…THE FIRST PAGES (CLICK ON PAGES TO SEE THEM BETTER):

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Review: Stork

July 29, 2011

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Summary: Family secrets. Lost memories. And the arrival of an ancient magical ability that will reveal everything.

Sixteen-year-old Katla LeBlanc has just moved from Los Angeles to Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, Katla soon finds out that she’s a Stork, a member of a mysterious order of women tasked with a very unique duty. But Katla’s biggest challenge may be finding her flock at a new school. Between being ignored by Wade, the arrogant jock she stupidly fooled around with, and constantly arguing with gorgeous farm boy and editor-in-chief Jack, Katla is relieved when her assignment as the school paper’s fashion columnist brings with it some much-needed friendship. But as Homecoming approaches, Katla uncovers a shocking secret about her past — a secret that binds her fate to Jack’s in a way neither could have ever anticipated. With a nod to Hans Christian Andersen and inspired by Norse lore, Wendy Delsol’s debut novel introduces a hip and witty heroine who finds herself tail-feathers deep in small-town life.

My Thoughts: I had a blast reading Stork by Wendy Delsol. I absolutely loved the incorporation of Norse mythology, which is such a nice change from the more popular use of Greek/Roman/etc mythology. This is a very unique story with unique characters and events. I really thought it was a lot of fun to read. Kat and Jack are great main characters, and both are quite easy to like. Add to it some humor thrown in there a bit, and you have a winning combination!

Mild Spoilers

That said, there were some predictable parts. For one, it was little surprise when Grim came to the rescue – and I suspected she was the one protecting Kat when the truck went out of control. I also had a sneaking suspicion about Jack, although the Frost part was unexpected. Wade as Raven was very surprising to me.

I really, really liked Stork, and am looking forward to reading Frost, the next chapter of Kat’s story. And, initially, I wanted to give it 4-4.5 stars, but after a couple of weeks, I think that’s not enough.

Source: My local library.

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 the 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge.

Find me on Goodreads.com >>

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