Teaser Tuesday - Luck of the Draw

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following to participate:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
Share the title &; author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

 

Teaser from Hardback - Page 129

When the two men got out to the street, Deke took in a deep breath of cold air.  "He's out there somewhere in the same conditions we are.. He's breathin' the same cold air and dealin' with the same dark streets.  We gotta get in his head somehow."

 

ARC Review - The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

Book Summary from NetGalley

Deep in the shadowy foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a dying town…

My name is Amelia Gray. They call me The Graveyard Queen. I’ve been commissioned to restore an old cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina, but I’m coming to think I have another purpose here.
Why is there a cemetery at the bottom of Bell Lake? Why am I drawn time and again to a hidden grave I’ve discovered in the woods? Something is eating away at the soul of this town—this withering kingdom—and it will only be restored if I can uncover the truth.

My Review - 4 Great to the last Drop
(I chose to read from NetGalley)

Amanda Stevens has a way with words, she creates a euphoric creepy atmosphere that you can visualise and at times feel.  Such a great build up with the mystery tension weaving around as you read.  I enjoyed taking my time and being fully engaged in the story, blocking everything else out.

Amelia knows she is different, not an outcast but different.  She has been requested to go restore another cemetery and when she gets there she doesn't understand the natural pull of belonging but in a scary way.  She is there to do a job and will fulfill it even though she knows she is not from breaking her fathers rules she is no longer safe and has put herself at mysterious risk.

Asher Falls has the feel of a ghost town, is it deserted or not, why does everyone stay in after dark, trying to stay safe when dusk falls.  All these questions and those around her purposely trying to make her uncomfortable.  If they are not they are either saving her from troubled situations or possibly manipulating her in some way.

Amelia continues to think about her forbidden feelings she has for Delvin, the haunted detective from The Restorer.  This causes guilty feelings when she starts to have a connection with Thane.

I would highly recommend reading this series in order, a great flow from one to the other but great on their own also.

The outcome of the mystery was perfect, the dark family secrets and Asher Fall, the overall pull Amelia felt while there and why she was the chosen restorer.  There were a few small unfinished business scenarios for me but they didn't take away from this fantastic creepy mystery.

A favourite quote

As I hurried along the path, my nerve endings tingled with an awareness I didn't understand.  It was as if some long-dormant instinct had suddenly come alive, and I could feel the forest reaching out to me, hear the leaves whispering to me once again. 

You can read the first chapter of The Kingdom and see the trailer here.

My Review

 Aren't all the covers lovely.  The Prophet due out April



January going far to fast, what are you reading?

Sheila over at Book Journey has an incentive for networking so go over and have fun while continuing to add to your 2012 Wishlist.

Can you believe it is the 22/23, where has this month gone already, unreal to me.  January hasn't been the best reading month for me so far, even had a reading slump, i'm hoping to read some good books this week at least.

I loved Amanda Stevens last year after reading The Restorer and The Abandoned.

I am currently reading Book 2, The Graveyard Queen series from NetGalley, enjoying it, make sure to start with The Restorer.





I completed

Also completed...

Next is a book for review

Review - Bedbugs by Ben H. Winters

Amazon Summary

Susan and Alex Wendt have found their dream apartment.

Sure, the landlady is a little eccentric. And the elderly handyman drops some cryptic remarks about the basement. But the rent is so low, it’s too good to pass up.

Big mistake. Susan soon discovers that her new home is crawling with bedbugs . . . or is it? She awakens every morning with fresh bites, but neither Alex nor their daughter Emma has a single welt. An exterminator searches the property and turns up nothing. The landlady insists her building is clean. Susan fears she’s going mad—until a more sinister explanation presents itself: she may literally be confronting the bedbug problem from Hell.


My Review - 3 More Sugar Please

I decided to pick this up after reading Kathy's review at BermudaOnion's Weblog

This had great buildup but a little to long and such a fast closing that it ended up weird, I thought, how odd and disappointing.

It did have a great creepy factor on the kindle version where it had bedbugs on each beginning page of Part 1, 2 and 3.  I am sure many felt as if something was crawling on them while reading, that was a good touch.  Enough detail to make you a little paranoid and unsure if Susan is paranoid, going crazy or really dealing with bedbugs.

I enjoyed the moving into a new home and then the irrational fear that no one else noticed or was affected by. Then I got mad about why her husband didn't notice and get her help or some ointment at least.  He did get her help but I think he was a little in denial also on how bad it really was.  Susan said this situation of dealing with badbugs is really bad but wow it hit both her and Alex like a ton of bricks.

