Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Look What the Book Fairy Left Me (7)

I know I promised myself I wasn't going to buy any more new books for a while. But that what addicts do. We make promises that we have no intention of keeping. Besides, I had to celebrate the new book shelves my husband is going to be building me very soon!


Old Magic by Marianne Curley
Jarrod Thornton is mesmerizing,
but Kate Warren doesn't know why.
The moment the new guy walks into the room, Kate senses something strange and intense about him. Something supernatural. Her instincts are proven correct a few minutes later when, bullied by his classmates, Jarrod unknowingly conjures up a freak thunderstorm inside their classroom.
Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. When Kate tries to convince him that he has extraordinary powers that need to be harnessed, he only puts up with her "hocus pocus" notions because he finds her captivating. However, the dangerous, uncontrolled strengthening of his gift finally convinces Jarrod that he must take Kate's theories seriously. Together, they embark on a remarkable journey -- one which will unravel the mystery that has haunted Jarrod's family for generations and pit the teens against immense forces in a battle to undo the past and reshape the future.


Scorched by Sharon Ashwood
Ex-detective Macmillan has a taste for bad girls, but his last lover really took the cake—and his humanity. Now a half-demon, Mac’s lost his friends, his family, and his job. Then a beguiling vampire asks for his help to find her son. Suddenly, Mac has a case to work—one that leads him deep into the supernatural prison where Mac learns that cracking the case will cost him his last scrap of humanity.

This is bk 2 in the Dark Forgotten series. I couldn't find bk 1 anywhere, so I will probably end up getting that online at some point...


Angel's Blood (A Guild Hunters Novel) by Nalini Singh
Nalini Singh introduces readers to a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires.
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.
The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.


Archangel's Kiss (A Guild Hunters Novel) by Nalini Singh
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find that she has become an angel-and that her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, likes having her under his control. But almost immediately, Raphael must ready Elena for a flight to Beijing, to attend a ball thrown by the archangel Lijuan. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan's power lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena...


Gone (Final book in the Dream Catcher series) by Lisa McMann
Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her.
She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves: She has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both.
Then a stranger enters her life — and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out. . . .

I've already finished this one (before I was able to do this post). I thought the idea behind the series was very original. There were some good points that I really enjoyed. But, overall, I was kind of left feeling...indifferent, I guess you could say. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. All three of the books are very short, quick reads. My advice? Check them out at your local library.


The Sight by David Clement-Davies
In an epic tale of good and evil, legend and history, and the blessing and curse of an extraordinary gift of the Sight (an ability to see through others' minds and into the future), David Clement-Davies obliges the many fans of Fire Bringer with a new fantasy novel. The Sight features a Transylvanian wolf clan faced with the terrifying changes brought about by Morgra, a bitter she-wolf determined to fulfill an ancient legend in order to have supreme power over all Vargs (wolves). Young Larka, a white wolf pup born with the Sight, embarks with her brother Fell and the rest of her family on an extraordinary quest for truth and salvation, with shocking consequences that even the most astute reader may not foresee. Clement-Davies's multilayered and elaborate plot will keep young readers riveted for hours on end, drawing on Christianity, fairy tales, and mythology in a colossal allegory and cautionary tale for its human audience.

This is one of those books that I wasn't too sure about. I pick it up everytime I go to the book store and then, inevitably, I find something I think I want more and put this one back. Not this time. I'm really excited to read the next book in this series, Fell. In fact, I almost bought it before I even paid attention to the fact that it was a part 2! Gotta read part 1 first, though.


Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...

* all of the book descriptions were taken from goodreads.com

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

A Very Happy Unbirthday to You!


Thanks so much, Shauna, for awarding my blog! :)

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Look What the Book Fairy Left Me (6)

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I went to visit my mother in law for her birthday. She's recently moved into this 110 yr old house that was filled with untold treasures. Below you will see some of the treasures I was allowed to keep! I can't really think of anything better...


The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)
My most prized find! It's seen better days, but is still in pretty good shape. The cover is embossed. Very neat!



Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1911)
One of my most exciting finds...








Helen's Babies by John Habberton (1881)
This is one that I've never heard of and haven't yet researched (I've since googled an apparently is was intended for adults but became a children's classic!), but the cover was so pretty I couldn't pass it up. The cover page looks hand stamped, and likely is. I am just in awe...


The Works of Edgar Allen Poe
Standard Classics (1933) Vols 1-10, embossed covers
Something I couldn't capture with the camera is the beautiful drawing inside each of the covers. I wish I could share.


The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson
Standard Classics (1930) Vols 1-10, embossed covers, includes Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde




Little Masterpieces 6 Vols (1901)
Includes volumes by Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne








World's Greatest Literature Vol 1 & 2
Spencer Press (1936) Last of the Mohicans by Thackery, Vanity Fair by Cooper



This one is a little worse for wear. It's in the worst shape.
The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1856)
AND! It has this awesome drawing of the author...actually most of these old books have this and it is very very neat!! There's a very fine peice of tissue paper separating the picture from the title page to prevent the ink from transferring.






David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1920)




Of course, I couldn't take pictures of ALL the books I got, but these were some of the neatest finds...There was also a book of Shakespeare's works from 1911, The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton from 1899 and many many more! And this doesn't even include any of the crazy old medical books that were left there by the man who built the home. There were books about insanity and surgery and all sorts of nifty stuff. When I went to visit my mother in law that day, I certainly wasn't expecting a treasure trove of books! It was so exciting for me being the bibliophile that I am. And yes, there were even a few tears of pure joy...I'm not ashamed to admit it! :)

Here's the old house built at the turn of the century 1900s. A doctor built the house for his growing family of 10 children! Only one of those children decided to marry and have a family of their own. One daughter remained living in the home until her death in 2008, this was the only home she'd known. She was a teacher, and these were her books. Thank you, Ms. Parker. (photo of her as a young woman below)
You can still see the old servants house out to the side. One side was for the cook, the other was for the gardner. It has been used mostly for storage for quite some time but still had the original fireplace mantels and old bedframes. There were countless other little treasures all over the place.
Next time I go I want to check out the cellar and the attic. I can only imagine what kind of coolness I may find!!



How Do You Know You're Going to Do Something Until You Do It?




"An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's." - JD Salinger

JD Salinger 1919-2010

Thank you for your brilliant writing...

"I hope to hell that when I do die somebody has the sense to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetary. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody." - JD Salinger, Catcher in the Rye

I've Fallen Again...



I know, pretty cheesy, but I can't help myself. I finished Fallen by Lauren Kate this weekend. Don't have much to say other than, I loved it! I had an idea what the book was about when I picked it up. Or at least I thought I did...This book was nothing like I expected but everything I wanted! I love it when a book surprises me. The cover is gorgeous and so is the book. I definitley recommend this one!
Here's what Goodreads has as the book description:
There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.