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.

Revisions to my giveaways...

March 31, 2010
I feel like a ping pong ball, albeit one that's taking a while to traverse back to the original whacking paddle...

What am I talking about? Well... The experiment that is drey's library giveaways is moving on to the next stage: a bigger (!), better (hopefully!!), new and improved (crossing fingers!!!) thingamabob. I had to throw that in there somewhere, I've been jonesing to use that word for some reason... Yes, I'm wacko today!

Anyway... Changes. I like lists, so here we go:
  1. I'm removing the "follower" restriction on my giveaways. This means that you do not have to follow the blog, or on twitter, or on facebook's NetworkedBlogs. Of course, you're totally free to do so if you'd like, I LOVE seeing the counts go up. But. No longer necessary for giveaways. Unless specifically stated.
  2. I'm removing the forms for giveaways, too. While the forms are cool and all, I still have to do WORK: create form, post form, gather spreadsheet, tally up extra entries, put randomizer to work, post winners. Instead we'll be using the comments feature. 1 comment per person per giveaway. Extras will be deleted. Yes, this means that I'll have to monitor comments for duplicate entries, but it's still less work! And as comments are numbered, all I have to do is put randomizer to work. Et Voila! Now, to find a magical widget that'll take the randomizer output and post the winners for me... Hmm...
  3. Just 'cuz a 2-point list seems kinda pointless. But I had nothing else to add. So consider this a placeholder of some sort. I just don't know for what yet, or whether it'll be used at all. hoo boy, I'm really in a funky mood, eh?

Thank you for your patience whilst I figure out what's going on here on this ol' blog! I really appreciate your comments, visits, and emails. And while I always say change is good, I am thankful that y'all stick around for the dust to settle every time I "renovate"... THANK YOU

Winner of Danielle Trussoni's Angelology!!

Well, it's time to draw winners for Danielle Trussoni's Angelology! I've enjoyed having Danielle swing by the blog this month, and I hope you have, too.

*drumroll please*
And the winner is...


Congratulations! Email has been sent, please reply with your mailing information before the end of day Friday.

Want the book? Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

Winners!! Num8ers by Rachel Ward...

March 30, 2010
THREE lucky ducks are going to get a copy of Rachel Ward's Num8ers! And they are...

Becca!!

heatwave16!!

Kelsey!!

Congratulations, y'all! Emails have been sent, please reply with your mailing information before the end of day Friday! And thank you for swinging by!

Want the book? Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

40. The New Brighton Archeological Society by Mark Andrew Smith...

nbasTitle: The New Brighton Archeological Society Book One: THE CASTLE OF GALOMAR
Author: Mark Andrew Smith and Matthew Weldon
ISBN-13: 9781582409733
Publisher: Image Comics, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My copy of The New Brighton Archeological Society was provided by the author for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

nbasAbout the book:
Out of the ashes of misfortune will rise the next generation of great adventurers!

After their parents are lost on an archeological expedition, four children begin to unlock the secrets of their parents' mysterious lives, discovering a hidden world of mystical artifacts, mythical creatures, and arcane knowledge. Soon they find themselves drawn into a conflict over a great library that has kept two kingdoms at war for centuries, the children must save an enchanted forest, the birthplace of magic itself. Join us as these children become the latest members of the fabled New Brighton Archeological Society, and take their first steps towards their true destiny!

drey's thoughts:
First things first, the reason there are two covers: The larger one on the top left is the actual cover on my copy, and a lovely cover it is, too... The smaller one on the right is the cover that you see when you search for the title (although to be fair, I only searched on Google). Ok, so now that that's out of the way...

When I was first approached to review The New Brighton Archeological Society, I thought, cool! Then I wondered if I even knew how to review a graphic novel. I mean, the last time I looked at one was decades ago. Like, seriously.

But I liked the artwork, and said yes! And I'm glad I did. The children are two sets of siblings--Cooper and Joss, Becca and Benny--and they are adorable. And (mostly) fearless, as children usually are. Orphaned when their parents die in an expedition, the children are sent to live with their godparents, the Macombers. And just like in The Chronicles of Narnia, the children find themselves on an adventure. They run into fairies, goblins, gain a pet slug, run from vampires that speak Chinese (what did those characters say, anyway?)...

The story is fun and engaging, but some parts might be a bit scary for a younger child (like my just-turned-7-year-old, who thinks there are zombies in his closet so he makes his best friend sleep closest to the closet when they're having a sleepover; even though he really doesn't believe in zombies). The artwork is really pretty cool, and I think that's probably all I'm qualified to say at this point! Pick this up for a fun read to share with your kids, or just to check it out yourselves.

Check out some of the artwork at Major Spoilers

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good


Challenges: 100+

39. Seraphs by Faith Hunter...

March 29, 2010
Title: Seraphs (Rogue Mage #2)
Author: Faith Hunter
ISBN-13: 9780451462442
eBook
Publisher: Penguin, 2007
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Seraphs is an eBook that I purchased once I'd inhaled Faith's Jane Yellowrock series. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

seraphsAbout the book:
Living among humans in a post-apocalyptic ice age, neomage Thorn St. Croix has learned to count on her friends, but she's lost count of her enemies. She is a source of both fear and fascination for the people of Mineral City: Her powers can save them from the forces of evil, but also attract demon spawn and succubae. And fighting on her own turf nearly gets Thorn and those she holds dear killed.

But Thorn's ultimate test awaits deep under the snow-covered mountains beyond the village, where an imprisoned, fallen seraph desperately needs her help. There, hidden in the hellhole, the armies of Darkness assemble to ensure this subterranean rescue will be Thorn's final descent.


drey's thoughts:
Ah, Thorn. Now her neo-mage secret is out in the open, and nobody's sure how to feel about her. Never mind that she's lived among them for the last 10 years. In any case, she has bigger fish to fry. Like something living in the depths of the mountains. Is it good? Is it bad? Is there anything in between?

But there's hardly time to think about this, when there are demon spawn to kill. Before they are killed themselves. So an uneasy peace becomes the status quo between Thorn and her neighbors, and they learn to work together to try to defeat the evil forces (omg! I so want to add "of the Decepticons" here, lol!!). At least for now...

Like a good post-apocalyptic yarn? Then pick up Bloodring and Seraphs. And let me know what you think!

