Book Nook Club: November 2011

November 30, 2011

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 1: Amazon Gift Card & Giveaway

I feel like it's getting harder and harder to pick out a good gift for anyone these days. Nobody in my family ever needs anything and they'd prefer money or a gift card over a hand-picked gift anyway. But I still think it's fun to pick out a gift that is unique to each of them well because for me, that's what gift giving is about.

I have three other book lovers in my family (my dad, mom, and sister) and always struggle to figure out what to get them other than just a book. Well this year that's going to change. Over the next 12 days, I am going to introduce you to a new and unique gift idea for your favorite book lover AND give you the chance to win that gift.

So welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas for Book Lovers -12 days of great gift ideas and giveaways. Here's a sneak peek at what's to come but this is one celebration that you don't want to miss.

Day 1: Amazon Gift Card
Let's start December off right with the one thing that you could give any book lover - an Amazon gift card. With an Amazon card the possibilities are endless - a new Kindle, Kindle accessories, eBooks for your Kindle, books, magazine subscriptions, bookmarks, reading lights, etc. This is one gift card that I think anyone, especially a book lover, would love to receive!

Now as promised, who wants to win a $25 Amazon gift card? One lucky reader will win just by commenting on this post. And I won't tell if you just keep it all to yourself.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC.
Follow @BookNookClub on Twitter or Tweet about this giveaway.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to anyone.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Wednesday, December 14th.

12 Days of Christmas for Book Lovers
Don't forget to enter our other giveaways as the 12 Days of Christmas continues.

Day 1: Amazon Gift Card
Day 2: Homemade Book Purse
Day 3: Book Lover Note Cards
Day 4: Mini Journals
Day 5: Reading Pillow
Day 6: Kindle Cover
Day 7: Custom Quote Necklace
Day 8: I Read Art Print
Day 9: Recycled Book Journal
Day 10: Custom Book Tote

post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

It's A Waverly Life by Maria Murnane

Two years ago I raved about my new favorite chick-lit book Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane. And this week I got to see what happened to Ms. Waverly Bryson in the sequel It's A Waverly Life. In It's a Waverly Life, Waverly has new friends, a new job, and a new boyfriend. Sounds perfect right? It would be for anyone but Waverly, who continually puts her foot in her mouth and screws even the best things up.

I love chick-lit especially when there is a main character like Waverly. She's a strong and quirky woman who reminds me that there are times when you just have to laugh and move on. Things don't go her way in It's a Waverly Life (mostly due to her own mistakes) but instead of pitying herself she learns from and builds on her mistakes.

Waverly continues on her adventures with her two best friends Andie and McKenna and meets a number of new friends in this book that I loved. And then there's Jake, is he her boyfriend or not? Maria's writing is hilarious and I found myself laughing over and over again as Waverly tried to figure out her next move. It's definitely one of my favorite chick-lit series, I'm excited to see where Waverly's life takes her next. Recommended for anyone who likes chick-lit, especially books like Bridget Jones Diary. 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book to review from Sarah at Little Bird Publicity.
post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

November 29, 2011

The Lost Angel by Javier Sierra

During the great flood the earth was cleansed of all but a few choice survivors, Noah and his family. Thousands of years later the earth is threatened by another life ending catastrophe and Julia Alvarez is the only one hope to stop it, but she doesn't know that yet. All she knows is that her husband Martin has been kidnapped by a terrorist group and that she must find and save him.

Javier Sierra's new book The Lost Angel is an apocalyptic thriller that is part Da Vinci Code part National Treasure part historical fiction. Julia Alvarez has a gift, she can use stones (adamants) to communicate with God, communication channels that haven't been opened since Noah used the same type of stones on his ark. Now that the stones have been found, everyone is after them - Julia's husband and friends, foreign "terrorists," and even the US government. The book is full of twists and turns as everyone seeks to find the adamants and put them to good use.

While I normally love these type of books this one just didn't hook me. I actually put it down (which I never do) three or four times before finally getting through it. While the story was interesting, I felt that it lacked focus and mystery. There were too many people involved that took away from the storyline rather than adding to it, and I just couldn't keep it all straight. The plot was also fairly straightforward from the beginning and missing the intrigue and detective work that I love in other books like Da Vinci Code. This was a decent read but could have been much better. 3 stars

post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

November 28, 2011

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner is a young adult fantasy novel that won a Newberry award in 1997. It popped up as suggested in my Goodreads feed and was highly rated, so I thought I would give it a try. It tells the story of a thief named Gen, recruited out of prison to help the king’s scholar steal a mythical treasure.

