giveaways!

Ashes of a Black Frost (11/1) | The Shattered Vine (11/3)
Coming soon:

drey's Giveaway Policy

FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on covers or links here may result in monetary compensation.

Winners--Melissa Senate's The Secret of Joy!!

November 30, 2009
the secret of joyHey y'all, it's winner time! Two lucky ducks to announce, and they are:

Comment #18, sharon54220!!

Comment #8, Sue!!

Congratulations, y'all! Emails have been sent out, please reply with your mailing information before the end of day Thursday! THANK YOU for swinging by...

Want the book? Click on the cover to purchase from Amazon.

drey's blogoversary: Day 6!

Another week, another 5 days on the carousel... Friday's book was Flesh and Fire and the lucky winner was housemouse88!

Rules:
-- Contest is open to US residents only (some will also be open to Canadian residents, and I will identify this by the book), no PO Boxes please!
-- Follow for 1 extra entry. I am going to be very particular about this--I must be able to verify this, so please let me know where you follow, and how I can identify you. Email address (Feedburner email), name (facebook NetworkedBlogs), twitter id, blogger profile page, etc.
-- To enter, comment and tell me which book you'd like. If the book is not picked, it will be up tomorrow, and etc... You will need to re-enter each day if you still want the book!
-- Make sure there's an email address (you at email dot com).
-- Do it all before 10:00 pm CST. Good luck!

Today's books are...
Lavender Morning by Jude Devereaux (US only)
Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea (US/Canada)
Last Light Over Carolina by Mary Alice Monroe (US only)

lavender morninginto the beautiful northlast light over carolina

Reading Comfort's bookmarks and paperweight...

About a month or so ago, the good folks at Reading Comfort sent me a few products to review. And being the bookworm that I am, I promptly put the products to use, over and over again. I figured it was finally time to let y'all know what I got, and what I thought of them!

The first item to tell you about is their Elegant Paperweight. They sent me one in Red Papillon:

red papillon paperweight
I used my paperweight just about right away. I was reading Waking the Dead by Kylie Brant, and used my paperweight to prop open the pages while I nibbled on chocolate. The paperweight has a nice heft to it. The tassel is nice and full. And it works great for holding a book open, especially for hardcovers and paperbacks. Mass market paperbacks seem a little too small--the print along the inside of the pages are under the paperweight, so you have to move the paperweight out of the way to read the words underneath. I finally just laid it down horizontally across both pages, and only had to move it once.

They also sent me two very lovely bookmarks--the 4-ribbon bookmark in Red Diamonds with button, and a 2-ribbon black Glittermark. My 4-ribbon bookmark looks like this one, but in red (I couldn't find the red in the product page, maybe it's not available anymore?):

4-ribbon bookmark
I put this one on Mike Carey's Vicious Circle, because I knew I'd be reading that one in between books. Or, reading other books in between chapters in this one... The ribbons are nice and solid--they're not some flimsy little thing that'll snag and unravel on you. The elastic fits a hardcover snugly, and the ribbons go all the way through to the bottom of the book and more (so you don't lose it in the book, lol!).

For those who want a little more pizzazz with their bookmark, there's the Glittermark. Mine is a black ribbon with an "X" on it, and boy is it pretty:


Same as with the 4-ribbon bookmark, the Glittermark's ribbon is nice and solid, and the elastic fits a hardcover snugly. There's only two ribbons with the Glittermark, but I don't think you'll find that to be a problem at all. I used my Glittermark with a hardcover and a paperback, but haven't tried it with a mass market yet.

So, there you go. I loved all three products, and have been using them constantly (except for my 4-ribbon, which is still gracing my copy of Vicious Circle). If you're interested in any of these products, either for yourself or for a fellow reader, swing by the Reading Comfort website.

drey's blogoversary: Day 5!

November 27, 2009
Day 5 already? How time flies when we're having fun, huh? Yesterday's book was Mama Dearest and the lucky winner was lag123!! Email has been sent out, please reply before the end of day Sunday.

Rules:
-- Contest is open to US residents only (some will also be open to Canadian residents, and I will identify this by the book), no PO Boxes please!
-- Follow for 1 extra entry. I am going to be very particular about this--I must be able to verify this, so please let me know where you follow, and how I can identify you. Email address (Feedburner email), name (facebook NetworkedBlogs), twitter id, blogger profile page, etc.
-- To enter, comment and tell me which book you'd like. If the book is not picked, it will be up tomorrow, and etc... You will need to re-enter each day if you still want the book!
-- Make sure there's an email address (you at email dot com).
-- Do it all before 10:00 pm CST. Good luck!

