Oh Happy Day!

Hi everyone!

How it's going? LOL :) I feel cheerful today :) Why? Well, many reasons... but it's mostly because some good things happened to me yesterday :D

(i) I went out with a friend yesterday and we had a nice time. We didn't do anything special... book-shopping (I know, I know... LOL :) and eating and walking around. I was kind of anxious before meeting her, because we rarely hang out together, only us two and well, a few years back, I was really annoyed with her... but it was really fun and I have a nice time :P

(ii) Books! I got 4 books yesterday: 3 that she gave me as a b-day present and one that I bought on my own. Want to know what I got? Fire and Ice, the new Anne Stuart - I've decided to give her another chance, plus the story it sets in Japan and I actually enjoyed Reno and Jill's character in Ice Blue. The new Celeste Bradley, Duke Most Wanted. Casee reviewed it at Book Binge and it sounded good. Pursuit by Elizabeth Jennings! That one was a tough one to find. There was only one copy at the bookstore and I didn't have time to look for it on Saturday when I went by... but I found it yesterday! So I'm happy... especially since I heard good things about it. Finally...

Yep! Dark Desires After Dusk! It was at the bookstore on the new releases table, so I grabbed it. I swear, I'll never understand bookstores. Sometimes, they'll tell you that the book is not supposed to be released yet and they won't give it to you although you have it in stock. Other times, the book is already released, but you can't find it because it's in the back room or on a cart or in a box and you have to look it up yourself... and sometimes, they just dump it all out at your feet. Well I'll take it LOL :)



(iii) I got one manga yesterday... Samurai Deeper Kyo volume 38! I've completed another series! Yay! Can you imagine? 38 volumes... 1 volume coming out every 2 months... so that's 6 volumes/year. So I've been collecting this series for more than 6 years! It feels great to have complete yet another series... only problem is lately, I haven't read as much manga and I don't know if there's any series out there worth to start. Well, actually I'm looking forward to some series... but there's just so much manga out there that I don't know them all. Anyway, I'm rambling. By the way, I was wondering... anyone would be interested reading if I started a weekly or bi-weekly features about manga? A bit like Keishon with her Manga Monday feature...

(iv) I got my new computer! Now, I did not open and install it yet, cos my room is still a mess and I was kind of tired yesterday. Still, I got it!

so yeah, I'm happy LOL :) Hopefully work, co-workers and supervisor won't ruin my mood. What about you, anything that made you happy lately?

PS. I forgot ^_^; I have a buddy review of Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich up over at Breezing Through. My buddy reviewier this time? Chantal :P

Review: Scream For Me by Karen Rose

In 2007, one of my favorite book was Count to Ten by Karen Rose. I just loved it to pieces. Her next release, Die For Me, was very gory and the suspens, very good. However, I never got sucked in the romance side... For me, Vito and Sophie were meh. Still, I was looking forward for Scream For Me very much... After all, it's Ms Rose's first hardcover release... and the hero is Daniel Vartanian :D


Scream For Me by Karen Rose
published by Grand Central Publishing in May 2008 (Hardcover)

Special Agent Daniel Vartanian has sworn to find the perpetrator of multiple killings that mimic a 13-year-old murder linked to a collection of photographs that belonged to his brother, Simon, the ruthless serial killer who met his demise in Die For Me. Daniel is certain that someone even more depraved than his brother committed these crimes, and he's determined to bring the current murderer to justice and solve the mysterious crime from years ago.

With only a handful of images as a lead, Daniel's search will lead him back through the dark past of his own family, and into the realm of a mind more sinister than he could ever imagine. But his quest will also draw him to Alex Fallon, a beautiful nurse whose troubled past reflects his own. As Daniel becomes attached to Alex, he discovers that she is also the object of the obsessed murderer. Soon, he will not only be racing to discover the identity of this macabre criminal, but also to save the life of the woman he has begun to love.

Genre: romantic suspense
Series: For Me trilogy, book #2

The Story: The blurb isn't bad, but maybe a bit confusing... So here is my version. We first meet Daniel Vartanian in Die For Me, where he's looking for his parents. However, his parents were already killed by Daniel's younger brother, Simon, who has faked his death a decade ago. At the end of the book, Simon was killed during the "arrest."

Scream For Me picks up the story one week after Daniel and his younger sister, Susannah, have buried their parents in their hometown, Dutton. Coming back on duty as a GBI agent, the first case Daniel catches is one where the victim as been raped, wrapped in a brown blanket, her face beaten beyond recognition and with a key tied around her toe... exactly like Alicia Tremaine was found 13 years ago. Since the murderer is behind bars, Daniel is faced with a copy-cat murder.

