What are you Reading Monday - September 6

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 

• Manifest by Artist Arthur (review) 
• Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler (review)
• Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers (review)
• The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff (review)
• God is in the Pancakes by Robin Epstein (review)

Reading Now:

• Definitely Dead (audible on my Kindle)
• Tough Customer by Sandra Brown (audiobook in car)
• The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark (review)
• Crusade by  Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie (review)

Next:

• She's Gone Country by Jane Porter
• Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette
• The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
• Candor by Pam Bachorz
• Last to Die by Kate Brady
• Re-read of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins to prepare for:
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Reviews completed this week (books read before this week):

• Firelight by Sophie Jordan
• A Change of Heart by Shari Mauer
• Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder
  

Other books still need to review:

• Wings by Aprilynne Pike (library) 
• The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (mine)  
• The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz
• Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs (audiobook)
• Matched by Ally Condie (review)
• Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs (audiobook) 
• Evermore by Alyson Noel (library)  
• Spells by Aprylynne Pike (library) 
• The Candidates: Delacroix Academy by Inara Scott (review) 
• Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford (review)
• Nightshade by Andrea Cremer  (review)

Summary -

Wow - Hurricane Earl made this an interesting week.  I did get some reading done during the storm though.  Thankfully it stayed off our coast, but there was a day there that I was really worried.  I hope Earl continues to stay off the coast and damage is minimal up and down the east coast.

Earl meant my kids were out of school two days and I worked from home one of those which made for a busy and overwhelming day.  My blogging suffered for sure because after trying to concentrate and work with two boys unhappy with each other, the last thing I wanted to do was compose reviews and blog posts.  Here's hoping that next week gets back to normal and I can get some of my backlog of reviews done.

Best of the week:  Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers, oh my this book had it all, hot boys, a girl with spunk, demons, angels and a lot of fun.  Frannie was such a great character, she really made the book and I look forward to  more books from Ms. Desrochers.

Get a Free Book from Author Irene Ziegler

Remember this book I reviewed last week, Ashes to Water by Irene Ziegler (I gave it 4.75/5.0) - I loved this book and now is a great time for you to purchase this book.  Here are the words straight from the author, Irene Ziegler's offer through Goodreads:

Buy ASHES TO WATER, get the prequel, RULES OF THE LAKE FOR FREE.

Is that a deal or WHAT?

From now until September 6, if you purchase ASHES TO WATER, I will send you the prequel, RULES OF THE LAKE for FREE!

BUT WAIT! That's not all!

To sweeten the deal even more, you can save 15% if you buy online at Barnes & Noble. Click on the link below and use coupon code: N7Y9U9J

(Here are their terms: 15% off the highest-priced item in your cart. Not valid on textbooks or nook. Expires 9/6/10.)

Just scan your receipt and email it (along with your address) to iziegler2@gmail.com. I'll pop RULES OF THE LAKE into the mail lickety-split.

OR

If you have Paypal, you can buy from me directly, and I'll honor the discount. That comes to $22.05. Add $3 for media mail postage, we'll call it a day. My PayPal ID is my email address.

Whaddaya got to lose? Nuthin! Check out the reviews on Goodreads and/or my website.

Questions? (What's not to understand about FREE?) Email me at iziegler2(at)gmail(dot)com.

Yep. Free book. That's what I'm sayin.


Message from Irene:
Here's your chance to move ASHES TO WATER from your 'to-read' shelf to your 'own it' shelf. B&N discount is only good through the 6th, but I'll honor it through the 10th. As those cheesy commercials say, ACT NOW! See www.ireneziegler.com for details, reviews, and purty pictures.

See who else going and get more info:
http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/94373?al=MTg0NDQ5Ng==-ac3dca1daacaacbb50e8e81cf7884925916b1531&si=true&utm_medium=email&utm_source=event_invite

Book Review: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

 
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publish Date: January 5, 2010

Hardcover, 432 pages
Young Adult

My Review:
Why I read this: The description sounded great and I had heard wonderful things about Lisa's books so I wanted to give it a try.

How is the novel driven:  Character, it's all about the development of Brooklyn and Nico.


My thoughts:  I read my first book written in verse a month or two ago and was pleasantly surprised.  So this is my second book read in verse and I have learned I really enjoy novels written in verse.  I am going to make sure I read I Heart You, You Haunt Me also by Lisa soon.  I will no longer pass on a book written in verse, because I might be missing out on an amazing book.

