jeudi 31 janvier 2013

RAK January 2013 Wrap up


Hello to all,
                   Welcome to my first wrap up post of 2013 for the  Random Act of Kindness hosted by Booksoulmates . First month of the year was really good for me and i hope it's a good omen for the rest of the year ^^;. At a time i was afraid i wasn't going to manage everything because i felt sick and couldn't do anything for one week then  i had to take care of my mother and then of my dog too ( in fact except the cat everyone has been sick between 1 week and 10days during this month) so it was harder than expected but i hope i managed to make this start of year magical for some at least ^^;
I know i've sent some later in January so they won't be received before February perhaps so i will probably tell you more about those in the next wrap up.

I will participate again , so if you are interested never forget to add your birthday and if you accept handmade gifts in the form ( when there is no specific place you can add these info in the comment section). As you can see i even made a page to help those who want an idea before choosing what kind of handmade gift they would like to receive

Did 2013 started with kindness for you too?



In January I received: 
I received Grave Mercy from Heather @ Book Stacks on Deck.  Thank you a lot!!


I also received a RAK offer from Maija from Books, DIY's and Randomness for Catching jordan ( i wanted it more that i thought) Thank you! I'm glad your first attempt at RAK has been fruitful for you too!

and in January,  i've sent :
( note: i don't take picture of the Rak i create before sending them so it's only if the receiver made one i can use that i will add it here so this post will perhaps be edited later to add some)

A handmade cute baby polar bear bookmark  to Emily from Doodle's Book Blog  Happy Birthday dear^^ i'm so happy you received this on time and you like it ^^



A handmade cute baby polar bear keychain to Heather from Book Stacks on Deck.  


A handmade bird  bookmark  to Adam from Roof Beam Reader
A handmade rose bookmark  to Rachel from [Fikt]Shun  ( I hope 2013 will get better for you! Thank you !)
A very Special gift for her birthday to Nikki/to Abby from Reviews by Abby.  (hope you will get it soon^^, enjoy your surprise!)

And i also sent:
A handmade flower keychain to Brenda from Crazy Four Books.  
A handmade flower bookmark  to Ruby from Ruby's Reads ( Sorry it took us so long to find a choice that fits your tastes)

Do you participate in RAK? What do you think about Handmade gifts? 

Thank you once again to Isalys and Vanessa from Booksoulmates for hosting!

samedi 26 janvier 2013

Storm of visions (The Chosen Ones1) by Christina Dodd

Hello to all,

   As you can see i'm working on the blog a little but i didn't want to let go without a review until next week so today i introduce you to a  new author for me Christina Dodd and a series that i'm just starting when all the 6 books have already been released. So to discover the beginning here is my opinion on Storm of Visions book1 of the Chosen Ones series

Happy reading!

Publisher: Signet
Publication: 2009
ISBN:  0451227638
Genre: paranormal romance
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+
Source: bought


Short description from goodreads :

 First in a new back-to-back series from the New York Times bestselling author.

Hailed as "a star in any genre," (New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward) Christina Dodd delivers an exciting new paranormal romance that introduces The Seven, a secret society created to combat evil in all its deadly forms.

When the world was young, twins were born. One brought light to a dark world; the other, darkness and danger. Their powers could not be denied, and they gathered others around them, men and women destined to use their gifts for good or evil. Today, their descendents walk the earth as the Chosen… and the ultimate battle is about to begin.

Jacqueline Vargha has always run from her gift. Now Caleb D'Angelo forces his way into her life, demands his place as her lover, and insists she take her place as one of the Chosen. She flees, he pursues, but she can no longer deny her visions, or the dangerous man who is her downfall — and her destiny.


My opinion:
          First I need to say that the beginning did not sit well with me, a steamy scene just in the first chapters, worse looks like forced…but I’m really glad I continued! In fact that wasn’t forced at all and the characters knew each other already and yes that changes everything.
This story is quite original, it’s paranormal yes but how to classify the chosen ones or the others… they aren’t angels or demons, few of them could be shifters but seem the majority just have special powers (mind manipulation, telepathy, healing, visions, etc) and the romance is there too with an action fast paced and already a lot of intrigues

 Once I got immersed in it- just after discovering that Jacqueline and Caleb were former lovers- I couldn’t put the book down, so many things happen so quickly I was completely in the story. The characters are just introduced to each other when all their older, more experienced fighters are all killed in an explosion so they are seven of them unprepared, some still reluctant and they must save the world by keeping the evil at bay… but first they must survive because if there a few of them it’s not the case of their enemies. I liked to discover what they are and the reason for their existence along with them. All of them need to create links and trust each other with different personalities, different background and the circumstances in which they are that’s not something easy and they are some sparks.

Jacqueline has known this world since birth when she was saved and adopted by one of the chosen ones… the most important one in fact their seer. She has the same mark as the first other and she has met great expectations, all her life people waited for her to become the seer and she rebelled against that. She has a bad relation with her adopted mother because she was jealous and didn’t accept the fact that Caleb, her lover, just disappeared from her life. Now she doesn’t have the choice or more exactly she did chose already and if she wants to be able to guide and help her group of chosen ones she must accept and embrace her power. However, she is more powerful than the precedents seers and the manifestations of her power are also different.
Caleb has always loved Jacqueline and wanted to protect her since he is a child but loyal to her mother, he accepted to take a step back and let her go without knowing how much he hurt her. Still deeply in love, he is happy when her mother send him to fetch Jacqueline for her ceremony….he didn’t expect to become her sole anchor so quickly. Determined he will do all he can to protect the woman he love.

