News and stuff

I'm behind my schedule a little here. Okay, a lot. Oops. I've just had a weird week and all. Plus, I'm trying to redesign the blog. I think on Tuesday-Wednesday I'll be back with a new look and with new reviews :)

Ruby's most anticipated books this year

I have an obsession. The very first week of the new year I start a list with my most anticipated books for that year. Since my list is very very long, I'll stick with Top 10 for each category. Here is my Top 10 books that I cannot wait to get published:

1.  Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Blurb (Goodreads):

"Just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse...

Nick Gautier’s day just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, he survived the zombie attacks, only to wake up and find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul.

His new principal thinks he’s even more of a hoodlum than the last one, his coach is trying to recruit him to things he can’t even mention and the girl he’s not seeing, but is, has secrets that terrify him.

But more than that, he’s being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn’t learn how to raise the dead by 

 the end of the week, he will become one of them..."

2. Live Wire By Lora Leigh

 Blurb (Goodreads):

Meet Captain Jordan Malone. For years he has been a silent warrior and guardian, operating independent of government protocol or oversight, leading his team of Elite Ops agents to fight against terror at all costs. A legend in the field, Jordan’s true identity has remained a mystery even to his own men...until now.
Tehya Talamosi, codename Enigma, is a force to be reckoned with A woman this striking spells nothing but trouble for Jordan. Armed with killer secrets-and body to die for-she’ll bring Jordan to his knees as they both take on the most deadly mission they have ever faced. Because this time, it’s personal..."

3. The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton

Blurb (Goodreads):

"Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game…

For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara’s not interested in getting to know football’s most notorious playboy any better.

As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara’s life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick’s latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn’t intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.

But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.

Isn’t it just yummy?"

4. Lover Unleashed  by J. R. Ward

 Blurb (Goodreads):

"Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, seductive cloth as her brother. Imprisoned for eons by their mother, the Scribe Virgin, she finally frees herself-only to face a devastating injury. 

Manuel Manello, M.D., is drafted by the Brotherhood to save her as only he can-but when the human surgeon and the vampire warrior meet, their two worlds collide in the face of their undeniable passion. 

With so much working against them, can love prove stronger than the birthright and the biology that separates them?"

5. The Chase by Erin McCarthy

Blurb (Goodreads):

"Kendall Holbrook is determined to make it to the top, even with the challenge of being a woman on the male-dominated racing circuit. She doesn't have time for romance-especially not with racing rival Evan Monroe, the man who nearly crushed her dream years ago. Tricked into meeting him, Kendall is experiencing all those old feelings again-and she can't deny that they still have enough chemistry to set fire to the track."

6. A Werewolf in Manhattan by Vicky Lewis Thompson

 Blurb (Goodreads):

"Emma Gavin writes about werewolves, but that doesn't mean she believes in them-not until a pack of real-life New York weres decide to investigate the striking accuracy of her "fiction".

When Aiden Wallace, son and heir of the pack leader, tries to sniff out Emma's potential informant, he discovers something even more dangerous- an undeniable attraction to her."

7. Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon

Blurb (Goodreads):

"The story of two very different women, one mortal, one mermaid, and the clash between worlds best kept apart... It is a cold day at the end of the world when a young woman, a princess in hiding, looks out across a Northern sea and sees something she could not have seen. It looks...it can't be. It looks like a mermaid's tail. And, as she looks more closely, she sees that the mermaid is dragging a drowning sailor in her arms. Because, only hours before, another princess, the daughter of the sea queen, has decided to risk everything and take a look at the world above the sea: the world of mortals. And there she finds a storm, a shipwreck, a sailor, and sets in train events which will change both women's worlds forever."

8. Dead Reconing by Charlaine Harris

Blurb (Goodreads):

"With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit - and the twisted motive for the attack. But her attention is divided. Though she can't 'read' vampires, Sookie knows her lover Eric Northman and his 'child' Pam well - and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human - and that there is a new Queen on the board . . . "

9. Citadel by Kate Mosse

"LABYRINTH took us to the walled city of Carcassonne, SEPULCHRE travelled to the mysterious town of Rennes les Bains, now CITADEL transports us right to the southern-most edge of France - and to an amazing adventure set at key points in history in this scarred land right on the Spanish border.Combining the rugged action of LABYRINTH with the haunting mystery of SEPULCHRE, CITADEL is a story of daring and courage, of lives risked for beliefs, of unlocking secrets buried by time. Through history, this 'green land washed red by blood' has seen so much - not least the bravery of the men and women who smuggled exiles out of occupied France and away from the Nazi regime over the border into Spain. In CITADEL, Kate Mosse once again sets out to captivate the reader with the people at the heart of ancient struggles, to bring alive places and times unknown to us and to keep us on the edge of our seats with an amazing story."

10. Redemption by Sherrilyn Kenyon

"Harm no human...

A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.

Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief- Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meets the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.
A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster...

Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who’s assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he’s not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.

Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they’ve sworn to protect."

Shifter Challenge 2011

I know, I know! Too many challenges, right? I just can't seem to be able to stop singing up for them. *blushes*

Parajunkee is hosting this reading challenge. Below are the details.


