ReadingGrrls Paper Safari

Since I am a Kindle junkie and happen to own 3 versions of the kindle (I have yet to shell out the dough or find it even remotely necessary to buy the DX yet) I thought I would give my reviews on each. Kindle Version 1 - awkward to hold.  I was always hitting the page turn buttons on this one.  It is also very thick compared to the two latest versions which also makes it harder to deal with but with a good cover this one works fine. Kindle 1 also has a memory card which you can replace to create more space on your kindle. Uses whispernet to download books. Kindle Version 2 - much more streamlined but doesn't have the removable memory card so you can't transfer books or improve the storage.  Uses 3G whispernet to download books.  This version I found very durable.  It is thinner than version 1 but also bigger.  The buttons are in much more convenient locations and I didn't find myself accidently turning the pages. I have a silicone cover for m...

Title: Deadly Illusions by Brenda Joyce Publisher: Harlequin 384 Pages Genre: Historical, Mystery This book is due to be released 12/28/10.  I received an advanced electronic galley of this book through netgalley.com Synopsis: Irrepressible heiress and intrepid sleuth Francesca Cahill moves from her own glittering world of Fifth Avenue to the teeming underbelly of society, a place of pride, passions…and sometimes deadly perversions. Despite the misgivings of her fiancé, Calder Hart, Francesca cannot turn away from a threat that is terrorizing the tenement neighborhood of Lower Manhattan. A madman has attacked three women, but while the first two victims survived, the third is found dead. All the victims are impoverished but beautiful Irishwomen—and Francesca fears that her dear friends Maggie Kennedy and Gwen O’Neil could be next. Soon she is working with her former love, police commissioner Rick Bragg—Calder’s half brother and worst rival. But even as Calder’s jealou...

Title: So Hard To Say by Alex Sanchez Publisher: Simon & Shuster 230 pages Genre: YA  Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Latina chocoholic-chatterbox Xio can't keep her eyes off blond-haired, steel-eyed Frederick, the intriguing transfer student just in from Wisconsin. At first, the soft-spoken newcomer, unsure of his new Southern California junior high and maybe his own sexuality, doesn't know what to make of her pursuits. Slowly and surely, Xio charms her way into his life and soon absorbs him into her group of fabulous girlfriends whom she dubs the "Sexies." Content with this new niche, and his position on a pick-up soccer team, Frederick gradually becomes aware of Xio's real agenda: to make him her first boyfriend. All the while he finds he can't keep his eyes off Victor, his soccer buddy. Frederick's sexual confusion escalates, as do his dodging techniques when it comes to Xio's advances. However, when she gets him in a closet with her and at l...

Title: Me by Ricky Martin Publisher: Celebra 291 Pages Genre: Autobiography Synopsis: International superstar, Ricky Martin, who has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, opens up for the first time about memories of his early childhood, experiences in the famed boy band Menudo, struggles with his identity during the Livin' la Vida Loca phenomenon, reflections on coming to terms with his sexuality, relationships that allowed him to embrace love, and life-changing decisions like devoting himself to helping children around the world and becoming a father. Review: I could stare at the cover of this book forever. Damn what a mighty fine man Ricky Martin is.  His eyes are just piercing as if he could see straight into your soul.  Ricky Martin is not only an international musician he is also an incredibly spiritual and humanitarian person.  Reading his biography is a lesson in living. Even some of his not so great memories hold lessons for him that made him who ...

Title: Divided in Death by JD Robb Publisher: Berkley Books 354 pages Genre: Mystery Romance Synopsis: Reva Ewing was a former member of the Secret Service, and then a security specialist for Roarke Enterprises- until she was found standing over the dead bodies of her husband, renowned artist Blair Bissel and and her best friend.  But Lieutenant Eve Dallas believes there was more to the killings than jealous rage - all of Bissel's computer files were deliberately corrupted.  To Roarke, its the computer attack that poses the real threat. He and Reva have been under a Code Red government contract to develop a program that would shield against techno terrorists.  But this deadly new breed of hackers isn't afraid to kill to protect their secret - and its up to Eve Dallas to shut them down before the nightmare can spread to the whole country. Review: Eve Dallas is a fabulous character, all cop yet married to the richest man in the world.  She despises being pa...

