It's COLD! Here's a Simon & Schuster giveaway to warm you up!

Seriously, what better way to warm up then to win all of these goodies from my pals at S&S?!

Enter at www.staywarmbooks.ca for your chance to win everything you see in the pic above, and more!

...now get out of my way. I'm entering this puppy FIRST! ;)

Good luck, everyone!

Book Review: Touched by Cyn Balog

eBook
Release date: August 14, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Author: Cyn Balog
A big thanks to Net Galley and Delacorte for providing this eARC for review!

Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn't? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script and saved a girl from being run over . . . and let another one drown. Trying to change the future doesn't work. But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something's about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets a girl named Taryn and finds out about the Book of Touch. Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there's no way to stop things from happening. Or is there?  In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he's about to discover--or the choice he will be forced to make. . . .

So that's a pretty cool blurb up there, right? Well let me tell you, it does NOT do this book justice!
I couldn't put it down!

Touched is about this guy named Nick who can see his future. ALL of his futures. Every decision he makes changes what will happen in his life, but he remembers futures that COULD have happened too.
His marriages, his deaths, his children, it's all there in his head.
Crazy, right?!

What a fascinating concept! I LOVED it!

Enter Taryn, who changes Nick's future yet again....but this time it's NOT a future Nick wants.
The two must do everything they can to change what will happen.
It's quite a roller coaster ride for the reader, let me tell you!

I love the characters. Your heart goes out to Nick when you realize what the poor guy has to go through everyday.
And I adore Nan.

But the best part? The ending! Oh em gee, that ending! I can't say a word about it, but it's twisty and shocking and it'll leave you teary.

There's no excessive sex or language or anything too mature in Touched, so I'd be comfortable recommending it to kids 12+, and it's written from a boy's perspective, so it's perfect for boys, too!

Book Review: Lucretia and the Kroons by Victor LaValle

eBook
Release date: July 23, 2012
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau (Random House)
Author: Victor LaValle

Lucretia's best friend and upstairs neighbor Sunny-a sweet pitbull of a kid, even as she struggles with a mysterious illness-has gone missing. The only way to get her back is for Lucretia to climb the rickety fire escape of their Queens tenement and crawl through the window of apartment 6D, portal to a vast shadowland of missing kids ruled by a nightmarish family of mutants whose designs on the children are unknown. Her search for Sunny takes Lucretia through a dark fantasyland where she finds lush forests growing from concrete, pigeon-winged rodents, and haunted playgrounds. Her quest ultimately forces her to confront the most frightening specter of all: losing, forever, the thing you love the most. Lucretia and the Kroons is a dazzlingly imaginative adventure story and a moving exploration of the power of friendship and the terror of loss. This all-new novella serves as the perfect companion piece to The Devil in Silver, a thrillingly suspenseful work of literary horror that continues the story of Lucretia.

This was a weird book. Not at all what I expected, and that's not a bad thing. It was creepy and a bit disturbing and it made me think. It was sneaky that way, with the thinking.

These are always the toughest reviews for me to write. The ones where I didn't love the book, but I didn't hate it either.
This book is really just kind of ho-hum for me.

It's a novella, so it's an easy day-read. The characters are interesting, and I did really like Loochie.

It's the horror bits that were just okay for me. I prefer my horror to be realistic, and Lucretia and the Kroons is more a fantasy-horror.

That being said, it did interest me enough to want to read it's companion novel, The Devil in Silver, but only because it continues the story of Loochie...without the odd Kroons.

If you're looking for a short read and you like off-the-wall kind of stuff, you might like Lucretia and the Kroons.
I'd say it's for ages 16+. Some of the horror bits might gross out younger teens.

Book Review-- The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

eBook
Release date: June 26, 2012
Publisher: Random House
Author: Karen Thompson Walker
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for providing this eBook for review!

“It still amazes me how little we really knew. . . . Maybe everything that happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It’s possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much.” Luminous, haunting, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles is a stunning fiction debut by a superb new writer, a story about coming of age during extraordinary times, about people going on with their lives in an era of profound uncertainty. On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life—the fissures in her parents’ marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues. With spare, graceful prose and the emotional wisdom of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker has created a singular narrator in Julia, a resilient and insightful young girl, and a moving portrait of family life set against the backdrop of an utterly altered world.

Wow. Wow, did I love this book.
One day, the world just starts to slow down. The days get longer and longer. The earth suffers and mankind must find a way to adapt--or not.
But life goes on like 'normal', and The Age of Miracles is the story of one girl and her family during this very odd time.

The research the author put into this book was seriously amazing. The changes and effects are just fascinating.
I LOVE how much detail she actually went into. And it's NOT boring science-y stuff, either. It's interesting and cool and scary!

