Reading With Monie

Review : Heat Wave by Richard Castle

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:53:00 +0000

During a hot spell in New York City, a real estate tycoon plunges down 6 stories to his death prompting reporter Jameson Rook to croon, “It’s Raining Men. Hallelujah.” Quickly silenced by a look from homicide detective Nikki Heat, Rook becomes an observer once again. He is allowed full access to ride along with Heat and her team by the mayor but can’t keep his inquisitive mind from getting him in trouble with Heat time after time.

This book was so much fun. The author Richard Castle and his muse Kate Beckett are a part of the hit TV show, Castle, on ABC. Besides having a page-turning mystery you also get sucked into the book by wondering who the author really is. Speculation has been that it’s either James Patterson or Stephen J. Cannell since they’ve both guest starred on Castle more than once. Having read and loved most of both author’s works I have to say that the writing style in the book doesn’t fit with either author so I’m left wondering.

As a fan of the show I got so into this book because the characters in Heat Wave are all based on characters in Castle and I could clearly picture them all in my head. The repartee between Heat and Rook was entertaining and I loved that it led somewhere it hasn’t yet on the show. Now we really know what goes on in Castle’s mind and I love it.

Even if you’re not watching Castle, which you totally should, this is a recommended read if you love mysteries and thrillers. I hope Castle or whoever the author is writes more books with Heat and Rook.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Complete: My last challenge of 2009

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:52:00 +0000

This one was my trickiest challenge to complete. The key is in selecting your categories carefully. There are only 81 books in the challenge and I've read 186 so far this year but a lot of what I read didn't fit in my categories.

I missed the bonus deadline of completing the challenge by 9/9/09 but I still feel pretty good for completing 6 challenges in 2009 when it was my first year joining any challenges.

Here are my completed books:

ARC/ER/Galleys
1. Red-Headed Stepchild - Jaye Wells
2. Whisper of Warning - Laura Griffin
3. Holly's Inbox - Holly Denham
4. Irreplaceable - Stephen Lovely
5. The Girl She Used To Be - David Cristofano
6. Life Sentences - Laura Lippman
7. Obsession - Gloria Vanderbilt
8. Blood and Bone - William Lashner
9. Darling Jim - Christian Moerk

Cozies
1. Peppermint Twisted - Sammi Carter
2. The Chocolate Cat Caper - JoAnna Carl
3. The Chocolate Bear Burglary - JoAnna Carl
4. Goody Goody Gunshots
5. Crazy Fool Kills Five - Gwen Freeman
6. Dead Write - Sheila Lowe
7. Dying For Dinner - Miranda Bliss
8. Poison Pen - Sheila Lowe
9. The Big Dirt Nap - Rosemary Harris

Paranormal
1. Stakes and Stilettos - Michelle Rowen
2. Lady & the Vamp - Michelle Rowen
3. Blood Bar - Norm Applegate
4. Accidentally Dead - Dakota Cassidy
5. Intertwined - Gena Showalter
6. Passion Unleashed - Larissa Ione
7. Desire Unchained - Larissa Ione
8. Undead and Unwelcome - MaryJanice Davidson
9. You Are So Undead to Me - Stacey Jay

YA
1. Elijah's Coin - Steve O'Brien
2. Fade - Lisa McMann
3. Dork Diaries: Tales From A Not-So-Fabulous Life - Rachel Renee Russell
4. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X - James Patterson
5. Oh My Goth - Gena Showalter
6. Speed Demon - Erin Lynn
7. Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace - MaryJanice Davidson & Anthony Alongi
8. Jennifer Scales and the Messenger of Light - MaryJanice Davidson & Anthony Alongi
9. Dramarama - E. Lockhart

Fantasy/Urban fantasy/Sci-fi
1. Death's Daughter - Amber Benson
2. Gray Apocalypse - James Murdoch
3. Bleak History - John Shirley
4. In Quest of Theta Magic - Enid Wilson
5. Ice Tomb - Deborah Jackson
6. Modern Magic - Anne Cordwainer
7. Darkfever - Karen Marie Moning
8. Bloodfever - Karen Marie Moning
9. Faefever - Karen Marie Moning

E-Books
1. Invisible - Kimber Chin
2. Dirty Little Angels - Chris Tusa
3. Pleasure Unbound - Larissa Ione
4. The Blue Pen - Lisa Rusczyk
5. Host - Stephenie Meyer
6. The Elf and The Princess - Anna del C. Dye
7. Trouble in Elf City - Anna del C. Dye
8. Elfs in a Conquered Realm - Anna del C. Dye
9. Selling Forever - Kimber Chin

Romance(Contemporary or Suspense)/Chic-lit
1. Blood Blothers - Nora Roberts
2. Time of My Life - Allison Winn Scotch
3. One Deadly Sin - Annie Solomon
4. A Treasure Worth Seeking - Sandra Brown
5. Invisible - Kimber Chin
6. The Lucky One - Nicholas Sparks
7. Fifteen Minutes of Shame - Lisa Daily
8. Sleeping Arrangements - Madeleine Wickham
9. Sundays At Tiffany's

Series Books
1. Immortal Outlaw - Lisa Hendrix
2. Dog on It - Spencer Quinn
3. Thereby Hangs a Tail - Spencer Quinn
4. City of the Dead - T.L. Higley
5. Divine Justice - David Baldacci
6. Snitch - Rene Gutteridge
7. Lifelines - CJ Lyons
8. The Demon King and I - Candace Havens
9. The Accidental Werewolf - Dakota Cassidy

Non-fiction
1. UFOs, JFK and Elvis - Richard Belzer
2. Retail Anarchy - Sam Pocker
3. Priceless Memories - Bob Barker
4. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man
5. Little Pink House - Jeff Benedict
6. The Lennon Prophecy - Joseph Niezoga
7. Steve Martin - Morris Walker
8. The Towering World of Jimmy Choo - Lauren Goldstein Crowe
9. My Little Read Book - Rachel Kauder Nalebuff

Review: Poison Pen by Sheila Lowe

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:48:00 +0000

When publicist Lindsey Alexander was found dead in her Jacuzzi not too many people were sorry that she was dead. What was surprising to most was that she committed suicide. Lindsey was a horrible person that enjoyed stealing boyfriends and generally making life hell for those around her and didn’t seem like the type to take her own life.

