Sunday Book Soundtrack #4 - Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Sunday Book Soundtrack is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books, where I share some of my bookish soundtracks. Since I discovered my passion for reading years ago, I've discovered that more and more of the songs I loved remind me of certain books. So I thought I'd share my playlists with you. If you want to listen to the songs, I'll post a link to a Youtube videos for each and every title. No copyright infringement intended! I'll try to find the official videos for each song. There's no set number for each playlist, sometimes I might have 10, sometimes 5, sometimes if I'm one of my moods I'll have 15. If you want to read more about this feature, click the "show more" button below. 

I read with music. If there's no music, I can't read. And not just read, but almost anything, like studying of cooking or doing chores around the house. The only time I don't have music is when I sleep. And during exams, but that's a different story.

Sometimes it happens that a certain song and a book or a scene from the book I'm reading sort of... click. It's like they were made for each other. At least for me. And so I will almost always think of that particular book when hearing that song. I thought I'd share my book soundtracks with you.

Keep in mind that I have a very... weird taste in music. You'll find mostly rock music, country or the 80s-early 90s music in these lists. I might use some "contemporary" songs from now and then, but don't bet on it being something other than those particular genres. Also, not always the songs will be in English. If I have a link to a translation for the lyrics, I'll post it. If you like a song I'm using, that's fine. If not, that's fine too, just don't say I didn't warn you.

The songs aren't always on a book's playlist for their lyrics. Sometimes they're there for an instrument or for a feeling I get when hearing them. Also, I won't always mention what scene I used them for. If it's not a spoiler, I'll share the scene, if it is a spoiler, I'll let you guess.

Anyway, I hope you like my playlists :)

This week's book soundtrack is for Frostbite by Richelle Mead (read my review here)

1. Adele - One and Only - This song reminded me of Rose and Dimitri. But especially Rose. Can't say more because that will be spoiler-ish for those of you who haven't read the book. 
2. The Beatles - Yesterday - I can't say why I put this song on the list, because that would be a major spoiler. But I feel that it's perfect for a specific scene in the book. 
3. The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star - If you've read the book, you know why this song ended up here. Though it wouldn't be my favorite choice for that scene, I can't think of a better one. That and I really like the song.
4. Roxette - How Do You Do
5. Big Mama Thorton - Hound Dog - This is for Adrian. I just couldn't help it. I see this song as his ultimate theme song, at least for Adrian as we know him in Vampire Academy. We'll see if I change my mind after I read the Bloodlines series (judging only by the first two books, I'd be tempted to change the song. Not yet though, I'm still waiting to see what he has planned next :D )

Day 28 – Favorite title

I... don't have a favorite title. Not that I know of. But I usually like that the book I'm reading has memorable titles. If they're stand-alones I don't have many preferences. But if they're part of a series, I kind of like to see some sort of consistency in the title. For example, most of the books in J.R Wards's Black Dagger Brotherhood start with the word "lover" (except the first one which ends with it). So I like that there's a pattern and something common to the titles of each of the books in a series. Especially if the author you're reading writes multiple series at the same time and you need to pinpoint a certain book into a series. (Yes, you can say that I have a little OCD *blush*)

Book Review: Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione

Author: Larissa Ione

Series: Demonica #2

Publisher:Forever

Release Date:March 1st 2009

My Rating:4 cups

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Pleasure is their ultimate weapon . . . 

Runa Wagner never meant to fall in love with the sexy stranger who seemed to know her every deepest desire. But she couldn't resist the unbelievable passion that burned between them, a passion that died when she discovered his betrayal and found herself forever changed. Now, determined to make Shade pay for the transformation that haunts her, Runa searches for him, only to be taken prisoner by his darkest enemy. 

A Seminus Demon with a love-curse that threatens him with eternal torment, Shade hoped he'd seen the last of Runa and her irresistible charm. But when he wakes up in a dank dungeon chained next to an enraged and mysteriously powerful Runa, he realizes that her effect on him is more dangerous than ever.

As their captor casts a spell that bonds them as lifemates, Shade and Runa must fight for their lives and their hearts-or succumb to a madman's evil plans. 

I thought long and hard about this review, most of all on how to start it. So, after many hours of brainstorming, I've decided to go forward with brutal honesty. I'm sorry in advance if I ruffle some feathers.

When I first read about Shade, in Pleasure Unbound, I didn't like him very much. I didn't understand him at all. The way he acted with women, the way he talked about them... Yes, I understood that as a Seminus demon his needs were more...particular. But I can't say that I accepted him all that much. That, combined with the fact that I really wanted to read Wraith's book, didn't exactly allow me to be ecstatic about reading Shade's story. I am now ashamed of myself. For those of you who might judge Shade before you get to his and Runa's story, let me tell you that you have to wait. I get where you're coming from, but have patience. 'Cause Shade will surprise you. He's so not the shallow, uncaring guy I thought. He's so sweet and sexy. And he's also a tad tortured. He's a great brother and he's very protective of those he cares about. After reading his story I can honestly say that it's impossible not to like him. He also had a kinkier side :D

Runa was amazing. I think she's perfect for Shade. Brave, stubborn, she's able to calm Shade a little, while keeping him on his toes. I was so heartbroken after we get her story. And I liked that her brother tried to protect her after she gets bitten by a werewolf. I liked her brother a lot and I am hoping that we'll get a story for him too.

We get to learn more about the creatures in this series and we get to learn more about the brothers' history. And there's this super hot subplot with a certain half-demon and a human warrior *shivers* It's impossible not to love those two. I just wished they'd get a book just for them. I feel like they need more time in the spotlight.

If you haven't read this series, do stop waiting. It's good and it's a breath of fresh air. Like I said before, I believe that demons are the new vampires :D

Sunday Book Soundtrack #3 - Blade Song by J.C. Daniels

Sunday Book Soundtrack is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books, where I share some of my bookish soundtracks. Since I discovered my passion for reading years ago, I've discovered that more and more of the songs I loved remind me of certain books. So I thought I'd share my playlists with you. If you want to listen to the songs, I'll post a link to a Youtube videos for each and every title. No copyright infringement intended! I'll try to find the official videos for each song. There's no set number for each playlist, sometimes I might have 10, sometimes 5, sometimes if I'm one of my moods I'll have 15. If you want to read more about this feature, click the "show more" button below. 

I read with music. If there's no music, I can't read. And not just read, but almost anything, like studying of cooking or doing chores around the house. The only time I don't have music is when I sleep. And during exams, but that's a different story.

Sometimes it happens that a certain song and a book or a scene from the book I'm reading sort of... click. It's like they were made for each other. At least for me. And so I will almost always think of that particular book when hearing that song. I thought I'd share my book soundtracks with you.

Keep in mind that I have a very... weird taste in music. You'll find mostly rock music, country or the 80s-early 90s music in these lists. I might use some "contemporary" songs from now and then, but don't bet on it being something other than those particular genres. Also, not always the songs will be in English. If I have a link to a translation for the lyrics, I'll post it. If you like a song I'm using, that's fine. If not, that's fine too, just don't say I didn't warn you.

The songs aren't always on a book's playlist for their lyrics. Sometimes they're there for an instrument or for a feeling I get when hearing them. Also, I won't always mention what scene I used them for. If it's not a spoiler, I'll share the scene, if it is a spoiler, I'll let you guess.

Anyway, I hope you like my playlists :)

This week's book soundtrack is Blade Song by J. C. Daniels (read my review here)

1. Godsmack - Voodoo - This song seems perfect for Kit for some reason. Not just Kit, but her sword also. Plus, I love the drums in this song :D Intoxicating (in a very good way)
2. Davit Guetta - Titanium - I know, it has nothing to do with the previous song. But I love Titanium. And it reminds me of Kit in a way.  
3. The Kills - Sour Cherry 
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising - I really don't need a reason to put this song on this particular playlist. I love their music and Bad Moon Rising is like...let's just say everytime I read about a shifter or were-creature I hear this song :D
5. Skid Row - Monkey Business - Spoilers, so I won't say why :P 
6. Nickelback - Side of the Bullet - Fighting scene. And I love the guitar :D

Promo Post - Touching Evil by Amber Garr

With one touch, Leila can see it all.

