Shelf Candy Saturday #1: Bloodrose, by Andrea Cremer

This wonderful book meme/blog hop

is hosted by

Stephanie @

Five Alarm Book Reviews!!

The purpose of this feature is to display a favorite

book cover, with information, if available,

about the cover illustrator, photographer,

and/or designer.

For all the participation rules just click

HERE.

For my first post, I'm showing some

cover love to:

Bloodrose

Andrea Cremer

Hardcover, 406 pages

Philomel Books

Published January 3, 2012

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance,

Urban Fantasy

Although red is not my favorite color, I was immediately attracted to this cover when I first saw it.  The photograph is excellent, and I love the way the furry hood frames the model's face.  She's looking toward the wolf coming up behind her, and her expression is one of wary expectation, as if she's not sure if this beautiful animal is friend or foe.  I also like the way the tones of red are handled.  It looks either as if dawn is breaking, or night is falling.  All in all, I think it's a very striking cover, as are the first two covers of this trilogy.

Two of my readers mentioned something I forgot to include in this post -- the lettering, with the spot of dripping blood.   Thus, I decided to come back and add it to my original statements.  The title of the book is done in very stark, classical lettering, so that spot of blood stands out even more!  This is the final touch that makes this cover what it is -- true eye and shelf candy!

The artists:

Gabrielle Revere

Photographer

Ms. Revere is known as a photographer

for the fine arts, fashion,

and music industries.

Theresa M. Evangelista

Cover Designer

(photo unavailable)

Ms. Evangelista has designed

several covers for

Penguin Young Readers Group,

a division of

Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

What do you think of my choice?

What gorgeous covers have 

you showcased this week?

TGIF at GReads #1: Reading Resolutions

It's TGIF time!!!!

Happy Friday,

Fellow Book Bloggers!!!!!

This blop hop is hosted at the awesome

GReads!

Each Friday, a question is posted, and the week's

blog posts are re-capped.

To join in the fun, just publish your own post,

and then link up to the hosting blog's hop page!

Here's this week's question:

Reading Resolutions:

What are some of your reading goals

for the new year?

Well, I haven't made any formal resolutions, really.   All I know is that I would like to read more books this year.   In order to do that, though, I would have to somehow read faster, which doesn't come easily for me.  The thing is, I tend to pronounce words in my mind as I read.  I don't know where this habit came from, but there it is... On the other hand, I don't like to zip through books.  If I'm reading fiction, I can't really get lost in the book.  If I'm reading non-fiction, I might not be able to focus on everything the author is presenting.

In addition to my slow reading rate, I hold down two jobs -- my day job schedule is Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, while my night job schedule is Monday through Thursday, from 7:00 to 9:30 PM.  Obviously, these jobs take up a lot of my time!  I need both, though...

I have decided to join a couple of reading challenges, to see if I can make a dent in my enormous TBR pile!   I think I might be able to read at least 12 books for each one, although I can use books for both simultaneously.  I know this doesn't sound like much, but I do intend to review each book, so of course that will also take more time.  Who knows...maybe I'll be able to read anywhere from 25 to 30 books this year.  But again, I'm not formally committing to reading that amount.  Hey, I think this is better than not reading at all!

You can check out this challenge at

Bookish!!

 

You can check out this challenge

at

101 Fantasy Reading Challenge!!

This week at

A Night's Dream of Books

Book Review: Under the Mistletoe

Mr. Neon Wishes You All A Happy New Year!

On My Bookshelves #12

Waiting On Wednesday #25

Waiting On Wednesday #25: Dreamless, by Josephine Angelini

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!!

Dreamless

(Starcrossed #2)

Josephine Angelini

Hardcover, 400 pages

HarperTeen

Expected Publiation Date: May 29, 2012

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology,

Paranormal Romance,

Young Adult

From the Goodreads Synopsis

As the only Scion that can enter Hades at will, Helen descends to the Underworld in search of a way to overcome the Furies and end the cycle of revenge that has cursed the Scions. But she’s running out of time. Each descent weakens her both in mind and spirit. A mysterious stranger might be her only salvation, but the price may be her love for Lucas Delos.

The eagerly awaited sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed, Dreamless delivers with a huge emotional impact that will leave readers satisfied—and longing for more.

This is yet another series I haven't started...
I do have it in my TBR list, and I do

intend to get to Starcrossed this year!

