Waiting On Wednesday #62: A Conspiracy of Alchemists, by Liesel Schwrz

This is a weekly book meme, hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine,

which features future releases that
we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!


Here's my pick for this week!

A Conspiracy of Alchemists

(The Chronicles of Light and Shadow #1)

Liesel Schwarz

Hardcover, 352 pages

Del Rey

March 5, 2013

Historical Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Steampunk, Urban Fantasy

From the Goodreads Synopsis

In a Golden Age where spark reactors power the airways, and creatures of Light and Shadow walk openly among us, a deadly game of Alchemists and Warlocks has begun.

Announcing the Romjance Is In The Air Giveaway Blog Hop!!

This wonderful hop is hosted by

Kathy @

I Am A Reader Not A Writer

and romance author 

Rachael Anderson.

It will run during the dates shown above!!

Please click on the button above

for all the hop rules,

as well as to enter your blog

in the hop.

The hop will feature Young Adult and

Clean Adult Romance,

which is great, since I always try to steer away

from anything that's too steamy.

I will be posting my prizes

on the day the giveaway starts -- Feb. 8th!!

Here are some of the books I am

considering for my giveaway!!

Click on each picture to go

to the Goodreads page.

Stacking The Shelves #1

  

This is a weekly book meme/blog hop hosted by Lili @ 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.

I'm very excited about joining this great hop!  This week, I popped by my favorite store, Barnes & Noble, and got two terrific books!!  I also received two books for review.  Hope you enjoy browsing through my nice, little haul!

Books I bought:

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1)
Maggie Stiefvater
Hardover, 409 pages
Published by Scholastic Press on Sept. 18, 2012
Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, YA

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

Shelf Candy Saturday #53: Luminosity, by Stephanie Thomas

Welcome to

Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This weekly meme/blog hop, hosted here,

features beautiful book covers!

If you'd like to participate, just grab my button (or create your own), write your own post, and link up in the Linky widget at the bottom of this post. (You have to click on "Read more" so that the entire post will open up.)

As a bonus, you can include information on the artist, designer, and/or photographer, but it's not required. You can simply feature a cover and explain why you love it!

Here's my choice for this week!

Luminosity

(Raven Chronicles #1)

Stephanie Thomas

Paperback, 296 pages

Entangled Teen

November 13, 2012

Dystopian Fiction,

Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy,

Young Adult Fiction

Why do I love this cover?

Well, of course, any cover with the color blue in it will always grab my attention.  I just can't help it...I love this color above all others!

This particular cover features several tones of the color, from very light to almost midnight dark.  What I particularly like is, of course, the young woman's very unusual eye makeup.  Those slashes of blue next to her eye mimic raven's wings.  Absolutely stunning!  The blue-purple color on her eyelid blends in well with the raven wing. 

Waiting On Wednesday #61: Recalled, by Cambria Hebert

This is a weekly book meme, hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine,

which features future releases that
we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!


Here's my pick for this week!

Recalled

(Death Escorts #1)

Cambria Hebert

Trade Paperback, no page count yet

Cambria Hebert, Publisher

February 15, 2013

Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy,

Mystery, Young Adult Fiction

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Love or Death? A simple question really. The choice seems obvious. But. What if you never knew love, what if your life was spent just trying to survive? What if you knew your fate before you were fully grown?

And then you died.

And you were given another chance. A better chance.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observed in the United States

Wherever freedom and the right to exercise it are honored, so will be the memory of the great Martin Luther King, Jr., who was born on January 15, 1929, and was cruelly assassinated on April 4, 1968.   He followed the nonviolent example of Mahatma Ghandi, and, like him, ironically died a violent death.

Sadly, not every employer in the U.S. chooses to honor the memory of this unforgettable leader of the civil rights movement, which drew its strength largely from this one man.  Dr. King's famous speech, "I Have a Dream", which he delivered at the 1963 Washington, D.C. Civil Rights March, rallied every citizen who truly believed in racial equality.

Dr. King's stirring speeches have been gathered into several books, one of which I have listed here.  I have also included his 'autobiography', which was actually compiled from several sources, as well as a book of reflections on the principles of nonviolence, titled Strength to Love.

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

edited by Clayborn Carson

Trade Paperback, 366 pages

Warner Books

January 1, 2001

(first published 2001)

Genre: Autobiography, Non-Fiction

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Using Stanford University's voluminous collection of archival material, including previously unpublished writings, interviews, recordings, and correspondence, King scholar Clayborne Carson has constructed a remarkable first-person account of Dr. King's extraordinary life.

