MariReads

Guest Post by M.J. Rose

2013-06-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Please welcome MJ Rose to the blog, author of Seduction, which was published on May 7th.

The quote is a little more explicit than what I usually post on the blog so be forewarned.

Enjoy!

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“When love has fused and mingled two beings in a sacred and angelic unity, the secret of life has been discovered so far as they are concerned; they are no longer anything more than the two boundaries of the same destiny; they are no longer anything but the two wings of the same spirit. Love, soar.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Excerpt from SEDUCTION - From Chapter 14

I imagined you were dreaming your own dream, oblivious that I was even there. And that increased my desire for you. Often the wanting is more satisfying that the fulfillment. I have come to prefer anticipation to satiation. Longing can make one feel alive in more profound way. You see everything through champagne bubbles. Your senses are alert. You imagine how your lover’s lips will feel, how her skin will taste. What it will be like to unbutton her chemise, slip it off her shoulders, press your mouth to her skin, cup her breasts in your palms and feel her excitement harden her nipples. You picture her leaning into you. Showing you just enough of her want ignites yours.

You can find my review of Seduction here.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: Seduction by M.J.Rose

2013-06-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Seduction by M.J. Rose

"From the author of The Book of Lost Fragrances comes a haunting novel about a grieving woman who discovers the lost journal of novelist Victor Hugo, awakening a mystery that spans centuries.

In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo’s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, Hugo began participating in hundreds of séances to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with the likes of Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus—and even the Devil himself. Hugo’s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it was believed.

Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L’Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey—where Hugo conducted the séances—hoping to uncover a secret about the island’s Celtic roots. But the man who’s invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, has hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different—Hugo’s lost conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher.

What follows is an intricately plotted and atmospheric tale of suspense with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart, by one of America’s most gifted and imaginative novelists."

My first introduction to M.J. Rose was The Book of Lost Fragrances. As with that book, I enjoyed the characters and the mix of history, romance and suspense of Seduction. I was happily surprised to find the same characters and a kind of continuation of their storylines. I know this is supposed to be a stand alone but I do feel that I may have been a little lost/confused had I not read the previous book. But I do think you could enjoy this without having read it.
Learning about Jac and her relationship with Theo was what I really enjoyed. I was intrigued by her childhood and her time spent at the Pheonix Foundation. I would have enjoyed learning more about this earlier time to better understand why she is so trusting of its founder, her therapist and friend, Malachai.
I found Hugo's story interesting and the connection to Jac and Robbie a nice twist. The strange conversations and affects of the Shadow of the Sepulcher seemed unnecessary at first, though. Perhaps a little more explanation at the beginning that it was the same "spirits" telling the priest to sacrifice his son. I really didn't get that right away, so was a little leery of the inclusion of the devil into this story of reincarnation. I really enjoyed this book, and as stated previously, after reading The Book of Lost Fragrances, I really need to read the books in her Reincarnationist series. I am a fan. Source: publicist. Thanks, Amy. _________________________________

M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of eleven novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the '80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Mus eum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com. The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype. She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her WEBSITE. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Armchair BEA: Giveaway winner!

2013-06-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful time participating in this year's Armchair BEA. I sure did. So many great blogger's to visit and learn from. Now that it is over, it is time to announce the winner of my Giveaway:

Our lucky winner of a shiny brand new copy of The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley is: Jennifer
Congratulations!!! Email me (marireadsATyahooDOTcom) your address and I will send the book out to you ASAP.
If you did not win but would still like a copy of your own, the book was published today in paperback. Look for my review later this week!
Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

The Neverending Stole

2013-06-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am in desperate need of getting this project done and I so don't want to knit it anymore.

I have been consistently knitting on this lace stole for my sister-in-law's wedding for months now and I have lost all interest. It is a monotonous repetition of 12 rows. I don't even look at the pattern any more, I have it all memorized. This should make it go faster, right? Wrong. It has two rows of these bobble like bumps the pattern calls "Nupps" that require me to use a crochet hook to pull a stitch through 7 other stitches. It is the only way I have figured out to do it and it takes me forever.

Now don't get me wrong, I know this will be beautiful when it is all done, but right now I really hate this stole, and it is only half way through. I only have a couple more months to get it done!

So what do I do?

Do I trudge on and keep knitting? There is a very important deadline, after all.

Nope.

I find other projects to start. I type up snarky posts about the darn thing. I teach myself to crochet and start an afghan of granny squares.

