Booking Through Thursday- Current Events

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme hosted at A blog over at wordpress of the same name. This week's topic:

Current Events

One of those quick, easy questions that I ask periodically because the answer is always changing:

What are you reading right now? (And, is it good? Would you recommend it? How did you choose it?)

Right now I'm reading Outlaw of Gor.  I'm nearly halfway and I would have to say, Yes! I would recommend it... with some caveats.

First off, this is the second book in the series, so you really need to read Tarnsman of Gor before you read this one. 

Personally, I think this one is better than the first so far, but it's a bit different from today's fair and it certainly can't be considered PnR or UF.  It's really more Scifi/Fantasy taking place on Gor "The Counter Earth" a planet orbiting the sun directly opposite our own.  It's more sword and sorcery than Scifi although it's not long on the sorcery... Think Conan (although I've never read a Conan book).

The world building is quite extensive and some will find the content highly objectionable.  I've often heard this series described as soft core porn, but at a book and a half in, I've yet to see it.  Maybe at the time of original publication in 1967 I would have felt differently, but then I hadn't been born yet. I certainly wasn't reading back then.  I wouldn't call it a romance either although the first book did have a bit of a love story... it's really more action adventure.

Where the series causes controversy is in it's treatment of woman as objects and sex slaves. The rules governing Gorean society are extensive and well developed and honestly, it works for me in the fictional context, but I can totally understand why it might get under some people's skin.

If you like D/s style reads, you MIGHT like this, although again I caution that after a book and a half I've yet to see any sex.  There are a ton of books in the series tho, so I imagine at some point it will earn it's "pornographic" reputation.

I've heard about the Gor series for years and thought I'd give it a try.  I read the first book about a year ago and like it but put the series on the back burner. It has the same sort of feel as a Tarzan book... often rediculous but fun nevertheless.

In this particular case, I didn't know what I wanted to read next so I offered up an anonymous poll to my fellow GReeps and this is what won.  Much to their chagrin when they discovered that Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder was in the mix.  I'm not sorry tho :)

Dear Kate | Recommendations

Do you know what the book world is missing? If you said jet packs, I'm with you 100 percent, but unfortunately that's not what I'm going to talk about today. As crucial to book blogging as jet packs should be, what the book world really needs is more advice columns. Where is the book blogger version of Dear Abby, or...okay, that's actually the only advice column I know. But still, we need one that applies to book bloggers. To that end, I have decided to start a new feature here on GReeps Through the Shelves, which I have plumbed the very depths of my creativity to name Dear Kate. In this feature, I will happily answer questions that readers may or may not have actually submitted and provide advice on a variety of pressing issues.

By a stunningly fortuitous coincidence, I just happen to have a question right here, even though I only came up with this idea five minutes ago. It's weird how the world works, right?

dear kate,

there are just, like, so many books that i, like, really, REALLY love :) only my friends think they're dumb, so, like, how can i make every one of my myspace friends read, like, all my favorites?????

thx soooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
billie sue

Dear billie sue,

While there's no way you can make your friends read the book you want to recommend (short of tying them to a chair and making them read aloud, prompting them with increasingly strong electric shocks when they falter, but when I suggested that, my lawyer assured me that it is illegal. Who knew?), you can certainly make your suggestion more palatable. It just takes three simple steps.

First, send recommendations to every single person you know. They should all read this book! You like it so much, it's obviously the greatest thing since sliced bread, so there's no doubt every one of your friends (and acquaintances (and enemies that you're still Facebook friends with)) will like it too. You're suggesting a romance book and they only read nonfiction? No problem! You'll broaden their horizons. That's what friends are for!

Second, bring it up every time you see them; otherwise, they might forget what a great book it is, since they haven't read it yet. Remember, there's no such thing as bad publicity! If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! A stitch in time saves nine!*

*I actually have no idea what this means, but I needed three sayings for flow and I couldn't think of any more that applied.

Finally, if all else fails, offer jet packs. I would read The Catcher in the Rye, part 2, independently published by Stephanie Meyer, if you gave me a functional jet pack. And I hated The Catcher in the Rye.