After one stinging betrayal, forensic handwriting expert Claudia Rose cut Lindsey out of her life many years ago but during a chance run-in Lindsey was able to convince Claudia to analyze a few handwriting samples for her and financially Claudia afford to pass up the opportunity.

Convinced her death wasn’t a suicide, Ivan, Lindsey’s business manager, hires Claudia to examine the suicide note. In her search for more handwriting samples to compare the note to, Claudia gets pulled into investigating Lindsey’s schemes and the real killer will stop at nothing to keep his involvement in the whole sordid mess covered up.

This is book one in the Forensic Handwriting Mystery series but the third one in the series I’ve read. Both books two and three stand alone and after reading and enjoying them I came back to Poison Pen to get the rest of the back story on Claudia. It was fun reading about her meeting the hunky detective Jovanic since I already know how their relationship progresses in the other books.

What was a little surprising to me was that in this book Claudia is a little rougher around the edges. She cusses and is a little meaner than I remember in the next two books. My impression of her in those is that she’s more professional and mellow but she’s a great character either way and I recommend this book and series to anyone who loves mysteries and cozies.

Review: Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:05:00 +0000

Product Description:
MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the erotic Fae master she once swore to kill. Far from home, unable to control her sexual hungers, MacKayla is now fully under the Lord Master’s spell.…In New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s stunning new novel, the walls between human and Fae worlds have come crashing down. And as Mac fights for survival on Dublin’s battle-scarred streets, she will embark on the darkest—and most erotically charged—adventure of her life.

He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge.…

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons…and about the world she thought she knew.

My Review:
I so couldn't review this book properly without giving anything away so I'm just going to share a small rundown of my feelings. I absolutely love this series. Moning seriously knows how to keep us dying to read the next book. I almost wish I wouldn't have started reading the series until all the books were out. This was book four in the series of five books.

From the opening pages of the book I was in complete shock. I LOVED this interesting turn of events and can't wait to see if more develops from this in the last book.

Mac is fighting hard to save Dublin and with Danni and a new ally at her side they make an unstoppable team but the Unseelie are not the usual enemy.

If you love paranormal and haven't read any of the Fever series I encourage you to read these books as soon as possible. Or if you can't stand major cliffhangers wait until book 5 is out next year and read them all at once. LOL

Blog Tour, Q&A and Giveaway: To Desire A Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:04:00 +0000

Author's Website

Elizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with three untrained dogs, two angelic but bickering children, and one long-suffering husband.

Elizabeth, welcome to Reading With Monie and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

1. Please tell us a little about your background and your book, To Desire a Devil.

Thank you for having me, Monie! ;-)

I sleep with two dogs—the third is too big for the bed. That should tell more than you ever wanted to know about me. I also have two children who spend most of their time bickering and then running to tell me about it. And I have a husband who is an archaeologist. When we go on trips he gives a running commentary about the geological history of the places we drive through. Despite this, we are still happily married.

To Desire a Devil is the fourth and final book in my Legend of the Four Soldiers series. It’s the story of Reynaud St. Aubyn, Viscount Hope. Presumed dead for seven years, he escapes captivity and returns home, ready to resume his life. But the life he left isn’t there anymore. His father, the Earl of Blanchard is dead, another man has claimed the title, and there are rumors that he’s insane. Everyone seems to be against him except the new earl’s niece, a woman named Beatrice Corning. Beatrice for her part is dangerously attracted to Reynaud, but can she make him see that what they have may be more important than the life he’s trying to regain?

2. What actors/actresses would you choose to play the main characters in To Desire a Devil?

Hmm. Well, Zachary Quinto (Sylar in Heroes and Spock in Star Trek) would make a great Reynaud—he can be very dark and angsty—and Jenna Fischer (Pam on The Office) is down to earth and sweet with a bit of strength at her core.

3. Which book in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series has been your favorite and why?

I have a special spot in my heart for the second book in the series, To Seduce a Sinner. The hero, Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale is one of my favorite characters. He’s a bit of a party animal--everything is a joke to him—which made him a difficult hero to write. It was hard to show how strongly he felt things underneath. The heroine of that book is Melisande Fleming who is very self-contained but also feels things very deeply, so she was a difficult character as well to get right on the page. I think it’s because it was such a job to write To Seduce a Sinner that I like it so much.

4. Do you base any of your characters on people you know?

Nope. ;-)

5. How much research goes into writing historical fiction?

Lots. I research pretty much constantly in that I’m always looking at paintings and drawings and I always have a research book on my bedside table. (Or on my iPhone! At the moment I’m reading the e-version of Samuel Pepys diaries.)

6. Do you schedule your writing time daily or do you just write when the ideas come?

I write every day when I’m writing a book. I usually write in the mornings between nine and two in the afternoon, but if I’m having trouble with a scene or haven’t finished my goal word count for the day I sometimes write until ten or twelve at night.

7. What's the biggest obstacle you faced when writing? How do you overcome it?

Believing in myself. A writer has to have a core of iron when they first start out. They spend years writing merely on the hope that they will be good enough and lucky enough to be published. Once published the writer has to continue to believe that she can write—that her work is good and that she’ll finish the book she’s now contracted for. That may seem easy, but I know of many writers who stopped writing or who self-destructed. The wonder is that so many writers do make a living at this.

