Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean

Publisher: Avon Books

Source: NetGalley

Publication Date: 26 Oct 2010

Series or Standalone: St John Family, Book 2 (Click here for Book 1 review)
Note: not sure if series has an official name so just using the family surname.

ISBN: 0061852066

Format: ebook

Pages: 384

Websites:

Sarah MacLean - Blog & Official Site
Sarah MacLean - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: London, England and Dunscroft, Yorkshire, England (1823)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

First Line: It cannot be denied that there is a veritable epidemic spreading among the young ladies of London - a tragic reality that ends in nothing but the very worst possible scenario.

Any regular reader of my blog knows that I am a fan of Sarah Maclean. She is an author who writes really good heartfelt stories. Her heroines aren't your typical girls. They are usually a bit awkward, bookish and perhaps a bit plumper than what is considered the norm. They are girls that defy the conventions in their own ways in order to blaze their own path. They are girls in which you can see yourself in and become really attached to. But there is something about Isabel Townsend that really sets her apart for me. I think it might have begun in part because of the roof incident (see vlog reading).

This may seem odd to you but roofs hold a special place in my heart and were a big part in my growing up years. You see the house I grew up in had a porch - it wrapped around most of the building and went under all of our second floor windows. Reading books like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn made me long for a place like Francie Nolan's fire escape. And since I couldn't convince my parents to move to a place with one I had my roof. Only the roof was FORBIDDEN.

My dad had few rules but they were meant to be followed to a T. We weren't allowed on the roof. We weren't allowed in the attic. We weren't allowed to dig holes in the yard. We aren't allowed to take things apart (along with a long hard stare at me). There were others to be sure but those were repeated. Often. Probably because they were the ones we broke the most. Especially after The Incident - which involved my brother, a friend, the attic and a hole in the ceiling. After The Incident there were so many talks on not going in the attic that even now in my 30s when my mom sends me to fetch something my first response is 'but I'm not allowed' followed by a sigh, a look and an exasperated that was when you were a child. So you can only imagine my glee to find Isabel ON THE ROOF....which she got to by GOING THROUGH THE ATTIC. (Yes I am weird, I know.)

Its not just the roof though, Isabel is such a strong character who bears a HUGE weight on her shoulders. She has relied only on herself for so long that she has forgotten what its like to lean on someone else. This is both good and bad as you can imagine. She is smart and resourceful and also can get so lost in her thoughts sometimes that she doesn't always see what's around her. Which is like me in some ways. Her first meeting with Nick St. John....yeah that could so happen to me - well something similar since I don't live in 1823 England. (Now if only I could find me a Nick too...*wanders off to dreamland*)

As with many romances the plot is pretty standard in that the heroine is poor, about to lose her home, has some secrets and is searching for a solution to all her woes. Our hero, the very swoon worthy Nick, is trying to escape the marriage minded mamas on the ton and so leaps at a chance to escape to the country.  Especially after being named London's most eligible bachelor. (Eep! poor Nick lol) The two meet and the reader is taken on a fun and wonderful journey as you watch them struggle with what you know is gonna happen. Added to the mix are some of the best side characters ever. I ADORE Rock almost as much, if not more than Nick. He is this great and wonderful teddy bear of man with some laugh out loud lines. Rock is such a perfect counter point to Nick you can see why they are friends. Isabel's house staff also add in some amusement and her younger brother is both endearing and the sort of boy who just makes your heart melt.

As of this posting, I think that Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord, is my favorite book by Sarah Maclean yet. Which is saying a lot since I LOVE LOVE LOVED The Season! (my review) (Speaking of I STILL want more of that story Sarah! The girls need swoon worthy boys and Freddie needs to meet his Petunia!!) Ten Ways isn't as naughty as Nine Rules but there was less head jumping and I felt that the story was just a bit tighter. Although I missed the lack of Callie and Gabriel. (I know I know Yorkshire is a long way from London but still...I just want EVERYTHING lol). I really just can't say enough how much I loved this book. I just couldn't stop reading it once I had begun. I laughed out loud and would have happily moved into the story if such a thing were possible. Don't believe me...well here is a wee snippet from the book that is will hopefully tease your appetite a bit:

"Minutes later, Isabel was pressing her ear to the heavy mahogany door of the earl's study. She could detect the low hum of masculine voices from within, but their words were impossible to understand. She leaned closer, cursing the ancestor who had selected such a sturdy portal. While she appreciated that had in question likely had goings-on that he had not wanted overheard, the choice of two-inch-thick wood showed an obvious lack of foresight when it came to the requirements of future generations." (Note: Text is taken from the ARC and may not be the same as in the finished version.)

Seriously folks, this is a book that I can gush on at length. I really could. This is the sort of book that I will reread. I don't do that with many books but I just know that Nick and Isabel will become good friends and a welcome distraction when I am sick or my life is just so chaotic that I can't focus on anything new. I also want it said that I think that Rock deserves his own novella. I want to know what he was doing when Nick and Isabel were busy on rooftops. So Sarah, please make that happen. pretty please?

Now begins the long wait until the release of the third book in this series, Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart which won't be out until June 2011. *le sigh* Until then I guess I'll just have to pick up a hard copy of Nine Ways (out 26 Oct) and reread it for any clues to what might happen in Eleven Scandals. Hmm...I might just have to reread Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake as well.....you know....for the clues.

