Manicure Monday (57): Silence

Welcome to Manicure Monday, a post combining my love of nail polish and reading. Each week I'll show you one of my current reads along with a matching book manicure. Enjoy!

Happy Monday, all. It's crazy that March is almost over. I am not sure where the time is going but I need more of it. :) For this week's Manicure Monday, I have Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick. It's been ages since I read the second book in the series and I figured I should get back to it. I loved the first book in the Hush, Hush series but was not so in love with book 2. It's been so long though that I've kind of forgotten what happened in the last book so I may need to go back and give myself a bit of a refresher.

This is a really beautiful cover full of shades of black, silver and grey. I started off with two coats of Zoya Freya on my forefinger and pinkie. Freja is a shimmery medium grey that matched the cover well. Next I used a small mixing straw and CND Silver Chrome (metallic silver) to create a splatter effect to mimic the look of the crashing waves. You just out some polish at the end of the straw and blow really hard onto your nail. I got a little light headed but the effect is nice. 

Next, I painted one coat of CND Silver Chrome onto my middle and ring fingers for a nice, silver background. I knew I wanted to incorporate feathers into this look and decide to do some stamping to do it. I used Cheeky plate m77 and Kleancolor Black Creme to stamp feathers onto those two nails. The feathers came out really clean looking and it only took me a few tries to get it, which is pretty good for me.

 For my thumb,  I used Kleancolor Black Creme as a base and stamped it with a feather print from Bundle Monster plate BM-419 with CND Silver Chrome. It definitely took me a few tries before I was able to get the whole image of the feather onto the stamp. I'm glad I was patient though because I love how the thumb turned out. 

So there you have my Silence manicure. Hope you guys like it. What are you reading this week?

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Stacked (100)

Inspired by Pop Culture Junkie and The Story Siren, Stacked is a weekly post where I share with you the books that I've bought, borrowed or received for the week.

Hello hello! It's Sunday once again. Where does the weekend go? I've had a busy weekend so far. Yesterday I went down to Mysterious Galaxy in Redondo Beach to see Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows. That was really fun and I didn't buy any books. What? That's crazy talk, I know. Also, if you're in SoCal and are a fan of children's picture books, please come to the Salina Yoon book signing event at Unwind Yarn in Burbanik next Sat April 5 at 11am. We will have cake pops and more. Details on the Facebook event page.

Now, onto the books. I actually only got one books this week and it's not even a whole one. It's Part 1 of Meljean Brook's The Kraken King, which is book 4 of her Iron Seas series. I am not really sure why this one is being released in parts, except that maybe serialized novels are trendy right now. But I love this series and I could not pass it up when I saw it on NetGalley. 

Sadly I have not had time to start this one yet but am hoping to get to it in April. Next month is insane for me but I really need to catch up on my reading. We'll see how I do. Hope you're all having a fabulous Sunday.!

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What Does the Bookworm Say?: Television Shows

Hi and welcome to a new feature here on Nite Lite called What Does the Bookworm Say? that I am doing with my friends at The Reader's Antidote, Elegantly Bound Books and The Windy Pages. This week's topic is about Television Shows. This post is super late because I forgot to schedule it. But here it is so enjoy!

I am not a huge television watcher. I like TV but find that it's a very large time commitment and it often takes me months or years to get to and finish a series. And I don't have traditional cable so I don't watch shows as they air. While I don't watch a lot of television, here are a few shows that I am currently into.

Veronica Mars - I am super late to the party on this one. I only watches the series late last year but immediately fell in love with it. Veronica Mars is the kind of person you want on your side when sh*t goes down.

Orphan Black - Loved season 1 of this crazy show from BBC. I don't want to say much except that it's about clones and it's awesome. I cannot wait for season 2 to start this year!

Archer - I have an obsession with this animated show. It took me a few episodes to get into it but, once I did, I was hooked. It's totally inappropriate and ridiculous but I love it. If you're a fan of Bob's Burgers, you'll recognize the voice of Sterling Archer as that of Bob. H. Jon Benjamin is great in both roles but Archer is my favorite of the two.

