Theme Song Saturday (5)



Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Today's song:







Bonfires
by Rosie and Me is for Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand this week. All week, I was planning on using Let's Go to Vegas by Faith Hill, but when I heard this song, it spoke to me. It is sweet, light, and just plain cute. I think Ben and Kitty need a little carefree dance-time. So, this song is for that ^_^

What do you think?


Leave comment to join in the fun and share you're song ^_^


Sinn

Book Review -- Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand

Title: Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Urban fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 382
Published: 2009
Opening Lines: "This was embarrassing. I never thought I'd become a victim of tradition."


Honeymoon In Vegas?


"Already the alpha pair of Denver's werewolf pack, Kitty and Ben now plan to tie the knot human-style by eloping to Vegas. Kitty is looking forward to sipping fru-fru drinks by the pool and doing her popular radio show on live TV, but her hotel is stocked with werewolf-hating bounty hunters. Elsewhere on the Strip an old-school magician might be wielding the real thing; the vampire community is harboring a dark secret; and the irresistible star of a suspicious animal act is determined to seduce kitty. Sin City has never been so wild, and this werewolf has never had to fight harder to save not only her wedding, but her very life."
~ Jacket copy


Thoughts: To say that I love the Kitty books would probably be an understatement. First, you have a kick ass heroine, find out she's an English major, she has her own radio show, and she's a werewolf. How could you go wrong with that?

Even though I toyed with the idea of Kitty and Cormac getting together, I knew it could never work. While he had a great understanding of her, there lives were too different. Further, she could never fit into his lifestyle of being a supernatural bounty hunter. When Ben was turned into a werewolf and Kitty's Wolf viewed him as her mate, I wasn't sure how to take it. However, after reading Kitty Takes a Holiday and Kitty and the Silver Bullet, Vaughn really won be over to the whole idea. While working as her lawyer, you could see a spark between the two that was just amplified once their Wolves made a decision.

In the previous book, I felt Ben really stepped up to the plate and proved himself to be capable of being an alpha. However, it did feel strange him becoming one of the alphas for the Denver pack with so little werewolf experience under his belt. So, I was pretty excited when the couple decided to take the next step. After the Wolves decided they were mated and the two became the head of the Denver pack, the logical next step was to get hitched. And what better place than Las Vegas!

Admittedly, this book was all over the place! But I felt that was Vaughn's intention with this book. Even though things seemed to settle down a little after the vampire/werewolf battle, it couldn't stay that way for long . . . Not with Kitty involved. And, of course, things are bound to get crazy when Ozzie wants Kitty to put on a live show in Vegas!

My problem with the book is that so many things were happening at one time that it was hard to focus. However, I really do think that was a plot device. That being said, I wish there would have been more time spent with the weird troupe of lycanthropes. I imagine, however, that we might get a bit more in the next book, but I'm not sure. Honestly, a lot of the stuff Vaughn introduced in this book could easily be subject matter for later books. The whole weirdness with Dom and the vampires could be explored, Grant and his guardianship, etc.

Even though this book was a little crazy, I really enjoyed it. Honestly, when I got married, I would have rather just gone to Vegas and screw everyone *sheepish grin* So it was nice to see Kitty do that ^_~

Vaughn was able to have a really action packed book while still maintaining a level of humor that I expect from the Kitty books. My favorite conversation in the whole book:

"A werewolf isn't supposed to have parents," Brenda said, grumbling. "They're not supposed to have mothers. How am I supposed to shoot you now, knowing it'll upset that really nice woman?"

"You're not supposed to shoot me at all!" I glared

"Sorry. Figure of speech." (179)


All around, just a fun book! It was a quick read and never bored me.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: The Taba Convention by Stephen Ayres
Current Pages: 19135
Current Progress:

53/50 books





Sinn

Teaser Tuesday



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the follow:
  • Grab your current read
  • Opening to a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Share Title & Author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Here's mine:
"Unfortunately, every single one of them looked like they belonged at the gun show. Half of them seemed to be eyeing me suspiciously." [sic]
Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Vaughn, 171


Sinn

Book Review -- Dead on the Delta

Title: Dead on the Delta
Author: Stacey Jay
Genre: Urban fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 389
Published: 2011
Opening Lines: "Losing your lunch sucks. It sucks even more when you're not hungover."

