2013 Year End Wrap-Up

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone. I know we're cutting it a bit close but we couldn't ring in the new year without a small wrap up post for 2013. Below are some of Thuy and Liv's favorite reads of 2013. Thanks for making 2013 at Nite Lite a great one. We hope to have more posts and fun things to share with you all in 2014. :)

From Liv

2013 was a year of taking my love a reading to a new level.  I started blogging at Nite Lite and started keeping track of what I was reading. I managed to read 37 books over the course of the year and I hope to log in more next year.

Since I am still catching up with books/authors/series, not all of the titles below are from 2013.  However, here’s the breakdown from my year of reading (you can see all that I read on GoodReads, click here):

* 17 paranormal novels (vampires, shape shifters, angels, and more)

* 9 novellas (contemporary romance - 6 were holiday novellas)

* 8 Contemporary Sports Romance

* 3 New Adults (Contemporary Romance)

Favorite Holiday Novella:  A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton - I loved the relationship between Wyatt and Calliope.  A wonderful holiday story with just the right amount of sexy.

Favorite Novella: Try Me (Take a Chance #1) by Diane Alberts - Jeremy is one of those guys who can quickly become a book boyfriend.  And he was so perfect with Erica.

Favorite Sports Romance:  Playing to Win by Jaci Burton - Considering that I watch one football game a year, it seems odd that my favorite sports romance would be about football but I guess football players are hot?! I seem to enjoy the “not really a bad boy” story and Cole and Savannah were perfect for each other.

Favorite New Adult: Long After by Cheryl McIntyre - I loved, loved. loved Chase.  I think I could have read this one over and over again for a week.  Such a sweet love story.

Favorite Paranormal Romance: 

Obsession by Jennifer Armentrout - Hot alien sex?! I loved Serena’s snarkiness and the way she took on Hunter with all of his domineering arrogance.

Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood #2) - One word - Rhage!

Favorite Book Boyfriends: Chase from Long After or Rhage from BDB.

Favorite Series: Play by Play from Jaci Burton and the Sometimes series by Cheryl McIntyre

Five (early) 2014 Releases that I am waiting on:

Hope Flames by Jaci Burton (January 7, 2014)

Fighting for Irish (Fighting for Love #3) by Gina L. Maxwell (January 13, 2014) 

The Cowboy’s Mail Order Bride by Carolyn Brown (February 4, 2014)

All You Need is Love: Green Mountain Book 1 by Marie Force (February 4, 2014)

The King by JR Ward (April 1, 2014)


From Thuy

2013 was a crazy year for me. I read a lot of books though I fell short of my goal of 100 books (I think I made it somewhere in the 80s). But I read a lot of really good books this year and found some new to me authors and series. It was a good year.

Favorite Holiday Novella:  A Kiss Before Midwinter by Courtney Milan - Milan consistently writes well thought out, emotional novellas.

Favorite Novella: Beautiful Bitch by Christina Lauren - Loved this short follow up to Beautiful Bastard.

Favorite Sports Romance:  Seducing Cinderella by Gina Maxwell - I read very few sports romances in 2013 but this one was a fave. Great characters and very sexy.

Favorite New Adult: Losing It by Cora Carmack - This is the only NA book I read this year but I really enjoyed it. It's a very sweet story. I have a huge list of NA books to read next year, including more of Carmack's books.

Favorite Contemporary Romance: Love Irresistibly (FBI #4) by Julie James - I am not a huge contemporary romance reader but I am a big fan of the FBI series. Finally got to see Cade get his HEA.

Favorite Paranormal Romance: 

Lover At Last by JR Ward - I have been waiting for Quinn and Blay's story for so long, and this did not disappoint.

Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan - I love all of Callihan's but especially loved Poppy and Win's story.

Favorite Book Boyfriends: Lord, so many. I'll go with Adrian Ivashkov from the Bloodlines series and Jack Talent from the Darkest London series. Oh - and Curran from Kate Daniels. What can I say? I like moody book boyfriends.

Favorite Young Adult: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - I don't know how she did it but Scarlet is even better than Cinder. Runner up is Dark Triumph by RL LaFevers.

