November 30, 2012

First Lines Friday


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.


"Not every bitch is a queen. Most chicks are regular."
 
~ Deeper Love Inside by Sister Souljah

 

November 25, 2012

Series Sunday: Long Lost

A Myron Bolitar Novel (#9)
 


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name. 

My Series Sunday pick is Long Lost, the ninth book in the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. Myron's ex-lover, Terese Collins, is back! She invites Myron to join her in Paris. Like the savior and pleaser he is, Myron hops on the next flight. When he arrives, Terese tells Myron that her investigative reporter ex-husband got in touch with her. He was on the verge of a life-changing revelation, but now Terese can't find him in Paris. The pair soon discover that her ex-husband is murdered. But who did it and why? And what did her ex-husband recently discover that could change Terese's entire life?

This ninth installment of the Myron Bolitar series is full of action, adventure, suspense, murder and revelations. I finished it in one sitting, frantically turning the e-pages as Myron frantically searched around Europe to solve the mystery. This is probably the shortest Myron Bolitar book, but it packs a punch in less than 200 pages. Don't skip this one, folks!

Title: Long Lost
Author: Harlan Coben
Published: March 2009
Pages: 189
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♡

 

November 23, 2012

First Lines Friday

 
First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.

The NOOK is loaded with November eMags. Featured stories are:

"Red-Hot Rihanna" ~ Vogue

"Twilight's Ashley Greene" ~ Marie Claire

"Career Secrets" ~ Elle

"Adele! It's a Boy!" ~ US Weekly

"The Baddest Bond Ever" ~ Rolling Stone

"Automate Repetitive Tasks" ~ MacLife

"At Home With The Obamas" ~ Ebony

"1st Grandmother Marian Robinson on Barack, Michelle, Sasha & Malia" ~ Essence

"Holiday Entertaining Made Easy" ~ Real Simple 

 

November 18, 2012

Series Sunday: Promise Me

A Myron Bolitar Novel (#8)
 


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name. 

My Series Sunday pick is Promise Me, the eighth book in the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. Myron remembers how it was to be a teenager. Thinking parents just don't understand. Sneaking around with friends. Telling and keeping secrets. So when he overhears a close friend's teenage daughter and friend talking about being wasted and driving, he gets the overwhelming urge to offer his telephone numbers if they ever need to call or are ever in a bind. "Promise me. Promise me you'll call me. I'll come get you wherever you are. I won't ask any questions."

A few nights/early mornings later, Myron gets a call at 2:17 a.m. It's Aimee, one of the girls. She promised to call if she needed Myron's help. Now Aimee wants Myron to keep his end of the promise. He picks her up and asks no questions. Then he drops Aimee off at a friend's house. The next day, Aimee is reported missing. Myron is the last person who saw her. Now he has to find her while facing accusations.

Unlike previous books in the series, Myron has to solve this mystery for his own benefit. He has to clear his own name and conscience. This time, it is personal. While there are still the usual Bolitar wisecracks, plot twists and suspense, this book is probably my least favorite of the series. Promise Me is not as satisfying and page-turning suspenseful as the other books in the series. However, it is still worth the read.

Title: Promise Me
Author: Harlan Coben
Published: March 2007
Pages: 225
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥

 

November 16, 2012

First Lines Friday


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.


"As Earth returns to chaos, her women brace to mourn, excavate their buried faith, tap reservoirs of grace, to mourn."
 
~ Collateral by Ellen Hopkins

 

November 15, 2012

US vs. UK

Everyone knows I'm completely obsessed with the UK. "US vs. UK" was created by Jenny from Wondrous Reads and it compares covers from books released in the two countries.

US    
UK 
UK
Today's first comparisons are Gabriel's Inferno and Gabriel's Rapture by Sylvain Reynard. The US covers are fiery, mysterious and steamy. The UK covers are more sensual and simple with neutral colors. Sometimes simple is better. But it doesn't always catch my attention on bookshelves. I would be quicker to pick up the US copies first. US wins this round!