Chasing Brooklyn is an amazing book.  I felt like I was right there with Brooklyn and her grief, and what she was going through as she got to know Nico.  For Nico's parts I felt I was with them as well.  Their grief was obvious and their ways of dealing with it were different and the truth was neither were actually dealing with it until they got to know each other.  The story is haunting and beautiful.  I could hardly put it down because I wanted to know what would happen next and whether these two lost souls could finally find happiness.  The ghost aspect was interesting as well.  It made the story eerie and gave it a little more depth and an explanation how Nico and Brooklyn could get to know each other.

Great characters, real situations, running, ghosts and a wonderful plot make this book a must read for those who love young adult novels.

My Rating: 4.75/5.0

About the Book:
Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

About the Author:
Lisa Schroeder is the author of I Heart You, You Haunt Me, Far from You, and Chasing Brooklyn. She lives in Beaverton, Oregon.

Her Website
Blog

FTC Information: I received this book through 1 ARC Tours 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.

Book Review: Change of Heart by Shari Maurer

 
Change of Heart by Shari Maurer

Publisher: Westside Books

Publish Date: April 23, 2010

Hardcover, 294 pages
Young Adult

My Review:
Why I read this: When I saw it on tour, I read the blurb and thought it sounded really interesting, so I signed up.

How is the novel driven:  Character, it's all about Emmi and those around her and how they affect her life.  The character development is wonderful and I felt like I was right there with Emmi.


My thoughts:  I wasn't sure I was in the mood for this one when I started reading it, but mood didn't end up being a problem.  From the beginning of the book I was drawn into Emmi's life.  At times I saw her a very selfish and uncaring person, but then after getting a little further in the book you really begin to understand her and her actions.  How would it feel to be the girl on top of the world, a star soccer player with a promising college career looming.  A new and exciting boyfriend, good friends and a great year ahead when suddenly you are sidelined with a heart condition and a need to have a heart transplant.  Talk about life doing a 180.  Emmi's life does just that.  Change of Heart was a look into Emmi's life just before the illness, during the transplant procedure and after as she is learning to navigate life again.

Add into the equation two boys, Sam the handsome baseball player who develops an interest in Emmi just before all of this happens and Abe, the boy she meets who is a fellow transplant patient.  Emmi's interactions with both boys resonated with me and felt very real.  How she dealt with everything felt real.  No punches pulled, and even though I have never been in this situation I now feel I can understand it a little better.

Change of Heart is a book that will grab you from the first page and leave  you at the end wanting more.  And this is not because the ending is left open, but because you will really like Emmi and want to learn more about her and she will stay with you after the book is done.  The story is one that teaches you and encourages you and makes you thankful for your life.  It's beautifully written and I look forward to more books from Shari Maurer in the future.


My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About the Book:
Shortly after her sixteenth birthday, popular varsity soccer star Emmi comes down with an ordinary virus. But when she doesn't bounce back as always, she gets the worst possible news--she's had myocarditis that's destroyed her heart, putting her into congestive heart failure. This formerly energetic teen can now barely walk across a room without having to stop and rest. And the prognosis is bleak: without a heart transplant, she'll die in a matter of months. It's only her growing friendship with Abe, the funny, smart boy she meets in the cardiac clinic that finally cheers her up. But difficult questions race through her mind while she waits: Will she get a heart in time? Will she even survive the surgery? What if her body rejects the heart? When tragedy strikes close to home, Emmi must rely even more on her inner strength in order to carry on.

About the Author:
Shari Maurer's life has always been full of "heart." Married to a cardiologist, she is the co-author of The Parent's Guide to Children's Congenital Heart Defects. After graduating from Duke University and NYU, she spent six years at the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) working on International versions of Sesame Street and other kids' programs. Shari lives in New City, New York, with her husband, Mat, and their children, Lissie, Josh, and Eric. Change of Heart is her first young adult novel.

Her Website
Twitter 
Facebook
Blog

FTC Information: I received this book through 1 ARC Tours 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.

Kindle Giveaway Blog Tour Announcement

KINDLE GIVEAWAY BLOG TOUR

Author Scott Nicholson and Amazon are giving away two Kindles as part of his fall book blog tour from September through November, including a stop here at My Reading Room on Sept. 27. A Kindle DX will be given away through the participating blogs, and a Kindle 3 will be given away through the tour newsletter. A Pandora's Box of free ebooks will be given away through Nicholson's "hauntedcomputer" Twitter account.

"The digital era coincides with Act II of my career," Nicholson said. "The Kindle has broadened many people's horizons and given readers more power than ever, and this is an opportunity to celebrate them and the book bloggers who spread the word."

Nicholson is author of 12 novels and five story collections, as well as four comics series and six screenplays. His paranormal thrillers The Red Church, Drummer Boy and Speed Dating with the Dead have all hit #1 in the Kindle "Ghosts" category, and his new releases are the sci-fi thriller Forever Never Ends and the multiple-personality romp As I Die Lying.