Best of luck,
Kate

Top Ten Tuesdays

Top Ten Tuesday is an original meme hosted at Broke and Bookish! The top ten of this week:

Top Ten Authors That I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List (basically an auto-buy list is no questions asked..you love this author so much that no matter what they wrote next you'd buy regardless of genre or subject matter)

In no particular order:

1. Kathy Reichs everything she writes is well researched and the plots are awesome

2. Kelly Armstrong while I am not completely caught up on her stuff I am working on it and will continue to read anything she writes.

3.Katie McGarry she wrote Pushing the Limits, enough said

4. Gayle Forman, after reading If I Stay and Where She Went I will pick up anything and everything this woman writes.

5. Jim Butcher I am working on reading his Codex series but after the job he has done with Dresden he will be on auto-buy forever.

6. Patricia Briggs love the way she writes and I am looking to finish gathering all of her earlier series

7. Juliet McKenna fell in love with her Einarinn series and have been looking for the rest ever since

8.Michelle Sagara writes one of my favourite ongoing series right now the Cast series. If I can ever find them I will read anything that has her name on it

I guess I only really have 8, there are a whole bunch of others I really enjoy but it pretty much has to be part of a series of theirs I am already reading for me to pick it up without looking.

What about you guys? Who are the authors for you that it doesn't matter what it is, just that it is written by them?

Moody Monday

This weekend was filled with excitement and fun... now that it's Monday, I am kind of sad. 

Mostly because my DVR did not record Walking Dead, so now I am waiting for it to come on again so I can watch it... how sad!

But I also have some great news.... the WIP I have been working on it done! I wrote the last words of it yesterday afternoon and now today I start the tedious task of editing it and making sure all my duck are aligned in it.   Then I send it off to a few good friends to edit it and then they send it back and I edit it again with their changes and then it starts the long, nerve-wracking task of being submitted to literary agents and small presses.

For those of you keeping watch, I have not heard back from Spencer Hill Press about Neophyte yet, but no news is good news, right?

Anyways, here is a little excerpt from my new book (yes I can finally call it that because it has a beginning, middle and an end!). Remember it's still a rough cut!
Hope you enjoy it!

Dex had gotten out and was sitting by me when he first saw the flashlights.  “Shit. Cops” He muttered.

Then at the same time, we both said in panic. “I can’t get caught.”

He looked at me carefully then stood up. “You know how to swim right?” he asked, pulling me to my feet.

“Yes, of course. I just didn’t….” I didn’t have a chance to finish he was picking me up and throwing me up in the pond. When I came up, I wanted no more than to yell up a storm at him, but he was beside me.

“Swim.” He urged, Bec and Duncan were already swimming toward the other side of the pond away from the lights. It was hard though, all my clothes weighed me down, and I fought them to keep going.

“Hey! The pond is closed, you need to get out of there! You’re trespassing!”  A man yelled from the bank.

“Just swim.” Dex coaxed me on. Fear rippled through me, and he must have sensed it, because he stayed at my side until we reached the bank on the other side.

The pond was only about 100 feet across, and when we made it to the bank, Dex crawled out and reached down and pulled me out easily.  “Come on.”

Duncan and Becs were no where to be found. Dex took my hand, my flip flops forgotten somewhere at the bottom of the pond and pulled me into the brush. “Keep going there is a path a little ways in.” he was whispering in my ear, that’s how close he was to me, and I wasn’t scared, not of him at least.

Once we were on the path, Dex slowed down, we were both drenched, and my pants sloshed with every step, it was so far from being attractive, but he didn’t seem to notice.  He just walked with my hand in his, a simple act, but it was the world for me.  I had never felt such kindness from a man, at least not since I was little.

We met Duncan and Bec where the car was parked, Bec had stripped out of her wet bikini and put on her shorts and tank top, Duncan too was dressed.  The trunk was open and Dex let go of my hand as he grabbed his clothes out of the trunk.

“Here.” He handed me his t-shirt to change into. Quickly though, I was realizing that I had a wet swimsuit on underneath my clothes and no bra or panties.  “You can change out of your wet stuff and we will get out of here.”

I stared at the shirt for a moment.

“We really do not have time to argue about it, and Duncan will not let you in his car drenched.”  Dex stated quietly.

