Mini-Review: Perfect Strangers

Perfect Strangers by Rebecca Sinclaire
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 320 (ebook)
Source: Author
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google +
Buy it: Kindle | B&N

Description:

Gabrielle Carelton is one of Queen Elizabeth's most devoted ladies-in-waiting. But her loyalty is put to the test when Her Majesty commands her to marry Scotsman Collin Douglas. When Gabrielle is kidnapped by Collin's twin brother, not even Good Queen Bess can save her. Dubbed the Black Douglas, devilishly handsome Connor is known throughout the land for his magnificent feats of strength and cunning. But now he is in need of an heir. An English bride will bring peace to the warring nations - and give him the son he craves. What he doesn't expect is a woman as passionate as she is proud - and a desire that knows no boundaries. Set against the pageantry and savage splendor of 16th-century England and Scotland, here is the story of a man and a woman who begin as enemies and strangers - and find a love that will triumph against all odds.

My Rating:

This story completely took me by surprise as it was authentic, unpredictable, and cute.  Gabrielle must marry against her wishes, but there is a mix up and she ends up with the wrong brother. There are lots of twists and turns so any additional plot synopsis would give the fun away.  I thought the romance was sweet. the plot engaging, and the characters fun.  I liked how all the characters were different and had a more complex side than what was initially introduced to the reader.  I was slightly irritated at the constant reminders that Gabrielle was overweight and not very pretty.  I got it but I didn't need it on every page.  I understood that it played into her self-esteem but really, I just wanted to focus on the romance.

Review: Bound

Bound by C.K. Bryant
Crystor Series #1
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance
Pages: 365 (Ereader)
Author's Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia, has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive.

My Rating:

My Review:

Why I Love Wednesdays... Favorite Childhood Character

I am returning with my new feature... Why I love which takes place on Wednesdays. Today's proclamation of love concerns our Favorite Childhood Character

Why I Love...Laura Ingalls

Growing up, I got most of my book recommendations from my mother, at least initially.  I loved reading Nancy Drew and all the other books that my mom read because even when I was younger, I loved discussing books.  If I read books that someone else read (my mom) I would have someone to talk to about them.  I haven't changed much have I?  

One such series brought to me from my mother was the Little House on the Prairie books.  Although this series was centered around the entire Ingalls family, I, of course, became fast friends with Laura herself.  From the beginning I recognized Laura as a complex character who was smart but often had to learn lessons the hard way.  She was always trying to show her dad that she could do so many things and I loved reading about the bond between her and her father.  When the series first started Laura was pretty young and I loved growing up with her (I felt the same about Anne from Anne of Green Gables).  Of course I was fascinated by this completely alien world in which she lived but I only loved hearing about these adventures through her eyes.  It was the first time I learned about covered wagons and the hardships of that time.  I remember feeling truly sorry for Laura when I realized she had to go outside for the bathroom.  It's been a long time since I read this series but I remember loving it, and talking to my mom about a plucky girl by the name of Laura.

Which childhood characters do you remember and love? Feel free to create your own post and link up.  Don't want to create an entire post?  Tell me your favorites in the comments.  Thanks for stopping by for another week of Why I Love Wednesdays!!

If you want to play along, feel free to grab the image (there is a button on the right sidebar now) and link your post in the linky. Here goes.

LINKY INSTRUCTIONS:

When naming your link, please choose the name of your post. Mine would say "Why I Love...Rhett Butler."

Please link directly to your post and not your blog.

Please participate :)

Previous Why I Love Wednesday Posts

Review: Hexed (Audiobook)

Hexed by Kevin Hearne
Iron Druid Chronicles #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Length: 8 hours 52 minutes
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Author's Website
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | Audiobook | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

Atticus O'Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn't care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they're badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II. With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor's rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex

My Rating:

My Review:

Daily Dose: Calvin & Hobbes Read... Kind of

Daily Dose is a weekly meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly. If you'd like to participate in daily dose you simply make a post on Monday with a bunch of images you find magical and possibly inspiring to readers.

Today's daily dose is inspired by a bit of nostalgia.  When I was teaching, I often used comic strips when I wanted to get to a particular aspect of the lesson quickly, I needed new material so students could practice practice practice, or I didn't have time to take account of the different reading levels and reading speeds.  One of my favorite go-to comic strips was Calvin & Hobbes.  I still have a couple of the books.

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Dewey's #Readathon Wrap-Up

After participating in Dewey's Read-a-thon for the third time, I just wanted to wrap-up and share some quick thoughts while everything was fresh on my mind.

First, this has to be my favorite bookish event.  I really love setting aside a day and telling everyone to leave me alone while I do what I do best, read.  On top of that, other book lovers are doing the same thing at the same time so it's a social event as well.  I just love it and I can't wait for the next one.  

This was my first time actually sticking it through till the very end and let me say, that was so hard.  I almost felt abused.  Lol.  Part of my problem is that I didn't get but three or four hours of sleep the night before so I really struggled.  This time I was able to convince both my mom and my grandmother to participate and we had a blast.  Grandma made it to hour 18 and Mom made it to hour 22.

I finished four books:  Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, Veil of Night by Linda Howard, The Sweetheart Hoax by Christy Hayes, and The Bungalow by Sarah Jio.  I started but did not finish Soulless by Gail Carriger.

Favorite mini-challenge: I don't remember what it was called but it was the food fight one.  It was late and when Ashley said she would throw spaghetti at me, I had to come up with something good. It was extra funny when mom and I were trying to come up with something and our brains were so fried.  That one really woke me up and brought lots of laughter.

A few lessons learned this time around:

• I need to stop fighting my love for socializing.  Once I stop feeling guilty about blog hopping and tweeting (a lot), I had more fun.
• SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE!  Next time I'm self-medicating.
• There needs to be a CAPTCHA intervention.  Really.  Mom was a cheerleader and I felt bad for her.  She was getting so frustrated.  I finally just told her to stop.  One of the problems with Captcha is it often doesn't show up until after you try to post the comment.  Uhhh she signed up for 3 hours of cheerleading and those were the most frustrating hours for me as well.
• It's important to do quick updates every hour I think because toward the end, it is hard to tell who is awake.
• Plan for recovery!!  I had to wake up and get on the road to get back to school and didn't really think much about the after part.  
• Physical books for the later hours...my eyes were so tired.

Honestly, there are different things about each readathon that are better than others..  But one of the consistent things is the fun you have and friendships you make while participating.  Especially during the later hours.  You have this "we are all in this together" mentality.  I also discover new bloggers.  It is really my favorite part.

Dewey's Read-a-Thon: Hours 19-24

This is the time of night where it gets soooo quiet on the internet.  I'll skirt around looking for people who are still giving it a go.  I'm pretty alert.  In fact, I'm actually worried about going to sleep when the readathon is over.  I'm that alert.  Ooopsey! Maybe too much coffee.

Dewey's Read-a-Thon: Hours 13-18

Wow, I can't believe we are half way done!  I've accepted that I'm going to spend a significant amount of time checking on friends and tweeting.  I'm over it.  I'm reading, socializing, and rolling with it!

Dewey's Read-a-Thon: Hours 7-12

I'm a little late switching to this update page. I feel like the readathon is zooming by. It's crazy.  It was probably a bad idea to choose so many e-books cause I need a charge... Hmm...

Mini-Challenge: Turn to Page...

Hey Read-a-thoners!!  Have your warmed up and settled in yet?  Are you feeling the excitement?!  We are still early yet, but you might start feeling like a nap doesn't sound so bad.  Never fear, we have a challenge just for these moments.  So grab your coffee/tea, stretch those muscles, and grab your read.  It's challenge time!!

For this challenge, you must turn to page 32 of the book you are currently reading (or the nearest page with text on it) and find the most entertaining phrase to complete the following sentence:

"I would rather read than ________ any day!"


For example, mine might say: "I would rather read than spend hours at that windows, staring at the garden any day!""


Post your sentence in the comments so everyone may enjoy!  Don't forget to include the title of the book you are reading and your email so I can contact you.  Let the laughs begin :)  Push through we've got tons of reading fun ahead.

On winner will be chosen at the end of hour 8 and the winner may choose a book of their choice from the Book Depository (or Amazon) under $15.  This challenge is open to all read-a-thoners who have a mailing address that the Book Depository ships to.

Happy Reading!!

Dewey's Read-a-Thon: Hours 1-6

I had such a hard time going to bed last night because I was so excited.  It's 7am here and I probably won't be okay until 10 but it's all good :)

I don't want to flood everyone' readers so I will create a new post every six hours.   I will post updates throughout the event and follow my twitter pretty closely.  I will post new links on twitter as well.  If you stop by, make sure to comment so I can return the visit and cheer you on!

Here goes!

Review: Miranda's Big Mistake

Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell
Genre: Chick-Lit
Pages: 424 (Ereader)
Author's Website
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

Miranda's track record with men is horrible.

Her most recent catastrophe is Greg. He seems perfect—gorgeous, witty, exciting. And he and Miranda are in love… until Miranda discovers he left his wife when he found out she was pregnant. With the help of her friends, Miranda plans the sweetest and most public revenge a heartbroken girl can get. But will Miranda learn from her mistake, or move on to the next "perfect" man and ignore the love of her life waiting in the wings… Even the worst mistake of your life can lead to true love in the end…

My Rating:

My Review:

Why I Love Wednesdays..." First Meet" Scene

I am returning with my new feature... Why I love which takes place on Wednesdays. Today's proclamation of love concerns our Favorites "First Meet" Scenes.  This basically describes the memorable time when characters meet for the first time.

Why I Love...The 1st Time Charlotte & Wilbur Meet

I had to go back to old school for this one.  One of my favorite introductions of characters occurs in Charlotte's Web when Charlotte, a spider, greets, Wilbur the pig.

"Salutations!" said the voice.
Wilbur jumped to his feet. "Salu-what?" he cried.
"Salutations!" repeated the voice.
"What are they, and where are you?" screamed Wilbur. "Please, please, tell me where you are. And what are salutations?"

When Wilbur gets it together he looks up and realizes that he is talking to a lady Grey spider who he finds to be pretty.  I think that is sooooo cute.  I mean, really.  I pig finding a spider pretty is kind of cute especially in a children's book.  But what I remember most about this scene is what happens next.  Charlotte wraps up another bug to drink it's blood and grosses Wilbur out.  Lol.  So  much for cute.

I know I'm a dork but for some reason, it is so much easier for me to remember scenes like this in books that I read when I was younger than the scenes I read these days.  I wonder why that is...

Which "First Meet" scenes do you love? Feel free to create your own post and link up.  Don't want to create an entire post?  Tell me your favorites in the comments.  Thanks for stopping by for another week of Why I Love Wednesdays!!

If you want to play along, feel free to grab the image (there is a button on the right sidebar now) and link your post in the linky. Here goes.

Teaser Tuesday... Bound

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

My Teaser: This week's teaser comes from Bound by C.K. Bryant.

Nothing here belonged to her, not even a place to lay her head  The fact that this was not her home hit her hard, and she was homesick--even if home was merely a symbol of her abandonment.

Be sure to share a link to your teaser!

Dewey's Read-a-Thon: Book List

ONE WEEK TILL GAME TIME!!

I've started to compile my book list for the read-a-thon. You can tell I'm excited because I seriously think about this event for a month in advance and start planning on the little details. Laugh at me if you like, but I learned the hard way that planning is key. With read-a-thons and with life. But read-a-thons mostly.

So here's my book list.  Why so many you ask?  Well I learned from friend from Wall-to-Wall books that you have to have to pick more books than you know you'll read.  I've learned that my brain becomes pretty finnicky around hour 23 and combing my bookshelf for more books at that point can make anybody grumpy.

I tried to do this cute little series reading thing last time around.  Well it wasn't as cute as I thought and it didn't inspire me to get off of twitter and read.  So I'm just going for whatever this time around.

Stand-Alones: 1. The Sweet Heart Hoax 2. Garden Spells 3. 22 Brittania Road             4. Haunting Violet 5. The Bungalow 6. Veil of Night Series (Back-up): 1. Soulless & Changeless 2. The Sweet Scent of Blood and The Cold Kiss of Death

Mom and I are getting together for this read-a-thon.  This will be the first time that we will be giving it a go together.  She's shared her list as well and she is more decisive than I am.  Here's Mom's reading list:


1.  Mine till Midnight
2.  When Strangers Marry
3.  Listen to Your Heart
4.  Mockingjay





Sooo...any thoughts on the books we've chosen. For those of you who are participating, have you picked out your books? What are they?


If you haven't signed up for Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon, you are missing out and you should sign up RIGHT now!  Worried about not making it the entire 24 hours?  No worries...I don't make it either.  Just do what you can.  It will be fun anyway.


Update:  Snacks!!  I know it seems like a lot, but mom and I are betting that dad and my brother join in when it comes to eating the food.  We made sure there was enough for them too (just in case).