I loved the scenario of dealing with bedbugs versus badbugs. 

When bedbugs latch on, they feast on blood for ten minutes and fall away;  badbugs feast not only on blood, but on body and soul.  And when they latch on, they feast forever.

The characters were classic horror characters; weird, unsuspecting and eccentric.

Today's Release - Fifty Shades Freed by EL James

I highly recommend you read this series in order.  The first was my favourite read for 2011 - you can go TWCS to order

My Reviews

Fifty Shades of Grey 5 star 

Fifty Shades Darker 4 star

Book Summary from The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House

When unworldly student Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged young entrepreneur Christian Grey, it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and ultimately repelled by Christian’s singular sexual tastes, Ana demanded a deeper commitment; determined to keep her, Christian agreed.

Now, together, they have more—love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of infinite possibilities. But Ana always knew that loving her Fifty Shades would not be easy and being together poses challenges neither of them ever anticipated. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own integrity, identity, or independence; Christian must somehow overcome his compulsion to control and lay to rest the horrors that blighted his past and haunt his present.

Just when it seems that together their love can conquer any obstacle, tragedy, malice and fate combine to make Ana’s worst nightmares come true. Alone and desperate, she must face down the poisoned legacy of Christian’s past.

Seductive, shocking, sad, and funny, Fifty Shades Freed is the compelling final volume in the Fifty Shades trilogy.


My ARC Review - 3 1/2 More Sugar Please

This trilogy started out with a bang, I loved every moment.  The 2nd was good and now the 3rd is good but only because I enjoy the characters, I wanted so much more.  I will continue to recommend the first one but the third just didn't make the mark.

I would categorise this as a Romance read, not my favourite genre so by 50% I was rather bored and disappointed. I wrote this from a past review It is categorized as Erotica but truly it is so much more, Suspense, Mystery, Romance and definitely Thrilling, oh and did I say hot!  What is hard for me is that all along the books have been Erotica but they were so edgy, I thought EL James took that away now, they not only enjoyed Vanilla sex in this one but I felt there personalities became 'normal'.  Christian seemed to change to much for me.  I understood the Freed part which we finally get to in the last 25% of the story which was great but things happened that would never in the real life of Christian but I think was purposely written as a 'meant to be' which is an eye roll in my world.

Ana was strong, risky and sexy in this one which I loved.  Totally topping from the bottom, loved this.  You will have to read to understand that term, possibly even know more about the BDSM lifestyle.  I had been waiting for this and wanted a steamy topping from the bottom playroom scene.  I will say that I am happy they found their forever lifestyle that works for them, that was hot.  Christian loves control but Ana was able to stand up to him like no other and help teach and free him.

Music was always a huge factor but this one Ana didn't know most of the songs, it became irritating the way it was done, one playroom scene the music was used amazingly well.

The other story lines were ok, I wasn't wow'd by them and they were to short for me to get engaged.  Overall, a ton of hot sexy scenes so if that is what you love to read, I highly recommend. It was the mystery and intensity of their relationship that made me first fall in love with Christian and Ana but overall in the end still an intriguing love story.

I love tie in covers for trilogy's, and these one's were perfect, giving a glimpse of the story in each.

Pdf on Kindle - How to Convert



I was reading an Amazon forum and someone mentioned how to convert pdf's, I tried it and it worked, so of course I have to share this wonderful news.

Easy Peasy.......

When an author is sending you a pdf or you have it on email and need to forward it to your kindle email in the subject line when you forward you put convert.

Yes, that is it, tried and proven by yours truly.

To be clear you need to send the pdf ebook to your kindle email putting convert in the subject line.

I have had my kindle for 2 years so this should work for all kindle devices.  I am able to use all the features, highlighting, bookmarking, change font etc.

It took me 2 years to figure it out but i'm not complaining.

Review - The Funny Thing is... by Elllen DeGeneres

My Review - 3 1/2 More Sugar Please

No need for a summary in my opinion.  If you are a fan of Ellen your expectations will be met, no surprises, with Ellen, what you see is what you get.  Ellen is silly and you enjoy laughing at her and with her.  At times I rolled my eyes, laughed out loud, giggled to myself and said what the hell is she saying, oh right, ok that is so Ellen why did I fall that crap, lol.

Hands down my favourite chapter was Working it Out, about parallel parking, exercise, specifically her personal trainer.  He tried to talk her out of eating ice cream and drinking more water, she told him she does, eating ice cream makes her thirsty, lmao.  The conversations with her personal trainer were flipping hilarious.