Shelf Candy Saturday #52: Destiny, by Gillian Shields

Welcome to

Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This weekly meme/blog hop, hosted here,

features beautiful book covers!

If you'd like to participate, just grab my button (or create your own), write your own post, and link up in the Linky widget at the bottom of this post. (You have to click on "Read more" so that the entire post will open up.)

As a bonus, you can include information on the artist, designer, and/or photographer, but it's not required. You can simply feature a cover and explain why you love it!

Here's my choice for this week!

  

Destiny

(Immortal #4)

Gillian Shields

Hardcover, 384 pages

Katherine Tegen Books

July 31, 2012

Paranormal Romance, Supernatural Fiction,

Young Adult Fiction

Why do I love this cover?

In this particular case, it's definitely a "no brainer".  All that luscious, incredibly beautiful blue.... (Well, actually, it's more of an aqua, since there's a slight greenish tint to it, but still.)  Of course I was going to love this image!!

The fact that the color is not the same intensity all over the cover makes it all the more attractive, as well.  It starts out very light, and gradually gets darker toward the bottom of the cover.  However, the necklace and pendant are completely illuminated, even though the pendant is completely surrounded by a darker shade of blue towards the bottom of the cover.  This gives them a magical, other-worldly quality.

Book Review: Tirade, by Cambria Hebert

Tirade (Heven & Hell #3)
by Cambria Hebert
Trade Paperback, 366 pages
Published by Cambria Hebert on November 12, 2012
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

(Reviewer's Note: I won this book as part of the recent Charade Read-Along.  This lucky event has in no way influenced my opinion of the novel; I have always been committed to giving honest reviews.)

This series is characterized by pulse-pounding excitement, starting with the first book, Masquerade.  Practically every page of the latest novel, Tirade, has a surprise for the reader.  Although I dealt with many interruptions while reading this third installment in the Heven and Hell series, I kept coming back to the book every chance I got.  I was amply rewarded with great characterizations, sharp dialogues, and plot twists that had me frantically turning the pages.  

The story opens with one of the protagonists, Sam, trapped in hell.   His girlfriend, Heven, desperate to get him out, has no immediate means of doing so.   Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons, is the one responsible for Sam's imprisonment, holding him in an actual dungeon, located in the depths of a gloomy castle. 

Waiting On Wednesday #60: If I Should Die, by Amy Plum

This is a weekly book meme, hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine,

which features future releases that
we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!


Here's my pick for this week!

If I Should Die

(Revenants #3)

Amy Plum

Hardcover, 405 pages

Harper Teen

May 7, 2013

Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy,

Young Adult Fiction

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France’s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want.

Shelf Candy Saturday #51: Tiger's Destiny, by Colleen Houck

Welcome to

Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This weekly meme/blog hop, hosted here,

features beautiful book covers!

If you'd like to participate, just grab my button (or create your own), write your own post, and link up in the Linky widget at the bottom of this post. (You have to click on "Read more" so that the entire post will open up.)

As a bonus, you can include information on the artist, designer, and/or photographer, but it's not required. You can simply feature a cover and explain why you love it!

Here's my choice for this week!

Tiger's Destiny

(The Tiger Saga, #4)

Colleen Houck

Hardcover, 464 pages

Splinter

September 4, 2012

Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

Waiting On Wednesday #59: The Indigo Spell, by Richelle Mead

This is a weekly book meme, hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine,

which features future releases that
we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!


Here's my pick for this week!

The Indigo Spell

(Bloodlines #3)

Richelle Mead

Hardcover, 432 pages

Razorbill

February 12, 2013

Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy,

Young Adult Fiction

Wrap-Up: The 2012 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

The 2012 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

November 19, 2012 - January 6, 2013

Click on this button

if you'd like more information,

so you can join in this year!

I greatly enjoyed participating in this wonderful reading challenge again for the second time!  Christmas is my very favorite time of year!  Right after Thanksgiving, I love to start reading Christmas-themed romance novels and/or short stories.  I think that romance and the Christmas season go together perfectly.  Of course, I also enjoy reading other types of Christmas-themed books, like books about Christmas decorating, and Advent devotionals.  However, I do prefer to read Christmas romances.  They give me that warm, cozy feeling...

This year, I was able to participate at the Christmas Tree level, which means I read 5 books!  All of the books I ended up selecting were Christmas romances, of course.