Helix - Finally, a show on SyFy that isn't terribly cheesy with bad special effects. Helix is a sci fi drama about an outbreak in a research facility in Antarctica. The show is tense and unpredictable and I have an affinity for stories about outbreaks and disease.

House of Cards - I've only seen 4 episodes of this show so far but I can see why people like it so much. I don't know if I love it just yet but it's certainly compelling and I do love Kevin Spacey. The show may be a little intense for me but I am going to keep watching to see where it goes.

Sherlock - I loved the first two seasons of this show. Of course Benedict Cumberbatch is great as Sherlock but it's really Martin Freeman's long suffering Watson that makes the show for me. He's the perfect foil for Sherlock and I love the dynamic between the two.

The Voice - I am not one for reality TV but I love watching The Voice. My favorite seasons are the ones with Blake, Adam, Christina and CeeLo. Shakira and Usher are fine but I think the original 4 judges have the best chemistry. I also like that the vibe of the show is positive but constructive vs snarky. It's my guilty pleasure viewing.

Psych - One of the most random and hilarious shows ever. I've been watching since day 1 and I just love it. Their panels at Comic-Con are always the best and I am really sad that the show is ending this year.

Those are the shows I am watching the most right now. I know there are lots more that I need to get to but, knowing me, it'll take some time. What are your favorite shows? Let me know in the comments below and I'll add them to the queue.  Have a lovely weekend!

And be sure to check out what The Reader's Antidote, Elegantly Bound Books and The Windy Pages thought of this topic as well. 

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Trailer: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Ooh 20th Century Fox just released the full length trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past. I really can't wait for this movie. I hope it's good. I think this is also our first look at the Sentinels. They always kind of freaked me out as a kid. 

Any other X-Men fans out there?

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Review: Lush by Lauren Dane

Title: Lush (Delicious #3)

Author: Lauren Dane
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Book Depository
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Mary Whaley has her hands full running a successful catering company and overseeing her supper club. She has everything she ever wanted—or so she thought. When she meets ridiculously hot and very dirty rock star Damien Hurley at her friend’s engagement party, the attraction she feels is overpowering—and she isn’t about to deny herself.

Damien is used to a hard and fast life. He and two of his brothers started a band when they were fresh out of high school—then they hit the big time and stayed there. He’s also a legendary madman on the stage and in the bedroom. But when he meets Mary, something clicks, and the bad boy starts thinking he may have finally found something good.

What begins as a series of fleeting trysts soon gets much more complicated. Damien can’t figure out why Mary doesn’t want more from him. And before long, it’s Damien who wants more from Mary. But it turns out Mary is no stranger to celebrity news, and he’s got a very big job ahead of him: proving that he’s worth more than a one-night stand.

Lush is the third book in Lauren Dane's Delicious series. Somehow this series had gone under my radar but knew that I wanted to read it after I saw the cover and realized that it was about a woman who runs a supper club. I love food and if I can have romance and good food in one book, I'm taking it.

Lush starts off with a bang and Mary and Damien find themselves in a hot fling during her friend's wedding. Both of them know it's just for fun though and neither is expecting a commitment. But the two continue to see each other while Damien is on the road with his band and it becomes apparent that this it's more than a fling. Mary is wary of Damien's bad boy rocker rep but Damien is out to prove that he's serious about their relationship. I thought that the two had great chemistry and, despite his reputation, I found Damien to be very sweet and he treated Mary well.

Unfortunately, the beginning of the book was probably my favorite part and I started to lose interest in it about halfway through. While I normally don't have trouble jumping into a series halfway through (though I prefer not to) it was clear that Lush was part of a larger series. There were so many side characters in it and they actually took up a lot of page space. I felt like the author really wanted to catch us up on the lives of these characters and it really took me away from Mary and Damien's relationship, which is what I was most interested in.
I found myself losing interest in their relationship as the focus veered away from them.

I also hated how Damien was made out to be the bad guy in this. Sure, he has a reputation, but he never did anything to Mary to make her assume the worst of him. He did all he could to assure her that he had real feelings for her and wanted a relationship with her but, at the first sign of trouble, she runs and cuts him off - and then we're supposed to think it's all his fault for being such a bad boy. His behavior should have garnered more trust than he received. It also annoyed me how Mary's friends and family were all so quick to warn Mary away from him repeatedly and rudely, when it was really none of their business (as Mary even told a few of them).

I really wanted to like this book but there was just too much focus on all of the other characters and not enough on Damien and Mary. I was never able to fully invest in their relationship and was bored for much of it. I might have had a different opinion if I had read the other books in the series but I still think a series book should be able to stand on its own and, unfortunately, Lush did not work for me.

*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.laurendane.com, Facebook and follow her on Twitter @laurendane

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

Covet New Releases for March

Hi, guys! Today I am featuring some of Covet's new March releases. You all know I love a good romance of the paranormal variety and Covet has a great lineup this month. So read on and hopefully you'll find something new to add to the TBR pile.

Covets have all the sexiness, emotion, and happily ever after that readers have come to expect and love from Entangled. They are firmly grounded in the contemporary world, but each novel brings in supernatural twists, breaking the contemporary and paranormal rules, alike. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, LIKE their Facebook page, and join the Book Club.

Today I'm happy to be featuring Covet's March releases:

Sex and the Single Vamp by Robin Covington

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Cici Trent, vampire and media darling, spends her days finding true love for humans and supernaturals (the “Others”) at her dating agency. But someone is trying to sabotage her business and she needs help. Unfortunately, the best man for the job is the one who broke her still-beating heart two hundred fifty-four years ago.


Deacon is a patient vampire. He’s only loved one woman in over three hundred years— CiCi— and she chose another. So when she shows up in his office asking for help, he finally has the chance to lay that demon to rest. He’ll help her, but for a price—a night in his bed.


Adrenaline, mischief, and a little late-night B&E light the passion that even a couple of lifetimes couldn’t put out. But Deacon has a secret and when Cici is suddenly mortal, his deception might be the only way restore her immortality. Can love bridge the gap between a heartbeat and forever?

Find Out More!

Love and Other Cosmic Nonsense by A.D. Marrow

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Breaking it off with her long-time non-magical boyfriend, Evan, was for his own good. At least that’s what Maggie Owen tells herself. After all, a witch and a human can have no future together. Her vision told her so. But now it seems the universe is exacting revenge for upsetting the balance of what “should be” and her heart is telling her she was wrong.

Evan Jackson can’t believe his bad luck. It’s been a year since Maggie broke his heart, and now his business partner has hired her as their new receptionist. Fine, they need the help. But no way will he let her get close again. He can’t take another heartbreak from the woman he still dreams about, even if it feels like there’s still a magical pull between them.

Being in the same building with Evan is a start, but it’s going to take more than Maggie’s special talents and a wink to get the hard-hearted bad-boy to see that love is really more than just cosmic nonsense and set the universe back into balance.

Also don't miss:

January's releases, Love At Stake and Haunt Me, are on sale for only for a limited time only! If you missed out before, now's your chance to snap them up at just $0.99 each!

(Click on the covers to grab the limited time deals)

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Manicure Monday (56): All These Things I've Done

Hello and thanks for checking out Manicure Monday, a weekly post where I combine my love of reading with my love of nail polish. Each Monday I'll show you a book I am currently reading along with a matching book manicure. Enjoy!

Hello, hello. I hope you all had a good weekend. I saw Divergent yesterday and I really, really liked it. As a movie I think it worked really well and it wasn't cheesy or all about the romance. I am not the biggest fan of the book and I think it took all the parts of the book that annoyed me and made it into a really good movie. Anyhow, you came here for a manicure, right? Today's Manicure Monday post features All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin. Warning that this post might be a little bit more picture heavy than usual because I really liked how the pictures came out for it.

As you can see, I am using the original hardcover design as the inspiration for my manicure. The series went through a cover change after the first book and while I enjoy the sci-fi feel of the new covers, I prefer the understated simplicity of the original.

I started off with two coats of a very opaque white called Tempest by Cult Nails. I used Essie Little Brown Dress, a dark, dark brown to create the chocolate heart and drips. Using a small nail brush, I drew in the heart on my middle finger. This was actually easier than I thought it was going to be though I did have to fiddle to get the perfect shape.

