Review: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Slowly, but surely, I'm getting back in :) I have a buddy review up over at Breezing Through with Rowena :) Speaking of buddy reviews, I'm going to try to update my sidebar and Goodreads as frequently as possible... If you see any books you'd be interested to discuss, you know where to find me! I'm in to buddy review any books :) Anyway, back on the subject. The buddy review is for Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson and you can click here to find it :)

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
published by Simon & Schuster in May 2014

It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just...disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list.

On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?

Apple picking at night?
Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn?
Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger?
Um...

Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she'll find?

Go skinny-dipping?
Wait...what?

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Series: None

BT: New Releases - August 2014

Hi everyone!!

Sorry for the radio silence for the past month and plus... I guess I needed a break to recharge. The good news is that my reading has picked up and I had a great month of July :)

I'm working on a personal project at the moment that hopefully, I'll wrap up this week-end. As soon as it's taken care of, I'll come back to blogging. I've been itching for it the past few days, especially now that Kristie is back :P Oh the pressure on both of us LOL.

In the meantime, Ames and I have our monthly new releases post over at Breezing Through. Click here to check out what books we're looking forward to!

New Releases - May 2014

Hi everyone!

It's May 1st today and as usual, Ames and I have our post of new releases up over at Breezing Through. Click here to check it out and let us know if we missed anything!

Review: Third Degree by Julie Cross

Hi everyone!

Things have finally calmed down and gone back to normal :) Hopefully, that means I'll have more time for books and reviews :) To start things with, I have a buddy review up over at Breezing Through. Ames and I are discussing one of my new auto-buy author's latest release, Ms Cross' Third Degree. Click here to find out what we thought of Third Degree :)

Let's hope this review will kick my mojo into gear!


Third Degree by Julie Cross
published by Random House Publishing (Flirt) in March 2014

I used to be “Isabel Jenkins, child prodigy.” As lame as that sounds, at least it was an identity. But now I’m not sure what I am. I just failed the most important exam of my life—the emotional readiness test required to get into a medical residency program—and it turns out my parents can’t stand each other. Now I’m trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces of my life, and that means re-enrolling as a college freshman, but this time I’m shutting the books and majoring in being eighteen.

But so far, my roommate hates me and I’m not into the party scene. The only good thing about school has been getting to know my insanely hot RA. Marshall Collins makes me wonder about everything I missed while I was growing up too fast. Pretty soon we’re hanging out constantly, but for the first time, I find myself wanting more than a no-strings-attached physical relationship. And the lesson I really need is one Marsh definitely can’t teach me: love. Because I’m going to be alone forever if I don’t learn fast.

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Series: None

Review: Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett

There are some posts and reviews that I want to write, but this week has been busy, busy. Luckily, Ames and I have been working on this buddy review so I have something to post today :) I've read Ms Bennett previously and when I saw this new series of hers, I was intrigued... I wasn't the only one. Head over to Breezing Through to read our review of Bitter Spirits or click here :)

Have a good week-end!

Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett
published by Berkley

It’s the roaring twenties, and San Francisco is a hotbed of illegal boozing, raw lust, and black magic. The fog-covered Bay Area can be an intoxicating scene, particularly when you specialize in spirits…

Aida Palmer performs a spirit medium show onstage at Chinatown’s illustrious Gris-Gris speakeasy. However, her ability to summon (and expel) the dead is more than just an act.

Winter Magnusson is a notorious bootlegger who’s more comfortable with guns than ghosts—unfortunately for him, he’s the recent target of a malevolent hex that renders him a magnet for hauntings. After Aida’s supernatural assistance is enlisted to banish the ghosts, her spirit-chilled aura heats up as the charming bootlegger casts a different sort of spell on her...

On the hunt for the curseworker responsible for the hex, Aida and Winter become drunk on passion. And the closer they become, the more they realize they have ghosts of their own to exorcise…

Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Roaring Twenties, Book #1¸

New Releases - February 2014

Hi everyone!