WIP Wednesday (4)

WIP Wednesday is a meme hosted by Tami of Tami's Amis and Other Crochet in which you show off what you are working on, craft wise, during the week. Last week I showed off the blanket that I began for Baby A and I am happy to report that I finished it over the weekend. Yes, I know this is a WIP meme but I think I'll be a bit more like Pop Culture Junkie and just show off crafts one day a week....so that means that you'll see both finished and in progress stuff. Before I show you what I am currently working on, here is Baby A's finished blanket.

Initially I was going to use the multi as the border but then I saw a skein of Red Heart Super Saver Soft Navy laying about and thought I would try that. I also changed the border from what was in the Little Boy Blue Pattern to something more simple. Instead of duplicating the stripes I did 3 rounds of single, double and single chains. I also decided to leave off the embroidery. I really like how it all turned out. Hopefully Baby A will like it too.

With Baby A's blanket complete it was time to start work on Baby B's blanket. Seeing as how B is A's twin I decided to use the same pattern but with different colors. For Baby B I picked up TLC Essentials Light Thyme (2672) and TLC Essentials Island (2916). This is a really quick and easy pattern so as long as I just spend a little time on it each day then I should probably have this done next week. At this point I am unsure if I'll use the multi (Island) yarn for the border or if I'll pull out one of the solid colors from it (most likely the white) and use that.

So that's what I've been crafting this week. What have you been up to?

What's Under the Cover?

So I was bored today and decided to do a vlog. After a little bit of pondering I pulled a bunch of hardcover books off my bookshelf and looked under the dust jacket. This is what I found. I also apologize in advance for any names that I may have mangled in the making of this vlog!





For those who view via a reader that strips out the video you can click here to see on YouTube or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szIfzfPe2aM

Books mentioned in this vlog:
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson
Paisley Hanover Acts Out by Cameron Tuttle
Gentlemen by Michael Nothrop
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Split by Swati Avasthi
Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
Gorgeous by Rachel Vail
The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Hunger by Michael Grant (UK Edition)
The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff
Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Bennan
The Turning by Helen Ellis
Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger and Jessica Gruner
Knightly Academy by Violet Haberdasher
Hunterd by PC and Kristin Cast
Sea by Heidi R Kling
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

Author Interview: Courtney Summers

Greetings and Salutations Internet! Today I have a very special treat for you. The absolutely amazing and wonderful Courtney Summers has taken time out of her busy schedule of writing, picture making and zombie plan planning to answer some questions for my humble space on the interwebs. For those of you who don't know Courtney has written two super amazing books Cracked Up to Be (2009, my review) and Some Girls Are (2010, review 1, review 2) both of which have blown me away. Her third book, Fall For Anything will be out in stores on 21 Dec 2010 and I for one CAN NOT WAIT.

Photo from http://courtneysummers.ca/

GFY: First off…tell us a little about you?

CS: By day, I am a mild-mannered Canadian young adult author. By night, I am a mild-mannered Canadian young adult author in a cape! Because sometimes I like to wear a cape while I write novels and blow a fan on me so the cape billows so there is an illusion of movement...

GFY: Dude...I think everyone should wear a cape. Just think of all the sparkly goodness that could be spread. Note to self: look into buying a cape.  

Please describe your latest (or upcoming) release in as few words as possible. (Bonus points if you can do it in 5 words or less!)

CS: Dead dad, sad girl, photography. (Fall For Anything comes out December 21st 2010 from St. Martin's Press.) 

GFY: Words can't even begin to describe just how excited I am for FFA! Seriously. And the cover...its just so filled with awesome. Maybe my fave of yours yet. (That is until the next CS cover is revealed I am so fickle in my affections...lol). Also...you win a gold star for meeting the challenge of 5 words or less! Hee!

When you finish writing a book who reads it first?

CS: My agent and a few very close critique partners, and of course, my editor. But no more than that. I don't like too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak.

GFY: Those lucky few cooks!!

Which line do you find more difficult to write? The first or the last?

CS: They both get equal amounts of angst. Maybe the first line gets slightly more angst because it sets the tone.

GFY: When you write, which comes first title, plot or character(s)?

CS: It depends on the book! With Cracked Up to Be, it was definitely the characters. Parker came to me fully realized. With Some Girls Are, it was the general concept. With Fall For Anything it was a combination of both. And with what I'm working on now, plot first, then characters. Titles never ever seem to come first for me though, ever.

GFY: Titles may not come easily, but they sure are worth the wait. All have been so filled with win so far. :-)

Which of your characters is most like you? Are any based on real people?

CS: I'm not sure! I think all of them retain little pieces of me, but I'm not saying which pieces! :) None of my characters are based on real people. Well--maybe that's not true. My sister and a few of my friends have made cameos in my books. Those characters are based on real people.

GFY: If we were able to take a peek at your nightstand, what book(s) might we find there?

CS: Right now, you'd find a couple of Archie comics (two Betty & Veronica Double Digests!), Battle Royale by Koushun Takami, which I'm slowly re-reading, and the second volume in the Complete Calvin & Hobbes.

GFY: I used to love reading Calvin & Hobbes...aw...who am I kidding. I STILL love Calvin & Hobbes. I also really need to make time for Battle Royale. I keep hearing about it and just need to sit down and read it.