So Much Danger. So Little Time . . .

"Once upon a time, fairies were the stuff of bedtime stories and sweet dreams. Then came the mutations, and the dre-ams became nightmares. Mosquito-size fairies now indulge their taste for human blood -- and for host humans, a fairy bite means insanity or death. Luckily, Annabelle Lee isn't most humans. The hard-drinking, smart-mouthed, bicylce-riding redhead is immune to fairy venom, and able to do the dirty word most humans can't. Including helping law enforcment -- and Cane Cooper, the bayou's sexiest detective -- collect evidence when a body is discovered outside the fairy-proof barricades of her Louisiana town.

"But Annabelle isn't equipped to deal with the murder of a six-ear-old girl or a former lover-turned-FBI snob taking an interest in the case. Suddenly her already bumpy relationship with Cane turns even rockier, and even the most trust-worthy friends become suspects. Annabelle's life is imploding: between relationship-drama, a heartbreaking murder investigation, Breeze-crazed drug runners, and a few too many rum and Cokes, Annabelle is a woman on the run -- from her past, toward her future, and into the arms of darkness waiting just for her . . ."
~ Jacket copy



Thoughts: Let's get the issues out of the way first. I think the editor should have taken a look at the book after it was typed. There were a few typos, missing words, etc. While it is annoying, it isn't a glaring issue. At times, I did need to go back and reread a sentence or two to make sure what was going one, but it didn't really distract from the story. Furthermore, when the FBI come into town and mention a serial killer, it kind of just drops when you figure out what is going on. I wished that had been wrapped up. I also didn't like the bombshell dropped at the end by Hitch. It felt a little too gimmicky. So, aside from some technical issues and loose ends, there wasn't too much that upset me about the book.

Okay, the good stuff! Annabelle is hilarious! Of course, I couldn't help thinking about Poe's poem while reading the book, and I wonder if it was intentionally (and why). Anyways, she is a snarky, smart-mouthed redhead who doesn't take shit from anyone. However, even though she doesn't have the greatest hygiene, cleanest mouth, etc., she truly cares about the people of her town. I felt that the shady happenings in the town went a long way to build, test, and temper her character. And, to me, there was a lot of character development and growth during the course of the book. While the drinking -- and presumably pill-popping -- is still and issue for her, at the end of the book, it was obvious that she was starting to grow up and settle into that role. Granted, it took her long enough ^_~

The whole premise of fairies not being this dainty, cute creatures was awesome. When I read the back of the book, I had flashbacks to Labyrinth and Hoggle spraying fairies instead of being bit by them. And, with that in mind, I enjoyed that Grace's obsession was with unicorns. It seems so commonplace now for little girls to spend their time dreaming of fairies. It definitely shows a culture shift.

The town was really fleshed out, which made it believable. The characters, even if they were fairly minor, went a long way to help give the town a real, homey feel to it.

The plot was well paced and novel had good forward movement. I found myself having a hard time putting the book down. This book had my laughing as well as holding by breath. I found myself pulling my hubby away from his computer just to read him hilarious lines out of it. As a debut to a new urban fantasy series, this definitely has risen to the challenge. I am really looking forward to the next in the series.


Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Vaughn
Current Pages: 18753
Current Progress:

52/50 books


Sinn

Follow Friday

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View and Alison at Alison Can Read. The point is to follow as many book blog as you can and make new friends! As part of the adventure, she gives a weekly question.

Here is this week's question:

Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?