Favorite Audiobook: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - Fantastic story and narrator. Kristine Hvam really brought the book to life and I am itching to listen to Days of Blood and Starlight.

Favorite Urban Fantasy: Magic Rises by Kate Daniels - Gah. Love this series so much and I devoured this one after snagging an early copy at Comic-Con.

Favorite Series: Definitely the Kate Daniels series. I waited so long to start this series and it was just as good as everyone said it would be.

Five 2014 Releases that I am waiting on:

The King by JR Ward (April 1, 2014)

Cress by Marissa Meyer (Feb 4, 2014)

Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews (July 29, 2014)

Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh (June 3, 2014)

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd (Jan 28, 2014)

Those are some of our favorite picks for this year. Did any of your faves make our list? Have a safe and happy New Years, everyone. We'll see you in 2014!

Manicure Monday (45): Taste of Darkness

Hi and thanks for stopping by Manicure Monday, a weekly post where I who you what I've been reading along with a matching book manicure. 

This week we have a special Manicure Monday for you. To help our friends at Read Now Sleep Later kick off the Maria V. Snyder Taste of Darkness blog tour, I created a manicure inspired by the cover. Be sure to hope on over to Read Now Sleep Later to read the interview with Maria and wish her a happy book birthday. 

Please excuse the crappy quality of this picture. Since ToD has not come out yet, I could not pose with the actual book and instead pulled up the cover on my mom's iPad. I like this in theory but in real life it was hard not to get glare and reflection while taking this pic and the colors are off because of it.

I really liked the mix of green and purple in this cover and decided to use those colors as the basis of my manicure. First I put two coats of Zoya Belinda, a great shimmery purple from their most recent winter collection, onto my middle, ring and pinkie fingers. For my other two fingers, I decided to do a gradient of greens to match the way that the cape on the cover gradually gets lighter at the top. This was with OPI Jade is the New Black mixed with Cult Nails Tempest (white) to create lighter shades. 

I painted lilies onto the purple nails using acrylic paint and a small brush. It was pretty hard drawing the flowers and not having them just look like white blobs. They're a bit like a Monet painting - good from far away but kind of a mess up close. 

The green nails were pretty boring so I decided to spruce it up a little bit and used a dotting too to create the  pattern of the belt of the cloaked figure onto my nail. That came out pretty well and made the manicure a little more interesting. 

Here is the whole look. I am glad that I challenged myself to create something that's outside of my comfort zone. The flowers were difficult but I like the outcome. . I did a few other manicures based on Maria V. Snyder books, which I'll be featuring down the road. 

Congrats to Maria on her new book. Don't forget to check out Read Now Sleep Later's interview and blog tour stop with Maria.

Thanks and have a fun week!

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Stacked (87)

Wow - I can't believe that this is the last Stacked post of 2013. This year has seriously just flown by. Blogwise, it's been a good year. I've met new friends and read so many books (good and bad) and sometimes I still can't believe that I've managed to maintain a blog for this long.  Anyhow, I am sure I'll have time to wax poetic about the year in a later. But right now, let's get on to the books!

I haven't done much book shopping while on break. I am really trying to finish the books I've already started by the end of the year. All of the books I received this week were gifted to me for the holidays. All of them have to do with food - one of my favorite subjects. :)

I Love Cinnamon Rolls by Judith Fertig - I totally forgot I wanted this one. There's nothing I love more than a warm, gooey cinnamon rolls (yes, I occasionally eat at Cinnabon). I've never really mastered the technique of making them though and hope this books has some good tips as well as new variations to try.

Ready by Dessert by David Lebovitz - I love David Lebovitz and this book has been on my wishlist for a long time now. I think it came out in paperback pretty recently. I can't wait to try some of these recipes. 

We Love Madeleines by Miss Madeleine - Another small, specialized cookbook. Even though madeleines look easy to make, I find that I don't always get the best results. Really want to try some of these recipes and see if I can get consistent results. Also, yum.