Another chapter was This is How We Live, this is about how technology and everything new makes it so easy for us.

We're just so lazy.  We used to have breath mints.  Now we have breath strips that just dissolve on our tongue.  Can we not suck anymore?

She is perfectly sarcastic when talking about opening packages for the first time including scissors which of course you need scissors to open.  CD's and batteries versus packaging of light bulbs, totally ridiculous but laugh out loud worthy. 

My favourite going down memory lane was the old telephone. This was after the cell phone stories.

Then the kitchen wall phone came along, usually a lovely mustard or an avocado green.  It had a ninety-foot-long cord that allowed you to walk all around the house, clearing tables, wrapping around dogs, so that by the time you hung up the phone, it had become this tangled wire of cord confusion.  But what was fun about it was that every once in a while you would hold the phone upside down by the cord and let that thing spin and spin, around and around, till it found its center.  Good times.

I have some chapters bookmarked so I can go back for a quick laugh when needed.  When you need a quick fix of Ellen and you miss her show, this is the way to go.  If you enjoy audiobooks I hear they are fantastic.

I think Ellen is such a fool but I love her just the way she is, don't want her to change.  I would love to see her in person.

This was great to get me out of my reading slump, but a week pretty much wasted and hard to accept.

 

Review - Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Book Summary from Random House

Dexter's well-organized life is suddenly disrupted when a second, much more visible serial killer appears in Miami. Dex is intrigued, even delighted, by the fact that the other killer appears to have a style reminiscent of his own. Yet he can't help but feel that the mysterious new arrival is not merely invading his turf but reaching out to him as well. This new killer seems to be doing more than copying Dexter—he seems to be saying, "Come out and play." Dexter's secret life makes for a lonely existence... even a lovable monster can be intrigued by the prospect of finding a friend.


My Review - 2 Not My Cup of Tea

This was a waste of my time, how I wish I could get my week back.  The show must be fantastic and people must rate the books from the show, impossible to enjoy in opinion.  For those that do enjoy I would have to guess that they are not fans of suspense, crime, thriller etc.  For those of us that love this genre we will get the undertone hints and roll our eyes.  This book read like a tv show, I knew when the commercials were coming, there was no sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation, totally blah. 

I did see some of the similarities with Dan Wells trilogy, I am not a Serial Killer but as you know I LOVED that trilogy, so good, John was my favourite character last year.  Now Dexter, I expected charming, sorry didn't buy it.  One of my pet peeves, women that come across as dumb, both his sister and the Detective in charge wore me down, I cannot handle that, the whole book was like a bad joke to me.

I considered this as a DNF but pushed through because it had to get better right, the climax at least would be great right, nope.  I'm so disappointed, reading this book had me roll my eyes one to many times and put me in a foul mood so if that comes across in this review i'm sorry but friends do not bother with this series.

Also, I had to stop the first chapter and make sure I was reading the 1st book, Dexter killed in the first or second chapter with no background.  Dexter has hunches on how to catch serial killer, we get because he is one but it just felt lame.  Throughout it didn't feel like the first book for some reason.

The best part of the book for me was about his step dad and the discussion about what Dexter was doing and to make good choices in the future.

As you can tell there is no way I will continue this series.  My brother loves the show and said I wouldn't have tried the books the draw to the show is the characters especially Dexter.  So if we must, try the show.

I give 1 ratings to DNF books that I truly attempted to complete so as I did complete this without skimming, it gets a 2.

It's Monday - What are you reading

Sheila over at Book Journey has an incentive for networking so go over and have fun while continuing to add to your 2011 Wishlist.

I'm currently reading - I'm not impressed, considered DNF but will push through it.

I started this since I wasn't enjoying Dexter

I completed and enjoyed - my review

I have no idea what will be next, I have went through my Wishlist and my Kindle for next read, nothing is shouting 'read me read me', sigh.  I can't even decide what genre.  Dexter has really screwed with my reading flow, a bad book slightly puts me in a slump, hate that.

Friday finds - True Crime and 1st Graphic Book

I found both of these books over at Sandy's blog You've GOTTA read this..... go read her review.

I got 2 for 1.  I have never read a graphic novel but this one sounds perfect, Green River Killer and some background she gave on the true crime novel The Stranger Beside Me.  Now this is a long book but I am so tempted. 

Have you read either, what did you think, leave your review if available.