I enjoyed a lot of the elements of the novel—I like the fantasy genre, trickster-style characters, and a dash of adventure. But I just found this book incredibly slow. At least 75% of the novel describes their journey to get the treasure. I’m not talking about adventure-filled, action-packed travels where they fight evil and meet interesting side characters, I’m talking about a trudging, slow moving, character-development-through-long conversation type of trip.

I wasn’t a fan of the mythology in the book. I couldn’t picture a similar time period in my head, it varied from Biblical times, to feudal society, to ancient Greece. Oh, and then there were guns. I understand that fantasy writers pick and choose the elements of their world, but the use of very specific historic words from different time periods (like magus and megaron and dukes juxtaposed with guns) made it feel cobbled together to me.

On the plus side, I do find Turner to be a talented writer, even if I don’t like the way the story unfolded. And the last few chapters are great. Seriously, that’s what I wanted to entire book to be like. But it was just too little too late for me.

Two stars.
post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

EasyCanvasPrints.Com Memories & Giveaway (Closed)

I read to escape to another place, another life, or another adventure. To get away from the stresses of my everyday life and to pretend I'm somewhere else, doing something else for a few minutes. I've found that music and photos do the same thing, except they take me back to another time, place, etc. that I've already been through a specific memory.

Do you have a picture that, like a book, takes you to another place altogether? A picture of your family playing together at the park, a picture of you with your toes in the sand, or maybe just a picture of a castle in England you took on your last vacation? I know I have plenty and thanks to easycanvasprints.com, one of those specific pictures on is now hanging up in our hallway on canvas to always remind me of not only my trip to Cinque Terre in June.

On the Via Dell'Amore (basically love walk) in the Cinque Terre young loves wanting to lock their live in forever bring padlocks and lock their along the trail to symbolize their everlasting love. My husband took this awesome picture, and we thought it fit perfectly between our engagement and wedding pictures on our hallway wall.

Creating this memory for our wall was as simple as choosing the picture we wanted to use and then going through the simple process on easycanvasprints.com of uploading the image, choosing the size (ours is a 16x20), and choosing the border option (can either wrap around, not, or have a border color). It really only took me about 20 minutes total and the majority of that was time spent trying to decide which picture to use.

If this is something you're interested in, I highly recommend using easycanvasprints.com. I've only used it this one time but the picture turned out so well I'm actually thinking about using it for Christmas presents for my siblings in college who live in bare wall dorm rooms. I think a picture swinging on the Swiss Alps would work well.

Best of all, EasyCanvasPrints.com has offered to give away one free 8x10 canvas print to a Book Nook Club reader. The possibilities are as endless as the photos I'm sure we've all taken. All you have to do to enter is comment on this blog post.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Like EasyCanvasPrints on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes 8x10 canvas print and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Wednesday, November 30th.
post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

November 27, 2011

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum

While the title The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, it is the perfect description of the content of this nonfiction book.

I don't read a lot of nonfiction but when I do I like them a little edgy. Each chapter of this book tackles a specific poison from arsenic to carbon monoxide. The chapters cover the poison's history, its chemical properties, what exactly it does to the human body, and tells a few cases were the poison was used. It simultaneously describes the efforts of the newly formed forensic pathology office in New York and how these professionals pioneered countless advances in this field.

I really enjoyed this book. While decidedly episodic in nature, it seemed to work because of the over-arching theme of the lives of the medical examiners. I learned a lot reading this, especially about the politics of the Prohibition era. I would have liked to have seen photos from some of the cases described, especially when the author went into great detail about specific photos published in newspapers. Keeping in mind that the book occasionally goes into gory detail, I recommend this book to anyone interested in history, medicine, real crime, or just some of the more macabre parts of New York's past.

Five stars

post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

November 22, 2011

Land of Mountains by Jinx Schwartz

Land of Mountains by Jinx Schwartz is a young adult novel that chronicles the adventures of Texas born ten-year old Lizbuthann (i.e. Elizabeth Anne) after she and her family move to Haiti. She's a rough and tumble sort of child, always interested in snooping and getting into mischief. The story follows her as she struggles with disease, political unrest, and the occasional zombie.