Total: US 18, UK 15

US
UK
The next comparison is Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich. The US cover is bright orange, red and yellow with big bold lettering. This is the usual layout for Stephanie Plum books. The UK cover has a blue background, with white and pink lettering and a woman in the background with a kicked up heeled foot and a "STOP" hand motion. I can totally see Stephanie Plum in this b-girl stance. UK definitely wins this round.

Total: US 18, UK 16

US
UK
The last comparison of the day is a classic: Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. The US cover shows a woman's bare crossed legs. It is assumed she is laying on a bed. A slice of cake is randomly placed on the cover. The UK cover has pink curly lettering. How girly! A woman is across the bed with a pair of heels and purse on the floor by the end of the bed. Very realistic picture for most women. Both covers would catch my attention. I prefer the UK cover because it screams CHICK LIT.

Total: US 18, UK 17

Which covers do you favour?

 

November 14, 2012

Quickie Reviews

 

Title: Being Lara
Author: Lola Jaye
Published: March 2012
Pages: 320
Edition: eBook
Quickie Review: Nigeria. London. Two mothers. A 30-year-old daughter finding what it means to be herself. From the description, it seems to be a good book but it fell flat.

Title: When In Doubt, Add Butter
Author: Beth Harbison
Published: July 2012
Pages: 349
Edition: eBook
Quickie Review: You can't believe it's not butter? I can't believe it wasn't better.

Title: Wife 22
Author: Melanie Gideon
Published: May 2012
Pages: 360
Edition: eBook
Quickie Review: Predictable ending, but good romance story of marriage, midlife crisis, compromise and appreciating what you already have.

Title: Naked (The Blackstone Affair, Part 1)
Author: Raine Miller
Published: August 2012
Pages: 115
Edition: eBook
Quickie Review: I don't get the hype. I want my hour back that I spent reading this rushed story.

 

November 11, 2012

Series Sunday: Seconds Away

A Mickey Bolitar Novel (#2)
 


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name. 

My Series Sunday pick is Seconds Away, the second book in the Mickey Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. Mickey's classmate, Rachel, has been grazed by a bullet and her mother was killed. Of course, Mickey's sleuth spider senses kick in and he wants to find the killer. Ema, his goth best friend, and Spoon, his smart sidekick, help him. When he's not figuring out clues, Mickey is trying out for the basketball team—the same team that his famous Uncle Myron belonged to. More details of his deceased father's job at Aboena Shelter and the Bat Lady are unveiled, leading to more mystery and suspense.

The Mickey Bolitar series is for young adults. I'm 31 years old and enjoy this action-packed series just as much as the Myron Bolitar adult series. The funny one-liners make me laugh out loud. The mysterious clues keep me guessing. The plot's twists are not predictable. I'm not sure how long Coben intends to carry on this new series, but I look forward to reading more while waiting for the next Myron book.

Check out the trailer below:


Title: Seconds Away
Author: Harlan Coben
Published: Sepember 2012
Pages: 215
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♡

 

November 9, 2012

First Lines Friday Bonus


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.

"The rear door to St. Anthony's Church had been left open. Exactly as I had been promised."
 
Want to read more than the first lines? Click the book title link below for a free preview of the first 18 chapters.

~ Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson


 

November 8, 2012

Lit Tidbits

  • Happy NaNoWriMo! November is National Novel Writing Month. If you are writing romance, submit your novel to HarperCollins Avon Impulse. If you are interested in a critique or editing services, please contact me.
  • Twitter will host a Fiction Festival in late November. Submissions are due by November 15. 
  • Bowker reports that in 2011, about 235,000 titles were self-published in the U.S., of which 87,000 were eBooks. 
  • Guess who finally boarded the Fifty Shades train. "For the first time I can take some guilty pleasure and just read," says Oprah about the famous trilogy.
  • Oscar winner Octavia Spencer (Minny in The Help) is starting a YA book series. Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time Capsule Bandit is scheduled to release in Fall 2013.
  • The PIN pads in 63 Barnes & Noble stores have been hacked. Visit here for the press release and a list of the stores affected (states CA, CT, FL, IL, MA, NJ, NY, PA and RI). Online purchases and purchases made through NOOK devices were not affected. 
  • A new version of iBooks and iBooks Author was released on October 23.
  • R.L. Stine published a Halloween story on Twitter. Visit his timeline (@RL_Stine) to read it.
  • The 2012 Essence of Motown Literary Jam & Conference is November 9-11. #MotownLit
  • Beginning Cyber Monday (November 26) and ending Sunday (December 2), if you shop at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide, present the cashier with a specific voucher. A percentage of the sale will be donated to the Troy Public Library in Michigan.
  

