Lover Unbound

The latest book of The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward. Here's the blurb (taken from the author's website):

Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous son of the Bloodletter possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp, he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time- until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her.

I had high expectations for this book, and I wasn't disappointed. I found the book very different from the others of the series. It had the usual darkness of the story but it didn't have the usual fighting between the Brothers and lessers, the conflict was more of a personal fight within Vishous. It also gives us more information on how their society works. There are a few shocking scenes, wait, there were the good kind. It was definitely the steamiest of the bunch. Although I enjoyed the main plot, I was at times more interested in what was happening with John and his friends.

Looking forward to the next installment. I think it's to be released in March.

Rate: 4/5, Keeper Shelf

Thank You Apple!

Thanks to the new ipod nano commercials I have this song in my head.... Enjoy!



Feist's 1 2 3 4 ... I'll be shopping for her album! :D

I Do Not Want To Be Teen Again

Megan McCafferty's book Sloppy Firsts definitely brought back memories, some good, but mostly bad memories. I confess I'm one of those people who rather have a root canal then go back to school. I hated it! I hated it! Have I mentioned that I hated high school?! I still have very close friends from high school, but they're the ones that made it a better place for me.

Here's the blurb:

When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyper-observant 16-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy-and-shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad's obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany's lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?

I really identified with Jessica. I was Jessica in high school, well minus the track star bit. I found that Ms. McCafferty really got to the essence of being in high school. The layers of high school society that can drive a sane person insane. There were laugh out loud moments and hanky moments, just like the ones that you either remember or try very hard to forget (it all depends on your perspective.

Fashion Wire Daily said of the book: "Funny and touching.... Perfect for nostalgic adults who'll be happy they've grown up and alienated teenagers who'll be grateful for a book that tells it like it is."

Rate: 4/5, Library book

Fall Into Reading

Katrina from Callapidder Days is hosting Fall Into Reading. I thought it was a great idea so I joined.

Before I began really pondering on my list I decided that it would have to be books that I own which I haven't gotten around to reading. And let me tell you it's been very hard to pick without looking at the new releases.

Non-Fiction:

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

The Lonely Empress: Elizabeth of Austria by Joan Haslip

Fiction:

The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas

The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by Jose Saramago

Blindness by Jose Saramago

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

The Lusiads by Luis de Camoes (at least I can brag that I read both in Portuguese and in English)

The Ex, Why and Me by Susanna Carr

Just Give Me MIKs...

Seriously just give me MIK! It seems that's the only thing that sparks my interest....So far this month I've the read The Bride and The Highlander's Touch.


I've been looking through my shelves and the two books that I think that I'll re-read are The Dark Highlander and The Immortal Highlander, both books are written by Karen Marie Moning. See the pattern?

Well I'm off to cuddle with some yummy MIKs....

Trip to the library...

Took my little guy to the library after school and I grabbed a few books for myself as well.

Here's what came home with me:

Body Movers by Stephanie Bond
The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires by Katie MacAlister
A Place of Hiding by Elizabeth George
The Hourglass by Barbara Metzger
American Diva by Julia London
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
The Sacred Bones by Michael Byrnes

Book Challenge: Fall Into Reading

I found out about this reading challenge via Mad's House. It sounds like fun, so I signed up for it. The challenge starts on September 23rd and ends on December 21st.

I'll be working on my list. I have a huge amount of books in my TBR that I've wanting to read but never get around to reading them, so I may be adding them to my list.

You never know it may just be what I need to cure my slump.

Slump

It's been a while since I read a book, the last book I read that I actually enjoyed was my re-read of The Bride by Julie Garwood. I've tried everything that I can think of, but nothing is helping. So, I'm back to re-reading my favorites, and I'm hoping that The Higlander's Touch by Karen Marie Moning will help me out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

VMAs

Once upon a time I used to watch the VMAs, I loved them. So I decided to take a quick look and this is what I saw.... Ok, let's just say that I won't be watching again... what a joke! What the heck has happened to Britney Spears?!

Comfort Reading...

It's one of those days, rainy and gloomy, definitely a day to stay inside and read a good book. Although I'm already reading two books, they're not all that interesting at the moment, not the books fault, I'm just a moody reader.

So, I decided to visit one of my favorites books again, The Bride by Julie Garwood. I first read this book back in 1994, I was taking a break from exams and needed a little pick me up, and my roommate suggested The Bride. I was hooked from the first page, I loved the book. When I got a chance I bought my own copy and I still re read it any chance I get.

It's my comfort read, you can say... What's your comfort read? What's that one special book that you go back to when you feel the need to visit old friends?

RIP

"Above all, I am an opera singer. This is how people will remember me."
Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007)

Simon's Passion...

I have a thing for tortured heroes and Simon does not disappoint. Here's the blurb for The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell by Samantha James:

A cruel twist of fate changed Simon Blackwell's life irreparably. A man of intense passions, he resolved to deny his emotions and desires forever, taking refuge in the wilds of the moorlands and shutting himself off from the world. But on one extraordinary night, on a rare trip to London, the unthinkable occurs. An intoxicatingly beautiful stranger stirs the sensuous hunger he has sworn to resist. Simon Blackwell believed that no woman could tempt him.

No woman . . . save Annabel McBride.

Annabel knows nothing of Simon's secret pain. But one irresistible kiss plunges her into marriage with a man she scarcely knows, a man who hides a shattered past. She can feel the blistering heat of the fire that smolders within this exquisitely handsome man, making her yearn for much more than the union in name only he has promised her.

But Simon dares not love again—for fragile love can be lost in an instant. And now Annabel must find a way to open his heart to the most glorious risk of all . . .

As I mentioned earlier, I'm a huge fan of the tortured hero theme, and that's mainly the reason I picked up this book. I enjoyed Simon, the hero, he suffered a major loss that plagues him, but he meets Annabel. It's hate at first sight for Annabel but Simon is curious about her... Let's just say that they marry hastily and soon Annabel discovers that Simon wants a marriage in name only, but she has other ideas on the matter.

I enjoy the setting, the characters but there were times where just wanted to yell WTF!!!! And for that reason alone that I'm giving the book a 3.5 out of 5.

Rate: 3.5/5, Library book.