Series Sunday: Kill Alex Cross

Series Sunday is a new bookish meme hosted by yours truly, Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along. 

• Read an installment of a series.
• Post a review/recommendation on your blog, FB, Twitter, Goodreads or Shelfari pages.
• Share your review/recommendation by posting the link in the comments section below.
• Include the title, author and name of the series so that other Series Sunday participants can add the book to their TBR lists.

My Series Sunday pick is Kill Alex Cross, the 18th book in the Detective Alex Cross series by James Patterson. The President's children have been kidnapped. The Washington DC water supply has been poisoned. Together, both cases are a devastating attack on the United States. And Alex Cross is the detective handling both cases. 

The format in Kill Alex Cross was a little different. Our favorite detective didn't even appear until a few chapters in. There were also a couple chapters that were told from a different point of view, but the reader is not sure who the narrator is. Weird format, but it worked to keep me reading. The mystery itself was predictable, as well as the title. C'mon...we all know Alex Cross probably won't be killed no matter how close he gets to danger. Highlight the following space for a mini-spoiler: The words or plan to "Kill Alex Cross" didn't even appear until the end of the book. -__-

Every new Alex Cross book is labeled "the most gripping." This one? Not so much. Was it better than the last few Patterson books? Yes. But it was missing the suspense, mystery and murder factor. It is still worth the read though. It is available in U.S. bookstores and online retailers November 14. However, you can read the first 27 chapters here for free.

Title: Kill Alex Cross
Author: James Patterson
Published: November 2011
Pages: 329
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a new bookish meme hosted by yours truly, 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 so that other FLF participants can add the book to their TBR Lists.

"At the wise old age of thirty-seven, India Chumley, Esquire, wholeheartedly believed that women should manage their personal lives using logic and reason as their guides."

~ One Flight Up by Susan Fales-Hill

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"I should never have agreed to travel with my sister, even if my mother's will required it."

~ The Dashwood Sisters Tell All by Beth Pattillo

Angel's Laws of Blogging

ConcreteLoop.com Presents: Angel's Laws of Blogging offers bloggers easy to follow, simple step-by-step instructions to turn your blog into a successful profession. And for you celebrity junkies, there are insider stories and photos included. Some of the laws include:

• Choosing the Right Name
• Branding your Blog
• Working with Social Networks
• Managing Comments
• Generating Revenue

With the exception of style guides and other editing materials, I rarely pick up a "How To" book. However, I'm a loyal browser of the positive black entertainment blog, ConcreteLoop.com It was a no-brainer to purchase her book and learn from one of the best. Angel Laws taught herself through trial-and-error. By following Angel's Laws, it saves time and money. It eliminates frustration and motivates to better your blog(s).

Although our blogs are different subjects, the information within the book proved valuable. I had to break out with my highlighter and post-it tabs. Yes, I learned that many notes and tips that I can apply to Precision Reviews and my Blogmoir. This book is HIGHLY recommended for any blogger, whether you are new or experienced. I sincerely appreciate Angel's Laws of Blogging and look forward to making my blog successful and profitable.

Check out the book trailer below and order your copy by clicking the picture above.

Title: ConcreteLoop.com Presents: Angel's Laws of Blogging: What You Need to Know if You Want to Have a Successful and Profitable Blog
Author: Angel Laws with Carole Moore
Published:  July 2011
Pages:147
Edition: Paperback
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Jane Austen Ruined My Life

College professor Emma Grant blames Jane Austen for her ruined life. From reading Austen's novels, she was always led to believe in happy endings. A respectable marriage, a teaching job, promising plans for the future, and studying her favorite author. But when she discovers her husband, Edward, cheating with her teaching assistant, all dreams of a happy ending come crashing down. As if the affair isn't enough, Edward and the T.A. discredit her by claiming she plagiarized a paper. 


No job. No career. No husband. No hope. So she heads to England to seek revenge on Jane Austen. There, she meets a loony woman named Mrs. Gwendolyn Parrot, who claims to be in possession of lost Austen letters. Mrs. Parrot needs to be reassured that Emma is worthy of the prize, so she assigns tasks that gradually reveal secrets about Austen's personal life. 