How are you doing? I'm sooo tired LOL. However, it's a good kind of tired, so I shouldn't complain much. Sorry, I haven't been posting or blog-hopping much. It's just been quite busy. Last Friday was Chinese New Year and as usual, it was a mad rush cleaning my room. So sad right? ^_^; The good news is I made it! Yay! I've also been quite busy curling. I've participated to a few tournaments that take place during the week-ends in addition to my regular games. I have a break this week, except that the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, i.e. the Canadian National Women Curling Championship, is taking place in Montreal!! Woohoo! Guess who's going to go to some games? Yep, me. I'm planning to go tomorrow morning and Thursday evening. So excited!

With everything going on, I've kind of hit a reading slump. Sigh, I hate them so much! However, tomorrow is release day, so hopefully, I'll find something to drag me out of it! Ames and I have posted our monthly New Releases post over at Breezing Through. Click here to see what books might get me out of my funk :)

Bookish Recap of 2013

And here we are, my last retrospective post of 2013. Ames and I take a look at how the past year was, reading-wise and book-wise. Which books measured up to our expectations? Which series is still going strong? Which authors did we read most? Which ones impressed us? To find out, head over to Breezing Through or simply click here :)

To complete the post, a few more pictures of authors :P Recognize them?

 

Best and Favorite Reads of 2013

And I continue my retrospective of 2013 with the 'Best and Favorite Reads' post :) Once again, Ames and I teamed up for this post. It's just more fun when there's a bit of discussion going on :P You can find our lists of Best and Favorite Reads for 2013 over at Breezing Through or by simply clicking here. Curious? Well what are you waiting for? :P

I don't want to give away my picks by posting the covers in this post, but a post without pictures is a bit sad. Especially the Best and Favorite Reads post :) So here are some pictures of authors who have written some of my favorite books in 2013. Recognize them? :P

New Releases - January 2014!

Hi everyone!

Quick post to let you know that Ames and I have our New Releases post for January up over at Breezing Through :) Check out how we're going to start the year!

 By the way, be a dear and let us know if we missed any good books!

Review: Letters to Nowhere by Julie Cross

Hi everyone!

Yes, I'm alive. I guess I jinxed myself in my last post when I said that I was doing "quite good" ^_^; On Tuesday, I noticed a rash under my left armpit and after a visit to the doctor, the diagnostic was shingles. Sigh. Gotta say though I wasn't too surprised. Shingles is basically the reactivation of the chickenpox virus that lies in you dormant. It usually occurs when the immune system is weakened. Let see, hmmmm. Ruptured appendix, antibiotics treatment, possible allergic reactions, allergy test, stress from every twitch and twinge, lack of sleep and start of curling season... Yep, it could be that my immune system was a bit weakened. Luckily, I went to the doctor promptly and started the anti-virals within the three days the rash appeared, which is when the drug is most effective. As a result, my rash didn't spread - yay! - and I was also lucky that it wasn't painful nor itchy. Today is my last day of anti-virals and the rash has lost its redness :) Hoping to play curling this week!

With everything going on, I haven't really been in the mood of blogging. I'm so far behind in my reviews, it's kind of getting overwhelming. Plus, I'm not really sure what I'm in the mood to read. I was waiting for today impatiently!! Need to replenish my pile of new releases LOL. Despite everything though, I was able to put together a buddy review with Ames over at Breezing Through. We both read Letters to Nowhere and wanted to share out thoughts with everyone. Be sure to check it out because we're also doing a giveaway! Click here for the review :)

Letters to Nowhere by Julie Cross
self-published in August 2013

Set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics... I've gotten used to the dead parents face. I've gotten used to living with my gymnastics coach. I've even adjusted to sharing a bathroom with his way-too-hot son. Dealing with boys is not something that's made it onto my list of experiences as of yet. But here I am, doing it. And something about Jordan--being around him, talking to him, thinking about him--makes me feel like I can finally breathe again. That's something I haven't been able to do lately. He knows what it feels like to be me right now. He knows what it's like to wonder--what now? I think about it constantly. I need answers. I need to know how to get through this. In the gym, if you're struggling, you train harder, you do drills and conditioning. How do I work hard at moving on? At being on my own? And what happens if I might be...maybe...probably falling for Jordan? I mean we live together now. That can't happen, can it? But kissing him...well, let's just say it's not an easy activity to forget.