I seriously have a problem. This would so become a UFO if it wasn't for the fact that my sister-in-law will be expecting it on her arms on that special day in August.

Alright, time to put down the computer, put away the afghan and get knitting on this thing.

Well, maybe after I make the little girl a knitted cat out of the yarn she picked out the other day. :)

Happy Knitting!
The pattern is called Triinu Scarf and can be found in the book Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. There are many beautiful lace shawls, stoles and scarves in the book that aren't as repetitive. This one pattern just happened to be the one that my SIL really liked and you have to knit what the bride wants, right? I will definitely be knitting other pieces from the book, just not the ones with "Nupps"._________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

DomeAlong Update

2013-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am loving this one so far. Despite the large (chunkier) size of the book, I am flying through this one. I started reading it a few days late, but am staying on schedule pretty well, I think. I have made it to Part 14- the Dome has come down, the townspeople have been introduced, we know the good, the bad and the crazies. Reminding me a bit of The Stand, here in the beginning. Kind of like when the survivors reach Colorado Springs and establish the town. It also feels a bit like Lost.
I can't wait to see what happens next and find out exactly what has caused the dome to come down around Chester's Mill, ME.
One quote: (excuse the language, it is too funny to not share and may be my new favorite insult)

"Pete Randolph ain't but lintshit on Duke Perkin's asshole." (pg 850 in ebook)

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Toddler Tales 4: Self-weaning completed

2013-06-07T09:54:00.001-07:00

The little girl and I have finally said goodbye to breastfeeding. It is a little bittersweet, I have to admit.
Breastfeeding wasn't easy at first. I needed a lot of help getting started and was very lucky to have a great lactation nurse at the hospital. For three months we used a nipple shield. The little girl decided when she didn't need it anymore. We EBF until she was 6 months old, when we started to introduce solids- a mix of purees, cereal and BLW. As she got older, she stopped asking to BF during the day unless we were at home and she was tired or hurt.
With how hard it was to get started, I am very happy that we were able to continue for so long. She self weaned at 2.5. We were down to once a day for awhile but about a month ago, that last one went away. I was looking forward to the end but now that it has been a few weeks, I do miss it. It was a nice quiet way to end the day with the little girl. Instead, we now read a couple books sitting in the glider, and then read Goodnight, Moon while she is in bed before I turn off the light.

She has started wanting one of us to stay in the room with her until she falls asleep. She also gets really upset if she wakes in the middle of the night and her lady bug nightlight isn't shining its stars and moon up on the ceiling. So, I guess being scared of the dark and monsters are the next phase and the only way to comfort her is through hugs and words.
Up next for us: Potty Training! Happy Reading!_________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Back from Vacation

2013-06-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Its always a little sad after coming home from a great vacation and having to get back to the daily grind. We recently got back from a wonderful trip to Maui and I am already trying to figure out when we can go back.

Our trip started with a long delay at the airport.
No problem.
We thankfully had a good three hour layover in LA so there would be no missing our flight to Maui. The little girl had fun watching the airplanes and the workers, then making her own airport scene using these great reusable stickers (seen in photo above). An hour and a half after our scheduled departure, we were finally on our way.
The little girl did great on the flight. She was easily entertained with toys, crayons, and the iPad. I was a little worried. She is only two, after all and you hear about kids acting horribly. But there was no need to worry. She was a pro. This was not her first flight, or the longest so she did wonderfully. We did have to remind her to not kick the seat in front of her. Oops.
She fell asleep an hour before landing and managed to stay asleep while we got our bags, picked up our rental, drove out to Ka'anapali and through check in. Amazing! We put her down in her pack and play once we got to our room and that was that. Sleep for all.

The next five days were spent lounging by the pool, swimming and eating great food. The best part of the trip, though, was just enjoying time with each other in such a beautiful location. There was no work, no TV, nothing to take attention away from just enjoying and relaxing.

We definitely were not ready to leave when the time came. We dragged our feet that morning. Had a lazy breakfast of coffee ate some banana bread and pineapple on our lanai. On the way to the airport we stopped in Lahaina so the little girl could see the Banyan tree one last time.