Alex Fallon is Alicia's twin. 13 years ago, after the death of Alicia, their mother committed suicide and Alex was found unconscious after swallowing a bottle of prescription pills. Luckily for Alex, her aunt and cousin took her away from this tragic place. However, Alex left behind her her stepsister, Bailey. With almost no contact for the past 13 years, it comes as a shock to Alex when she gets a phone call from the social worker stating that Bailey has disappears and Alex is the emergency contact for Hope, Bailey's daughter. Then, Alex hear about the body that is discovered in the same condition as her sister... Coincidences?...

My Opinion: Okay, from the synopsis/blurb, you can probably deduce that this storyline is quite complex and can be, at times, confusing. At the same time, it is excellent :D

I have to say, I love Daniel. He's the straightforward and honest kind of man with a heavy sense of justice. You can see that knowing what his brother did and not able to do anything for the victims has weighted a lot on him. He's also the type of man who will shoulder all the responsibilities and take in all the faults, even if it's not his. He's also quite protective, but without overdoing it. I also really enjoyed Alex. She has a past, but she overcame it and became her own person. Sure, her past still haunts her from time to time, but who can blame her? She's become a very strong woman and is still capable of emotions and attachment. What I mean is that her past hasn't crippled her, which takes even more courage and strength. I love the chemistry between Daniel and Alex. Both has been through a lot of pain and suffering: Alex from survivor's guilt and Daniel, because of his strong sense of justice; however, it did not break them. It made them wary, more susceptible but at the same time, stronger. Their romance happened quickly, but I think that they complement each other so well that you can't help but root for them.

Although I very much enjoyed Daniel and Alex, I have to admit that the strength of this novel was the plot. I thought it was strong with a lot of suspense. It wasn't easy to figure it out. I usually don't read the villains' POV, but in this case, you should. I don't have words to describe how intricate the plot is. Holly said in her review: "The plot kept twisting and turning, until an intricate and delicate web had been woven around the characters. Just when I thought I'd figured out what was going on, the scene would shift and I'd be back at square one." and she was totally right. It's an engrossing plot and I think that the motives and reasonings behind were realistic.

Other things I like? Riley, Daniel's dog. He's just so cute... in a sad way LOL :) Also, the camaraderie between Daniel and the other agents... Ms Rose really tried to make it realistic, adding some subtle touches like Dr. Berg seeming to have a crush on Daniel, but distancing herself once he's with Alex. I also liked how Daniel's superior, Chase, wasn't a jerk. For some reason, it's so rare. Instead, he was understanding and backed up his agents 100%.

There's little that I didn't enjoy. The only thing nagging me is the fact that there is some loose ends, but I guess those will be tied up in Kill For Me. Also, a warning, this book is gruesome and gory. Think Kay Hooper FBI SCU trilogy, especially Blood Dreams, gory.

My Grade: A. This is an excellent romantic suspense and Ms Rose doesn't disappoint for her first hardcover release. I'm definitively looking forward to the next release, Kill For Me, even if I'm not fond of Susannah who I believe is going to be the heroine.

Goals for summer 2008...

1. Re-decorate my room
- buy new computer
- buy new bookcase --> in process
- re-shelve books
- clean out the closet for more storage place

2. Lose weight
- Sign up at gym (*think I found one)
- Eat healthier
- Walk and run

3. Find a new job

Review: The Hollow by Nora Roberts

I haven't seen a review for this book yet... although it just came out yesterday. Anyway, I thought I'd share my opinion of it...

The Hollow by Nora Roberts
published by Jove in May 2008

For Fox, Caleb, Gage and the other residents of Hawkins Hollow, the number seven portends doom—ever since, as boys, they freed a demon trapped for centuries when their blood spilled upon The Pagan Stone…

Their innocent bonding ritual led to seven days of madness, every seven years. And now, as the dreaded seventh month looms before them, the men can feel the storm brewing. Already they are plagued by visions of death and destruction. But this year, they are better prepared, joined in their battle by three women who have come to The Hollow. Layla, Quinn, and Cybil are somehow connected to the demon, just as the men are connected to the force that trapped it.

Since that day at The Pagan Stone, town lawyer Fox has been able to see into others’ minds, a talent he shares with Layla. He must earn her trust, because their link will help fight the darkness that threatens to engulf the town. But Layla is having trouble coming to terms with her newfound ability—and this intimate connection to Fox. She knows that once she opens her mind, she’ll have no defenses against the desire that threatens to consume them both…

Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Sign of 7, book #2

The Story: The story basically picks up from where it left in Blood Brothers. Cal and Quinn are now a couple, Fox and Layla fall in love while Gage and Cybil are still at each other’s throat, although you can see attraction. They continue their normal life, some working and others researching the past, studying the new diaries they have found… and then, from time to time, they have to escape some attacks from the enemy.

