Title: Gods Behaving Badly
Author: Marie Phillips
Page Number: 292
Summary on the Back/Flap: Being immortal is not all it once was. Yes, the twelve Greek gods of Olympus are alive and well in the twenty-first century, but they are crammed together in a London town house--and are none too happy about it. Even more disturbing, their powers are waning. For Artemis (goddess of hunting, professional dog walker), Aphrodite (goddess of beauty, telephone sex operator), and Apollo (god of the sun, TV psychic), there's no way out--until a meek cleaner, Alice, and her would-be boyfriend, Neil, turn their world literally upside down. When what begins as a minor squabble between Aphrodite and Apollo escalates into an epic battle of wills, Alice and Neil are caught in the cross fire, and they must fear not only for their own lives, but for the survival of humankind. Nothing less than a true act of heroism is needed--but can these two decidedly ordinary people replicate the feats of the mythical heroes and save the world?

( For the review, click here )

71. The Accidental Time Machine - Joe Haldeman - 288 pages (3.5/5)

Hi All,

Today, Richard Haffey visits Hartford Books Examiner to introduce his novel, LOVE SONG--and he has very generously donated 5 copies to give away!

While LOVE SONG is not a seasonal book, it does confront a topic that often manifests itself during the holidays: grief over the loss of a loved one. As the relatable protagonist, Jay Alfred is forced to reckon with the all-too-human emotions of despair and anger when fate unexpectedly disrupts his life. As he struggles for clarity, readers find themselves whisked along on a poignant journey that just may inspire them to reflect upon their own life experiences.

Check it out: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-3859-Hartford-Books-Examiner~y2009m12d23-Day-13.

Have a great day!

John

Singing the Dogstar Blues (1998)
Written by: Alison Goodman
Genre: YA/Science Fiction
Pages: 261 (Mass Market Paperback)

The premise: ganked from BN.com: Seventeen-year-old Joss is a rebel, and a student of time travel at the prestigious Centre for Neo-Historical Studies. This year, for the first time, the Centre has an alien student— Mavkel, from the planet Choria. And Mavkel has chosen Joss, of all people, as his roommate and study partner. Then Mavkel gets sick. Joss quickly realizes that his will to live is draining away. The only way she can help Mavkel is by breaking the Centre's strictest rules . . . and that means going back in time to change history.

My Rating

Worth the Cash: but close to a must-have. The only reason it's not is because it does take a little while for the plot to get moving, and once it does, the book reads at warp speed instead of its previously fast pace. Still, it's a fun read with characters you can really sympathize with. I enjoyed the world-building of near-future Australia, and the time travel parts of the story misled me at first, and then once I settled into them, I found myself having lots of fun at guessing what would happen next and how it would affect CURRENT TIME and being right. It's a fun read, and one I'm really glad I sank my teeth into. I wish music had played a bigger role, especially given the fantastic title, but that's more of a personal preference than anything. At any rate, this book is highly recommended to fans of 1) time travel stories and/or 2) readers looking for science fiction in the YA genre. This was very enjoyable, and I can easily see myself picking up more from this author in the future.

Review style: definite spoilers. It's a short book, and simple for what it is (I mean that in a good way), but I want to be able to talk about specific plot points, and I can't do that without spoiling this thing. If you want to be surprised (and trust me, if you're interested in this book, you'll WANT to be surprised), skip to the "My Rating" section at the end of the review.

If spoilers don't bother you, or if you've read the book, then feel free to click the link below, which goes to my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome!

REVIEW: Alison Goodman's SINGING THE DOGSTAR BLUES

Happy Reading!

Book club selections @ calico_reaction. Hop on over! We'd love to have you!

December: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
January: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
February: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

I know I am very behind-my mom was in hospital,and have just been able to do my reviews.

#105
Title: Nightmare Academy-The Veritas Project #2
Author: Frank Peretti
Genre: YA Fiction
Pages: 311 (HB)
Length of time to read: 1 Day

Synopsis:
He was once a normal fifteen-year-old-boy. He had a name, a family, a school, and a life -- and he thought he knew something. But that boy, and that time, and that life have become ... nothing. His whole mind seems to have been erased. There's no boy here anymore. No knowledge, no thought, no reason. Nothing but terror, endlessly repeating cycles of it, layer upon layer of it, in swirling sounds, images, and sensations. Now he only stares into nothingness and whispers two ominous words ...

Recommended By:
I used to read stuff by this author when I was a teenager & discovered this series a few months ago at the library.

Review:
I liked this book better than than the first in the series,but it still wasn't as good as it could be. The series is written for young adults and it obvious that it is. The book was a little too juvenile for my taste. And it also felt somewhat disjointed. Just like this review ;) I really wasn't impressed by either this one or the previous one. If he writes another, I probably won't read it.