K'anapali Beach

Sunset at Black Rock, Sheraton Maui

Vacation reads: Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry

2013-06-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry Source: purchased
I bought this book a few years ago at a used book store in San Francisco. The cover was why I picked it up. It has quite the creep factor, right? I took it home, put it on the bookshelf especially for TBR books and there it stayed until I signed up for the TBR Challenge this January.
I don't know why I waited so long. It was really quite entertaining and a great take on the zombie novel.
Zombies are engineered by Amirah, a brilliant woman in a bunker in Afghanistan for her terrorist husband, El Mujahid, with the funding of a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical heavy weight for the purpose of releasing them in America. The terrorists have one plan for them and the billionaire another. It is the job of the DMS and their new recruit, Joe Ledger, to figure out their plan and prevent a terrible plague from being released. If they aren't successful, it will be a true zombie apocalypse just like they have seen in the movies.
Lots of action, interesting science and really, scary zombies and bad guys. The good guys are mysterious and flawed but very likable. This made for a great vacation read. Fun, fun.

5/12

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Sherlock Reading Challenge: Review Link Up

2013-06-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to have some fellow readers take on the challenge of reading some Sherlock Holmes with me. I can't wait to see what books you read and what you think of them. I will be starting with the first book, A Study in Scarlet, and will be posting my reviews along with yours. Hopefully, some great discussions will arise.
So, this is the place to link up those reviews. Oh, and if you haven't signed up but would like to, just click on the button. It will take you where you need to go. :)

Enjoy and Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Armchair BEA: Children's Books and YA

2013-05-31T21:54:00.001-07:00

Having been a PreKindergarten teacher for nine years and now a mother of a two year old, I have a very large children's picture book library. I started off the year very diligently sharing some of the little girl's favorites here on the blog but haven't in quite awhile. (I really should start those posts up again. Her reading choices have definitely changed since the last.) I have also gone through many YA books in recent years.
I love children's books. The stories that range from simple to complex, the way one book can be used in so many different ways to teach, the beautifully illustrated pages. How a book meant for children can enthrall and resonate with adults is just amazing to me and it happens so often. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling, and The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyers are just a few examples.
Here are some of mine and the little girl's favorite books:
Board Books

Picture Books

Middle Grade

Children's Classics

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Armchair BEA: Non-Fiction

2013-05-30T23:26:00.001-07:00

I was so sure that I wasn't going to write anything today because I have such a block when it comes to most non-fiction books. It isn't something I usually want to read. However, I was just reading Trish's post and realized that there have been books I have enjoyed that were not Fiction.
What made them books that I actually enjoyed was the narrative used. When the book isn't just a collection of facts, when there is a story, and people to follow and relate to or sympathize with I do enjoy it. Who knew?
So, if you are like me, and have a difficult time finding non-fiction books to read here are some that I truly enjoyed:

True Crime is Non-Fiction, right?

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

2013-05-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Wow.

I just finished and, wow. That was one crazy, $@*! -up story.

I loved it.

I really disliked both Amy and Nick, neither of them really endeared themselves to me but it is the situations that Flynn puts them in, the way the story is told from their different perspectives and the pure craziness of it all that really grabbed me. I didn't see the twist coming, I didn't predict the ending. Like Nick feels sorry for Amy, I feel sorry for both of them. Talk about not being able to leave a bad marriage. This one takes the cake.

Have you read it? What did you think? I can see why some people love it and others hate it. This one is definitely not for everyone. We are going to have so much fun talking about this one in book group. I cannot wait!

Source: purchased

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Armchair BEA: Giveaway time!

2013-05-29T21:15:00.001-07:00

Time for a Giveaway!!! Lucinda Riley is the author of The Orchid House and The Girl on the Cliff. Her third book, The Lavender Garden, will be released June 11th in paperback. I have absolutely enjoyed all her books since recently getting introduced to them. I am currently reading The Lavender Garden to review and so far it is just as good as the previous two.

I would like to offer you a chance to win your very own brand new copy of The Lavender Garden. Just leave me a comment and your email address and you are entered. You have until midnight (PST) on Monday, June 10th to enter. I will announce the winner on June 11th. Giveaway is open internationally.

Good Luck and Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Armchair BEA: Instagram Challenge

2013-05-29T17:22:00.001-07:00

Today's pic: My armchair.

#armchairBEA

DomeAlong!