My Opinion: I’m sorry if I don’t sound more enthusiastic about this trilogy, but I just can’t muster it. Perhaps I’ve read too many of Nora Roberts’ trilogies? Seriously, going back to the Garden trilogy, I kind of lost interest in them. It’s so obvious who is going to end up with whom and I think that the storylines are quite repetitive. All that is changed is the theme and the background.

Anyway, about The Hollow. It actually started out quite good. I really like Fox and he’s definitively my favorite one out of the three men. He’s charming and very kind. He knows where he stands and where he’s going, he’s addicted to Coke, LOL, and he’s just the really nice guy that I’d love to have as a boyfriend… and who does he get paired up with? Layla. Among the three women, I find Layla the weakest and the most annoying. Her uncertainty and doubts annoyed me, the lack of commitment as well. I understand why though… not everyone can just up and leave their whole life behind, especially to fight an evil being that you’re not even sure you believe. Still, it grated on my nerves. She’s the type of heroine that is weak and whenever the hero steps in front of her for protection, she gets on her high horse… simply annoying.

Personally, I didn’t get why Fox was attracted to her, besides the fact that she’s pretty. I didn’t see the connection or the chemistry… perhaps I didn’t want to see it. In Blood Brothers, Cal and Quinn clicked… but it’s not the case between Fox and Layla. Most of the time, she’s fighting the attraction, doesn’t want to admit it. The worst was that Fox was so nice to her, he really put her needs first and everything. Sigh.

As for the book itself, it was well-written, as always; however, it wasn’t enough. The whole storyline fell flat for me. I couldn’t muster interest. There was a definite sense of déjà-vu. Actually, when I think about it, this trilogy reminds me a lot of the Key trilogy: 1) the men are all childhood friends, 2) the women have just met (well not exactly, but close enough), 3) they have to fight something evil, 4) it involves a lot of research and they have a deadline and 5) paranormal elements. Also, I felt the balance between the romance and the storyline a bit awkward, as in, it didn’t flow. You’d have the 2 trios living a normal life and boo, an attack from evil. Then, the evil would stay low to recover its energy, so the trios are back to their routine, and boo again, attack. Smart thing was that the attacks were restricted to Layla and Fox, but everyone got a taste of it.

So what did I like besides Fox? Well the connection between Cal, Fox and Gage. That one, I could really feel. I like how well they know each other and that they need each other. I also enjoyed the O’Dell family dynamics as well as the O’Dells and Cal and Gage interactions. Those were enjoyable moments and luckily for me, there were many.

My Grade: B-. If you enjoyed Blood Brothers, then go ahead, you’ll probably enjoy this one too. I really enjoy Nora Roberts writing, but I think that I should take a break from the trilogy and stick to her stand-alone books for a while.

Review: Grimpspace from Ann Aguirre

Lots of buzz about this book, which is why I got it... I had a feeling though about that book and turns out I was right. Sometimes, I should just trust my feeling ^_^; There's also been a lot of mixed reviews, so here I am, adding my two cents :)


Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
published by Berkley in March 2008

By all accounts, Sirantha Jax should have burned out years ago…

As the carrier of a rare gene, Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace—a talent which cuts into her life expectancy, but makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. But then the ship she’s navigating crash-lands, and she’s accused of killing everyone on board. It’s hard for Jax to defend herself: she has no memory of the crash.

Now imprisoned and the subject of a ruthless interrogation, Jax is on the verge of madness. Then a mysterious man breaks into her cell, offering her freedom—for a price. March needs Jax to help his small band of rogue fighters break the Corp monopoly on interstellar travel—and establish a new breed of jumper.

Jax is only good at one thing—grimspace—and it will eventually kill her. So she may as well have some fun in the meantime…

Genre: romantic sci-fi
Series: The Jax Series, book #1

The Story: The book blurb is a good summary.

My Opinion: This book didn't work for me. I had two problems with it: the heroine and the world building.

Let's start with the lesser problem. The world building. I found that the readers were just propelled in the world and given information as we read; however, it wasn't enough. The world in this book is very complex... it's not just the spaceship/planets, but also lots of different races and the politics... and I felt lost. I was trying to figure it out, imagine it and I just couldn't. Same thing about background information. For example, the hero, March... what is he? Is there more like him? What's all his motives? I find we were given just the strict minimum. Perhaps it's because this story is a series and those issues will be addressed later...