What’s something that made you laugh out loud today?

CS: This comic by Kate Beaton: http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=61

GFY: What is the book that you most want to read again for the first time?

CS: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, hands down. The experience of reading that for the first time was mind-blowing. He just got it, everything.

GFY: This is a book that I've been hearing a lot about lately. Mainly because its a book that is frequently challenged. But after your endorsement, I'll definately have to make a point of adding it to my bookshelf now.

What’s a book you’ve been a book bully for? (ie one you’ve liked so much that you practically beat people over the head just to get them to read it)

CS: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier! And also all of C.K. Kelly Martin's books. If you don't know C.K. Kelly Martin's stuff, then I don't know you.

GFY: You have been a bad author and annoyed your editor so much that you’ve been sentenced to spend 100 days with a werewolf. The werewolf is not to be killed, how do you spend the time?

CS: I actually have an anti-werewolf clause in all of my publishing contracts, so this would never happen! Also, why can't I kill the werewolf? I'm totally killing the werewolf. I'm sorry but that's just the way it is. They mismanage your finances, you know.

GFY: *sighs* The werewolf isn't to be killed since it is a punishment. Hence why you must spend time with the werewolf. I am also not sure I believe you on this anti-werewolf clause...no wait...I take that back...knowing what I know about you it doesn't surprise me in the least. There is probably mention of zombies in there somewhere too I am sure.

Photo source: http://courtneysummers.ca/

GFY: You’re trapped on a desert island, which swoon worthy book character would you want with you? (there are no ages on this island so that isn’t a factor. Also please say the book he/she comes from as well, thanks!)

CS: Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series. Yep.

GFY: OOOOHHHHHH good choice!! I love Snape...and best of all being a wizard he can congure up all the things you need to make the island all comfy cozy.  

GFY: You have been selected for Survivor: Author Edition. How far do you think you’ll make it before you are voted off the island? Who would you like to see as your competitors?

CS: What! Despite the fact that I have no survival instincts, hate anything that remotely resembles camping and lose my mind if I start any morning without coffee, I think it is safe to say I would never be voted off the island. I would leave in the car with the other Survivor (or other TWO survivors depending on if it's a final two or three) and then we would wait until the reunion show in New York where I would be awarded a million dollars, I assume. As for who I would like to see as my competitors? I am not sure, but I am pretty sure Heidi R. Kling HAS to be one of them.

GFY: What will your first meeting with Jeff Probst be like?

CS: Terrifying. For me. Who could not be intimidated by the greatness of Jeff Probst? I am still shaking from the day he said hello to me on Twitter!

GFY: The Zombie Apocalypse has started, do you have a zombie plan? Can you share your it with us? And if you could have any of your characters with you when the Apocalypse starts, which one would it be? Why?

CS: I have a zombie plan. It is AMAZING and FOOLPROOF and for these reasons, I regret to say I cannot tell you what it is. If anyone got wind of it, I'd have to think of a new one. But I will say , I think I would want Kara from Some Girls Are to be with me in the zombie apocalypse. She is vicious. I have a feeling that could come in handy. Or work horribly against me.

GFY: I think that Kara would be an amazing choice. That girl can probably kick serious zombie butt....and if she gets too out of control you can just toss her to the hordes and wipe your hands of the whole mess. 

GFY: Can you share with us anything about your current project(s)?

CS: Nope. :) I wish! Book 4 is in very tentative, very early stages. All I can tell you it that is' in the works and I'm excited about it.

GFY: I'm excited too...I am a FAN FOR LIFE of your writing. Any parting words?

CS: Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Gail! I appreciate it.

GFY: Thanks for stopping by Courtney! I really loved seeing your answers.  I hope that everyone did as well. If you haven't read anything by Courtney Summers yet then I strongly urge that you do. Her books never cease to amaze me. 

Book Trailer Monday (50): Banned Books Week

Book Trailer Monday is where once a week I feature a trailer for a book that has captured my attention. This trailer might be for a book that is about to be published, or maybe its for a book that has already been released. There won't be any rhyme or reason to the trailer that I choose....the only common denominator will be that I liked it. That it made me stop or made me think or maybe it made me laugh. I do this mainly for my own enjoyment because I love book trailers. I find them fascinating and I hope that you enjoy the ones that I show here each week as well.

So this week I am again departing from regularly scheduled programming to bring you a couple of videos about Banned Books Week. Every year hundreds of books are banned or challenged in schools, libraries and bookstores across the US. Every year there is a person or group who thinks that they know what is best for you to read. That you are unable to decide for yourself what books should be brought into your home. I was lucky and grew up in a house where my parents never told me that I couldn't read something. They trusted me to censor myself and knew that I probably wouldn't read a Stephen King book as it would give me nightmares. They also knew that if I had any questions about what I read I would talk to them about it and there were many dinner table conversations about books and the issues that I discovered in them.