Today's books are...
Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman (US only)
Lavender Morning by Jude Devereaux (US only)
Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea (US/Canada)

flesh and firelavender morninginto the beautiful north

216. Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast...

markedAbout the book:
Enter the dark, magical world of The House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change--and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

drey's thoughts:
A while back, someone recommended the House of Night series to me, because I do like me some vampyre stories... =) And so when I remembered--which is a whole 'nother topic in itself, lol--I added the book to my library list. And they all came up at the same time. Yay me!

In this world, vampires are Marked, or tagged, if you will. You toddle along human, then "bam!" you're now going to have the chance to become a vampire. And we're talking chance, here--nothing's granted, and you'll have to hope that you'll make it through the change. Or die.

Marked starts off with Zoey getting tagged. And continues with her dealing with (a) getting marked, (b) her loser step-dad's attitude about her in general and her getting marked in particular, (c) her boyfriend's reaction to her getting marked, (d) her dreams with the goddess Nyx in 'em, and finally, (e) going to a new school and trying to fit in. Whew! And if all that was not enough, she's also marked differently from the other fledglings. So she's dealing with (a) through (e), and special, to boot. Poor Zoey.

Then she finds out that not everything's hunky-dory at the House of Night, gets involved in a hissing-match with the current leader of the school's Daughters of the Dark, and ends up replacing her. And figures out that not everything is as it seems, indeed. Just what she's supposed to do about it, though, is the question.

I enjoyed Marked, but don't think it's up to something like say, the Morganville series. Zoey is a more-than-slightly insecure, lip-gnawing, pretty naive, teenager. And while she's not even close to being as whiny as Bella (and if you don't know who Bella is, where on earth have you been? lol!), she's still a tad too much on that side of the fence for me to really like her. But hey, there's lots of books in the series yet, for Zoey to grow up a little. =)

Title: Marked
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
ISBN-10: 0312360266
ISBN-13: 9780312360269
Paperback: 306 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2007

Challenges: 100+, 1st in Series, Support Your Local Library, Vampire

Disclosure: My copy of Marked paid a short visit from the library, along with a boatload of other books.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving is not a holiday I grew up with, which isn't surprising since I didn't grow up in America. But I've been here 18 years now, and have to admit that it's one of my favorite holidays now. Not for the shopping on Black Friday--even if I have gone out with the crazies at 5am in the morning--but for the time spent with friends and family, where nothing's expected but good company, good food, and good football.

For those who are traveling, I wish you safe travels. Enjoy your Thanksgiving.

To the Dingmanns, Gordons, Thomptos, Kozuchs, Joro, Kalogirous, & Riveras, I miss you guys and am thankful to have known you. Happy Thanksgiving.

drey's blogoversary: Day 4!!

It's a new day, and we have a winner to post, and a new book to add to the carousel... Yesterday's book was Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife and the lucky winner was Benita! Email has been sent out, please reply before the end of day Saturday.

Rules:
-- Contest is open to US residents only (some will also be open to Canadian residents, and I will identify this by the book), no PO Boxes please!
-- Follow for 1 extra entry. I am going to be very particular about this--I must be able to verify this, so please let me know where you follow, and how I can identify you. Email address (Feedburner email), name (facebook NetworkedBlogs), twitter id, blogger profile page, etc.
-- To enter, comment and tell me which book you'd like. If the book is not picked, it will be up tomorrow, and etc... You will need to re-enter each day if you still want the book!
-- Make sure there's an email address (you at email dot com).
-- Do it all before 10:00 pm CST. Good luck!

Today's books are...
Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman (US only)
Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris (US only)
Lavender Morning by Jude Devereaux (US only)

PLEASE pay attention to whether you can enter for the book you're choosing, based on whether it's available for your location.

flesh and firemama dearestlavender morning

215. Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie...

before they are hangedAbout the book:
Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It's enough to make a torturer want to run - if he could even walk without a stick.

Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem-he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world.

And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters-if they didn't hate each other quite so much.

Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven-but not before they are hanged.

drey's thoughts:
Ok, so if the "about the book" section above doesn't make you at least pick this book up, I don't know what will... *grin* So. After inhaling The Blade Itself, I swallowed Before They are Hanged. Literally. Mostly because it had to go back, like, NOW!

