Book Review: Black Dagger Brotherhood: Dark Lover Book 1 by J.R. Ward

What a fun read!!! Ward has a great way of mixing old lore and new age all together to make a really fun, exiting fiction story that keeps you entertained for 300+ pages.

I really enjoyed learning about Beth and the brothers. All the different personalities mix together and you can tell it will be fun to learn more. I've heard the Zsadist/Bella book is the best, but I would like to know more aobut Wellsie and Tohr too! See? I've fallen in love with the whole bunch.

I hope we'll see more Beth and Wrath throughout the other books. I know they'll be about the other brothers, but I really liked Beth. I always enjoy a feisty heroine!

Excellent brain candy fun. These would be good beach/summer vacation reads!

I must be bored: ABCs of BooknerdBecca Thanks @rustysgirl8

I got an update from my girl Angel with this and I have nothing to do at work today and can't read, so I am doing this:

A. Age: 30

B. Bed size: Queen

C. Chore you dislike: I hate vacuuming and mopping with a fiery passion.

D. Dogs: A dalmatian named Bella who just turned 10 years old!

E. Essential start to your day: Hit the snooze twice then bring the Internet up on my phone to check my email while I let Bella out.

F. Favorite color: Greens of all kind!

G. Gold or silver: Silver!

H. Height: 5′ 4.75”<--- that three-quarter inch is important!

I. Instruments you play(ed): As a child I played the violion, viola, and cello. Had to give them up to be in choir.

J. Job title: Teacher/Corporate Trainer/Novel Beta

K. Kids: N/A

L. Live for ______: the moment.

M. Most embarrassing moment: My entire life has been a Murphy's Law experiment.

N. Nicknames: Bec, Becky, Birdie, Peanut, Bex, Crash, SugarBear, Ace Ventura, Zonagirlie.

O. Overnight hospital stays: I was born very premature so I spent a lot of time in hospitals my first few years. Then when I was 28 my GI system crashed so I spent a lot of time at hospitals again strangely enough, for a lot of the same things that were wrong with me when I was an infant.

P. Pet peeves: Chronic poor grammar, abusing/neglecting animals or children, littering. The list could go on.

Q. Quote from a movie: Head up, young person! - If you know this movie, you will be awesome to me.

S. Siblings: I have a 32 y/o brother named Rick, a 27 y/o sister in law named Lisa, a 32 y/0 brother in law named John, and a 28 y/0 sister in law named Jen.

T. Time you wake up: During the week about ten til 7, on the weekend it varies from 7am to 10am depending on the evening prior :)

U. University attended: University of Arizona

V. Vegetables: I like most vegetables. I am allergic to mushrooms though.

W. What makes you run late: Insomnia. I always end up exhausted and can't stop hitting snooze.

X. X-rays you’ve had: How much time do you have? Head, knees, fingers, wrists, shoulder/colarbone, spine/neck, jaw, teeth, ankles/feet... I'm accident prone.

Y. Yummy food you make: I love to make casseroles. I also love to bake breads and cupcakes for people. So far no complaints.

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Big cats. All of them.

Okay now your turn! Link me to your list! Can't wait to read them :)

Book Review: Realize by @kfwritesbooks AVAILABLE NOW!

Such a beautiful fun story of lust and love :)

When Kerry first asked me to beta for her I nearly fell down. I've been a fan of hers for a long time and follow her blog- http://kerry-freeman.blogspot.com

 

Here are my thoughts on her new story Realize:

I was hooked the moment I started reading. It's full of the awkward first love that we all go through, but there's also so much heart and soul in this story.

My only complaint was that it wasn't long enough! I wanted more Ryan and Will!!!!

And if we can get a sequel with the adventures of Nick, I'd be one happy lil camper :)

Here's a link to Kerry's blog where you can read a lil' snippet: http://kerry-freeman.blogspot.com/2011/03/excerpt-from-realize.html

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by @KamiGarcia & @MStohl

What can I say? I loved this book! And not just because my girl Michelle Hodkin sent me a book that Kami and Margaret signed for me!

I really enjoyed getting to know Ethan and Lena... I really wanted to know them. From very early on I was attached to both of them. Some books take me a while to care about a protag, but in this story, I wanted to know them and I did really care about what was happening from  very early on.

Lena is strong, but she is self-conscious as well. She's passionate and beautiful, but she's also temperamental and has a lot on her mind for a teenage girl.

Young Ethan stole my heart pretty fast as well. He's so head over heels in love with Lena, the Caster girl down the road. He knows that he shouldn't, but he does. His dreams of her haunt him before he even knows who she is, but when he meets her, he knows she's a missing piece and will do anything to help her. Even die.

The young language and fun conversations weave perfectly within the spell casting and otherworldly beings that seem to find their way to Ethan and Lena at every turn.

And then there are the humans. They cause more problems for Lena and Ethan than the creatures! The bigoted Southern town is a character in and of itself mixed with nuts, loons, and Daughters of the Revolution. I kept picturing Ethan's best friend Link's mom as Loralie's mom, Emily, from Gilmore Girls.

I truly enjoyed this story immensely. I wish that I'd had more time to dedicate to sitting down and reading it in one sitting rather than over an entire month. It is a long one, but it is definitely worth it. Kami and Margaret have a way with words and the demonic :)

I loved being wrapped up within a fun YA Romance that was mixed with the paranormal mystery. It was a fun mix and it worked very well. It really is a great mind vacation!


Now I need Beautiful Darkness! Michi, you wanna send me that one too?!

ARC Book Review: Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers @courtney_s

What an intense read!

I honestly took several breaks while reading this 200 some odd page book because the topic and subject matter as well as the power behind the language and emotions that were stirred up with this book... it was just so hard and intense.

Intense seems to be the word that keeps popping up when I describe this to others. I want people to read it. Courtney Summers did an incredible job with this story. You feel so much for Eddie and her family and friends.

You see how intricately laced we all are and how a small action changes so much and how one person can hurt so many others. The pain within the pages of this book can be both stifling and liberating. It feels good to go through the catharsis, but it also does sting.

Several times while reading, my stomach flipped and plummeted. But that is what makes this story so great. It's real and it's gritty along with the beauty. It's real life. There are parts of this book that will feel like a mirror and it will be uncomfortable, but then there are several instances where I found myself laughing or grinning like a tool as well.

There is a lot of pain in the story, but it's also incredibly beautiful and poignant. This is truly a wonderful read, I just personally struggle with death and depression because it brings up a lot of things I'd rather not think about.

It is truly a wonderful read and I would guess that most people would be able to plow through it in a few hours if that. It might have been hard for me to read, but I don't regret it in the least.

Summers did an amazing job with this story. I would highly recommend, just maybe not during an emo day.

@michellehodkin has a book cover!!!!

Check out the beauty that is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer!

The Michelle Show

Go leave her some love :) Tell her I sent you!

I'd like to win some BUMPage :) @meganmccafferty

If you've not already entered, you might want to stop by Dear Writer: http://dearwriter.tumblr.com/post/3734129280/want-to-win-a-signed-arc-of-bumped-before-it and check out their BUMPIN' contest to win a signed arc of Megan's new, highly anticipated book Bumped :)

Here's info about the book from GoodReads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8517207-bumped