I must admit that I'm not a big Jane Austen fan. It's not that I don't dislike her. I just have to be in the mood to read classic literature like Dickens, Austen, Bronte, etc. I much prefer the "fan fiction" or modern books based on the classic authors. So Jane Austen Ruined My Life was a great choice. It mentioned facts in Austen's life, showcased famous spots in England and brings up good topics for book clubs.


It didn't inspire me to pick up an Austen book in the near future, but it certainly was a great introduction to Beth Pattillo. I will definitely read more of her fiction, which I believe is based on Austen too. And let me add that her covers are quite striking.


Are you an Austen fan? Do you read classic lit?


Title: Jane Austen Ruined My Life
Author: Beth Pattillo
Published: February 2009
Pages: 274 
Edition: Paperback
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

The Best of Archie Comics

Chickadee grew up reading Archie Comics. I grew up reading Archie Comics. My peers grew up reading Archie Comics. I remember times when we would pick up the latest copy from the grocery store newsstand or the local comic book store. I would be so excited to read the adventures of Archie and friends (Veronica, Betty, Jughead, Big Moose, Reggie, Miss Grundy, and Mr. Weatherbee). After a while, I stopped collecting the comics and moved on to literature. But the famous comic that started in 1941 is still going strong.

While browsing Amazon.com, I came across a new release: The Best of Archie Comics. This was a must have! I immediately purchased a copy. It features the best stories of the past 70 years! It is in full color and designed for both young and old Archie fans. It highlights the eternal love triangle (Archie/Betty/Veronica). It's also a great introduction if you're not familiar with the Riverdale gang because it covers the 1940s to 2010 and beyond. If you look closely, you'll notice the price change. In the 1940s when Archie first began, it only cost ten cents. The comics are categorized by decade with a brief description of the American culture at that time. A history lesson AND memories!

As a bonus, it includes comics from the spinoffs like Josie & The Pussycats and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. My only gripe is the spine. I had to bend the spine back further to read some of the pages. A hardcover version would have been better. So I would suggest purchasing two copies: one copy for reading, one copy for the collection.


Were you an Archie fan? Do you collect comic books? What is your favorite comic?

Title: The Best of Archie Comics 
Author: Various
Published: August 2011
Pages: 415
Edition: Paperback 
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Recalculating

On Friday, I saw a tweet from one of my favorite authors, Jennifer Weiner. "Check out the cover for Recalculating. On sale Monday! Links to come." So like the nosy Twitter addict I am, I clicked the link and saw this:

Consider my interest piqued. So I replied to her tweet saying that I didn't know a new release was coming so soon. She immediately replied with an answer. Amazingly, she got an idea about a possessed GPS. Wrote it on Wednesday. The publisher, Atria Books, had it edited then created the above cover. And voila! A new short story eBook for our Halloween reading pleasure. Now that is awesome teamwork! I downloaded my copy already. You should too for only 99 cents at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Series Sunday: I Heart Paris

Series Sunday is a new bookish meme hosted by yours truly, Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along. 

• Read an installment of a series.
• Post a review/recommendation on your blog, FB, Twitter, Goodreads, or Shelfari pages.
• Share your review/recommendation by posting the link in the comments section below.
• Include the title, author, and name of the series so that other Series Sunday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists.

My Series Sunday pick is I Heart Paris, the third book in the I Heart series by Lindsey Kelk. Angela is in the city of love: Paris. It is supposed to be a romantic working trip with boyfriend Alex. He was playing in a festival. She was to write an article for fashion magazine Belle. But the trip isn't turning out right. First, her luggage is blown up by airport officials. Her best friend Jenny is not speaking to her. Alex's ex-girlfriend is trying to win him back. And someone is sabotaging her career putting the visa in jeopardy. 

Like the other two previous books in this series, Angela isn't a good communicator. She overreacts to situations and always thinks the worst. In this book, it started to get annoying. The refreshing parts were reading about Paris scenery and the sub-characters like Jenny, Alex and Louisa. It was an okay read and I will continue the series. I'm actually excited that I Heart Vegas will be released in December.

Title: I Heart Paris
Author: Lindsey Kelk
Published: July 2010
Pages: 241
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