THE RULES:

Post about this challenge on your blog stating that you are participating. 

Grab the button and display it in the post (use grab code underneath the button) or on your sidebar so others can join in the fun

Challenge goes from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011

The challenge is to read 20 books that have a SHIFTER as a main character, either protag or antagonist

I'll add the books below as I read them.

1.  A Werewolf in Manhattan - Vicki Lewis Thompson
2. A Hunger Like No Other - Kresley Cole
3. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night - Kresley Cole
4. Pleasure of a Dark Prince - Kresley Cole
   
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Vampire Challenge 2011

 

Parajunkee is hosting this reading challenge. Below are the details.

THE RULES:

1.  Post about this challenge on your blog stating that you are participating.
2.  Grab the button and display it in the post (use grab code underneath the button) or on your sidebar so others can join in the fun.
3.  Challenge goes from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011
4.  The challenge is to read 20 books that have a vampire as a main character, either protag or antagonist

I'll add the books below as I read them

1. American Vampire - Jennifer Armintrout
2. The Warlord Wants Forever - Kresley Cole
3. A Hunger Like No Other - Kresley Cole
4. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night - Kresley Cole
5. Dark Needs at Night's Edge - Kresley Cole

Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge

Book Vixen is hosting this reading challenge. Below are the details.

Details:

* Runs January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011(books read prior to 1/1/11 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime
* The goal is to read or re-read as many Nicholas Sparks novels as you’d like. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
* Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
* Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine.

Levels:

• First Date – Read 1–4 Nicholas Sparks novels
• Going Steady – Read 5–8 Nicholas Sparks novels
• Engaged – Read 9–12 Nicholas Sparks novels
• Married – Read 13–16 Nicholas Sparks novels 

I'm choosing the "Going Steady" Level. I don't know what books I'll read yet. I'll post them below as I read them.

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011

 Book Chic City is hosting this reading challenge. Below are the details.

Challenge Details

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules - Read 100 or more books in 2011

• All books can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• Only print books and ebooks count (no audiobooks).

• You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

For more information and to sign up, visit Book Chick City's blog.

I will be posting the books below as I read them.

1. A Werewolf In Manhattan - Vicki Lewis Thompson
2. Three Meters Above The Sky - Federico Moccia
3. Diagnosis Death - Richard L. Mabry
4. Retribution - Sherrilyn Kenyon
5. Metrophilias - Brendan Connell
6. Chasin' Eight - Lorelei James
7. Premier Jour - Marc Levy
8. Live Wire - Lora Leigh
9. Lover Unleashed - J.R. Ward
10. The Warlord Wants Forever - Kresley Cole
11. A Hunger Like No Other - Kresley Cole
12. No Rest for the Wicked - Kresley Cole
13. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night - Kresley Cole
14. Dark Needs at Night's Edge - Kresley Cole
15. Dark Desires After Dusk - Kresley Cole
16. Kiss of a Demon King - Kresley Cole
17. Deep Kiss of Winter - Kresley Cole
18. Pleasure of a Dark Prince - Kresley Cole
19. Demon from the Dark - Kresley Cole
20. Dreams of a Dark Warrior - Kresley Cole
21. Pleasure Unbound - Larissa Ione
22. Desire Unchained - Larissa Ione
23. Passion Unleashed - Larissa Ione
24. The Last Templar - Raymond Khoury
25. Navarro's Promise - Lora Leigh
26. La Premiere Nuit - Marc Levy
27. American Vampire - Jennifer Armintrout
28. Invincible - Sherrilyn Kenyon
29. Midnight Sins - Lora Leigh
30. The Perfect Play - Jaci Burton
31. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K Rowling
32. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K Rowling
33. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K Rowling
34. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K Rowling 
35. Surrender to Me - Shayla Black
36. Belong to Me - Shayla Black
37. Away From Me - Sophie Oak
38. Starlight Rite - Cherise Sinclair
39. Make Me, Sir - Cherise Sinclair
40. Raw Desire - Leah Brooke
41. The One - Lora Leigh
42. Midnight Sins - Lora Leigh
43. Doms of Dark Haven 2: Western Nights - Cherise Sinclair, Belinda McBride, Sierra Cartwright
44. Dangerous Pleasure - Lora Leigh
45. Cresendo - Leah Brooke
46. The Shakespeare Secret - Jennifer Lee Carrell
47. Club Shadowlands - Cherise Sinclair
48. Masters at Arms - Kallypso Masters
49. Nobody's Angel - Kallypso Masters
50. Dark Citadel- Cherise Sinclair
51. Breaking Free - Cherise Sinclair
52. Lean On Me - Cherise Sinclair
53. The Guardian - Sherrilyn Kenyon
54. The Heart of a Killer - Jaci Burton
55. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
56. Cedardale Court - Nathan Lee Christensen
57. Wicked to Love - Shayla Black
58. To Command and Collar - Cherise Sinclair
59. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
60. Wicked to Love - Shayla Black
61. Cowboy Casanova - Lorelei James
62. Punished - Brynn Paulin
63. Kidnap and Kink - Brynn Paulin
64. Shadow's Stand - Sarah McCarty