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Sep
05
I’m About to Be Sucked into the Future…
Manda

For those of you who don’t know, I am a HUGE Nora Roberts fan. I love her books. The trilogies, especially the ones involving Ireland and/or magic, hold a special place in my heart, but her Eve Dallas series (by JD Robb, which is her pseudonym for the Eve Dallas series) is my favorite. I can’t explain it. I don’t know if it’s the whole futuristic element, or the relationships between Eve and the rest of the cast of characters that keeps me coming back. Maybe it’s because the books sometimes manage to still surprise me even though the basic formula is still the same. I just can’t wait to see what the group is going to do next.

Since I started knitting, however, I haven’t been reading as much as I would’ve done in my BK (before knitting) days. I miss reading, and even with the convenience of the Kindle app for my iPhone, I still don’t read as much as I would like. I’m getting better about it, but it’s hard to justify paying for books for my phone when I have shelves of them to still read through. This doesn’t stop me from downloading the freebies, though.. just the ones I’d actually have to pay for. ;)

Enter Promises in Death. This book actually came out in February, and I got it as soon as it came out, but things happened and for some reason I just never got around to reading it. I decided (for no real reason) to pick it up and start reading it, though, and I’m really enjoying it. I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds. Especially since the next one (Kindred in Death) comes out in November, AND I still want to read Black Hills. lol.

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Feb
17
04.52: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Manda

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved this book. I loved it as much, if not more, than Sarah Addison Allen’s last book, Garden Spells.

It was magical. This is not a sequel to Garden Spells, but it has the same feel to it. Different characters and different stories, but there are many similarities. I love seeing Josey, the main character, come into her own, but my favorite part is actually about one of the “supporting” characters, Chloe. She has a very special relationship with books in that if she ever needs one (or if they think they need her), the perfect volume appears out of nowhere.

5 out of 5 stars. It’s fluffy, and cute, and it was a very enjoyable (and quick! I read 3/4 of it today!) read. You really need to read it for yourself, and if you read and loved Garden Spells, I think you’ll really enjoy this book. This is a keeper!

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Feb
10
03.52: Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Manda

Coraline was a very cute, but slightly scary (considering it’s actually a children’s book!) story. I actually finished this a really long time ago, but I never got around to updating with a review. This was actually an audiobook, which I decided to use an audible.com credit on it when my friends and I decided we were going to go see the movie.

The story is actually a children’s story, as stated above, but I think it’s kind of scary for a kid, unless they’re older (say, double digits, agewise, maybe 8-9?) or not easily frightened. The world of Coraline is very of dark, as any Neil Gaiman world tends to be from the few stories I’ve read (um, half of Neverwhere, which I also got in audiobook form, and this story), but very fun and creative.

It was very full of imagination, and I think the story translated well to film. I’d recommend it if you’re in the market for a dark children’s story. Or, if you’re a fan of Neil Gaiman, or going to see the movie.


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Jan
04
01.52: The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts
Manda

I finally finished my first book of the year, and I think it was kind of a dud. It was nice to have closure on the trilogy, but it all just seemed to end sort of.. abruptly, especially considering all they had to go through to get that far. It just seemed a bit anticlimactic.

It was nice to see the last couple come into their relationship, and a lot of it was kind of predictable, but it was a nice entertaining read. This trilogy is much darker than the other romance trilogies that Nora Roberts is known for, and I think it was an interesting change. I just wish the final book was as good as the first two.

2.5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it if you’ve read the first two books, Blood Brothers and The Hollow to finish out the series.

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Dec
24
52 Books in 52 Weeks
Manda

I signed up for a reading challenge for 2009. I’m planning to attempt to read 52 books in 52 Weeks. With all of the knitting I do, this may prove to be difficult. I am not a huge fan of audiobooks because I find it too easy to tune things out, and I don’t have anything like the Kindle to read them electronically. I don’t know that I would like that so much, either, because there’s nothing better than the smell of a book and being able to turn page after page after page in a book you just can’t put down, so I will most likely stick to in-print books. I have a lot of books on my bookshelf that I need to read, plus some that are coming out next year for some series (serieses? lol) that I read. I don’t think I’ll have any problem finding the quantity… it’s just being able to sit down and read them.