There are just so many great books to read...

and, of course, not enough time

to read them in!!

I'm hoping this TBR challenge I've

signed up for will help,

because I want to start this particular series

so badly!!!

I just love anything related to mythology,

so I'll have to make time for these books

won't I? 

Oh, and KUDOS to Angelini,

for making sure this book's cover

was just as beautiful as the first one!

(Although I am rather partial to the cover

for Starcrossed -- that's because of my

obsession with the color blue!)

What awesome books

are you all eagerly

anticipating this week?

On My Bookshelves #12

My new weekend book meme

highlights the books that I have somehow

never gotten to,

as well as those wonderful books

I would love to re-read!!

Since yesterday was New Year's Eve,

and I took a little trip to Barnes & Noble

in order to use my Christmas gift card,

I didn't get to do this post.

So I've decided to do it today instead.

In this particular installment,

I'm featuring the books that joined

my bookshelves yesterday!

I'm so excited by my purchases!!!

(The gift card was only worth $25.00,

 so of course I couldn't resist

spending some of my own money!  Lol.)

Here are my new treasures!!!!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Laini Taylor

Hardcover, 418 pages

Little, Brown & Company

September 27, 2011

Genres: YA Paranormal Romance,

Urban Fantasy

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past...

What can I say about this book?

Lots of things!

First off, I love, love, love the cover,

which features my favorite color!

Next, she's an art student,

and her drawings are so amazing, they

actually have a cult following at her art school.

As if that weren't enough...she also has blue hair.

And...there are angels (and demons) involved!!

Besides...

the reviews are overwhelmingly positive!!!

So... I'm going to be starting off

the new year with this one!!

Tiger's Voyage

(The Tiger Saga, #3)

Colleen Houck

Hardcover, 560 pages

Splinter Publishing

November 1, 2011

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance,

Fantasy

From the Goodreads Synopsis

With the head-to-head battle against the villainous Lokesh behind her, Kelsey confronts a new heartbreak: in the wake of his traumatic experience, her beloved Ren no longer remembers who she is. As the trio continues their quest by challenging five cunning and duplicitous dragons, Ren and Kishan once more vie for her affections--leaving Kelsey more confused than ever.

Fraught with danger, filled with magic, and packed with romance, TIger's Voyage brings Kelsey and her two tiger princes one step closer to breaking the curse.

Well, I won't be getting to this one just yet,

simply because I haven't read

the first two!

Yes, I admit it...I'm a book hoarder!!

I was sucked in by the gorgeous covers,

so I bought them all,

with every intention of getting to them

at some point in my life...

I am hereby making a New Year's resolution

to read all three in 2012!!!

The plot of each is highly original,

and I love the exotic locales mentioned in

all three of the book's synopses,

as well as the enchanting characters!!

Born At Midnight

(Shadow Falls #1)

C.C. Hunter

Trade Paperback, 398 pages

St. Martin's Griffin

March 29, 2011

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance,

Urban Fantasy

From the Goodreads Synopsis

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.”  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.


Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past...

I wasn't going to buy this at first,

because it contains yet another love triangle...

However, the story sounds so

interesting and fascinating,

i'll just have to give the book

the benefit of the doubt!

Besides, I think the idea of having

kids with supernatural abilities all together

at a school camp is not only original,

but highly fascinating!

Friendships, not to mention romantic

relationships, will have to be

approached from a radically

different angle...

I am very pleased with my little haul!!

And...

I'm reviewing all three of these books

as part of the

2012 TBR Pile

Reading Challenge!!!

(Click on the button in my sidebar for more information.)

MR. NEON WISHES YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

This is Mr. Neon, Miami's answer

to New York's Times Square apple!

A replica of him adorns

one wall of the Intercontinental Hotel,

in downtown Miami,

and helps to count down to the new year.

I did try to get some pictures

of the hotel with my cell phone camera,

but they didn't come out very well.

This one was fine, though,

because Mr. Neon was propped up

on a stand set up in Bayfront Park, 

adjoining the hotel,

for picture-taking purposes.

He came out pretty good, I think,

considering my little phone camera

has no flash!

You can get the background for

this symbol of South Florida

by clicking on the following links:

Miami's Big Orange

Celebrating New Year's Eve in South Florida

 

I would like to wish all of my readers

and their families

a blessed, joyful, and peaceful year,

one full of wonderful opportunities

as well!!