Unfortunately, the first thing that stands out about this book are the formatting mistakes. Perhaps it is only the Kindle edition but there were copious editing errors--sentences cut off in the middle and starting in the next paragraph, dialogue sometimes having a new paragraph for each speaker and sometimes not, missing quotation marks, and sentences lacking periods. Every time that I as a reader encountered one of these mistakes it took me out of the magic of the story.

I like the main protaganist. She's smart, she's sassy and funny, she's a little too curious for her own good, and she loves adventure. Young adult novels could use more Lizbuthann-style main characters. While this story is billed as a mystery, I feel that it falls more into the historical adventure genre.

Unfortunately, the episodic nature of Lizbuthann's adventures slows the story down. Lizbuthann gets polio--and we hear about it for three pages, and it never really comes up again. There are several interesting elements like that I would have loved to hear more about but are merely mentioned once and dropped.

While I enjoyed the idea of the setting as the lush forests of Haiti, the story was sadly lacking in locale description or setting description in general. While we are treated to step-by-step descriptions of what the heroine actually does, it lacks any sort grounding in the wider surroundings. It makes for a much weaker action scene when Lizbuthann is, for example, fording the river in small dam-building machinery, when I can't picture what the dam looks like, what the machinery looks like or even have a clear idea of what the machinery does.

2 stars (3 without the formatting issues)

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

Blaze of Glory by M. Garzon

Have you ever read a book you want to love but just can't? Blaze of Glory is one of those books for me.

Tea is seventeen and on her way to a promising career in horse jumping (not sure that's the right term). Her life revolves around her family, friends, and horses until one day she gets into an accident and her career is put on hold as she struggles to find her way back. While she's struggling, her hot, 23-year old, polo playing cousin Jaden steps in to play her protector from the bad choices she makes in her life. And through their experiences together, they develop a very strong bond, platonic at first and then more than platonic in Tea's mind. The first half of the book is centered around Tea's love for horses and the second is centered around Tea's love for Jaden.

This review is hard to write because I really liked the story and I loved the characters, but throughout the book I was pretending and creating a plot of my own to get over some fundamental flaws I had with the book, which is why I think I enjoyed it so much. But there are a few things that I just can't get over personally, which also means I can't recommend this book to anyone.

First, this book is written for a young adult audience. The main character is a 17-year old girl, meaning the ideal audience for this would probably be teenage girls. The last quarter of the book is about Tea and her sexual relationship with a 23-year old man. The author, through Tea, treated sex like it wasn't a big deal and was just something that other people were doing so she should too. I completely disagree with this and wouldn't want my teenage daughter to read it. If this book were written for an adult audience and dealt with an adult relationship, I would be much more lenient on the author. And I know sex is everywhere right now and teens are out there having sex, but it doesn't mean that we need to write or read more books where it's just something that you do.

And second, I had a huge problem with the Tea and Jaden having a relationship when they are actual first cousins. I tried over and over again to convince myself that it didn't matter because they weren't related by blood, but they were related by adoption making them legal 1st cousins. It does matter and completely jaded my opinion of the storyline. I'm not sure why Jaden couldn't have been just like a cousin or just like a brother (someone's best friend, etc.), not an actual relative.

If you can get over those two fundamental flaws, this book may for you. Like I said, when I imagined Tea and Jaden as just a man and a woman (not a teenage girl and her cousin), I loved this story and found it hard to put down. I also loved the characters and the way they were so well-developed. But for me, the two things above ruined the book for me and I really can't recommend it. I will probably read something by M. Garzon in the future because I enjoyed the writing, but only if the storyline is one I can get behind.3 stars

post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

November 20, 2011

Kindle Cover Giveaway

I did it. I finally joined the modern book world and bought a Kindle, a 3G Kindle Touch to be exact. I LOVE it! I've only had it for a couple of days but I've already read two books and downloaded about 20. It's a little dangerous though because I bought a cover with a stand, which means I can read while I'm doing everything and that I've been ignoring my husband all week. It's amazing really.

Speaking of covers, I love how functional mine is, but it isn't very cute. Good thing Etsy has all sorts of cute eReader cover options to choose from, including handmade ones by one f my favorite vendors, Elizabeth David Designs. With over 100 eReader covers available, if you're looking for a new cover, Elizabeth David Designs is sure to have one that you'll love.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Elizabeth has generously offered to giveaway the gorgeous animal print cover below to one lucky Book Nook Club reader just by commenting on this post.