I took the t-shirt, regretting this evening suddenly. How was I supposed to wear nothing but a t-shirt in the company of two men?  I felt like I was somehow cheating on Wyatt even though I had no intention to go back to him ever. After I had walked to where I was sure no one could see me in the dark night, I stripped down, wrung out my hair and slipped on Dex’s t-shirt.  The scent of him surrounded me and I felt my body responding to him, a feeling I don’t think I  had ever felt before, I knew I had never felt this way when I was anywhere near Wyatt.

When I turned back to the others, Duncan and Bec were beside the car, talking quietly. Dex was facing me, I was sure he couldn’t see me though.  His body was lit up by the dome light inside the car, he wore nothing but his jeans which hung low on his hips, showing off the definition of his muscles right down to the ‘v’ that led down into his pants.  I felt my mouth salivate and I blushed, glad he couldn’t see me staring at him.  One arm had a tattoo that started on his chest and went down half of his arm, the other had some words around the top of it.   I just stood there for a moment, watching him, drinking him in with my eyes.

“Anna, you alright?” Bec called into the darkness. “We have to get going before we are found.” That snapped me out of my haze and I walked back over to the others. 

“Yeah.” I tugged at the bottom of Dex’s shirt, it was as long as the average sundress, but it was the fact that I was wearing nothing under it that made me self-conscious. I was afraid that they would be able to tell the reaction that Dex had on me.

Dex walked toward me, "Damn Anna." he muttered under his breath in a slight groan, my eyes widened, his raspy voice doing nothing to calm the pulsing I felt deep in my abdomen. I tugged harder at the bottom of his t-shirt, hoping he couldn’t tell just what his ice blue eyes did to me when they looked at me like I was something he was hunting for dinner. "Relax, it’s not like you’re the first woman I have seen wet before.”

Definitely not prince charming.

 

Can't wait to share the whole book with you all soon!!!

 

Now back to the chaos!

~M

Guess how I died (a giveaway and auction announcement)

Pas De Death (Dani Spevak #3) by Amanda Brice
Releases March 22nd!! 

Goodreads Summary:

Aspiring ballerina Dani Spevak is back home in New Jersey for the summer. What was supposed to be a simple day trip into New York City to visit her friends at the Manhattan Ballet Conservatory turns deadly when Dani discovers that the world of professional ballet can be cutthroat - literally.

READ CHAPTER 1 OF PAS DE DEATH HERE!!

Book Links:

Codename: Dancer (Dani Spevak Mystery #1) on Goodreads, Amazon, & Barnes and Noble
Pointe of No Return (Dani Spevak Mystery #2) on Goodreads, Amazon, & Barnes and Noble

Pas De Death (Dani Spevak Mystery #3) on Goodreads

Author Links:

Amanda Brice's Website

Amanda Brice on Goodreads

- - - - -

Some of my followers on my blog (At Random) have heard me talking about being a murder victim in author Amanda Brice's next book in the Dani Spevak Mystery series. That sounds really strange right?! Why in the world would I want to be murdered in a book? 

It all started May of last year when I stumbled on Brenda Novak's Charity Auction. She had a ton of auctions going on with all of the proceeds going towards diabetes research. Diabetes has had a huge impact in the lives of some family members so I jumped at the chance to bid on some items and donate to research  that could help so many. 

One of the items I bid on was one that Amanda Brice had posted...the chance to name a murder victim in book 3 of the Dani Spevak series. I got into a little bit of a bidding war towards the end but I was the victor...and now I'm going to be murdered because of it! Sounds fair, yes?!

Amanda was a guest on my blog last year to announce the news and more recently she talked about it on her website.  It was there she announced plans to hold the same auction this coming May. That means you can have the same opportunity that I did. The auction isn't live until May 1st but you can find it here and bookmark it for later. Even if you don't want to name a (fictional) murder victim definitely check out the other auctions! Great prizes for a great cause!

- - - - -

To help celebrate Amanda's new book, and my literary death, we're holding a giveaway!

I've been hoarding an extra signed copy of Codename: Dancer (Dani Spevak Mystery #1) since April when Amanda and I first crossed paths at one of Turn the Page Bookstore's book signings. I thought it would be the perfect thing to giveaway.

How do you enter? Guess how I die in Pas De Death. I don't even know how it happens so it will be fun to read your guesses.

-Contest is open internationally
-Fill out the below form to enter
-Entries must be received by 11:59pm (EST) on March 7th

Good Luck!!