Here is a recap of my top 10 favorite books for 2010. Not all of these books were reviewed on this blog because I didn't start the blog until half way through the year. This list is in no particular order I just put them down as I remembered them. I don't want to list an author twice so if I've read more than one book by this author this year  that I also believe should be on this list I will put a star after their name. Room by Emma Donoghue* The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin The Physick book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe House Rules by Jodi Picoult The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest by Steig Larson Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian* Wildthorn by Jane Eagland Little Princes by Conor Grennan The Girl in the Green Sweater: A life in Holocausts Shadow by Krystyna Chiger Down River by John Hart

Title: Vieux Carre Voodoo by Greg Herren Publisher: Bold Strokes Books 264 pages Genre: Gay Fiction, Mystery Synopsis: When an old family friend apparently commits suicide from his French Quarter balcony, Scotty’s life accelerates from boring to exciting again in a nanosecond. Why would anyone want the old man dead, and what were they looking for in his ransacked apartment? It’s up to Scotty, Frank, his crazy family, and friends to get to the bottom of this bizarre mystery—and when an old, all-too-familiar face turns up, it’s not just Scotty’s life that’s in danger, but his heart. Review: Out of all of Greg Herren's books I love his Scotty series the best.  There is just something about him that just pulls me and won't let me go.  I love his quirky family and the messes he always seems to be finding himself in and the cops have a love hate relationship with Scotty. People are being tortured, houses are being ransacked and Scotty once again winds up in the middle o...

As we are now between holidays I thought I join the hop again..... This weeks question is: What is the thing you most like about reading book blogs? Is it reviews, author guest posts, articles, giveaways or something else entirely?  I just like getting new book recommendations.  I love to read peoples reviews.  I'm not into the giveaways, or the author guest posts, and I burn out on the differently daily things...like mail tuesday, or wish list thursday etc...The hop is the one exception I've found to my aversion to these weekly themes because it exposes me to other blogs that I may not have found any other way but some of the other things out there I can do without.

Title : Little Princes by Connor Grennan Publisher: William Morrow 304 pages Genre: Autobiography, biography I received this book as an advanced electronic copy from the publisher through netgalley.com   It will be released in January 2011 Synopsis: In need of some fun and adventure, 30-year-old Conor Grennan traded in his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Orphanage in war-torn Nepal. But what began as a lark became a passionate commitment that would transform the young American and the lives of countless others. Within minutes of his arrival, Grennan was surrounded by a horde of gleeful boys and girls showering him with warm welcomes. Yet as he soon learned, the children’s cheery smiles belied years of pain and abuse, for many of the boys and girls at Little Princes were not orphans at all, but victims rescued from human traffickers. Moved by their plight, Grennan vowed t...

Title: Stone Kissed by Keri Stevens Publisher: Carina Press electronic book Genre: Paranormal Romance This book is due to be released on December 27, 2010 through Carina Press the ebook store.  I received  an advanced electronic copy through netgalley.com Synopsis: When Delia Forrest talks to statues, they talk back. She is, after all, the last of the Steward witches. After an arsonist torches her ancestral home with her estranged father still inside, Delia is forced to sell the estate to pay his medical bills. Her childhood crush, Grant Wolverton, makes a handsome offer for Steward House, vowing to return it to its former glory. Delia agrees, as long as he'll allow her to oversee the restoration. Working so closely with Grant, Delia finds it difficult to hide her unique talent-especially when their growing passion fuels her abilities. But someone else lusts after both her man and the raw power contained in the Steward land. Soon Delia finds herself fighting ...

I stole this from the blog all the books I can read .  I thought it would be fun...feel free to grab it and post on your blog. The average that the BBC believes most of the population has read would be about 6. Bold the ones you have read in their entirety and italicize those that you have read in part, even if just an extract. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien  Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte  Harry Potter series – JK Rowling   To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee The Bible- Historians  Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell  His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman Great Expectations – Charles Dickens Little Women – Louisa May Alcott Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy Catch 22 – Joseph Heller Complete Works of Shakespeare (Not completed) Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier  The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger The T...

Title: The Good Daughter by Jasmin Darznik Publisher : Grand Central Publishing 336 pages Genre: Non-Fiction - family, relationships This book is set to be released in January 2011.  I received an advanced electronic copy from the publisher through netgalley.com   Synopsis : One day when Jasmin Darznik is helping her mother pack up to move, a photograph falls from a stack of old letters. The girl in it is her mother. She is wearing a wedding veil, and at her side stands a man whom Jasmin has never seen before. At first, Jasmin’s mother, Lili, refuses to share any information. Months later, Jasmin receives the first of ten cassette tapes revealing a wrenching hidden story of her family’s true origins in Iran : her mother’s troubled history of abuse and neglect, and a daughter she was forced to abandon in order to escape that life. The final tape reveals that her sister, Sara, is still living in Iran .  Review: I got a bit side tr...

Title: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand Publisher: Harper Teen 448 Pages Genre: YA paranormal This title will be released in January 2011. I received a free electronic copy from the publisher through netgalley.com . Synopsis: Clara has known she was part-angel ever since she turned fourteen two years ago. But now she is finally getting visions of what her Purpose-a rite of passage for every part-angel-is to be, and it happens to involve a gorgeous guy. Of course, there is the raging forest fire surrounding them, too. When Clara's Purpose leads her family to Wyoming, Clara finds the boy of her visions, Christian, but complicating her mission are her growing feelings for another guy, Tucker. As the day in her visions draws closer, Clara discovers that her Purpose may play into a larger struggle between angels and Black Wings-fallen angels who spread sadness and misery wherever they go. But when the fire erupts and both Christian and Tucker are in danger, who will she choose to s...

Title: Sorceress by Greg Herren Publisher: Tiny Satchel Press 419 pages Genre: young adult This book will be released on November 23, 2010 - I purchased this book at a book signing by the author and publisher in Philadelphia on 11/14/10. Synopsis: Laura Pryce, 17, has just completed her junior year of high school when her parents are killed in a car accident and she must go live with her Great Aunt Melisande, whom she has never met. Once at her aunt's huge and rambling house, she discovers a series of paintings. The faces of the women--all from different historical periods--are the same as hers. Her aunt tells her it's a weird genetic anomaly--that each generation has the face and that it brings with it an exciting future. But Laura begins to have strange and terrifying dreams. She seeks out friendship in her aunt's assistant--Jake. Jake, however, has secrets of his own. What happened to his family?As Laura feels increasingly isolated by her surroundings where ce...

Title: The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue Publisher: Mariner Books /Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 389 pages Genre: Historical Fiction Synopsis: Miss Emily "Fido" Faithfull is a :woman of business: and a spinster pioneer in the British women's movement, independent of mind but naively trusting of heart. Distracted from her cause by the sudden return of a once dear friend, the unhappily wed Helen Codrington, Fido is swept up in the intimate details of Helen's failing marriage and obsessive affair with a young army officer.  What begins as a loyal effort to help a friend explodes into an intriguing courtroom drama complete with accusations of adultery, counterclaims of rape, and a mysterious letter that could destroy more than one life. Review: The Sealed Letter is by the author of Room and based on a scandalous divorce case that gripped the UK in 1864. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book or not but it sucked me in very quickly.  Emma Donoghue has ...

Its Blog Hop Friday...and the question of the week is..... "If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?" I like to try, but sometimes I don't realize a book is part of a series until I'm half way through.  It really depends on the series.  I've found that some series really need to be read in order and others each one almost reads like a stand alone book.  For the most part I try to read series in order but I've found now that I am receiving some advance books that they aren't letting me know they are part of a series in the synopsis, and I don't realize it until I look it up later. Anyway, enjoy your weekend, enjoy my blog and I'll see ya round the hop!