I loved to see the chosen ones be afraid, hesitant because it’s realist and the way Jacqueline rebels because she has not the right idea of what her mother is doing is so normal that I understood her well. The author really managed to put all their personalities together and still kept them so different from each other. It’s really well done. Isabelle is responsible and mature but also suffer from not being able to make what she really wish to do, Aaron is feeling obligated to join but  blend so well, Charisma is funny and really intelligent more realistic and mature than her age. Samuel is in love with Isabelle but keeps acting like a jerk, Aleksandr doesn’t know his power yet but he wants to be part of the adventure. Irving, the old director miraculously saved has seen the work of his life just destroyed and only and handful of his protégés are left to face a bigger danger that the one of the past without forgetting Martha, Mackenna and Tyler really all the characters are well built and I want more !

I loved this series and I will gladly read the others books ( it’s a finished series of 6books in total) if you love romance, paranormal and a lot of action this is for you!

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:



vendredi 25 janvier 2013

Biannual Blogathon Bash winter 2013 edition sign up & goals

Hello to all!

                 At the moment, i'm a bit depressed, bad news and harsh winter can have this result. However i don't want to give up so easily and fate has seen that i could be motivated: this Week end is the winter edition of the biannual Blogathon bash created by Kathleen. I've learned a lot last year and i though it could be the  thing i need so  between  25 january ( 8am EST) - that means 2pm for me ( thant you for the countdown^^;;)- and 28 january 8 am EST i will try to work a minimum of 24h for the blog , not necessarily online job but still work.

You can still join to all info and sign up are Here. Don't hesitate it can be instructive AND fun.

Wrap up update: in total i spend around 31h working ( minus a few minutes) and as you can see i nearly completed all my goals but i also added a few tasks during the weekend like the creation of a page for the pictures of RAk i did. So i think i can say it has been a success

Like the first time i was really instructive and i've learned a lot in a fun way. It was a pleasure but if i want it to stay that way i need to better organise my time , i was afraid of not finishing everyting so i worked really late and in the end i'm more tired than before starting and for next time i need to take care of that.

 i haven't entered to win any prize either ( some where really good but i wasn't sure i would manage even if i won so i prefered to let the opportunity to those who really need them. )


My goals:

  • Read one book and make the review
  • Read a little more (no obligation to finish or do the review yet)
  • Clean my desk
  • Clean favorite listing
  • Put some order in my books ( see which one qualify for the challenge and classify them so i know when to read them)
  • Start an inventory of my shelves
  • Clean the giveaway pages
  • Create a page for the handmade gift/creation to help the selection
  • Answer the comments
  • Participate in one mini challenge ( i only put one because i need to see what they will be ^^;; i can't do everything so need to find one that i could manage and that is of interest for me) 2 done: back up and back up button ( thank you so much for this tips!) and the blogger notebook ( always useful for me)
  • Enter a giveaway( want to but keep postponing it so this wk i need to enter before it closes)


Do you want to join? Leave your link and we could support each other.


mercredi 23 janvier 2013

Elemental (Elemental 0.5) by Brigid Kemmerer

Hello to all,

                     While the weather is becoming worse and worse -they forecast minus 16- i decided to stay with what has become a new favorite series for me: Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer. I got this ebook when it's was free on amazon before the application stopped working for me but  a good new for those who like me prefer print book, this novella- as well as the other ones- can be found in the print edition as a bonus so we could get it after those who have access to digital book but we can have them!

Elemental is the prequel of the Elemental series, however i think it's better to read it after having read Storm, of course it can be read as a stand alone but we get more of it after Storm i think


Happy Reading!

Publisher: Kensington
Publication: 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal, romance, fantasy
Violence: strong

Language: normal
sex: none
Public: 16+
Source: free download (and included in the print edition of Storm)


Short description from goodreads :

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they are more than you dream.

As an air Elemental, 17-year-old Emily Morgan doesn’t have much power. That’s okay—she knows what happens to kids who do.

Like Michael Merrick. He’s an earth Elemental, one with enough power to level cities. Which makes him sexy. Dangerous. And completely off limits. At least according to Emily’s family.

But her summer job puts her in close contact with Michael, and neither of them can help the attraction they feel. When forces of nature like theirs collide, one misstep could get someone killed. Because Emily’s family doesn’t just want her to stay away from him.

They want him dead.



My opinion:

          This is the prequel to the Elemental series. Elemental features Michael the oldest of the Merrick Brothers, as adolescent, years before the event set in Storm. We discover an adolescent afraid and angry with the universe that set him apart. He already wants to protect his family and he is feeling guilty to put them in danger when he just wanted to be normal.  He is also a bit rebellious, and confronts his parents when they punish him instead of the culprits… in that sense he is a lot like how Gabriel will be in the future.

While trying to keep a low profile, he is controlling his energy by playing baseball, alone in front of the machine yes but with the same dedication as a professional player. However, one day, he discovers Emily, his nemesis’ sister, at the cashier and fates starts. First, the young woman is afraid, since the beginning she always heard how the Merrick  were dangerous, how Michael hurt her brother….however when she sees the reaction of her family when she tells them she met him. Doubts are planted.  Slowly, both adolescents will confide in each others, learn about each other while in or around the practise cage and see that the truth is not necessary what they thought.