That's my book haul for this week. I am lucky enough to have next week off as well and I plan trying to get caught up on my posts and get some content ready for you guys. Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

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Uncovered (90): A Sky Full Of Kindness

Happy Friday after Christmas, everyone. If you celebrate, I hope that you had a great holiday. I am still enjoying my vacation time just hanging out with family and eating way too much. It's been crazy warm here in northern California - meaning 60 - 70 degrees out and really beautiful. It's strange that it's not raining but I am enjoying it.  Today's Uncovered post features A Sky Full Of Kindness by Rob Ryan.  I saw this the other day while browsing the bookstore and it just grabbed me. I've been a fan of papercutting for a while now and love all of the intricate detail found in this cover. I also like the bright blue against the white. It really stands our in person. The inside of the book is also papercut art and it looks awesome.

Hope you enjoyed today's Uncovered post. I'll see you here with another cover next week. Have a great weekend!

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Short Story Review: The Scandal Before Christmas

Title: The Scandal Before Christmas (The Reckless Brides #3.5)

Author: Elizabeth Essex
Publication Date: October 8, 2013
Publisher: Forever
Genre: St. Martins Paperbacks
Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Lieutenant Ian Worth needs a wife by Christmas, and he can't afford to be choosy. He has to find her, woo her, and wed her before he goes back to sea - all within a matter of days.

Anne Lesley is a shy spinster with no prospects, and nothing and no one to recommend her but her own self. She accepts the lieutenant’s hasty offer only for the comfort and security it will bring. But when a midwinter storm snows her and Ian in, they both find they got much more than they bargained for - daughter, light, and a Christmas filled with honest to goodness true love.

The holidays are upon, which means it's time for me to read a few holiday novellas. Historicals are my favorite when it comes to short stories and The Scandal Before Christmas looked to have all of the elements of a fun, holiday read.

Lt. Ian Worth is the second son of an overbearing father. Until now, he's been mostly left alone and is away at sea most of the time as an officer of the Royal Navy. However, when Ian's older brother suffers what could be a fatal accident, his father demands that he marry immediately and sire a child. To try and get his father off his back, Ian tells him that he's already married. Needing to find a wife quickly, Ian arranges to meet the spinster daughter of one of his naval friends. At first Ian thinks Anne is too plain and without spirit, but soon learns that underneath her plain exterior lies a passionate young woman that may just be his match.

As novellas go, The Scandal Before Christmas had more depth than most. Like most novellas, it did feel like there wasn't quite enough time to get a really well rounded story.  The pacing of story was uneven and I felt like the ending was very rushed. I was also expecting a much more dramatic ending and the quick resolution and wrap-up left me feeling a little bit underwhelmed. However, I enjoyed watching Ian and Anne getting to know each other and like their frank conversations.  Of the two, I was more drawn to Ian, who is charming and has a good heart. I liked Anne well enough though her ugly duckling status was a little overplayed. The two had a good rapport though and I enjoyed their unconventional courtship.

With a good balance of romance and drama, The Scandal Before Christmas delivers a romantic read that's great for the holidays. If you like ugly ducking tales, you may enjoy this one. This novella is part of a series but I haven't read any of the previous books and had no trouble following along. It's also piqued my interest in this series and I plan to read the first book in the Reckless Brides series soon.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

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Visit the author online at www.elizabethessex.com, Facebook and follow her on Twitter @EssexRomance

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here. 

'Twas The Night Before Christmas...

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope that you all have a safe and lovely holiday filled with books, cookies, and lots of warm hot chocolate (or your beverage of choice). I can't wait to see if Santa brought me any books this year. Have an awesome day, everyone! I am not going to watch Die Hard because, well, it is Christmas. :)

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Hallmark Countdown to Christmas 2013

Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas

Just a few more days until Christmas and I am spending the day cleaning and watching a marathon of Hallmark Holiday Movies.  There are some that I tape and watch over and over again and others that I delete after one viewing and maybe watch again if they show up on one of the marathon movie days.  I realize that each of these movies will touch different people in different ways, but here are my thoughts on the 2013 Hallmark Original Holiday movies....

The Thanksgiving House (Premiered November 2, 2013)

Blurb from Hallmark Website:
A woman buys a house in Plymouth, only to discover that the very first Thanksgiving took place on the property. As a result, she finds herself in a battle with a local handsome historian who wants to tear down her house to study the site. Stars Cerina Vincent and Lindsay Wagner. 