2013-05-29T08:33:00.002-07:00

I am in! A little late, but I really want to read this before the show starts.
I am a long time fan of King's. My first book of his was Christine, which I read back in high school. I chose The Shining for book group last October and have enjoyed being freaked out by every book of his that I read.
Off to buy myself a copy!
Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Armchair BEA: Fiction Love

2013-05-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

I love the sweeping epic stories of historical fiction, especially if set in Tudor England. I can't get enough of the supernatural creatures- werewolves, vampires, zombies, etc. I really enjoy a great crime novel, a mystery to keep me guessing all night about who did it. I like the easy to read, fast to finish, and so addictive popular fiction but also the slow, beautiful prose of literary fiction.
This is what I read. This is what sits on my shelves (both real and electronic), on my bedside table, my floor and window sills. Perhaps a few non-fiction books make there way in but it is those books of fiction that fuel my reading habit.
They make me dream of being the Inspector that solves the unsolvable case, of flying on broomsticks after Snitches and eating chocolate frogs on the Hogwart's Express, of meeting my own Gilbert Blythe (well, that one did come true), and of surviving the zombie apocalypse.
How could you even want to read anything else? ;)
(So, I realize I included non- Genre Fiction here. Oops. Just shows you I really don't know all the new genres- NA, Genre Fiction? What happened to just Fiction? Anyway, I guess my point is- I like it all. But, yeah, Genre Fiction does seem to be my go to reads. )

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Armchair BEA: Introduction

2013-05-28T00:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Armchair BEA-ers! Welcome to MariReads.
I am Mari and I have been blogging for quite awhile now. I started with my knitting blog, MariKnits back in 2007. I used to share and review books I was reading once a week on there, but soon I was posting more about books than knitting so I decided to start MariReads. Most books reviewed back then were for challenges- Classics, New-Classics, 100 books in a year. I loved the community amongst Book Bloggers and was soon exclusively blogging about Books.
The last couple years have been a little slow for me around here. Lots of life changes- including having a child, moving from Austin, TX back to CA and adjusting to life at home after nine years of teaching. I am very happy to be back near our families, and being able to spend these first years at home with my little girl (who is almost 3) but it did limit how much reading, reviewing and posting I have been able to do. I am starting to get my groove back a bit. I am even hosting my very own reading challenge. Never done that before. :)
So, before I go, here is what I am currently reading:
I am so close to finishing Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn for book group. and The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley for review.
I am really looking forward to this event and meeting some new bloggers. Thanks for visiting!

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Sherlock Holmes Reading Challenge

2013-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you going through Sherlock withdrawal like me, I have a reading challenge for you. I thought it would be fun, while we wait for Season 3, to go back to the originals and read Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock. Here is the list of all the Holmes books, minus a few short stories that I thought might be hard to get a hold of. You can find most of these as free eBooks.

A Study in Scarlet (1887) The Sign of Four (1890) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892) The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894) The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902) The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905) The Valley of Fear (1915) His Last Bow (1917) The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927)

To make this easy and give lots of options for participation you can choose your level of expertise in deduction from the 5 options below.

Inspector
Read all 9 listed above.
Lieutenant
Read 6 of your choosing.
Detective
Read 3 of your choosing.
Officer
Read 1 of your choosing.

The Challenge will run from June 1-Dec 31st.

All who participate will be entered for a giveaway, one entry for each book read and reviewed. The more you read, the more chances you get to win a copy of Sherlock, Season 1 or 2 on DVD.

Ready to join?

Post what books you plan to read and sign up with the Mister Linky below. The post to link your reviews will be up June 1st. I hope you are all as excited to read these as I am.

Happy Reading!

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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

2013-05-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

Bumped by Megan McCafferty
I bought this book awhile ago when it was at a special price for iBook. I wasn't too sure about it, the premise sounded odd- teenagers are paid to have sex and get pregnant by adults for the babies. You see, in this world that McCafferty has created, a virus causes people to become sterile once they hit adulthood. The only way to have children is to have a teen "bump". Crazy, right?
I thought so, too. But is it really all so improbable? Right now, money is being made by showing young teens dealing with pregnancy and motherhood on television.
Anyway, the real story here is about Melody and Harmony. Twins separated at birth and raised in completely lifestyles. One raised to be a paid teen surrogate, and the other raised with God and the plan to be a teen bride and mom. Both are not happy with their lots in life and with the help of each other and some friends they realize that maybe they don't have to do what their families have planned for them.
Interesting story, interesting new teen language (which I thought was a lot of fun) and an unresolved ending that left me wanting more. So different from the Jessica Darling series, but just as fun to read.
Source: ebook purchase

4/12

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

I'm planning a Challenge!

2013-05-08T18:38:00.001-07:00

Look for more details soon!