I used to do a lot of babysitting as a teen and I would often bring books and movies to share with the kids. But I would always run that nights selection by the parents first. If they were ever unsure if what I chose then they'd ask me to leave it with them to watch and evaluate. But that is a  parents right to steer their child's reading or viewing because they know what their child can or can't handle emotionally. I also remember a time years ago when a friend and I were going to see a double feature at the small movie theater in town. Movies were older but they were cheap so we loved to go. My dad would often drop us off, wait for us to go inside and then come back later and pick us up. But one night the lady at the window refused to sell us a ticket. Saying she wouldn't let her kids watch the movie and so she wouldn't let us watch it. I remember heading back to my dad's car and when he asked why I told him what the woman had said. My dad immediately got out of the car and promptly bought us all tickets....saying that no one was going to tell his kid why they couldn't watch. The movie was some Woody Allen film and I recall being highly embarrassed to see it with my dad and the woman was probably right that it wasn't appropriate for us. But I love how my dad didn't let someone else censor us. I'm glad that he took it upon himself to check out this film for himself instead of just accepting the opinion of someone else. And its actions like that, that have shaped who I am.

Books are important. Books should challenge us. As Franz Kaftka once said "If the book we are reading does not wake us, as with a fist hammering on our skulls, then why do we read it? A book must be an ice axe to break the sea frozen inside us." So this week take the time and pick out a banned or challenged book. Take the time to discover for yourself what that book is about. You might be surprised about what you learn.

What did you think of this weeks selection? Share your thoughts in the comments below.






Top 10 Books Challenged in 2009:





If you know of a book trailer that you would like to see featured on Book Trailer Monday then please send me an email with a link to irisheyz_5 AT yahoo DOT com.

Y.S. Lee Twitter Party - Tuesday 28 Sept 10

Hello Internet!!

Have I got an exciting event to tell you all about....the online launch party of Y.S. Lee's Body in the Tower. Body in the Tower is the second installment in the Mary Quinn Victorian Mystery Series and is just chock full of amazing goodness. So come one....come all to help celebrate the release of this super fun book. Here are some important details:

Date: Tuesday, September 28

Time: 4 pm BST (UK/Europe) or 4 pm EST (US/Canada)

Place: Twitter

Hashtag: #bodytower

Walker Books UK and Candlewick Press are co-hosting the parties, and there will also be prizes!! And who doesn't love the chance to win free stuff?? Among the offerings will be Agency t-shirts and stickers, and Lee's publishers are offering up books (of course!)

To follow the fun just search Twitter for the hashtag and follow along the tweets or you can use TweetChat or if you have TweetDeck then just click on the hashtag and it will open up a new column dedicated to it. And those are just a few of the many ways you can take part in the fun. Hope to see you all there!

About Body in the Tower (from GoodReads):

This is another colorful, action-packed Victorian detective novel about the exploits of agent Mary Quinn. At a young age, Mary Quinn is rescued from the gallows and taken to Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls. The school turns out to be a front for a private detective agency. At age 17, Mary takes on her first case (A Spy in the House). In this, the second book of the series, Mary Quinn sets out to uncover the truth behind a suspicious death at St. Stephen's Tower, better known as the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. The accident occurred after hours in a highly public part of town and despite the presence of night watchmen. Mary, disguised as Mark Quinn, becomes a builder's assistant to find out the truth about the body at the tower.

A little about Y.S. Lee (also from GoodReads):

Y. S. Lee was born in Singapore but brought up in Canada. She also lived briefly in the United Kingdom. An academic with a PhD in Victorian literature and culture, she wrote MASCULINITY AND THE ENGLISH WORKING CLASS IN VICTORIAN AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND FICTION. She lives in Ontario, Canada.

Fragment Friday (12): The Scorch Trials

Welcome to the latest edition of Fragment Friday, a weekly meme hosted by James from Book Chic Club where we vlog a small snippet from a current read. This weeks excerpt is from The Scorch Trials by James Dashner which will be available in stores 12 Oct 2010.

For those who view via a reader that strips out the video you can click here to see on YouTube or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrINePHn0hs

I hope you enjoyed this weeks fragment...see you next week!

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Source: BEA 2010

Publication Date: 14 Sept 2010

Series or Standalone: Standalone, but ending leaves set up for series

ISBN: 1599905108

Format: Paperback (ARC)

Pages: 256

Websites:

Ivy Devlin - Official Site

Ivy Devlin - Blog

Ivy Devlin - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: Woodlake, ?? (state not mentioned)

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

First Line: I was covered in blood when the police found me.

I really wanted to like Low Red Moon. I really did. I thought that the premise sounded really good. That here was a paranormal book that would be different from all the others that are flooding the market these days. Even the first chapter started out strong and mysterious and I was filled with hope. Oh how wrong I was to hope though as the story went downhill. Fast.

The whole story is told in this dream like state that I suppose is to heighten the mystery and the suspense. Its also very repetitive and with a book that is only 256 pages that isn't a good thing. Its almost as if Low Red Moon was a short story and then expanded into a book by repeating a hundred times over all the key phrases and then some at any given opportunity. This is also a story about werewolves and yet the word is never mentioned. Avery is always going on and on about 'men who are more than men' in this breathy Kristen Stewart type voice that really starts to grate.

Low Red Moon is also supposed to be a mystery but there is no detecting in the book. Avery just stands around and wanders zombie like from place to place. Going on and on about how her parents were murdered and she doesn't remember a thing from that night just the blood and she needs to remember. She needs to find out what happened. But all she ever does is go into the woods were this beautiful boy, Ben, tells her to stay away while his eyes flash silver. Avery can't stay away though because she's drawn to Ben by some mysterious pull.....only Ben is so mysterious that he could be the one who killed her parents. GASP! 

It was such a struggle to finish this book. I kept reading in the vain hopes that there would be something to redeem it. That there would be something that I could point to and say YES! that part....THAT lived up to the promise that I had walking in. But that never happened. It soon became a challenge to finish. My innate stubbornness telling me that its such a short book I should be able to get through it. And I did. With much eye rolling and cries of "really?? you're whining about that....again??" I did.  I managed to finish this book from start to finish and literally groaned aloud at the obvious set up for a sequel. This is not a story that needs more. At least, not in my opinion. Low Red Moon is not a book that I can in good conscience recommend to anyone. There are better paranormal books out there that are more deserving.

While I didn't enjoy Low Red Moon here are others who did:
Bookalicio.us
The Little Bookworm
Book Blather

WIP Wednesday (3)

WIP Wednesday is a meme hosted by Tami of Tami's Amis and Other Crochet in which you show off what you are working on, craft wise, during the week. Last week I showed off the blanket that I am working on for my niece and while I meant to work on that during the week I didn't touch it. Not once. So there is nothing new to show there. I didn't got craftless this week though. After much debated and some consulting with Baby A's mama I finally settled on a pattern for his blanket. I decided to go with the Little Boy Blue by Mary Jane Protus. In the few days that I've been working on this blanket I think that I've made some good progress:

It only looks crooked from how I laid it out...the edges are all nice & straight. =)

Here is a closer view:

This blanket is worked in Caron One Pound Sky Blue (508) and Red Heart Super Saver Sh. Dusk (00984). For this pattern I've also been using hook size I instead of the recommended G. Early on I had debated on using Caron Simply Soft Paints Spring Brook (0004) but after asking Twitter and looking at the two contrasting colors I decided against it. And I think that I went with the right choice. 

So that's what I have for you this week. Next week I hope to show more of this blanket (maybe even the finished result) and hopefully some more of my nieces animal blanket. What about you? Have you been working on anything fun?

The Way of the Shadows by Brent Weeks

Publisher: Orbit Books

Source: Borrowed from a friend

Publication Date: 01 Oct 2008

Series or Standalone: Night Angel Trilogy, Book 1

ISBN: 0316033677

Format: Paperback

Pages: 688

Websites:

Brent Weeks - Official Site

Brent Weeks - Blog

Brent Weeks - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: Midcyru

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

First Line: Azoth squatted in the ally, cold mud squishing through his bare toes.

Those of you who don't know me well probably don't know that I have a thing for assassins in books and movies. I really can't tell you what it is about them that I like. I am just drawn to the mystery and sheer power of them. So it should come as no surprise that The Way of the Shadows is a book that I've been drawn to for a long time. I was just instantly drawn to the cover and the tag line "The perfect killer has no friends - only targets"....I mean how awesome is that? I would find myself picking up this book on most trips I took through the fantasy section of the bookstore. I would pet it and sometimes even add it to my pile. 

But then I would look at the number of pages....all 688 of them....and I would get all anxious and put the book down. Which is kinda funny in a way because I used to DEVOUR books of this size like they were nothing back before college. College totally killed my reading and for years I read next to nothing. And even now that I am reading a lot more I don't ever think I'll return to the way my reading was back before college. Which makes me sad. And it also makes me afraid of books like The Way of the Shadows even though I was so clearly wanting to read it. But think about it...this one book is roughly the size of THREE other average sized books. I know....I know....that's no real excuse but I was daunted by the page count and so put it down.

Then one day on twitter I was talking to a friend who also loves assassins and arguing a bit over one assassin in particular, Valek from Maria Snyder's Study Series (who belongs to me just so y'all know). And in this conversation she mentioned Kyler Stern of the Night Angel Trilogy and how he was right up there with Valek in her eyes. Well this made me all the more intrigued....but then I remember 688 pages...so imagine my surprise when not too much longer later I received a package in the mail from my friend which contained The Way of the Shadows to borrow. I was elated. Really I was. Then I proceeded to put it on my night stand where it mocked me with its 688 pages for way longer then I should have let it. Until that is, I read Stolen by Lucy Christopher (my review) which was a book most extraordinary and one that I knew would make the book that I read next pale in comparison.

I was worried about how the next book may not live up and that I wouldn't be giving it the honest attention that it deserved. When someone on Twitter suggested that I read a book so completely different from Stolen that it would be impossible for one book to taint the other. My eyes were then drawn to The Way of the Shadows. Here was a book that was different. Here was a book that I had to read before my friend sent out the ninjas to retrieve. Here was a book that I couldn't let page count intimidate me anymore. So I put on my big girl pants and began to read. 

It wasn't long before I became so lost in Kyler's world that I forget everything else. I flew through the pages and couldn't believe that I ever let the page count intimidate me. The Way of the Shadows is such a rich and complex story that's filled with so many amazing layers. Just when you think you have something figured out new plots and secrets are reveled that set your mind spinning. Kyler is such a wonderful character who grows before your eyes. He begins as a boy who makes tough choices for those he loves. He accepts his fate but doesn't succumb to it. Throughout the story he remains strong and true to himself. He stumbles on his journey and makes some poor choices. But he picks himself up, dusts himself off and moves on. Which just makes him all the more real.