What I liked about it:  I almost missed this movie.  I was out of town for Thanksgiving and had to go online to set up my DVR. When I finally got to see this one, I was glad I didn't miss it.  I really liked the main characters, Mary Ross and Everett Mather.  I just kept rooting for Mary and Everett to get together. Everett embodies small town hope and good will, while Mary has been hurt in the past due to her parents' divorce.  Also, viewers will love to hate Mary's arrogant city boyfriend and the local community gossip blogger.

Watch it again: Yes! I was glad I recorded this to my DVR.  Since it was a Thanksgiving-theme movie, it did not receive the same replay as other movies.

Pete’s Christmas (Premiered November 8, 2013)

Blurb from Hallmark Website:
A young 14-year-old boy named Pete has the worst Christmas Day ever, only to find that he must repeat the day again and again until he gets it right. Stars Bruce Dern, Zachary Gordon, Bailee Madison, Molly Parker and Rick Roberts. 

What I liked about it:  Repeating the day over again until you get it right is a frequent plot device.  It can be done well or it can be really annoying.  Pete's Christmas is an enjoyable and humorous version.  Pete's a great kid and, as he tries to figure out how to make it all come together, there are a lot of mistakes but also a lot of laughs.  Pete and his family grow throughout the movie, and of course, there is the mandatory happy ending.

Watch it again: Yes, if you can find it.  This one didn't seem to run as frequently as others and unfortunately I didn't tape it.

Snow Bride (Premiered November 9, 2013)

Blurb from Hallmark Website:
When a reporter encounters the eldest son of a famous political family at a mountain retreat, she winds up pretending to be his girlfriend over Christmas so he can save face with his family. Should she secretly expose newsworthy scoops about the famous family in order to save her job, or trust that she's falling in love for real? Stars Patricia Richardson and Katrina Law. 

What I liked about it:  I had to watch this one in parts.  I am not fond of certain deception plots and if I don't really connect with the characters, then I tend to lose interest.  The movie was super predictable, which I expected.  It was easy to see what would be the big conflict standing in the way of the two characters getting together.  However, about halfway through, I found myself really liking Greta (the undercover gossip reporter) and Ben (the rich son of a politician) and wanted to see them together.  I was surprised by how much I liked Ben's family, who were nothing like I expected. I did find myself wanting to see Ben's mother (who is now a widow) to find her own happy ever after ending, too.

Watch it again:  This is probably a one timer for me, but if it is on, I may tune in again.

A Very Merry Mix-Up (Premiered November 10, 2013)

Blurb from Hallmark Website:
Alice thinks she is heading to her fiancé’s hometown to meet his parents and spend the holidays, but a mix-up at the airport lands her at the wrong home. However this “wrong” family is just her sort of people and she quickly forms a bond with them, especially with the handsome son, Matt. When she visits the "right" house, will her destiny take a detour? Stars Alicia Witt. 

What I liked about it:  This movie had all of the makings for a potentially great romantic comedy in theory.  The main character accidentally finds herself in the wrong home for the holidays after a series of mix ups.  Of course, the family she meets is her ideal family.  There is also a tie in with time, fate, and a romantic story tied into a special clock. I usually like movies like A Very Merry Mix-Up, but for some reason this one did not grab me.

Watch it again:  Maybe. I liked it but I found myself skipping it to watch others.

Manicure Monday (44): Shadowdance

Manicure Monday is weekly feature where I combine by love of nail polish and reading and share with you one of my current reads along with a matching book manicure. Enjoy!

Hi and happy Monday! Mondays mean manicures here on the blog and today I am featuring Shadowdance by Kirsten Callihan. The book just came out last week and you get bet your butt that I started reading it right away. I am a huge fan of this series and tore into it as soon as I got it. I don't want to give anything away but I really enjoyed it and now the countdown starts again until the next book comes out.

It took me a while to decide what to do for this cover. In the end, I decided to focus on the clock tower and the texture of Mary's awesome dress. (Note that I am really not sure why Mary is fully dressed and Jack has his shirt half open - not that I'm complaining.)  