Julia is a wonderful character. Very real and easy to relate to.

The writing is fantastic. It sucks you in right from the start and doesn't let go until you're done. I'm VERY impressed with Ms. Walker's debut novel. It doesn't read like a debut at all!

The ONE issue I have with The Age of Miracles is that it's NOT an adult book.
This reads as a YA novel, through and through-- albeit a YA novel for older teens because of the subject.
I'm worried that this book will fall flat because the publisher is marketing it as an adult book.
I REALLY hope that doesn't happen because this wonderful, terrifying, sad, sweet novel DESERVES to be read, praised and remembered!

I'd definitely recommend this book for older teens, 15+, and to you young-at-heart adults, too.
The subject of this book would make for some GREAT conversation with your teens!

Book Review--The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

eGalley
Release date: May 22, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Steampunk Chronicles #2
Author: Kady Cross
Thanks to Net Galley and Harlequin Teen for providing this ARC for review.

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous.  Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves. One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

It was a true pleasure to read book 1, The Girl in the Steel Corset (see my review here) and book 2, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar back-to-back.

While I really enjoyed book 1, book 2 was even better!

Finely is just an amazing character. I can't sing her praises enough. I just LOVE the girl to death! What a great character for teen girls to relate to!
And Emily--Ah, Em. Yep, she's still my fave for sure!

In this book the gang travels to New York, giving a whole new look to the series--and a new set of troubles to Finley and friends!

Clockwork Collar has a really cool 'Gangs of New York' vibe that I LOVED. And the historical accuracy Ms. Cross adds to the pages is wonderful!

This book is the perfect compliment to the series opener. We learn more about Finley and Griffin, Sam and Emily. Jasper has a much larger role, and we meet a new cast of characters that I loved to hate! ;)

The one small complaint that I have? No Jack Dandy. ;)
But I do understand why he's not included. With Finley on a whole other continent, there's really no way--or cause--to bring Jack into the plot.
I do hope he's in book 3, which I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for.

Steampunk Chronicles has very quickly become my new 'must-read' series!

Book Review-- The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Paperback-473 pages
Release date: May 24, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Steampunk Chronicles #1
Author: Kady Cross

In 1897 England, 16-year-old Finley Jayne is convinced she's a freak.   No normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch.   Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special . . . that she's one of "them."

As some of you know, I've been REALLY into Steampunk lately.
Even going so far as to put together a cosplay outfit for future cons.
It's a fun and fascinating genre, so I was really looking forward to reading my first Steampunk novel, The Girl in the Steel Corset.

This book reminded me a lot of Sherlock Holmes, with a bit of X-Men and Jekyll and Hyde thrown into the mix.

Finley Jayne is a GREAT character. I loved her from page 1, but she gets even better as the book progresses.
My favourite, however, is Emily. She reminds me so much of a character I used to play in an MMO. Irish, with a shy, self-conscious side hidden by her feisty nature.

Griffin and Sam are fine...but I'm DEFINITELY team Jack. Oh, how I fell for Jack Dandy. *swoon* ;)

The plot, while slow in parts, is unique and interesting. The Organites are a great concept--Like something out of a ST:TNG episode. Great touch.

This is a bigger book, so I think I'd recommend it for kids 14+, and for adults, of course.
I AM hoping we see a bit more romance between Finley and Jack in the second book. I'll be reviewing that one soon, so keep an eye out for it!

Books To Look Forward To

I was going through a list of upcoming books and I thought to myself, "Self, there are some REALLY great books here! You should write a post about it!"
Am I a genius or what?! ;)

So here's a list of books I'm looking forward to! They're in no particular order so they might look a bit disorganized--but that's how I roll!


First up is Jenny Lawson's Let's Pretend This Never Happened.

Jenny Lawson realized that the most mortifying moments of our lives—the ones we’d like to pretend never happened—are in fact the ones that define us. In Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson takes readers on a hilarious journey recalling her bizarre upbringing in rural Texas, her devastatingly awkward high school years, and her relationship with her long-suffering husband, Victor. Chapters include: “Stanley the Magical, Talking Squirrel”; “A Series of Angry Post-It Notes to My Husband”; “My Vagina Is Fine. Thanks for Asking”; “And Then I Snuck a Dead Cuban Alligator on an Airplane.” Pictures with captions (no one would believe these things without proof) accompany the text.
Release date: April 17, 2012.

Who is Jenny Lawson, you may be asking? Well, you might know her better as The Bloggess. If you don't know her, RUN...don't walk, RUN to her blog and start reading. You'll see that she's the most hilarious and the most REAL person that has ever written anything. Ever.

Next is Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris.