Title: A Lonely Death: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery by Charles Todd Publisher: Harper Collins 352 pages Genre: Mystery This book was received as an advanced electronic galley from the publisher via netgalley .  This title will be released in  January 2011 . Synopsis: Three men have been murdered in a Sussex village, and Scotland Yard has been called in. It's a baffling case. The victims are soldiers who survived the horrors of the Great War only to meet a ghastly end in the quiet English countryside two years later. Each had been garroted, with small ID disks left in their mouths. But even Scotland Yard's presence doesn't deter this vicious and clever killer. Shortly after Inspector Ian Rutledge arrives a fourth soldier is found dead. With few clues to go on and the pressure building, Rutledge must gamble everything to find answers-his job, his reputation, and even his life. Review: There are apparently 12 other Inspector Rutledge books and I would never...

Title: Indefensible by Pamela Callow Publisher: Harlequin (Mira) 512 pages Genre:  Romantic Suspense, Thriller This book will be released in December 2010.  I received this from the publisher as an advanced electronic galley from n etgalley.com Synopsis: When Elise Vanderzell plummets from her bedroom balcony one gorgeous summer night, her children awaken to a nightmare. THEIR MOTHER IS DEAD. THEIR FATHER IS CHARGED WITH HER MURDER. Lawyer Kate Lange knows all about nightmares. She’s survived the darkest period of her troubled life and the wounds are still raw. Now she’s been handed a case that seems utterly unwinnable: defending her boss, high-profile lawyer Randall Barrett. A prosecutor’s dream suspect, Randall is a man who was cuckolded by his ex-wife. A man who could not control his temper. A man who had argued bitterly with the victim the previous day in full view of the children. With limited criminal law experience, Kate finds herself enmeshed in a fami...

Title : The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists and and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life by Barry Boyce, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Thich Nhat Hahn, Daniel Siegel, Jack Kornfield Publisher: Shambhala 288 Pages Genre : Self-help, Psychology This book was received as an advanced electronic galley from the publisher via netgalley.  This title will be released in March 2011 . Synopsis: In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in the art and science of mindfulness. Simply put, mindfulness is a means for developing greater awareness of our moment-to-moment experience—for fully experiencing what is happening within us and around us. It has been scientifically shown to reduce stress and improve health. Recent studies also indicate that mindfulness can alleviate depression and anxiety, improve attention and performance, and increase an individual’s overall levels of happiness. Mindfulness is being applied in a wide...

Its that time again...The Friday book blog hop... This weeks question is, What is the one bookish thing you would love to have no matter the cost?   Hmm...this is a tough one.  I'm not really sure.  I mean I have a kindle, I have a ton of books, the only thing I really need is more time to read! But if money were no object I guess I would have to say that I would want a bigger house where I could have a library with shelves all around and one of those rolling ladders...a big fireplace and a really comfy chair just like in the movies. Happy Halloween everyone...have a ghoulishly good time!

Title: The Lovers by John Connolly Publisher:  Atria 344 pages Genre: Mystery, fiction Synopsis : Parker is working in a bar in Portland , having been deprived of his P.I.'s license. He uses his enforced retirement to begin a different kind of investigation: an examination of his own past and an inquiry into the death of his father, who took his own life after apparently shooting dead two unarmed teenagers, a search that will eventually lead to revelations about Parker's own parentage. Meanwhile, a troubled young woman is running from an unseen threat, one that already seems to have taken the life of her boyfriend, and a journalist-turned-writer named Mickey Wallace is conducting an investigation of his own into Charlie Parker in the hope of writing a non-fiction book about his exploits . And haunting the shadows, as they have done throughout Parker's life, are two figures: a man and a woman, the lovers of the title, who appear to have only one purpose, and that i...