The Way of the Shadows is filled with so many wonderful and rich characters. Ones that you both love and hate at the same time. No one is perfect. Everyone has flaws. And most importantly everyone keeps you interested in their story. For while the bulk of the story is told through Kyler's eyes the point of view does bounce into several other characters to help give the reader a more complete picture of all that is going on. I am such a total fan girl for this book and before I even finished I downloaded the second and third books onto my ereader. (They each top the 600+ page mark and its my hope that being electronic the size won't intimidate me as much.) The Way of the Shadows has something in it for everyone. There is magic, mystery, political intrigue, romance...and have I mentioned that there are assassins?? Bottom line is I think that this is a book that will appeal to fantasy and non-fantasy readers alike. Its just filled of awesome and I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.

The Way of the Shadows was featured on one of my Friday Fragment posts. Click here to check it out.

A Very Merry Unbirthday from Me to You!

I interrupt today's usually Book Trailer Monday post with an exciting contest. As some of you may already know today is my birthday and I hate to celebrate alone. So I thought that I would host a contest so that you can all celebrate along with me. My birthday is your unbirthday. :-)

Since Ticket to Anywhere is primarily a book blog I am giving away a $33 gift certificate to either Amazon of Book Depository. Therefore this contest is open to where ever Amazon of Book Depository ships. The Unbirthday Contest will be open until midnight EST on 27 September 2010 and you can enter by FILLING OUT THIS FORM.

I'd also appreciate it if you blog or tweeted about it but that's not a requirement. Thanks for stopping by and good luck to all who enter. A very merry unbirthday to you all!

Fragment Friday (11): Ten Ways to be Adored When Romancing a Lord

Welcome to the latest edition of Fragment Friday, a weekly meme hosted by James from Book Chic Club where we vlog a small snippet from a current read. This weeks excerpt is from Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean which will be available in stores 26 Oct 2010. I received my copy through Netgalley because they are awesome.

For those who view via a reader that strips out the video you can click here to see on YouTube or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1LtsoIb4Gc

I hope you enjoyed this weeks fragment...see you next week!

WIP Wednesday (2)

WIP Wednesday is a meme hosted by Tami of Tami's Amis and Other Crochet in which you show off what you are working on, craft wise, during the week. The last WIP Wednesday I took part in was a couple of weeks ago and my project idea has changed at least half a dozen times since then. Shortly after WIP Wednesday #1 I spread out my work to find that for the third time since starting this pattern that the edges were off. Badly.

Previous iterations had the edges going in and going out. This one had one side decreasing and one side increasing. So I unraveled back to the color change for the third time, tried it again with the same result. I am not a bad crocheter and my edges are usually spot on so the fact that no matter what I did or how careful I was that the edges never came out right just frustrated me to no end. So I decided to just call it quits on this pattern. In the last couple of weeks I haven't crocheted a ton but when I have I've been trying to figure out a pattern that grabs me. I've tried a few ripples and other stitches and nothing is grabbing me. So while I try to settle on something I thought that I would show you another project of mine that has been on hold for far longer than it should.

This is the first "row" of five all with alternating arrangement of the panels and is a modification of  the Coats and Clark Filet Bunny Pattern. Each row will have a shift in the design in each panel so by the final row the heart will be the first panel block. This project is worked in Caron One Pound Cream (589) and is so very soft - I love it!! This project began with a chain of 192 stitches using a size I hook. Here are some close ups of the panel blocks:

I really need to finish this soon as it was supposed to be done for the birth of my niece....who will be having her 1st birthday on 17 Sept. But as with the blanket seen above its taken me a while to settle on a pattern and then I was hit by the procrastination fairy. Hopefully over the next week I will have time to work a little more on this project and will have settled on one for the blues. As it will be nice if I can get it done before the bambino that its made for arrives!

Stamped Mockingjay Contest

 

Unable to meet Suzanne Collins in person but want a stamped copy of Mockingjay? Then I have the contest for you! I am giving away two....that's right TWO of the following:

That's a stamped Mockingjay, a mockingjay bookmark and a mockingjay tattoo. As a secondary prize I will pick 10 entrants to receive the mockingjay bookmark. To enter just fill out the form below! This contest is open internationally and will end on 27 Sept 2010 at midnight EST. Good luck to everyone!

Louder Than Words Contest Winners

Thanks to all who entered my contest for the newest Louder Than Words books. I have used Random.org and the winners are as follows:

For the copy of Alexis by Alexis Singer:

Lauren of Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf 

And the grand prize winner for all three books Alexis, Rae and Hannah is...

Kathy of Bermudaonion's Weblog

Congrats to the winners. I will be sending off your information to the TLC Tour Host who will then send it on to the publisher.  I hope that you enjoy your books!

Book Trailer Monday (49): His Eyes by Renee Carter

Book Trailer Monday is where once a week I feature a trailer for a book that has captured my attention. This trailer might be for a book that is about to be published, or maybe its for a book that has already been released. There won't be any rhyme or reason to the trailer that I choose....the only common denominator will be that I liked it. That it made me stop or made me think or maybe it made me laugh. I do this mainly for my own enjoyment because I love book trailers. I find them fascinating and I hope that you enjoy the ones that I show here each week as well.

This weeks trailer is for the His Eyes by Renee Carter which was published by Outskirts Press on 28 Aug 2009. While I don't think this is the most polished of book trailers I did like it. I had never heard of this book previously but now I am really interested in it. I just love the premise and I think it sounds like a fun YA Romance.

What did you think of this weeks selection? Share your thoughts in the comments below.





If you know of a book trailer that you would like to see featured on Book Trailer Monday then please send me an email with a link to irisheyz_5 AT yahoo DOT com.

My Life in Book Titles

I don't do a tone of memes but I saw this one over at Bookalicious and thought it looked like fun and so I decided to paste my version of it here. Basically you just answer the questions with books you read this year!

In high school I was: (exploring) The Things I Know About Love (Kate le Vann)
People might be surprised: (at the) Ten Things I Love About You (Julia Quinn)
I will never be: Branded as Trouble (Lorelei James)
My fantasy job is: (is to be a) Spy in the House (YS Lee)
At the end of a long day I need: (to be) Tempted by Twilight (Lisa Kleypas)
I hate it when: (I) Forget You (Jennifer Echols)
Wish I had: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (Sarah MacLean)
My family reunions are: Fire Study (Maria V. Snyder)
At a party you’d find me with: Clockwork Angel (Cassandra Clare)
I’ve never been to: Shadow Hills (Anastasia Hopcus)
A happy day includes: (a) Brightly Woven (tapestry of friends) (Alexandra Bracken)
Motto I live by: (Keep your eye on) The Prize (Julie Garwood)
On my bucket list is: One Dance with a Duke (Tessa Dare)
In my next life, I want to have: Clarity (Kim Harrington)

Friday Fragment (10): Girl, Stolen

Hello Internet!! Welcome to the latest edition of Fragment Friday, a weekly meme hosted by James from Book Chic Club where we vlog a small snippet from a current read. This weeks excerpt is from Girl, Stolen by April Henry (available 28 Sept 2010).






For those who view via a reader that strips out the video you can click here to see on YouTube or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSEEd67vFoY

I hope you enjoyed this weeks fragment...see you next week!

Guest Post: Ivy Devlin Author of Low Red Moon

Hello everyone!

Today I have the pleasure of hosting Ivy Devlin who is the author of the upcoming book Low Red Moon. For this post I had asked Ivy about what lead her to write the story and what research did she do? Below is her response.

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I've always loved the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and I thought "What if....?" and went from there. It just seemed like the perfect story for a paranormal romance--with the possibility for some very interesting twists along the way!

As for research, I thought about Woodlake, where the story takes place, a lot, and even drew a map of where everything was so I could look at it in case things started to get a bit mixed-up in my head--but with a small town, it was pretty easy. :-) I also wanted Ben's last name to be perfect, so I did some digging around, saw something that made me go, "ah ha!", read a little more, and well--that's how Ben got his last name!

For me the most fun thing about writing Low Red Moon was finding out things I didn't know about the characters--for instance, there's something that happens to Avery that I never saw coming when I first got the idea for the book, but as I started writing and it came out, I just went with it. And I'm really glad I did.

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Thanks for stopping by Ivy....Check back later for my review of Low Red Moon which will be available form Bloomsbury wherever books are sold on 14 Sept 2010.

AFK: All good things must end

Today Maine is kicking me out! So I'll be packing up my tent and cranking up my iPod for the journey home. Hopefully Maine will hold back the hordes of the other weekend warriors long enough that my trip home is traffic free! Back to regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow. And if you don't see a post then please send out the search parties! I might be up a tree waiting for Yogi to leave the campsite!

Book Trailer Monday (48): Stalkergirl by Rosemary Graham

Book Trailer Monday is where once a week I feature a trailer for a book that has captured my attention. This trailer might be for a book that is about to be published, or maybe its for a book that has already been released. There won't be any rhyme or reason to the trailer that I choose....the only common denominator will be that I liked it. That it made me stop or made me think or maybe it made me laugh. I do this mainly for my own enjoyment because I love book trailers. I find them fascinating and I hope that you enjoy the ones that I show here each week as well.

This weeks trailer is for the Stalkergirl by Rosemary Graham which was published by Penguin Books on 05 Aug 2010. This trailer was made by Penguin Books and I just love it. The music just really compliments the images and makes me want to buy this now. I've seen this book in stores several times already and have resisted the temptation to pick it up. But after seeing this trailer I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep that up.

What did you think of this weeks selection? Share your thoughts in the comments below.







If you know of a book trailer that you would like to see featured on Book Trailer Monday then please send me an email with a link to irisheyz_5 AT yahoo DOT com.

AFK: Crackling fires, bears and S'mores!

Assuming that I didn't drown on the river yesterday today is going to be spent around the campfire. Shooting the shit and roasting marshmallows (that I won't eat) and maybe doing some other woodsy things like hike to a waterfall or canoeing. The possibilities are endless and its sure to be a fun time. You know...if I'm still among the living and can enjoy it.

AFK: Heading to the great outdoors....trying not to DIE!

I first saw this idea over at Sarah MacLean's blog when she went away to London a while back and thought it was great fun. Ever since then I have been waiting for the opportunity to utilize the idea here on Ticket to Anywhere. As this is a long weekend in the States some friends and I decided to escape up to the wilds of Maine. Today if Earl keeps his sorry ass out to sea then I will be doing this:

Ok...well hopefully not THAT exactly....but this is me we're talking about so its a definite possibility. Hopefully you are all enjoying your Saturday and if you haven't done so already then check out my current contest as it ends at midnight tonight!

