Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Hellion and The Heartbreaker by Jennifer McNare



Alec flinched as Scarlett’s teeth pierced his skin, causing him to jerk his hand back in stunned surprise.  He couldn’t believe it.  She’d bitten him.  He stared at his hand in disbelief.  The wretched little brat had actually drawn blood.

Two years later

Lost in thought, Alec Weston idly rubbed his left thumb across the pliant flesh between the thumb and index finger of his right hand, along the four, faint white scars that permanently marred the top of his hand.  They were barely visible, unnoticeable to anyone but himself really, but he had developed the unwitting habit of rubbing his thumb over the tiny ridges, most often when he was agitated. 

 The Hellion and The Heartbreaker by Jennifer McNare

Scarlett McPhearson has four doting brothers and has been spoiled by them. She is as fiery as her red curls. She has always known the Duke of Worthe and secretly vowed to have him since she was 13. Alex is attracted to her but he does not wish to dally with his best friend's sister. Scarlett sets out to seduce him and he makes her no promises. 

Set in the Regency period, the novel has good potential. Scarlett offers Alex her love but he is not ready for that. What I liked about the novel the way her brothers stood up for her. They did not berate her for falling in love. They supported her and were always with her.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Monday: Mailbox/What Am I Reading?

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. It has finally found a permanent  home at Mailbox Monday with the following new administrators:

Leslie of Under My Apple Tree
Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit
Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach

I received the following, thanks to the authors/publicists:

The Dead Don't Dance by John Enright



Rumored to hold more spirits than people, the remote tropical paradise To’aga frightens many Samoan locals—but not Detective Apelu Soifua. Reeling from the loss of his young daughter, Apelu retreats to the haunted island for a self-imposed exile. He spends his days drinking, trying to ignore the ghosts in his head, and receives few visitors other than a shamanistic recluse and a pair of dedicated marine biologists conducting research.

But after a crew of surveyors arrives, Apelu makes a disturbing discovery: foreign investors plan to build a resort hotel on the coast, a project sure to destroy the To’aga coral reef and shatter the island’s peaceful way of life. When tensions rise and someone—or something—commits a gruesome murder, Apelu must force himself out of retirement to solve the case. Can the heartbroken detective navigate both modern and mystical forces to find the killer and appease the angry spirits of To’aga, in this third book of the Jungle Beat Mystery series?

Heads I Win Tails You Lose by S H Villa


This is the first volume of Varigo, the fast-paced and humorous Spanish crime fiction series set in the Alpujarras.
Jesús the healer turns investigator when his cousin Juan's severed head is found on the mayoress's desk and the Guardia Civil prove themselves as useless as they look.
Juan is a well known healer, anti-Church campaigner (earning him the name Juan the Unbaptist) and a lover of women. So, where to look for his murderer? Jesús and friends find and follow clues leading both to the Church and the Guardia Civil themselves. But who was the woman involved? There has to be one.
A rare combination of excitement and enlightenment.
Sita's Curse by Sreemoyee Piu Kundu


Sita's Curse is a explosive sexual saga, describing the life, longing and sexual awakening of Meera Patel, a lower-middle class housewife living in a congested housing society in the suburbs of Mumbai and follows her metamorphosis from a small-town girl married off at 17 to a man she has never met to a woman who achieves freedom by giving in to desire. The book reaches its earth shattering climax (pun intended) on July 26, 2005—the day of the Mumbai floods that changed the history of the city and the lives of many of her people, forever.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hosted by Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of BooksWe discuss the books that we've read and what we're planning to read for the week. 

After the Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon April 26-27, 2014, I am totally zapped!! I read four of the following during Read-a-thon.

I finished reading the following:


70. Our Held Animal Breath by Kathryn Kirkpatrick (Poetry)
69. Dead Set by Will Carver (Crime Fiction)
68. The Virgin Concubine by Shyala Black(Erotica)
67. Silken Promises by Lisa Bingham (Historical Romance)
66. A Dangerous Affair by Caro Peacock (Victorian Mystery)
65. The Hellion and The Heartbreaker by Jennifer McNare (Historical Romance)


I am in the midst of reading:

The Invisible Man by H G Wells
ugly to start with by John Michael Cummings
The Elephant Tree by R D Ronald

I posted the following reviews on my blog:

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Sunday Salon/The Sunday Post: End of event meme of 24 Hour Read-a-Thon


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.


Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon April 26-27, 2014

End of event meme–

A Readathon tradition! In your final Readathon post, answer these questions and then link to it with the Mr. Linky.

Which hour was most daunting for you?

Hour 7 as it was past midnight in my part of the world.

Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

Crime Fiction novels, me thinks!

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

Too few cheerleaders on my blog. I wish that to be changed.

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

Dunno....

How many books did you read?

Four (1195 pages)

What were the names of the books you read?

1. Silken Promises by Lisa Bingham (278) (Historical Romance)
2. The Virgin Concubine by Shyala Black (296) (Erotica)
3.  Dead Set by Will Carver (456) (Crime Fiction)
4. Our Held Animal Breath by Kathryn Kirkpatrick (95) (Poetry)

Which book did you enjoy most?

Silken Promises by Lisa Bingham 

Which did you enjoy least?

The Virgin Concubine by Shyala Black

If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

Visit, visit, vist

How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

Yes! And as a reader!

24 Hour Read-a-Thon: Hour 23


Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon April 26-27, 2014

Currently reading: The Sheik's Secret Bride by Susan Mallory

Books finished:

1. Silken Promises by Lisa Bingham (278)
2. The Virgin Concubine by Shyala Black (296)
3.  Dead Set by Will Carver (456)
4. Our Held Animal Breath by Kathryn Kirkpatrick (95)

Running total of pages read: 1195

Running total of time spent reading: 14 hours

Snacks: Tea and munchies

Mini-Challenges Completed: Three

Blogs Visited and Commented On: One

24 Hour Read-a-Thon: Hour 15



Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon April 26-27, 2014

Currently reading:
Dead Set by Will Carver

Books finished:
1. Silken Promises by Lisa Bingham
2. The Virgin Concubine by Shyala Black

Running total of pages read: 660

Running total of time spent reading: 8 hours

Snacks: Tea

Saturday, April 26, 2014

24 Hour Read-a-Thon: Mini Challenge-----Best of Your Reading Year


Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon April 26-27, 2014

Mini Challenge: 

Best of Your Reading Year

Best Book of Your Reading Year: Dead Water by Ann Cleeves 
Best Romance Book of Your Reading Year: Scent of Butterflies by Dora Levy Mossanen
Best Mystery Book of Your Reading YearThe Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison

24 Hour Read-a-Thon: Hour 5 update



Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon April 26-27, 2014

Currently reading: Dead Set by Will Carver

Books finished: Silken Promises by Lisa Bingham

Pages read: 46

Running total of pages read: 323

Amount of time spent reading: 4 hours

Running total of time spent reading: 4 hours

Snacks:  I had Dinner, no snacking!!


Mini-Challenges Completed: 3

Blogs Visited and Commented On: None

24 Hour Read-a-Thon: PICK A PARAGRAPH & WIN A BOOK



Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon April 26-27, 2014

Currently reading: Silken Promises by Lisa Bingham (from Page 28)

Books finished: None

Pages read: 54 

Running total of pages read: 54

Amount of time spent reading: 65 min

Running total of time spent reading: 65 min

Snacks: green tea


Mini-Challenges Completed: Intro Meme

Blogs Visited and Commented On: None

PICK A PARAGRAPH & WIN A BOOK

Fiona knew she had made no mistake. Society dictated that a woman in mourning should wear no colours that could be seen by the outward eye. Black wool covered her from neck to toe--although she had foregone the use of a veil, since she already felt as if she would expire from the weight of her costume. 

Silken Promises by Lisa Bingham


24 Hour Read-a-Thon: Kick off Meme



Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon April 26-27, 2014

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
I live in Delhi, India. My start up time is 5:30 pm. Late, I know and it is tiring too after a day's work. 

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

I will read mostly Crime Fiction and one book of poetry. These are fast paced, hence work better for me. I plan to read at least 4 books out of the following:

1. The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton (306 pages)
2. That Old Black Magic by Mary Jane Clark (354 pages)
3. The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie (359 pages)
4. Dead Set by Will Carver (453 pages)
5. The Dead Don't Dance by John Enright (248 pages)
6. Jaspar's War by Cym Lowell (339 pages)
7. Our Held Animal Break by Kathryn Kirkpatrick (poetry) (95 pages)


I might read a couple of e-books, romances, if it gets tough. 

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

I will snack on munchies and tea.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I am a poet. And a teacher. And a READER!!