Utterly unique in its astonishing intimacy, as jarringly frightening as when it first appeared, Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me defies our expectation that we would surely know if a monster lived among us, worked alongside of us, appeared as one of us. With a slow chill that intensifies with each heart-pounding page, Rule describes her dawning awareness that Ted Bundy, her sensitive coworker on a crisis hotline, was one of the most prolific serial killers in America. He would confess to killing at least thirty-six young women from coast to coast, and was eventually executed for three of those cases. Drawing from their correspondence that endured until shortly before Bundy's death, and striking a seamless balance between her deeply personal perspective and her role as a crime reporter on the hunt for a savage serial killer -- the brilliant and charismatic Bundy, the man she thought she knew -- Rule changed the course of true-crime literature with this unforgettable chronicle.





Throughout the 1980s, the highest priority of Seattle-area police was the apprehension of the Green River Killer, the man responsible for the murders of dozens of women. But in 1990, with the body count numbering at least forty-eight, the case was put in the hands of a single detective, Tom Jensen. After twenty years, when the killer was finally captured with the help of DNA technology, Jensen and fellow detectives spent 188 days interviewing Gary Leon Ridgway in an effort to learn his most closely held secrets-an epic confrontation with evil that proved as disturbing and surreal as can be imagined. Written by Jensen's own son, acclaimed entertainment journalist Jeff Jensen, Green River Killer: A True Detective Story presents the ultimate insider's account of America's most prolific serial killer. Green River Killer is bound to become a well-recognized member of the crime-genre graphic novel family, including titles like Darwyn Cooke’s The Hunter and Alan Moore’s From Hell.


 
 

Have a great weekend.

 

Review - The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Book Summary from Amazon

One moment can change everything.

 

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.
 
Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.
 
The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him.  And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

My Review - 4 1/2 Great to the last Drop

Imagine Kristin Hannah or Jodi Picoult writing in Verse. The Day Before reminded me of the emotion and heartbreaking story lines you read by them but Lisa Schroeder does it with lyrical ease that captures your heart.

The Day Before is about Amber and Cade meeting and spending the day having fun.  This was there promise to each other, no discussing the problems in their life that they were obviously running away from.  I enjoyed the simplistic way they met and how they just allowed the day to happen.  Both dealing with some hard responsibilities but enjoying the day before the inevitable.

A favourite part of the story that added another unique style to her Verse novels were the letters intertwined in the story.  These captured the intensity of Amber's dilemma and we are kept in suspense on Cade's dilemma which worked out well.

This story was just lovely.

Verse Novels are my simple pleasure and hands down Lisa Schroeder if my favourite Verse Novel author.

Post 2012 Serial Killer reviews here

If you would like to sign up for this challenge please go here for details.



Level of Participation

This Challenge is not about how many you read but finding the best of the best and 'remembering' to link your reviews.

Note - I will keep a list of all favourites and 5 star reviews to create a 'Personalized Bloggers List' for future years.

Next year I may include levels or mini challenges from what participants read in 2012.  Enjoy......


Link here and network with others that enjoy reading about Serial Killers.

eg. Marce (Book Title and Author)

Post Your 2012 Review here: I Want More Challenge

If you would like to sign up for this challenge please go here for details.


Level of Participation

Waited to long:   2 - 4 books
Give me more:    5 - 8 books
Never to much:   9 - 12 books

I look forward to all the reviews and choices of authors.


Link your reviews here

Top Ten Books I'm Excited To Read in 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

 

 

These are the one's I am excited to read, a few coming out this year, came out last year and some favourites of blogging friends.

 

I chose 12 for the new year 2012......  Ok Ok I just couldn't do 10, lol

   A Temptation of Angels



   The Mermaids Singing (Dr. Tony Hill and Carol Jordan Mysteries)



   The Bone Collector (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel)



   Heads You Lose



   Bedbugs



   The Human Bobby: A Novel



   Forbidden



   Sister: A Novel



   The Memory Palace



   Dirty Secret: A Daughter Comes Clean About Her Mother's Compulsive Hoarding



   Up from the Blue: A Novel



   The Missing Ink: A Tattoo Shop Mystery



I can't wait to see what you are excited to read.  If you didn't do meme, tell me 1 or 2 in the comments please.

What book started your year?

Happy New Year.  Sheila over at Book Journey has an incentive for networking so go over and have fun while continuing to add to your 2011 Wishlist.

First read of the year

I decided to start the year with my simple pleasure, a Verse Novel by Lisa Schroeder.  This one was on a few favourite 2011 lists also.

I completed this trilogy this year, the 1st was my favourite of the year.  My review.  Out Jan 19.

I think this is next, I have heard so much about the series.

If you are interested in my end of year posts, they are here:

2011 Favourites - You can link up yours also

2011 Stats

End of Year Book Survey