Title: The Killing Room by Gerri Hill Publisher: Bella Books 385 pages Genre: Lesbian Romantic fiction Synopsis: Denver Detective Jake McCoy is trying to recover- both physically and emotionally- from the shooting death of a young boy that also left her injured.   She soon finds herself rehabbing at her cabin in the mountains, soaking in the remote natural springs - which is exactly where psychologist Nicole Westbrook vacations and soon stumbles across her... When Nicole leaves the next day , the two women know little more about the other than her first name - yet they are now lovers instead of strangers. When Jake returns to Denver, a serial murder investigation soon leads her to Nicole. As the investigation develops, their physical attraction threatens to compromise the case.  Nicole finds herself struggling to remain in the professional closet that she's been hiding in for so long - a place where an out cop like Jake McCoy simply does not belong. Review:...

Title: The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad Publisher: Back Bay Books 288 pages Genre: non-fiction - Islamic Culture Synopsis: This mesmerizing portrait of a proud man who, through three decades and successive repressive regimes, heroically braved persecution to bring books to the people of Kabul has elicited extraordinary praise throughout the world and become a phenomenal international bestseller.  The Bookseller of Kabul is startling in its intimacy and its details - a revelation of the plight of Afghan women and a window into the surprising realities of daily life in today's Afghanistan. Review: This book has generated a lot of talk from critics and from the people involved.  Apparently even though the author attempted to keep the bookseller and his family anonymous he was too well known so even with the use of alias's he was identified.  Now he is seeking asylum in Sweden or Norway with his family.  He is also suing the author for defamation of ...

Title: Runes by Em Petrova Publisher: Red Sage Publishing Genre: Paranormal, erotica Price : $3.99 ebook This book was received free from the publisher via netgalley.com Synopsis: When immortals Will Cochran and Evangeline Mayer are thrown together by a phenomenon known as The Calling, they breech the barriers of a conventional relationship.  By sharing their blood and bodies, their minds and souls are also entwined.  But Evangeline has been yanked from the arms of her mortal love, Sean Livingston, and the echo of his touch never leaves her. When she's kidnapped by a sadistic immortal seeking revenge for the loss of his own mate, Sean is summoned as a means to torture her. Their reunion both titillates and torments her new mate, Will. He and Sean make a pact to share the woman they both love, and find new desires arising in the arms of each other. Review : First I have to mention that it is very dangerous to just pick a book without reading the synopsis first or...

Title: The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 336 Pages Genre: Mystery Suspense I received this book as an electronic galley from the publisher via netgalley . This title will be released January 2011 . Synopsis: It’s been only a few months since archaeologist Ruth Galloway found herself entangled in a missing persons case, barely escaping with her life. But when construction workers demolishing a large old house in Norwich uncover the bones of a child beneath a doorway—minus its skull—Ruth is once again called upon to investigate. Is it a Roman-era ritual sacrifice, or is the killer closer at hand? Ruth and Detective Harry Nelson would like to find out—and fast. When they realize the house was once a children’s home, they track down the Catholic priest who served as its operator. Father Hennessey reports that two children did go missing from the home forty years before—a boy and a girl. They were never found. When carbon dating proves that...

Its that day again!  Today's question is: "When you read a book that you just can't get into, do you stick it out and keep reading or move to your next title?" The answer to this used to be yes I stuck it out...but now, it's getting harder and harder for me to do.  I will usually give a book about 100-150 pages to change my mind or grab me if it still isn't cutting it I'll reluctantly stop reading it.  So far I've only experienced this with one book that just really really sucked in my opinion.  Usually even if I don't particularly like it, if it has some redeeming quality I will continue to read it but I think I'm getting over this feeling of needing to finish the book despite feeling like I'm being tortured by reading it.

Title: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Publisher: Vintage International 288 pages Genre: Fantasy/Sci fi Synopsis: Hailsham is a British boarding school for special students. The reminiscence is told from the point of view of Kathy H., now 31, whose evocation of the sheltered estate's sunlit rolling hills, guardians, dormitories, and sports pavilions is imbued with undercurrents of muted tension and foreboding that presage a darker reality. As an adult, Kathy re-engages in lapsed friendships with classmates Ruth and Tommy, examining the details of their shared youth and revisiting with growing awareness the clues and anecdotal evidence apparent to them even as youngsters that they were different from everyone outside. Review: I couldn't put this book down. It isn't until about 1/3 of the way through this book that you start to have a glimmer of what it is really about and since I don't want to spoil it my review is going to be fairly cryptic and for that I ...