Genre: Young Adult/New Adult, Contemporary
Series: Letters to Nowhere, Book #1

Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Hi everyone!

Wassup? Didn't mean to disappear, but I got really busy... Last week-end was the wedding, so I went to Washington D.C./Annapolis. Had a great trip and spent some quality time with relatives I haven't seen for a while :) More on that later, with pictures :P

Anyway, I spent the couple of days before the trip running around like a headless chicken. I need to learn how to relax before a trip, because seriously, it's getting ridiculous... That's mainly why I haven't blogged. That, plus the fact that my blogging muse is still gone. Sigh. Hopefully, she'll come back soon!

In the meantime, I have a buddy review with Ames up over at Breezing Through. The book is The Distance Between Us, a YA novel by Ms West. I picked it up because I really enjoyed her debut novel, Pivot Point :) To find out what I thought of The Distance Between Us, click here :)


The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
published by Harpercollins Publisher (Harper Teen) in July 2013

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Genre: YA, contemporary
Series: None

Hauling Sunday CXVIII

Hi everyone! :) How is your week-end going? Mine so far has been relaxing which is exactly what I needed after a couple of bad days :( Before I share my woes with you all though, today is September 1... So guess what? Yep, Ames and I have our New Releases post up over at Breezing Through :) Check it out. And if we forgot some good books coming out, let us know!! Because so far, September looks like a lean month ^_^;

Now, onto the books I got this week! :P It was a pretty good week as you can see LOL.

 

Heart of Venom, The Arrangement and The Hero were pre-orders that I've made at Book Depository a couple of months ago. It was nice that they arrived during release week :) Usually, I'll receive them a week after. In any case, I have already read them all :P I bought If You Can't Stand the Heat at the bookstore when I went to renew my membership to Chapters/Indigo irewards program and got a nice 20% off on it. Finally, One Night with a Cowboy is an e-book I bought over at Kobo with a 35% off discount, yay! I read Ms Johnson for the first time in the anthology He's the One and really enjoyed her story, Fish Out of the Water, and wanted more :P

As I said, good week right? Well at least, book-wise... What did you get?

If not for the books, my week would have been quite bleak... I'm going to vent a little, so feel free to skip LOL. Still reading? Brave people :P Well first, I cut myself at work again on Thursday... This time, it was a weird cut because it's actually my nail... The problem is that it hasn't cut through either...

Good news is that it no longer really hurts... Bad news is that I don't really know what will be happening to my nail... someone told me that when it bleeds under, then it'll fall. Guess I'll have to wait and see.

I've been monitoring prices for round-trip flight for my trip to Annapolis. Was going to buy them last week, but we didn't... and on Friday, the prices went up. Ugh. My parents are also planning a trip soon and I didn't have time to buy their tickets on Friday morning... but throughout the day, the price increased! So that was double bummer. My sister and I found another option for our trip to Annapolis, using our miles... so that works out good. As for my parents, there is still some time left to buy their tickets and I'm hoping it's the "week-end effect" that drove the price up and that it'll come down mid-week. But yeah, Friday was very frustrating.

As if that wasn't enough, I've been having some car issues. My AC system has been down the whole summer... and with the season coming to an end soon, it hasn't really been on list of priority to repair. However, I have no control on the cool air either :( It'll sometimes work and then, lose its coolness or just not work at all... We've had rain a few times this week and it's been very humid... Having no control on cool air means that my windows have been fogging up and that's exactly what happened on Friday... It was bad ^_^; So now, getting it fixed has just become a priority, especially since I'm planning a road-trip in October. I can already hear the ca-chink sound of dollar signs, sigh. So on Friday evening, I came home and it was raining really hard with my windows fogged up... Not good. Later, I was going to join my sister at the restaurant, so I decided to take my parents' car, just to be on the safe side. I was a bit surprised because the car was making a weird sound "blop, blop, blop"... So I drove into a parking and got down to take a look... and sure enough, flat tire. Sigh. Apparently, my mom who had driven the car earlier already heard the sound, so it happened while she was driving. Getting on the car, I didn't feel anything different... the car wasn't leaning dramatically to one side or anything. I called my dad and we tried changing the tire to the spare one, but the bolts were screwed really tight. Plus, the tire iron/lug wrench got scraped, so it wasn't possible to do anything with it. So I called for a tow service at 9pm. They told me I'd have to wait for 1.5 hours. Sure, fine, didn't really have a choice... They showed up at 11.30pm ^_^; And luckily, my car had come with my car because the tow guy didn't have a tire iron that fit my dad's car's bolts! So got mine out and it fit! Hallelujah!

Last Friday wasn't Friday 13th, but it sure felt like it...

New Releases - August!

Hi everyone :)

I'm still alive. Yay! I don't know why, but this week's social calendar was really jam-packed! Soooo busy and as a result, didn't have time to write any reviews. I had plans, but you know what happens... Also at work, I was hoping not to have to cut any tissues for a while, but I'm back on the machine :(

What I did manage though is to put up Breezing Through's New Releases post with Ames and Monroe. Take a look at what books I'm looking forward to in August! :) Here's a hint...

Review: Slashback by Rob Thurman

Hey everyone :)

I have a buddy review up over at Breezing Through. Joining me is Leslie and/or Hilcia to discuss our yearly fix of the Cal Leandros series :) So head over to Breezing Through to find out how much we enjoyed this new installment!





Slashback by Rob Thurman
published by New American Library (ROC) in March 2013

I stopped and let them circle me, first because it was intriguing and, second, because, honestly, what could they do? Only knives, but all armed, and that made them even more interesting. Interesting. Fun.

Playtime…

Taking on bloodthirsty supernatural monsters is how Caliban and Niko Leandros make a living. But years ago—before they became a force to be reckoned with—the brothers were almost victims of a very human serial killer.

Almost.

Unfortunately for them, that particular depraved killer was working as apprentice to a creature far more malevolent—the legendary Spring-heeled Jack. He’s just hit town. He hasn’t forgotten what the Leandros brothers did to his murderous protégé. He hasn’t forgotten what they owe him.

And now they are going to pay… and pay… and pay...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Cal Leandros, Book #8

Hauling Sunday CX

Oh, my poor neglected blog!! I've been meaning to blog, I swear, but life has been really hectic in the last few days. Basically, it's because I'm going to a wedding next week. Except my friend wanted a destination wedding and as such, I'm leaving on Saturday for a week to Punta Cana! Yay! It's going to be my first all-inclusive, resort vacation. Not sure what to expect, but just the work "vacation" makes me happy LOL. However, before I can enjoy the vacation, there is the departure and as usual, I'm running around like crazy to get some stuff: swim suits, bag, medicine, hat, etc. If that was all, it wouldn't be so bad... but this Friday is my birthday :) Usually, I'd keep it low-key... but I'm turning 30 :P It's a nice number to celebrate I think LOL. And so that's what I did last week-end :)

 
We had pork tenderloin with mac and cheese, some smoke salmon tartar, spinach salad with strawberries and feta cheese and shrimps wrapped in bacon. The food was extremely yummy and luckily for all of us, I wasn't the one cooking LOL. However, I helped and since I was hosting, I cleaned... and so my week-end passed really fast! Seriously, I've barely had time to read :(

Tonight, I'm going out with my new friends for curling and tomorrow, we're taking out my friend's aunts who came from Hong Kong for the wedding. When I went to Hong Kong in 2000 (jeez, I cannot believe it's been so long!!), they welcomed us into their home and so, this is a thank you in Montreal :) And on Friday, apparently, I need to beautify my legs and feet for the beach. In the meantime, I need to pack and I'll definitively try to write a couple of posts for next week.