April Book Group: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

2013-05-08T14:14:00.001-07:00

It has been a year since I last posted about our Book group meetings! We are still going strong, thankfully. Yay! Here is the list of the books we have read so far:
2011 August- Austenland by Shannon Hale September- The Happiness Project by Gretchin rubin October- The Shining by Stephen King November/December- The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein 2012 January- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Sloot February- The Last Letter to Your Lover by JoJo Moyles March/April- Are You Somebody? by Nuala O'Faolain May- A Million Nightengales by Susan Straight June- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern July/August- Friday Mornings at Nine by Marilyn Brant September/October- Steve Jobs: A Biography by Walter Isaacson November/December- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett 2013 January- The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh February/March- Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner April- Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl ______________________________ It was my turn to host again and choose our book. This months book was chosen because I really wanted something lighter than the previous month's book (Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner). I also really wanted to read a YA book with our group. I came to our March meeting with two choices: Beautiful Creatures and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Two very different style of YA books. We went with Beautiful Creatures. Thoughts about the book:
Everyone seemed a bit torn about this one. They didn't think it was all that great, but they were all still going to get the next book in the series. Guess that is the good thing about not finishing your story in one book. Even those who aren't totally invested will get the next book so as not to be left with questions unanswered.
We all thought it was okay. It was a fast, light read-exactly what we wanted. There were just a bunch of little nit-picky things that kept everyone from truly enjoying it. The use of "casters" instead of witches, the ending or non-ending, Lena wanting to go to a party thrown by her evil cousin and the guests are all the kids that have been mean to her.
Popular Question: The character of Ethan is a bit feminine. How would the book and the relationship between him and Lena be different had he behaved more like a teenage boy?
This was one of the nit-picky things. Ethan didn't act like a teenage boy. Perhaps due to a female writer, but I have read believable teenage boys written by female authors before. We all got confused when we started reading, thinking the narrator was female. Perhaps it is on purpose; Another reason why he is different than the other boys in town. I don't know.
Next Months book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Google+ Comments

2013-05-07T10:36:00.001-07:00

Hi All,
I activated the Google+ Comment feature to see how it works. Please let me know if you have issues with it. I don't want to make leaving comments any harder than it needs to be.
Have any of you started using it? How did it work for you?
Thanks!
Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

2013-05-07T09:56:00.002-07:00

Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

When this book comes out in June you need to go and get yourself a copy.

I stayed up until 4am reading this book despite the fact that a two year old would be up at 7 ready to start her day. It was so worth it. The ending itself was just perfect. Last two words of the book got the tears flowing.

From the very first pages, I was intrigued by Nastya, the new girl in school that doesn't talk and Josh, the one everyone avoids. Millay gives nothing away at the beginning and slowly divulges more and more information about the two of them as they get to know each other. Both are going through some really tough things that no kids should have to deal with. They are lucky to find some solace and saving from each other while woodworking in Josh's garage.

This was such a beautiful story about second chances. I will be getting myself a copy in June as well and sharing with everyone I know who loves a good book.

Source: Net Galley

Emotion: tranquility

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

2013-05-01T22:35:00.002-07:00

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
I have been wanting to read this book for quite awhile. It has been on my bookshelf for so long. Finally got a chance to read and I am glad that I finally opened it. The photos alone were pretty cool. Even cooler, they are actual photos found by collectors. I love how they have been taken and woven into a very creative and entertaining story.
Jacob has never been quite sure if he believed his grandfather's stories about his childhood. Tales of children with peculiar gifts and monsters hunting them. One night, Jacob gets a glimpse of one of these monsters. His parents thinks he is losing his mind, and he is not sure if he isn't.
In search of answers, Jacob and his dad travel to the island where his grandfather lived as a child. Here, Jacob discovers the secret and the truth his grandfather kept and shared with him and a very interesting group of children still living in Miss Peregrine's home. Source: purchased

3/12

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Mailbox Monday (4/29/13)

2013-04-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

It has been great having you all here at MariReads, Mailbox Monday-ers! Next month will be hosted by Abi at 4 the Love of Books.
For those of you who may not be familiar with the meme, here is what it is all about:

"Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. It was started by Marcia, previously of The Printed Page and is now a Blog Tour, hosted by a different book blog each month."

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One book for me this week. I think it's time for me to stop getting books. My TBR pile is getting ridiculous. Anyway, I bought Amy Hatvany's Best Kept Secret at the book store downtown on sale. Woot! I enjoyed Heart Like Mine. Can't wait to read this one. ___________________________
So, what did you get this past week? Enquiring minds would like to know. Happy Reading! _________________________________________ FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.