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+

38. The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick...

March 26, 2010
Title: The Scarlet Lion
Author: Elizabeth Chadwick
ISBN-13: 9781402229992
ARC: 545 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My copy of The Scarlet Lion was provided by Sourcebooks for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

scarlet lionAbout the book:
The Legend of the Greatest Knight Lives On

William Marshall's skill with a sword and loyalty to his word have earned him the company of kings, the lands of a magnate, and the hand of Isabelle de Clare, one of England's wealthiest heiresses. But he is thrust back into the chaos of court when King Richard dies. Vindictive King John clashes with William, claims the family lands for the Crown--and takes two of the Marshall sons hostage. The conflict between obeying his king and rebelling over the royal injustices threatens the very heart of William and Isabelle's family. Fiercely intelligent and courageous, fearing for the man and marriage that light her life, Isabelle plunges with her husband down a precarious path that will lead William to more power than he ever expected.

drey's thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth Chadwick's The Scarlet Lion. It is a very well-written look at the life of one of the most honorable men in England. There were times when I couldn't believe what he put up with from King John. Times when I felt really really badly for Isabelle. And times when I was really really glad that sometimes justice does show up to balance the scales.

I will be keeping an eye out for the first book in this series, The Greatest Knight. It would be neat to read Elizabeth Chadwick's portrayal of a young William Marshall making his name in Richard's army. This one's for the historical fiction fans out there, especially those who like their historical fiction clean. *wink*

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Tour! 37. The River Kings' Road by Liane Merciel...

March 25, 2010
I am very pleased today to have Liane Merciel's debut novel, The River Kings' Road, on tour at drey's library! This is the first book in Liane's fantasy world of Ithelas.

Title: The River Kings' Road
Author: Liane Merciel
ISBN-13: 9781439159118
Hardcover:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My copy of The River Kings' Road was provided by Pocket Books for this blog tour. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

the river kings' roadAbout the book:
The wounded maidservant thrust the knotted blankets at him; instinctively, Brys stepped forward and caught the bundle before it fell. Then he glimpsed what lay inside and nearly dropped it himself.

There was a baby in the blankets. A baby with a tear-swollen face red and round as a midsummer plum. A baby he knew, even without seeing the lacquered medallion tucked into the swaddling—a medallion far too heavy, on a chain far too cold for an infant who had not yet seen a year.


A fragile period of peace between the eternally warring kingdoms of Oakharn and Langmyr is shattered when a surprise massacre fueled by bloodmagic ravages the Langmyrne border village of Willowfield, killing its inhabitants—including a visiting Oakharne lord and his family—and leaving behind a scene so grisly that even the carrion eaters avoid its desecrated earth. But the dead lord’s infant heir has survived the carnage—a discovery that entwines the destinies of Brys Tarnell, a mercenary who rescues the helpless and ailing babe, and who enlists a Langmyr peasant, a young mother herself, to nourish and nurture the child of her enemies as they travel a dark, perilous road... Odosse, the peasant woman whose only weapons are wit, courage, and her fierce maternal love—and who risks everything she holds dear to protect her new charge . . . Sir Kelland, a divinely blessed Knight of the Sun, called upon to unmask the architects behind the slaughter and avert war between ancestral enemies... Bitharn, Kelland’s companion on his journey, who conceals her lifelong love for the Knight behind her flawless archery skills—and whose feelings may ultimately be Kelland’s undoing... and Leferic, an Oakharne Lord’s bitter youngest son, whose dark ambitions fuel the most horrific acts of violence. As one infant’s life hangs in the balance, so too does the fate of thousands, while deep in the forest, a Maimed Witch practices an evil bloodmagic that could doom them all...

liane mercielAbout the author:
As a so-called “Army brat,” Liane grew up in Germany, South Korea, and several different parts of the United States. She now lives in Philadelphia, where she practices law. She is an alumnus of Yale University and the College of William & Mary Law School. She is of Korean and European heritage. She could not bear to write her own “About” page or even, in all likelihood, to read it. Find Liane online at her website, lianemerciel.com.

drey's thoughts:
Liane Merciel's debut is a very easy read, with clear-cut characters. The good are very very good (although tempted by the forbidden), the bad are very very bad. Odosse is a bit different from other main characters in that she's explicitly called out as ugly. You don't find too many ugly people on the "good" side of the line (not in books, anyway), but I thought that it received a titch more attention than it warranted. After all, I don't read a book for its characters' appearances... Sir Kelland's, however, is almost barely remarked upon, although that remark did mention that he did not look like everyone else in Langmyr and Oakharn. Anyway, enough about appearances.

The River Kings' Road is not a complicated story. Nor is it a truly compelling story. I didn't get involved in any of the characters, and I didn't care whether the hero lived, or the villain died. But it did keep me entertained, which is a very good thing indeed. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

drey's rating: 3/5 Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Tour stops:
Pam’s Private Reflections
Book Junkie
Cheryl’s Book Nook
Steph the Bookworm
Readaholic
The Bibliophilic Book Blog
I Heart Book Gossip
Jeanne's Ramblings
My Book Addiction and More
Brizmus Blogs Books
Taking Time For Mommy
Thoughts In Progress
Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer
Books And Things
She Reads
Blog Business World
Carol’s Notebook
Crazy Books & Reviews
Books Gardens & Dogs
Just One More Paragraph
Rundpinne
drey’s library
My Life In Not So Many Words
Geek Girl Reviews
Starting Fresh
Poisoned Rationality
Temple Library Reviews
The Wayfaring Writer
Booksie’s Blog
See Michelle Read
Genre Reviews
My Book Views
Wendy’s Minding Spot
Book Tumbling
Literarily Speaking
Books R Us
Brenda Loves Books
Lucky Rosie’s
You Wanna Know What I Think?

March's FEATURED AUTHOR: Danielle blogs...

March 24, 2010
Today, March's Featured Author Danielle Trussoni swings by with a guest post... Check it out!!


Hello, I’m Danielle Trussoni and Drey has graciously invited me to be a guest blogger today. It is a miserable and gray day where I am—I live in the south of France and gray cloudy afternoons are not at all usual here—so it feels nice to sit down and write a little bit. This is also a perfect opportunity for me to tell you about my new novel Angelology, which is coming out March 9th. In addition, I’d like to share with you a website that I’ve discovered, one that I think you’ll like.

But first, Angelology. Angelology is a novel that follows a group of angelologists—scholars who track and study various kinds of angels—as they work to contain the machinations of the Nephilim, half-human, half-angel creatures who are first mentioned in Genesis: 6 of the Bible. It is an adventure story that moves through various times and settings, going from contemporary New York, to 1940s Paris to ancient Bulgaria. I became interested in studying angelologists after coming across documentation that this group actually exists, and was in fact working in Paris during the Second World War. It seems that angelologists have been hard at work for nearly two thousand years, which was a complete surprise to me, as I had never heard of them before I began researching this book.

Which leads me to the second thing I’d like to tell you about. There is a website that is dedicated to the work of angelology, one that has so much information that I initially believed that there was no way that it could be real. But, after investigating, and comparing the site with my records and research, I believe that it is, in fact, genuine. If you would like to understand more about the subject of my novel, this site is the best place to start. Here it is: www.angelologist.com.

If you’re just interested in learning more about me (which isn’t nearly as interesting as angelologists!) you can visit me at: www.danielletrussoni.com.

It is wonderful to be able to spend a few minutes with you! I hope you enjoy Angelology.

Danielle Trussoni

Thank you for swinging by, Danielle! I hope you had fun this month! And I can't wait for the sequel to Angelology...

36. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare...

March 23, 2010
FTC Disclosure: My copy of City of Glass was another library book out on a short-term loan, lol. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

city of glassAbout the book:
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters — never mind that enter-ing the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City — whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.
drey's thoughts:
This final book in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments trilogy rounds up all the likely suspects and throws 'em in the pit to duke it out. Along the way we get (surprise!) revelations galore, bad guys sprouting out of the shadows, and love standing on the edge of a coin. Heads you win, tails you lose.

Some of it's a bit predictable, but the story's still enjoyable. I really enjoyed Clary, and the relationship she has with her BFF, Simon. Things are different from the way the wanted it to work, but that doesn't stop these two from trying to figure out how to win against that nutjob Valentine. Pick it up if you're looking for a quick series to pass the time with.

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Title: City of Glass (Mortal Instruments #3)
Author: Cassandra Clare
ISBN-13: 9781416914303
Hardcover: 541 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library

Giveaway! This One is Mine by Maria Semple...

March 21, 2010
FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

About the book:
Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life—except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again.

Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap. For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. THIS ONE IS MINE is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more—-and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness.

Reading Guide:
  1. In many ways, this is a very “LA” story. To what extent do you think the characters’ attitudes and actions are shaped by Los Angeles? Could you see this story taking place anywhere else?
  2. How does the title, “This One Is Mine,” interplay with the story? The poem at the beginning of the book opens with the image of a slave block. Are any of the characters in the book “enslaved” in a way?
  3. In the first chapter, David is upset with Violet for what he perceives to be her lack of interest in maintaining the household. Is his anger justified?
  4. What does Violet find sad about Los Angeles? Where do you think this sadness stems from?
  5. What do you think about Sally’s friendship with Maryam? Why does Maryam put up with her?
  6. Why do you think Violet is drawn to Teddy? What makes her risk “losing everything,” as David puts it?
  7. Los Angeles could be said to be a city of ambition. How do the characters’ ambitions relate to one another’s? What fuels those ambitions, and when do they get out of control?
  8. In some ways, Sally seems to want everything that Violet has: a successful husband, financial security, a nice house, and classy friends. Do you think Sally would be happy if she suddenly had everything she wanted? What similarities to you see in Sally and Violet?
  9. Conversely, do you see any similarities between David and Jeremy?
  10. Teddy seems to have a set of problems that make Violet’s (and everyone else’s) pale in comparison. Do you think Violet is drawn to him because of or in spite of these traits?
  11. What do you think of Sally and Jeremy’s relationship? Do you think there is a way that it could have worked out?
  12. Why is Violet happy when Sally tells her that she never really liked her?
  13. At the end of the book, Violet, Sally, and David all go to visit Teddy in the hospital. In what ways did Teddy’s entrance in their lives bring them all together? How would this story have turned out differently if Violet had never met him at the health fair?
  14. In Leo Tolstoy’s classic, Anna Karenina, Anna is miserable in a loveless marriage and recklessly succumbs to her desire for the dashing Vronsky. What similarities do you see between Tolstoy’s novel and This One Is Mine?
  15. What other books did this one remind you of? What was similar or different about them?

Title: This One is Mine
Author: Maria Semple
ISBN-13: 9780316031332
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Giveaway!
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have one copy of This One is Mine for you, if you live in the US or Canada. Fill out the form before 6:00 pm CST April 3rd!

35. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare...

March 19, 2010
FTC Disclosure: My copy of City of Ashes came from my local library. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

city of ashesAbout the book:
Welcome back to the exotic world beyond the shadows...

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace.How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

drey's thoughts:
Remember when I said City of Bones was formulaic? Well, City of Ashes is, too, but in a wholly different way. That is, if you think the whole deluded egomaniac trying to kill everyone because they're unclean, is formulaic; which I do.

Poor Clary. Her father's nuts, her mother's dead to the world, her father-figure is a werewolf, her best friend gets bitten by vamps. Poor Jace, getting thrown out when his adoptive parents return, because they're not sure if they can trust him. Or is that the only reason? And then the big bad scary Inquisitor shows up, believing the worst of Jace solely because Valentine. The sins of the father and all that, eh? Will people never learn?

City of Ashes has twists and turns that keep your interest in the Mortal Instruments series, because you have to know how it will all turn out.

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Title: City of Ashes (Mortal Instruments #2)
Author: Cassandra Clare
ISBN-13: 9781416972242
Hardcover: 453 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2008
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library

34. Last Snow by Eric Van Lustbader...

March 18, 2010
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Last Snow was provided by Authors on the Web for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

last snow
About the book:
Jack McClure, Special Advisor and closest friend to the new President of the United States, interprets the world very differently from the rest of us. It’s his greatest liability, and his greatest asset.

An American senator, supposedly on a political trip to the Ukraine, turns up dead on the island of Capri. When the President asks him to find out how and why, Jack sets out from Moscow across Eastern Europe, following a perilous trail of diplomats, criminals, and corrupt politicians. Thrust into the midst of a global jigsaw puzzle, Jack’s unique dyslexic mind allows him to put together the pieces that others can’t even see.

Still unreconciled to the recent death of his daughter and the dissolution of his marriage, Jack takes on a personal mission along with his official one: keeping safe from harm his two unlikely, unexpected, and incompatible companions—Annika Dementieva, a rogue Russian FSB agent, and Alli Carson, the President’s daughter. As he struggles to keep both young women safe and unearth the answers he seeks, hunted by everyone from the Russian mafia to the Ukrainian police to his own NSA, Jack learns just how far up the American and Russian political ladders corruption and treachery has reached.

In the vein of Eric Van Lustbader’s latest bestselling Jason Bourne novels, Lustbader takes us on an international adventure in this powerful page-turner that will keep you reading through the night.

drey's thoughts:
I've read a few of Eric Van Lustbader's other books, including First Daughter, and wanted to see where he took Jack McClure next... And I have to say that Last Snow started off well enough. Jack's working for the Prez, keeping an eye out on Alli too... Then he gets sent off to find out why a Senator was killed where he wasn't even supposed to be. And the chase is on.

There are spies galore, a bunch of not-so-squeaky businessmen, a crooked head of state, a delusional General, a few assassins, and a couple (or more) shady characters in this crock-pot of international intrigue. Which is cool with me--the more the merrier, especially when half of them get offed anyway.

I do wish though, that Last Snow continued as strongly as it started out. Somewhere in the middle it started meandering around, before eventually wrapping things up all nicely and tidily like a good thriller should. Lustbader fans will pick this one up, definitely.

drey's rating: 3/5 Good

Title: Last Snow
Author: Eric Van Lustbader
ISBN-13: 9780765325150
Hardcover: 414 pages
Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Giveaway!
Want to check out Last Snow? Thanks to Authors on the Web, there is one copy up for grabs, if you live in the US or Canada. So what're you waiting for? This one ends 6:00 pm CST, March 31st! Fill out the form, like, now!

Winners!!

March 17, 2010
*sigh* I am soooooo having issues getting these out on time! I am so very very sorry. =( I promise to make it up to y'all somehow, k?

For now, let's have the winner announcement for Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven. The winner is...

Francine Anchondo!!

Next up. The winner of  Eric Van Lustbader's First Daughter is...

haleyknitz!!

Congratulations! Emails have been sent, please reply with your mailing information before the end of day Saturday! And thanks for swinging by!

March's FEATURED AUTHOR: Danielle's favorite reads...

Today I'm so happy to have Danielle Trussoni swing by to share some of her favorite reads. Because what do we have in common most of all, if not books?

Hello, I’m Danielle Trussoni, author of the new novel ANGELOLOGY. I’d like to say thank you to Drey for inviting me to be on the site. It is great to be able to reach out and communicate directly with readers about my book and books in general.

I’ve been asked to write about some of my favorite books, which is an extremely difficult task, as I have spent most of my life (ever since I began to read at six years old) reading everything I could get my hands on. I remember that there was a program at our local library where if you read a book and wrote a short description of the book, you were able to color in a piece of a hot-air balloon. I filled up many, many balloons and, more important, I read a lot of amazing books.

My favorite books at the moment are big, complicated novels that involve an element of the fantastic. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark is a book that I love. I also love classics, such as Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone, which I reread every few years. I also admire Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth, which is set in the Languedoc region of France, where I am currently living, and so it is interesting to read about the history of this region. All three of these books have amazing characters, an historical element and bring in the supernatural in some fashion. I would love any suggestions that readers have for books that I might like. You can get in touch with me via my website: www.danielletrussoni.com

Thanks again and I hope you enjoy reading Angelology!

Thank you for swinging by, Danielle! I'll be looking into some of the books you've listed...

33. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare...

March 16, 2010
FTC Disclosure: My copy of City of Bones was just picked up from my local library and will go back on the next trip. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

city of bones
Their hidden world is about to be revealed....

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.

Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

drey's thoughts:
I don't remember why I picked up Cassandra Clare's City of Bones, Book One of The Mortal Instruments series. But I couldn't just let it sit on the shelf, and not just because it has to go back to the library (and I so have enough re-hold books on my list!). So I picked it up, and read it in one fell swoop.

Clary is just your normal kid who lives with her mom, and hangs with her best bud. Then one day it all changes, and so not for the better. I mean, would you think your life got better if all of a sudden yucky creepy crawlies started showing up, trying to eat you for a snack? Not to mention, they stink, too. Yuck! Now, her mom's missing, she has new "friends", her BFF is crushing on someone else, and the guy she thinks she likes can be a total jerk.

City of Bones is dark and entertaining, if a tad formulaic; there are no surprises here. Put it on your list if you're looking for a quick breezy YA urban fantasy read.

drey's rating: 3/5 Good

Title: City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
ISBN-13: 9781416914280
Hardcover: 485 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2007
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library

It's (finally) 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!

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

 Well, it's been quite some time since I've headed to the library. I was so behind on reading, I'd put all my hold books "on hold" till last week. But then they all came up, at the same time. How am I going to pick which ones to read first? Yikes!!

I picked up Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments books, because somebody recommended them... I can't remember who, of course--short term memory going first & all. So, if it's you, holler, and I'll do a shout-out!
city of bones
Their hidden world is about to be revealed....

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.

Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

city of ashes
Welcome back to the exotic world beyond the shadows...

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace.How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

city of glass
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters — never mind that enter-ing the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City — whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

tempted
Dark secrets and unspoken suspicions come between Zoey and Stevie Rae, putting their friendship--and the House of Night--at risk.

After Zoey Redbird and her gang have banished Kalona and Neferet from Tulsa, you'd think they'd catch a break. But with Zoey and her sexy warrior Stark both recovering from a brush with death, and the fledglings struggling to deal with the fallout from Neferet's reign of terror, a break is just not in the forecast. Zoey is haunted by her confusing yet elemental connection with A-ya, the ancient Cherokee maiden who was the only human able to tempt Kalona's body and soul. How will A-ya's pull on her affect Zoey's ability to resist the dangerously seductive immortal?