#106
Title: Certain Girls
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Genre: Fiction
Pages:
Length of time to read: 2 days

Synopsis:
Readers fell in love with Cannie Shapiro, the smart, sharp-tongued, bighearted heroine of Good in Bed who found her happy ending after her mother came out of the closet, her father fell out of her life, and her ex-boyfriend started chronicling their ex-sex life in the pages of a national magazine.
Now Cannie's back. After her debut novel -- a fictionalized (and highly sexualized) version of her life -- became an overnight bestseller, she dropped out of the public eye and turned to writing science fiction under a pseudonym. She's happily married to the tall, charming diet doctor Peter Krushelevansky and has settled into a life that she finds wonderfully predictable -- knitting in the front row of her daughter Joy's drama rehearsals, volunteering at the library, and taking over-forty yoga classes with her best friend Samantha.

As preparations for Joy's bat mitzvah begin, everything seems right in Cannie's world. Then Joy discovers the novel Cannie wrote years before and suddenly finds herself faced with what she thinks is the truth about her own conception -- the story her mother hid from her all her life. When Peter surprises his wife by saying he wants to have a baby, the family is forced to reconsider its history, its future, and what it means to be truly happy.

Radiantly funny and disarmingly tender, with Weiner's whip-smart dialogue and sharp observations of modern life, Certain Girls is an unforgettable story about love, loss, and the enduring bonds of family.

Recommended By:
I have read a few other books by this author.

Review:
The book was ok,it was not great. I haven't liked many of the books this author has written...maybe it's my fault. Maybe I should stop reading her work. The writing was fine,but the story just didn't interest me too much and I didn't care for any of the characters.

#107
Title: Bridget Jones' Diary
Author: Helen Fielding
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 269 (Softcover)
Length of time to read: 1 day

Synopsis:
Bridget Jones wants to have it all - and once she's given up smoking and got down to 8st 7lbs, she will. This book is about a year in the life of a single girl on an optimistic but doomed quest for self-improvement.

Recommended By:
This is a reread, I am not sure when I first discovered Bridget Jones,but I loved her instantly :)

Review:
As I said, this is a reread. I fell in love with the characters in the book, the synopsis does not capture the greatness of the book. I like the style the book is written in and I am always very happy when I read this book. I love Bridget-she and MarkDarcy need to always be together & have many silly little girls and awkward little boys :-)

#108
Title: My Sister's Keeper
Author: Jodi Picoult
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 500 (PB)
Length of time to read: 6 Days

Synopsis:
Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate - a life and a role that she has never questioned… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister - and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable… a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life… even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less?

Recommended By:
My mother was going into surgery and she gave it to me before we headed to the hospital.

Review:
I have heard that books by this author are sappy,I didn't find this book to be too bad. I liked the story ok,and the writing was well done. The story was moving and did touch me a lot. I connected with the characters and basically enjoyed my time reading this book.

hey. made some icons and wallpapers. you know the drill. make sure to follow the rules and such. this post will be public until December 23rd. After that date, join pennylane_art to view. You can join to see the other art too!

PLEASE EXCUSE THE SCREWYNESS UNDER THE CUT. FOR SOME REASON, LJ WON'T LET ME FIX IT.

icons; 1 - 34 Kristen Stewart
35 - 48 Ashley Greene
49 - 55 Kristen Stewart and Ashley Greene
56 - 71 (500) Days of Summer cast and movie photos
72 - 77 Jackson Rathbone (+ one with ashley greene)
78 - 85 Rob Pattinson
86 - 88 Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson
wallpapers; 89 - 90 Rob Pattinson
91 - 91 Kristen Stewart, Anna Kendrick, and Nikki Reed
92 - 92 Kristen Stewart
93 - 94 Emma Watson
95 - 97 Ashley Greene
98 - 98 Ashley Greene & Kellen Lutz preview:


click here to view post // join pennylane_art 

cant wait ferr deathly hallows to come out. i read it in three days over the summer.

Hi All,

Today, I am happy to be hosting Karen Olson as part of Hartford Books Examiner's Holiday Book Giveaway Extravaganza. Karen is the author of two series--the Annie Seymour Mysteries and the new Tattoo Shop Mysteries--and I am giving away SIGNED COPIES of one book from each! (Karen is also sharing her memories of a Christmas spent in Sweden...)

The first in the Tattoo Shop Mysteries, The Missing Ink, was released in July. Set in Las Vegas, the book introduces protagonist Brett Kavanaugh, tattoo artist and owner of the Painted Lady. When one of her clients goes missing, Brett finds herself in the middle of a mystery that involves an inked stalker, a suave Englishman, and an Elvis karaoke bar. And things go from bad to worse with her discovery of a dead body. Publishers Weekly called the book “pleasantly jargon-free” and continued, “Readers need not be conversant with street flash or other industry terms to enjoy the setting and follow Brett down a trail of needles and gloves to the dramatic finale.”

Check it out: http://www.examiner.com/x-3859-Hartford-Books-Examiner~y2009m12d22-Day-12.

John

Title: Darkly Dreaming Dexter
Author: Jeff Lindsay
Page Number: 288
Summary on the Back/Flap: Meet Dexter Morgan, a polite wolf in sheep's clothing. He's handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He's a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likeable: he only kills bad people. And his job as a blood spatter expert for the Miami police department puts him in the perfect position to identify his victims. But when a series of brutal murders bearing a striking similarity to his own style start turning up, Dexter is caught between being flattered and being frightened--of himself or some other fiend.