If you have read Storm before reading Elemental, you get to see Michael under a new light and you understand him better. You also know how the story of Emily will finish because Elemental doesn’t tell the complete story it’s not really a cliffhanger but the ending is supposedly know and not what is the most important.  I wouldn’t recommend reading this before Storm even if it’s the prequel of the story because you will be missing too much.  In storm you get this story from Chris ‘point of view, so he doesn’t develop the feeling of both Emily and Michael. When you read this after Storm you see how much Michael was vulnerable, how guilty he feels when it was just a tragedy.

 I really took pleasure in reading this prequel and to see Michael younger made me appreciate him more. Before I understood a bit the relationship between Michael and Gabriel but I didn’t get why the older brother didn’t explain himself, why he suffered the insults and fights without replying and this novella  explain everything. So a must read for the fan of the series

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

vendredi 18 janvier 2013

Ascension ( The world of Ascension 1) by Caris Roane

Hello to all,

   By this freezing day- minus ten- i will share with you a paranormal romance quite steamy.  Now to be honest i hadn't planned to post this today, normally you were going to have another one before earlier this week however i had an emergency with my dog- 3 injections later his fever is completely down and he is back jumping around, thanks god!. I was really afraid and that put my blood pressure in havoc.

And before i saw it , we were already friday ...that means Vampires Friday  so change of plan and i will introduce you to the first book of a paranormal romance about vampires^^;; quite differents from those i was used too. Here comes Ascension by Caris Roane.

Happy Reading!

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication: 2011
ISBN:  0312533713
Genre: paranormal romance
Violence: strong

Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+
Source: won
 



Short description from goodreads :

 Alison Wells is no ordinary woman. Born with supernatural powers, she can never make love to a man without putting him in grave danger. But when her special vision reveals a glorious muscled man soaring overhead on mighty wings, she feels an overwhelming attraction she cannot resist—even as he tells her: "I have come for you. Your blood belongs to me."

Kerrick is a vampire and a warrior who has fought his hunger for a woman's love for the past two hundred years. As a Guardian of Ascension, he is sworn to protect Alison from the death vamp armies who crave her blood and her power. But Kerrick has cravings of his own—a forbidden longing to open his heart and veins to Alison. To share his blood…satisfy his thirst…and seal their fates forever.

Ascension is the first in Caris Roane's paranormal romance series that Romantic Times calls "a series with epic potential."


My opinion:
          Love it! It’s original and I love the winged vampires ^^ even better they are wearing leather kilts -vampires, kind of highlanders mixed together with a touch of feather impossible to resist- I had to discover this series and I’m so happy with this first book that  I can’t wait to start the next one.

Caris Roane created a universe complex, made of different worlds, with his own history and terminology but she managed to make the reader fall in without difficulty – and in the case you doubt a term we got a list at the end of the books to revise the terminology. The different dimensions are really distinct and still really similar. Ascension is the dimension above our own.
For her Vampires are not exactly a different specie but a evolution, human with supernatural power are called to ascend in the upper dimension where they get immortality , if not decapitated, fangs and even later wings! They keep the powers they had as human but get better senses and some other improvement.  Once ascended they must obey the administrator, supreme administrator even, Endelle who gives the ascender a role, a job  on this dimension depending on his/her power, personality and such. Endelle is the big boss but even she has rules she must obey: she can interfere directly, once the ritual is accomplished the ascender is protected , etc. The administration is a hierarchy but in hope to protect those loyal to her, she accepted that the Compass- kind of committee, tribunal- judge the violation of some rules to which she and her nemesis- the commander Darian- agree upon. Now some of the Compass ‘members are corrupted and some violations are left without consequences.

For years Darian got the upper hand, creating death vampires- vampires addicted to dying blood-to sent to fight endelle force: the warriors of blood and the militia. When they receive the call to ascend the human must make a choice: he can answer the call or not, if he answer he must choose a side either loyal to Endelle or to the commander and recently more and more choose the bad side. Darian want to dominate all dimensions and for that he doesn’t hesitate to break the rules, kill innocent and those who while ascending choose the other side.
 Turning the Compass to his side was part of his tactic and Endelle after more than 9 millennia of shouldering all the responsibility is starting lose faith.

Kerrick is one of those Warriors of blood, loyal to Endelle best of their kind. However like the other members of his brotherhood, he has suffered a lot already for the cause. One thousand year of seeing atrocity and losing twice his wife to the death vampires as well as seeing his last two children killed too starts to wear him down.
2 hundred years later he is still bearing the guilt for their death and he decided not to marry ever again, he took vows because he doesn’t want to fail someone again. He knows, like all his “brothers, that their wife, lovers, children are great target for the commander despite the rules and laws so they are alone, fighting for their world.

Alison is a psychiatrist, but under this normal occupation she isn’t an ordinary woman. Since birth, she deployed special abilities like empathy, telepathy, telekinesis and instant transport. She learned to control them, to hide them but while in the throw of passion, her control slips and in the past she nearly killed her boyfriend. Since then, she decided to forget her dream to have a family like her sister and stayed alone. But it’s becoming harder and harder for her even more now that she learned her sister was pregnant again.
When she confronted to a death vampire, and seeing despite the protection put but the warrior she is surprised to learn he wants her blood and that he knows her name. But at the same time A gorgeous man arrive to protect her, winged and wearing a black leather kilt he is surprised to see her powers and she is irremediably attracted to him. Being able to enter his mind, she learns she can trust him and creates a link without knowing. His scent drives her mad but the opposite is also true.