For my middle and ring finger, I created a gradient using Cover GirlInferno (red/orange), Flamed Out (orange) and Sulfur Blaze (yellow/gold) - all from the recent Hunger Games collection. Just use a makeup sponge to lightly dab the color where you want it to create a gradient. I then used brown acrylic paint to paint the outline of the clock and several numbers.

For the other fingers I painted them all with a base of a really pretty golden bronze brown by Maybelline. It's a really old one and I forgot to write down the name but I think it was something like Burnished Bronze. I wanted the stripes to have some depth and decided to use a textured polish to give it a three dimensional look. I cut and taped thin strips of tape onto the dry bronze base and painted over them with OPI Honey Ryder, a Liquid Sand shade. Then I pulled off the tape and voila, stripes!

It is a bit difficult to see the texture in the pics but it was more apparent in person.

And there you have my Shadowdance themed nails. If you haven't read this series yet, do it. It's fantastic and I haven't read a bad one yet. Thanks so much for coming by today. Hope you've all got your Christmas shopping done. :) Have a good week!

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Visit the author online at www.kristencallihan.com, Facebook and follow her on Twitter @Kris10Callihan

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here. 

Stacked (86)

Stacked is a weekly feature where I post about all of the books that I've bought, borrowed or received during the week. Come and see what's new!

Hello! I'm officially on Christmas break. I know it seems like I was just on Thanksgiving break...and I was. But I am still super excited about being off for the holidays. Christmas break is a time when I usually get a lot of reading done so I hope that actually happens. Of course, I am packing a bunch of books to go home with me along with my Kindle. :) This week was a pretty small haul week for me. Just trying to read the books I have and see if I get any books for Christmas. All of the books below are books that I purchased.

The Countess Conspiracy by Courney Milan (ebook)- You guys know I am a sucker for Courtney Milan. I didn't know that this one had just come out but bought it as soon as I did.

Make Me, Sir by Cherise Sinclair (ebook) - This is the 5th book in the Masters of Shadowlands series. I read 4 of them back to back over Thanksgiving and then gave myself a break. As a treat during a rough week I bought myself the next book in the series. Already read it. :)

Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan - Ahhhhhhh! I have been waiting for this book to come out and now I have it. This week has been so crazy that I haven't had much time to read but I am about halfway through. I want to savor it though so I am not rushing. Love it so far.

Did you get any good books this week? What's on your winter wishlist?

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Visit the author online at www.kristencallihan.com, Facebook and follow her on Twitter @Kris10Callihan

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here. 

New Footage: Veronica Mars Movie

Oooh there's some new footage from the Veronica Mars movie. This is the high school reunion scene and I think it looks pretty awesome. Cannot wait for this one next year!

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Reaver by Larissa Ione Release Day Excerpt + Giveaway

Hi, everyone. I am super excited because today is the release day for Reaver, the newest book in Larissa Ione's Lords of Deliverance series. Larissa Ione's books were the first paranormal romances I had ever read and they got me hooked on the genre. I am really excited about this one. Fans have been asking for Reaver's story for a while now and I can't wait to finally read it. 

To celebrate, Grand Central Publishing is having a great giveaway that you can enter below. I also have an excerpt to share with you that will hopefully get you excited about this series, too. Enjoy!

REAVER by Larissa Ione
December 17, 2013Grand Central Publishing Mass Market; $8.00; 978-1-4555-2697-0
Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels-and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell-he's agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before . . . to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself.

Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she's doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan's lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld's darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape-her newfound thirst for an angel's blood. . .

EXERPT

“R-Reaver?”

Reaver held Harvester’s frail body tight against his as he navigated the final steps of a winding ledge that dropped them into a world of weird. “It’s me. It’s okay. We’re safe.”

Relatively safe, anyway. Relative meaning that they weren’t dead. Yet. He just hoped the same could be said for Tavin, Matt, and Calder. When he’d left them to sneak into Satan’s realm,they’d been engaged in a battle they’d initiated as a diversion. It had been a risky move, and Reaver could only pray they’d make it to the rendezvous point.