Book Review: The Christmas Brides, by Linda Lael Miller (5th review for The 2012 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge)

This is my fifth and last review for

The 2012 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge,

which runs from

November 19, 2012, to Jan. 6, 2013! 

The Christmas Brides
Linda Lael Miller
Mass Market Paperback, 377 pages
HQN Books
October 26, 2010
Christmas Romance, Historical Romance

This book is actually an omnibus edition, since it combines two novellas, both written by Miller, in one volume.  The first one, "A McKettrick Christmas", was first published in 2008, while the second, "A Creed Country Christmas", was published in 2009.

Both of these stories are totally delightful, each in its own way!  The first one features the indomitable Lizzie McKettrick, future schoolteacher, who is bringing her boyfriend home to meet her family.  It's December 22, 1896, and they're both on a train bound for Indian Rock, a town near The Triple M Ranch, where the McKettrick clan lives.   Also on the train are several interesting characters -- Mrs. Halifax, with her three children, one of which is an infant, the Thaddingses, with their talking bird, Woodrow, John Brennan, a soldier, going home to be reunited with his family, a peddler named Nicholas Christian, and....the very handsome Dr. Morgan Shane, who feels an immediate attraction to Lizzie. 

Shelf Candy Saturday #50: Angels of Darkness, by Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook, Sharon Shinn

Welcome to

Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This weekly meme/blog hop, hosted here,

features beautiful book covers!

If you'd like to participate, just grab my button (or create your own), write your own post, and link up in the Linky widget at the bottom of this post. (You have to click on "Read more" so that the entire post will open up.)

As a bonus, you can include information on the artist, designer, and/or photographer, but it's not required. You can simply feature a cover and explain why you love it!

Here's my choice for this week!

Angels of Darkness

(Guild Hunter #4.5)

Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook,

Sharon Shinn

Trade Paperback, 406 pages

Berkley Trade

October 4m 2911

Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

Why do I love this cover?

I can honestly say that I have never seen an image like this one.  It's absolutely breathtaking!  The most beautiful feature is, of course, the male angel's wings, and how they enfold the woman in a tender, loving embrace.....such a romantic concept....and then, the two lovers are so obviously deeply immersed in each other, almost as if they were touching each other's heart and soul...  Okay, I'm a hopeless romantic, so please bear with me.  I can't help sighing over this image! 

Book Review: A Regency Christmas Carol, by Mary Balogh, Elisabeth Fairchild, Carla Kelly, Edith Layton (4th review for the 2012 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge)

This is my fourth review for

The 2012 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge,

which runs from

November 19, 2012, to Jan. 6, 2013! 

For participation rules, please click

on the challenge button above.

A Regency Christmas Carol
Mary Balogh, Elisabeth Fairchild, Carla Kelly, Edith Layton, Anne Barbour
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Signet
November 1, 1997
Christmas Romance, Historical Fiction

Several years ago, I started a Christmas tradition for myself, and have been looking forward to it every time that beautiful season rolls around: reading Christmas romances, whether they are novels or short story anthologies.  I especially enjoy reading Regency romances, since I am an ardent Anglophile, and love the period in which Jane Austen produced her masterpieces. 

This particular collection contains stories by some of the best authors in the genre, and is a real gem!  What makes it especially wonderful is the fact that all of the stories revolve around music.  Of course, music is central to the celebration of this, the most beautiful, joyous, time of year. 

Waiting On Wednesday #58: Othermoon, by Nina Berry

This is a weekly book meme, hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine,

which features future releases that
we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!


Here's my pick for this week!

Othermoon

(Otherkin #2)

Nina Berry

Paperback, 320 pages

K-Teen

January 29. 2013

Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Fiction

2012 BOOK TOURS RECAP!!

  

Please click on each button above to visit

each tour company's website.

At the beginning of last year, I set a very important goal for my blog, which was to start featuring book tours.  I am now a tour host for three different tour companies (although I haven't participated in any tours for the third one, TLC Book Tours, since I've just recently joined up).

The first tour company I joined was Innovative Online Book Tours.  I have participated in several of their tours, either as a reviewer, interviewer, with a promotional post, or inviting an author to do a guest post on my blog. 

Later on in the year, I joined Novel Publicity Book Tours, and have so far participated in one event, doing two author interviews for it. 

I hope to continue bringing you interesting book tours this year, as well!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

I wish all of you a healthy, blessed,

and WONDERFUL

New Year!!!  

And, of course.....