Meanwhile, Stevie Rae, with her super red-vamp powers, always thought she could handle the stuff she's been keeping from her BFF. But the mysterious, threatening force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading. Stevie Rae won't confide where she's been and what she's doing, and Zoey is beginning to wonder just how much she can trust the person she always thought would have her back.

Will their choices destroy them and will darkness consume the House of Night?
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her "spunky" (Tampa Tribune) Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written-together in one volume. Stories include "Fairy Dust," "One Word Answer," "Dracula Night," "Lucky," and "Giftwrap."
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

32. Young Bess by Margaret Irwin...

March 15, 2010
FTC Disclosure: My ARC of Young Bess was provided by Sourcebooks for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

young bessAbout the book:
Growing up in the shadow of her mother, the infamous Anne Boleyn, young Princess Elizabeth has become a master at dodging the constant political games and deflecting the unpredictable royal whims that threaten to topple her precarious royal perch. But when her distant father, tyrannical king Henry VIII, dies, the future brightens for Elizabeth. She moves in with Henry's last wife, Catherine Parr, and Catherine's new husband, Tom Seymour--the uncle of Elizabeth's brother, the new king Edward VI.

Handsome Tom, however, is playing a risky game. Marrying a widowed queen is one thing; flirting with the king's daughter and second in line to the throne is another. As the adolescent Elizabeth finds herself dangerously attracted to him, the tragedy that looms ahead seems inescapable. Elizabeth will have to summon the strength to claim her royal destiny, even if that means facing her future alone...

drey's thoughts:
I had to read Young Bess when it was offered--I am captivated by Elizabeth, the Princess who would one day be Queen. And Margaret Irwin's portrait of the young Princess is at time in her life when everything is so uncertain and topsy-turvy, never really knowing who--if anyone--can be trusted. From her father the King, who used to love her, to the older sister that her mother's plots turned from Princess to bastard, to the younger brother who becomes King under the protection of his uncle. Throw in a surviving stepmother, a stepfather who pays too much attention to her, and a cast of characters who all had their own reasons for being nice--or not--to the Princess, and you have a story of a young woman who somehow manages to gather her wits and keep her head. Literally. Which is almost a miracle, considering the times.

I am looking forward to the next installment--Elizabeth, Captive Princess, coming out in October.

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Title: Young Bess
Author: Margaret Irwin
ISBN-13: 9781402229961
ARC: 381 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Challenges: 100+, Pub

31. Angelology by Danielle Trussoni...

March 11, 2010
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Angelology was provided by Viking/Penguin for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

angelology
About the book:
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.
Genesis 6:5

Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now, at twenty-three, her discovery of a 1943 letter from the famous philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late mother superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim.

For the secrets these letters guard are desperately coveted by the once-powerful Nephilim, who aim to perpetuate war, subvert the good in humanity, and dominate mankind. Generations of angelologists have devoted their lives to stopping them, and their shared mission, which Evangeline has long been destined to join, reaches from her bucolic abbey on the Hudson to the apex of insular wealth in New York, to the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris and the mountains of Bulgaria.

Rich in history, full of mesmerizing characters, and wondrously conceived, Angelology blends biblical lore, the myth of Orpheus and the Miltonic visions of Paradise Lost into a riveting tale of ordinary people engaged in a battle that will determine the fate of the world.

drey's thoughts:
It took me a while to get through the 452-page tome that is Angelology, which is why this review is posting a week later than I'd originally intended. And those of you who know how fast I normally read are probably wondering what's wrong with the book... *grin* Well, rest assured that my tardiness in completing the story is not reflective of the book. Rather, blame it on real life...

Danielle Trussoni's debut novel is a very richly detailed story of a young woman who is drawn out of the quiet and secluded life she leads by a series of events that lead her down a path that she could never have imagined. Liberally peppered with biblical references (this is a book about angels, after all--albeit a different kind of angel most of us envision), Angelology will sweep you along as you unfold the layers that make up this satisfying story.

I did think that there were some parts that could have been condensed, and some that could have been explored a little more, but overall I really enjoyed Angelology. I actually like it much more than Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. Pick it up at your local bookstore, online, or give your luck a try by entering my giveaway (look on the sidebar!).

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Title: Angelology
Author: Danielle Trussoni
ISBN-13: 9780670021475
Hardcover: 452 pages
Publisher: Viking, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Winners!!

March 10, 2010
Yeah. You know the drill by now! I'm am wayyyyy behind on this one, and I really do apologize. My day job is taking a lot out of me right now, and I'm letting my blogging fall by the wayside a bit. =( My reading's slowed quite a bit too, which makes me really sad. And grumpy. But for now we'll just focus on sad, shall we? =)

ANYWAY. I know you've been patient, and for that I thank you! Winner announcements are for Jennifer Estep's Spider's Bite and Seressia Glass' Shadow Blade!

Winner of Spider's Bite is... pixie13!!!

Want the book? Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon


Winner of Shadow Blade is... misusedinnocence!!

Want the book? Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon


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


FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

March's FEATURED AUTHOR: Danielle Trussoni's books!

Danielle Trussoni is my March Featured Author, and today I'm shining a spotlight on her books. Last Wednesday's interview is just a click away on the link in the right sidebar!

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the covers or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

Danielle's first book, Falling Through the Earth: A Memoir, was awarded the 2006 Michener-Copernicus Society of America Award and was chosen as one of The New York Times top 100 books for 2006.

falling through the earth
A daughter’s unforgettable memoir of her wild and haunted father, a man whose war never really ended

From her father, Danielle Trussoni learned rock and roll, how to avoid the cops, and never to shy away from a fight. Growing up, she was fascinated by stories of his adventures as a tunnel rat in Vietnam, where he risked his life crawling headfirst into holes to search for American POWs held underground. Ultimately, Danielle came to believe that when the man she adored drank too much, beat up strangers, or mistreated her mother, it was because the horror of those tunnels still lived inside him. Eventually her mom gave up and left, taking all the kids except one: Danielle. When everyone else walked away and washed their hands of Dan Trussoni, Danielle would not. Now she tells their story.

As Danielle trails her father through nights at Roscoe’s Vogue Bar, scores of wild girlfriends, and years of bad dreams, a vivid and poignant portrait of a father-daughter relationship unlike any other emerges. Although the Trussonis are fiercely committed to each other, theirs is a love story filled with anger, stubbornness, outrageous behavior, and battle scars that never completely heal.

Beautifully told in a voice that is defiant, funny, and yet sometimes heartbreaking, Falling Through the Earth immediately joins the ranks of those classic memoirs whose characters imprint themselves indelibly into readers’ lives.


And this month, Danielle's debut novel, Angelology, is in bookstores everywhere!

angelology

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.
Genesis 6:5

Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now, at twenty-three, her discovery of a 1943 letter from the famous philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late mother superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim.

For the secrets these letters guard are desperately coveted by the once-powerful Nephilim, who aim to perpetuate war, subvert the good in humanity, and dominate mankind. Generations of angelologists have devoted their lives to stopping them, and their shared mission, which Evangeline has long been destined to join, reaches from her bucolic abbey on the Hudson to the apex of insular wealth in New York, to the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris and the mountains of Bulgaria.

Rich in history, full of mesmerizing characters, and wondrously conceived, Angelology blends biblical lore, the myth of Orpheus and the Miltonic visions of Paradise Lost into a riveting tale of ordinary people engaged in a battle that will determine the fate of the world.

I am in the middle of Angelology, and cannot wait to get to the end! Watch for that review to come!

Giveaway! Num8ers by Rachel Ward!

March 8, 2010
My review of Num8ers posted earlier this morning. And thanks to Big Honcho Media, have I got a giveaway for you!!

num8ers
About the book:
Ever since she was child, Jem has kept a secret: Whenever she meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die.

Burdened with such awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. The two plan a trip to the city. But while waiting to ride the Eye ferris wheel, Jem is terrified to see that all the other tourists in line flash the same number.

Today's number. Today's date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem’s world is about to explode!



Giveaway!
THREE lucky ducks will each receive a copy of Num8ers! Giveaway is open to US residents only. To enter, do the following:

  1. Please follow if you don't already. Giveaways are only open to drey's library followers.
  2. Fill out the form below.
  3. Comment and tell me what would you do, if you could see dates like Jem does? 
That's it! Do it all before 6:00pm CST March 28th! Good luck!

30. Num8ers by Rachel Ward...

FTC Disclosure: My copy of NUM8ERS was provided by Big Honcho Media for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

num8ers
About the book:
Ever since she was child, Jem has kept a secret: Whenever she meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die.

Burdened with such awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. The two plan a trip to the city. But while waiting to ride the Eye ferris wheel, Jem is terrified to see that all the other tourists in line flash the same number.

Today's number. Today's date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem’s world is about to explode!

drey's thoughts:
I have to say, NUM8ERS got me on the first page. Here's an excerpt:
There are places where kids like me go. Sad kids, bad kids, bored kids, and lonely kids, kids that are different. Any day of the week, if you know where to look, you'll find us: behind the shops, in the back lanes, under bridges by canals and rivers, 'round garages, in sheds, on vacant lots. There are thousands of us. If you choose to find us, that is--most people don't. If they do see us, they look away, pretend we're not there. It's easier that way. Don't believe all that crap about giving everyone a chance--when they see us, they're glad we're not in school with their kids, disrupting their lessons, making their lives a misery. 
How's that for grabbing your attention? And it doesn't let go, either. Jemma is a fifteen-year-old who gets into quite a pickle, only because she knew something was going to happen at the Eye, and ran away. But what else would you expect a teenager on the fringe of society to do? Stay and tell everyone that they shouldn't go up? When they wouldn't listen anyway?

In any case, Num8ers will have you following Jemma and Spider until the very end. I felt really bad for these two kids, running and hiding, with no clue on how to even get around successfully. I mean, driving a car for the first time, while on the lam? Guess sometimes you just have to do what you have to do! And Rachel sure made this a fast, down-in-one-gulp debut novel. Pick it up!

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Title: Num8ers
Author: Rachel Ward
ISBN-13: 9781423396321
Hardcover: 325 pages
Publisher: Scholastic, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Challenges: 100+

29. The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham...

March 6, 2010
FTC Disclosure: My ARC of The Stolen Crown was provided by Sourcebooks for review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

the stolen crown
About the book:
Trapped in the War of the Roses, one woman finds herself sister to the Queen... and traitor to the crown

Katherine Woodville's sister never gave her a choice. A happy girl of modest means, Kate hardly expected to become a maker of kings. But when her sister impulsively marries King Edward IV in secret, Katherine's path in life is no longer hers to control.

Kate is matched with Harry Stafford, poised to be the richest duke in England. But his Lancastrian blood prevents him from gaining royal favor, and so he turns to the king's brother, Richard of Gloucester. Kate, wary of Richard's influence, cautions her beloved. But when at long last power comes courting, it cannot be stopped...

drey's thoughts:
Susan Higginbotham's The Stolen Crown is an engrossing read into the lives of English nobility, during a time when friends' and families' loyalties are shuffled around like a deck of playing cards... Especially if your life revolves around the (current?) royal family.

I really liked the flow of the story, and I thought the different points of view were well organized. And boy, am I glad I didn't live during that period. Never knowing whether you and your family are going to be killed, because of who you're married to, related to, or friends with. Even if this only applied to the noble classes, or the very lucky (unlucky?) few who get to hang out with them.

The Stolen Crown will be one added to the history buff's bookshelf.

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Title: The Stolen Crown
Author: Susan Higginbotham
ISBN-13: 9781402237669
ARC: 367 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Challenges: 100+, Pub

28. First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader...

March 4, 2010
FTC Disclosure: My copy of First Daughter was provided by Authors on the Web for this review. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

first daughter
About the book:
When ATF legend Jack McClure lost his daughter Emma in a terrible accident, his world came undone. Then a phone call from the newly elected president--an old friend--puts Jack on a collision course with his past. The president's daughter, who was once Emma's best friend, has been kidnapped.

Jack dives headlong into the investigation, tearing open the wounds of Emma's death. His search leads him to a conspiracy that reaches deep into the shadows of power throughout the world and into the path of a cold and calculating man--someone whose actions are as dangerous as they are brilliant, whose power and reach are seemingly infinite. A man who, Jack will soon discover, has affected his life and country in more ways than he could imagine.

drey's thoughts:
So I've been jonesing for a bit of the action-packed-thriller kind of read, especially after all the urban fantasy I've picked up lately. And First Daughter delivered the action-packed kind of read that fit the bill.

Jack McClure is in chaos. He hasn't come to grips with his daughter's death, nor figured out how to mend his marriage. And he gets pulled into the President-elect's daughter's kidnapping, and thrown in with the wolves. There's quite a bit of intrigue, a lot of conspiracy, and a smart villain (sure beats a stupid one!).

In addition to the kidnapping at hand, First Daughter also covers quite a bit of Jack's past. Which is cool, because you get a sense of the guy, but it also seemed a bit contrived, with all the bits of string tying up the package as you read. I mean, there are coincidences, and there are coincidences, you know what I mean? Plus, some of the bad guys are so comically bad, it's tragic.

But all in all, it's still a very good read, and I can't wait to pick up Last Snow!

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Title: First Daughter
Author: Eric Van Lustbader
ISBN-13: 9780765361424
Paperback: 434 pages
Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

Challenges: 100+

Giveaway!
Ok. You know you want this! And thanks to Authors on the Web, there is one copy of First Daughter up for grabs, if you live in the US or Canada. So don't wait. This one ends 6:00 pm CST, March 17th!

March's FEATURED AUTHOR: Danielle Trussoni...

March 3, 2010
Today, I am so very pleased to have Danielle Trussoni stopping by. She is my very lovely guest for the month of March! Welcome to drey's library, Danielle!


image credit: Nikolai Grozni

drey: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an author? What were you doing?

Danielle: I knew that I wanted to write from the time that I was a little girl. When I was around six years old, I took a notebook and pencil and tried to ‘interview’ my family. I remember very clearly thinking that one day I’d write about them. Many years later I wrote a memoir called Falling Through the Earth, which was about my father, so my early intuion was correct. I find it amazing how children know—and simultaneously don’t know, or forget—the paths they will one day take as adults.

drey: Who/what inspires your writing?

Danielle: I am inspired by so many things that it is impossible to name just one. I’m inspired by books and authors I love—19th century novels in particular. I’m inspired by painters and places and nature. I’m inspired by the biographies of writers, especially poets. All of these things seem incredibly abstract but when I find one particular thing that inspires me, I focus entirely on it. For example, I became interested in Renaissance painting while writing Angelology and spent a lot of time looking closely at art. I went to the Louvre and to the Prado so that I could see paintings up close. I really became obsessed. I hope that some of what I saw made its way—at least in spirit—into the novel.

drey: What prompted the move from memoir to fiction?

Danielle: I believe that my memoir was a once in a lifetime book. I had a very particular story and I needed to tell it in a very particular way. I don’t believe I’ll write another memoir, although of course I shouldn’t rule anything out! My first love is fiction. I see myself very much as a fiction writer. I went to the fiction writing program at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and wrote short stories and parts of novels before writing Falling Through the Earth. I think fiction is my true calling.

drey: Where did the seed for Angelology come from? How did you research for the book? How long did it take you? Was any of the research on location, and if so, where?

Danielle: It is funny, because I didn’t set out to write a book that had angels in it at all. I began with a set of locations that I wanted to use—Bulgaria, Paris in the 1940s and New York. I also knew that I wanted one of the settings to be a convent, and so I took a trip to do research in a convent. It was there that I discovered books about angels. The idea for my book came about after this trip, but it was only the beginning for me as far as research was concerned. I spent more time in the library with books of theology and biblical history than I had ever could have expected.

drey: What do you like to indulge in when not writing?

Danielle: Chocolate. Lots and lots of dark chocolate. And walks. One necessitates the other.

drey: Screen version of Angelology: Who's on your dream team?

Danielle: Well, in some ways we have the dream team. Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment is going to produce the film version of Angelology and Marc Forester is going to direct. Michael Goldenberg—who adapted one of the Harry Potter films--is writing the adaptation. As far as actors, I have no idea of who I would cast. I know, however, that for Gabriella—a French angelologist—that Marion Cotillard would be perfect. But I think it all really depends upon how the actor carries the role.

drey: Do you like chocolate? Dark, Milk, or White? Favorite topping or partner?

Danielle: Oh my! I didn’t see this question when I answered # 5. Yes, I love it. Dark. The darker the better. Absolutely solo.

drey: Electronic readers are becoming more affordable and available. There's been quite a bit of discussion about their impact on paper books, the environment, people's reading & buying habits... What's your take?

Danielle: I love holding books in my hands. I love having a physical library that I can browse. But I also love electronic readers. I have one, and use it when I travel, which is often. I only hope that the perfect one comes along. I’m really looking forward to the ipad.

drey: On the publishing side--what do you think publishers and authors ought to do about this side of the digital revolution? Jump in wholeheartedly, and blaze the path for others to follow? Watch from the sidelines till there's some consensus on what the new business model is going to be for the digital age? Cross their fingers that this is all just a fad & will blow over soon?

Danielle: I don’t think there is any way that the digital age is going to blow over. It is clearly a part of the future. And I think there is no point in resisting it. But that doesn’t mean everyone should blindly jump on board. I’m sure that there are ways to make it work for publishers and writers and readers.

drey: Your favorite swear word is? *grin*

Danielle: The editor of my first book, George Hodgman, had the most creative ways of swearing without actually swearing. He used to call a difficult person “A pill.” For example, he might say, “Oh, that Sarah Palin is such a pill.” I think that has to be my favorite expression of all time.

Excerpt and Giveaway: Angleology by Danielle Trussoni...

March 1, 2010
Boy oh boy, do I have something for you today! Danielle Trussoni, March's FEATURED AUTHOR, has a new book being released on March 9th. Read on for an excerpt and a giveaway!

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

angelology
About the book:
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.
Genesis 6:5

Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now, at twenty-three, her discovery of a 1943 letter from the famous philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late mother superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim.

For the secrets these letters guard are desperately coveted by the once-powerful Nephilim, who aim to perpetuate war, subvert the good in humanity, and dominate mankind. Generations of angelologists have devoted their lives to stopping them, and their shared mission, which Evangeline has long been destined to join, reaches from her bucolic abbey on the Hudson to the apex of insular wealth in New York, to the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris and the mountains of Bulgaria.