How did I overcome this obstacle? Core of iron. ;-)

8. Who are your favorite authors and is there a book that has most influenced your writing?

Some of my favorite authors are: Linda Howard, Jim Butcher, Nalini Singh, and Lisa Kleypas. I think the book that most influenced me personally was The Wonder Clock by Howard Pyle. It’s a book of beautifully illustrated Edwardian fairy tales that was given me when I was about nine or ten.

9. What is your best reader or fan story?

You know, I get the nicest emails from readers. Some are funny, some are kind, and some of them are very poignant. One I remember was from a reader who was a single mom who had gone back to school in nursing—obviously a very busy woman! She said that she usually read legal thrillers but one day in a drug store while picking up a prescription she’d happened to see To Seduce a Sinner and bought it on impulse. She wrote to tell me how much she enjoyed the book and how very nice it was to read something that took her away from the stress of her everyday life and ended on a happy note. Her email pretty much articulated why I write romance books. ;-)

10. What books do you have in the pipeline?

Right now I’m working on Wicked Intentions, the first of a new series called the Maiden Lane series. Wicked Intentions is set in Georgian London during the time when gin was very cheap and sold everywhere, creating a terrible addiction problem for the poor of London. The hero, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is a rake searching in the East End for the man who murdered his mistress. But he needs the help of Temperance Dews, a widow running a foundling home in St. Giles. Temperance agrees to help Lazarus if in exchange he’ll take her to society balls so she can find a patron for her home. But both Lazarus and Temperance are hiding secrets. Wicked Intentions will be out in summer of 2010.

To enter to win one of five copies just visit the author's website and comment on one thing you learned while visiting. It could be anything.

For extra entries Tweet about the giveaway using the "ShareThis" link at the end of this post or Tweet your own message. Twitter entries can be done once a day, just be sure to leave me the link to your Tweet each time you do.

Giveaway open to US and Canada only. Please, no PO Boxes. Winners will be selected November 15th and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Please be sure to leave me an email address in your comment if it's not in your profile or your post using anonymous.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:03:00 +0000

Click here to purchase this book

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.

Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

About the author:
After Tamara Leigh earned a Masters Degree in Speech and Language Pathology, she and her husband decided to start a family, with plans for Tamara to continue in her career once she became a mother.

When the blessing of children proved elusive, Tamara became convicted to find a way to work out of her home in order to raise the children she and her husband longed to have. She turned to writing, at which she had only ever dreamed of being successful. Shortly thereafter, her agent called with news of Bantam Books offer of a four-book contract. That same day, Tamara's pregnancy was confirmed. Within the next year, she gave up her speech pathology career, committed her life to Christ, her first child was born, and her first historical romance novel was released.

As Tamara continued to write for the secular market, publishing three more novels with HarperCollins and Dorchester, she infused her growing Christian beliefs into her writing. But though her novels earned awards and were national bestsellers, she knew her stories were lacking. After struggling with the certainty her writing was not honoring God as it should, she made the decision to write books that not only reveal Christianity to non-believers, but serve as an inspiration for those who have accepted Christ as their Savior. Her inspirational romances are peopled with characters in varying stages of Christian faith, from mature believers to new believers to non-believers on the threshold of awakening.

Tamara Leigh enjoys time with her family, reading, and--of course--writing. She lives near Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and two sons.

For your chance to win a copy of this book visit WaterBrook Multnomah and tell me the name of a title that you've read and loved or that you're looking forward to reading.

For extra entries Tweet about the giveaway using the "ShareThis" link at the end of this post or Tweet your own message. Twitter entries can be done once a day, just be sure to leave me the link to your Tweet each time you do.

Giveaway open worldwide. Winner will be selected November 10th and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Please be sure to leave me an email address in your comment if it's not in your profile or your post using anonymous.

Giveaway: The Gate House by Nelson DeMille

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:22:00 +0000

Author's website and Facebook page
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille delivers the long-awaited follow-up to his classic novel The Gold Coast. When John Sutter's aristocratic wife killed her mafia don lover, John left America and set out in his sailboat on a three-year journey around the world, eventually settling in London. Now, ten years later, he has come home to the Gold Coast, that stretch of land on the North Shore of Long Island that once held the greatest concentration of wealth and power in America, to attend the imminent funeral of an old family servant.

Nelson DeMille is also the author of Wild Fire, Night Fall, Up Country, The Lion's Game, Plum Island, The Charm School, Word of Honor, The Talbot Odyssey, Cathedral, and By the Rivers of Babylon. He lives on Long Island, New York.

To enter to win one of five copies just visit the author's website and comment on one thing you learned while visiting. It could be anything.

My next challenge of 2010

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:37:00 +0000

And now for my second challenge of 2010. This one is hosted by Kenda over at Lurve a la Mode.

FROM KENDA: This will encompass both straight historical fiction and historical romance. I’m hoping this challenge will allow some of us to get back into reading historicals, like me, as well as help us get into some of those books in our TBR piles or maybe to just discover something new.

The challenge will be to read 12 historicals in 2010. I don't think that I read more than 4-5 in 2009 so this will be a true challenge but I'm new to historicals and love them so I'm in. Wish me luck again.

Winner: 250 Custom Stickers

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:24:00 +0000

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-10-30 02:25:55 UTC

And that makes the winner:

Cindy B.of Montana said... 10

10-22 tweet
http://twitter.com/sendtocindy/status/5079954004

Congrats Cindy and thanks for your Tweets!! Remember that if you weren't a winner this time UPrinting has affordable prices on Sticker Printing and all your printing needs.