Next, using a small brush I made drip nails on my other fingers. You can do an internet search for a more detailed tutorial but basically you make a little moon at the top of the nail and then draw in drips that are different heights. I tried to make the drips fatter at the bottom to look like it was really dripping. To give everything a more three-dimensional look, I went back in after the brown was dry and added some white highlights.

Stacked (99)

Inspired by Pop Culture Junkie and The Story Siren, Stacked is a weekly post where I share with you the books that I've bought, borrowed or received for the week.

So I've been pretty good, book-wise this week. I have been trying to stay away from NetGalley and Edelweiss but it's hard to resist when NG sends thos pre-approved emails. I am so behind on review books though and really need to buckle down and read some of them. But the new and shiny can be so distracting. Anyway...here are the books I received this week.

Bought

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews (audiobook) - I am a huge Ilona Andews fan and they recently released this short-ish novel that was originally posted in parts on their blog. Since I had a bunch of Audible credits hanging around I decided to try it in audio. I may start this next week since I am almost done with my current audiobook.

For Review

The Kiss of Deception of Mary Pearson - This is the one that NetGalley sent the email about. I tried to resist (well, not that hard) but decided to do it in the end. How can I say no to that pretty cover and Mary Pearson?

Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington (audiobook) - Received this from Audiobook Jukebox this week. After reading a review at The Reading Date, I decided to give this one a go in audio. It sounds creepy.

That's what's in my book bag this week. Have you guys all seen Divergent already? At the time or writing this (Sat night) I have not. I have plans to go sometime Sunday though. From what I've heard, people seem to really like it. I am hoping that they take out all the annoying bits and make it a good movie. We shall see. Hope you're all have an awesome weekend!

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Uncovered (101): Prudence

We all know you can't judge a book by its cover. However, a good cover can be the deciding factor in picking up an unknown author for me. Uncovered is a weekly post where I share some of my favorite book covers. 

Hello again! Yay for Friday. Fort his week's Uncovered post I have a book that I am very excited about. The cover gods have been very kind to Gail Carriger and I've pretty much liked or loved every book cover she's put out. The cover to Prudence, Carriger's new Soulless spin-off series is no exception. Like most of her covers, this one has a very modern steampunk vibe. I love the styling on this. The dress is great and I love the makeup (note to self to find that lipstick). I like the little steampunk touches like the gears on her hat and the hears around the title font. The colors are bright and rich and really catch the eye. I also like that there's a continuity in the styling for all of Carriger's covers. No mismatched covers here. 

Another great cover from Gail Carriger and one that I can't wait to see in person. What do you think? Love it or leave it? Let me know in the comments below. Have a good weekend!

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New Trailer: The Giver

Good morning! The trailer for The Giver, based on the book of the same name by Lois Lowery, was just released today. Check it out!

I haven't read The Giver yet (shhhh don't tell) and am an on the fence about the movie. I mean I love Meryl Streep but she is almost negated by Katie Holmes, who I feel is a really lifeless actor. The trailer is also pretty vague. Looks like any generic dystopian film right now, but I reserve judgement for now.

What do you guys think? Anyone out there read the book already and can tell if it looks true to the book or not? I'd love to know. Happy hump day!
 

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Review: Improper Relations by Juliana Ross

Title: Improper Relations (Improper #1)

Author: Juliana Ross
Publication Date: April 23, 2012
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Adult Historical Romance/Erotica Short Story
Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N
Source: Purchased

When Hannah's caught watching her late husband's cousin debauch the maid in the library, she's mortified--but also intrigued. An unpaid companion to his aunt, she's used to being ignored.

The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she's witnessed, but there's something about Leo that draws her to him.

When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can't bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she's losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends?

I originally bypassed this story when it first showed up on NetGalley and picked it up later based on a recommendation from a couple of friends. I am really glad I did, too, because this story is a bit of a hidden gem. Short stories can be really good or really meh and this one happily falls into the really good category.