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

I look forward to reading. MORE readung. And visiting some blogs!!

 And yes, I miss Dewey. Book blogging world has lost a champion of the cause. She was a great uniting force.......

Saturday Snapshot: April 26, 2014

Shortlisted books for Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon April 26-27, 2014



Posting for Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy

Friday, April 25, 2014

Book Beginnings/Friday 56: Never Too Late by Amara Royce

Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.


If she hadn’t been dusting the reading nook so beloved by customers, young and old, Mrs.Honoria Duchamp, owner and proprietress of Evans Books, would not have heard the cruel comments about her from some society mum shepherding her daughter to matrimonial slaughter. 

Now it echoed in her mind: “Did you see that woman, Margaret? Did you? Take a close look at her and at this cramped, suffocating little shop. This is the best you can hope for if you don’t marry well. Do you think that shriveled-up mouse of a woman wanted this menial life?” 

The mother’s sharp voice had grown shrill toward the end of this little speech. It just goes to show, she thought, nothing good can come of dusting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stared back into his eyes and nodded. “Sometimes we have no choice but to sacrifice ourselves for our families, for the greater good.”

Posted for The Friday 56, which is hosted by Freda's Voice

Never Too Late by Amara Royce

Honoria Duchamp is a widow owning a bookstore. She is 40 years of age. Lord Devlin is in his mid 20s. He comes to her shop to "investigate" her role as pamphlets containing “incendiary materials” have surfaced and she is believed to be the source. He falls for her and wishes to marry her. But Honoria knows nothing can come out of it.
Nora, the heroine, is in trade, and no, she is not some heiress or inherits loads from a relative from a long lost relation. Alex isn't just some bored Duke, but a Viscount who loves his family and does everything he has to do to protect his brother and mother. Alex's attraction to Nora is genuine and he is the one who keeps pursuing the possibility of a relationship. He is not a rake, or a roguewho needs to be needed to be reformed.  Even though he's only 26, he knows he has something special with her and isn't willing to give it up.
Lord Devlin's mother is not averse to their relationship. I liked the way she encourages "Nora" to go for Lord Devlin. The story line is unconventional and I liked that. Nora is a do gooder for social causes.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Teaser Tuesday: You, and Only You by Jennifer McNare

Over a year ago, during an impromptu card game, he’d made a foolish wager with her and lost.  His forfeit had been that at some point in the future, he would have to request a waltz with the widowed marchioness.  It was a dreadful price to pay by any man’s standards, for despite the fact that she outweighed him by at least a stone, Olivia Whitlunde was as brazen as a dockside whore and her voracious appetite for the amorous affections of handsome young men was common knowledge amongst the majority of the ton. 

You, and Only You  by Jennifer McNare

An older hero, a youngish heroine. Eighteen-year-old Tiffany Marlowe is won by Earl of Chesterfield as a wager by her own father. She is thrilled by his attention unknowing about the wager. 

But when the truth comes out, all is lost for Earl of Chesterfield. By this time he has fallen hard for her.

It started out good but lost steam somewhere and did not regain it. I liked the bantering between the two. That is the only redeeming feature.,

Tuesday Intro: Dreaming of You by Jennifer McNare

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon.

England, 1840 

When he finished reading, the paper fell lightly from his fingers and settled onto his lap.  He sat immobile for several long minutes, his mind reeling in complete and absolute shock. This was insanity.  He picked up the discarded letter and read it once again, shaking his head in outrage and disbelief.  He had been abducted to impregnate a woman.  That was it.  No reason why, and no explanation as to why he in particular had been chosen, was given.  If he failed to cooperate, made any attempt to escape or tried to discover the identity of his captor or the woman, his sister, currently held at an undisclosed location would be killed.   

  Dreaming of You by Jennifer McNare

Melody Settrington is married to Charles Cavendish, the elderly Earl of Edgington. He is impotent and wants an heir at any cost and he can go to any length to achieve that. He chooses Gavin Montrose, son of the wealthy Duke of Rutherford, to be the father. Gavin is kidnapped and is forced to abide by Cavendish or his younger sister would be harmed. He has to perform in utter darkness without seeing the woman's face. And he won't have any contact with his own child. 

Melody is as reluctant as Gavin but she too has no choice, or her family will be destitute and her brother will die without the care needed for his special illness. As soon as Melody gets pregnant, Gavin is released. And then they meet after some years...