As a bonus, if Nicholson hits the Top 100 in the U.S. or U.K. Kindle Store during the tour between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, he will give away an extra Kindle 3 through the blogs. Sign up for the newsletter at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to get daily links to the participating blogs. Winners will be selected at the Watauga County (NC) Public Library in December. No purchase necessary, and the contest is international. Co-sponsored by Kindle Nation Daily and Dellaster Design. Details at www.hauntedcomputer.com.

You can also check out this video link for more information:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLWZ4h1KOy0

August Summary

August Summary 

1. The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer - read 8/1/10
2. Freefall by Mindi Scott - read 8/2/10
3. Matched by Ally Condie - read 8/3/10 
4. Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs - read 8/4/10 
5. Chill of the Night by James Hayman - read 8/5/10
6. Evermore by Alyson Noel - read 8/7/10
7. Spells by Aprilynne Pike - read 8/8/10
8. Catwalk by Melody Carlson - read 8/8/10 
9. Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner - read 8/11/10 
10. Firelight by Sophie Jordan - read 8/13/10
11. The Candidates by Inara Scott - read 8/15/10
12. Inner Circle by Kate Brian - read 8/16/10 
13. The Phantom Diaries by Kailin Gow - read 8/17/10
14. Legacy by Kate Brian - read 8/18/10
15. What I Learned From Being a Cheerleader by Adrianne Ambrose - read 8/20/10
16. Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs - read 8/20/10 
17. Elffolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis  - read 8/24/10 
18. Chasing Brooklyn - read 8/25/10 
19. Ashes to Water by Irene Ziegler - read 8/26/10
20. The Perfect Family by Kathryn Shay - read 8/27/10
21. Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford - read 8/29/10
22. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer - read 8/29/10 
23. Manifest by Artist Arthur - read 8/31/10 

Review books:17
Library Books:5
Books from my bookshelf: 1


Favorite of the month: 

Progress in Challenges: 

• Support your local library challenge: 39/75
• 100+ Reading Challenge: 146/225
• 2010 Pub Challenge: 32/30
• A Tournament of Reading Challenge: 1/3
• Debut Author challenge: 19/20
• Twenty Ten Challenge: 12/20
• Audio Book Challenge: 15/20
• What's In a Name 3 Challenge: 5/6
• Romance Challenge: 13/20
• Finish That Series Challenge: working on this one
• Take Another Chance Challenge: need to work on this one
• 2010 Reading From My Shelves Project: 1/30
• 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 88/75
• Awesome Author Challenge: 3/10
• Countdown Challenge 2010: 51/55

So how was your reading month?

Book Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight by Sophie Jordan (Draki Book #1)

Publisher:Harper Collins

Publish Date: September 14, 2010

Hardcover, 336 pages
Young Adult Paranormal

My Review:
Why I read this: I was fascinated by the premise.  Draki are different from the typical werewolves and vampires so I wanted to see what Ms. Jordan did with this book.

How is the novel driven:  Tough call, there are events, but I think the characters and learning about Jacinda and Will and the others in their groups is what really drives the novel.

My thoughts:  Wow.  That's pretty much it in a nutshell.  I was fascinated by this book and had a hard time putting it down.  I loved seeing a new world, one inhabited by Draki.  Jacinda made a fascinating character.  She is very desired by her group to be joined with the alpha male of the group soon because of her special skills, but when she makes a mistake one day and her mother learns of what the group plans to do to her, her mother takes Jacinda and her sister and goes on the run.  Now Jacinda has to fit in at a regular high school and be a regular girl.  But she doesn't want that.  She doesn't want to lose the Draki part of her and being away from her group will do that.

Enter Will.  It's kind of like Romeo and Juliet.  Will's family hunts Jacinda's kind and though Will isn't really into it, the connection between the two of them can spell danger for Jacinda and others.

Ms. Jordan does a beautiful job of weaving the world-building with the story in this book.  I was fascinated by the characters and the Draki and the story kept moving at a great pace to keep me intrigued throughout.  The ending was satisfying, but has me looking forward to the next book.  If you are looking for something a little different in the paranormal YA fiction genre, then Firelight is the book for you.

My Rating:  4.5/5.0

About the Book:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.
About the Author:
Sophie Jordan grew up on a pecan farm in the Texas hill country, where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she's also the New York Times bestselling author of Avon historical romances. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she's not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler.

Her Website
Twitter 
Facebook
Blog

FTC Information: I received this book through Book It Forward Tours 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.