GReep Jen

Prince Charming

Every girl dreams of having a prince charming. We all love the sexy hero's in our books. Who wouldn't want to be swept of her feet?

But do we really want someone who 'saves' us on a daily basis? Don't we all want to be strong and independed? I for one, hate to be dependent on someone. I want to take care of my own business.

A couple of days ago, I had troubles with my car. And the people at my stupid garage didn't took me serious and tried to con me. I hated that I needed my knight in shining armor to sweep in and save me... I wanted so bad to fix everything myself, to be independent, but I couldn't. And I hated it...

So for me, those princes can stay in their books, I'm a strong independent woman who will be her own hero! (And when I really need some help, I'll ask very heroically for help from my prince.)

Friday Favorites: Cities

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of our favorite things.

We all talk a lot about books on our blogs, but what about other things we like? Friday Favorites is a meme hosted by Epic (Chocolate) Fantasy that gives book bloggers a chance to gush about something other than novels.

This Weeks Topic Is:

Favorite Cities You've Visited

Rome, Italy

When I was 16 I got to go with my (at the time) boyfriend and his school to Italy. It was a once in a life time experience and simply amazing. Everything about that city is rich in culture- the history, the art, the food. I would love to go back, and hopefully one day I will!

Orlando, Florida

I've been to Orlando five times (since I'm from Alabama it's not that long of a drive- 12 hours). Once when I was five, again when I was eight, twice when I was 18, and then I went again when they opened up the Harry Potter world. Honestly, Orlando itself isn't that fantastic, the city is kind of lame actually. But because it has Disney World and Universal Studios, it becomes EPIC. If you've never been to either, I strongly suggest you find your inner kid (and money in your wallet,  a credit car you will be willing to file bankruptcy for, etc) and GO. 

Panama City Beach, Florida

It's a big deal in my town to go down to PCB for Spring Break, we all do it. It's kind of crazy, but the ocean is fabulous and Shuckum's has the BEST seafood you will ever eat (along with $1 bills stapled to the walls- seriously, there's probably about a $1,000 in the place).

So those are my top picks, what are some of yours?!

Love is in the Air

Love is in the Air

Alright, so this is hardly an original idea, but it IS Valentine's Day after all.  So, I've composed my list of favorite couples from the genre of Urban Fantasy... I would include PnR, but for some reason, none of them made the list (nudge nudge, Kate... see what I did there?).

A warning to the spoiler uptight (like me) listing couples from a book or series is always a bit spoilerish.  Most of them are fairly obvious, but there are a some here that are more spoilerish than others, with the relationship developing late in the series or unexepectedly.

10) Lestat and... well... Lestat

The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice

Urban Fantasy? Okay, maybe not.  Usually, you'll find this classic series under horror, but to me it is definitely a forerunner to what these days is called Urban Fantasy.  If you haven't read the series I strongly recommend it, at least the first two books. Interview with the Vampire is a great book in it's own right, but it takes on a whole new dimension when paired with The Vampire Lestat. By the end of Interview, you'll hate Lestat like you've hated few literary characters. By the end of tVL, well... try it, you'll see.  As for the couple, Lestat is probably the only meglomaniac that I actually adore.

9) Sookie and Bill

Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris

Yeah, you read that right! Wanna make something of it? I'll be the first to agree that Eric of True Blood is way more yummy delicious, but as far as the books go, I think Bill was always the better match for Sookie. Yes, he f'ed up royally.  But he's spent every book since trying to get back into Sookie's good graces. I have little doubt BILL would do ANYTHING for Sookie.  Eric?  It really just depends on what's in it for him.  I can't remember his name right now, but with regard to the books, I'd choose the were-tiger for Sookie, before Eric.  Sorry, Rene and Sonnie, I call it like I READ it.

8) Elena and Raphael

Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh

Elena is one of those heroines you just love to read about.  In a world where most of her adviseraies over-match her, she still manages to come out on top thru her wit, fighting prowess and her decisiveness. Raphael is a male lead with tremendous gravitas.  Is he Barrons or Curran? No, but he is cut from the same cloth.  Together this is a fantastic power couple.  Besides, I like the pairings that clash with each other.  It makes for heightened romantic tension and energetic exchanges.

7) Kat and Bones

Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost

Yeah, yeah.  A lot of you would rank this couple much higher than me.  The early books in the series were very good, but I think it has been less so of late.  That's neither here nor their really.  Kat is your typical ass kicking heroine and although Bones can rightly be considered a powerhouse, unlike Raphael above, he isn't cut from the same cloth as a Curran or Barrons, even tho I've seen a ton of ladies suggest that he is.  My problem is, when I read these books, the term "whipped" always jumps to mind when I read about Bones.  *Shrug* to each their own ;)

6) ?? and ??

Newsflesh Trilogy by Mira Grant

Last chance.  I withheld the names above in case you haven't read ALL of this series.  If you don't want to be spoiled, stop reading now or skip the rest of this entry. Still here? Fine. It's a little on the creepy side, but all the same Georgia and Shaun are fantastic together.  Some will pick up on the romantic overtones immediately.  Some will only see the familial relationship and overlook the more disturbing current that only becomes in your face in the third book.  Regardless, these two make a great pairing.

5) Toby and ??

October Daye Series by Seanan McGuire

You see the "??" right? You know what that means, don't you? You need to have read all of the series to date to avoid the spoiler.  You have been warned. Okay, I pretty much saw this coming from the beginning although Seanan sure tried to make it seem like it wouldn't go that way. Tibalt is da friggin' bomb yo diggity! Don't believe me? Ask Kate, she'll tell you. Cats friggin rock.  The king of cats? Forget about it. Tibalt is just the right about of billigerence tempered by total reliability. He's one kitty welcome to curl up on my lap anytime he feels like it.

4) Anna and Charles

Alpha and Omega Series by Patricia Briggs

Like I said, Kate, I confined this list to UF... deal with it ;) Anna is a very entrancing lead female.  It's hard to make a woman vulnerable in books without making her weak.  Anna is the perfect blend of fragile and assertive, you want someone to be protecting her while at the same time know that she'll manage to take care of herself regardless. Charles' armor is far from the shining variety, but he is a brute of a champion.  He loves Anna with a possessiveness reserved for Alphas and Doms without making you hate his overbearing nature. He can take care of me anytime ;)

3) Kori and Ian

Unbound Series by Rachel Vincent

I can't tell you how impressed I was with Kori in this book.  She's easily one of my all time favorite female leads.  She's gritty, tenacious, brilliant, and selfless. An absolute joy to read about.  Ian was a perfect compliment.  The chemistry these two had was fantastic and was an even better pairing than Liv and Cam in the first book. While I can't wait for book three, I'm really going to miss this particular pairing.  I hope they get a bigger cameo than Liv and Cam got in Shadow Bound.

2) Mac and Barrons

Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

Whoop there it is! Yeah, I know what you're thinking... Why isn't this number one? Well my friend it is a truly close call. This is a brilliantly conceived and amazingly executed story. You really have to treat the whole series as a single contiguous book.  The amount of growth Mac goes thru is staggering. It's rare to see so much change in a lead character, but the ride is well worth it.  Barrons is the quenticential alpha male. He's bad all the way thru in the best sort of way. The only time you'll think "whipped" with him is if he's brandishing one.  Yum!

1) Kate and Curran

Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews

Did I say it was a close call for the top spot?  Well, it was, but in the end there's no beating the chemistry between Kate and Curran.  The WRITERS a husband and wife team that have dubbed themselves Ilona Andrews capture that magical quality everyone wants to experience in their own relationships.  The banter between these two love birds is uproarious good fun and Curran is every bit as Alpha as Barrons is only with a more honorable side. While Mac and Barron's relationship is dark and wild, Kate and Curran's is just flat out fun.

So there you have it, good reader, my top 10 urban fantasy couples.  Happy Valentine's day!

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting for Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire, book 2 of the InCryptid series. It's expected to be published March fifth.

Cryptid, noun:
1. Any creature whose existence has been suggested but not proven scientifically. Term officially coined by cryptozoologist John E. Wall in 1983.
2. That thing that's getting ready to eat your head.
3. See also: "monster."

The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity--and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and when her work with the cryptid community took her to Manhattan, she thought she would finally be free to pursue competition-level dance in earnest. It didn't quite work out that way...