Monday, April 21, 2014

Monday: Mailbox/What Am I Reading?

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. It has finally found a permanent  home at Mailbox Monday with the following new administrators:

Leslie of Under My Apple Tree
Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit
Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach

I did not receive anything in my mailbox.... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hosted by Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of BooksWe discuss the books that we've read and what we're planning to read for the week. 

I finished reading the following:

64. Never Too Late by Amara Royce (Historical Romance)
63. You, and Only You by Jennifer McNare (Historical Romance)
62. Dreaming of You by Jennifer McNare (Historical Romance)
61. The Scent of Dying Breaths by M. J. Rose (Suspense)


I am in the midst of reading:

A Dangerous Affair by Caro Peacock
ugly to start with by John Michael Cummings
The Elephant Tree by RD Ronald

I posted the following reviews on my blog:


Friday, April 18, 2014

Friday 56: The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti

Mama and Nadia held Sara's dead body all night so that she wouldn't be alone. When Abbas finally fell asleep, he ground his teeth so hard, that the front one cracked. I remained awake the entire night. When curfew ended, I ran to the outpost and waited six hours under the brutal sun before they granted me a permit to bury my sister.

Posted for The Friday 56, which is hosted by Freda's Voice

Title: The Almond Tree
Author: Michelle Cohen Corasanti
ISBN: 9788172344870
Publisher: Finger Prints Publishing/2013
Pages: 352 pages

It is a story about two Palestinian brothers, Ahmed and Abbas. The story opens with their toddler sister being killed in a landmine. Few years later, 12 year old Ahmed sees his father accused of a false crime, their land confiscated. He and Abbas both have to work to take care of the family. Abbas has an accident and is crippled for life. Now Ahmed is a gifted child. He gets an opportunity to study further because of his brilliancy. He lives for Israel university although his mother is not keen about it. Despite prejudices, Ahmed does well in his life. 

Abbas does not approve of his brother dallying with the Jews and likes it even less when Ahmed falls in love and marries a Jewish girl. Meanwhile, Abbas joins a group perpetrating terror against the Israelis. 

I had some issues about the large families and Ahmed's single mindedness about helping his family. Abbas, on the other hand, thought about his country. He had become a cripple, was in constant pain. Yet for him, Palestine was bigger than his individuality and his family. 

The book was a revelation of some kind. We talk about the Jews suffering during the holocaust and the aftermath. No one talks about the Palestinians and their sufferings. Israel wants their land but where to the Palestinians go? There is no solution as yet. 

Book Beginnings: Scent of Butterflies by Dora Levy Mossanen

Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.

I'm on Air France, destined for Los Angeles. Fleeing Aziz, my husband of twenty years, the man I married when I was fifteen. The only lover I've ever known. He believes that I will return to him. I will not. Why? Because I can't resist his drunken eyes, velvet words, and persuasive hands that know where to press softly and where to stroke hard, where to linger and where to slither away, where to cup and hold and warm.

And I won't return because I can't free myself from Parvaneh.

Title: Scent of Butterflies 
 Author: Dora Levy Mossanen
ISBN: 9781402284434
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark/2014
Pages: 282

It is 1999. Soraya is a wealthy Jewish Iranian, with blond hair and  green eyes.  She has left behind her husband in Iran and flown to Los Angeles. Unknown to Aziz, she does not intend to return to him. She thinks her best friend, Parvaneh and Aziz are lovers. She had seen them together in intimate position.

Aziz thinks she is visiting US on a photographic assignment and would be back soon. We see Soraya musing about her life in Iran in the post Shah era. Her love and obsession for Aziz, so much so that she has been on the pill all these time as she does not want to share her husband with anyone not even their children. 

Soraya buys a mansion in Bel Air which has a huge garden in the back. She is into collecting butterflies and growing exotic plants. When she is not thinking about her husband, she is thinking about plants and insects. Her best friend, Parvaneh's name means "butterfly"  and Soraya  thinks only of revenge, and punishment for Parveneh. 