This cover has two interior pockets, the deepest pocket holding eReader when not in use or other items. Booklight pocket/slot fits Edge Elluminator booklight perfectly. Booklight can be put in from left or right, put in from right, case can be closed with booklight inside. Flap with velcro closure and folds back easily similar to a paperback with a soft cushiony feel while you are reading.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out Elizabeth David Designs and tell me which of her products you like best.
Like Elizabeth David Designs on Facebook.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes cover and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Wednesday, November 23rd.

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

Sweet Jiminy, by Kristen Gore

Sweet Jiminy Is Kristen Gore's third book. Having read the other two, I was excited to pick this one up, even though it's a departure from the author's usual humorous writing.

Plot: the novel opens with Jiminy being deeply unhappy and struggling with stress from law school. She chooses to leave her big city life behind and travel to Fayeville, Mississippi to stay with her grandmother. Upon arriving, she finds that the South is stuck in the 1960s. Her grandma's long-time help, Lyn, is still around and after just a few days it's clear that old wounds still haven't healed.

Characters: the characters were good, but none stood out to me as well-developed. I felt there was so much more that could have been explored with all of the characters, but the book was such a short read and there just wasn't time. Gore's other two books were a series, which offered ample time to really dig in to the characters.

While I found the book to be a pretty quick read, the characters fell short, the plot was a bit predictable and the ending just a little too "neat". 3 stars.

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

Love and Freedom by Sue Moorcroft

Honor arrives in England wanting to escape her life from Hamilton Drives, a community all the way across the ocean in Connecticut. She has experience in finance, yet wants a regular job waiting tables. As she agrees to rent a small bungalow from Clarissa Mayfair, she soon discovers that Clarissa’s entire family is well connected within the small English community.

Not only does Clarissa pop into check on Honor at inconvenient times, Clarissa’s brother, Martin, catches Honor’s eye, as well as every other girl in Brighton. As the two individuals keep running into each other a connection begins to develop, yet Honor came to England for one specific reason: to find her biological mother who abandoned her as a baby. While this quest seems important, Honor becomes derailed by her connections back home, her growing feelings for Martin, and finding herself while in the English countryside.

While this book started off slow, it suddenly picked up the pace toward the middle. Sue Moorcroft spends the entire first half of “Love and Freedom” developing the characters and creating a realistic setting that the reader can dive into. I certainly thought this book was going nowhere as Honor began to poke around the English town and fall for a handsome man. Classic love story, right? Well by the sixth chapter, I was proven wrong and taken for a roller coaster ride with Honor and Martin, forcing me to want to know what else Moorcroft had up her sleeve.

The reader can easily see that Honor is hiding more than her feelings for Martin, and Moorcroft continues to reveal secrets and twists in the plot that certainly make up for the first 80 pages being centered on character details and a stagnant plotline. Allowing the reader to experience views from both Honor and Martin, the story suddenly takes unexpected turns and compels the reader to uncover all of the mysteries that Moorcroft has devised. I advise the reader to be warned of a slow start, but I promise that this book will not disappoint. It seems that obstacles keep popping up and preventing Martin and Honor from being together. However, this is not the only cause of tension. The reader soon discovers that the Mayfair family has drama of their own and while Honor’s quest for her mother remains on the backburner for most the story, Moorcroft ties up all loose ends. She ends “Love and Freedom” with one final unexpected turn in the last few chapters that truly turns the reader’s world upside down. 4 stars

***I received a free copy of this book to review through Choc Lit Publishing.

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

November 19, 2011

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Christine wakes up in the morning and looks to her side. She sees a man she's never seen before. She looks around the room and realizes she doesn't recognize that either. Her first thought is that she must have gotten really drunk the night before and ended up in some mans bed. Worse than that, he's an old man... and he's wearing a wedding ring! She quietly gets out of bed and tiptoes to the bathroom, but when washing her hands she notices something odd... foreign even. Her skin... it's thinner, veiny, wrinkled. The screaming doesn't begin until she looks up at her reflection and realizes that she doesn't recognize the woman staring back at her. She has aged, twenty years, over night.

The man in bed, rushes into the bathroom and begins to explain. Christine has had an accident, many years ago, leaving her with no memory and no ability to fabricate new ones. Every night when she falls into a deep sleep, her memory resets and she is left with no recollection of the previous day. The man is her husband, Ben, and every day he has to reintroduce his wife to their life.

After Ben goes to work, she receives a phone call from a man, Dr. Nash, who is a psychologist and neuroscientist, who says that they've been working together to try and restore her memory. When she doesn't believe him, he tells her to go look in the shoebox hidden in the back of her closet. In it, she finds a journal, written by herself, documenting the past few weeks. It's her history... the only history she knows... the only truth she has. Just then something catches her eye. She has written on the first page of the journal in large capital letters: DON'T TRUST BEN.

This book is FAN-Tastic. This is definitely the best book I've read all year. It is heart-wrenching and confusing. You have to travel with Christine and under her circumstances to find out the truth of what has happened all those years ago. You have to work with her to find out if she really shouldn't trust Ben, her husband of twenty-something years, or if she's just confused.

While reading this, I began to feel like I was the one becoming paranoid. I started thinking that maybe I had missed something... maybe I was confused. And as the end approaches you will not be able to breathe! I was literally holding my breath, and I'd have to put the book down to just say "Ahhhh" for a minute. You know it's a good book when you do that! Such a good read. Suspenseful, thrilling and mysterious.

5 stars.

post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

Fashioned by Faith by Rachel Lee Carter

Does what you wear matter?

I think we would all agree that yes, what we wear definitely matters. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a boost of self-confidence when I do my hair, wear makeup, and actually put some effort into my outfit in the morning. And that my attention goes to people based on their wearing - some good and some bad attention.

In her new book, Fashioned by Faith, international model Rachel Lee Carter explores the question of "Can you look great and still honor God?" And her resounding answer is yes and she gives a number of examples from her own career on why she truly believes you can dress well while still dressing modestly.

Fashioned by Faith is mainly written for young women to help them understand why they should dress modestly while it seems that women who dress immodestly are the ones who get all the attention. The book is split into nine chapters that each focus on a specific element of fashion and dressing modestly including why you should dress modestly and tips for doing so. Each of those chapters is then split into four sections - a young man's thoughts on modest young women, a section of Rachel's thoughts and experiences, a section about God's thoughts on the subject, and finally a section with questions for the reader to answer with their own thoughts.

I think that this book was well-written and would be helpful for its specific audience. I think it could be a helpful tool for a parent trying to help their young woman understand why they don't have to show off their boob, butt, or belly to get attention. The layout makes it very easy to read, and I actually found Rachel's stories of her modeling career fascinating to see the different types of shoots she'd gotten to experience. And it was enlightening to see that there is at least one successful model at there who refuses to model lingerie and clothes that flaunt her body. I'd recommend this book for young women and parents of young women, but if you don't fit that demographic, not sure it's really that useful of a book. 4 stars.

**I received a free copy of this book to review through the Book Sneeze blogger review program.
post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

No Story to Tell by KJ Steele

Have you ever wondered if you can be born into the wrong life?

Victoria is a dancer. Or she was a dancer until she got sick on the day of her big audition. Ever since that day Victoria has let other people run her life for her - her husband Bobby, her friend Rose, a former friend Billy Bassman - and hasn't had the courage to stand up for what she really wants in her life. Until one day a painter named Elliott turns up in her small town and really starts listening to her and to what she wants. And through their relationship, she begins to take small steps toward becoming the person she always should have been by opening a dance studio, standing up to her husband, and opening up to a stranger over the phone about things she hasn't told anyone. She always said that she has no story to tell but it's really just become no one would listen. Once someone starts listening, Victoria's life is changed for better or for worse.

KJ Steele does a great job in No Story to Tell of defining her characters so that you know them. The problem was that as defined as they were, I really didn't like any of the characters other than Elliott. All of the characters represented very real people in our society, but it's not what I wanted to read. Victoria was a self-pitying woman who allowed herself to be treated poorly by everyone around her, Rose was a critical and destructive friend, and Bobby was a drunk, foul, and horrible husband and person. And those were just the main characters that showed up often in the book. And when you don't like the characters, you stop rooting for them or caring about them at all.

Overall this book was okay. It had a lot of potential and I really liked the first half when I thought Victoria had promise and was going to break free of her mold. Then about halfway through the book, there was a big incident and things just spiraled downward both in the book and for me. It's written well and includes quite a bit of true emotion, but the last 100 pages were really just depressing and hard for me to read. And I wanted the ending to be a happier one, something to lift the book up at least a little and it fell short for me.

