Monday, December 30, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday 11

 
Hosted by Broke and Bookish.
I am back!  Now that the holidays are over I am back to doing these.  This week is  Top Ten Books I Read In 2013.   Well I read lots of great books and I  there were several I had to vary between as my top but finally I choose these as my top favs (no particular order).  There are af fre others that are right up there, tied for that 10th spot but these are the ones I am sharing.  Enjoy!
The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, #2)   Nameless 
The Hallowed Ones (The Hallowed Ones, #1)   Into the Night (Into the Night #1) 

BACK!

I'm back!   Sorry for the long breakaway.   December is always an extra crazy month for me during which I have no life.  But I am back and ready to share more bookish love with everyone!  

 

Expect lots of reviews, and fun posts throughout the next month.  I will also try to sign up for some great giveaways to share new books with you.  So the next several months will hopefully be a lot of fun.  I also plan to seriously organize the archive as I know it is way behind.  Once it is complete and up to date I am thinking some fun games to win some free books or swag.  What do you think? 

Most importantly, what would you love to see happen here this year?  I want to make this a great year and lots of fun and would appreciate any input or opinions. 

Monday, December 16, 2013

Atlas Spotlight and Giveaway!



Book Description: 
Kala Hicks is part of a covert elite military team that answers directly to the
President of the United States. But during an emergency mission aboard Air
Force One, Kala is shocked to discover that the real threat is none other than the
President himself. Defying her commanding officer, Jack Norbin, Kala takes the
shot, and her life changes forever.

The moment the President is killed, a supernatural force speaks to Kala, telling her
that she has to commit one act of atrocity every four days… or the world will end.
Thrown into a reality she never could have imagined, Kala faces off with creatures
of legend; from demons determined to make her fail and plunge the Earth into
chaos, to angels who don’t trust her to do the job and are willing to kill her to claim
it for themselves.

Pitted against the forces of good and evil, Kala must choose whether to save the
world by doing the unthinkable, or sit back and let it burn. And four days later,
she’ll have to do it again.

Excerpt End of Chapter 3:

Very carefully, Jack opened the door that led to the President’s office.
What awaited them was terrifying.

Friday, December 13, 2013

World of Ash by Shauna Granger Review and Interview

World of Ash
By Shauna Granger

Genre: Dystopian
Published Dec 2013
Pages: 263
Buy a copy of  World of Ash 

World of Ash  Summary:  "There are two inherent truths in the world: life as we know it is over, and monsters are real.

The Pestas came in the night, spreading their pox, a deadly plague that decimated the population. Kat, one of the unlucky few who survived, is determined to get to her last living relative and find shelter from the pox that continues to devastate the world. When it mutates and becomes airborne, Kat is desperate to avoid people because staying alone might be her only chance to stay alive.

That is, until she meets Dylan. Dylan, with his easy smile and dark, curly hair, has nowhere to go and no one to live for. He convinces Kat there can be safety in numbers, that they can watch out for each other. So the unlikely couple set off together through the barren wasteland to find a new life – if they can survive the roaming Pestas, bands of wild, gun-toting children, and piles of burning, pox-ridden bodies."



Review:  I really enjoyed this book. World of Ash can really make you wonder what life would be like after an apocalyptic plague wipes out a large portion of the population. And what the plague/pox doesn't kill, the military certainly will in order to 'protect' and control the situation.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Rebels by Scott and Judith Powell-Spotlight, Tens List and Giveaway

Rebels copy




rebels    Rebels The world is on fire. From the ashes like a phoenix rises a new America, one that will save it all. Under one condition; absolute and complete surrender. The world complies without question. Those who don’t are destroyed. It is in this world, John is born. His very name is treason. If the New America, now known to everyone as the State, knew what John was, they’d kill him, but instead they give him a gift.