Kerrick discovers that the scent of lavender that make him loose his mind is emitting from the woman, Alison, he is charged to protect. Troubled he recognises a mating ritual so rare that is believed to be a myth: the “breh-hedden.“ The laver scent make him doubt his vows since the attraction is so strong and reciprocal but Alison is also holding back, afraid to hurt him or kill him if she were to give in and love him.
Together they must find a way to trust themselves because Alison level of power is unknown of and since she refused to join him Darian wants her death no matter the price. Alison must learn and quickly while Kerrick must accept his fate and make peace with his path.

I love it. The group of Warriors is so diversified; Jeannie is reliable and so funny joking with the big warriors like they were little boys. I was felt they really needed Alison because after fighting so long without interruption they really need a therapy, the one who needs it the most is Endelle with her strange taste of cloths and her mood equalling a volcano.  I will be happy to reach book 2 as soon as I get my hand on it, because it will be about Havily and Marcus, that promises to be fun.

It’s a great paranormal romance with part of mystery, intrigues and lots of steamy scenes: perfect for those above 18 who love this kind of book!

Score:  5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:




To join in, copy and paste these rules and the above banner into your Fanged Mania post and add your link to this week’s Fanged Mania post at Elisabeth Wheatley’s Blog. Fanged Mania is a Friday meme counting down to the release of Fanged Princess and displaying all things vampire and awesome. Fanged Mania posts can be a review of a vampire book, a quote from the latest Vampire Diaries episode, a showcase of a cool vampire book’s cover, or whatever you like so long as it is vampire related. Don’t forget, participants will be entered in the drawing to win a fanged-abulous prize pack!

lundi 14 janvier 2013

Bout of Books 6.0 read-a-thon - wrap up post

Hi!





Official Blurb
(Please make sure you’re linking back to the Bout of Books website and attributing properly.)

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. -From the Bout of Books 6.0 team


 This bout of books has come to an end and if there was time i really thought i wouldn't manage to do all the goals i set for myself. I didn't heal as quickly as i hoped and life kept getting in the way but i had fun and i did achieve my goals  so it will be a pleasure to participate again next time.
Now i will learn some lessons from this one like not too much pressure on myself, when i was behind my schedule i worried a lot that i wouldn't be able to accomplish everything and it's cunterproductive. So keep this light, keep in mind that life still exists and won't bend to my will and have fun!

So it's time to see what i did during this week. 
My Goals were lows but still it wasn't easy to accomplish them. I wanted to read at least 2books and on that i did better since i've read 3books and one novella ( Omega, Storm, Strom of visions and the novella Elemental), i wanted to post at least one review - i did post the one on Storm- and prepare one official - did it for Omega and it will be posted at the end of the month with a giveaway.Still concerning the blog, i wanted to make the page concerning my challenge for 2013, it's done and i've added some new ones too. I also wanted to make and post my participation for the friday meme on time, also accomplished.I cleaned my side bar as well.
I hoped to find free sport romances... that i could have done better but i found 2 already

On the social part of the read-a-thon, i hoped to comment at least once each day on one participants posts, i often did better with at least 5 comments. I thought to participate in one challenge and i did a lot more too (7), i was interested in some other but i didn't have a camera and at that time i didn't know that there was other way to do it without camera ( for next time!)
I did the RAK i needed, at least part of them.


About the challenges: i did the funniest/favorite cover one, i shared my favorite vampires, i did the scientific discovery challenge, as well as the rewrite the synopsis one, the page 48 challenge , My book crack challenge and lastly the new year resolution challenge. 
you can find some of my answers on the post where i put my daily update here


I'm really happy to have participated in this and i had a lot of fun, i met new bloggers as well as enjoyed teh answers of some i followed already. Final result: a success 

How did you do?

vendredi 11 janvier 2013

The Penton Legacy Series by Susannah Sandlin

Hello to all,

 I was really surprised and happy to see how my last friday post got so many reactions. Until now, i had only done reviews but it seems that the discussion was something people liked so today i will try something different once again for our Vampires' Friday.

At first i wanted to read a new author to introduce you to a new kind of Vampires but life got in the way and after being really unwell - i'm better thank you but not healed yet- lots of things happened and the free time i wanted to spend on reading and the blog was taken from me. No free time at all, so nearly no reading either, i'm not giving up so it will be for another vampire's Friday post but this week i want to  put under the spotlight a series that i love and whose book 3 will be released shortly : The Penton Legacy series by Susannah Sandlin.

The main plot will be developed in 3 books but there is still a possibility to see more of this world depending on the success of this series.

The story:   A global pandemic has cost the life of thousands of people before a vaccine was found. Unknown to the humans, this vaccine had an unexpected consequence: the human blood has become deadly for the vampires.
The vampires are now starving and a civil war is starting because the unvaccinated human donors are only a few left and some vampires are fighting over them. The governing system is a tribunal with the goal to keep the vampires existence unknown from the human and to enforce their own laws, like the one prohibiting the creation of new vampire. On paper that seems a good system but the fact is that corruption exists and that people in power don't what to loose it.

Aidan Murphy is a pacifist, he believes in a world where humans and vampires can coexist peacefully. He created in Alabama a community of vampires and unvaccinated human donors in the city named Penton. He wants to show that this could be a lasting solution for the Vampires. Careful he is the one selecting who can enter the community and he has set some rules that everyone must follow, he his seconded by lieutenants who earned his trust. However, his followers growing, some become jealous and would like to take those humans - which is not possible because each human is bonded in Penton and thus "out of the market". Others think that Penton is only a kind of military group growing to take the powers. For both of these camps the solution is to destroy Penton and Aidan.