More awesome UPrinting giveaways coming soon!

It begins... My first 2010 challenge

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:32:00 +0000

With just one book left to complete my last pending 2009 challenge I've started checking out the new 2010 challenges. The first one that caught my eye is over at At Home With Books.

FROM ALYCE: The idea behind this challenge is to read works by authors who have been recommended to you time and again, yet somehow you haven't managed to read any books by those authors. These are the authors that everyone else tells you are awesome, thus the "Awesome Author Challenge" title.

I've selected the "moderate" challenge which is 6 books to be read from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. I'll dig through my TBR pile in the next week or so to figure out which authors I'm going to select.

Over the next few weeks I'll also be posting a few more challenges and I'm thinking that a lot will be repeats from last year. I've had so much fun with them this year that I'm looking forward to pushing myself further next year. Wish me luck!

Review: Elfs in a Conquered Realm by Anna del C. Dye

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:52:00 +0000

In this third and final installment of The Silent Warrior trilogy, Anna del C. Dye completes the story of Adren, her women warriors and her family told in three different parts covering many years.

The story begins with Paletin’s kingdom of Renil in trouble financially. He approaches Adren and Dellin about the possibility of securing the riches of the long deserted city of Menarm where Adren grew up and a new quest is planned for the elfs to help Paletin.

Once the mission is complete Adren and her family visit the Woodland elfs and meet Dellin’s paternal family for the first time and once again adventures ensue with some very near potential disasters.

Finally back in Menarm, Paletin has decided to reestablish the lost city of Menarm and Adren, Dellin and many others return to provide the assistance needed to bring Menarm back as a thriving sister city of Renil. But greed brings out the worst in mankind and soon Adren and her family are in danger again.

My brief synopsis makes the book seem like it was a tale about non-stop trouble for Adren and others but that is not case. Throughout the book there are conflicts and resolutions but each one is integrated with the revolving storylines.

There are so many wonderful components to the book. Elfs in a Conquered Realm is action, adventure, fantasy, romance and family loyalty all rolled up into one incredible story. Adren is up to her match making tricks again and in this book a few more children are introduced to the elf population which is a very rare occurrence.

Similar to my thoughts on going from book one to book two, Anna del C. Dye has progressed in character development and dialogue. The interactions flow much better in this third book and I sincerely hope to read more from this author. The entire trilogy is a must read for fantasy lovers.

Blog Tour & Review: Pendragon's Banner by Helen Hollick

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:05:00 +0000

Product Description

Who was the man
… who became the legend
… we know as
KING ARTHUR?

Pendragon's Banner is the second book in Helen Hollick's exciting King Arthur trilogy, covering 459-465 A.D. This is not a fairy tale or fantasy. There is no Merlin, no sword in the stone, and no Lancelot. This is the most accurate Arthurian legend ever written, based on historical evidence and meticulous research.

At age twenty-four, King Arthur has the kingdom he fought so hard for and a new young family. But keeping the throne of Britain—and keeping his wife and three sons safe—proves far from easy. Two enemies in particular threaten everything that is dear to him: Winifred, Arthur's vindictive first wife, and Morgause, priestess of the Mother and malevolent Queen of the North. Both have royal ambitions of their own.

In this story of harsh battles, secret treasonous plots, and the life-threatening politics of early Britain's dark ages, author Helen Hollick boldly reintroduces King Arthur as you've never seen him before.

My Review:

Ever since I saw the movie with my favorite actor, Clive Owen, I’ve been intrigued by the story of King Arthur and Pendragon’s Banner filled my craving for a more behind the scenes story. This is definitely not a fairy tale telling of magic and triumph. It’s a realistic portrayal complete with fighting, jealousy, lust and tragedy.

The story pulled me in from the very beginning when Arthur ordered his nine-month pregnant wife to caravan to the land of a man looking to challenge his leadership. He was so dedicated his people that he knew bringing his wife along with would show good faith in his quest for peace. I thought to myself “Who does that?” and was hooked.

This was book two in the Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy but definitely stands alone as I have not yet read The Kingmaking. I plan to read it soon and follow it up with Shadow of the King. I highly recommend this one for all historical fiction lovers.

More Tour Participants:

The Tome Travellers Weblog (10/12)

A Reader’s Respite (10/12)

Carla Nayland’s Historical Fiction (10/13)

Enchanted by Josephine (10/14)

Fumbling with Fiction (10/14)

Found Not Lost (10/15)

Nan Hawthorne’s Booking the Middle Ages (10/15)

Jenny Loves to Read (10/16)

The Review From Here (10/17)

The Courtier’s Book (10/18)

Chick Loves Lit (10/19)

Love Romance Passion (10/20)

He Followed Me Home… Can I Keep Him? (10/20)

The Impasse Strikes Back (10/21)

S. Krishna’s Books (10/22)

Books Like Breathing (10/23)

Passages to the Past (10/24)

Virginie Says (10/25)

Readaholic (10/25)

Rundpinne (10/26)

Books & Needlepoint (10/27)

Capricious Reader (10/27)

Books are my Only Friends (10/27)

A Sea of Books (10/28)

Bloody Bad (10/28)

Revenge of the Book Nerds! (10/28)

Booksie’s Blog (10/28)

Devourer of Books (10/29)

Peeking Between the Pages (10/29)

Starting Fresh (10/29)

Historical Tapestry (10/30)

Medieval Bookworm (10/30)

Book Soulmates (10/30)

Susan’s Art & Words (10/30)

Steven Till (10/31)

Café of Dreams (10/31)

*I received a copy of Pendragon's Banner from the publisher in exchange for participating in the tour and a review.