  Praise for Rebels John has a lot of potential (especially for someone so young) in that he sees the flaws in this society. He wants to be like George Washington and knows a lot about the manner in which a government should be run... Highly recommended. ~Amazon Review







Saturday, December 7, 2013

Star Wars-In the Shadow of Yavin (review)

Star Wars, Volume 1: In the Shadow of Yavin 
Star Wars:  In the Shadow of Yavin (1)
{Star Wars -Dark Horse #1-6}

By Brian Wood
& Carlos D'Anda

Genre: Comic, Sci-Fi
Published Oct 2013
Pages: 152
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Buy Star Wars Volume 1: In the Shadow of Yavin


Summary:   "In the wake of the Death Star's destruction, the Empire seems to anticipate and thwart all moves by the struggling Rebel Alliance - which smells like a spy among the ranks. Princess Leia forms a stealth squadron of her best pilots - including Luke Skywalker - to expose the spy and find the Alliance a safe home. In another part of the galaxy, Han Solo and Chewbacca are on their own mission for the Rebels, but that, too, has been betrayed to the Empire. And, over all, Darth Vader watches..."


Review:  For a Star Wars Comic this was better than several others I have read recently. The Dark Horse Star Wars Comics have always been a favorite but I am an old-school-style comic fan so most comics these days seem to be lacking in my opinion. The comic has the Dark Horse creativity but does seem to have some more modern comic touches. A nice blend for all ages of fans.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Blessed Child by Ted Dekker and Bill Bright (review)

Blessed Child 
Caleb Books:  Blessed Child (1) by Ted Dekker and Bill Bright

Genre: Suspense, Christian Fiction
Published May 2013
Pages: 358
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Buy Blessed Child (The Caleb Books Series) or View on Goodreads.








 Summary: ""Whoever said that a straightened hand was more dramatic than a healed heart anyway?"

A young orphaned boy was abandoned in the midst of an invasion and raised in an Ethiopian monastery. He has never seen outside its walls--at least, not the way most people see. Now he must flee those walls or die.

But the world beyond is hardly ready for a boy like Caleb.

When relief worker Jason Marker agrees to take Caleb from the monastery, he unwittingly opens humanity's doors to an incredible journey filled with political intrigue and peril. Jason and Leiah--the French-Canadian nurse who escapes the monastery with him--quickly realize Caleb's supernatural power to heal. But so do the boy's enemies, who will stop at nothing to destroy him. Jason and Leiah fight for Caleb's survival while the world erupts in debate over the source of his power.

In the end nothing can prepare them for what they discover."




Review:  Well done ted Dekker and Bill Bright! This was an amazing, inspirational and very moving story! This book had me grinning from ear-to-ear in one chapter and eyes nearly welling up with tears in another.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Holiday Read-A-Thon Dec 6-8

Holiday Read-A-Thon!
This is a quick, 3 day read-a-thon with lots of mini challenges and games!  To join, check out WhoRuBlog for details.
So, while my busiest work schedule is over the weekend I am going to try to get some good reading in. Between Dec 6-8.  
For the first mini I entered, I have pledged to donate 1 penny for every page I read, plus for every 100 pages I get through, I will volunteer for a local charity in sharing holiday cheer for 1 hour.  So wish my lots of luck reading!  I honestly have no idea if I will only have time for 10 pages or 500.  We shall see...

Fri, Dec 6:  
Books I read/made progress in:  World of Ash by Shauna Granger
Total Pages Read: 18

Sat, Dec 7:  
Books I read/made progress in:World of Ash by Shauna Granger and Darkwater byCatherine Fisher
Total Pages Read: 33
Sun, Dec 8:  
Books I read/made progress in:World of Ash by Shauna Granger 
Total Pages Read: 26

Grand Total
Books: 
World of Ash Darkwater
Total Page Count77


Yea.  Like I thought no time for reading.  Catching a cold didn't help.  Still.  I read some.  So I will donate $1 (just rounding up) and 1 hour of my time to charity this holiday season.

Merry Christmas!!