There are secondary plots really interesting too and twists in the series are sometimes really unexpected and the reader is immersed in the story full of action, romance and lots of intrigues. I really recommend it.



The first book is Redemption and his centred on Aidan and Krys. you can find my review here
If you want this book you can buy it on  amazon or on  Bookdepository


Second book is Absolution with the story of Mirren and Glory , my Review
If you want this book you can buy it on  amazon or on  Bookdepository


and finally book 3: Omega will tell us the story of Will and Randa and it will be released on the 5th February 2013.

However, a blog tour will start on January 28th and last a whole month with lots of interviews, guest posts and giveaways (Susannah is a very generous person so i can already tell you that international readers won't be excluded!!) To have more info about the tour or the series check Susannah's Blog

I will have a review of Omega and if things go as planned i will also host a guest post in the future. So keep your eyes open.

Don't hesitate to pre order Omega already!  You can buy it on  amazon or on  Bookdepository

amazon still has a reduced price on all books of the series so it's time if you want to enjoy a good series without spending too much ( even if Penton Legacy series is really worth it!!)

Do you know this series? Do you like it? Want to discover it after reading this? Tempted to read my reviews of book 1 and/or2?  Are you going to join the blog tour?




To join in, copy and paste these rules and the above banner into your Fanged Mania post and add your link to this week’s Fanged Mania post at Elisabeth Wheatley’s Blog. Fanged Mania is a Friday meme counting down to the release of Fanged Princess and displaying all things vampire and awesome. Fanged Mania posts can be a review of a vampire book, a quote from the latest Vampire Diaries episode, a showcase of a cool vampire book’s cover, or whatever you like so long as it is vampire related. Don’t forget, participants will be entered in the drawing to win a fanged-abulous prize pack!

mercredi 9 janvier 2013

Challenge 2013 part 5: YA/MG fantasy Challenge

Hello to all,

While participating in the Bout of Books read-a -thon, i've come across new bloggers, as well as one i follow already, one of them is Erica from The Book Cellar.


While checking her blog, i've discovered she was hosting a reading challenge too.... for this one the goal is to read YA/MG fantasy books. The kind of fantasy doesn't matter and the number of books needed is 10.


To be honest, i'm not sure i have that many books of this genre on my shelves but it's possible so i've decided to enter this challenge too ( that's start to make a lot i know), i hope it can cross with other challenges too.

This is the info Erica has posted on her blog and you can sign up HERE :


This will be the central hub of information for the 2013 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge. In case you haven’t heard about the challenge, the goal is to read and review 10 YA/MG fantasy books throughout the year. Some changes from last year:
  • Books can be any YA or MG fantasy, they do not need to be specific to 2013. I will still be doing roundups  of releases each month just to keep news up on new releases.
  • Giveaways are no longer just for reviews – they will be for all challenge participants. Reviews will be worth the most entries and each giveaway will be run bimonthly, so there will be 6 prize packs available throughout the year.
[...]The challenge runs January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. Sign-ups will end Oct 15, 2013. As always, all types of fantasy are included in the challenge, not limited to urban, high, epic, general fantasy, etc.
I don't have a specific list of books in mind yet but i got one already and if i can add the other Elemetal books published it would be great ( i just need to get Spark quickly^^), i also got or will get some of the lux series and the covenant series by jennifer L armentrout and i will perhaps discover Cassandra Clare too. I will see. You will be able to keep track of my progress on the Challenges 2013 page
So are you interested in this challenge too? Do you read that kind of books? Some recommendation perhaps?

mardi 8 janvier 2013

Storm (Elemental 1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Hi,

 First review of the year and a positive one! Darlene very kindly gifted me a book from my wishlist some month ago and  i can't tell you how happy i was to receive it... however i'm so afraid of cliffhanger that i can have the tendency to wait the next book release to read the one before just in case i need to jump on it.
Also i got really busy and pleasure reads were nearly not existent at that moment so i had to wait; to be honest i should probably have waited one more day because i'm still a bit under the weather, i overdid things yesterday but once i started this book i couldn't close it so no sleeping, not eating enough .. .not such a good idea when my 2013 year resolutions is to start taking care of me but att least i had pleasure so no regrets!
^^ No cliffhanger for this one but i loved it so much that i can't wait to get my hand book 2 ( in my top priority since today).

So without waiting here comes my review of Storm by Brigid Kemmerer.

Publisher: Kensington
Publication: 2012
ISBN:  0758272812
Genre: YA, Paranormal, romance, fantasy
Violence: strong

Language: normal
sex: medium (tentative rape, allusion)
Public: 16+
Source: received as a RAK ( thank you Darlene I’m overhappy to have gotten this one!)


Short description from goodreads :

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys all the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming


My opinion:

          I loved it! Brigid Kemmerer ‘s writing style is so clear and easy to read that I was deep in the story after a few pages, now I admit it took me some chapters to get all brothers completely differenced but they are all so interesting.  The author managed to make their relations very realistic, and I could understand so well the conflict between Gabriel and Michael. Gabriel can be so infuriating but mostly he wants to protect his family, he is feeling guilty and reports his anger on his older brother who tries his best to keep the family together and respect their parents’ wish. Gabriel is also full of energy and cunning, to be able to play more sport he doesn’t mind pretending to be his twin Nick, soccer seems to be his favourite sport. Nick is the peacemaker ( I don’t know why I though it was water who would be  not air^^) and he is so funny, reasonable and patient. Chris is the little one, so he was often protected and he wants to feel part of the team not just the baby one.