Review: Petite Sweets by Beatrice Ojakangas

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:54:00 +0000

In Petite Sweets Ojakangas shows us how to make miniature versions of some of the most decadent and sinful desserts and sweets around. From planning the dessert menu and equipment basics to tips on ingredients it’s all covered with large full color photos.

Cooking and baking have always been hit or miss with me. I love to do it but even if I follow the recipe exactly I don’t always get the best results. Some of my more memorable dishes have been my Lemon Meringue Soup when trying to make my favorite pie and most recently when following my grandma’s light and fluffy gordita recipe I ended up with what my husband called “biscuits with meat”. LOL My son even nicknamed me “burner girl” because he was always scraping the burnt parts off his favorite grilled cheese sandwiches.

Petite Sweets has plenty of easy to follow recipes and for my review I tried the Mini Cream Puffs. There were just a few basic ingredients and I filled mine with vanilla pudding so in no time flat I had a tiny version of one of my favorite treats with almost no mess to clean up afterwards. My cream puffs were light, fluffy, golden brown and perfectly flaky and I actually surprised myself at how good they tasted.

One major plus is that since I’ve been dieting I’ve cut all sweets and goodies out of my diet. With Petite Sweets I was able to satisfy my sweet tooth without all the guilt that I would have had with the full size version.

In each of the categories below there are many more great recipes that have caught my eye and next up for me will be the Fresh Lime Pies made in mini muffin tins which will be just big enough to satisfy my craving while still being good.

Petite Sweets Categories

Little Cakes

Petite Pies and Tarts

Fruit and Berry Desserts

Mouses and Chilled Desserts

Creams, Custards and Frozen Desserts

Pastries and Sweets

Any of the sweet treats found in the book would be the hit of your party and your friends will all think you’re a master pastry chef. I highly recommend Petite Sweets for bakers of any skill level because as my family knows I’m not the best cook and my Mini Cream Puffs were a little bit of heaven.

*I received a copy of Petite Sweets from the publisher in exchange for a review.

Review: Book Cover from Reading Comfort

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:13:00 +0000

Two weeks ago I received my Trade Size fabric book cover from Reading Comfort. I’ve had other fabric book covers in the past so I can share my honest comparison of the two.

Right as soon as I took my new cover out of the envelope I noticed two things that already had me loving the cover. One, there is a small metal embellishment on the cover. This is not only a good looking accent it lets me quickly identify the front of the book. No more flipping the book up and/or over before I can start reading.

The second thing I noticed was the nifty attached book mark. Other covers I’ve used didn’t have this or if there was one it was too short. With the length of the attached bookmark extending past the bottom of the book all I had to do was pull it up and out to open the book. No more losing my place with a paper bookmark that falls out.

The cover fits snuggly over the book without bending, wrinkling or creasing the book in any way. This was a big deal for me because I participate in a lot of book rings and always stress if I get even the tiniest crease on a book since they are borrowed. The cover allows me to drop the book into my house on straps, otherwise known as my purse, without worrying about it. In the two weeks since receiving the cover I’ve used it on three books of varying lengths and all have come out of the cover in the same shape they went in.

And just so you don’t think this is a fluff piece, I do have one con to share. My cat sat on the cover, which if you have cats you know their favorite thing is to sit on anything you have laying out LOL, and the cover picked up a lot of cat hair. But it did brush right off so no harm done.

The covers come in several colors and three sizes to fit mass market, trade size and hard back books or a gift set in a box with gold ribbon. Reading Comfort is an eco-friendly company that also offers the Book Buddy (read my review), lap blankets, book weights and book marks. Any one of these beautiful products would be a great anytime gift for the book lover in your life.

*I received a free book cover in exchange for this review.

Review: Hannah: Daughters Of The Sea by Kathryn Lasky

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:01:00 +0000

At the age of fourteen Hannah Albury has reached the day where she transitions from old the Little Wanderer orphanage that she grew up in into the real world. After a miserable month in Kansas where she became deathly ill, Hannah was sent back to Boston and placed in the home of the wealthy Hawley family to work as a scullery maid.

There she befriends the family’s youngest daughter Ettie and delights in talking with the young girl even though contact between the family and household help is frowned upon. When Hannah catches the attention of a young painter, Stannish Wheeler, hired to paint the Hawley girls she unknowingly made an enemy of the older daughter Lila and her mysterious cat Jade. It quickly becomes obvious that Lila is not completely mentally stable and she soon has more to contend with than the unnatural attraction she has to the sea.

Resisting the call of the water is getting harder and harder to do especially when Stannish seems to have many of the answers she’s been looking for.

This was a great young adult read. It’s geared towards 9-12 year olds and I think it’s perfect. The story is mysterious enough to hold anyone’s attention and I know younger girls would love reading about Hannah’s adventures.

The only reason this book isn’t a full five stars is the major cliff hanger at the end. I’m all for leaving us hanging when there are more books in the series but this one has a very abrupt ending. So much so that I had to double check no pages were missing. Other than that I highly recommend this one for tween girls or anyone who loves to read YA fantasy books. I will definitely be reading the next in the series.

*Free copy provided by the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my review.

Giveaway: 250 Custom Stickers/Labels

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:34:00 +0000

WINNER: Cindy B.

My blog sponsor UPrinting has another great offer for Reading With Monie visitors. This time they are giving away 250 custom stickers. Sticker Printing is an easy way to to advertise your blog or business. You can also use the stickers as address or organizing labels. There are a ton of ways to use them so be creative and tell me below how you would use them for your chance to win.

As part of the giveaway I'll be receiving my own set of stickers and I can't wait since this will be my second set. I previously made the sticker on the right to promote my blog. This picture is a scan so it's a little blurry but my sticker is awesome! The colors are bright, the font is clear and sharp and the stickiness is perfect. Every package that leaves my house has one of these fun stickers on it. For my next set I'll be using the stickers to promote something new I'm part of. (It's still a little top secret but I'll be blogging about it soon!)

To enter to win your own stickers just post a comment below letting me know how you would use the stickers if you win.

For an extra entry Tweet about the giveaway using the "ShareThis" button on the bottom of this post or using your own message. Tweeted entries can be done once a day just be sure to come back and leave me the link in a comment each time you do.

For three more extra entries blog about my giveaway and link back to this post. Just leave a separate comment with the link to your post or your blog if it's in the sidebar.

Giveaway open to US and Canada residents only. US winners will receive free shipping. Canada residents will be responsible for tax and shipping. The winner will be selected on October 29th and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email.

Review: Dragons Prefer Blondes by Candace Havens

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:53:00 +0000

When dragon warrior Ginjin approaches the Alex Caruthers with a proposition of marriage she has to think fast. As a Guardian whose job it is to hunt down and kill the dragons that disobey the law and come to earth to harm humans, Alex has to be diplomatic in turning down Ginjin or risk starting a war between our world and the dragons’.

Her solution is simple. She lies and says she’s already in a relationship with Jake, the head of the Caruthers family security team. Not only does this give Alex an easy out but it also means that she gets to spend just a little more time with Jake which is never a hardship.

The more time she spends with Jake the more she realizes that her feelings toward him aren’t all friendly. But soon Alex learns that Jake lost his wife to illness four years ago and as many sparks fly between them Jake won’t open himself to falling in love for real. He just can’t take the risk of losing another person he loves and being a Guardian puts Alex’s life in danger constantly. Will the two overcome this fear as the tension between them grows?

I love that Havens writes such strong ass-kicking characters with a soft side. A lot of times heroines that kick ass are a little rough around the edges but the Caruthers sisters all have big warm caring hearts that balance the ass kickers and Alex is no exception. I do wish that there was a little more heat in her interactions with Jake but considering how he needs to detach himself from falling for Alex it makes sense.

This was another great paranormal romance from Candace Havens. It’s book two in the series but definitely stands alone and if you haven’t read any of her books yet I suggest you correct that immediately and start yourself on the super fun Bronwyn the witch books beginning with Charmed & Dangerous. She’s still my favorite Havens character and as much as I love the Caruthers sisters I would love to see Bronwyn return.

Be sure to visit my giveaway page to win an autographed copy of Dragons Prefer Blondes and read my review of Book 1 The Demon King and I.

Giveaway: Dragons Prefer Blondes by Candace Havens

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:05:00 +0000

WINNER: Christopher in California

Second in the paranormal series featuring the Caruthers sisters, party girls who save the world-between cocktails.

Alex Caruthers is a sassy socialite who knows when it's time to turn in her dancing shoes and kick some serious dragon booty. But when Ginjin-the dragon warrior who's tried to kill her numerous times-chooses her as his mate, Alex finds herself in a situation that's too hot to handle.

For help she turns to Jake, head of Caruthers security-and a total hottie in a suit-and asks him to pose as her boyfriend. Their relationship might be fake, but Alex can't deny that one touch from Jake makes her burn hotter than any dragon could.

To enter to win an autographed copy of this fun book just tell me why you'd like to win.

For extra entries Tweet about the giveaway using the "ShareThis" link at the end of this post or Tweet your own message. Twitter entries can be done once a day, just be sure to leave me the link to your Tweet each time you do.

Giveaway open WORLDWIDE. Winners will be selected October 28th and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Please be sure to leave me an email address in your comment if it's not in your profile or you post using anonymous.

Book Blogger Directory - I'd love to add you!

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:59:00 +0000

I'm starting a list of bloggers who are interested in receiving free review books. If an author contacts me with a book that's not in my preferred genre or my schedule has been filled I would love to be able to help the author out by emailing a list of other book bloggers they can contact.

If you'd like to be a part of this directory, please fill out the form below.

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Review: Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:35:00 +0000

What do you get when a country dairy farmer and a city librarian meet on a bench in the middle of a cemetery? You get the adorable story, Benny & Shrimp.

Working alone fifteen hours out of each day Benny scarcely has time to handle the farm’s dwindling finances much less clean house or change the sheets. Now that he’s lost his mother he needs someone domestic to take care of him and he has fears that his “smarmy Benny” act is never going to land him the right woman. When he accidentally shares a smile with Desiree (who he later nicknames Shrimp) he’s jolted by her and can’t get her pale beige looks out of his head.

As a librarian Desiree lives for order and organization. Initially she thought she found the perfect spouse in Orjan but when he dies in a bike accident she comes to the realization that the spark in their short marriage was already dying out. The last person she would have thought to be her true soul mate would be the humble dairy farmer wearing a grungy “Forest Owners’ Alliance” hat but her heart had other ideas.

After that first shocking jolt they tried to avoid each other but when Benny finally has the courage to seek Desiree out, magic happens. Can people from such different lives make it work?

Benny & Shrimp is my new favorite book of 2009. It is an amazing story of love and compromise. I instantly fell in love with Benny and although Desiree seemed a little to hard-headed for me at first she also became a cherished character for me.

This is one of those books where I found myself wanting to slap the characters silly and tell them exactly how I think they should act. This fact alone makes it a great book because it shows how much the story drew me in.

The story is narrated by both Benny and Desiree and it added so much more to the narrative because I was able to more clearly understand both sides and the feelings involved. As I was reading Benny’s words I was totally on his side but then I read what Desiree was thinking and I’d switch to her side.

I highly encourage you to pick up your own copy of this book and fall in love with their story and surprise ending just like I did.