Biggest problem for me? The heroine, Sirantha Jax. Sorry, but I didn't like her. My favorite kind of characters are the ones that are selfless, that will sacrifice themselves for others. It wasn't the case with Jax. I'm not saying that she's selfish... but she's not selfless either. Some thought it made her more human and real, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't like how she was sleeping with her pilots when she's still married. Okay, she's not in love with her husband anymore and it's been years she hasn't seen him. How hard is it then to just ask for a divorce or something? I didn't like that there was little camaraderie and loyalty between her and the rest of the crew. I understand why... it's not like they wanted her on board, but still... little efforts were made. I didn't like how she thought of abandoning March. Least you can do is check whether he really is dead or not. I know that she has her own demons and she just lost her pilot and etc. Still, the way she acted, I wouldn't want to have her own my team.

Aside from that, *sigh* the romance didn't work too well for me. I can't see when they'd feel attracted or could fall in love with each other. As for the story, it was okay... except for the last part. I thought the bounty hunter was unnecessary and the hostage situation, ridiculous. Especially the way it ended. I'm wondering whether or not there'll be repercussions on March. I sure hope so, because otherwise, it doesn't make any sense.

Any positive? Lots of action. The 1st POV didn't bother me, neither did the present tense. Writing style is okay. The whole storyline, it was okay, but a bit cliche...

My Grade: D. I originally graded it as a C+, but now that I'm writing the review... I see little that I liked ^_^; so I'm down-grading it.

What's on my mind...

Hello everyone!

How have you been doing? I'm sorry I've been MIA since last Thursday ^_^; Been quite busy and also, a bit lethargic LOL :) Anyway, couple of things on my mind...

I turned 25 on Saturday :D I actually don't really care about my age, because well, it doesn't change me much. I am who I am, LOL, and age won't change anything. I was actually quite giddy and happy. Great thing is that everytime I'm going to want to rent a car now, I won't have to pay the surcharge LOL :) I had lots of fun with my friends on Thursday as we went for all-you-can-eat sushi :) Pretty good place. My friends gave me a purse! Tell you the truth, I didn't really want a purse ^_^; but I couldn't think of anything else (besides books) that I wanted and that was "easy" to buy... so a purse it was. I have to say, I love it though!!! Love the design, the color and it's sooooo soft :) Only downside is that I can't put many books in it... actually, I'm only allowed of one book. If there's more than one book, they'll be confiscated by my friends, LOL :)

I ordered some books last week-end and for some reasons, they were shipped from Vancouver. Now, that's the first time I've had orders sent from the warehouse in Vancouver, considering how much closer Ontario is. Anyway, long story short, when checking my order status, books were supposed to be delivered on Friday... but when I asked my mom and sister, they said we didn't receive anything... which was like impossible. I started worrying that the mailman put the key in the wrong box (mailman doesn't come to door to door in my neighborhood... we have commun mailbox with individual case for each house and bigger cases for packages...). I was expecting whoever got the key, opened the case and saw the package would return it to my house... Turns out, on Saturday m0rning, when I came down, I saw this big package, the size of a VCR or DVD player box, wrapped in newspapers... and on it: "Nath's birthday surprise" I thanked my parents and sister - my parents had no idea what it was and my sis said, "Don't thank us, you bought it" LOL :) Yep, the box was left in front of my hosue and my sister just hid it from me. She's evil sometimes.

Speaking of sister, she's gone for tw0 weeks... Went to California to hang out with my cousins... I think I'm really going to miss her ^_^; We've grown really close in the past couple of years and it's just going to be weird not having her nagging me about her tv shows and nobody to sneak food with. Ah well, lucky for me, it's only 2 weeks. I have a friend, her sis is gone for the whole summer.

Something else on my mind... I have a project for the summer and it involves my room, bookcases and my books. I'm thinking of buying some shelving units... but as I said before, I don't have anymore room in my place for furniture... so my plan is to exchange the computer desk for my nice desk. I have one of those big screen though and I won't be able to put the computer tower on the floor anymore... So big computer screen + tower + printer on a desk... not enough place. So I'm thinking of buying a new computer with a flat screen. My current computer is about 5-6 years old... It's not bad, but it has some bugs. Like the screen going black for few seconds at a time for no reason. My anti-virus on it is also dead for a long time. I can't open Adobe Reader with Mozilla Firefox without freezing it... and I almost have more space on my harddrive. I did think of buying the screen only, but the one I'm eyeing is already 300$ Also, the day before I changed computer completely is not far... so might as well get a good deal... but it'll still cost me >1,000$... the other thing is the actual bookcase. My parents have always gone for quality... that means all my furniture in my room are in teak wood (except my computer deak which is why I'm getting rid of it)... and I'd like for my new bookcase to match and be of teak wood... however, I have a feeling it's going to be quite pricey *sigh*