However, as much as liked all brothers, storm is centred on Chris and his classmate Becca. I loved Becca, feeling guilty she keeps what happened to her secret and endure a real harassment since day one of the school year.
Every one thinks she is sleeping around while she never did it but the rumour is strong and teenagers cruel so apart her friend,Quinn, who sticks with her, no one is kind to her and she is really a pariah. Despite everything that is happening to her, Becca keeps her kind heart and doesn’t hesitate to help others. When she see someone being beaten by others she interfere not knowing how far it will put her in danger, even after all the consequences she still would have done it and Chris and his family can be arrogant, hurtful  she continue to help them despite the danger.

Chris never expected someone to help him, even less a girl he never spoke to so when Becca come to his rescue he is more than surprised. His brothers think she is on something but for Chris there isn’t any doubt, Becca is just a kind hearted girl who he is attracted too even if brothers tells him she has a bad reputation, even if she is on the defensive he protect her and his feelings are growing so much that he confesses what he is as well as the secret of his brothers. The new guy Hunter is too close to Becca and that makes Chris angry, jealous but no matters what he will protect her at all costs.

This was a great book and I’m really happy to have started the year with it, sure some parts were predictable: Hunter’s presence and interest in Becca was too convenient, Becca’s behaviour was also really informative but still I enjoyed this book a lot and I can’t wait to jump on book 2 (and I’m even more impatient for the one about Nick^^;;)

 To recommend without a doubt! ( a bonus in this edition you get the prequel "Elemental" in bonus ( review to come) )

Score:  4,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:



2013 challenge part 4: Paranormal reading challenge sign up

 Hi!

 If you are a follower of my blog, you must have learned a long time ago that urban fantasy and paranormal, paranormal romance are my favorite genres. However, i've discovered that in matter of different paranormal creatures i'm nearly nowhere... since i mostly read  book about vampire or werewolf. To change that a little and perhaps find new favorite, i've decided to enter another challenge  the " 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge" co hosted by Megan from Megan Likes Books and Jessi from Auntie Spinelli Reads .



The goal here is to diversify the kind of creature we encounter in our paranormal readings. So we have to read a least one book ( it's the minimum, you can read as many as you want) for all creatures in the list , we can read whenever we want but each month will have a topic and if we read the month's creature it will give more entries in the giveaway. I don't think i will manage to stick to each month creature becauese for some it could take me time to find the book that qualify so my goal is to read at least one book for each creature but without taking care of the month when i read it.

The list of creatures isn't too long and if some could be easy to come across, others will necessity a bit of work for me.
  • Vampires
  • Werewolves/Shifters
  • Fey
  • Angels/Nephilim
  • Mermaids
  • Dragons
  • Zombies
  • Demons
  • Witches/Wizards
  • Ghosts
  • Aliens
  • Other (ie: sirens, unicorns, centaurs, timetravel etc.)
 To have more info and to sign up go here

Do you want to join too?

vendredi 4 janvier 2013

Black Dagger Brotherhood series VS Midnight Breed Series

Hello to all,

 Since it's friday, it's vampires ' day.... however being quite sick i haven't managed to read a book i could share with you so i decided to make a short comparison between two series Black Dagger Brotherhood series written by JR Ward and the Midnight Breed Series by Lara Adrian. Why? because while speaking to a friend with have come to see the similarities and differences beteween these series and i thought i could share that with you.
First i will precise that i'm reading those series in French so there are a lot of books not translated yet, perhaps my opinion will change later but so far here i'm.

In both series, we are confronted to a class of warriors who are not really accepted by the vampires’ society. They are outcast with a reputation to be barbarians, violent, for some they should not exist anymore. With the violence and attacks becoming more frequent their reputation is a little better but still they aren’t invited to the famous reunion and people prefer to avoid them.

In the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, there is a little difference in the way that they also have a school for future warrior (a way to recruit those who fit the role) and that there is a hierarchy so if the warrior come from a noble family then he still has that power even if he is a warrior.
In the Midnight Breed series, the hierarchy comes with the blood: the less generation you have between you and the original aliens the more powerful you are (GEN1 are the sons of the original aliens.) Because yes, here vampire are in fact aliens descendants. However, for the ones who are several generation below, the hierarchy comes with politics alliance and such and for them warrior are the problem not the solution.
The plot: we have several similarities in the stories but the main one is how the story is told. In both series we start with the leader romance, in both series we have one warrior emotionally scarred, one disfigured or with a physical weakness so reading both can give you an impression of “déjà vu” sometimes.


One big difference for me is the women’s status. In the Midnight Breed series vampires are all male. Their women are human female who have a special mark somewhere on their body. By regular blood exchange those can see their life expanded. Normally when they are found, because rare, they are precious, a blood exchange create a definitive link so blood isn’t a little matter. Often they grow in vampire community where they are protected and cherished. However some are found later or never and are in the “human world”. The thing is that these special women all have a specific power (they transmit it to their son) can be seeing ghosts, healing, telepathy, etc.
In the Black Dagger brotherhood series, vampires can be male or female, some female are in a sacred cast, kind of priestess, normally at the service of the warrior cast. They are supposed to give their blood to unmated warrior etc. Because, yes, here vampires drink vampires blood. They could drink human one but it’s not sufficient. The “divinity” is female but I really don’t like her, she is too cruel to my taste. The rest of the vampire females are under the power of their father, bother or mate, not really free. Supposedly it’s for their protection but for long nothing was done to those who abused that power.