Review: Hex in High Heels by Linda Wisdom

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:33:00 +0000

Sexy witch, Blair Fitzpatrick and her roommate Staci were part of a group of 13 witches that were banned from the Witches’ Academy in 1313. Since then they’ve made a nice home for themselves in the town of Moonstone Lake. Blair owns the vintage shop Blast from the Past and Staci owns the lingerie shop Isn’t It Romantic. Together they own a fair amount of land around the lake and the town itself.

Now that Staci has made her love match with Trevor. It’s Blair’s turn to meet the man of her dreams and she has a serious crush on the devilishly handsome carpenter Jake Harrison despite the fact that he’s a Were who turns into a border collie instead of a wolf.

As first born Jake was next in line to become his pack’s Alpha but when his family discovered his border collie deficiency he was shunned and frequently beaten by his father. For this very reason Jake abandoned his pack many years ago.

When his family shows up in Moonstone Lake it can only mean trouble. His brother Roan, the new Alpha, purchased the town’s ski resort and is looking to buy out Blair and Staci’s land for the pack to relocate but Blair and Staci refuse. This angers Roan and Jake’s mother who refuse to let Jake, Blair and Staci stand in their way.

This was such a fun book! It is book four in the Jazz Tremaine series but definitely stands alone as I haven’t read any of the others. Jazz does make a quick cameo in this book and she’s intriguing enough to put the other books at the top of my TBR pile. I can’t wait to find out what’s going on with the talking bunny slippers who have now become the a tattoo that zapped itself onto Blair’s ankle.

One thing that surprised me about the book was the well written love scenes. The book was light and humorous and then bam! there’s a hot and heavy connection with Blair and Jake and I loved it. Hex in High Heels puts a spicy spin the paranormal romance genre and I highly recommend it.

Giveaway: Five books from Hispanic authors and My Review of Zumba

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:46:00 +0000

WINNERS: Glen in Pennsylvania, Jo Anne in Texas, Adayla in South Dakota, Julia in Minnesota and Kristi in Illinois
ACK!! I'm so excited to offer this giveaway!! FIVE winners will each receive the Five books listed below. THANK YOU HACHETTE BOOK GROUP.

Here is my review of Zumba and be sure to watch for my reviews of the other books in the coming weeks.

In August I stopped eating fast food, gave up Cokes and started watching my diet. Since then I've lost 11 lbs and my goal is to lose 19 more. In September I joined a women's gym and have actually taken 3 Zumba classes.

As the tagline says, "Ditch the workout and join the party!" Zumba is so much fun. The class is pretty much 50 minutes of dancing and 5-10 minutes of stretching to hot Latin beats. I have two left feet and let me tell you it took me a few tries to get the steps down right but my friend who really has rhythm picked up the moves instantly.

With the detailed pictures in the book I have been able to master the moves we do in class and read inspirational stories about people who have joined in the Zumba craze. Also included in the book is a jump start and maintenance diet. I haven't tried them yet but will do so soon and let you know my results. And I almost forgot! There is also a DVD which shows you a few of the basic moves and a couple of work outs to try at home. This book is great and I highly recommend for anyone looking to shed a few pounds or just have fun.

Zumba® By Beto Perez , Maggie Greenwood-Robinson

TIRED OF LOGGING HOURS AT THE GYM AND NOT GETTING RESULTS?

WANT TO EAT DELICIOUS FOODS AND STILL LOSE WEIGHT?

SHAKE THINGS UP AND SLIM DOWN WITH THE WEIGHT LOSS PHENOMENON THAT'S TAKING THE COUNTRY BY STORM...ZUMBA!

Created by celebrity fitness trainer Beto Perez, Zumba® combines fun, easy-to-follow dance steps with hot Latin beats to help you shed pounds and inches fast. Now the DVD and classes that have hooked millions are available in book format, with a complete workout program, fat-burning diet, and an exclusive instructional DVD with 60 minutes worth of music to help you Zumba your way to the perfect body.

Using the principles of interval and resistance training, the simple dance and sculpting moves (inspired by the traditional cumbia, salsa, samba, and merengue) tone and shape your body. And because it burns 600 to 1,000 calories per hour, you don't have to restrict your meals to boring or bland-tasting diet foods. The Zumba diet begins with a 5-Day Express Diet to jump start weight loss (lose up to 9 lbs in 5 days) and then offers 14-day meal plans and recipes that target weight loss in the stomach and thighs. You'll find:

· Hot moves that make you feel like you're on the dance floor-not on the elliptical machine!

· Recipes for mouthwatering meals that boost your metabolism

· Dozens of workout combinations so you never get bored

· An exclusive jump-start program to get you ready for that big event next weekend

· An easy plan to help you keep up your progress and maintain the weight loss

So start moving, grooving and losing with Zumba today!

Evenings at the Argentine Club By Julia Amante

Victor and Jaqueline Torres imagined moving to the U.S. would bring happiness and prosperity-instead they found a world of frustration. While Victor put long hours into his restaurant business, Jaqui devoted her life to her daughters, until they grew up and moved on. Even their eldest, Victoria, is torn trying to reconcile being the perfect Argentine daughter and an independent American woman. Antonio and Lucia Orteli face the same realities, especially when their only son Eric leaves their close-knit Argentine community in pursuit of his own dreams.

Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz By Belinda Acosta
All Ana Ruiz wanted was to have a traditional quinceañera for her daughter, Carmen. She wanted a nice way to mark this milestone year in her daughter's life. But Carmen was not interested in celebrating. Hurt and bitter over her father Esteban's departure, she blamed Ana for destroying their happy family, as did everyone else. A good man is hard to find, especially at your age Ana was told. Why not forgive his one indiscretion? Despite everything, Ana didn't want to tarnish Carmen's childlike devotion to her beloved father. But Ana knows that growing up sometimes means facing hard truths. In the end, Ana discovers that if she's going to teach Carmen anything about what it means to be a woman, it will take more than simply a fancy party to do it...