So. The adventure continues. And the characters that Joe introduced to us in book #1, continue on their merry way in book #2. Well, maybe not quite so merry way... But the tone and temperament of book #1 is definitely carried on in this one. And so. Prepare to chuckle out loud, even at passages that are a little more dire than those that deserve a chuckle. Because Joe's snarky wit is littered all over the pages of Before They are Hanged. Definitely worth picking up if you're a fan of fantasy, and especially if you're a fan of wit, snarkiness, sarcasm, and plain old understatement.

Title: Before They are Hanged
Author: Joe Abercrombie
ISBN-10: 1591026415
ISBn-13: 9781591026419
Paperback: 539 pages
Publisher: Prometheus Books, 2008

Challenges: 100+, Series, Support Your Local Library

Disclosure: My copy of Before They are Hanged sat patiently on my shelves for quite a while, waiting till I got and read The Blade Itself so I could get to it, and return it from whence it came (i.e. the public library).

Winners--Julia London's A Courtesan's Scandal...

November 25, 2009
courtesan's scandalWinner, winner, chicken dinner... (Sorry, Brenda! I was just thinking of you, & this came out my fingers...)

Anyway, the news you've been holding your breath for (just kidding!)... The two winners of Julia London's A Courtesan's Scandal are:

Comment #4, karen k!!

Comment #36, RachieG!!

Congratulations, y'all! Emails have been sent, please reply with your mailing information before the end of day Saturday! And THANK YOU for swinging by...

Want the book? Click on the cover to purchase from Amazon.

drey's blogoversary: Day 3!

Another day, another giveaway... Yesterday's book was Italian for Beginners and the lucky winner was Allison of Poodle Doodle! Email has been sent out, please reply before the end of day Friday.

Rules:
-- Contest is open to US residents only (some will also be open to Canadian residents, and I will identify this by the book), no PO Boxes please!
-- Follow for 1 extra entry. I am going to be very particular about this--I must be able to verify this, so please let me know where you follow, and how I can identify you. Email address (Feedburner email), name (facebook NetworkedBlogs), twitter id, blogger profile page, etc.
-- To enter, comment and tell me which book you'd like. If the book is not picked, it will be up tomorrow, and etc... You will need to re-enter each day if you still want the book!
-- Make sure there's an email address (you at email dot com).
-- Do it all before 10:00 pm CST. Good luck!

Today's books are...
Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman (US only)
Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll (US/Canada)
Mama Dearest by E. Lynn Harris (US only)

PLEASE pay attention to whether you can enter for the book you're choosing, based on whether it's available for your location.

mr darcy takes a wifeflesh and firemama dearest

214. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie...

the blade itselfAbout the book:
Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian - leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.

Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.

Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.

Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glotka a whole lot more difficult.

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood. Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge.

drey's thoughts:
So. I've mentioned before that Best Served Cold was my first Joe Abercrombie, and I had put Before They are Hanged on my library list without realizing it was book #2 in the First Law series. And because Before They are Hanged was due back at the library, I inhaled The Blade Itself pretty much as soon as I got it home.

Whereupon I realize that some of the characters here show up in Best Served Cold... Oh well, what's a girl to do?

Anyway. The Blade Itself is wittily snarky fantasy. The cast of characters are quite a collection. I think my favorite is Major West, the commoner who won glory in a battle and is now resented by the righteous nobility for usurping their ranks. Never mind that he might actually deserve to be there. Then again, how do you pick a favorite when there's Logen Ninefingers around? The scarred barbarian definitely follows that idiom about not opening your mouth (and removing all doubt that you're an idiot). Not that he is. Some of the others could do a lot worse than follow his example... Not that they'd deign to.

Joe Abercrombie takes a classic formula--characters from different backgrounds; class warfare; threatening barbarians; ineffectual government--and throws in cup of wit, a dash of snark, and a handful of plot. Which, when stirred together, gives you a very entertaining read where the good guys and the bad guys are sometimes interchangeable.

Title: The Blade itself
Author: Joe Abercrombie
ISBN-10: 159102594X
ISBN-13: 9781591025948
Paperback: 527 pages
Publisher: Prometheus Books, 2007 (reprint)

Challenges: 100+, 1st in Series, Support Your Local Library

Disclosure: My copy of The Blade Itself came for a very brief visit from my local library.

drey's blogoversary: Day 2!!

November 24, 2009
I still cannot believe it's been a year. I guess time does fly when you're having fun, huh? =)

Anyway, today I'm starting up the carousel giveaway. On the block are three lovely books. One winner will be picked, and the other two will go on to tomorrow's carousel. So pay attention, this one will move fast!