 It’s the female part that makes my heart prefer the Midnight Breed series, I love the fact that they aren’t puppet, they have power and don’t hesitate to use it to help the men the love and to protect them. In the Black Dagger brotherhood, they are more submitted, some are different but they are considered less and it bothers me. I will still continue both series a bit but the one by Lara Adrian has my preference so far.


 Did you read those series? What do you think?




To join in, copy and paste these rules and the above banner into your Fanged Mania post and add your link to this week’s Fanged Mania post at Elisabeth Wheatley’s Blog. Fanged Mania is a Friday meme counting down to the release of Fanged Princess and displaying all things vampire and awesome. Fanged Mania posts can be a review of a vampire book, a quote from the latest Vampire Diaries episode, a showcase of a cool vampire book’s cover, or whatever you like so long as it is vampire related. Don’t forget, participants will be entered in the drawing to win a fanged-abulous prize pack!

Bout of Books 6.0 : goals & update

Hello to all,



Official Blurb
(Please make sure you’re linking back to the Bout of Books website and attributing properly.)

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. -From the Bout of Books 6.0 team


 Last year i've entered the bout of books read-a-thon and i've learned a lot while having fun so i've decided to participate once again.. i will set low goals because i'm currently quite sick so i'm not sure how i will be next week and i don't want to put myself under pressure so early in the new year ^^;;

I will keep my progress in this post like i did last time so if you want to see how i'm doing come back each day on this post.


My Goals


  • Read 2 books ( not sure which one yet)
  • Prepare the page for the 2013 challenges i've entered
  • Comment on at least one parpicipant post each day
  • Enter at least one challenge
  • Prepare one official review
  • Post at least one review
  • Make the post for the friday meme about vampire
  • Work on one RAK minimum
  • Find free stories that qualify for the challenges
At the moment it seem a lot to me but i will do my best so we will see!


Books to Read

  • Omega by Susannah Sandlin
  • Storm of Visions by Christina Dodd
  • One paranormal romance: 
  • One sport romance


This is a unfinished list of possibibilites not definitive titles and i won't probably read all of them but i will have the choice at least

Time Devoted to Reading

I will be reading all week as soon as i get the opportunity to do so between all i have to do in real life and when i'm good enough to. Also since i'm finishing some handmade gift my reading time will be limited a bit but i will try to do my best.

    Updates


    Monday
    Number of pages I've read today:407
    Total number of books I've read: 1
    Books:Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

    To be honest this wasn't the best day for my health, i don't know why but i've wanted to do too much while it was only the first day so now i'm even more exhausted than before. BUT on the other side, i did some reach so goal so today. I've commented on at least 1 participants ( i lost count after  but i guess it was close to ten^^;;); i did  the challenge scientific discovery and i've read the book i wanted ( it can count for the sport romance challenge and it's also a ya paranormal romance so i did more than expected^^)- review will be published too that the added goal for the rest of the week.
    What took my the most of time was working on the RAK  had started, i've finished and sent what i had too ( still several to do for this month but i need to be well before i start)

    For another goal, i could need some help so if you know a free ( pdf format only please) sport romance ( not m/m) that you could recommend to me, give me a link it would be great. So far i've got only Hardball by VK Sykes.  [ The link with the sport can be small, either the main character is praticing a sport, set during a great/famous ( or not) sport competition etc] it's for the challenge hosted by anna from herdings Cat and burning soup ( sooon the link will be on my new 2013 giveaway page but i have a post already if if want some info about this challenge)

    Tuesday
    Number of pages I've read today: 0
     total pages read:407
    Total number of books I've read:1
    Books: Finished: Storm
    Started: /

    Like it was expected i paid the price of my unraisonnable behaviour on Monday. I was so out that everything i did took longer than usual and resting wasn't optional anymore^^;;. However even if i didn't read anything i did work on my goal. For the socializing part :i participated in another challenge: favorite/funiest cover  ( the one with guessing the covers was interesting too but i wasn't in anyshape to spend as long as needed to make it too) and i commented on other participants posts (once again i stopped counting after 5)
    Concerning the blog: i did my page for the 2013 challenges - i also added a new challenge in my list of participation; i also posted one review and i prepared a second one

    When i see the state i was in, i'm really happy about my day's achievement, i just hope i will read a litle more during the rest of the week and keep a little balance between what i have/want to do and what i can do without worsening my state. ( So yes one added goals is eating properly and rest when needed too ;)  )

    Wednesday
    Number of pages I've read today: 20
    total pages : 
    Total number of books I've read:1
    Books: finished: Storm,Elemental
                started: omega

    Very busy day, i haven't managed to get 1h of free time to read so only 20pages for today but i will manage it's only half the week! Cheer! positive attitude^^ i did the mini challenge ( can be found  just under this paragraph, i commented on 5 posts,and i kept my giveaway page updated after entereing again a new challenge)

    Mini Challenge Page 48 hosted by Booking in Heels. For this challenge we had to pick our current read take the first complete sentence of page 48 and complete it....at this moment i'm not reading a book that has 48pages so i picked one from my pile ( could be the next one orr just the one after but it will be read this month at the latest^^)

    So the book i picked is Storm of Visions by Christina Dood and the result is:

    « Sounds like a lot of silliness to me » How can he said that? I wanted to strangle him!. Books are precious, they must be treasured so I course I would prefer not drinking, going out and such to keep the money to buy books. I do not act like a normal girl?! I don’t care my soulmate will love me the way I am and construct me huge bookshelves, he doesn’t understand no problem he can take the door!