Tell Me Something True By Leila Cobo
Gabriella always loved the picture of her mother kneeling in front of a bed of roses, smiling, beautiful and impossibly happy. But then she learns that her late mother hated gardening; that she had never wanted the house in the Hollywood hills, the successful movie producer husband, and possibly, her only daughter. When Gabriella discovers a journal--a book that begins as a new mother's letters to her baby girl, but becomes a secret diary--the final entry leaves one question unanswered: the night her mother died, was she returning to Colombia to end an affair, or was she abandoning her family for good?

Amigoland By Oscar Casares
In a small town on the Mexican border live two brothers, Don Fidencio and Don Celestino. Stubborn and independent, they now must face the facts: they are old, and they have let a family argument stand between them for too long. Don Celestino's good-natured housekeeper encourages him to make amends--while he still can. They secretly liberate Don Fidencio from his nursing home and travel into Mexico to solve the mystery at the heart of their dispute: the family legend of their grandfather's kidnapping. As the unlikely trio travels, the brothers learn it's never too late for a new beginning.

To enter to win your own set of FIVE BOOKS!! just tell me who your favorite Hispanic author is. Mine would have to be Mario Acevedo. He writes the AWESOME series featuring the vampire Felix Gomez. If you don't have a favorite Hispanic author then just tell me which book out of the five you are most looking forward to reading. Zumba was my favorite and now that I'm almost done with that one next up for me is going to be Amigoland.

For extra entries Tweet about the giveaway using the "ShareThis" link at the end of this post or Tweet your own message. Twitter entries can be done once a day, just be sure to leave me the link to your Tweet each time you do.

Giveaway open to US and Canada only. Please, no PO Boxes. Winners will be selected October 15th and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Please be sure to leave me an email address in your comment if it's not in your profile or your post using anonymous.

Review: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Reviewed for I Just Finished

Sixteen-year-old Kaylee Cavanaugh has a strange ability. She can sense when someone is about to die. And when this happens she has uncontrollable bouts of screaming at the top of her lungs. Her guardians, her aunt Valerie and uncle Brandon, even went so far as to hospitalize her over a screaming incident.

Now back in school and no recent incidents, things are getting back to normal for Kaylee but that all changes when teens start mysteriously dropping dead around Kaylee. With the help of a hot looking senior, Nash, Kaylee learns some interesting facts about her “disorder” and turns to her family for answers to startling new questions.

I really like the way this was a little bit paranormal but a refreshing change from the usual stories about vampires or werewolves. This was a completely new twist on the genre that involved a little bit of mystery, suspense and intrigue all rolled into the start of a great new series. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, My Soul to Save in 2010 and recommend this one to anyone who loves reading paranormal YA books.

Review and Giveaway: Tall, Dark & Fangsome by Michelle Rowen

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:04:00 +0000

WINNERS: Crystal in Kentucky, Mary in Illinois, Tawanda in Pennsylvania, Terri and Renee in Canada

Still dealing with the nightwalker curse that a witch put on her, Sarah Dearly is desperate to reverse it since she just found out that the necklace keeping the monster inside her under control is losing its power. Turning to The Darkness, a wizard that can reverse the curse, seems like it good idea until she finds out there are side effects. Not to mention that former vampire hunter Gideon Chase is expecting Sarah to sire him to rid his body of the pain he feels from the hellfire that invaded his body when he vanquished a demon.

Plus Sarah is now being shadowed by The Red Devil. The vigilante vampire asked to look after Sarah by her currently off again boyfriend, Thierry. The Red Devil just might keep her from completing either task which will have dire consequences.

OMG! I had no idea the Immortality Bites series was ending with this book. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED Tall Dark & Fangsome but I’m devastated that the series won’t continue. Sarah, George, Amy, Thierry and even Barry and Veronique are such fun characters that I fell in love with them and the series from the first book.

I really enjoyed the way Rowen wrapped up all the cliff hangers and made the storylines come to a natural ending. I can’t wait to read more of Rowen’s books and sincerely hope that Sarah and the others make it back into print soon. This book and entire series are a must read if you love paranormal books.

To enter to win one of five copies of this book tell me that name of any series that you have loved reading.

For extra entries Tweet about this giveaway using the "ShareThis" button at the end of the post or tweet your own message. Just be sure to leave me the link to your Tweet in a separate comment. Twitter entry can be done once a day for maximum entries!

Giveaway open to US and Canada only. Please, no PO Boxes. Winners will be selected October 9th and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email. Please be sure to leave me an email address in your comment if it's not in your profile or your post using anonymous.

Review: My CSN Office Chair

Monie@ReadingWithMonie.com (MonieG) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:38:00 +0000

I've had my chair for about two weeks now and cannot tell you how much it's made a difference in my posture while at the computer. If you remember from my previous post my new chair was replacing the teeny Walmart chair on the right. The too small Walmart chair was wobbly and always sank to the bottom so it forced me to sit on the very edge and I would always catch myself slouching down. I couldn't stay on the computer very long because my neck would start hurting.

With my office chair from CSN Chairs I can sit fully on the chair and my back is straight while I'm on the computer and my body is thanking me for it. Now whenever I have marathon computer sessions the only thing bothering me is my cats begging for attention. LOL

I picked a black chair to go with my office decor but CSN Chairs has several different colors and fabrics to choose from. Another plus is that there are chairs available for all price ranges. From a basic plastic chair to fabric chairs and high end leather chairs they have plenty to choose from. I highly recommend you start your search with CSN Chairs when in the market for a new office chair.