Merry Belated Christmas and Re-Read Challenge Reminder

Merry Belated Christmas everyone! I hope everyone had a great time with their family and friends :D

I lost my Christmas spirit last year and still haven't found it back yet :( However, I am enjoying the time off. It's been very relaxing: eating, reading and sleeping :)

Blogland has been quiet as well, but understandably so. It's good because my blogging mojo went on vacation. I hope it'll come back soon though :)

In the meantime, a reminder - the last Re-read Challenge is due on December 31, i.e. next Thursday. I'm not expecting too many entries, but still :P I'll be putting up the post on Wednesday and you'll have the end of the week and the week-end to post the review up :) I understand it's New Year and everyone is going to be busy...

By the way, I know that last month, I said I would stop hosting the challenge... but I've changed my mind and will be continuing to host it. However, there won't be any sign-up, prizes and reminders. If you do a re-read and feel like reviewing it, good :) If not, no loss...

All right, I'm going to go read a little :) I'll have a couple of reviews coming up in the next few days! :D

Early Christmas Gift...

So guess what is my early Christmas present to myself?

Tada!

LOL! Yep! Was able to score this book! LOL, I've been stalking the online indicator since last Wednesday and it finally showed up today!! What did I do? Of course, I rushed to the bookstore. Man, it was crowded!! I'm surprised because Coles bookstores are smaller, so they usually get less customers, but yeah, lots of people.

On my way to the romance section, I ran into James who gave me a coupon.

Me: Thanks, but no thanks. I already got it.

James: Are you aware of the promotion ending today?

Me: Yep, buy 3, get the 4th book free, right? *reached romance section*

James: Are you looking for anything in particular?

Me: *Already standing in front of the many copies of Forbidden Falls* Nope, all I want is right in front of me :D *pointing at Forbidden Falls*

James: Really? That's all? Because there got a lot of new books and there were still in boxes. Christine Feehan?

Me: Nope, I'm good. *start browsing the aisles to find 3 more books to buy*

James: Let me go check on the outside of the boxes... I'll try to get the authors names for you. *walks away*

So I'm there browsing. Although I love Coles because they put the new releases as soon as they get it on the shelf, they don't have much older releases because of lack of space :( So it was actually kind of hard to find 3 more books. Saw Early Dawn by Catherine Anderson, but I haven't read the last release and the last few before that were meh. Picked Believe by Victoria Alexander and put it back down. Although I like her, Believe was a re-print and her earlier work... hmmm. Checked for Crimson by Jordan Summers, but they didn't have it :(

James: *walking towards me with two books* Any of those you'd be interested?

Me: *looking at Scoundrel's Kiss by Carrie Lofty and Sinful Surrender by Beverly Kendall* Nope, sorry.

James: Yeah, I didn't think so.

Seriously, it's really the best when you get to know the employees and when the employees know you :) Felt like VIP treatment :D

So, want to know what I walked out with, besides Forbidden Falls by Robyn Carr?

What about you all? How have you been? Are you in the Christmas madness?

TBR Day: Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas

It seems that I have become an nocturnal blogger, since I no longer have time to blog during the day. Hmm, that means I'll definitively have to re-adjust.

Today is the last TBR challenge of the year. I did okay this year I think, missing two challenges if I remember correctly :( Hopefully, I'll do better next year because I do plan on continuing this challenge :D

Anyway, I guess I should start writing the review... if I want the review to go up before the day is over! :) This month, I read a real TBR pile book LOL. One that has been written a number of years ago and which has been in my TBR pile for a while :) Actually, I don't even remember when I bought this book, so it has to be 2 or 3 years :)

Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas
published by Avon in July 2000

Zachary Bronson has built an empire of wealth and power - now he needed a wife to help secure his position in society... and warm his bed in private. But not just any woman will do for a man whom all of London knows is not a gentleman. Then he unexpectedly swept Lady Holly Taylor into his arms for an unasked for - but very alluring - kiss, and suddenly he knew he had found a woman whose fierce passions matched his own.

Lady Holly Taylor was beautiful, generous, and, as a widow, destined to spend her life playing by society's rules, even when they went against her bolder instincts. But Zachary's kiss had aroused her, and though the shocking offer he made didn't include marriage, she was compelled to risk everything and follow him to the place where dreams begin.

Genre: historical romance
Series: none

The Story: Hmmm, the blurb is close, but not entirely correct... so let me attempt to write my own summary. Lady Holland Taylor had a very good marriage and relationship with her husband, before he succumbed to typhoid fever three years ago. She is now coming out of mourning and is attending a ball for the first time... during which she is mistaken for another lady and passionately kissed by Zachary Bronson.

Zachary has built himself a fortune and become a very influential man. However, he wants to take it farther and be accepted by the ton. All he needs is a little polish for himself, his mother and his sister. As such, he offers the position to Lady Holly Taylor, because her reputation and station is above reproach and because he wants her. At first, Holly refuses the offer, because a lady of her station should not work, but to work for Zachary would ruin her reputation entirely... but the amount of money Zachary is offering is very enticing... especially since the death of her husband, she's been living with his family and their charity. Although they treat her very well, she wants better for her little daughter, Rose. So she accepts... but close proximity to Zachary might make her forget all about her reputation.

My Opinion: I picked up Where Dreams Begin because Taja has recently reviewed it for the re-read challenge. I was actually surprised to find it in my TBR pile... totally didn't remember buying it ^_^;

I'm glad I read the book; however, this was not my favorite Lisa Kleypas book. Overall, I thought it was just okay. There were a lot of good things actually in the story... such as Holly having a good marriage with her husband. She was happy, she loved him and was satisfied (to a certain point). I also liked the timeline, i.e. that Ms Kleypas took her time building the relationship and attraction between Holly and Zach. I think that the book spans a period of 4 to 6 months. Plus, I felt Ms Kleypas really did her research - when Holly was teaching proper behavior, I learned a lot. The little details were very interesting... This is something I feel a lot of historical romance books are missing lately. The stories take place in the regency period, but the characters don't act the time period. The characters were also all quite lovable... even Zach, despite his whoring to quench his desire for Holly (it helped that it was only mentioned and not describe).