Rules:
-- Contest is open to US residents only (some will also be open to Canadian residents, and I will identify this by the book), no PO Boxes please!
-- Follow for 1 extra entry. I am going to be very particular about this--I must be able to verify this, so please let me know where you follow, and how I can identify you. Email address (Feedburner email), name (facebook NetworkedBlogs), twitter id, blogger profile page, etc.
-- To enter, comment and tell me which book you'd like. If the book is not picked, it will be up tomorrow, and etc... You will need to re-enter each day if you still want the book!
-- Make sure there's an email address (you at email dot com).
-- Do it all before 10:00 pm CST. Good luck!

Today's books are...
Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman (US only)
Italian for Beginners by Kristin Harmel (US/Canada)
Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll (US/Canada)

mr darcy takes a wifeitalian for beginnersflesh and fire

213. I, Alex Cross by James Patterson...

alex crossAbout the book:
Alex Cross's niece is found brutally murdered. Overcome with grief, Alex vows to take down her killer before he strikes again. But shortly after he begins the investigation, Alex discovers that his niece had gotten mixed up with some very important, very dangerous people. And she's not the only one who has disappeared.

The hunt for the murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to Washington's most infamous club--a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. The killer could be one of their patrons, one of Washington's elite who will do anything to keep their secrets buried.

With astonishing plot twists and electrifying revelations that will keep readers on the edge of their seat, I AM ALEX CROSS is James Patterson's most suspenseful Alex Cross novel yet.

drey's thoughts:
It's been a while since I've read an Alex Cross novel, so I was excited to see this one gracing my mailbox. And it's definitely your typical Alex Cross novel. Damsel in distress? Check. Seriously disturbed loon killing people? Check. Detective ticking people off by talking to people he "shouldn't" be? Check.

It's sad that the damsel in distress isn't really in distress anymore, and that she's his estranged niece. But I thought that there wasn't quite enough emotional drama that plays out as a result, and what it did have didn't really resonate with me. This one read like just-another-crime-novel, instead of a crime novel where the main character goes a little nuts, because hey, it's his niece.

Not to say it's not a good crime novel--this is Patterson's work after all, and the dude knows his crime novel formula like the back of his hand. Could it have been better? Sure. See the above paragraph. And I guessed whodunit wayyyyyy before we got to the end. Of course, I was right. =)

Cross fans will like this one, because it's a Cross novel. Patterson fans will like this one because, well, they're fans. But if you're a fan of more than just another cookie-cutter novel, pick up something else. Like maybe Sheldon Rusch's books.

Title: I, Alex Cross
Author: James Patterson
ISBN-10: 0316018783
ISBN-13: 9780316018784
Hardcover: 374 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of I, Alex Cross was provided by Hachette Book Group for this review.

drey's blogoversary: Day 1!

November 23, 2009
Ok, here we go! To kick-start my blogoversary celebration, I have a few books for you to choose from. How many books get new homes, depends on how many people enter the giveaway... All books have been very gently read--they are either from my library, or a book sent to me for review.

Rules:
-- Contest is open to US residents only, no PO Boxes please! Sorry, international folks, I cannot afford shipping overseas...
-- Follow for 1 extra entry. I am going to be very particular about this--I must be able to verify this, so please let me know where you follow, and how I can identify you. Email address (Feedburner email), name (facebook NetworkedBlogs), twitter id, blogger profile page, etc.
-- To enter, comment about the extra entries for the giveaways here on drey's library, and tell me if you like them or not, with reason, please. I'm considering making my life easier, and removing extra entries will do that, but if you blog about the giveaways, or tweet 'em, etc., then there should be a recognition that you did something other than say "enter me", right? Or am I making this wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too complicated?
-- Make sure there's an email address (you at email dot com), and list which book(s) you'd like, in order of preference.
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST December 4th. Good luck!

Winners:
Every 10 people entered means ONE winner gets picked, for a maximum of 10 winners. So, go nuts and tell the world.

Now for the important part, the books (click on the titles for more information):
  1. Liam Hearn's Tales of the Otori: Across the Nightingale Floor, Grass for His Pillow, Brilliance of the Moon (yes, this is a 3-book set)
  2. Jeaniene Frost's Halfway to the Grave and One Foot in the Grave
  3. Jacqueline Carey's Banewreaker and Godslayer
  4. John Shirley's Bleak History
  5. Amber Benson's Death's Daughter
  6. Jim Butcher's Academ's Fury (Codex Alera #2)
  7. Michelle Rowen's Tall, Dark & Fangsome
  8. Molly Harper's Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men
  9. Anne Bishop's The House of Gaian
  10. Patricia Briggs' Dragon Blood
  11. Chris Marie Green's A Drop of Red
  12. Dan Simmons' Hyperion
  13. Leila Cobo's Tell Me Something True
  14. Belinda Acosta's Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz
  15. Lisa Fineberg Cook's Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me
  16. Sarah Bird's How Perfect is That
  17. Anita Shreve's A Change in Altitude
  18. Katie Crouch's Girls in Trucks
  19. Claire LaZebnik's The Smart One and the Pretty One
  20. Shelley Adina's Tidings of Great Boys
  21. Zoey Dean's Hollywood is Like High School with Money
  22. Sue-Ellen Welfonder's A Highlander's Temptation
  23. Amanda Scott's Tamed by a Laird
  24. Jennifer Haymore's A Hint of Wicked
  25. Mindy Klasky's Magic and the Modern Girl

