In My Mailbox (04.20-25.09)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren--thank you, as always!

I had a quiet week in terms of books in the mail--just one, but I thought it was important to share it because the author was kind enough to send me this book and I want her to know how much it was appreciated.

A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman (Thank you, Julie, for sending this to me!)

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Refusing to settle for anything less than a romantic relationship that pleases God, Faith O'Connor steels her heart against her desire for the roguish Collin McGuire. But when Collin tries to win her sister Charity's hand, Faith isn't sure she can handle the jealousy she feels. To further complicate matters, Faith finds herself the object of Collin's affections, even as he is courting her sister. The Great War is raging overseas, and a smaller war is brewing in the O'Connor household. Full of passion, romance, rivalry, and betrayal, A Passion Most Pure will captivate readers from the first page. Book 1 of the Daughters of Boston series.

**Side Note: I received this book on Thursday and was finally able to start it last night. I actually ended up staying up into the wee hours of the morning to finish it, so that should tell you something right there!

REVIEW: The Dawning of Power by Brian Rathbone

Series: World of Godsland #1-3
Genre: Fantasy
Pub Date: October 2008, White Wolf Press, LLC
Format: Trade Paperback, 696 pages
Source/FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received and my opinions are my own.

Echoes of the ancients' power are distant memories, tattered and faded by the passage of eons, but that is about to change. A new dawn has arrived. Latent abilities, harbored in mankind's deepest fibers, wait to be unleashed. Ancient evils awaken, and old fears ignite the fires of war. In times such as these, ordinary people have the power to save the world . . . or destroy it.

MY THOUGHTS

First off, I'd like to thank Mr. Rathbone for sending me a copy of his book--I greatly enjoyed it! It seems rare to come across a synopsis that says so little about a book, but this is certainly one of those cases! To me it was a bit like Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Terry Brooks' Shannara series, and Paolini's Eragon saga rolled into one. In fact, there were two scenes that almost could have been taken from LOTR, though I don't hold that against Rathbone. This novel is actually comprised of three books, all of which take you to Godsland and reveal the story of Catrin Volker, revealed to be the Herald of Istra, and her companions and Guardians.

Catrin's story is truly incredible--she is a teenager when she discovers a power awakened within her and ultimately has to head on a journey to save all of Godsland. Rathbone's writing is captivating and draws you into the story immediately. At times I feel as if the characters' dialogue slips into something a bit too modern for the story and time being portrayed, but that only happens here and there. The level of detail with which Rathbone writes this epic adventure is very impressive. However, because there IS so much detail, not to mention so many places and characters, the story can be somewhat difficult to follow at times. There are multiple points of view, and at points in the chapters we would revisit some characters briefly, and occasionally I had to think hard to recall who they were and how they fit into the story.

Overall, though, I immensely enjoyed The Dawning of Power. Over the years I have become a huge Fantasy geek and this book was right up my alley. There is plenty of action with plot turns and twists to keep you driving onward to discover what happens next. I definitely became attached to many of the characters as I learned more about them and they played their part in the quest. I can't wait to read Rathbone's next book, and a part of me has to wonder if he won't continue Catrin's story at some point down the road. That door was certainly left open. I for one, would like to see that happen.

Other reviews of The Dawning of Power:

Cheryl's Book Nook

And The Award Goes To...

Once again, I have to thank my fellow bloggers for some awards this week... Even better, I get to pass them back out!

Thank you to Elizabeth at As Usual, I need more bookshelves and Liyana at LiyanaLand! for the One Lovely Blog Award.

Here are the Rules...
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3) Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I awarded some lovely bloggers last week who weren't necessarily "new-to-me," but this week I'm going to take the easy way out and award this to the 30 "new-to-me" blogs I discovered during the readathon:

1) tickettoanywhere.blogspot.com
2) diaryofaneccentric.blogspot.com
3) ashleyslibrary.blogspot.com
4) smsbookreviews.blogspot.com
5) books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com
6) www.bartsbookshelf.co.uk
7) bookpsmith.blogspot.com
8) bookjunkiereviews.blogspot.com
9) books4alison.blogspot.com
10) agignac.blogspot.com
11) crazycommamomma.wordpress.com
12) alainereading.blogspot.com
13) abookloverforever.blogspot.com
14) fantaghiro23.blogspot.com
15) awaitingserenity.net
16) callistahogan.livejournal.com
17) birdbrainbb.net
18) hiddenplace.wordpress.com
19) wordsbyannie.blogspot.com
20) thefriendlybooknook.com
21) thebookgirl.net
22) bookslovejessicamarie.blogspot.com
23) kbpinkbookmark.blogspot.com
24) lastexilewords.blogspot.com
25) lissaslongyarn.blogspot.com
26) chikune.com/blog
27) gimmemorebooks.blogspot.com
28) librariansbookreviews.blogspot.com
29) karinlibrarian.wordpress.com
30) relatedreading.wordpress.com

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Next up, TeddyRee from The Eclectic Reader sent me the Super Comments Award! This is one of my favorites. Last time I awarded it to my top 10, this time I'm going to look at my current top 20 and award it to five of ten people I haven't already given it to. (Don't worry, the other five won't be left out... keep reading.) Your winners are...