My issue though with this book is that I felt it fell a little flat. I didn't really connect with Holly and I don't think that Zach and Holly had much chemistry. They had very different personalities and while they tried to get to know each other better, I don't think they really succeed. Where Dreams Begin just didn't grab me emotionally. The only character I felt attachment for was Rose, because she was so cute. The book was well-written and pleasant, but something was missing. Perhaps a bit more action since the characters were quite passive and very internal.

A few things I'd like to add... I did like the secondary romance, although it was very minor. It had been fun to see more of it. I did like the fact that Zachary had a mother and how uncomfortable she was with her new status. I think that made the book more realistic. I didn't care about the addition of the duke as a third party. He was totally superfluous. Holly had enough on her hands, adding the duke and a promise to her dead husband... meh. Also, I didn't see why the duke agreed to the promise. Finally, I really would have liked it more if Holly had to grovel a bit more. Do women grovel? When she got cold feet, Zach specifically told her he didn't give anyone second chances... but then, she came back and they had sex and they got married. Meh.

My Grade: C. Like I said, Where Dreams Begin was not a bad book... but it did fail grabbing my interest.

Things on my mind...

So here are things on my mind...

Roar to the Rings - Canada has finally decided on its curling representatives for Vancouver 2010. I'm a bit disappointed with the results - I was really hoping Jennifer Jones and her team would make it... but the team got off to a bad start. Then, during the tie-breaker, I was rooting for Stephanie Lawton, but she got eliminated... then, Amber Holland... and Krista McCarville... In the end, Cheryl Bernard won. I'm happy with the results. She proved to be the best during the trials and so, she deserves her spot. However, this bodes badly for me - if everyone I root for ends up losing ^_^;

On the men's side, I was rooting for Glenn Howard... just because this would have been his first Olympics. It was between him and Kevin Martin and Martin won. Ah well, it was kind of expected.

So overall, I'm a bit disappointed, simply because my favorite teams didn't make it... but can't complain, because both Cheryl Bernard and Kevin Martin's rinks are good... and I had a lot of fun watching the trials :)

***

Speaking of sports, unrelated to the Olympics, but still noteworthy... Justine Henin, my favorite tennis player, is back!! Woohoo!! I'm so glad to hear this :) So far, she won a few exhibition matches... and that's good :) Can't wait till January when the WTA season starts again :) Really looking forward to Australian Open now :)

I kind of lost interest in tennis a little last year... but with Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin's comebacks, things should get interesting again :)

***

I really don't understand how publishers price their books. Seriously. Some books are now 10.99$ CAD. Let me repeat, 10.99$ CAD. Last I checked, the 1$CAD = 0.94$US. So can someone explain to me why a book that is priced 7.99$US = 10.99$CAD?!?

With the Canadian dollar being so strong, pricing on books should decrease. However, it's not the case! It's actually increasing, so I really don't understand the publisher's reasoning. I could accept 1$ difference... but 3$ - that's way too much. This what actually what I was paying 1$CAD = 0.50-0.60$! So I really hope prices come down soon...

And please, don't bother pointing out e-books. Not interested.

***

S, my friend/co-worker, finally deposited his thesis today. Yay!! It's finally over, finished, done!! Sure, it's not perfect, but at this point, you cannot ask for miracle. Today was actually his deadline and he had till 5pm. My other co-worker, J, and I were joking and telling S that if by 4.45pm, he wasn't going to make it... to jump in front of a car - that would give him a good excuse LOL. In the end, he called us at 4.50pm to tell us it was all done (the printing and binding). So happy for him :) Now, we'll have to see whether he passes or fails, but it's out of our control.

It was a bit crazy the past few days, proof-reading his thesis. Luckily, J is fluent in English... Our boss corrected the content, I proof-read and I had J proof-reading after me. So S still had a lot of corrections to do today and a 150 words abstract... and he had to translate it in French!! Oh gosh. Seriously, scientific writing in French is hard and impossible. I can't imagine people going into sciences in French... It sounds so weird. There was no way I could translate a 150 words abstract in English to 150 words abstract in French. We reached 198 words and I was really proud... and then, you had our boss making changes and stuff. Every hour, he would call S up to talk and every time, for about 30 minutes. At 2pm, he still had S changing his rationale of the study! I mean, are you kidding me?!?! Just let it go!

Anyway, it's all done. S now owns us a meal LOL :)

***

Speaking of work... My boss is going to Cuba with his family from Dec. 24 to Dec. 31!!! Woooohooo!! You know what that means, right? It means, I'll have some time off :) I might have to come to the lab one or two mornings, but it shouldn't be that busy :) So that's some good news :D

***

Oh, I almost forgot... I know, how could I really forget books?

I need some books suggestions... what was your greatest reads lately? I have all those coupons and I have nothing to buy :( It's just sad.

I was actually thinking of buying the Dante Valentine's series by Lilith Saintcrow. Anyone have read this? Lately, I find myself reading a lot of urban fantasy... and this has caught my attention... Especially since the series if finished.

I've also seen a few other books... The Sweetheart's Knitting Club by Lori Wilde... A Zebra release about vampires... but I can't remember the author right now.

I need to check Li's blog, Me and my Books, because I remember she mentioned Moira Moore. Now would be a good time to buy one or two of this author's books.

By the way, anyone knows whether Jordan Summers's Dead World series is finished or not? I can't find that information. I recently read Red and it was okay. I do have Scarlet in my TBR pile already and I've skimmed through it... and meh. Not too sure about it. Crimson, the third book is out, and I'm debating whether to buy it or not. If the series is over, I might cave... but if not, I think I will just stop.

***

Okay, I should be going to sleep. Haven't had much sleep lately... and I think that I caught a cold again because of lack of sleep. I should know better by now.