Leila Marx is trying to put her life back together after her fiancé is murdered. When Detective Garrick Pearson enlists her help with a difficult case, she is thankful for the distraction and the opportunity to use her talents as a touch clairvoyant. Leila and Garrick quickly delve into the mystery behind a series of missing teenage girls and mummified corpses while discovering their own growing attraction to each other. 

Conner Hoffman is an intriguing lawyer and striking half-demon who enters Leila’s life unexpectedly.  Although her visions are terrifying, she is fascinated by his charm and his legacy. When it becomes evident that the murders are linked to a paranormal event, Conner introduces Leila to a world unbeknownst to ordinary society. She suddenly finds herself immersed in supernatural politics, sorcery, and danger as she becomes the killer’s next target. 

Staying alive will mean relying on friends, accepting the unbelievable, and trusting in her heart again.

Buy at Amazon or Smashwords.

Visit Amber's website to read an excerpt, watch the trailer, and meet the characters.

In celebration of the release, Amber's holding a giveaway!

Open to everyone. Yeah!

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Amber Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. Amber is a Royal Palm Literary Award winner, author of The Syrenka Series and The Leila Marx Novels. When not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie.

 Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Book Review: Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #8
Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: March 25th 2008
My Rating: 4 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Tabloid reporter Hope Adams appears to live the life of an ordinary working girl. But in addition to possessing the beauty of a Bolly-wood princess, Hope has other unique traits. For she is a half demon- a human fathered by a demon. And she's inherited not only a gift for seeing the past but a hunter for chaos- along with a talent for finding it wherever she can. Naturally, when she's chosen by a very dangerous group for a very dangerous mission, she jumps at the chance...
The head of the powerful Cortez Cabal- a family that makes the mob look like amateurs- has a little problem in Miami: a gang of wealthy, bored offspring of supernaturals is getting out of hand, and Hope is needed to infiltrated. As spells, astral projections, and pheromones soar across South Beach, Hope weaves her way through its elite hot spots, posing as upscale eye candy and reading the auras of the clientele- and potential marks.

I finished reading this book a few weeks ago, but my head is still spinning. I think this book is different than the previous ones. While the other books had this kind of slow world building vibe and felt more focused on character development, Personal Demon makes a big change for the world of this series. There are some surprising things that happen in this book, things I didn't anticipate. But I'll get to that later. Let's talk characters first.

The first thing that jumped at me and surprised me is that we get two POVs in Personal Demon: Hope's POV and that of Lucas. It was very nice having a male's perspective of the world. And it gave me the chance to really see Lucas and get a feel of him, not just from what Paige is thinking about him, but to experience it for myself. He's a really cool guy. I like that he's level-headed and that he doesn't judge other people. And he's really helpful and kind with other people, even with his idiot brothers.

Hope is... different. Not because of her powers, not because of her father or anything like that. She just is different. I liked her, yes. But I didn't love her as I wanted to. There were moments when her choices and actions were a little difficult for me to understand. Maybe it's because I liked Karl so much, but I really felt like at times she wasn't fair with him at all. I also wanted to see her using her powers more and to learn about her powers because they are really unique. And, yes, I admit it, a small part of me wanted to see Hope at her worst. We've had glimpses of how the other characters can do bad things, I was waiting for Hope to have that moment. For some reason I see her like dynamite, just seconds away from explosion. I don't want her to turn bad, but I want to experience the difficult part of her power from her POV, not some other character's.

I loved Karl. I feel like he could be an alpha. Not as good as Jeremy though, but Karl would make a great leader. We get a different side of him in this book. While I can't say I liked him at first, I can see now why Hope fell for the guy. I'm just hoping that the other werewolves get to see the nice side of him. He can be annoying when he wants to, so it would be a difficult journey to get to know him. But, like I said, I loved him.

I won't give away anything about the changes in the world, because those are spoilers. But it kind of goes back to book 2, Stolen. It's kind of cool to see all the connections between books that are not consecutive in a series.

The only thing that I wanted that didn't come true is another Jaime/Jeremy book. I got used to twos: two books for Elena, two for Paige. Yes, Eve had only one, but I was hoping the pattern would continue with Jaime/Jeremy. And yes, I wanted more naked-Jeremy scenes. Nothing wrong with that *blush*

Anyway, I can't wait to see what happens next in the series, even if it means I'm getting closer and closer to the ending *sob*