But now, with the snake cult that was killing virgins all over Manhattan finally taken care of, Verity is ready to settle down for some serious ballroom dancing—until her on-again, off-again, semi-boyfriend Dominic De Luca, a member of the monster-hunting Covenant of St. George, informs her that the Covenant is on their way to assess the city's readiness for a cryptid purge. With everything and everyone she loves on the line, there's no way Verity can take that lying down.

Alliances will be tested, allies will be questioned, lives will be lost, and the talking mice in Verity's apartment will immortalize everything as holy writ--assuming there's anyone left standing when all is said and done. It's a midnight blue-light special, and the sale of the day is on betrayal, deceit...and carnage.

Discount Armageddon, book 1, was funny, interesting, and creative, and Seanan McGuire's series usually get better as they go. Can't wait for this one! What books are you waiting for?

A Character Study - Rose and Dimitri

The day for flowers, hearts and candy is almost here, and it seems that many of my fellow bloggers have romance on their minds. I've been thinking about it too, in bookish terms, of course. One of my favorite series is the Vampire Academy series. I read them in late 2011, one right after the other. The series has everything I love and need in great books - a kick ass heroine, lots of action, vampires, and a great love story. In honor of Valentine's Day, let's take a closer look at that last one, shall we? (Beware of spoilers)

Not Off To A Great Start
Rose first meets Dimitri when he plays creeper around her apartment. He was sent to bring her and her BFF Lissa back to school, and Rose isn't happy about it. She tries to beat him up, but Dimitri is 6'7" and built like a brick shithouse, so she doesn't get very far. But, even in this crazy, amped up situation, Dimitri sees something in Rose that he admires.

"Doing that... protecting her like that - it was very brave." He paused. "Stupid, but still brave."

- Dimitri, Vampire Academy

Love Is In The Air
It's obvious that Dimitri isn't like most guys. Sure, he likes big boobs and a pretty face, but what he is really attracted to is a girl's character. He must respect her before he can love her. And, in his mind, you can't have one without the other. Strength of character is paramount to Dimitri. And, he finds it in Rose in spades.

"I can't do it by myself," I whispered.
"You can," he said. There was a tremulous note in his voice. "You're strong—you're so, so strong. It's why I love you.” 

- Rose and Dimitri, Shadow Kiss

Rose is looking for someone her equal. She's an amazing fighter, she shirks authority when the situation calls for it, and above all else, she is dedicated to protecting her charge. I don't think Rose could be with someone who didn't feel the same way.

"I'd never met anyone else who took being a guardian so seriously, who understood all the life-and-death consequences... We might get lonely sometimes. We might have to put our fun on hold. But that was the way it had to be. We understood each other. Our lives would never be easy."

- Rose, Vampire Academy

True Love Never Runs Smooth
As is always the case, there's trouble in paradise. In the beginning, Dimitri puts the brakes on things between them because he's afraid his feelings will impair his judgment. It's a sound argument. It you were in a life or death situation and you could save a co-worker or a lover, who would YOU pick?

"If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you,"

-Dimitri, Vampire Academy

But, in the end their love wins out and they decide to try and find a way to make it all work. Until he gets turned into a bad guy and Rose makes the agonizing decision to kill him since that is what he would have wanted. Can you even imagine that? I know I can't. Yet, Rose gives it the old college try. It's not her fault that her stake misses the mark.

Happily Ever After
Rose and Dimitri make it through almost certain death (on both of their parts), and other potential love interests to end up together in the end. I think it's that aforementioned strength of character that leads them through the rough stuff, and a deep seated and everlasting love for one another to sustain them. This is my favorite bookish couple in books. Who is yours?

Home!

Sorry that Monday's have been quiet! 

I was on vacation! 

My family and I took our bi-annual yearly trip to Disney World. 

While we were gone, I surprisingly had a lot of reading time! I managed to catch up on a few books that I have been wanting to read.

So when I left I was reading: 

A 4 out of 5 book for me.

When I finished that, I moved onto the much anticipated:

Which earned my first 5 our of 5 stars of 2013. 

And on the plane on the way home I started: 

Which I had to read before I saw the movie. 

The book was only a 3 our of 5 but I still plan on seeing the movie!

What about you? What have you been reading???