Tomorrow is TBR challenge. I read the book, hope I'll have time to write the review :)

Happy Birthday Ames!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMES!!!

Just want to wish you a wonderful day :) I thank blogland for meeting you! You've been a great friend to me for the past three years! My life would be so boring without you :D

Wish you lots and lots of cheap books LOL :)

LOL, an aside... It's such a coincidence that so many bloggers share the same birthday dates as me and my relatives... I mean, Ames and my cousin's birthday are the same, Holly is born on the same day as my dad and Tracy and I share a birthday too! :) Anyone born on August 6 and October 6? :)

In the spirit of the Olympic Games 2010...

Sigh, another busy week. I hope it will slow down for the holidays. Actually, the good news is that my boss might be going on vacation this year, from December 24 to 31 :) That would be soooo cool! That would mean some days off :) Woohooo!

We got lots of snow yesterday. I don't know how much, but at least 30cm. Luckily, most people were prepared to the worst - so lots of schools were closed and many either stayed home or took the public transport. As a result, there wasn't any traffic - that is so rare! Even this morning wasn't so bad. The only bad thing about the snow is that it wasn't the fluffy kind. Instead, we got wet snow, so very heavy.

Roar to the Rings is the Olympic trial for curling in Canada and it's almost over. I actually just finished watching the last draw for the men round robin. The top 3 teams from last year made it, so that's good. Don't really have a favorite among them, so whoever goes, I'm fine. Actually, I hope it'll be Stoughton, because he seems to have been runner-up many times!! As for the women, well my favorite team is out of the race :( Very unfortunate. There are going to be two tie-breaker games, so right now, I'm rooting for Stephanie Lawton. Of course, having said that probably jinxed her chances LOL. We'll know the results this week-end :)

Speaking of the Olympic Games, I mentioned that the Olympic flame was going through my town on December 8. Didn't have the chance to see it, because I was at work... but guess what? I caught it this evening!! Was really lucky. I was hanging out at the bookstore, waiting for my sister... and when she joined me, we discovered that the Olympic flame was going to be relayed from one carrier to the other right in front of the bookstore!! So we waited and watched :D This was really, really great... my sister was especially happy, since she was very disappointed that we missed it on Tuesday. I'm happy too :) Royal Bank of Canada is one of the Olympic sponsor and it happened that there was one right front of the bookstore... so they were giving away pompoms and some inflated sticks so we could make noise :)

I have some pictures and a video. The pictures didn't come out very nice... and the video has no sounds :( This is a new camera and I haven't had time to figure out all the settings and modes. I definitively need to do that this week-end... But still, I have a memory of a very rare event :) So it's a nice memory :D I'm planning to go to The Bay tomorrow and buy some Olympics clothing or memorabilia :)

It's funny because people didn't know what was happening really, except that the Olympic flame was coming. The carrier was waiting in front of RBC and there was a crowd around him, people taking pictures. A lot of passerbys were like: Why isn't his torch burning? And then, someone told us that he was actually waiting for another carrier to come to him and light up his torch :) Anyway, it was cool to witness and I'm glad we were able to get a video :D

Review: Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

I have not been reviewing much lately and I blame work for it. I usually do most of my blogging at work, but haven't had time... and there's been some events for work that has thrown me off my routine. Booo! I should try blogging at home, but I usually end up reading in bed :P

But let's try tonight :) I've really been into urban fantasy and fantasy books lately and have picked up some recommendations over at SciFiGuy - a really awesome source for everything urban fantasy and fantasy.

So here is one of them...


Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells
published by Orbit in April 2009

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn’t really fit in. And being an assassin – the only profession fit for an outcast – doesn’t help matters. But she’s never brought her work home. Until now.

Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she’s on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal...

This time, it’s personal.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Sabine Kane, book #1

The Story: Sabina is half-vampire, half-mage in a world where union between mage and vampire is forbidden. To say that her parentage has made her life difficult is putting it mildly... especially when you're the granddaughter of the vampire leader. As a result, Sabina has spent most of her life trying to win her grandmother's approval, even if it means becoming an assassin.

However, Sabina starts to wonder if her family approval is really worth everything... especially after killing one of her friends, a so-called traitor... and finding out that the Dominae, her vampire house, is hiding a lot from her. Then, of course, there's the hunky mage making noises about her mage family and her gifts...

My Opinion: I was attracted to this book for one reason - the heroine is an assassin. For some reasons, I like my main characters to be assassins, although it bodes badly for the romance most of the time ^_^;

What did I think of Red-Headed Stepchild? It was an enjoyable and fast read. I like the author's writing style. Easy to read and very fluid. Ms Wells doesn't go on and on. She's actually very straightforward in her style, which suits me well.

The world building is quite interesting so far. Ms Wells doesn't go much in details yet, so readers are spared the world building information dumping. I'm thinking that we'll get more information as we go along. So far, I enjoy the idea of mages and vampires feuding, although I'd like to know the extent of every race's powers. One thing that makes Ms Wells' vampires stand out and an idea that I really like is the hair. All vampires have red hair and their age is reflected by the shade of red. Quite original.

Where it gets a bit shaky is the heroine, Sabina Kane. She's a bit of a stereotype - tough assassin heroine, but with a vulnerable heart. She's blind to her family's action, because she seeks their approval, until the truth is revealed. A bit cliché right? and of course, she doesn't trust easily, but yeah, what did I expect? The thing is, her character seemed a bit inconsistent to me... a bit too vulnerable. She switched side too fast - actually, all the internal conflict about her character and her feelings for the Dominae evolved too fast. As a result, it was not very believable - readers are not convinced. Why would everything happen now, all at the same time, to open her eyes... a bit too convenient, right? Was she that loyal to her house to begin with? Also, I thought she could have been tougher. She came close to death quite a number of times in this book... While readers don't want an invincible heroine, we don't want a weakling who acts tough either.