Oh, wow, this is a hard question this week! In some ways, I have to agree with Rachel at Parajunkee: I would like to see how I would truly respond in a dystopic environment. Everyday, we see heroic actions taking place around us, read about them in books, preach about how we would respond, etc., but we're never put to the test. Being outspoken about my opinions with society and my hardcore belief in Ghandi's quote ("Be the change you want to see in the world" emphasis mine), I want to know whether I would truly take up arms when faced with the cold, hard reality of a dystopic world. I say, put me in Fahrenheit 451 with guys in the woods or on the street with Clarisse. Or beating the shit out of zombies and taking names in The Enemy.

That being said, it would be much cooler to be a kick ass werewolf like Kitty Norville with my own radio show. Not that I got addicted to being on the radio in college *innocent smile*


Sinn

Book Review -- Viper Moon

Title: Viper Moon
Author: Lee Roland
Genre: Urban fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 332
Published: 2011
Opening Lines: "Mama wanted me to be a veterinarian. She'd probably have settled for a nurse, teacher, or a grocery story clerk."

In the small town of Duivel, Missouri, Darkness awaits . . .


"Cassandra Archer is the Huntress. She has faithfully served the Earth Mother for years, rescuing kidnapped children from monsters -- both human and supernatural -- dwelling in the abandoned ruins of the Barrows district of Duivel, Missouri.

"When Detective Flynn's twelve-year-old sister goes missing, he suspects her was taken to the Barrows, and he goes to Cass for help. The two clash, but Cass still finds herself irresistibly drawn to the tough, no-nonsense cop.

"After another child goes missing, all clues point to a cataclysmic event during the next dark moon. Cass and Flynn must race against the clock to save the children and prevent a sacrifice that could destroy the entire town . . ."
~ Jacket copy



Thoughts: One thing that will turn me off of a book is bad editing. The inconsistencies were so glaring in this book, I am surprised it even made it past the first round of editing! That is my biggest beef with this book. To start with, the main character makes it clear that her friend Abby is not a psychic; however, no more than five pages later, she is going on and on about Abby's wonderful ability to tell the future. Then, about 100 pages from the end of the book, she is again saying that Abby is a psychic. In another instances, she makes it clear that a low-life, scumbag took Maxie with aspirations of making a quick buck with a badly put together kiddie porn. However, later in the book, it comes out that Maxie was not kidnapped by this low-life, but was taken by the biggest dude int he kiddie porn business. What? Did I miss something?

Even though later it turns out to be rather justified, I couldn't understand Cass's belligerent attitude towards the Earth Mother. If you are called into her service, act has her Huntress, and have her as a pseudo-deity, I don't understand getting in her face and calling her a bitch or a whore.

Another thing, read history and mythology before you slap names onto deified characters. The Darkness is named Aiakos, which is the name a king in Greek mythology. This king was renowned in all of Greece for his justice and piety. Explain that to me in relation to the Darkness!

Aside from the glaring issues, this book wasn't terrible. It provided a little bit of entertainment, but it was a meh read for me. It didn't have a wow-factor, or anything that really stuck out to me. If you're looking for an extremely mindless read with some good action, steamy sex scenes, and a lot of guns and ammo, then pick this one up.

For explanation purposes, I am giving this two stars because I cannot get over the poor editing and the inability of the author to even crack a history book and do a little research. Others, however, might really enjoy this mind-numbing read.

Rating: ☆ ☆
Currently: Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay
Current Pages: 18364
Current Progress:

51/50 books


Sinn

Theme Thursday

Theme Thursdays

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event hosted by Reading Between the Pages. It will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:
  • A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
  • Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
  • Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
  • It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
    Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This week’s theme:

RECREATION (Any spot that you would go for a break – Parks, resorts, even a library ;) )



This was a really, really hard one this week. This book doesn't even deal with recreation. I had a couple of options, but this one won out. Warning, adult content!