In the meantime, I have a New Releases post with Ames over at Breezing Through. Check out what books I'm looking forward to in May here :) And while I know we're not Sunday, I thought I'd still show you what I've got last week and this week :)

I've actually already read Written in Red by Anne Bishop, but I loved it so much that I needed to get the hardcover :) Loki's Wolves is totally a score, considering that it's coming out only next week! No Strings Attached - I'm trying very hard to be a good girl and keep it for next week while in Punta Cana. It just seemed to be the perfect beach read! The Mary Balogh is also coming with me because I need to find out why Ames enjoyed it so much :) And  I'm currently reading Lord of Wicked Intentions :P

So what books did you recently acquire? Any suggestions of what I should bring with me?

Review: Assassin's Gambit by Amy Raby

Sigh, so once again, I've been neglecting my blog. I'm sure you're tired of my excuses - curling, work, being busy, etc. I mean, I am too ^_^; However, I have to say, at the end of the day, the real reason is I'm just not in the mood to blog. Lately, the moments I can still away from real life, I'd rather read than blog... I'm not saying I'm done with blogging, because I'm not. However, I think I need to stop pressuring myself about blogging all the time. I mean, who really expects it? And it's especially hard to stay motivate when everyone else seems to also be busy with real life or affected with the blogger blues. Anyway, all to say that I'm going to try my best to blog, but there'll probably be some quiet times :)

In the meantime, I do have a review for this week :) It's a buddy review over at Breezing Through :) Joining me is Jan from Notes from a Readerholic! Head over to Breezing Through or click here to find out what we thought of Ms Raby's debut novel, Asssassin's Gambit.


Assassin's Gambit by Amy Raby
published by New American Library (Signet) in April 2013

Vitala Salonius, champion of the warlike game of Caturanga, is as deadly as she is beautiful. She’s a trained assassin for the resistance, and her true play is for ultimate power. Using her charm and wit, she plans to seduce her way into the emperor’s bed and deal him one final, fatal blow, sparking a battle of succession that could change the face of the empire.

As the ruler of a country on the brink of war and the son of a deposed emperor, Lucien must constantly be wary of an attempt on his life. But he’s drawn to the stunning Caturanga player visiting the palace. Vitala may be able to distract him from his woes for a while—and fulfill other needs, as well.

Lucien’s quick mind and considerable skills awaken unexpected desires in Vitala, weakening her resolve to finish her mission. An assassin cannot fall for her prey, but Vitala’s gut is telling her to protect this sexy, sensitive man. Now she must decide where her heart and loyalties lie and navigate the dangerous war of politics before her gambit causes her to lose both Lucien and her heart for good.

Genre: Fantasy romance
Series: Hearts and Thrones, Book #1

Review: High Risk by Vivian Arend

Oups, I was in such a hurry last Friday that I put up a review at Breezing Through and forgot to make the announcement over here ^_^; Ames and I chose to read High Risk by Vivian Arend because it took place in Canada and had an unusual premise. Head over to Breezing Through or click here to find out how we liked it :)


High Risk by Vivian Arend
published by Berkley in March 2013

LIFELINE: an elite search-and-rescue squad based out of Banff, Alberta. Specializing in high-risk rescue missions, this team goes wherever the job takes them…

Rebecca James was once revered for her devil-may-care attitude and backcountry survival skills. But ever since she lost her partner in a fatal accident, patches of her memory have been missing. And until she can recall those final, tragic moments before the accident, she can’t move on.