I liked Adam's character, the mage sent to find Sabina. He's very likable and I hope something deeper will develop between Sabina and him. I'm looking forward to getting to know him better. I also liked Giguhl, the demon/cat side-kick, he was fun :)

The plot is also interesting. There were some nice twists and turns and it sets up the series quite well. I'm quite curious about the prophecy and I do wonder, who's more of a danger for Sabina - her grandmother or Lilith, the vampire goddess. I could have done without the "vampire" sect. In my opinion, it was a bit superfluous. The author could have found another more interesting way to link everything.

My Grade: B. Quite an enjoyable book, but not perfect. Sabina is interesting, but not totally likable. Still, I'm intrigued and hooked enough to get the second book, The Mage in Black, when it'll come out next April :)

PO and misc

Ugh, I'm pissed at my parents. Happens rarely, but I guess it does happen from time to time. Grrr.

Okay, so here's the situation... My parents have some friends with a son (aka The Son). TheSon is married (thanks god), but he has a best friend, so The Son is playing matchmaker... and yep, my name was in the hat. My mom and her friend told me about the matchmaking a few months ago, must have been like back in May (before I went to Kristie's)... and I'm okay with it. I mean, I'm not offended by it and I'm not against it. I'd like to meet someone for sure and if it means I don't have to go clubbing or accosted some stranger, great.

The only awkward thing though is that I'm not close to The Son, I barely know him... let alone his wife. So it's a bit awkward to meet them and have him play the matchmaker... but whatever.

All this was back in May/summer. The Son has also just moved close to my house, so there were talks about a housewarming party in early fall where I'd be invited... but it never happened. So I thought the deal was off. Seriously, it's been months... but I was wrong.

So I just got a phone call about 30 minutes ago. The Son is inviting me to go eat with him and his wife. Note here, no mention about the best friend... Oh and the invitation is for this Wednesday evening. Problem - I already have plans. I'm going to do some shopping with some girlfriends. These are my very close friends, but for some reasons, we haven't done anything together since early September and even then, it was only dinner. Also, one of my girlfriends is a workaholic - she's an accountant by day and at night, she helps out at her family restaurant. She works 70hours/week. Since my birthday, back in May, I can count on my hand the number of times I've seen her: 2. At the BBQ and a birthday after-dinner... and both times, she had to leave early. So yeah, I have plans to go shopping this Wednesday with my friend... so I declined The Son's invitation... He said it was okay and he'd get back to me with another date.

Now though, my parents are all grumpy about it. Especially my dad. He told me I should have canceled on my friends. That I should know what is important and should set my priorities straight...

Okay, a minute here. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!? Going out to dinner with The Son and his wife is a priority?!? In whose life? Okay, although he didn't say his best friend would be there, most probably though he will... Cos otherwise, why would The Son invited me out for dinner with his wife. But hello?!? I guess my dad's really afraid I'll end up an old maid... but still. So mad. What rubbed me the wrong way was his face (all disapproval) and his tone.

Anyway, I unhooked the vacuum cleaner (we have central and the vacuum has been hooked for like a month now) and closed my door. I know, it's quite juvenile, but at least, I didn't slam the door... also, I rarely close my door, so I hope they'll get it. Grrrr.

***

In other news, I'm watching curling this week. It's the Roar to the Rings, the curling qualification event for the Olympics :) It's going to last all week! I'm in heaven LOL... well not totally, because my favorite are 0-2 so far... another loss and it could be over for them :( However, they are very good under pressure... so I'm crossing my fingers.

I've actually been toying with the idea of starting a blog for the Olympics with my sister... but I'm not sure.

Oh, by the way, the Olympic flame is going to be in my town tomorrow... but I'll be at work :(

***

I've finally cleaned up my room some :) Giving away about 150 books did free my shelves a lot. Plus the little corner shelves. I've been playing around a little... Hopefully, I'll have time this week-end to sort through them :)

The running joke in my family is that since it's so rare that I clean my room, every time, it's like a miracle... and the sky acknowledges it by having some kind of storm - rain, thunder or snow... Well this time is no exception. We're getting 20-30cm of snow on Wednesday T_T

Cindy, I think you're going to get your white Christmas.

Re-Read Challenge: November Winner :)

So the Re-Read challenge for November came to an end yesterday. Of course, if you have a review of a re-read that you'd like to share with us, please feel free :D

I was actually surprised at the turn-out :) 10 bloggers made it this month, wooohooo! :) And the variety of re-read is quite interesting.

One more entry, peeps! :) Let's keep it up!

For now though, let me announce the winner...

RENEE!!!

Congratulations!! Please e-mail me and let me know from which store you would like your gift certificate to be from!! :)

Re-Read Challenge: November!

***This is a sticky post! Scroll down for new entries!!***

How was everyone's week-end? Some of you were lucky and enjoyed a 4-days long one... LOL, I wonder if that means you had more time to read or not?

November is over and that means, the year is almost over as well! Can you believe it?!? Jeez, I feel like the year really went by fast! One more entry to the challenge after this time :)

To tell the truth, I don't think I'm going to host it again next year, as the number of entries has really dwindled down... It's definitively been fun to revisit some favorites and I think I'm going to continue next year, but just not as a challenge :)

But let's talk about the present. Have you done your re-read yet? If not, it's okay, you have till Wednesday to read and review :) I did mine and it wasn't the one I expected to do, but that's okay :) I'll try to review it later today :)

So the draw is Thursday! In the meantime, let's enjoy the reviews we're going to get :D

Kat: Dark Country by Bronwyn Parry
Jill: Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon
Kristie: Rapture in Death and Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb
Nath: King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Ames: Twilight and New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Isabel: The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Tracy: Death of a Pirate King by Josh Lanyon
Leslie: Courting Miss Hattie by Pamela Morsi
Taja: Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas
Renee: A Brother's Price by Wen Spencer

Monthly Reads - November 2009

One more month to the year. Really, how time flies!!