~M

Friday Favorites: Actors

  Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of our favorite things.   We all talk a lot about books on our blogs, but what about other things we like? Friday Favorites is a meme hosted by Epic (Chocolate) Fantasy that gives book bloggers a chance to gush about something other than novels.   This week's topic is 'Actors'     I like Sandra Bullock in general but one of my fav's is her and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal  

Image Source     Katherine Heigl in The Ugly Truth, 27 Dresses, and Life As We Know It And of course Gerard Butler is a cutie in this one.

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  Julia Roberts in some of her older movies like Runaway Bride, Stepmom, Pretty Woman, and Erin Brokovich  

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  Emma Stone in Easy A and Zombieland I can't even tell you how excited I am that there's going to be a Zombieland 2!!  

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  Liam Neeson in Taken and Taken 2  

Image Source     The Rock in Walking Tall The Rock & Seann William Scott in The Rundown  

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    And last but certainly not least... Anna Kendrick & Skyler Astin in Pitch Perfect  

Image Source   Who are your favorite actors or actresses?   Thanks for Reading! GReep Jen

I Spy

I spy…

I wanted to be a spy when I grew up. I saw myself being trained in Spy Bootcamp, in the middle of nowhere... maybe somewhere in the jungle. Me, crawling through bushes and jumping from tree to tree.  I didn’t really see myself killing people, just kicking them hard enough to knock them out.

I think it’s Bond’s fault. And Spy Kids, I adored that movie. I was the same age, I totally saw myself doing that. Plus the gadgets and I imagined myself being super smart. Okay, I totally imagined myself as some sort of wonder child. Being able to do three different courses at the same time. Yeah, I am a dreamer.

But now I know I will probably never become a spy. My arms aren’t strong enough, so I can’t even do a stupid handstand. I am not super flexible, splits would probably kill me. I have never held a gun in my life, not sure how I would respond to them. I have held a crossbow, let’s not talk about that. And knives are just not an option. I am a pretty decent runner, so maybe I could be a spy scout. Or drive around in a van following people. I could totally do that. So that would make me a sidekick… but everyone knows sidekicks always end up in trouble and get kidnapped. So… no thank you. Unless I am a sidekick to a totally hot spy, who will save me from the bad guys and fall in love with me. Thinking about it, I would probably be a very good spy-wife. Screw sidekick, I would be a kick ass spy wife. I would totally be supportive of him not being home a lot and having a secret weapon space somewhere in the house. Though I imagine, a spy-guy would probably find me pretty boring.

So let’s just stick to spy-books and movies. Because there are some pretty cute ones out there! These are a few spy-books I liked:

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by (Gallagher girls #1) - Ally Carter 
From Goodreads: Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her? 

The Recruit (Cherub #1) - Robert Muchamore
From Goodreads: CHERUB agents are all seventeen and under. They wear skate tees and hemp, and look like regular kids. But they're not. They are trained professionals who are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists and international drug dealers. CHERUB agents hack into computers, bug entire houses, and download crucial documents. It is a highly dangerous job. For their safety, these agents DO NOT EXIST. James is the latest CHERUB recruit. He and his sister were recently orphaned, and James has been in a lot of trouble. But he is brilliant in math. And CHERUB needs him. After one hundred days, the grueling training period is over. But the adventure has just begun.

Model Spy (The Specialists #1) - Shannon Greenland
From Goodreads: Teen genius Kelly James is in a lot of hot water. A whiz with computers, she agreed to help her college RA, David, uncover some top-secret information. After all, she doesn't have many friends and David has always been nice to her. It doesn't hurt that he's supercute and irresistible, too. All she has to do is hack into the government's main computer system. But a few hours later, her whole life changes. She is caught and taken in for questioning, only this isn't your run-of-the-mill arrest. Rather than serve a juvenile detention sentence, she accepts the option to change her name and enlist in a secret government spy agency that trains teen agents to go undercover. As if that wasn't overwhelming enough, she discovers that David works for this agency as well! And before she even begins to understand what is going on, she's sent on her first mission as an undercover model. And who better to partner with than David himself!

Heist Society (Heist Society #1) - Ally Carter
From Goodreads:When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster's art collection has been stolen, and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s (very crooked) history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.


Sooooo, who can introduce me to some new spy  books? I am in desperate need of some spy-entertainment!