With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover, Eric Northman, and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows...
Release date: March 27, 2012

Yes, the highly anticipated eleventh book of the Sookie Stackhouse series! Like billions of others, I'm SO addicted to this series. I like it much more than the HBO series (although I love that, too!), and I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

Then there's Stephen King's new Dark Tower novel, The Wind Through The Keyhole.

In The Wind Through the Keyhole, Stephen King returns to the rich landscape of Mid-World, the spectacular territory of the Dark Tower fantasy saga that stands as his most beguiling achievement.

Roland Deschain and his ka-tet—Jake, Susannah, Eddie, and Oy, the billy-bumbler—encounter a ferocious storm just after crossing the River Whye on their way to the Outer Baronies. As they shelter from the howling gale, Roland tells his friends not just one strange story but two . . . and in so doing, casts new light on his own troubled past.

In his early days as a gunslinger, in the guilt-ridden year following his mother’s death, Roland is sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape-shifter, a “skin-man” preying upon the population around Debaria. Roland takes charge of Bill Streeter, the brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast’s most recent slaughter. Only a teenager himself, Roland calms the boy and prepares him for the following day’s trials by reciting a story from the Magic Tales of the Eld that his mother often read to him at bedtime. “A person’s never too old for stories,” Roland says to Bill. “Man and boy, girl and woman, never too old. We live for them.” And indeed, the tale that Roland unfolds, the legend of Tim Stoutheart, is a timeless treasure for all ages, a story that lives for us.

Release date: April 24, 2012

I LOVE this series. LOVE. I'll even go as far as saying that, after LOTR, this is my favourite series. And I'm so, so happy that Mr. King has decided to bless the world with another story of my favourite gunslinger. 

There are so many Roland stories to be told...and I hope this won't be the last one.

Next is City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. 

Release date: May 8, 2012


This is book 5 of The Mortal Instruments series, and there's no blurb for it yet...so I have NO idea what it's about! 
But it'll be good, you can bet on that much! 
If you enjoyed supernatural YA books, you'll love this series. I highly recommend it!






Next we have Deadlocked, again by Charlaine Harris. 

Release Date: May 1, 2012

Book 12 of the Sookie Stackhouse series, and I have NO idea why two books are being released so close together, but I'm not going to complain!

Next is Insurgent by Victoria Roth. 

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Release date: May 1, 2012

Confession time...I haven't read book one of this series yet. But I plan to! And it looks SO GOOD that I know I'll love it, which means I'll be anticipating the release of the second book! So I decided to include it here. 

And lastly is Lissa Price's amazing book, Starters. 

 In the future, teens rent their bodies to seniors who want to be young again. One girl discovers her renter plans to do more than party--her body will commit murder, if her mind can't stop it. Sixteen-year-old Callie lost her parents when the genocide spore wiped out everyone except those who were vaccinated first--the very young and very old. With no grandparents to claim Callie and her little brother, they go on the run, living as squatters, and fighting off unclaimed renegades who would kill for a cookie. Hope comes via Prime Destinations, run by a mysterious figure known only as The Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to seniors, known as enders, who get to be young again. Callie's neurochip malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her rich renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, even dating Blake, the grandson of a senator. It's a fairy-tale new life . . . until she uncovers the Body Bank's horrible plan. . . .
Release date: March 13, 2012

Yes, I know I've read this book. And I've reviewed this book. But the copy I have is an eBook, and I loved this novel so much that I WILL be buying a real paper copy for my bookshelf so I can love it and stroke it and show it off with pride! ;)

There you have it! The seven books being released in the near future that I'm looking forward to the most!

Are your anticipated releases on this list? I'd love to hear about them! Comments are always welcome! 

Second Hand Sunday- Book Giveaway!

Welcome to the very FIRST Second Hand Sunday Book Giveaway!!

Here's how it works--
Below, you'll see a list of books I have to give away. Enter using the Rafflecopter form under that list...Make sure to answer any questions and paste any links when prompted on the form!

This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. ANYONE can enter as long as you're a FOLLOWER of THIS BLOG.

Please remember that these are SECOND HAND books. They are NOT in new condition!
Some may have yellowed pages, broken spines, worn pages or other minor flaws. I like to think of them as very loved! ;)

A winner will be chosen BY RAFFLECOPTER one week from today! Make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!
The winner will then get to choose ONE book from the list below. I PROMISE this list will get better as I buy more books!

If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments!

Ready? Set? GO!

Good luck!

