Stacked (38)

Happy Sunday, all. I hope you have all had a relaxing weekend thus far. I baked a bit this weekend (a delicious pumpkin bread) and read a bit, too. My reading has been a bit slow in 2013 but I am getting back into the swing of things. Let's see what I got this week.

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson - This is my book club book for this month. Not my usual fare but it's got great reviews and looks really interesting. It's kind of hard to explain but this book is about the psychopaths and the industry of madness. Check out the Goodreads link if you want to know more.

Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan - Ahhhhh! I love Callihan's Darkest London series and did a squee when I saw this one on NetGalley this week. Yes, I have already read it and yes, it is awesome. Hope to write a review soon. 

I also picked up a fun selection of picture books from the library this week. Included in the lot are Marcel the Shell, Oh No, George, Ugly Fish, and Library Mouse: A World to Explore. Excited to read these. 

I also got a copy of Finale (yay!) from Alethea this week. I loved Hush, Hush but didn't love the sequel. I still have book 3 and now 4 to read. And I bought myself Season 3 of Archer. Thanks to Alethea again for introducing me to this series. It's the most inappropriate and hilarious TV show I've seen in a long time. If you like Arrested Development, you will like Archer. 

The last thing I got this week has nothing to do with books but I wanted to share it. It's a really cute knitting bag the Alethea designed for a local yarn store in my area. I love it and am excited to use it. One of my goals this year is to do a lot more knitting and this cute little project bag will be just the thing to house a cute project.

 Thanks for checking out my book haul this week. Hope everyone is having a great start to the new year!

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Again The Magic - Review

Again The Magic (Wallflowers #0.5) by Lisa Kleypas

Publication date: 27 Jan 2004 by Avon

ISBN 10/13: 0380811081 | 9780380811083
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

Category: Adult Historical Romance
Keywords: Romance, historical, childhood love, revenge
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook
Source: Purchased

Synopsis from Goodreads

Review:

I had no idea that this book even existed until about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Under The Covers Book Blog, one of my favorite review blogs, had a post about the unsung heroes of romance. In this list was McKenna from Again the Magic, the prequel novel to Lisa Kleypas's Wallflower series. How on earth did I miss a Wallflower book? I immediately downloaded a copy to my Kindle (and this is where I praise the advent of ebooks because I had this book in my hands in no time flat). I started it immediately and read it in almost one sitting. Yes, it was that good.

Again the Magic is the story of Aline Marsden, the sister of Marcus Westcliff, and John McKenna. Westcliff's sister Livia and her beau Gideon Shaw also play a role in the book but Aline and McKenna are the main focus so let's talk about them first.

Aline and McKenna are childhood friends whose friendship grows into love over the years. Unfortunately McKenna is a servant of the household and any romance between the two is strictly forbidden. But young love cannot be stopped and McKenna and Aline continue to see each other secretly. One day they are found out and Aline must send McKenna away with a lie. Twelve years pass and McKenna comes back to Stony Cross a rich man, having made his fortune in America. He hasn't forgotten Aline and vows revenge by seduction. What he doesn't know is that Aline still loves him. However, she has her own secrets that threaten to keep them apart.

I loved this book so much! If any two people belong together, it's Aline and McKenna. Even after twelve years apart, the chemistry between the two is undeniable. And it's not just the physical stuff. I was surprised by how emotional I got while reading their story. My heart broke for Aline when she had to send McKenna away and again when she finally told him the truth about what happened all those years ago. She was the most frustratingly stubborn woman at times, pushing McKenna away for all the wrong reasons.

I loved McKenna, even though he comes back to Aline a cold, cruel man intent on revenge. I loved his strength and determination and the tenderness that he showed Aline. They are a great match and I gave a sigh of relief when they finally found their HEA.

Livia and Gideon also have a sweet side story in this. I liked them both and enjoyed learning their back story. While I liked Livia and Gideon's romance, I have to say that McKenna and Aline were the real stars of this story for me..

Again the Magic is an intense and passionate love story that made me believe in true love and soul mates. It is a wonderful addition to the Wallflowers series and can be read as a standalone or in chronological order. The Wallflowers is truly one of my favorite romance series and I highly recommend it.

 

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Visit the author online at www.lisakleypas.com and follow her on Twitter @Lisakleypas


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Uncovered (46): The Brief History of the Dead

Happy Friday, everyone. You don't even know how glad I am that the week is finally over. Work's been super tough this week and it's just going to get tougher. I am hoping to take this weekend to decompress and chill out. I haven't read very much at all this week. Anyway, no more whining. Let's get on with this week's installment of Uncovered. Today I have The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. I haven't really heard mnuch about this book but it has popped up recently and I was struck by the cover. It's very surreal and also a little spooky. It reminds me a bit of a Dali painting.  I just look it looks really cool. Here is the synopsis in case you find this one intriguing as well.

From Kevin Brockmeier, one of this generation's most inventive young writers, comes a striking new novel about death, life, and the mysterious place in between. The City is inhabited by those who have departed Earth but are still remembered by the living. They will reside in this afterlife until they are completely forgotten. But the City is shrinking, and the residents clearing out. Some of the holdouts, like Luka Sims, who produces the City’s only newspaper, are wondering what exactly is going on. Others, like Coleman Kinzler, believe it is the beginning of the end. Meanwhile, Laura Byrd is trapped in an Antarctic research station, her supplies are running low, her radio finds only static, and the power is failing. With little choice, Laura sets out across the ice to look for help, but time is running out. Kevin Brockmeier alternates these two storylines to create a lyrical and haunting story about love, loss and the power of memory.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

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Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge

So...you know how I said I wasn't going to sign up for any challenges because I suck at them? Well, I signed up for one. I found out about the Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge over at She Wolf Reads. It just sounded like a really cool way to support female writers while broadening my reading pool. There are also a bunch of authors/books on the list that I already wanted to read this year and I figured this would be an additional motivation to read those books.

Basically you pick twelve authors from the list whom you've never read before. I think for each book you read, you can mark as read on your account with the site. If you actually write reviews for those books, you can be entered into some contests.  The 12 authors I've picked are:

• Kelley Armstrong
• Amber Benson
• Franny Billingsley
• Libba Bray
• Sarah Rees Brennan
• Rae Carson
• Kristen Cashore
• Alma Katsu
• Seanan McGuire
• Erin Morganstern
• Robin Hobbs
• Sarah Waters

I have books for each author pickd out as well though that might change. For Jan I think I am going to read Chime by Franny Billinsgley. I just go it so it might be good to read it soon.

This is the only official challenge I've signed up for this year. With me luck. Does anyone else suck at reading challenges like I do challenges quake in your presence?

 

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YA Faeries & Fantasy Giveaway Hop (US ends 1/14)

Hi, guys. It's time for another giveaway. This is a fun one since I am a huge fan of fantasy. Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Modge Podge Bookshelf for hosting.

For this hope I am giving away my ARC of Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas. I had a real blast reading this one and cannot wait for the next book. Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did. Giveaway is US only. Sorry but gotta save on shipping when I can. We'll have so me international giveaway soon, promise. All of our contest rules are below. As always, you don't have to be a follower but if you like the blog, please come back. And don't forget to visit the other blogs on the hop. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules:

1. Open to US residents only.
2. We are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. 
3. One set of entries per household please. 
4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address. 
5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends. 
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner. 
7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policy here. 
8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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