( For the review, click here )

Title: Dark Light
Author: Mallory Marvel
Pairing: Bella/Edward, canon for the rest of them too.
Rating: T (dark themes at times).
POV: Only Bella.
Category: Supernatural/Romance.
Summary: What if the Cullens weren't the only ones who were special? What if Bella could do something they had never seen before? OOC Bella.

(http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4995416/8/Dark_Light)

The Lost Symbol
Dan Brown
Fiction; Thriller

One probably shouldn’t expect Dan Brown to ever top the The Da Vinci Code, but even with unhindered expectations this 3rd Langdon / Symbology mystery-thriller is a bit of a snooze, although that’s not due to a lack of setting and premise. Those elements are as appealing as ever, more so since instead of the usual far-off locations and ancient history presented in both Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code, here we have a locale and era much closer to home for Americans: none other than our own Washington D.C., and the theory that America’s history and her founding fathers are steeped in Masonic lore and mystical secrets.

When Langdon is summoned by old friend Peter Solomon, a powerful Washington figure as well as a modern-day Mason, he thinks he’s simply being called on to do one of the things he does best – lecture to a rapturous audience about symbology, which I find a fascinating subject all by itself. Soon after arriving in D.C., however, Langdon is yanked into the midst of a bizarre and sinister plot that threatens the security of the country and even the world, yadda yadda yadda.

It’s vintage Dan Brown with its lightning-fast pacing and cliffhanger chapter endings, chock full of interesting tidbits along the way to keep us interested, and we’re much like the doomed children of Hamelin as we follow Brown’s Pied Piper out of the village and into oblivion. Where the story falters is in the characterization. It’s never been Brown’s strength to begin with, and I don’t know that his characters – including Langdon, although he’s more compelling – are meant to be much more than tools to move the storyline along. Still, we need something to sink our teeth into with these characters. Brown’s formula usually includes a bizarre, almost Bond-esque villain who either wants something only Langdon can deliver, be it knowledge or an actual object, or wants Langdon out of the way so the criminal’s evil deed can be fulfilled. The villain here, a physically and mentally freakish man we know only as Mal’akh, is so two-dimensional and unrealistic that he struck me as a comic book character, and I thought he detracted from the value of the story rather than enhanced it.

Still not a bad book, and certainly an entertainer for the beach or other casual reading. Where Brown lacks in depth he makes up for with master craftsmanship in creativity and story structure, and his patent on the esoteric thriller is rock solid.

I don't know if this has been posted before but this is one of the funniest interviews I have ever seen.  Jessi Cruickshank from MTV Canada interviews Taylor.

Interview

i_hope_that
For many of us, the holidays can be kind of rough. If you're searching for a network of understanding friends, this ultra-nurturing community encourages you to express your heartfelt wishes and offer other members encouragement and acceptance. Not for the terminally snarky or emotionally-challenged, this is a good-spirited place to lend comfort and support.

diygifts
Feeling crafty? If you've got a few last folks on your holiday gift list, this is a great place to seed your creativity and generosity. You'll also discover wonderful DIY tips to decorate your home and entertain guests. Offering a no-frills-no-skills attitude that welcomes the cash-challenged and arts-phobic, you're sure to get ideas and make friends in the process.

cooking_club
A fun and friendly community dedicated to those who love to cook, whether you're a meat-and-potatoes type, an aspiring gourmand, and/or a vegan. In search of a brilliant dish to use up those weekly leftovers? Post your ingredients and you'll be whipping up a feast by dinner. You can also share favorite recipes. For Type A chefs, you can spice up your culinary repertoire with exciting cooking challenges.

1. On the Beach by Nevil Shute
2. The Jukebox Queen of Malta by Zibby Oneal
3. The Sun Grows Cold by Howard Berk
4. Beloved by Toni Morrison
5. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
6. Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison
7. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
9. Damion by Herman Hesse
10. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

Title: Dragon Lovers
Editor: None is listed, which frustrates me. Someone chose these stories, and moreover, they did quite a good job doing so. I would like to find more stories this editor has chosen but I have no way of doing so.
Genre: Fantasy romance.
Setting: We have the mystical kingdom of Saragonda, New Mexico in the present day, medieval England, and colonial Japan.
Reason for Reading: Sometimes you want to read something fluffy.
Pages: 375
Copyright Date: 2007
Cover: A woman in a fur-lined gown stares off the cover. If it really is cold out, her shoulders and bosom are going to catch a chill. There is a stone castle in the distance behind her.
First line: "'Being the Sacrifical Virgin Princess of Saragond stinks.'"
Best part: I liked all four of the stories in the book!
Worst part: Some of the dragons were a bit more, er, involved in the lovemaking than I really wanted them to be.
Imaginary Theme Song: Dragon by Tori Amos
Grade: B-
Recommended for: People that love dragons. Anyone who likes the combination of fantasy and romance.
Related Reads: The Marriage Spell by Mary Jo Putney, To Weave a Web of Magic by Claire Delacroix, Lynn Kurland, Patricia A. McKillip, and Sharon Shinn, His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik.