Monday, May 3, 2010

What are you Reading Monday - May 3


Come post weekly and see what others are reading too just so you can add to your tbr - I always do! For more information see Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books and join in!

Books Completed Last Week:

  • Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves (for YA Bloggers Debut Book Battle)
Reading Now:
  • Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard (for YA Bloggers Debut Book Battle)
  • Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell (from Sourcebooks for review)
  • The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (library)
  • The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova (review/audiobook)
Next:

  • The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark (library)
  • More Than Words Volume 6 by Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers and Maureen Child (Review)
Summary -

It was a slow week for reading, due to a busy week with the family, my youngest son turned 5 this week and that along with t-ball kept me busy.  I also did a bunch of sewing on Saturday and no reading so that took a lot of my time.  I enjoyed it though and I'm ready to do some more reading this week.  The big challenge - trying to decide which book to choose for my bracket in the YA Bloggers Debut Book Battle - is it Bleeding Violet or Prada and Prejudice.  Stay tuned next week to find out!

Book Review: Caught by Harlan Coben


Caught by Harlan Coben
Publisher: Dutton
Publish Date: January 1, 2010
Hardcover, 400 pages


My Review:
Tell No One was my first Harlan Coben novel and I read it 2-3 years ago.  I found it at a yard sale and had no clue who Harlan Coben was.  Needless to say I fell in love with that book.  I read it in one sitting and have read each of his stand-alone new releases since then.  So of course I grabbed Caught when it came out (I was third on the library list).

Caught did not disappoint. This is one of those great stories that shows how things and people that are seemingly very different can be linked to each other.  It was a non-stop thrill ride and if I didn't have two kids now and a busy spring season I would have read this in one season.  Coben does not disappoint. 

Caught has a great plot and interesting characters.  I didn't like Wendy to begin with, but she fully redeemed herself in my eyes and became a very likable character.  I also loved the fact that I never could quite figure out where the book was going.  I would think I had it figured out and then Mr. Coben threw another twist at me.  If you like fast-paced suspense with lots of twists and turns then Harlan Coben's Caught is for you. 


My Rating: 4.25/5.0
About the Book:
Wendy is a reporter on a mission: She's chasing down the lowest of the low-sexual predators-and exposing them on national television. Her big break comes when she nails a child advocate who works with abused and underserved children. She's there, cameras rolling, when the cops cuff him and the guy realizes his life is well and truly over.

Three months later, the perp is off the grid, missing and presumed dead after the father of a victim claims to have killed him. Wendy, proud to have taken the man down in front of a shocked television audience, has moved on to the story of a missing girl, Erin, in a nearby suburb. The whole country is obsessed with finding this child, and Wendy should be well on her way to journalistic superstardom.

Then is all comes unhinged: Wendy gets a phone call that changes everything. A group of local fathers, out of work and not above vigilante justice, begins to take matters into their own hands on Erin's behalf. Secrets long-buried rise to the surface and Wendy begins to wonder if her assumptions that fateful night three months ago were based on solid investigative journalism-or if she has unwittingly been part of a grand manipulation aiming to destroy an innocent man.

About the Author (from Goodreads.com):
International bestselling author Harlan Coben's last seven novels, The Woods, Promise Me, The Innocent, Just One Look, No Second Chance, Gone for Good, and Tell No One have appeared at the top of all the major bestseller lists, including The New York Times, Book Sense, The Times (London), Le Monde, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as many others throughout the United States and the world. His most recent book The Woods (2007) was a bestseller on lists across the country including USA Today, Publishers Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Nielsen Bookscan and Entertainment Weekly. Promise Me and The Woods were both named one of the best thrillers of the year by Library Journal. Coben's books are published in 38 languages and have 40 million copies in print world wide. His new novel, Hold Tight, will be published in the U.S. on April 15, 2008.
In his first books, Coben immersed himself in the exploits of sports agent Myron Bolitar. Critics loved the series, saying, "You race to turn pages...both suspenseful and often surprisingly funny" (People). After seven whodunit books Coben moved away from Myron Bolitar. "I came up with a great idea that simply would not work for Myron," says Coben. The result was the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller Tell No One, which has been credited by many as reinventing the thriller and which became the most decorated thriller of 2001 Ð nominated for an Edgar, an Anthony, a Macavity, a Nero, and a Barry; winner of the Audie award for Best Audio Mystery/Suspense Book; and a #1 hardcover book on the Book Sense 76 list. Coben followed the success of Tell No One with the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Gone For Good (2002), No Second Chance (2003), Just One Look (2004) , The Innocent (2005), Promise Me (2006) and The Woods (2007).

Coben's unique take on the American dream has struck an international chord. Bookspan, recognizing his broad appeal, named No Second Chance its first ever International Book of the Month in 2003.

Since 1995, Harlan Coben has won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award, the Private Eye Writers of America's Shamus Award, and the Anthony Award Ð the first writer to win all three. In 2004 he was shortlisted for the Author of the Year Award for the British Book Awards, dubbed "The Oscars of the Book Trade." He was the first American to make the list.

Tell No One, Coben's first stand alone novel, was released as a film in France in 2006. A runaway smash, Tell No One has grossed over $32 million in France and Variety called the film, "a sharp, efficient package." Tell No One was directed by Guillaume Canet (Mon Idole), and features an all-star cast including Kristin Scott Thomas (Gosford Park), Nathalie Baye (Catch Me If You Can), and Marie-Josée Croze (Munich). The movie will be released in theaters in the US in the summer of 2008. FOX TV has purchased the rights to Coben's popular Myron Bolitar series for a pilot by Bones creator-executive producer Hart Hanson.

A graduate of Amherst College, Harlan Coben was born and raised in New Jersey, where he still lives with his wife, Anne Armstrong-Coben. Harlan and Anne have four young children and two dogs.

FTC Information: I checked this book out from the library.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.


Friday, April 30, 2010

April Summary

April Summary 


  1. Asking for Trouble by Sandra Byrd - read 4/6 - rating 4.5/5.0
  2. Sworn to Protect by DiAnn Mills - read 4/8
  3. A Most Improper Magick - read 4/10
  4. White Cat by Holly Black - read 4/10
  5. Double Love by Francine Pascal - read 4/11
  6. Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze - read 4/15 
  7. Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason - read 4/17
  8. True Blue by David Baldacci - read 4/18
  9. Hush by Kate White - read 4/20
  10. Love Will Keep Us Together by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt - read 4/21
  11. Flaherty's Crossing by Kaylin McFerrin - read 4/22
  12. Secrets of the Playboy's Bride by Leanne Banks - read 4/24
  13. Caught by Harlan Coben - read 4/25
  14. Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves - read 4/30 
  15.  
Review books:10
Library Books: 2

Books from my bookshelf: 2


Progress in Challenges: 
So how was your reading month?

Want to check out what others read in April - check out Mr. Linky at Alaine - Queen of Happy Endings Month in Review post .

 



Winners

It's time for another winners post.  I had several giveaways end over the last few days so here goes.

For the National Library Week giveaway, the winner is:
Angie

Thanks to everyone who commented on this one - I loved seeing how each of you love the library and now I don't feel alone with the amount of books I request and check out.

For My Own Personal Soap Opera by Libby Malin, the winners are:
Helen Kiker (already won at another site)
Cheryl F
Freda Mans

For The Darcy Cousins by Monica Fairview, the winners are:
Teresa
Amanda

Beautiful People by Wendy Holden, the winners are:
Simply Stacie
Melissa

Stay tuned for more giveaways in the coming weeks.

Giveaway: PACE: The 12-Minute Fitness Revolution by Al Sears, MD


PACE: The 12-minute Fitness Revolution by Al Sears, MD
Publisher:Wellness Research and Consulting
Publish Date: February 1, 2010
Paperback,  298 pages



About the Book:

PACE is the only doctor-designed program proven to help you reclaim a young, lean and effortlessly energetic body in as little as twelve minutes - guaranteed! PACE is a growing revolution. It's already practised by thousands of people in dozens of countries around the world. PACE overturns years of failed ideas and exercise advice. "PACE" upends current exercise trends by revealing their flaws and offering a more effective, more natural way of moving our bodies. This book will show you how to replace the flawed and ineffective theories the have been mistakenly accepted without proof with what really works. Join the PACE revolution and your body will soon become naturally strong and resilient. You'll join the cutting-edge group of thousands who now feel energised, motivated, and ready to take on any challenge. And the best news is that joining the PACE revolution takes on average only twelve minutes per day. PACE is the only doctor-designed program proven to help you reclaim a young, lean and energetic body in as little as 12 minutes - guaranteed!


Giveaway:
Megan Renart of Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists is giving away 2 copies of PACE: The 12-minute Fitness Revolution by Al Sears, MD to the readers of this blog. Simply comment to enter.  Additional entries for following (rss, email, blogger, networked blogs, etc.), tweeting (1 per day), posting on your blog (sidebar is fine).  Please comment for each entry - it makes the accounting easier.   Giveaway open to US/Canada only, no PO boxes.  Don't worry if you are first or last - I'm starting to randomize all entries before using random.org to draw a number - so it's more like drawing a name out of a hat.  Giveaway runs through May 10, 2010.




Thursday, April 29, 2010

Book Review: White Cat by Holly Black

White Cat by Holly Black (Curse Workers #1)
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publish Date: May 4, 2010
Hardcover, 320 pages


My Review:
I read this during the read-a-thon and really enjoyed it.  It captivated my attention from the start and kept me interested so I was able to finish in a few hours and pretty much read it start to finish.  This was my first book by Ms. Black and I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to more books in the Curse Workers series.

First off, what I loved about this book is the completely different world it is set in.  This isn't your mere vampires or werewolves paranormal.  No, this is far more real.  The setting is modern-day America, but with a spin of a breed or type of people with magical powers.  And there are different magical powers, bordering on the simple to the much more complex.  Add in the mob and it gets very interesting.  I enjoyed watching the world unfold slowing through this book and look forward to it being expanded on in future books.

For the characters, Cassel was definitely intriguing.  He is brought up in a family of workers but he thinks he isn't one, and then one night he finds himself on top of a building at school ready to jump and he's not sure how he got there.  He does have one secret in his life and it is one he and his family share and he doesn't want that to come out, but there is something mysterious about that night that he just can't figure out.  He's definitely a wounded hero and he's just trying to make sense of his life.  His brothers also are interesting and I spent the story trying to figure out if I liked them or not.  There are lots of shades of gray in this book and that is one of the intriguing things about it. There is humor, a darkness and a realness to this book through the plot and the characters.

And I think that is the key to this book for me.  The realness. Even though it is a paranormal and it is very edgy, you can see this kind of world existing, in fact it does in a way.  It's just something you have to read to understand.  If you like the edgier side to young adult paranormal then this is the book for you.  If you aren't sure then this is the book to try.  I just can't recommend it enough and as I said before I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment.

My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About the Book:
Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love -- or death -- and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

About the Author:
Holly Black is the bestselling author of the Spiderwick series. Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, was an ALA Top Ten Book for Teens, received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and has been translated into twelve languages. Her second teen novel, Valiant, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Locus Magazine Recommended Read, and a recipient of the Andre Norton Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Her third teen novel, Ironside, the sequel to Tithe, was a New York Times bestseller. Her new novel, White Cat, is coming Summer 2010. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. (From Amazon.com)

Holly's website:  http://blackholly.com/
Holly's Blog: http://blackholly.livejournal.com/
Join Holly on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/hollyblack

FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Book Review and Tour: How Do You Tuck In a Superhero? by Rachel Balducci

 

How Do You Tuck in a Superhero? And Other Delightful Mysteries of Raising Boys by Rachel Balducci
Publisher: Revell
Publish Date: April 1, 2010
Paperback,

My Review:
When I first received the offer to review this book I was intrigued.  I am a mom to two boys so this sounded like just the book for me.  And my first impression was right on the money.  How Do You Tuck in a Superhero is filled with quick little stories to read about what life is truly like in a houseful of boys.  Now Rachel Balducci has me beat - she actually has 5 sons (and I thought 2 was enough).  I think any  mom of boys can relate to the stories in this book.  I know they had me laughing out loud and sighing right along with the author.

It's a quick and easy read and very enjoyable - it's also a great pick-me-up for the end of a long day.  Just read one of the stories and you are bound to relate to it, and then either feel better or end up dying laughing.

I'm off to check out her blog now as it sounds like it is right up my alley as well.
About the Book:
When Rachel Balducci looks for material for her writing, she doesn't have to look far. Her subject matter can be found climbing through the window, hanging on to the edge of the roof, and always at the refrigerator. Here she chronicles the exuberant, awesome life of boys through conversations overheard, rules she's been forced to make, and the many episodes of boy behavior that continue to mystify mothers worldwide. From the care and feeding of her team, to travels out in public, to their wide-eyed adoration of Walker, Texas Ranger, this laugh-out-loud celebration joyfully explores the sweet and wild side of boyhood.

About the Author:
Rachel Balducci is a writer and the mother of five lively boys. Her website, www.testosterhome.net, has been nominated for several awards. Rachel is a former staff writer for the Augusta Chronicle and has been published in numerous magazines, including Good Housekeeping, Faith and Family, and The Word Among Us.

 

Available April 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
 
Thank you to Donna Hausler at Revell for sending me this book for review. 
 
 
CymLowell