So I gotta find ways to be thrifty, LOL :) So I'm going to take a page out of Ames' book and try not to buy any books for a couple of weeks. Shouldn't be too hard considering that there's nothing really interesting coming out soon and lucky me, I've already pre-ordered Scream for Me by Karen Rose. In addition, I still have about 30-something $ on my online account at Chapters + a co-worker gave me a gift card :D So that should help :) and if I'm lucky, mangas will be arriving from France slowly... esp. since it's the summer. So yeah, I guess it's feasible. Pluse, I'm hoping that eating out less, as in not at all, would help.

Part two of my project, I've alredy mentioned... is to clean out the closet and put some cheap, waist-level, shelving cases. Just so I have space to put my stuff and all... but between you and me, cleaning my closet? Ugh, it's going to be a nightmare... of course, not as bad as cleaning out under of Holly's daughter's bed LOL :) but let just says I have lots of stuff.

Other things that are on my mind... Gas price. Ugh, I gas at 1.29$/liter this morning. It was 1.37$/liter at the highest last week. What doesn't help is that I live far from work :( and also, there's construction on the way for the rest of the summer. Gotta find another way to get to work... and also, I don't know... go out less? Again, not stopping and making detours to the bookstores should help... right?

Last thing, I have a review up at Book Binge!! This time, it's The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie. Click here for the review :D

Oh, and last last thing... i'm glad the hockey season is over in Montreal. I think the people went a bit crazy this year. I know it's been a long time since the Canadians haven't done so good, but still :P

Monthly reads April 2008

It's May! It's May!

The year is going by so quickly! It's already May! Can you believe it? Okay, I'm mostly excited about May because my birthday is on Saturday LOL :) It's definitively not because of the high numbers of romance releases this month :( Although the new Karen Rose is coming out in a few weeks (I've already pre-ordered it)... Casee's review of Taking The Heat by Kathryn Shay made me added another book to look forward to. Of course, there's the next Kresley Cole... but seriously, that's nothing comparing to June and July right? Right? Of course, to tide me over this month, there's always my TBR pile and tons of manga has just arrived to the bookstore from France. Also, strangest thing is although there's not many new releases, I find ways to still buy books. Go figure.

All right, so here are my reads for the month of April!

1) Strike Zone by Kate Angell: B+
2) Dear Santa by Karen Templeton: A-
3) Yours, Mine... Ours? by Karen Templeton: B+
4) Baby, I'm Yours by Karen Templeton: A-
5) Shaken Up & Stirred by Kathleen O'Reilley: C
6) Sex, Straight Up by Kathleen O'Reilley: B-
7) 50 ways to Hex Your Love by Linda Wisdom: C
8) Fast & Loose by Elizabeth Bevarly: C-
9) The Rules of Seduction by Madeline Hunter: B+
10) Grimspace by Ann Aguirre: C+ D *
11) Forecast by Jane Tara: B
12) The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie: B
13) The Dare by Elda Minger: B+
14) A Dangerous Beauty by Sophia Nash: B-
15) The Kiss by Sophia Nash: B-
16) One Night Stand by Cindi Kirk: B
17) Not So Innocent by Laura Lee Guhkre: B (3.5)
18) Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole: B-
19) Breathless by Laura Lee Guhrke: A- (4.25/5)
20) The Charade by Laura Lee Guhrke: B C *
21) Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich: B

LOL, definitively an awesome month reading-wise :D What I enjoyed is that it was very varied. I've read some really good books... and some not. Contemporary, historicals, paranormal... I've read them all this month LOL :) I've also read new books I've recently purchased, but also a lot of oldies, many from my TBR pile! Yay!!

Also got out of my comfort zone and read quite a few category romance :) They were pretty good. I wonder why I'm so prejudiced against them? After all, all those re-issues of Kay Hooper, Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Crusie are Silhouette books which are the old category romances no? Maybe it has to do with the titles, as Kristie has mentioned recently. Lots of titles are just turn-off :(

By the way, anyone has review request from the list above? That would help me choosing which books to review LOL :) Me thinks I should try to review more on this blog as well :) Oh well I'm trying. By the way, for those interested, reviews for Naughty Neighbor and The Cinderella Deal should be coming up shortly :D

What about you, how has your month been?

*EDIT: Grades were revised after writing the reviews.