"He placed one knee on the bed and bent over me. His finger traced my mouth, down my throat, and circled my nipple. He pinched and gently tugged."
~ Viper Moon by Lee Roland, 127


Sinn

Teaser Tuesday



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the follow:
  • Grab your current read
  • Opening to a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Share Title & Author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Here's mine:

"I'll be okay," I said. I winked at him. "I know what I'm doing."
Viper Moon by Lee Roland, 222


Sinn

Theme Song Saturday (4)



Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Today's song:





They Can't Take That Away From Me
by Billie Holiday is perfect for this book. Granted, it is part of Kitty's playlist at the beginning; however, I felt that this was the perfect song after finishing it. After everything Kitty goes through, the struggles she has concerning her relationship with Ben, and even the issues with her family, at the end of the day everything will always be as it should be.

What do you think?





Sinn

Follow Friday

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View and Alison at Alison Can Read. The point is to follow as many book blog as you can and make new friends! As part of the adventure, she gives a weekly question.

Here is this week's question:

Q. How has your reading habits changed since you were a teen? or If you are still a teen what new genres are you in love with currently?




When I was in my early teens, I wasn't much of a reader. My defunct school didn't spend much time with reading, and we didn't have an English class. I read the R.L. Stein Goosebumps books off and on, and, later, the Fear Street books. Loving wolves, I forced myself to sit and read White Fang during the summer between my 6th and 7th grade school year. That was an adventure! Dialect writing is really hard to read when you're an inexperienced reader!

At the end of that school year, I was pulled out of school to be homeschooled by my mother. Being homeschooled, I had a lot of exposure to literature. I was required to do five book reports during a school year. One of the books was picked by the school, three I had to choose off of a required reading list, and I could pick the last one. During this time, I ended up reading LoTR series (sans the Return of the King. I can never get through that book no matter how many times I try to read it!) and Battlefield Earth. I found that I really enjoyed reading and English as a subject of study!

However, I never really got into young adult books as a teenager. In fact, I really didn't like them. Granted, a friend of mind introduced me to Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing With Dragons series when I was about 14. My mother, being strangely hyper religious about it, decided to take the books from me and refuse to let me read them. However, it was two years later when I picked up The Last Herald Mage series by Mercedes Lackey, which came off of my parents' bookcase!

Those three book led me into a world full of fantasy through my high school years and beyond. Most of the time you could find me curled up on the couch or sunning on our balconies with my nose in a book. Before every college course started, I would be sitting in the hall reading my latest book. It wasn't until my aunt introduced me to Laurell K. Hamilton -- LONG BEFORE she SUCKED! -- that I got into urban fantasy. And, through my English degree, learned to branch out and enjoy other genres like contemporary fiction. My love for YA lit came when I took a class focused towards the genre. I learned a lot and was able to appreciate it more than I could as a teenager.

Currently, my TBR pile of over 30 books is sitting across from me on my bookcase. About 90% of it is urban fantasy and the rest consists of general fantasy, horror, and contemporary fiction.


Sinn

Book Review -- Kitty and the Silver Bullet

Title: Kitty and the Silver Bullet
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Urban fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 326
Published: 2008
Opening Lines: "I hated the smell of this place: concrete and institutional. Antiseptic."
"Kitty's radio show is as popular as ever and she has a boyfriend who actually seems to understand her. Can she finally settle down to a normal life? Not if this is just the calm before the storm. When her mother falls ill, Kitty rushes back to Denver -- and right back to the abusive pack of werewolves she escaped a year ago. To make matters worse, a war is brewing between the city's two oldest vampires, threatening the whole supernatural community. Though she wants to stay neutral, Kitty is again drawn into a world of politics and violence. To protect her family, her lover, and herself, she'll have to choose sides. And maybe become what she hates -- a killer."
~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: I don't know why this book sat on my shelf for so long! Since the first book, I have loved this series!

After refusing to help Rick get rid of Arturo, which would also require facing Carl and Meg, Kitty is forced to go back to Denver when her mother goes in for a lumpectomy. Bound and determined to stay under the radar, Kitty is approached by the agent of a famous Broadway leading lady. Seems as though she wants to "come out of the closet" about being a vampire on Kitty's show! Unfortunately, that means admitting that she is, in fact, back in town. It doesn't seem to cause too many issues, until an abused, blond werewolf shows up at KNOB. After facing abuse from Carl for a long time, Kitty feels a strong kinship to this young girl and wants to help her. And, that, is the beginning of the end.