Hannah is a widow living in her late husband's family's home. Hannah has no income of her own and has no option but to stay with them or face destitution. Hannah was taught that sex with one's husband was meant to be endured an not enjoyed. When her cousin Leo offers her lessons in pleasure, Hannah cannot say no. It may be her only chance to learn about it, and it doesn't hurt that she is attracted to Leo.

I am a fan of the sexual awakening/education trope in romance and Proper Relations handles it quite well. What begins as a sensual, educational relationship soon turns into something more and I found myself really rooting for them as a couple. This book did have a lot of anatomical language, which I don't usually love, but I did not mind it here. It fit with the tone of the story and was not too clinical.

I expected this to be a fun, smutty read and nothing more but I found it to be a surprisingly emotional read. I did get frustrated with both Leo and Hannah a couple of times. Hannah for not having enough backbone and fighting for the man she loves and Leo for not telling Hannah of his feelings earlier on. A lot of grief could have been avoided if Leo had given Hannah any indication of having deeper feelings for her. But it all turns out right and I loved their reunion at the end of the book.

Overall I really enjoyed Improper Relations and can't wait to see what Ross does next.

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Visit the author online at julianaross.com.

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

Manicure Monday (55): The Gone-Away World

Hello and welcome to Manicure Monday, a weekly feature where I meld my love of reading with my love of nail polish and share a current read along with a matching book manicure.

Hello hello, everyone. This weekend just flew by. I saw the Veronica Mars movie and loved it. I actually saw a test screening months ago, but it was really nice to see the final product. It's also been crazy warm here so I've been enjoying the outdoors a bit. Not much reading was done, but I hope to catch up this week.On with the manicure!

This week's book is The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway. It's not the most inspiring of covers, as you can see, but it was the only book I was reading this weekend so I used my imagination. I decided to do a simple gradient with two colors, hot pink and lime green.

I started off with one coat of a basic white polish (OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls) to give the gradient a nice base and to help the neon colors pop. I taped off my cuticles using Scotch tape to minimize cleanup later. Then, using a makeup sponge, I painted Hard Candy Pretty in Punk (hot pink) and Orly Fresh (lime green) directly onto the sponge, making sure that the colors overlapped. Next I gently rolled and patted the sponge onto each nail, reapplying the polish when necessary. I had to do this a few times on each nail until I built up sufficient opacity. 

While it was still slightly wet, I put on one coat of top coat to blend the colors and seal everything in. I took off the tape and cleaned up my cuticles using a small nail brush and some acetone. 

And that's it. While this isn't the most interesting cover or manicure, I like how this gradient came out. I am not usually very good at gradients but I think this came out well and the colors are eye searing, which is what I like. :)
Has anyone read this yet? It's this month's book club pick and I can't tell what kind of a book it is yet. Seems sci-fi but also Western with highly stylized writing. It's a whopper at over 500 pages but I am trying to finish before my meeting in 9 days. We'll see what happens.

I hope you liked today's manicure. It has green in it so I am all set for St. Patt's Day tomorrow. Have a great week, everyone!

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Stacked (98)

Inspired by Pop Culture Junkie and The Story Siren, Stacked is a weekly post where I share with you the books that I've bought, borrowed or received for the week.

Hi, guys. Hope you're all having a great weekend. Daylight savings really kicked my butt this week and my sleep patterns have been really wonky, which only matters because it's been cutting into my reading time. But that hasn't stopped me from buying up all the Kindle books on sale. It's really hard to rest these deals. Sigh. At least I'll never be bored. :) 

Bought

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson - This was a Kindle daily deal last week. It's been on my TRR list for a while now so I grabbed it.

The Shadow Society by Marie Rutowski - Another book that I have been wanting to read. I really like the cover and the premise sounds really interesting. I think this one is still on sale for $2.99.

Unremembered by Jessica Brody - This book has been on sale to promote the upcoming release of the next book in the series.

For Review

Improper Proposals by Juliana Ross - This is a short erotic/historical romance. I read Ross's Improper Relations novella a year ago and really liked it. Noticed that she had a new novella on NetGalley. This prompted me to finally write my review for that first novella, which you'll see next week.

What books did you get this week?

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