Hopefully there's something here for everybody... =)

It's my blogoversary!! Time to celebrate!!

OMG. I cannot believe it. ONE whole year! 200+ books. 100 giveaways. 13 interviews. 20 guest posts. 159 authors. Almost 400 followers on Google Friend Connect. 600+ subscribers on FeedBurner. Ok, so I'm slacking on the interviews... I'll have to do something about that!

I'm honored and touched that you think it worth your time to swing by and read my posts. I appreciate that you stop by, and I hope you keep doing it! *grin*

To celebrate this first year mark, I've got a few questions, and a--what else?--giveaway or two for you...

First, to make you work...

I am thinking of slowing down a bit on things here, especially the reviews. Posting daily on weekdays is a huge commitment, and I've been neglecting other things. If I can get to 3 reviews a week, I think I'll be happy. But will you? Anyway, if I slow down on my reading, I will need to focus a bit more on the genres I read. Which brings up the question--are you here for the reviews? If so, which genres do you read my reviews for? If you're not here for the reviews, then is it the giveaways? And if so, which ones?

Now are you ready to find out what the giveaway is? There are two. One starts today, so check out the drey's blogoversary: Day 1 giveaway post!

For the second giveaway, I'm borrowing the "carousel" method I saw at Dan's Journal...
There will be three books listed each day. One book will be selected, and the other two will be carried over to the next day with a new book added, until all 9 books are given away.

This one will run tomorrow through December 4th, on the weekdays only!! Please be aware that there will be books added to the carousel on Thanksgiving Day, and the day after Thanksgiving, so don't eat too much turkey and forget to come by! *grin*

A huge heartfelt THANK YOU to the folks at Pocket Book, Hachette Book Group, and Sourcebooks, for providing books for the carousel. I have had such a great time working with all of you this year, and I hope you feel the same way too!

A bag full of Loot...

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!





the blade itselfYay! The Blade Itself came home! Just in time to get it and Before They are Hanged read so the latter can go back to the library.


















Also, a whole slew of 'em were ready for pickup. It's like Christmas merged with the library and dumped a whole pile of books on me all at once...
The Awakening, L.J. Smith
Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger
Fire Study, Maria Snyder
House of Night, PC Cast (Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, Untamed, Hunted)

Phew!
hunteduntamedchosenbetrayedmarkedfire studyher fearful symmetrythe awakening

Winners--lot's of 'em, so c'mon & see if you got lucky...

November 22, 2009
Story of my life. Things are really crazy busy right now, and so I'm behind on drawing winners... Anyway, I wanted to make sure I got this done before the big blogoversary thing starting tomorrow, so here goes. Lots of books, lots of winners... Boy, did Randomizer work hard!

one lucky cowboyFirst up: Carolyn Brown's Lucky in Love and One Lucky Cowboy:
Comment #5, Sweet Vernal Zephyr!!





waking the deadNext up: Kylie Brant's Waking the Dead:
Comment #17, Sheila Deeth!!

















to desire a devilThird on the list: Elizabeth Hoyt's To Desire a Devil:
Comment #41, budletsmom!!
Comment #14, Jane!!
Comment #11, CrystalGB of Conversing with Crystal!!













sins of the fleshFourth: Caridad Piñeiro's Sins of the Flesh:
Comment #45, Jaime of Copper Llama Studio!!
Comment #41, Anita Yancey!!
Comment #17, mabelilly28!!

Phew!! All emails have been sent out, please respond with your mailing information before the end of day Wednesday... THANK YOU for swinging by!

212. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead...

blood promiseAbout the book:
Bound by love, but sworn to kill...

The world thought Dimitri was dead. And to a certain extent, he was. But I hadn't been able to forget a conversation he and I had once had. We'd both agreed that we'd rather be dead--truly dead--than walk the world as Strigoi. It was time to honor our words.