In Kitty Takes a Holiday, I seriously wondered about Kitty being with Ben. They seemed to work, but . . . . Well, I wanted her with Cormac! I felt that this book was able to address the issues surrounding Ben and Kitty and manage to sort them out. With Cormac in prison, Ben was able to slid into that role while still being true to himself. The audience could definitely tell that the cousins spent a lot of time hunting together; however, it was obvious that Ben was not a cold blooded killer. However, he has some serious balls when the need rises!

I liked that Vaughn added in Jenny. Honestly, there was no way to make Kitty stand up to Carl and Meg. Even though she no longer wanted to be a part of that pack, she would rather run away and not face them. Meeting Jenny and trying to save her was the only thing that could have pushed Kitty to that point. And, at some level, it was inevitable if she wanted to stay and help her family.

I was a little disappointed with the final confrontation between Rick and Arturo. I completely understand why it happened the way it did, but I was hoping for more of a vampire knock-down-drag-out.

Carl finally showed his true colours. A bully is nothing but a coward when actually confronted and cornered. He wanted nothing more than to save his own skin, and I'm not surprised. Even though I would have liked Kitty to kick his ass, the way it ended was fitting.

It was nice to see that she decided to follow in Ahmed's footsteps with New Moon ^_^

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Not sure
Current Pages: 17948
Current Progress:

49/50 books



Sinn

Theme Thursday

Theme Thursdays

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event hosted by Reading Between the Pages. It will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:
  • A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
  • Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
  • Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
  • It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
    Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This week’s theme is

PATHWAYS (reference to roads, streets, passages)



I really had issues finding one this week, but here's mine:

"One floor up, the elevator opened into a standard institutional corridor: off-white floor and walls, faintly humming fluorescent lights, doors and hallways branching off."
Kitty and the Silver Bullet by Carrie Vaughn, 41


Sinn

Liebster Blog Award



The amazing Silvia @ Darkest Sins was so sweet to give me The Liebster Blog Award, an award that highlights book blogs with under 200 followers, to spread the word and show some love.

Here are the rules:
  1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
  2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
  3. Copy and past the award on your blog.
  4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
  5. And most of all - have bloggit-blog fun!
My Picks:
  1. Alaskan Book Cafe
  2. A Written Rhapsody
  3. The Word Fiend
  4. Much Loved Books
  5. Within Pages
Go check out these awesome blogs!


Sinn

My Book Boyfriend: Dante



My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme, hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader. What is My Book Boyfriend you might ask. Well it is a weekly meme where we talk about a literary crush including stats, a picture of what you imagine he looks like and some quotes from him that make you swoon.

This week's pick is Dante from A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix. While I don't necessarily find him to be my "boyfriend," he has been on my mind since reading the book ^_~

Dante Prejean (Baptiste)
5'9"
Black hair
23 years-old
Musician
Front man for Inferno
True Blood
Son of Fallen
Pierced
Dating Heather Wallace





"The overhead lights sparked silver fire from the rings on Dante's fingers and thumbs and glinted from the rows of hoops piercing each ear. Dante rocked the microphone back and forth, leaning it over, straddling it, then stepping back and jerking it up again." (44)




"S found or stole a guitar and is teaching himself to play it. He has an amazing ear and learns rapidly. Shows true musical talent . . ." (378)





The man in the pictures is Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold. He is the lead guitarist for the band.

Sinn

Book Review -- Ghost Walk

Title: Ghost Walk
Author: Brian Keene
Genre: Horror
Pages: Paperback, 275
Published: August 2008
Opening Lines: "Mother Nature held her breath. The woods were quiet."