A hunter’s horn sounded in the distance and was answered by another, closer horn signal. Satan’s minions hadn’t gained ground, but they were spreading out. Damn. He scanned the landscape of thorny plants, hills of blackened earth and trees, and twisted, abandoned structures. Nothing moved. He looked down at Harvester, and as before when he first saw her hanging over a pit of acid, he felt sick to his stomach. He didn’t like Harvester even though he was grateful for the things she’d done, but she didn’t deserve this; her naked body too thin and mottled with bruises and ligature marks, her once silken black hair tangled and dull, and worst of all, missing her gorgeous green eyes.

Under ideal circumstances, an angel could heal from even the most heinous injuries within hours. But these were far from ideal circumstances, and Harvester’s source of power, her wings, had been severed. Without wings or medical assistance, it could take weeks, even months, for an angel’s body to fully heal.

“I can’t risk healing you more than I did,” he said. “My power isn’t reliable right now, and I could do more harm than good.”

“Reaver,” she croaked, as if he hadn’t spoken. “Why…how…”

“Shh.” He tucked her face into his chest, quieting her. “We’re going to meet up with some friends, and then I’ll answer all your questions.”

Reaver and the assassins had worked out a plan A and a plan B. Plan A had been shot to hell when iron gates had prevented Reaver from getting out of Satan’s realm to the south, where his companions would have been waiting. Now, with demons in pursuit, they were on their way to plan B. Hopefully Tav, Matt, and Calder had realized quickly that Reaver’s escape route had gone bad.

Inhaling the stench of rotten vegetation that permeated this section of Sheoul, he started away from the skeletons of some burned-out buildings and toward a mountain range as expansive as the Rockies. He moved swiftly, outrunning the sounds of pursuit and pausing once to blast a group of imps with a ball of lightning. The sphere struck the leader, and from there sent electrical strikes at each of the surrounding imps, frying them all in a handy eight-for-one.

Harvester slept in his arms, barely stirring when he stopped to listen for anyone following them. By the time they neared the plan B meeting site, Reaver was sure they’d lost the demons— temporarily. Reaver wasn’t naive enough to think they were off the hook. The demons chasing them were only the first wave, the security detail unlucky enough to be guarding the dungeon. Harvester was kept in. 

Once Satan got wind of this, if he hadn’t already, Reaver and Harvester were going to have legions of minions on their heels.

GIVEAWAY

REAVER – 1 winner will get our grand prize of a Kindle Fire and 4 winners will get a signed set of Larissa Ione’s Lords of Deliverance Series: Eternal Rider, Immortal Rider, Lethal Rider & Rogue Rider!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A former meteorologist and EMT, Air Force veteran Larissa Ione now gets her daily dose of excitement from vampires, werewolves, demons, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She lives in wintery Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat, and her hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

Social Media Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

IndieBound

Bookish

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Manicure Monday (43): Sex & Violence

Manicure Monday is weekly feature where I combine by love of nail polish and reading and share with you one of my current reads along with a matching book manicure. I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I enjoy doing it.

Hello again! The weekend passed by so quickly this week. I had a couple of fun shopping dates with my friends, saw The Hobbit (so much fun!) and wrapped a lot of presents. This week's manicure was inspired by Sex & Violence by Carrie Mesrobian. I've only just started this book but I like it so far. There isn't a whole lot going on this cover but, after a little bit of thinking, I knew what I wanted to do for this week's manicure.

The swirling lines and energetic feel of the cover made me want to do something funky and a little edgy. I remembered and awesome tutorial I saw recently from Chalkboard Nails on how to do a distressed manicure. I used 2 coats of Cult Nails Tempest, an awesome white, as the base for this look. Then, using the method that Chalkboard Nails describes, I painted on 3 other colors that I thought matched the cover well. They were American Apparel Cameo Blue, Essie Blue Boy Blazer and Essie Lollipop. 

The red I used was a little more pink than I would have liked but, other than that, I really liked this manicure. It's got a really punky vibe and it was super easy to do. I can imagine doing it in lots of different colors combos for totally different looks.

Hope you guys liked today's manicure. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Have a week!

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