Adult Books



You Suck-Christopher Moore. Hardcover. Horror/Comedy

The Testament-John Grisham. Harcover (No book jacket). Crime/Thriller

The Last Don-Mario Puzo. Hardcover. Crime/Mafia

Dolores Claiborne-Stephen King. Hardcover. Horror

Full Dark, No Stars-Stephen King. Hardcover. Horror

The English Patient-Michael Ondaatje. Softcover. Romance

The Bad Place-Dean Koontz. Hardcover. Horror

Sphere-Michael Crichton. Hardcover (No book jacket). Sci-fi/Horror

The Constant Princess-Phillipa Gregory. Hardcover (No book jacket). Historical Romance

The Charming Man-Marian Keyes. Paperback. Romance

The Rainmaker-John Grisham. Paperback. Crime/Thriller

From The Corner Of His Eye-Dean Koontz. Paperback. Horror

Communion-Whitley Strieber. Paperback. Sci-fi

Bitten-Kelley Armstrong. Softcover. Horror.

Stolen-Kelley Armstrong. Softcover. Horror

Dime Store Magic-Kelley Armstrong. Softcover. Horror.


Young Adult Books

Vampire Diaries: The Fury/Dark Reunion-L.J. Smith. Softcover. YA

Vampire Diaries: The Awakening/The Struggle-L.J. Smith. Softcover. YA

Vampire Academy-Richelle Mead. Softcover. YA

The Strain-My Thoughts

The Strain is book 1 of a trilogy of the same name. Book 2 is The Fall and book 3 is The Night Eternal.

Let me be frank here...This is NOT a book about sparkly, romantic vampires.
These vampires are horrible, nasty, blood-sucking freaks and they WILL scare you.

The only book I can think to compare it to is Stephen King's Salem's Lot, although, sadly, this book isn't as good.

It sucks you in from the first, with an airplane sitting on the tarmac at JFK airport. There are no signs of life from the people on board. All the window shades are pulled down, all the lights are off and there is no communication from the crew.

If you're alone, at night and reading this in bed at 2am (like I was), you WILL get the heebie-jeebies. You WILL hear funny noises in the other room and be too scared to investigate. You WILL see shadows moving on the wall that looks suspiciously like stingers.
There's one part that includes a child that was deliciously creepy to me.

The characters are interesting...especially Abraham Setrakian, the pawnshop owner and Holocaust survivor.

However, this book does have its faults.
I found the writing rather choppy and the book itself was slow-moving.
They glossed over many of the more interesting characters (like Gabriel), and I wish they would have spent much more time with them.
The vampires themselves are kind of boring in a mindless zombie kind of way.
I found it a bit difficult switching between the characters points of view every few chapters. It was a little disorienting.

If you're into horror books and you're a fan of either Hogan or del Toro, you'll probably like this book.
If not, I don't think I'd recommend it.

I give it a 3/5.

Have you read The Strain? What did you think of the book?
Let me know! Comments are always welcome!

Do You Like Books?

I love books. I mean I LOVE books. If books were people, I'd marry them. ;)

And I have a LOT of books. Not as many as I would like to have...but lots.

I keep most of my books because, you know, they're like friends to me....but there are some books that I have two copies of, or I didn't really like as much as I thought I would, or that I know I just won't read again.

So I was thinking...how about giving those books away? Usually, I head on over to the local used bookstore and trade them in...but wouldn't it be great if I gave them away HERE, to my readers?

I'd like to know what you think of this idea! Would you enter giveaways for books? Most of the books would be secondhand, but once in awhile I'd hold a giveaway for a brand spanking new books from the Book Depository.

And all you'd have to do to enter is follow my blog...and perhaps share the giveaway on your Facebook page, Twitter or your own blog.
That's it!

So, what do you think? Good idea? Bad idea? Would YOU enter to win a free book?

11/22/63-My Thoughts

I've been a big Stephen King fan since I read Pet Cemetery at the young age of 13, and it's been a long time since I could say I LOVED one of Mr. King's books. I think the last one was the final Dark Tower book.

I'm so happy to be able to say that now! I LOVED this book!

The Master of Horror has written a beautiful, touching novel that's not at all like his usual work.

Let me be clear...This is NOT a horror story. This is a love story, through and through, and it's not at all what I expected it to be.

Without spoilers, 11/22/63 is about a man who finds a 'rabbit hole' that transports him back in time. He decides to try to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from killing Kennedy.

What follows is a masterpiece of twists and turns, of love and heartbreak. Mr. King makes every single character come alive in this novel, and you quickly fall in love (or hate, as the case may be) with them.

The end is brilliant....perfect...and it had me sobbing when I finished the book at 4am. Yes, that's how engrossing this book is. It WILL keep you up well past your bedtime, just reading 'one more chapter'.

Mr. King, you've done it again. Hats off to you, good sir!

Highlight:

Meeting a few people from the past. Again, I can't say much without spoiling it, but I grinned from ear to ear ( and, of course, got teary) when we ran into these 'old friends' of mine. :)

Horror fan or not, King fan or not, I can guarantee you'll love this book. If you read it, let me know what you think!

As always, comments are most welcome!