Rich in history, full of mesmerizing characters, and wondrously conceived, Angelology blends biblical lore, the myth of Orpheus and the Miltonic visions of Paradise Lost into a riveting tale of ordinary people engaged in a battle that will determine the fate of the world.
Excerpt:
Reprinted by arrangement with Viking, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., from Angelology by Danielle Trussoni. Copyright © 2010 by Danielle Trussoni

Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, New York City

Percival Grigori tapped the tip of his cane as he waited for the elevator, a rhythm of sharp metallic clicks pounding out the seconds. The oak-paneled lobby of his building—an exclusive prewar with views of Central Park—was so familiar that he hardly noticed it any longer. The Grigori family had occupied the penthouse for over half a century. Once he might have registered the deference of the doorman, the opulent arrangement of orchids in the foyer, the polished ebony and mother-of-pearl elevator casement, the fire sending a spray of light and warmth across the marble floor. But Percival Grigori noticed nothing at all except the pain crackling through his joints, the popping of his knees with each step. As the doors of the elevator slid open and he hobbled inside, he regarded his stooped image in the polished brass of the elevator car and looked quickly away.

At the thirteenth floor, he stepped into a marble vestibule and unlocked the door to the Grigori apartment. Instantly the soothing elements of his private life—part antique, part modern, part gleaming wood, part sparkling glass—filled his senses, relaxing the tension in his shoulders. He threw his keys onto a silk pillow at the bottom of a Chinese porcelain bowl, shrugged his heavy cashmere overcoat into the lap of an upholstered banister-back chair, and walked through the travertine gallery. Vast rooms opened before him—a sitting room, a library, a dining hall with a four-tiered Venetian chandelier suspended overhead. An expanse of picture windows staged the chaotic ballet of a snowstorm.

At the far end of the apartment, the curve of a grand staircase led to his mother’s suite of rooms. Peering up, Percival discerned a party of her friends gathered in the formal sitting room. Guests came to the apartment for lunch or dinner nearly every day, impromptu gatherings that allowed his mother to hold court for her favorite friends from the neighborhood. It was a ritual she had grown more and more accustomed to, primarily because of the power it gave her: She selected those people she wished to see, enclosed them in the dark-paneled lair of her private quarters, and let the rest of the world go on with its tedium and misery. For years she had left her suite only on rare occasions, when accompanied by Percival or his sister, and only at night. His mother had grown so comfortable with the arrangement, and her circle had become so regular, that she rarely complained of her confinement.

Quietly, so as not to draw attention to himself, Percival ducked into a bathroom at the end of the hallway, shut the door softly behind him, and locked it. In a succession of quick movements, he discarded a tailored wool jacket and a silk tie, dropping each piece of clothing onto the ceramic tiles. Fingers trembling, he unbuttoned six pearlescent buttons, working upward to his throat. He peeled away his shirt and stood to full height before a large mirror hung upon the wall.

Running his fingers over his chest, he felt a mélange of leather strips weaving one over the other. The device wrapped about him like an elaborate harness, creating a system of stays that, when fully fastened, had the overall appearance of a black corset. The straps were so taut they cut into his skin. Somehow, no matter how he fastened it, the leather cinched too tightly. Struggling for air, Percival loosened one strap, then the next, working the leather through small silver buckles with deliberation until, with a final tug, the device fell to the floor, the leather slapping the tiles.

His bare chest was smooth, without navel or nipples, the skin so white as to appear cut from wax. Swiveling his shoulder blades, he could see the reflection of his body in the mirror—his shoulders, his long thin arms, and the sculpted curve of his torso. Mounted at the center of his spine, matted by sweat, deformed by the severe pressure of the harness, were two tender nubs of bone. With a mixture of wonder and pain, he noted that his wings—once full and strong and bowed like golden scimitars—had all but disintegrated. The remnants of his wings were black with disease, the feathers withered, the bones atrophied. In the middle of his back, two open wounds, blue and raw from chafing, fixed the blackened bones in a gelatinous pool of congealed blood. Bandages, repeated cleanings—no amount of care helped to heal the wounds or relieve his pain. Yet he understood that the true agony would come when there was nothing left of his wings. All that had distinguished him, all that the others had envied, would be gone.

The first symptoms of the disorder had appeared ten years before, when fine tracks of mildew materialized along the inner shafts and vanes of the feathers, a phosphorescent green fungus that grew like patina on copper. He had thought it a mere infection. He’d had his wings cleaned and groomed, specifying that each feather be brushed with oils, and yet the pestilence remained. Within months his wingspan had decreased by half. The dusty golden shimmer of healthy wings faded. Once, he had been able to compress his wings with ease, folding his majestic plumage smoothly against his back. The airy mass of golden feathers had tucked into the arched grooves along his spine, a maneuver that rendered the wings completely undetectable.

Although physical in substance, the structure of healthy wings gave them the visual properties of a hologram. Like the bodies of the angels themselves, his wings had been substantial objects utterly unimpaired by the laws of matter. Percival had been able to lift his wings through thick layers of clothing as easily as if he had moved them through air.

Now he found that he could no longer retract them at all, and so they were a perpetual presence, a reminder of his diminishment. Pain overwhelmed him; he lost all capability for flight. Alarmed, his family had brought in specialists, who confirmed what the Grigori family most feared: Percival had contracted a degenerative disorder that had been spreading through their community. Doctors predicted that his wings would die, then his muscles. He would be confined to a wheelchair, and then, when his wings had withered completely and their roots had melted away, Percival would die. Years of treatments had slowed the progression of the disease but had not stopped it.

Percival turned on the faucet and splashed cool water over his face, trying to dissipate the fever that had overtaken him. The harness helped him to keep his spine erect, an increasingly difficult task as his muscles grew weak. In the months since it had become necessary to wear the harness, the pain had only grown more acute. He never quite got used to the bite of leather on his skin, the buckles as sharp as pins against his body, the burning sensation of ripped flesh. Many of their kind chose to live away from the world when they became ill. This was a fate Percival could not begin to accept.

Giveaway!
Well. Has your appetite been whetted? Want the book? Of course you do! Well then. Thanks to Viking/Penguin, I have one copy for you. This one is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY, so don't tarry! As usual, giveaways are for followers only. To enter, fill out the form, AND tell me what you like (or don't) about angels, in the comments! Do it all before 6:00 CST March 30th! Good luck!

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