Was I glad I read the book? Yes. Would I recommend it to anyone else, probably not without numerous caveats like it has quite a bit of language and is heavy and depressing for a good portion of the book. Even the color of the cover is depressing. 3 stars.

post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

November 16, 2011

Breaking Dawn Party & Five Giveaways (Closed)

Here at Book Nook Club, we've got a couple of pretty big fans of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. And in honor of Breaking Dawn being released to theaters this weekend and the wedding of the century, I thought it would be fun to throw a Breaking Dawn celebration of our own full of reviews, videos, and best of all presents galore.

So let's start this party off right with a formal invite.

Is that not enough for you? How about some great reviews of the Twilight series from your favorite reviewers here at Book Nook Club?

Marie's take on Twilight

Ronnica's review

And best of all, a discussion on Breaking Dawn.

Still not sure this party is worth sticking around for? I think that means it's time to cut the cake and open presents because who doesn't love presents. But first let's start off with the cake.

Giveaway #1: One Custom 6" Round cake Topper or 12 custom cupcake toppers of your choice provided by CrumbyArt.

Aren't those cupcake toppers awesome? Just think what you could imagine up for your next birthday party or better yet, your next book club. You can check out all of her work in her Etsy shop or on Facebook.

Since we all know cake is incredibly messy, better wash your hands before moving on to opening the presents. Good thing we have something just for the occasion.

Giveaway #2: Twilight Black Cherry Sugar Scrub made by Sugar Scrubs.

I can only imagine how incredible that smells. You can check out all of her other products in her Etsy store or on her Facebook page. And now on to everyone's favorite present, jewelry.

Giveaway #3: Be Safe Glass Pendant Necklace designed by Artistic Glass

I'd say this is the perfect present for any woman, especially a Twilight fan. Did anyone else notice how it sparkles? And if jewelry isn't your cup of tea, then check out what we have for you next...

Giveaway #4 Breaking Dawn notecards designed by SassyAlice

She's also got quite the collection of Team Edward and Team Jacob plates that definitely caught my eye. Although I'm still torn about which team I'm really on.

And now that you're all exhausted from the long day of festivities, let's finish it off with a bang. Or a nap.

Giveaway #5: Breaking Dawn Pillow handmade by LaPine Design

These sure look like great pillows to curl up with at home while reading one of the books, watching one of the movies, or even in the theater waiting in line for the midnight showing. You can check out her other designs as well.

I hope, regardless of if you're a Twilight lover like me, that you had a great time at our party. And I hope that I'm not the only crazy one that will be at the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn tomorrow night.

To enter to win one of our giveaways:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.
Check out Artistic Glass, SassyAlice, or LaPine Design and tell me what you like best.

Like Sugar Scrubs or CrumbyArt on Facebook.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.

Giveaway winners will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Friday, November 18th.

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

November 15, 2011

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children follows the story of 16 year old Jacob. Jacob grew up dreaming of adventure and listening to his grandfather tell tales of a magical safe haven, levitating and invisible children, and of fighting evil monsters. Although the teenage Jacob no longer believes in such stories, he finds himself questioning everything he thinks he knows after his grandfather's sudden violent death. He embarks on a journey to the remote Welsh island where his grandfather grew up in hopes of finding answers.

The book starts off strong. The first person narration is compelling and fast-paced. The first half of the book does a wonderful job with letting the story unfold in such a way that keeps you wanting more.

What makes this book so extraordinary are the creepy vintage photographs. Whenever the narrator describes a photograph (or occasionally a letter or handwritten note), it is included on the next page. I frequently caught myself peeking ahead in the book, hoping for another photo.

I wasn't quite as impressed with the second half of the book. There was a lot of flat-out of telling the mythology behind the action, rather than building it up organically. The character of Emma was disappointingly two-dimensional. Indeed, most of the Peculiar Children weren't fleshed out enough, both in terms of their personality and their back stories. (There is a particularly eerie photo of two "snacking ballerinas" that could easily give you nightmares--but their characters are never even addressed.)

Despite the creepy photographs, this novel is closer to a fantasy novel than a horror story.

Four stars

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Have Been On My Shelf For The Longest But I've Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. They pick a top ten topic every week and all sorts of book bloggers write posts about that topic.

We all have them - books that sit on our bookshelf forever. Some that we get around to reading and others that literally just collect dust forever. I'm going to change it up a little and list the top ten books that have been sitting on my bookshelf for the longest that I really want to read, just haven't gotten around to it. Let me know if you've read any of these books and if they should make it off my bookshelf anytime soon.