November 6, 2012

Any Way You Want It



"But I also think if two people are already attracted to each other, it's only a matter of time before they're going to act on those feelings—tropical island or not." ~ pg. 56 

Elite For You Companions is a legitimate escort service with a strict rule: companionship, not sex. The owner, Zandra Kennedy, prides herself on running a successful business. She will allow no one to ruin her career. Former Navy SEAL Remington Brand is Zandra's childhood friend. He's been keeping a secret for years. Pssst...he is in love with Zandra! The friends spend a Caribbean vacation together that leads to mind-blowing, passionate encounters. Remy wants more, but will Zandra want her fantasies to become reality? Meanwhile, a betrayal could shatter their lifelong friendship and compromise the escort service.

I've wanted to read more about Zandra and Remington's friendship after reading Whatever You Like. The pair have been friends only for over 25 years. I was curious to know whether their friendship would develop into more; whether the wait for a new book about a Brand brother was worth it. And yes, it was. Any Way You Want It lived up to my expectations. Maureen Smith flawlessly told this erotic love story. It is sizzling, steamy and romantic.

Any Way You Want It will be published next Tuesday, November 13. Be sure to download or purchase a copy of this erotic fiction book. Find out if it has a happy ending (pun all the way intended).

Title: Any Way You Want It
Author: Maureen Smith
Published: November 2012
Pages: 331
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥♥
 
 

November 4, 2012

Series Sunday: Luther: The Calling


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name.

"Killer calls. You tweet, you put it on bloody Facebook, it goes viral." ~ pg. 83

My Series Sunday pick is Luther: The Calling, the prequel to the BBC series by the television show's creator and writer Neil Cross. Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) John Luther is obsessed with solving murders for the Serious Crime Unit in London. He has an intensity that borders bad cop with bipolar disorder tendencies. He acts under extenuating circumstances that the law does not recognize. But whatever Luther does is for a reason only he understands at that moment.

Luther: The Calling is told in third person. The view is from the killer, who cut a baby from a mother's womb, and from DCI Luther. Readers learn how Luther met his wife Zoe and how their relationship fell off track. We also see how Zoe's affair with Mark blossomed. In the British TV crime series, we knew that somewhere along the line, their marriage started drifting. This book tells how it all started. This is the extraordinary case that pushed DCI Luther over the edge, personally and professionally. This prequel also ends EXACTLY where the first TV episode begins.

My major gripe with Luther: The Calling is that it reads like a script. For example, "Howie stops off for Luther to pick up a burger. He eats it upside down in waxed paper. He's wiping his mouth on one hand as they walk into the station at the corner of Hobb Lane and Abbadon Street." Might as well add that the camera pans to a street sign. It was very distracting. However, it highlighted small mannerisms of Luther's that we are used to seeing, such as him shoving his hands deep in his coat pockets to prevent himself from touching things in a crime scene. The author states that "Idris made Luther." Tis is true. I imagined Idris Elba as I read page after page. But it didn't help that the "big man with a big walk" was described in screenplay fashion.

This is one of the few examples where I prefer the TV adaptation to the crime novel. It's much more entertaining on screen. Sorry, Neil Cross. I rather watch what you've written than read what you've written.

Check out the Luther Series 3 Announcement video below. I have no doubt it is worth the wait.


DISCLAIMER: This book was received for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Title: Luther: The Calling
Author: Neil Cross
Published: September 2012
Pages: 338
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥

 

November 2, 2012

First Lines Friday


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.


"When I think of my wife, I always think of her head."
 
~ Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn