Shelving Saturday - #8

Welcome to Shelving Saturday

Shelving Saturday is a weekly blog event I have started here at Eastern Sunset Reads.   Each week I will post a shelving dilemma or question and you can join me in the response.

 

Please feel free to post on your blog and link back here, please be sure to post the link to your response in the comments so I can come and check your Shelving day out!

 

So the past several weeks we have been talking about how we like to put our books on the shelves but I haven't asked any of you about your actual shelves. So this weeks question is what do you use for book shelves? Did you make them yourself? Did you buy them? Where did you get them?

 

I myself for years growing up had bookshelves my dad made, every time me and my mom ran out of room he would build us another. So when I moved out and actually finally had room to get my books out of storage I couldn't believe how hard it was to find good quality bookshelves at a reasonable price! I finally found some and had to beg the hubby for them for my birthday several years ago.

I got these lovely shelves from Staples.

Aren't they beautiful?! I love how very classic library they look! I have 2 sets of those right now and they are stuffed to overflowing.  I am actually thinking of getting one of the smaller 3 shelf ones to put under the window in my library room.

 

So how about you? What are your bookshelves like?

Bedtime Story: Harold and the Purple Crayon

Synopsis from Goodreads: ""One night, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight." So begins this gentle story that shows just how far your imagination can take you. Armed only with an oversized purple crayon, young Harold draws himself a landscape full of beauty and excitement. But this is no hare-brained, impulsive flight of fantasy. Cherubic, round-headed Harold conducts his adventure with the utmost prudence, letting his imagination run free, but keeping his wits about him all the while. He takes the necessary purple-crayon precautions: drawing landmarks to ensure he won't get lost; sketching a boat when he finds himself in deep water; and creating a purple pie picnic when he feels the first pangs of hunger"


My Review: This was one children's book I never remember reading but I have to say its very cute! I loved the illustrations and the fun creativity used to write this book. I also liked how it was about creating your own adventures with imagination (I guess even if it means writing on your mother's wall with a crayon). I really did enjoy the simplicity of Harold and the Purple Crayon.

My Rating: I think Harold and the Purple Crayon deserves Four Paws! It has definitely stood the test of time (mine is the 50th anniversary edition)!

Good Night, Sweet Dreams

Review of Huntress by Malinda Lo

Synopsis from Goodreads: "Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever."

My Review: I really enjoyed this book. I have to say though that this is the first book I have come across that has an openly female/female love relationship. This is made clear from the very beginning and it may disturb some readers (or parents), but it didn't bother me (please note there is nothing explicit, just strong feelings and some kisses). I enjoyed the fact that Kaede was so believable, she had normal reactions to things. There are some weird twists and the ending did seem a bit rushed and left open - maybe another book coming? I hope so! The only drawback I found was that a lot of the mystical/ magical elements weren't exactly explained and some of it did need a little more filling out or detail to make the story feel complete. I would have also liked to know more about Con, he seemed to be important but yet felt as though he was just thrown in because there needed to be a king's son.


My Rating: All in all I enjoyed this book and wanted to continue reading so I give it Three Paws and a Stump Wag.

Follow Friday #5 & In My Mailbox #9

 

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - rhiannonpaille.blogspot.com/
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. LINKY TOOLS IS BACK! I paid for the subscription - finally so now you can add the links to your own post!!! To add the code to your own post click on GET THE CODE here under the list of names.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog! 

Q. Genre Wars! What's your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?

Gosh! That's a tough one since I read so many different genres, but possibly the one I find myself in the most is Fantasy.  The love of fantasy books started a long time ago, maybe with the Serendipity books or possibly Tamora Pierce's Alanna series or even Garth Nix's Abhorsen trilogy. That love of fantasy continues to grow into a love of Fantasy Romance with the Summonings Series by Robin D. Owens and so many others.

So how about you? What is your favorite genre and that special book that made you love it?

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   In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren that I have decided to participate in.

How IMM works:
Make your own IMM post! You can post about books you've bought, gotten from the library, received for review... books don't have to arrive via your mailbox. 
I post every week, but you don’t have to. You can do one week out of the month or every other week it’s up to you. 
You don't have to call your post In My Mailbox... (some people don't even have mailboxes!)
I post my IMM on Sunday, but choose a day of the week that works for you.
Once you have your IMM posted, come back to The Story Siren on Sunday and add your link to the list. 
Try to post a comment on other bloggers IMM posts. I don’t expect you to post a comment on every single one, but pick a few!

All book bloggers are welcome, while I’d like to keep the theme to YA literature it’s NOT a requirement.

There is no right or wrong way to do In My Mailbox, you can vlog, you can take fun picture, you can use the books cover art, it’s up to you!

Most importantly HAVE FUN!

 

Another somewhat small  week for me, nothing in the actual mailbox but I did download some more on my Nook:

Synopsis from Goodreads: "In the past two years, Mclean Sweet has moved four times. At each stop, she assumes a new persona, but it never quite works. Whether she's an effervescent cheerleader or an intense drama queen, nothing can permanently dispel the turmoil and rage at her mother since her parents' divorce."   - Review posted earlier this week

Synopsis from Goodreads: "Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.  

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever."    - Review to be posted shortly!!

Synopsis from Goodreads: "Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns... Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.
Or not.
Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from the crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to—perhaps most dangerously of all—her growing attraction to a handsome art student ... an attraction that could jeopardize everything."  - Currently reading and LOVING!

Synopsis from Goodreads: "Astrid Llewelyn is now a fully trained unicorn hunter, but she can't solve all her problems with just a bow and arrow. Her boyfriend, Giovanni, has decided to leave Rome, the Cloisters is in dire financial straits, her best friend's powers seem to be mysteriously disintegrating, and Astrid can't help but feel that school, home, and her hopes of becoming a scientist are nothing but impossible dreams.

So when she's given the opportunity to leave the Cloisters and put her skills to use as part of a scientific quest to discover the Remedy, Astrid leaps at the chance. Finally, she can have exactly what she want--or can she? At Gordian headquarters, deep in the French countryside, Astrid begins to question everything she thought she believed: her love for Giovanni, her loyalty to the Cloisters, and most of all her duty as a hunter. Should Astrid be saving the world from killer unicorns, or saving the unicorns from the world?"

Synopsis from Goodreads: "In 18th century France, a noble family prepares to celebrate their daughter’s arranged marriage by holding a traditional unicorn hunt. But when an unusual nun arrives at the chateau with her beloved pet to help the rich girl train, nothing goes as expected. Starring hunters, fine ladies, fancy frocks, and killer unicorns."

So what books did you get this week?!

Special Day - Special Gift

Not exactly bookish but  . . . my hubby and I celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary today.

We have had many of wonderful years together and he knows me so so well that he got me a gift card to Barnes & Noble and some new grilling/smoking cookbooks!

<3

Booking Through Thursday - Ebooks Features & Own/Borrow

Booking through Thursday is a weekly event hosted by Deb at BTT

This weeks Question is:

 

With the advent (and growing popularity) of eBooks, I’m seeing more and more articles about how much “better” they can be, because they have the option to be interactive … videos, music, glossaries … all sorts of little extra goodies to help “enhance” your reading experience, rather like listening to the Director’s commentary on a DVD of your favorite movie.
How do you feel about that possibility? Does it excite you in a cutting-edge kind of way? Or does it chill you to the bone because that’s not what reading is ABOUT?

I do love my ebooks, it is nice to be able to take hundreds of books with you anywhere without having to bring an extra suitcase. I also love the fact that now I can read in my down time at work. As far as extra options that come with ebooks, I'm not sure that I would use them. Heck I don't even use all the features on my Nook!  I am not very computer literate or technically knowledgeable so am not very excited when something new comes out. BUT I think it would be great to have a little added feature on some of my favorite books what the author's inspiration was or what writing methods they used.





AND because I missed last week due to the wedding here is last weeks question:

All things being equal (money, space, etc), would you rather own copies of the books you read? Or borrow them?

Own Definitely!!! Even though I lack the space now I still would rather own the books.  I have this weird quirk where even if I borrow a book, I still go out and buy it. I don't know why I do that, maybe its because I like to look back at where I have been or that I just feel like I have accomplished something when I place a book on the shelf.

Review of What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Synopsis: "In the past two years, Mclean Sweet has moved four times. At each stop, she assumes a new persona, but it never quite works. Whether she's an effervescent cheerleader or an intense drama queen, nothing can permanently dispel the turmoil and rage at her mother since her parents' divorce."