When Aziz and Parveneh visit her, she comes to know about a hidden truth which totally breaks the thread for all her relationships. Soraya is not a likable character. She is unstable and obsessive. When Aziz discovers about her being on the pill, it breaks him apart. She had always gone to all kinds of fertility clinic for him.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

The Collector of Dying Breaths by M. J. Rose


"I almost died because a criminal with a gun shot at you and I pushed you out of the way and was hurt. Jac, please." He put his hand on her shoulders and pulled her toward him so she was twisted around, facing him again. "You can't throw us away because of something you don't even believe yourself."

~~~Posted for That's What HE Said Thursday

Title: The Collector of Dying Breaths
Author: M.J. Rose
ISBN: 9781451621532
Publisher: Atria Books/2014
Pages: 384

This is the sixth book in Reincarnationist series and the third one featuring Jac L’Etoile. I have read the first, The Book of Lost Fragrances. I am yet to pick up the second one, Seduction.
This novel is set in two different time periods, one contemporary and other historical, set in the sixteenth century where René le Florentin is a young apprentice in an Italian monastery. He is wrongly accused of poisoning his master, apothecary Dom Serapino. Catherine de Medici saves him and takes him along to France as she is about to marry into the French royality. René is a now a perfumer to the French court. His knowledge of fragrances, potions and poisons makes him valuable for Catherine. She makes use of his knowledge to eliminate enemies of the state. Meanwhile, René continues to work on a secret project of collecting a person’s dying breath. He thinks that if he discovers the right combination of ingredients to mix with the dying breath, then the resulting mixture can  bring back the soul. However, his knowledge of poisons has disastrous consequences on his personal life....
Coming to present day France, Jac L’Etoile's brother Robby dies and he had been working collecting dying breaths. L’Etoiles are a family of perfumers. Jac has always stayed away from creating perfumes because certain scents bring back vivid memories of the past – not just her own but other people’s too. When a rich and eccentric woman, Melinoe Cypros asks her to continue with the work of Robby (which is René le Florentin's work), Jac agrees. Working for it, Jac finds herself haunted by visions of  René le Florentin and the woman he loves.
The historical parts were well developed and were very compelling. Catherine de Medici was portrayed well and I liked the interactions between Catherine, Rene and Ruggieri, Catherine's astrologer. Jac is able to see her past life and somehow can connect to her present day lover, Griffin North to René le Florentin, she being the woman he had loved. This works well as a standalone novel and the suspense element remains intact throughout. 

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

2014 National Poetry Month: Controlled Hallucinations by John Sibley Williams

2014 National Poetry Month: Reach for the Horizon Blog Tour hosted by Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit

I am going to review a poetry book. It is contemporary poetry and I discovered the poet via the net, liked what he had written, requested a copy and he was kind enough to send me one. 


Title: Controlled Hallucinations
Author: John Sibley Williams
ISBN: 978-1938853227
Publisher: FutureCycle Press/2013
Pages: 78

As the title suggests, Williams has been able to control the hallucinations. He has taken the everyday experiences and juxtaposed those with feelings, thoughts and varied images. He has taken note of life from all its aspects by making use of metaphors, some of those are unthinkable for an average reader of poetry. He does it so seamlessly and the reader craves for more. He speaks of ball of yarn, to be in love, about rooftops, mirrors, seeing people in the clouds and the blue sky, fence posts, birds and raw emotions blended with passion. 
Let me take the first poem which sets the tone and that tone is maintained throughout.

I

I see a man on an adjacent building
silhouette cut from the skyline.
So I also cut out the roof
he stands on.
I cut out the tools
and the cascading shingles.
I cut out the hydrangeas
the shingles decapitate
on their way down.
.
I cut out the mountain
in the distance,
still coddling its last snows
replacing it with a silo,
the shingles with paper
snowflakes.
.
I replace the man
with another man
with a woman
with a horse
a piano
with a book
and myself.
.
Nothing quite fits.
.
But the man
no longer fits either
on the roof
on skyline
And I wonder is this
what it means
to touch?
.
The imagery is so good that one wants to keep reading. 

LIX

With an apple in my mouth, yes,
I must be swine.
Because strangers stop momentarily
to capture me in their lenses,
I must be a roadside attraction.
As there is nothing to hold to
in what I say,
        I say it again
        And again--

nonsense being the tenderest 
act of friendship, of identity.

I can be cloudburst, yes,
and I can be my own prey.
I can be you.
         or, if you say it,
         none of these

I especially liked the twists at the end. Because that is what I do. That is what I am. A poet. 

Re-reading his poems gives yet another meaning. The knowing turns to un-knowing. From churches to graveyards, from skylines to bedrooms. From clouds to the grounds. The journey is just an illusion. Or hallucinations. Controlled or not.....open ended or closed. Understand it any way you want.