Monday, December 26, 2011

Fall Into Reading: Wrap up


I'm very sorry I'm late with this post, but last week has been more than overwhelming. Besides the Christmas preparations, Mother Nature has been very mean with me. I'm one of those people, who are very sensitive to the weather changes (I have no idea what the term is in English, but it's safe to say I felt like cr@p last week, with all the changes). So that's the reason I haven't done this post earlier.

Anyway, back to the initial topic.


Fall Into Reading was a challenge hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days. You can read the guidelines for the challenge on her blog.

As you can imagine, I didn't get to read the books I planned on reading. I'm usually very bad at planning my reading lists. I never, ever manage to read the books I want in a certain order. I'm not talking about the books in a series. I'm talking a list of books I want to read and a list I make at some point. Here was my list:


  1. The Shakespeare Secret - Jennifer Lee Carrell 
  2. Dead In the Family - Charlaine Harris  .
  3. Heat Wave - Richard Castle 
  4. Slave to Sensation - Nalini Singh 
  5. Tall, Dark & Dead - Tate Hallaway  
  6. Sorcery and the Single Girl - Mindy Klasky  
Out of all these books I managed to read only the first book, The Shakespeare Secret. I've read other books  this fall, but none that were on this list. 

Like I said, planning doesn't do much good to me. I plan on reading a few more books before the year is over. I hope next year there will be another Fall Into Reading challenge and that I'll do better at it :)

Merry Christmas!!

 Glitters Glitterized by FLMNetwork.com



Friday, December 16, 2011

Book vs Movie: Harry Potter

Two posters, one with photographs and the other hand-drawn, both depicting a young boy with glasses, an old man with glasses, a young girl holding books, a redheaded boy, and a large bearded man in front of a castle, with an owl flying. The left poster also features an adult man, an old woman, and a train, with the titles being "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". The right poster has a long-nosed goblin and blowtorches, with the title "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone".
The first memory I have of the world of Harry Potter was my desk-mate from school telling me how I had to read the books, how Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was a brilliant movie and that I had to see it. I also remember other friends of mine constantly talking about the movie and the books and how I tried really hard to stay away from it all for some reason. I also remember being bribed into watching the movie and how I loved it and begged my friend and desk mate to let me borrow the first book to read it. About a year later or so the fourth book was published and I remember how excited we all were about reading it and making plans and trying to do our homework in class to have more free time at home to read. And those crazy moments of reading under the blankets with a flashlight because it's far past your bedtime and you just know you're going to get grounded if you're caught reading instead of sleeping at 2 a.m. LOL
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

I won't go on and on about my memories and feelings about the books, just to say that this book did change my life: it made me love reading. So I am grateful I had the luck of being nagged by my friends to read it.

When the 7th book was published, everyone I knew "vanished" for a couple of days. They were all reading the book. I was actually scared, wondering who was going to die, and so I didn't read the last book for an entire year. Then finally I read it and I wasn't at all disappointed with the ending. I think the ending was great.

I was curious about the last two movies. I have to say I was very happy when I found out they were going to split the last book into two movies, because I thought (and it was true) that this way, they would make the book justice.




The "good" part about this wonderful series (both movies and books) ending is that you can now do either reading marathons or movie marathons, which I already did *blushes*. The bad part is that you know it ended and I do believe it never will be the same, no matter how many times you see the movies or read the books, you don't feel that anticipation of not knowing. Before the 7th book, every time I reread the books  I didn't like Snape at all, but now, knowing the truth about him sort of changes my perspective. And with most of the characters is the same.

There are a few things I wished the movies had. First of all, Peeves. I liked that poltergeist, I think he was very funny and entertaining. I would've loved to see the Sorting Hat singing too. I could go on and on, but then this is my view, it's how I feel about the books and the movies and it may or may not be similar to other people's view. 

There was one little thing I wished the book had. In Deathly Hollows Part 2, when Harry, Ron and Hermione get into Hogwarts, the students are called in the Great Hall. I loved that scene. And I know very few people agree with me, seeing as how we know the truth about Snape and Harry talked badly with him. But I loved when the students were almost marching down the stairs. I think that was the most amazing way of showing how Voldemort changed Hogwarts. Like I said, it's all about tastes and likes and dislikes. But that scene was amazing for me.

I love the books, I love the movies. I'm not sad anymore. I was sad it ended, but now I'm just happy I was able to see it all. (That's not to say that the crazy, small child inside me doesn't wish for more, but that inner child is never satisfied, you know? LOL)

Follow Friday (6)


Welcome to Follow Friday hosted this week by Parajunkee and Alison!
The main idea behind FF is just to go see a bunch of new blogs you may never have seen before, and follow the ones you like (and they’ll follow you back!) It’s a total win/win, so take a peek around and follow me!

This week’s question is:





Question of the Week: When you've read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it..?



I always keep my books, even if it's one that I didn't enjoy that much. The reason is that I'm attached to all of my books. If I went to the "trouble" of buying them, I am so not giving them away. The only way I'm going to sell them/give them away is if I have multiple copies of the same edition. But that's it. I care for my books no matter if they're ruined or they don't have the prettiest cover or if I didn't quite like the subject.

Another reason for me not giving them away is that I'm sometimes in the mood to reread some of the "old" books. Not always and it only applies to certain books that I loved, but I do reread.

How about you? What do you do with the books after you've read them?

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Book Review: Shadow's Stand by Sarah McCarty

Shadow's Stand (Hell's Eight, #5)



Author: Sarah McCarty
Series: Hell's Eight #5
Rating: 4 cups
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

Husband of convenience. Lover by choice.

Shadow Ochoa is lying low in the western Kansas Territory, waiting for his fellow Texas Rangers—the Hell’s Eight brotherhood— to clear his name. That is, until he’s unjustly strung up for horse thieving...and pretty Fei Yen intervenes. Invoking a seldom-used law, the exotic lady prospector claims Shadow as her husband
and rides off with the bridegroom shackled to her buckboard.

Savvy, fearless Fei is single-mindedly devoted to her hidden claim and all it promises: wealth, security and freedom. A husband is just a necessary inconvenience and a name on paper to hold the claim she cannot.

Shadow isn’t a man to take orders from anyone, especially from lovely Fei—except that the daily friction between them ignites into nightly blazes of all-consuming passion. Soon Shadow is dreaming a little himself: of the life they could have if only Fei could see past the lure of independence. If only bounty hunters weren’t closing in on him. If only he’s left standing when the impending showdown has ended....

I saw this book on Netgalley and I couldn't believe my luck. Remember this book was on my "most wanted" books for 2012? Well, this is like an early Christmas present, to be honest! What could be better than spending a day in bed, with a hot tea, and an incredibly hot historical romance?

Shadow Ochoa... This character has fascinated me since the first time it was introduced in the series. He had this aura of danger around him and he struck me as more of a "less talk, more action" man. He had a brutal childhood, one that made him weary of showing his true feelings for someone. Because of his and Tracker's father, he was convinced that the people he cared for were in danger because of his feelings. Tracker managed to find his happiness, but Shadow is more scared of the power of feelings and the vulnerability that comes with acknowledging those feelings. He's a very honorable man, one that once he gave his word, he'll keep his promise no matter what. He protects what's his and he risks everything for a woman he just barely met, Fei.

Half American, half Chinese, Fei didn't have an easy childhood either. Having mixed heritage made it very hard for her family to accept her, even though her heritage was not her fault. Even so, ever since she was a child, she's hoped of being independent, of finding true love and happiness. She's willing to do anything to save her cousin, Lin, the only person who never judged her for the mixed blood running through her veins, the only one who accepted her as she was. Anything, even marry a complete stranger about to be hanged. Underneath her tougher-than-nails exterior, she's just a girl seeking for acceptance and love. You can see that when she's with Shadow and her vulnerability and insecurity become stronger than her self-control.

I think this book was very good. I still think Tucker's Claim is my favorite, but Shadow's book doesn't disappoint. I'm curios though who comes next in the series.



My Rating:
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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Book Review: To Command and Collar by Cherise Sinclair

To Command and Collar (Masters of the Shadowlands, #6)


Author: Cherise Sinclair
Series: Masters of Shadowlands #6
Rating: 5 cups
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

Determined to find the human traffickers preying on Shadowlands’ submissives, Master Raoul gets himself invited to a small slave auction. Once informed, the FBI orders him to reject the limited choices so the slavers will invite him to the big auction. To Raoul’s shock, one of the slaves is the kidnapped friend of a Shadowlands sub. She has a scarred body…and an unbroken spirit. He can’t leave her behind. Ruining the FBI’s carefully laid plans, he buys her.

Kimberly’s freedom has come at a devastating price: the other women are still slaves. An FBI raid is their only hope for rescue. Desperate to help the Feds locate the big auction, she agrees to pose as Master Raoul’s slave. Wearing a collar again is terrifying, but under the powerful dominant’s care, Kim starts to heal and then to blossom. This is what she’s been drawn to—and fled from—her entire life.

She escaped the slavers who captured her body—can she escape the master who’s captured her heart?


I am very happy that another book from this wonderful series was published. I'm also very happy it was this story, with these characters. When I read about Kimberly in Make Me, Sir, my heart broke and I'm sure I wasn't the only one wishing she'd be saved. I have to admit that when I saw the blurb and excerpt on Ms. Sinclair's website, I squealed *blush*. I did that a lot.

This book picks up the story of the slave traffickers that Make Me, Sir started. Master Raoul volunteers to help catch the bad guys, all the while trying to find Kimberly, Gabi's best friend. So when Raoul sees her, he risks everything to get her out of the hell she's being kept in.

Raoul is the type of character I love most. He's a very complex character: he can be soft, sweet and sensitive when he needs to be, but he can also be dangerous and lethal. He's very generous, patient, smart. Of course, he has his moments when you just want to shake him, but I think it's what makes him seem real, just like every other characters in this series. He's not perfect, he makes mistakes but he tries to make up for them.

Kimberly is another wonderful character. She's been through so much since she's been kidnapped. And you can see that she's a very strong person, because she's trying really hard to overcome her fears. Not only that, but she manages to differentiate between a healthy, happy relationship and the horrors she's been through. She's also very generous herself and she tries to repay Raoul by helping his family understand some details about his life.

I loved this story. Not only does Kimberly get saved, we also get a longer scene with Master Sam and a very hot scene with the two FBI agents, Kouros and Buchanan. I find myself in a very difficult situation: should I hope for Sam's story first or for our agents? I have no idea what comes next, but I do know I can't wait for another story in this amazing series.


My Rating:
Rocked my world photo Image9.png
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