Guardian Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same. The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck; a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count.

But only one victim matters... Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa--her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess--or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved?

Now, with everything at stake--and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend--can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love?

drey's thoughts:
Ah, the long-awaited follow-up to Shadow Kiss... Blood Promise fulfilled my need to find out what happens (because what else is the point of reading a series?), and uncovered some surprises and a bit of drama as well...

Long story (heh, at 503 pages, it was a bit long) short, Rose goes to Russia to look for Dimitri. Because where else would he head after getting turned, if not home? In any case, she finds his family. And, unbeknownst to her, someone important in her life, too.

Does she find Dimitri? Will she be able to kill him? You'll have to read this one to find out. But if you're a fan of Mead's Vampire Academy series, you won't be disappointed by Blood Promise.

Title: Blood Promise
Author: Richelle Mead
ISBN-10: 1595141987
ISBN-13: 978-1595141989
Hardcover: 503 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library, Vampire

Disclosure: My copy of Blood Promise was on loan from my local library for the simple pleasure of reading it and finding out what happens to Rose and Dmitri.

211. Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie...

November 21, 2009
best served coldAbout the book:
Springtime in Styria. And that means war.

There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. Armies march, heads roll, and cities burn, while behind the scenes bankers, priests, and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.

War may be hell, but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso's employ, it's a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular--a shade too popular for her employer's taste. Murcatto is betrayed and left for dead, her reward a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.

Her allies include Styria's least reliable drunkard, Styria's most treacherous poisoner, a mass murderer obsessed with numbers, and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that's all before the mot dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started...

Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.

drey's thoughts:
Best Served Cold is my first Joe Abercrombie. I saw "him" on another blog earlier this year, then I found his blog, and thought to myself, "this guy has a wicked cool sense of humor"... So I picked this up when I saw it at the library. I must say, this book reminds me of my husband's favorite Shakespeare tragedies. Lots of death, with a dash of tongue-in-cheek humor for flavor.

It's a pretty big tome, not that I'm complaining. Monza is literally a shell of her former self, and I'm amazed at the nerve she has in planning for revenge, when she can't barely walk without her hip aching. But, plan she does. And recruits, too. And so this band of misfits stumble and fumble their way down Monza's list. Seven men must die, after all.

Joe's characters are entertaining, if a bit irredeemable. But some of them land on both feet, some don't land at all, and you won't want to put the book down as you march surely (if a bit slowly) towards page 632.

Title: Best Served Cold
Author: Joe Abercrombie
ISBN-10: 0316044962
ISBN-13: 9780316044967
Hardcover: 632 pages
Publisher: Orbit, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library

Disclosure: My copy of Best Served Cold made a brief visit from the local library and is probably gracing somebody else's home right now...

210. True Blue by David Baldacci...

November 20, 2009
true blueAbout the book:
Mason "Mace" Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime. She lost everything-her badge, her career, her freedom-and spent two years in prison. Now she's back on the outside and focused on one mission: to be a cop once more. Her only shot to be a true blue again is to solve a major case on her own, and prove she has the right to wear the uniform. But even with her police chief sister on her side, she has to work in the shadows: A vindictive U.S. attorney is looking for any reason to send Mace back behind bars. Then Roy Kingman enters her life.

Roy is a young lawyer who aided the poor until he took a high-paying job at a law firm in Washington. Mace and Roy meet after he discovers the dead body of a female partner at the firm. As they investigate the death, they start uncovering surprising secrets from both the private and public world of the nation's capital.

Soon, what began as a fairly routine homicide takes a terrifying and unexpected turn-into something complex, diabolical, and possibly lethal.

drey's thoughts:
True Blue is a fast-paced read into the life of a former cop, and (mainly) her need to find out who'd set her up. But she gets in over her head when it appears that all of the dark and shadowy organizations that exist to "protect" us, somehow are involved--both in her past, and in the current murders. And Mace has to hurry up and figure this one out, before they get to her, Roy, and her sister.

Fans of the suspense/thriller genre will dig this latest Baldacci offering. I thought that Mace was just a little too hard, but maybe that's what happens when a former cop spends two years in prison.

Title: True Blue
Author: David Baldacci
ISBN-10: 0446195510
ISBN-13: 9780446195515
Hardcover: 454 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of True Blue was provided by Hachette Book Group for this review.

Giveaway: It Happened One Night by Lisa Dale...

it happened one nightAbout the book:
Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it. Lana Biel has always wanted to shake the dust of Vermont off her feet and see the world, one exotic country after another. But when a lighthearted spring fling changes her life forever, she turns to the one man whose strong shoulders can lighten any burden: her best friend, Eli Ward. Eli has always been there for Lana--after all, that's what best friends do. But Lana isn't the only one hiding something. Eli is keeping secrets of his own that threaten their relationship. Yet as summer turns to fall, new desires awaken between them, even as old fears tear them apart. Then, when another Vermont winter fills the valleys with snow, Eli and Lana are given the chance for an adventure greater than they ever dreamed possible...and a love that will last for all time.

Giveaway!
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have up to five copies of It Happened One Night for you...
Rules:
-- Contest is open to US and Canada residents, no PO Boxes please!
-- To enter, comment. That's it.
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Every 10 people entered gets another copy in the hat, so tell everyone! =)
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST December 3rd. Good luck!

209. Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman...

November 19, 2009
flesh and fireAbout the book:
Once, all power in the Vin Lands was held by the prince-mages, who alone could craft spellwines, and selfishly used them to increase their own wealth and influence. But their abuse of power caused a demigod to break the Vine, shattering the power of the mages. Now, fourteen centuries later, it is the humble Vinearts who hold the secret of crafting spells from wines, the source of magic, and they are prohibited from holding power.

But now rumors come of a new darkness rising in the vineyards. Strange, terrifying creatures, sudden plagues, and mysterious disappearances threaten the land. Only one Vineart senses the danger, and he has only one weapon to use against it: a young slave. His name is Jerzy, and his origins are unknown, even to him. Yet his uncanny sense of the Vinearts' craft offers a hint of greater magics within — magics that his Master, the Vineart Malech, must cultivate and grow. But time is running out. If Malech cannot teach his new apprentice the secrets of the spellwines, and if Jerzy cannot master his own untapped powers, the Vin Lands shall surely be destroyed.

In Flesh and Fire, first in a spellbinding new trilogy, Laura Anne Gilman conjures a story as powerful as magic itself, as intoxicating as the finest of wines, and as timeless as the greatest legends ever told.

drey's thoughts:
I was not a fan of Laura Anne Gilman's Retrievers series. But the premise of Flesh and Fire, and the cover, got me to pick it up and give it a try. And am I glad I did...

Wine as a source of magic. Grapes and soil determining the type of magic. Slavery as an institutionalized practice. Flesh and Fire began slowly, but then sometimes the good ones do--what matters is the follow-up, right? Anyway. Jerzy's apprenticeship to Malech starts off the book. A little while later, trouble appears on their doorstep, and Jerzy's sent to another Vineart, to learn his skills, his magic. And to listen for more trouble.

But instead of just listening for it, Jerzy finds himself in the thick of it. And by the time the book ends, you are ready to see what the next chapter holds in store for this young apprentice, and his new traveling companions.

Title: Flesh and Fire (Vineart War #1)
Author: Laura Anne Gilman
ISBN-10: 1439101418
ISBN-13: 9781439101414
Hardcover: 374 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2009

Challenges: 100+, 1st in Series, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of Flesh and Fire was provided by Pocket Books for a blog tour on Oct. 26.

208. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella...

November 18, 2009
twenties girlAbout the book:
Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don't get visited by ghosts. Or do they?

When the spirit of Lara's great-aunt Sadie--a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance--mysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie's possession for more than seventy-five years, and Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara, on the other hand, has a number of ongoing distractions. Her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, her start-up company is floundering, and she's just been dumped by the "perfect" man.

Sadie, however, could care less.

Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie's necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different "twenties" girls learn some surprising truths from each other along the way. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella's books beloved by millions, Twenties Girl is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.

drey's thoughts:
One thing I can always count on from Sophie Kinsella--a book that will make me laugh out loud. I've read just about every books she's written, and Confessions of a Shopaholic has made its rounds of various girlfriends' bookshelves...

And Twenties Girl definitely did not disappoint. It is entertainingly funny--laugh-out-loud in places, embarrassingly so in others--from page one to page 435. Lara's reaction to her great-aunt's ghost appearing, drew chuckles. Her seemingly talking to herself drew smirks. Her lying to her parents, winces.

If you liked Bridget Jones' Diary or The Undomestic Goddess, you'd love Twenties Girl. Note that I didn't include Confessions here. It's because I like Lara more than Becky--she's got a head on her shoulders (ghost notwithstanding), and is way less flaky than Becky.

Title: Twenties Girl
Author: Sophie Kinsella
ISBN-10: 0385342020
ISBN-13: 9780385342025
Hardcover: 435 pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library

Disclosure: My copy of Twenties Girl made a brief stop on my bookcase, and went safely back into the folds of the library...

Giveaway: The Gate House by Nelson DeMille...

the gate house
About the book:
#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.

Read an excerpt:


Giveaway!
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have up to five copies of The Gate House for you...
Rules:
-- Contest is open to US and Canada residents, no PO Boxes please!
-- To enter, comment. That's it.
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Every 10 people entered gets another copy in the hat, so tell everyone! =)
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST December 1st. Good luck!

Tour: 207. The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate...

November 17, 2009
Today's tour is for Melissa Senate's The Secret of Joy...

the secret of joyAbout the book:
Is the half sister that Rebecca Strand has never met short? Tall? Rich? Poor? Pretty? Funny? Married? Lonely? Happy? . . .

Rebecca is about to find out. The New York City paralegal thought nothing could shake her life off its fast track--which includes her handsome lawyer boyfriend and their extravagant condo. The shocking revelation that she even has a half sister comes from her dying father, in a hospital bed confession of a long-past summer affair... and now the dad she adores has one last wish: would Rebecca deliver a cache of letters he never sent to his other daughter, Joy Jayhawk, in a tiny coastal Maine town?

But when Rebecca arrives in Wiscasset, with the life-changing letters stashed in a leather box, nothing goes as she imagined--and Joy Jayhawk is less than thrilled to meet her. Joy already has her own life, her own family, and her own business: she runs a bus tour for singles, a matchmaking excursion that's brought lovers together, healed broken hearts, and changed lives. Rebecca joins the singles tour in the hopes of unlocking a door into Joy's life and forming a relationship with the only family she has left. But as she spends more and more time with Joy and the women who dub themselves The Divorced Ladies Club of Wiscasset--and starts a flirtation with a seriously hunky local carpenter--Rebecca realizes it's her life and heart that are ready for healing and change... and that sometimes, you just have to go along for the ride.

About the author:
Melissa Senate is the author of eight novels, including the bestselling See Jane Date, which was made into an ABC Family TV movie and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. She's published short pieces in Everything I've Always Wanted to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, It's a Wonderful Lie, Flirting with Pride and Prejudice, and American Girls About Town. A former romance and young adult editor from New York, she now lives on the southern coast of Maine with her son. Find her online at her website, www.melissasenate.com.

drey's thoughts:
Oh, what a lovely book this is. Rebecca pulls you along with her on her journey of discovery--of her sister, her wants, her life... Warm, funny, and intimate, The Secret of Joy is a touching story about a young woman's quest to find the more in her life. Because there's gotta be more than just this.

Never mind that the journey is kick-started by a deathbed confession. Never mind that the person she's searching for may not want her around. And never mind that her live-in boyfriend swings between ambivalence and antagonism towards her quest.

A thoroughly enjoyable read by Melissa Senate. So enjoyable, in fact, that I went and sat down at the computer as soon as I finished reading the last page. Get it if you like warm fuzzies from your books.

Giveaway!
Thanks to Pocket Books, I have two copies of The Secret of Joy for you...
Rules:
-- Contest is open to US residents only, no PO Boxes please!
-- To enter, comment and share--what would you have done, if you were Rebecca? I'd probably have freaked. But in Rebecca's shoes, I probably would've been too numb to act anytime soon...
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST November 30th. Good luck!

Title: The Secret of Joy
Author: Melissa Senate
ISBN-10: 1439107173
ISBN-13: 9781439107171
Paperback: 330 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2009

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Disclosure: My copy of The Secret of Joy was provided by the publisher for this blog tour.

Tour stops:
Books, Movies & Chinese Food
Booking Mama
Frugal Plus
All About {n}
Rundpinne
Brizmus Blogs Books
Psychotic State
Books Reviews by Buuklvr81
Starting Fresh
A Sea of Books
That’s A Novel Idea
Book Junkie
My Book Views
drey’s library
Me, My Book & the Couch
Just Another New Blog
One Person’s Journey Through A World of Books
Booksie’s Blog
Book N Around
Keep on Booking
My Life In Not So Many Words
Beth’s Book Review Blog
Readaholic
My Reading Room
My Book Addiction and More
Crazy For Books
Bella’s Novella
Blog Business World
Reading at the Beach
My Friend Amy
Book Magic
The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object
So Many Books, So Little Time
Jeanne's Ramblings
Red Headed Book Child
Reading with Tequila
Books, Gardens, and Dogs
Jens Book Talk
My Own Little Corner of the World
Lit and Life
Entertainment Realm
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