This month was not bad, I was able to read about 15 books. I say about, because one of them was a Harlequin and another, a novella. It's crazy how 3 more books on my read list makes me feel so much better, LOL. I just checked and last year, I read 207 books. I don't think I'll be able to repeat it again this year, but I shouldn't be too far. We'll find out quite soon I guess.

At the moment, I'm having quite a dilemma... I'm a romance reader... my favorite genre is contemporary romance... Yet lately, all I feel like reading is urban fantasy and fantasy... Even reading historical romance comes more easily to me. I sure hope it does not mean that I've burned out on romance T_T It'd be very, very sad. So yeah, lately, I have a nagging feeling and I worry. Stupid no?

Anyway, here is my list of reads for the month of December...


1) Greywalker by Kat Richardson: B-/B

I actually saw this book when it first came out in trade-size a few years back. At that time, I was not willing to pay for it, so I put it back on the shelf and kind of forgot about it. Till I visited Renee's blog.

Greywalker was okay. I felt the world building was missing something, especially since Harper was as clueless as readers, having just discovered her powers. I like Harper... she's strong, but not in a kick-ass way. The case was interesting also. However, you know this is a first book - lots of information dumped, characters introduced. The pacing was a bit slow and I had a hard time focusing on the book.

I have the two next books in my TBR pile. Renee says it gets better... but so far, I haven't had the urge to pick up the next book.


2) Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh: B+

Review to come (I hope). Anyway, I liked this book. Enjoyed the H/H, although I don't know, I felt Dev's character was perhaps a wee inconsistent. Otherwise, really enjoyed the book... especially since I like self-sacrificing relationships :P


3) Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb: A-

4) England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch: B

5) The Duke by Gaelen Foley: B

I picked up this book while I was at Kristie's. I think this is her favorite Gaelen Foley. I can see why she liked it. The storyline is quite original/refreshing and unexpected. It definitively stands out.

Best part I would say was Robert Knight - the fact that he was so honorable. I liked the fact that he wasn't a rake and he took love very seriously. He was a bit hard-headed at the end though... Belinda was brave. Overall, quite an interesting story... although I felt the second half of the book was a bit draggy.


6) HaveMercy by Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett: C

Another book that Renee enjoyed... However, this one didn't really work for me. I didn't mind the 4 1st person POVs, but I felt that the story was a bit boring. I definitively expected more action, but everything was more internal. The story simply didn't grab me...

My favorite narrator was Hal. I enjoyed his relationship with Royston... My only issue is I would have liked the authors to precise his age earlier... I mean, he was introduced as a young man and for some reason, I thought he was 15 or 16 years old ^_^; However, turns out he was 20... which is a bit difference when you're in a relationship with a 35 y.o. man.


7) Soulless by Gail Carringer: B

Cute little paranormal romance story. The world is interesting, a mix of Victorian era and steampunk. The author's take on vampires, werewolves and preternatural is quite refreshing. I enjoyed the H/H and will be seeking the second book.


8) Somebody Wonderful by Kate Rothwell: B

Picked this book up because Ames enjoyed it so much. I thought it was cute and different from most historical that I read. I liked Mike and Timmy's relationship and interactions. I also liked the fact that Mike could walk away from his corrupted job... However, there were parts that were a bit unbelievable... and the "intrigue," meh.


9) This Time For Keeps by Kathleen Kane: C

Hmmm, this book reminded me a lot of When There is Hope by Jane Goodger and Once in Every Life by Kristin Hannah. The plot is a bit the same, as in the heroine dies in modern time and is sent back in time for a second chance for life. I enjoyed When There is Hope and Once in Every Life a bit more... mainly because the heroines accepted their situation and adapted. In This Time For Keeps, Nellie was too stubborn for my tastes, she clung to her ways a bit too much... even though they wouldn't be accepted. Also, she was a bit too materialistic to my taste... and I didn't really believe her love for Seth :( The whole past lives stories were interesting though, but distracting to the main storyline.


10) Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle: C

Review to come.


11) Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells: B

Review to come.


12) Holding Out for a Hero by Helen Kay Dimon: B-

Picked this one up because of Rosie. I'm glad I did even though the book didn't wow me. I enjoyed Ms Dimon's writing. The story was definitively interesting and different. I liked that Ms Dimon took risks with the storyline. The problem though was Holding Out for a Hero was too short and therefore, I didn't believe in the love between Josh and Deana. One minute they hated each other, the next they lusted after each other and oh, they're in love with each other. Even if they were attracted to one another before, the changes were too fast... especially for two persons that didn't understand each other that well and didn't trust each other.


13) Under the Boss's Mistletoe by Jessica Hart: B-

A cute book that I picked up thanks to Wendy. I liked the fact that the book too place in modern England. That was a nice change :) The book is quite simple, but sweet and enjoyable. Hmm, I do wish there was more scene from Jake's POV, his thoughts on his relationship with Jake. The POV scenes were quite even till halfway... then, it shifted to Cassie. While I liked Cassie's character, I felt that she cared too much about what other people thought. Like when she was fantasizing that everyone would envy her job and stuff. I don't know, I felt that she was a bit superficial at those times.


14) Missing in Deah by J.D. Robb: B

This is the novella in the anthology The Lost. Since it's a novella, the story is mainly focused on the case, which was interesting. There was definitively lots of shades of gray in this book and it was interesting to see Eve deals with them. My only problem though is that it didn't feel very believable... The entire novella centers around a device... and I just don't get how it would work or accept the existence of something like that. If it wasn't for that device, I would have given the novella a higher grade... even think that a full-length book wouldn't be a bad idea.

15) King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner: A+


So there you have it, my month of November in review. Mostly Bs... I do think that my mood has something to do with my grading. Ah well. I also realized that I haven't reviewed much in the past month. I have been blogging... but not reviewing. Hopefully, this will improve this month :)

Re-Read: King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

So I did do a re-read, although it's not the one that I thought I would do for the challenge... but it doesn't matter, it's still a re-read, right?

The book I ended up re-reading was King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. This is the third book in The Queen's Thief series that I've discovered earlier this year. You can see my review of the series here.

To tell the truth, King of Attolia has become my new comfort read. Although I've first read it only in April, this is not my first re-read. I do that, discovering books and series that I've ended up loving so much that I will re-read a couple of times, especially when I start slumping. In 2007, my comfort reads were the Warland Chronicles series by Elizabeth Vaughan and Demon Angel by Meljean Brooks. Well this year, it's The Queen's Thief series and seriously, King of Attolia will definitively make my Top 3 Best books of the year :)

Here are my thoughts after my re-read...


King of Attolia
published by Harpercollins in January 2006

Standing alone in the doorway was the king. The ruler, anointed by priests and priestesses, of all the lands of Attolia, the official father of the people, the lord of the barons who'd one by one sworn him their oaths of obedience, the undisputed, uncontested, and absolute sovereign of the land. The swollen discoloration by his mouth closely matched the elaborated purple embroidery on his collar.

"Most people in your circumstances would kneel," said the king, and Costis, who had been staring transfixed, belatedly dropped to his knees.

Genre: Fantasy, YA
Series: Queen's Thief, book #3

My Opinion: I love this book to bits. Seriously. Although it's written for a younger audience, it is definitively not dumbed down. Actually, it is very cleverly written. A lot is left unsaid, you need to read between lines, remember the clues and hints... it seems that every time I read it, I discover some little things that I've missed and I go "Ahhhhh."

The story is very interesting and filled with intricacies. I love the court politics, the battle of wills between Eugenides and everyone else that wants him to assume his responsibilities as king. You'd think the book would be very serious, dealing with court intrigues, but no, there are a lot of LOL moments and you end up finishing the book with a huge smile on your face. So there is a good balance of everything in this book.

The great thing about this book is we keep discovering Eugenides' character. We've been witnessing his growth throughout the series and seriously, Eugenides grows into a great man. Yet, there's always a side of him that is unrevealed, making him mysterious, yet very, very lovable. Seeing his interactions with everyone is so fun :)

I also loved Ms Turner's approach in this book, having the readers witnessing Eugenides' ascension through the eyes of someone that did not know him. I thought it was very clever. At the same time, it was like having a private joke with Gen or the author... because readers know Gen... We all know the man, even with only one hand, is dangerous. All those Attolians thinking that he was a fool. Seriously?!? How do you think he became known and feared? Really!

All in all, I just love this book. Every single word LOL :) I just find it so clever and fun - and those two words rarely go together in my opinion :) I can't wait for March when the sequel will come out, Conspiracy of Kings. Having Eugenides teaming up with Sophos? Ohhh, terrible duo LOL :)

My Grade: It was previously an A, but I'm upgrading the grade to A+. That's how much I love this book :)

Review: Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb

Woohoo, I was able to survive the mini-symposium and I did not fall asleep - a miracle! It helped that they did not turn off the lights, so I was able to read :) The only thing is that it ran late - an hour late :( It sucks that we have to attend these events in my opinion, especially when it's so focused on clinical stuff.

Ah well, it's over :D

By the way, Happy Thanksgivings to all American bloggers! I hope you'll enjoy your holiday! :D

In the meantime, I have a buddy review up at Breezing Through. This time, my buddy reviewer is Tabitha from Tabz Book Blog - Just Another Readeraholic and we're reviewing Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb. You can find our review here.


Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
published by Putnam in November 2009 (HC)

When the newly promoted captain of the NYPSD and his wife return a day early from their vacation, they were looking forward to spending time with their bright and vivacious sixteen-year-old daughter who had stayed behind.

Not even their worst nightmares could have prepared them for the crime scene that awaited them instead. Brutally murdered in her bedroom, Deena's body showed signs of trauma that horrified even the toughest of cops; including our own Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who was specifically requested by the captain to investigate.

When the evidence starts to pile up, Dallas and her team think they are about to arrest their perpetrator; little do they know yet that someone has gone to great lengths to tease and taunt them by using a variety of identities. Overconfidence can lead to careless mistakes. But for Dallas, one mistake might be all she needs to bring justice.

Re-Read Challenge Reminder

Ugh, I'm in a crabby mood :(

First of all, I got a parking ticket yesterday T_T I was parked on a parking meter and was 5 minutes late! UGH. I understand, totally my fault, but nothing worst than to be 5 minutes late and actually see that stupid red car and the agent putting the ticket on your windshield. And this is my 2nd parking tickets this year. Grrrrr. Ah well, the year is almost over, right?

Then today, I have a stupid symposium from 4 to 8pm. How the heck am I going to stay awake during the different presentations, I have no idea.

My reviewing muse is still not back. Where is she? Who stole her away from me?

And finally, a cheerful thought: the end of the month is next week (Tuesday actually)... so you know what it means: Re-Read Challenge! Have you done yours? I haven't yet. I might try a Jennifer Crusie, but I'm not sure yet. I'll put up the post for the Re-Read challenge on Monday... and I'll do the draw on Thursday. How does it sound? So people will have 3 days (Monday to Wednesday) to complete the challenge :)

Good week-end (aka I'm finally reading!)

So how was everyone's week-end? Mine was nice, but too short - as always :(

My week-end started on Friday evening when I went to see The Blind Side with my sister. OMG, the movie theater was soooo crowded with New Moon's fans! Luckily, my sister bought the tickets earlier in the day and we made it with 10 minutes to spare to the movies... Unfortunately, that meant we didn't have time to get popcorn. Bummer.

The movie was good though :) I've been waiting for this one ever since I saw a trailer on E.T. during the summer. I love this kind of feel good movie :) I especially liked the fact that it was based on a true story and the pictures of the "real" persons at the end was a very nice touch :)

After the movie, I went to the bookstore to buy Under the Boss's Mistletoe by Jessica Hart and recommended by Wendy... but didn't find it. The sale clerk couldn't find it either, so I got a nice 15%off coupon... which I'll be using for a different book :)

Back in May, as a birthday gift, my friends gave me a hydrating facial treatment certificate... and I finally went on Saturday (it was expiring this month ^_^; ). I have to say, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to the beauty stuff... but overall, I did enjoy the experience. It was very relaxing and the lady was very nice and competent.

But the best is that I'm finally reading. Yes!! I've read 5 books in the past week! Isn't that great? Now, if only my reviewing muse would come back to me, sigh.

So overall, a nice week-end... What about you?

TBR Day: England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch

All right, I know, I'm kind of last minute, but I absolutely want to put this up... especially since the last TBR Day I managed to do was back in July (ugh)... and guess what, it was another Suzanne Enoch! LOL :)

Hmm, I haven't realized I've missed so many ^_^; But not this month!! Actually, this month, I had a few candidates up for review... of course, none fit the monthly theme, but shhhh. I'm just happy I'm reading books from my TBR pile :) At last, I chose the one that I enjoyed most to review today, England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch.

However, I'm a bit rusty... been awhile I actually wrote a review ^_^; So you'll have to forgive me if it's not coherent...


England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch
published by Avon in February 2004

Lucinda Barrett's best friends ended up married to the men to whom they delivered their 'lessons in love'. So Lucinda decides to choose someone who definitely needs lessons, but someone who will not complicate her life. And that person is definitely not Robert Carroway.

Robert is nothing if not complicated, and though he is the brother of a viscount, he rarely goes about society, and finds the weather and hat fashions ludicrous subjects for discussion. Robert is attracted to Lucinda's unpretentious ways, her serenity and her kindness. When she chooses someone for her love lessons, Robert offers to help her deliver her lessons, but sets out to convince the woman he has fallen for to take a chance on love ... and on him.

Genre: historical romance
Series: Lessons in Love, Book #3

The Story: Lucinda and her two best friends - Georgiana and Evelyn - wrote tips about how a gentlemen should act and then, decided that each would choose a man they know and give him the lesson. As Georgiana and Evelyn ended up marrying the men they chose for lesson, Lucinda hopes the same will happen to her and she sets her caps on Lord Geoffrey, known as the "Adonis," 4th son of a duke and with an army officer. She wishes to marry a man who will not complicate her life and who will understand her devotion to her father, a general.

Robert Carroway was wounded during the war against the French... however, nobody knows the real circumstances of his injuries and he'd rather keep it that way. Still haunted by the events, Robert has become estranged from the Ton. However, there is just something about Lucinda that draws him out... However, his re-admittance among the peers and friendship with Lucinda are jeopardized when rumors that he is a traitor surface and important papers disappear from the House of Guards.

My Opinion: Ugh, okay, my synopsis sucked ^_^; But like I said, it's been a while.

I bought and read this book because of Lori and her entry for the Re-Read challenge. It sounded good and it was, I enjoyed it :)

I love the Carroways, awesome family really. Love the bonds between the brothers, how they cared for each other... How nobody gave up on Bit (Robert), tried their best to care for him but not smother and did not give up on him. Of course, they were worried about him and they can't help but ask him it he's fine... but that's understandable... and Robert tries his best also. He understands why his brothers are so concerned. You know, sometimes, the hero has problem and become all sourly when people cares.

One of my favorite scenes is when Robert's leg hurt after an evening of dancing and cannot walk. His youngest brother Edward comes in and offers to help him, but he's too short. So Edward shouts out that Robert needs help and his leg is hurt and all the older brothers come rushing. :) Very sweet.

I also enjoyed the friendship between the ladies. I liked that Georgiana and Evelyn played a big part in this book. Sometimes, you only see past heroines and all they do is talk about their happiness and pregnancy... but not in this one. In this one, the girls were still there for Lucinda.

Speaking of Lucinda, I liked her character. She is very strong and independent. She did not let anyone dictates her action - not even her father... When Roberts is under suspicions of being a traitor, she does not avoid him. She goes against her father's wishes and still acts as a friend, even if the situation is difficult. I like her devotion to her father and I liked that she's smart. She's not a dupe and realized quickly that Lord Geoffrey is not only courting her only for her charms. She's also very practical and not very frilly, which is a nice change for a historical heroine :)

I liked Robert as well. I think someone should have snapped him out way before this and also, he should have talked about his imprisonment to his superiors earlier. Wouldn't that make sense? Anyway, it would have saved us from the "mystery." It was great to see him making efforts to get back to his old self or at least, to be functional again. It's a pity that in those times, people didn't understand PTSD. And I liked seeing his progression throughout the book. PTSD did not simply disappear... he still had panic attacks, but at least, he learned to deal with it.

Individually, I liked the H/H. Together... I would have liked a bit more romantic scenes. I did like their honesty between each other. That was quite refreshing. I saw the attraction between them grow, but at the end, love? I'm not too sure, it seems to go a bit too fast.

However, I have bigger issues than the romance. First, the mystery plot. It was a bit too obvious. I mean, there weren't that many characters introduced, so by process of elimination, it was quite obvious who the culprit was, right? I do think that romance authors try to hard to incorporate mysteries. Seriously, you don't always need to. Sometimes, it takes away from the whole book.

Finally, I thought that the ending was quite rushed. I think that Ms Enoch could have spared a few pages to wrap not only the book, but also the trilogy up. I don't need to see an epilogue with all three women nauseously happy, surrounded with children... but perhaps a wedding scene or something that had to do with the lessons. By the way, the lessons stopped being a plot device about half-way through the plot and it was completely forgotten. Kind of sad, since it's the theme of the trilogy. So yes, I thought the ending was a bit too rushed and a let-down.

My grade: B. Overall, the book was quite enjoyable. I like Ms Enoch's writing and she did a great job at characterization. There were a few funny scenes that made me laugh. Loved the relationships between the characters as well as the interactions between the H/H. But the book wasn't without weaknesses.