"There are all kinds of legends about LeHorn's Hollow. Everything from ghosts to a goat man are said to haunt the woods. So it's the perfect place for Ken Ripple to set up latest haunted attraction. Halloween is coming and Ripple knows folks will come from miles around to walk down the spooky trail and get scared witless. But there's one thing Ripple hasn't counted on. Those legends aren't just talk. Evil really does wait in the woods. Soon the unsuspecting customers will pay their money and get in line . . . to die."
~ Jacket copy


Thoughts: I really wanted to like this book, but it had too many things working against it. From the back, it sounded like an engaging ghost story. When I first started the book, I was starting to feel the creepy aspect. However, once you mention aliens and different, parallel dimensions, you've completely lost me. If I wanted to read a sci-fi novel, I would have picked one up. Or for that matter, I would have grabbed some King for a supernatural alien thriller. At least he knows how to do it right . . .

I felt that this story at the potential to be extremely creepy and become a classic ghost story. Living in an area with heavily wooded and mountain areas, I loved a good rural ghost story. Going out hiking and having all these ghost stories flit through my mind always scares the shit out of me, and I love it! This book, however, really falls flat.

It is based on the concept that there is this old evil called the Thirteen -- of which one is Leviathan -- and their main goal is to destroy everything God made. This includes all the different parallel Earths. Now, through the act of a broken down fool, they have been released in this dimension. It is up to a lapsed Muslim freelance reporter, a shunned Amish, a criminally insane murderer, and a middle-aged man trying to honour his head wife's memory to stop this universal evil from devouring our world. This, in and of itself, seems a little ramshackle.

Keene spends a lot of time going into folk magic traditions, like powwow. He explains them in rich detail, and it is obvious that he has done his research. Because of the role that Levi plays, powwow is extremely central to the plot. However, it seems to completely take over everything. I felt, that while it was important, the whole book focused on this rather than the growing evil in LeHorn's Hollow.

Keene spends time kind of building this ghost story, but I felt it never really went anywhere. When "all hell breaks loos," the book just kind of falls flat. To me, there is a lot of build up, but no climax. And the ending . . . Oh my, the ending was terrible! I finished the book and kept flipped pages convinced that this couldn't be the end.

While I did learn some interesting things about powwow, this book left me feeling disappointed, unfulfilled, and frustrated. I was looking forward to a scary, keep-me-awake ghost story.

**Note: According to the author's note, this is a follow-up book that does not have to be read after the first one. I am tempted to pick up the first one to see if it makes a difference in my opinion of this book.

Rating: ☆ ☆
Currently: Kitty and the Silver Bullet by Carrie Vaughn
Current Pages: 17622
Current Progress:

48/50 books



Sinn

Teaser Tuesday



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the follow:
  • Grab your current read
  • Opening to a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Share Title & Author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Here's mine:
"So you don't believe in any of it all? You don't think Nelson LeHorn's ghost still haunts the hollow?"
Ghost Walk by Brian Keene, 84


Sinn

Book Review -- A Rush of Wings

Title: A Rush of Wings
Author: Adrian Phoenix
Genre: Urban fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 479
Published: 2008
Opening Lines: "The sweet, cloying odor of blood and honey-suckle hung in the rain-misted courtyard like rancid smoke."

His name is Dante.
Dark. Talented. Beautiful. Star if the rock band Inferno. Rumored owner of the hot New Orleans nightspot Club Hell. Born of the Blood, then broken by an evil beyond imagination.


"Tracking a sadistic serial murder has led FBI Special Agent Heather Wallace to New Orleans, Club Hell, and the man known as Dante. But the dangerously attractive musician not only resists her investigation, he claims to be 'nightkind'; in other words, a vampire. Digging into his past reveals an extensive juvenile record, but no known birth date or social security number. In and out of foster homes for most of his life, he was eventually take in by an equally mysterious man named Lucien De Noir, who tries to shield his ward from Heather's investigation. Heather is sure; however, that Dante is linked to the murderer -- and could be the next target. Now, she must unravel the truth about this sensual, complicated, vulnerable young man -- who, she begins to believe, truly is a vampire -- in order to bring the killer to justice. but what Heather doesn't know is that Dante's past holds a shocking, dangerous secret and once it is revealed not even she will be able to protect him from his destiny . . ."
~ Jacket copy

Thoughts: Reading the first few sentences of the book caught my attention like none other. I really go for the murder-mystery, serial killer type books. Something about them -- and the psychology of a serial killer -- has always caught my attention. So, knowing the vampire element, this book was right up my alley!