    Thursday
    Number of pages I've read today: 0
    Total number of books I've read:1 ( and 1 novella)
    Books:finished: Storm, elemental
    started:omega

    Oki, that wasn't a good day, i had half a day off just for reading but i was called to help by my mother so in the end no reading at all. Since i just had a few minutes a few times during the day i did comment on participants'post and i've prepared the post for tomorrow meme ( not finished but prepared). i did the challenge to tell my favorite vampire because it was quick and easy so i 've not lost everything but i really need to boost myself if i want to complete all my goals, they seem so far at the moment. Fingers crossed for a better Wk so i could do a lot then, not sure for tomorrow. For not i need to stay motivated and it's sleeping time ( really needed)



    Friday
    Number of pages I've read today: 67pages
    Total number of books I've read:1 book and 1 novella
    Books:finished: Storm, elemental
    started: omega

    Not a bad day, i did comment on more than 5 posts and i've read a little, i hoped to read more but a little bird needed saving so he got priority ^^ ( saved, safe and sound and now newcomer to the garden's buffet of seed). I also did the challenge and i loved it!
    I hope to finish the book i started and write the review soon so i can jump on next book but  i'm good so far

    mini Challenge: Rewrite the synopsis hosted by A daydreamers' thoughts  For this challenge we had to rewrite the synopsis of a book we read during the bout of books from the books cover and the aim is to make something different.
    I only read one book so far (and since the other one is an arc i prefer not to confuse readers) so i used the cover from Storm by brigid kemmerer and here is my synopsis


    "In a world where women have the power, the selection is the ceremony all the boys are dreading since those not chosen before their 18th birthday are throw out of the city in the wilderness.

    On Alyssa 16th birthday as stated by the rules, she gets the opportunity to select up to 3 boys to share her life as bodyguard, confident or lover. Those selected will be nourished, and authorized to life in the city protected from the daemons living outside the dome. However she has met not 3 but four boys she wants to protect. Will Alyssa be able to choose which one to condemn or will they find a way together to save all of them….with only a week before the ceremony not a minute must be lost. "


    Saturday
    Number of Pages I've read today: around 200
    Total number of books I've read:2 books and 1 novella
    Books:finished: Storm, Elemental, Omega
    started: /

    A good day, with the noise from the " soumonces" i need to stay busy so first thing i did the mini challenge then back to reading and i managed to finish the book i started, i've also prepared the official review for said book ( will be probably posted after january 28 to give you the opportunity to enter in a big international giveaway^^) Review in french and in english ( perhaps i will still add some correction but i'm considering it done) So my goals have been reached but i will see if i can add a book tomorrow^^ just to be even more happy!

    Mini Challenge: My book Crack hosted by bookgoonie : what bookish things make me blissfull?What i can't resist? what is my book crack? 

    I can't resist a giveaway for print book open to international, those are not the majority so when i see one i'm jumping with pleasure and i can't resist. It's one of the only way i have to discover new authors and series.( English books are sold in my country but it's hard to find new realease, nearly impossible for not best sellers authors and the prices are exhorbitants)
    so my book crack is the 10% discount operation on bookdepository... those i can't resist so as soon as i learn of one i need to find someone with a bankcard to order for me, not always possible but when it works all my savings are spent ^^;;. i would like to know when they are scheduled month in advance so i could make long lists, have time to prepare etc...so long since the last one!!! 
    And Lastly  i can't resist paranormal romance and urban fantasy, i try to diversify but those are the ones i can't live without, completely addicted to them.





    Sunday
    Number of books I've read today:1
    Number of pages read today:388
    Total number of books I've read: 3books and 1 novella
    Books:finished: Storm, Omega, Storm of Visions - Elemental
    started:/ 

    I'm so happy, this day has just gotten better. i've received really good news, i had time to read, i finished a third book ( and since it's a paranormal romance it included all the books of my list) , i had the time to comment and i did the mini challenge of the day. This day is really perfect to close the read a thon, oh i will perhaps start a book and if i do i will add it in the wrap up but at the moment i'm just so happy and proud to have achieved my goals despite all that came to make my life more complicated.  I'm in an euphory time^^ so i will try to write the review i need to do before i can start a new title.

    Mini Challenge New year resolution hosted by Stella from Ex Libris: The rule was: Pick a book and choose one or several characters from it and make up what would be their New Year's resolutions if they made any. No need to be realistic, the wilder the better! :

    i will pick omega ( and the penton legacy series) by susannah sandlin. :
    Mirren:- polish the sword and axe everyday, 

    -buy more ice cream for glory 
    -remember not to put motorcycle part on the kitchen shelves anymore 
    -and lastly tauting Will with how he was saved, 
    Glory:- cook and eat more treats, sweets so her blood will be sweeter for Mirren, 
    -dress Mirren in more colorful clothes 
    Will: -to train more with Randa, 

    -play less video game, construct a new city top quality, 
    -play with Hannah and find her more hello kitty goodies .
    - Work to stay more sexiest vampire from Penton Scathe
    Randa: -wear more sexy undergarnement, preferably red, 

    -be more feminine with Will
    -.... avoid killing Will 




    Are you participating?Leave me a link to your goals we could support each other

    Until next week!