Since Marcus Landers was permanently injured during a mission, all his energies have been focused on his Lifeline team. When Becki—whom he had an intense affair with seven years ago—arrives in Banff, he’s inspired to reignite the spark they once had. Their mutual ardor slowly awakens Becki’s dormant, haunting memories.

New truths surface until Becki must at last confront her greatest fear. Remembering the past might mean a future without the man she loves…

Genre: Contemporary romance/Romantic Suspense
Series: Adrenaline Search & Rescue, Book #1

Hauling Sunday CVI

Hi everyone!! How are you doing?! It's been a while I haven't shared my life with you LOL. I thought this post would be the perfect time to catch up! The last few weeks have been quite busy work and social-wise and I didn't really know where to start, so I just didn't. While it was busy, it was a good busy though, so I can't complain... at least, not too much :P

So let see... Two week-ends ago, I went tubing with my friends :) I'm not such an outdoor-sy person, but if it's to be with my friends, I'll participate :) It turned out to be a lot more fun than what I remembered! And we ended up being so lucky because the weather was so nice :)

Then, last week-end, I ended up going to sugar shack twice :) Once with work and once with my friends. Got an overload of sugar. Of course, I could have gone only once... but seriously, everything to avoid working is worth for me. Especially since back then, I was still "practicing" and I was running out of material to practice on. The menu is always similar no matter where you go: ham, omelette, potatoes, maple syrup, maple syrup toffee, etc. But some places are better than others and the one where I went with my friends was really yummy! I have a feeling we'll definitively return :) And perhaps even this summer since they have an orchard.

Also, curling has been keeping me very busy :) I've been meaning to post about it, but I thought getting back into a rhythm for reviews was the priority. The season is almost over (3 more weeks), so perhaps I'll recap my experience then ;) I've been playing a lot lately, averaging three games a week. This past week-end, since it was Easter, we had a long week-end... and my curling club usually hosts a tournament. Since I miss a lot of events to which I wanted to participate, I decided to sign up. It's been really fun :) All in all, I'm really happy because I feel I've come a long way in a year and I'm definitively signing up for next year :)

As for work, well it finally picked up. After weeks of practicing, I finally officially started on "good" samples. And of course, to celebrate, I cut myself on the blade ^_^; Sigh, it was such a stupid mistake... a moment of inattention. Once again, I was lucky because the cuts weren't deep. Two of my co-workers had taken a first aid class and decided I did not need band-aid, they could do it...

I'm the one who added the smiley faces LOL. While they tried their best, let just say I wouldn't have been able to work with those bandages... So they had to come off LOL.

Finally, my latest addiction has been the online game, Candy Crush ^_^; I don't know why I keep getting addicted to those games... For a while, it was Bejeweled, then Tetris, Words with Friends... Lately, I've been doing some jigsaws online... and last week, our admin showed me Candy Crush on her iPhone and the next thing you knew, there I was playing it on FB. By the way, a big thank you to those who have helped me unlocked the next stages! The game is very similar to Bejeweled, but what I like about Candy Crush is that you have goals that need to be reached... and there are different stages, so it makes it more challenging. However, there's a few things I don't like about it... such as when your friends send you extra lives, how to you claim them?!

And in the middle of everything, well I'm reading :) I try to read as much as possible and I have to say, so far, 2013 feels like a good year! (Hopefully, I have not just jinxed it ^_^;) Here are the new books I've gotten since my last Hauling Sunday post:

 Not many books, but ones that I really wanted. Still, there's a lot more books that I want to buy, so I hope Chapters has a "Buy 3, get the 4th book free" sale soon! And the list just gets longer since it's the beginning of the month! Check out what Ames and I are looking forward to add to our TBR pile in April over at Breezing Through :)

What about you? How have you been? Read anything good lately? What books are you going to pick up this week?