Saturday, May 18, 2013

Book Blogger Hop #19 (5/17 - 5/23): Guilty Pleasure Reads

 
 
Welcome to the new
Book Blogger Hop,
hosted by Bill @
 
 
What to Do
 
1.) Post on your blog answering this question:
 
What is your guilty pleasure read?
 
2.)  Enter the link to your post in the
Linky list on Bill's blog.
 
3.)  Visit other blogs on the list and
comment on their posts.  Try to spend
some time on the blogs reading other posts
and possibly becoming a follower.
The purpose of the hop is to give
bloggers a chance to follow other blogs,
learn about new books,
befriend other bloggers, and receive
new followers to your own blog.
 
4.)  Be sure to find out next week's
question when you visit Bill's blog!
 
 
My Answer
 
Years ago, I used to actually consider it beneath me to read romance novels.  I was into loftier reading material, such as science fiction, classics, literary fiction, and philosophy.
 
That all began to change when I first fell in love....
 
Suddenly, romance novels had an appeal to me that they had never had before.  I did feel guilty reading them, telling myself they were not really literature.  But I couldn't stop reading them!  I slowly realized that I had been living in my head too much, in spite of being smitten by Jane Eyre when I was still in my teens.  But it really took me a long time to come to that realization.  So at first, I read them while thinking that I shouldn't be.
 
Shelf Candy Saturday #68: The Island of Eternal Love, by Daina Chaviano

 
 
Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!
 
 
 
This weekly feature
showcases beautiful book covers,
and provides information,
if available, on their very talented creators!
 
For more information
about Shelf Candy Saturday,
just click HERE.
 
 
 
 
This is my choice for this week!
 
 
 
 
Hardcover, 336 pages
Riverhead, First Edition
June 12, 2008
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Romance,
Urban Fantasy
 
 
Why do I love this cover?
 
This image is so mysteriously haunting...  I love the use of multiple images in this photograph, such as the one of the woman on the lower right-hand side. which is superimposed on the column next to what appears to be an entrance.
 
The staircase is beautifully ornate,  with an Old World grandeur typical of the houses in the older sections of Havana, Cuba.  The tiles on the wall next to the staircase are also beautiful.  They remind me of the Moorish-influenced tiles at the Alhambra, in Spain, which I have been lucky enough to visit.
 
The house seems to be deserted, and yet, it's not, as the woman's ghost reveals.  It's a house full of history and memories.  The headless, armless statue on the staircase banister reflects this, as well.  This statue is also symbolic of something else -- the destruction of a country and the subjugation of its people, at the hands of Fidel Castro's communist regime. 

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Love In Bloom Giveaway Hop!! 



This is a HUGE giveaway hop, and it´s being hosted by
Inspired Kathy @
and
Christin @


The giveaways all feature
Lighthearted/Contemporary
Young Adult Romance,
&
Sweet, Clean, Adult Romance!
(Well, I thought I'd throw in
some paranormal romance, too...)



For my giveaway, one lucky winner
will get one
of these great books!!
 
 
 
 
Dare You To - Katie McGarry
Keep Holding On - Susane Colasanti
Things I Can't Forget - Miranda Keneally
 
 


Love by the Book - Cara Lynn James
Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour - Morgan Matson 




Hades - Alexandra Adornetto
Unearthly - Cynthia Hand
Rapture - Lauren Kate
 
 
 
Wanderlove - Kirsten Hubbard
Easy - Tammara Webber
Playing For Keeps - Nora Roberts
 


Books will be delivered by




Before you enter the contest, please make sure
that The Book Depository
delivers to your country.
You can do that by clicking HERE.
(Scroll down to the topic
"Countries we ship to with free delivery.")

ALL entries will be verified.
Also, make sure you read the
terms and conditions
of this giveaway, which you will
find within the Rafflecopter widget.


Good luck to you all!!





Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday #75: Teardrop, by Lauren Kate

 
 
This is a weekly event hosted by
It showcases future releases
which we book bloggers are
eagerly anticipating!!
 
 
 
 
Here's my choice for this week!
 
 
 
(Teardrop #1)
Hardcover, 472 pages
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
October 22, 2013
Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy,
Young Adult Fiction
 
 
 
From the Goodreads Synopsis
 
Never, ever cry. . . . Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.

 

Why I'm waiting on this one:
 
This book definitely has a very unique plot!
I've certainly never heard of such
a story premise before.
I want to see why Eureka cries so much.
Of course, I also want to see
why Ander is so obviously stalking her...
It sure looks like this is the start
of another great Lauren Kate series!!
I wouldn't miss it for the world!!!
Besides, I love that cover,
with the dress that turns into a
big splash of water!
Brilliant!!
 

 
 

 

So what do you think of my choice?
What spellbinding books
are you eagerly awaiting
this time around?
 
 
 
  
 
 
 

 
 

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Stacking The Shelves #14

 
 
This is a weekly event hosted by Jennifer, Lili,
Stephanie, and Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews!
As the title implies, this is all about
sharing the books you're adding
to your shelves, be they physical or virtual.
For the complete rules, and to sign up,
just click on the link above.
 
 
This week's haul!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Books Purchased
 
I featured this beautiful cover
in one of my "Shelf Candy Saturday" posts.
The story is absolutely enchanting,
so I rushed over to Amazon to buy it!
Yes, there's a vampire in it.
And love.
And...I'm going to love it, I know!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lynsay Sands is one of my favorite
paranormal romance authors!
She writes funny vampire books, and
I totally enjoy her plots,
which feature very lovable characters
I won't soon forget,
especially those from the Argeneau family!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This is actually two books in one:
Bourne and Tributary are really novellas,
and part of the wonderfully
exciting, as well as romantic,
River of Time Series, by another of
my favorite authors, Lisa Bergren!
I have read the first two books
in the series, Waterfall and Cascade,
which I totally loved!! 
 
 
 
 
 

Shelf Candy Saturday #68: Three Beautiful Books from The Folio Society

 
 
Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!
 
 
This weekly feature
showcases beautiful book covers,
and provides information,
if available,
on their very talented creators!
 
For more information
about Shelf Candy Saturday,
just click HERE.
 
 
Here are this week's beauties!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(Photos courtesy of eBay seller popblaster)
 
 
 
Why do I love these covers?
 
 
These books are exquisite.  They are jewels.  They were perfectly and precisely made, in a beautiful tone of aqua, each with a slipcase in the same color.  The covers all bear the same identical, bold, graphic pattern, which looks very striking, being offset by the solid tone areas, and carries over to the spine.  Words cannot express the overwhelming aesthetic pleasure I feel whenever I look at these pictures!
 
When I first saw these gorgeous specimens of the bookbinding art on eBay recently, my eyes were ensnared.  Then....I coveted.  Badly.  These are three novels by F. Scott Fitzgerald, produced by The Folio Society in 2005.   I knew I wouldn't be able to afford them, and that really hurt.... They were on auction, finally selling for $64.09, plus $21.75 expedited shipping and handling.
 

Friday, May 10, 2013

Book Blogger Hop #18 (5/10 - 5/16): The Last Book You Re-Read, or A Book You Would Like to Re-read

 
 
Welcome to the new
Book Blogger Hop,
hosted by Bill @
 
 
What to Do
 
1.) Post on your blog answering this question:
 
What was the last book you re-read?
Or, name a book you would like
to re-read.
 
2.)  Enter the link to your post in the
Linky list on Bill's blog.
 
3.)  Visit other blogs on the list and
comment on their posts.  Try to spend
some time on the blogs reading other posts
and possibly becoming a follower.
The purpose of the hop is to give
bloggers a chance to follow other blogs,
learn about new books,
befriend other bloggers, and receive
new followers to your own blog.
 
4.)  Be sure to find out next week's
question when you visit Bill's blog!
 
 
My Answer
 
Well, since I like to write, I'll answer both questions! 
 
The last book I re-read is actually one I'm re-reading now -- in Spanish!  It's Twilight, the first novel of the Twilight Saga.  Since I'm fluent in Spanish, I decided to read the book again in that language, because I just can't get enough of it!  Although millions of copies of this book have been published, and millions of people have seen the movies, I've noticed that there are those in the blogosphere who don't like the Twilight novels.  So I unashamedly proclaim that I love, love, love The Twilight Saga!!  And the first book is my favorite!
 
 
 
 
 
(Saga Crepúsculo #1)
(Jose Miguel Pallares, translator)
Trade Paperback, 512 pages
Punto de Lectura
November 17, 2008
Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, YA
 
You can read my review of the
original English edition HERE.
 
 
In any language, The Twilight Saga is a wonderful paranormal romance!  It also contains a lot of action, complicated plotting, and characters that stay with you forever!  (At least they have with me, since I love this series so much.)  The novels also contain philosophical underpinnings, even though some people might think this is a ridiculous statement.  However, they're there to be found.  Meyer also has very strong religious convictions, which are also part of the novels, although their general tone is not overtly religious.
 
I think I will continue to re-read these books from time to time, for as long as I live!
 

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday #74: These Broken Stars, by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

 
 
This is a weekly event hosted by
It showcases future releases which
we book bloggers are eagerly anticipating!!
 
  
Here's my choice for this week!
 
 
 
(Starbound #1)
Hardcover, 400 pages
Disney Hyperion
December 10, 2013
Romance, Science Fiction,
Young Adult Fiction
 
 
 
From the Goodreads Synopsis
 
It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.