Trish @ Trish's Reading Nook
Molly @ My Cozy Book Nook
Liyana @ LiyanaLand!
Luanne @ A Bookworm's World
Penny (aka Yooperchick) @ Penny's Pages

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Thank you to Scattie at In My Head for the 2009 Friendly Blogger Award. I am passing THIS one on to the other five people in my top 20 commentators, mentioned in the award above:

Jen @ 50 for Jen
Vania @ Reverie Book Reviews
Melody @ Melody's Reading Corner
Ravenous Reader @ Tales of a Ravenous Reader
Nely @ All About {n}

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Thank you to Jo at Ink and Paper and Mishel at mis(h)takes for the Premio Dardos Award! I'm not sure I feel as though I have earned it, yet, but it is certainly appreciated...

This award is for bloggers who distinguish themselves for showing cultural values, ethics, great and fun writing skills, as well as individual values, through their creative writing.

Rules:

1. To accept and show the distinct image
2. Show the link to the blog from which you were given the award
3. Choose 15 blogs to give the Dards Award (Premio Dardos).

Here are my picks--I'm limiting it to five this time around:

(1) Kristi, aka The Story Siren
(2) Nymeth from Things Mean A Lot
(3) Amy from My Friend Amy
(4) Mishel at Mis(h)takes
(5) J. Kaye from J. Kaye's Book Blog

Friday Finds (04.24.09)

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here are four books that I added to my wishlist this week thanks to great reviews from great bloggers!! :-)

First off, Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. I saw this one on a couple of different blogs this week and decided it would be an intriguing read... Here's the synopsis from BN.com:

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooma in the palace--and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust--and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

The next book on I added was City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I know I'm woefully behind the times on that one, but hopefully I'll get around to reading it soon. Here's the synopsis from BN.com:

Their hidden world is about to be revealed.... When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.

Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Next up we continue the bones theme with Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner. Apparently I'm on a real faery/fairy kick these days. Here's the synopsis from BN.com:

The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see—into the past, into the future—and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

Janni Lee Simner’s first novel for young adults is a dark fairy-tale twist on apocalyptic fiction—as familiar as a nightmare, yet altogether unique.

And lastly we have The King's Rose by Alisa Libby. I have a personal interest in this one, as on my grandmother's side (my mother's mother) we are related to Catherine Howard. Again, here's the synopsis courtesy of BN.com:

Life in the court of King Henry VIII is a complex game. When fifteen-year-old Catherine Howard catches the king's eye, she quickly transforms from pawn to queen. But even luxury beyond imagination loses its luster as young Catherine finds her life-and her heart-threatened by the needs of an aging king and a family hungry for power. Will their agendas deliver Catherine to the same fate as her infamous cousin, Anne Boleyn-sacrificed at the altar of family ambition?

Engaging historical fiction with a throbbing YA heartbeat, this thrilling novel will draw readers into the intrigues and dangers of the Tudor court.

I hope all of you found some good reads this week, too!

Thursday Thunks (04.21.09)

Welcome to the April 23rd version of Thursday Thunks!

(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!

We pick a subject, and your job is to interpret it anyway you want. Write about it on your blog... simple as that. Maybe you can interpret it as a picture - we don't care!
Please only leave a link if you have written a Thursday Thunks post. Please mention us in your post, and link back to the blog here.
Don't forget to go visit the other participants' blogs. Read and comment about all their Thursday Thunks! Thats what all this is about afterall, isn't it? We'll have so much fun and become lifelong friends....

This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Berleen, the color eggshell and the number 101.

1. If you could skywrite anything you wanted, what would it be?
Probably how much I love the hubby. :-)

2. Did you get drunk at your prom?
Nope

3. What is your favorite spice to use cooking?
Basil and oregano

4. What color is your roof?
Um, gray I guess... Whatever color the shingles are, probably dark gray.

5. In a land far, far away I would be a princess in a huge castle.

6. In the Miss USA pageant, Miss California was asked; "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?" and her answer was; "Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. Um, we live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and in, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman," Carrie said to a mix of boos and applause. "No offense to anybody out there. But that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it should be between a man and a woman." Do you think that cost her the crown?
It sure sounds like it did...

7. Do you watch Miss USA/Miss America pageants?
No, they hold no interest for me whatsoever. I don't think I even watched them much when I was younger.

8. Have you ever driven/ridden on a tractor?
Lol, no. I have ridden a riding lawn mower before, though.

9. For the parents - what cartoon/children show did your child watch obsessively? (Hey, if you aren't a parent, maybe a niece or nephew...) N/A

10. If I set a level on your living room floor - would it show that it was level?
The carpet would probably distort that...

11. What was the last restaurant you ate at?
Jason's Deli

12. What's the picture on your wall calendar for this month?
Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix

13. Are you superstitious?
Nah, though sometimes I pretend to be.

14. If I get into your car and turn on the radio - what type of radio station will I hear?
Either country or top 40.

15. Would you rather wake up with a snake in your bed or a lizard?
How about neither? If I HAD to choose, I guess it would be a lizard.

16. Do you think schools have changed at all since the Columbine tragedy 10 years ago? In what ways?
I don't know... seems the violence is moving to universities.