Happy Rafting everyone!

Friday Fragment (9): The Tension of Opposites

Hello Internet!! Welcome to the latest edition of Fragment Friday, a weekly meme hosted by James from Book Chic Club where we vlog a small snippet from a current read. This weeks excerpt is from The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride.





For those who view via a reader that strips out the video you can click here to see on YouTube or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s9BSSaUWoM

I hope you enjoyed this weeks fragment...see you next week!

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Publisher: MacAdam/Cage Publishing

Source: Library

Publication Date: 01 Oct 2001

Series or Standalone: Standalone

ISBN: 0967370167

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 205

Websites:

Mark Dunn - Official Site

Mark Dunn - Blog

Mark Dunn - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: The island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

First Line: Nollopton. Sunday, July 23. Dear Cousin Tassie, Thank you for the lovely postcards.

I read this book back in 2002 and I recall stumbling across it in the library and thought that it sounded interesting. It was different and sounded fun and I enjoyed reading it. his book made me laugh out loud...and by the end had me reading out loud in order to figure out what was being said. Because as more and more letters were banned from use it became harder and harder to read. It was entertaining as well as a little frightening. The premise of Ella Minnow Pea is simple. The island of Nollop is a community filled with those who love letters and think that the phrase "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" because it is a pangram. Which means that it uses all the letters in the alphabet and so for the residents of Nollop is pretty much perfect.

They love this sentence so much they have a huge monument to it in the center of town. So when one day a letter falls off, the residents are thrown into a panic. The powers that be then decide that it is an act of god (or some other higher power) and that they should no long use that letter. And they make laws forbidding it from use in speech or print. Which isn't so bad when its just one or two letters, but as more and more letters start to fall well life on the island of Nollop starts to get more and more difficult.

On its surface Ella Minnow Pea is a fun and quirky novel but at its core I think that this book is a great look into censorship. It highlights just how easy it is to lose freedoms and not even realize what is happening until its too late. For initially, you think 'oh losing the letter a, that's not a big deal....but then you start to realize just how often you actually use that letter...then when another letter is lost and another and another....communication gets harder and harder.

Change the letters for people's rights and it gets even more scary....and dire thoughts of things like concentration camps spring to mind. When Hitler was first coming into power he wasn't seen as the evil person that the world views him as today. He was a savior, breaking Germany from vice grip that the world powers had put it under for the country's role in World War I. Just as it took time for the letters to fall in Nollop, Hitler's grand plan was slow in coming to light. He started with small things, small ideas that over time became huge and so very horrific. After all what is the harm in wearing a star to say that you are Jewish or gay. Its really not that big a deal, right? But then once people had submitted to that small thing, it wasn't long before businesses run by those who were marked where shunned, then closed. Life long friendships became a liability and soon it kinda made sense to just sweep up these people into ghettos....and then to the camps. Didn't it? 

Its easy sitting here to say that the people of Germany should have known all along what Hitler was up to. But we didn't live back then. We didn't hear his speeches or fall under his spell. If Hitler had come out from the start and said that his plan was to try and exterminate all those who were Jewish, gay or opposed his regime then yes the people of Germany would have stood up and said no. But he didn't do that. He took his time, made a small law here....a simple request there....and it was over time that the big picture was revealed. But by then it became harder and harder to stop.

The people of Nollop were a bit like the people of Germany. At first it didn't seem like such a big deal to stop using one letter. There were 25 of letters in the alphabet after all. That is censorship in a nutshell. The suppression of one voice, one book, one civil liberty which then can lead to another and another if there is no one to speak up and say no. If the people of Nollop, stood up and said no I will no stop using the letter a that is a ridiculous idea then the other 25 letters would not have been banned. If enough people had stood up to Hitler in those early days, then maybe, just maybe the Holocaust would not have happened. Censorship while it seems small on the surface is a very big, very scary thing when you step back and look the larger picture.

Ella Minnow Pea was an educational and eye-opening read. It teaches a powerful message in a simple and entertaining way. This is one of those books that has stayed with me long after I read it.  Its a book that made me stop to think. Really think about what I had just read. When I first closed the book I laughed and thought wow that was entertaining. Then the more I thought about it the more I realized that Ella Minnow Pea was more than the words that made it up. It was an idea so powerful that even years later I still think back on it in awe. How many books can you say that about? Ella Minnow Pea is a short book and a quick read. But its contents....its contents are far bigger then the number of its pages. Its message is a powerful one and one that I think everyone should read. Especially those who think that its no big deal to ban book x or to say that person y can't speak at an event. Censorship should never be taken lightly. As Evenlyn Beatrice Hall so eloquently said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Buy Online From:
Amazon
Indiebound.org

Wellesley Booksmith

Note: I originally read this book in 2002 and this review is an expanded version I wrote on my LibraryThing account. I bring it up today because Pam over at Bookalicious is dedicating a week on her blog to censorship and what it means to various bloggers, including myself. My post went up today on her blog. So please stop over there and take a look at it and while there why not look around at some of the other great posts that people have been writing.