127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Black by Ted Dekker
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

November 14, 2011

Something Witchy This Way Comes by Veronica Blade

Tessa is your average high school senior. She gets good grades, has good friends and is a good girl. She has a kid sister that she absolutely adores, and takes most of the responsibility for, since her parents have sort of checked out. While they're there to pay the bills and keep the fridge stocked, they aren't there for much of anything else.

One day Tessa gets called into the principals office to be informed that she's in danger. The principal assigns the rudest and biggest player and straight up bad boy in school to play bodyguard for Tessa... only problem is, he's insanely hot. Normally she wouldn't think twice about going for a guy like Hayden, but as they begin to hang out more, their chemistry begins to ignite.

Tessa also learns some life changing news during her visit with the principal. Turns out, she's a witch. She's got super special abilities, like reading minds, telekinesis and blocking... amongst other things. She begins working with her principal (also a sorcerer) to develop her skills and learn about her abilities. Things begin to heat up when she learns that there are two sides to every story.

She must choose between two sides... good versus evil... but which is which, she can't tell? She must decide and pledge her allegiance to the right side before her 18th birthday, but choosing wrong could cost her her life. In her journey to pick a side, she uncovers mysteries about herself, her family and Hayden that puts her life in danger... and time is running out.

I really really enjoyed this book. I mean, is there anyone that doesn't enjoy a good YA Fantasy? And, I'm not afraid to admit it... I loved Twilight... yeah, I'm that girl. What I loved about this book was that it dove straight into my emotions. When she and Hayden had a steamy scene, I felt it too. When she was getting into trouble, I was biting my nails. When she discovered truths, I gasped and even cried. It was a great emotional roller coaster... and with the fun of the fantasy stuff thrown in.

What I didn't love about the book was that there was a bit too much teenage girl doubting questioning drama... "I like him, but he's a jerk, but he's so cute, but he's gonna break my heart, but he's sometimes sweet, but..." It's like every other page Tessa would decide to either love or hate Hayden forever. I wanted to scream DECIDE ALREADY! But, that's oh so typical teenage girl behavior, isn't it? The other thing, being a Twilight fan, it's hard not to compare. There were some similarities... as I also found in Hush, Hush and Shiver. I just would LOVE to find a YA Fantasy that was waaaaay out there... with nothing, nothing, nothing to remind me of Edward and Bella's epic love story.

This book was great fun. I peeled through it. 4 Stars.

If you're interested in learning more about Something Witchy This Way Comes by Veronica Blade, you can join the Veronica for an author chat on November 18 at 8pm EST. She'll be giving away a copy of her book and answering questions live via chat. Sounds like fun! I'll be there!

Click HERE to join the party!
post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

November 13, 2011

Better Off Without Him by Dee Ernst

Better Off Without Him has a lot going for it. While the plot itself is nothing new (husband leaves wife for younger woman, woman has some hilarious dates/hijinks, woman learns to love herself and finds someone she can be happy with), what makes it stand out is the phenomenal tone. It reads like you're talking to your snarky yet hilarious best friend--the one who is perfect at summing up people with a clever phrase.

I also enjoy that the book gives a nod to the tropes of the romance genre. The main character, Mona, is a romance writer. As she's telling her writing group about how her husband left her for a French blond coworker, she points out how tons of romance books start like that. Mona also has hilarious moments where she rewrites what is going on in her head with her hunky plumber into scenes from her historical romances.

I wasn't a big fan of how meta the book got at times. Mona is trying to write a "not-exactly romance" novel that of course seems strangely similar to this book. This "not-exactly romance" category is hard to define, but this novel definitely falls into it. For example, the main character's divorce and dating life follow a much more realistic timeline than the average romance novel. She has bad dates, she has okay dates, and she has this-is-fun-for-now but not forever dates, just as a real person would.

The problem with this slightly more realistic plot is that it's difficult to transition to one week to six weeks to a day passing without it seeming choppy. It also means that the wonderful, funny characters are described, have one or two scenes, and then are rarely heard from during the rest of the book. There is very little sense of growth either with Mona or with the periphery characters. Also, as a personal opinion, I like good sex scenes and this one did the tasteful book equivalent to a fade to black at during those moments.

Overall, three stars.

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
post signature

post signature

Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)