Trip to the UBS (part III) and Chapters/Indigo Sale - aka new books

So Saturday was a real book day for me. Aside from going to the UBS, I also went to two regular bookstores (Chapters and Indigo), because they were having a Family and Friends Day with 25% off on every books in-store.

I went to Indigo in downtown first, really early on Saturday and told myself to browse and look at books. Simply to enjoy walking in the aisles. Lately, I've been rushing in and out of bookstores, so it's been robbing a bit of my enjoyment.

So, what did I get?




Lucky in Love and One Lucky Cowboy by Carolyn Brown. Saw a review at Leslie's for One Lucky Cowboy, read the blurb and they sounded cute. I don't like western much, but these are in contemporary settings, so I should be fine... Well I hope :)




I also picked up the newest Susan Donovan, Ain't Too Proud To Beg. I was happy I didn't have to search too much to get my hand on it. I've been checking the online indicator the whole week and been sitting on the edge of my seat, wondering if I'd find copies during the week-end. Susan Donovan is quite hit and miss for me and this one has the potential to go either way. I guess I'll find out soon, right?


Holding Out For a Hero by HelenKay Dimon was the next book to make its way into my cart. I've picked this one up because Rosie seems to enjoy it, but I have to admit, I went back and forth in front of the shelve. I've never tried this author, so I wasn't sure if I should get it... on the other hand though, 25%off on a trade-size book... Now was the time to get it. In the end, I read some passages in the book and the writing seems good, so I got it.


Next was Earth Guys are Easy by Karen Kelley. I've been eying this books all summer long, not knowing whether or not I should take a chance on them. I'm not too much into aliens story, but I've been looking for something funny. So I wasn't sure what to do... until I read Kristie's review. Yes, I'm easily swayed, LOL. Only need one good word from a friend and I cave. However, did you see my willpower at work here? I only got one of Ms Kelley's book and not all three!

Another book was Home for the Holidays by Sarah Mayberry. I'm not sure about the blurb, but this is an author I'm determined to try before the year is out.

Another blogger recommendation was Hex in High Heels by Linda Wisdom, this time, courtesy of Hilcia with this review. I've been curious about Blair and Jake, so once again, I caved. Yes, I didn't enjoy her debut novel much, 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover, but it seems that I do enjoy her books when the main character isn't Jazz. So we'll see.





Finally, I picked up Skin Game by Ava Gray. This one, I wouldn't have gotten if the book was 25% off. I've tried this author under her other pen name, Ann Aguirre, and didn't enjoy much. However, this is about psychics right and I love psychics. Also Rosie loved it, but Tabz felt meh. So I'm taking a chance here. We'll see how much I like it.



Last but not least, Dark Haven by Gail Martin. This first heard of this series from SciFi Guy. He seems to really enjoy this series and I thought, why not give it a try. I've been in a mood for fantasy myself. There are three books so far and none of them were in stock back in August/September. Not even available to order! But now, they are, so I've bought all three ^_^; Yeah, I know, I should try at least one out before... but what if they go out of stock again? Better not risk it right?

Also, I bought other copies of The Thief and Queen of Attolia... as keepsafe... 8.99$ - 25%, that's my reasoning.

And here is what I found at the UBS:

Angel Lane by Sheila Roberts - I got lucky, because I almost bought it in-store... but didn't. So now, I saved a bundle :) I've enjoyed her books, but I don't think I love her enough to shell out trade-size price. Hmmm.

Somebody Wonderful by Kate Rothwell - Ames just read this book and loved it :)

The First Sin and The Second Betrayal by Cheyenne McCray - I've been curious about her series...

One Way Out by Michele Albert - If I remember correctly, Kristie really liked this one.

Hot Mail by Janice Maynard - recently reviewed by Leslie... and I got the hardcover version for 5$ I mean, it's a deal right?

One Week as Lovers by Victoria Dahl - I've been meaning to try one of her historicals and apparently, this one is very good.

Her Secret Fantasy, Lady of Desire and One Night of Sin by Gaelen Foley - I've read The Duke earlier this month and I liked it. These are all parts of the series if I'm not wrong.

Wishes in the Wind by Andrea Kane - She's a good author. I read all of her romantic suspense stuff, but have yet to try her historicals.

Wish Upon a Cowboy and This Time For Keeps by Kathleen Kane - I totally blame Cindy for these two! LOL, ever since I came back from my trip to Kristie and Cindy's, I've been buying all the Kathleen Kane I can find because Cindy loves her. I'm now starting to have a nice collection, but I've yet to try one ^_^;

The Sparkling One by Susan Mallery - A few years ago, I would have been estatic to get this one. I enjoyed The Seductive One and The Sassy One, but couldn't get my hand on the first book! Now though? The only reason I got it was because I need one more book so it was Buy 3, get the 4th free. Sad no?

The Prenup by Beth Kendrick - Another chit-lit author that I enjoy, but not sure I'm ready to buy in trade-size. This one Ames read and enjoyed it, so another good deal :)

Prelude to Heaven by Laure Lee Guhrke - Earlier work by Laura Lee Guhrke. Need I say more?

The Rake and A Matter of Scandal by Suzanne Enoch - Recently read England's Perfect Hero by this author and this book are kind of related, so I wanted to read them.

Secrets of a Duchess by Kathleen O'Reilley - Taja seemed to enjoy this author :)

After my trip to the UBS, I thought I should be more selective in my books buying habits. I mean, try not to buy authors I know I don't enjoy and that I don't enjoy anymore (that's a hard one for me to do ^_^;). Avoid plot lines I know I don't like. Also, do not use all the coupons and promotions available when I don't have books to buy! However, it's hard because most of the books I buy now, I know at least someone who has enjoyed them... and it's always like: This one might be the one that will make me enjoy this particular device or plotline.

I still buy a lot of books, but not much on impulse anymore. Each month, I follow the list I have and I'll add books that I've heard on blogland... So where do I cut?