My Review: This was a good book, I like how Mclean was trying to reinvent herself only to actually discover her true self. I loved when she figured out that she wasn't picking her friends like she had in other towns but her friends just seemed to find her. One of my favorite lines from the book was "Everyone is Something" it has such meaning and is great advise to keep in mind. This was a very emotional journey that Sarah Dessen kept light with witty banter and a few comical moments.

 

My Rating: I really enjoyed this book, though it may have been more enjoyable if I was in fact a young adult. What Happened to Goodbye gets a rating of Three Paws.

Review of Kade by Cheyenne McCray

Synopsis from Goodreads: "After a bitter divorce, reporter Kelsey Nichols has erected a border around her heart too strong for any man to cross. She's not ready for a relationship of any kind with any man. But when Kelsey meets Kade she can think of nothing but being in his powerful arms and in his bed.



Intelligence Agent Kade Owen is hot on the trail of a notorious smuggler when the sensual blonde reporter comes into his life. Once he gets a hold of Kelsey, nothing will stop Kade from winning her heart."

My Review: A great adventure filled with danger, betrayal, excitement, and romance! Granted it seemed kind of unreasonable that a woman fresh out of an abusive relationship would even put herself in this type of situation, but it was still a great book. I loved Kade, I mean really loved him, if I wasn't married already I would be heading to Arizona to find my own blue-eyed border patrol cowboy! Kelsey was a little wishy washy for me, she was up and down and didn't always stick by her guns, I think she could have been a great character but she just didn't hold up to the rest of the characters in the book. Kade isn't for the faint of heart there are adult scenes, gun fights and death just as a warning.

 

My Rating: It was a fun and exciting book to read. I give Kade Three Paws and a Stump Wag. I look forward to reading more of McCray's books!

Waiting On Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

 

My Pick:

The Centaur's Daughter by Ellen Jensen Abbott

Release date of September 28, 2011

 

Now I haven't been able to track down a synopsis for this one yet but just the cover and title draws me in.  It is a sequel to Watersmeet Synopsis: "From her birth, Abisina has been outcast—for the color of her eyes and skin, and for her lack of a father. Only her mother’s status as the village healer has kept her safe. But when a mythic leader arrives, Abisina’s life is ripped apart. She escapes alone to try to find the father and the home she has never known. In a world of extremes, from the deepest prejudice to the greatest bonds of duty and loyalty, Abisina must find her own way and decide where her true hope lies."

 

 

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I will have a couple of book reviews coming up for you this afternoon too!!

Review of Hit List by Laurell K. Hamilton

Synopsis from Barnes & Noble: "As punchy as her first foray, Anita Blake's 20th adventure (after 2010's Bullet) finds the intrepid vampire hunter far from her familiar St. Louis environs. Someone is slaughtering weretigers just outside of Tacoma. When Anita recognizes the handiwork of the Harlequin, ninja-like paranormal assassins, she suspects they're in the employ of the Mother of All Darkness, the legendary vampire queen who wants to reincarnate herself in Anita's body and take advantage of her mingled vampire and lycanthrope bloodlines. Complicating matters are a marshal who detests Anita for no apparent reason and a psychopathic deputy who wants to kill her."

My Review: I loved this book in the series! Hamilton returns Anita Blake to her original form. Tough girl who gets absorbed in her work as a paranormal specialist/hunter. I loved the fact that Edward was involved and that Anita wasn't so reliant on her sweeties for strength or knowledge. Although I did kind of miss all the boys' personalities in this book but it was back to what I loved about the series when I first started reading it. It was a nice break from the physical relationships (though there is still some but not nearly what the last several books have included). This is definitely a book to get me back into the Anita Blake series.

My Rating: I loved Hit List and flew through it so I couldn't give it any less than Four Paws! If you enjoy Paranormal type books that aren't all sparkly vampires and friendly werewolves this is a great series, but I suggest starting at the beginning because there is a lot of information you need before reading this the 20th in the series ;)


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In other news, I am back from the wedding finally, and only have one more to go next weekend! I will be sure to schedule my Friday and Saturday posts. 

Also is anyone else having trouble posting comments?! I have been trying to respond to all of you all day today and haven't been able to, so please bear with me until I can finally comment on all your great comments and posts!

Hope you all had a great weekend and the week is filled with new book adventures!