Its Blog Hop Friday...This weeks questions is what is your favorite beverage to drink while blogging or reading? For me it has to be tea.  I am almost as obsessed with tea as I am with books.  I have an entire cabinet in my kitchen devoted to tea only! Black tea, green tea, white tea...you name it its probably in there.  Decaf, caffeinated it doesn't matter.  My favorites?  Depending on my mood, I like English Breakfast in the morning, something fruity in the afternoon or if its a rainy blah day that calls for Earl Grey. In the evening, something more mellow like a chamomile, or peppermint. Thanks for visiting! Enjoy.

Title: Room by Emma Donoghue Publisher: Little Brown and Company 336 Pages Genre: Synopsis:  To five year old Jack, Room is the world. It's where he was born, its where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. There are endless wonders that let loose Jack's imagination - the snake under Bed that he constructs out of eggshells, the imaginary world projected through the TV, the coziness of Wardrobe below Ma's clothes, where she tucks him in safely at night in case Old Nick comes. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held since she was nineteen - for seven years.  Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in that eleven by eleven foot space. But Jack's curiosity is building alongside her own desperation - and she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer. Review: Emma Donoghue has written a remarkable book.  Disturbing, uplifting and powerful, Room is a fabulous book about the power of a...

Title:  Murder in Plain Sight by Marta Perry Publisher: Harlequin 384 Pages Genre: Romance I received this book as an advanced electronic readers copy from the publisher via netgalley.com .  It is due to be released November 30, 2010 Synopsis:  There are secrets buried in Amish country... Did a sweet-faced Amish teenager brutally murder a young woman? To save her career, big-city lawyer Jessica Langdon is determined to defend him—against the community’s bitter and even violent outrage. Yet without an understanding of Amish culture, Jessica must rely on arrogant businessman Trey Morgan, who has ties to the Amish community...and believes in the boy’s guilt. Jessica has threats coming from all sides: a local fanatic, stirred up by the biased publicity of the case; the dead girl’s boyfriend; even from the person she’s learned to trust the most, Trey Morgan. But just when Jessica fears she’s placed her trust in the wrong man, Trey saves her life. And now they must ...

Title: South Phoenix Rules by Jon Talton Publisher: Poison Pen Press 250 Pages Genre: Urban Mystery This book will be released in December 2010.  I received this as an advanced  electronic  galley from the publisher through netgalley.com Synopsis: A handsome young New York professor comes to Phoenix to research his new book. But when he’s brutally murdered, police connect him to one of the world’s most deadly drug cartels. This shouldn’t be a case for historian-turned-deputy David Mapstone – except the victim has been dating David’s sister-in-law Robin and now she’s a target, too. David’s wife Lindsey is in Washington with an elite anti-cyber terror unit and she makes one demand of him: protect Robin. This won’t be an easy job with the city police suspicious of Robin and trying to pressure her. With the sheriff’s office in turmoil, David is even more of an outsider. And the gangsters are able to outgun and outspend law enforcement. It doesn’t help that David a...

Title: Grave Peril by Jim Butcher (Book 3 of the Dresden Files) Publisher: ROC a division of Penguin Putnam Publishing 378 pages Genre : Fantasy Synopsis: In all Harry Dresden's years of supernatural sleuthing, he's never faced anything like this: the spirit world's gone postal. All over Chicago, ghosts are causing trouble - and not just of the door slamming, boo shouting variety.  These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly.  Someone or something is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc.  But why? And why do so many of the victims have ties to Harry? Review: Its always difficult to review books in a series without giving anything away but here goes nothing.  This is the third Harry Dresden book that I've read, and this one was better than the first two.  I was a huge fan of the SyFy series that only ran for one season and then realized that there were books! The books are different than the series but equally as good.  Harry i...