The book start up during a three year investigation following the Cross-Country Killer (CCK). Heather Wallace has been tracking his movement since Seattle, and she is bound a determined to end his killing spree. His latest victim has brought her all the way to New Orleans. However, unlike his previous murderers, this time he has left a calling card. It appears as though he is trying to communicate with someone . . . Not her. After researching Club Hell, the neighboring location of the first kill, Heather decides that, somehow, Dante is connected with the CCK. However, once she spends time with the local rock-god, she decides that it is more likely that the CCK is targeting him. As the story develops, the reader is thrown into a secret FBI coup, cover-ups, and murder. Not to mention that the occasional supernatural is thrown in the mix (*cough* vampires and fallen angels!).

This book was really intriguing! To me, Dante was the typical broody, goth musician. In other words, this century's Byronic Hero. It wasn't surprising that our main character was drawn to him, but I felt that Phoenix did a good job starting to flesh him out. However, the abuse her endured in foster care was very, very hard for me to read. Having many friends abused in the foster system drove that whole part story home. But it explains how Dante came to the point he did.

Being the weird, dark person I am, I really liked E. Granted, he was a bit much of a sexual sadist to me, but I felt Phoenix did a lot of thinking to fully get into the mind of a serial killer. Viewing himself as a god, seeing a visible connection between himself and his victims, and liking to read to them was a nice touch! It made him feel unique.

Getting to the fallen angels, I loved how the wings tuck into their back! Aside from the possible glamour, I always wondered how an angel could walk around without getting unwanted attention over their wings! That was a neat solution!

All in all, I really enjoyed the book! However, it took be awhile to get through. It didn't lack on plot, had a great pace, and it was a page turner. For some reason, I think my reading slowed down over this week. Either way, loved it!


Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Currently: Ghost Walk by Brian Keene
Current Pages: 17347
Current Progress:

47/50 books



Sinn

Theme Song Saturday (3)



Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Today's song:






Closer
by Nine Inch Nails has been playing through my head whenever Heather gets close to Dante. And, weirdly enough, it also struck a chord when E was harassing Dante in the back of the van. Granted, being a serial killer and sexual sadist, that is kind of sad! Hmm . . . Makes me wonder what was going through my mind while Heather and Dante finally ended up wrestling in the sheets ^_~

What do you think?



Share your own theme song for the book/series you're currently reading and visit other people on the list! I am really curious to see what everyone comes up with!



Sinn

And the Winner Is . . .



The 100 Follower Giveaway officially ended on Monday, August 1st. After reading all the entries, I am pleased to announce that the winner is Kristin!

As per the Giveaway Policy, Kristin has seven (7) days to contact me via e-mail or this announcement.

Thank you to everyone that participated!


Sinn

Follow Friday

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View and Alison at Alison Can Read. The point is to follow as many book blog as you can and make new friends! As part of the adventure, she gives a weekly question.

Here is this week's question:


Q. Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).



Honestly, I can't think of a book that stands out to me in that way. However, the one book that has stuck with me throughout my life is Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings. My mother started reading it to me when I was around 5 years-old. I felt as though I had a special bond with Garion and shared his adventures with the kids on the farm. And, even now, Aunt Pol's kitchen will always hold a special place in my heart.

Comment and let me know your answers!


Sinn

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"If you’re a freak like me, Wave your flag! If you’re a freak like me, Get off your ass! It’s our time now, To let it all hang out!" I am a recovering English major, closet bibliophile, breve addicted, zombie lover with a rockabilly and heavy metal fetish.
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