Here’s a list of books I intend to read:
- The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts. I’ve had this since it came out, and I’m kind of sad for the trilogy to end. This has been so different from her other trilogies, and I’m really enjoying it depsite how dark it is. Either way, I haven’t read more than two pages of it since I got it, so this will probably be the first book I read.
- Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich. I LOVE the Stephanie Plum series!! I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to read this one. I’ve had this since it came out, too.
- Mistral’s Kiss, A Lick of Frost, and Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K Hamilton. These are the last three books in the Meredith “Merry” Gentry series. I’m so behind. I have all of these books on my shelf, too!
- Danse Macabre, The Harlequin, Blood Noir by Laurell K Hamilton. These are the last three books in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. I think I might have finished Danse Macabre already. I seem to remember having read that one, but I have The Harlequin on my bookshelf, and I’ll get Blood Noir as soon as I finish catching up. The latest installment in the series, Skin Trade, comes out June 2009, so I’m hoping to have caught up by then.
- Promises in Death and Kindred in Death by JD Robb. These don’t come out until February and November 2009, respectively, but it’s the only series of books so far that can make me put down the knitting and keep it down until the book is finished. This is my favorite series, and I will definitely get the books as soon as they come out.

There will definitely be more, but this is just off the top of my head. I’m really looking forward to this. I miss my books! :)

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Nov
04
Big Book Day
Manda

Not only is tomorrow a big day historically, it’s also a big day for Books!

Books are usually released on Tuesdays, and this Tuesday is going to be a big one. Two of the series I read are releasing their next installments.

Ever since I started knitting, my reading has really gone by the wayside, but the “In Death” series by JD Robb always brings me back to it. Where will I be tomorrow? At the book store, picking up the next one! :D

Check out the latest installment, Salvation in Death. If you’re a Nora Roberts fan, the final installment of the Sign of Seven trilogy (The Pagan Stone) is out later in the month, too. I also read Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry and Anita Blake series (serieses? lol). Swallowing Darkness, the latest installment in the Merry Gentry series, comes out tomorrow, too! I’m two books behind on that series though, so I don’t know if I’ll pick that one up, but this month seems to be a great month for new releases if you like to read. :)

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Jul
16
All About Books
Manda

I don’t remember which blog I stole this from… I was reading in bloglines, and I just copy/pasted to an email so I’d remember to fill it out. I forgot to note the blog where I saw it! Sorry!

1. One book that made you laugh: Any books in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich make me laugh OUT LOUD… even if I’m in public. lol
2. One book that made you cry: Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson and Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
3. One book that you loved as a child: My favorite kids’ book is Go Dog Go! As an older child, I was a fan of the Nancy Drew series, and I read a TON of the Babysitter’s Club books.
4. One book you’ve read more than once: I don’t like to re-read books.. whenever I do, I remember what happens, and then I stop reading it.
5. One book you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it: I’m not really embarrassed to admit that I love books. I am a sucker for cheesy romance novels, and I loved VC Andrews books through the Ruby series.
6. One book you hated: Animal Farm. It’s the only book I’ve ever thrown away.
7. One book that scared you: The Shining was kinda freaky. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski was also kind of scary to me because it was just so odd. I don’t think I ever finished it, though.
8. One book that bored you: Every book I had to read in high school except the Great Gatsby. The Outlander also bored me until I started listening to it in audiobook form… now I’m excited. :)
9. One book that made you happy: Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, even though the series is done. :(
10. One book that made you miserable: I don’t think I’ve ever had a book make me miserable..
11. One book that you weren’t brave enough to read: Most of the books by Stephen King. lol I don’t know why.
12. One book character you’ve fallen in love with: I have three! Roarke from the “In Death” series, Edward from the Twilight Series (and i am NOT afraid to admit it!), and Jean Claude from the Anita Blake series… I have a thing for vampires (except Roarke)… and series. lol
13. The last book you read: Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer… the new one comes out in a couple of weeks, and I don’t want to ruin the magic of the last one by reading something in between.
14. The next book you hope to read: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer and The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

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May
16
What a novel idea…
Manda

So, the last few days have been very busy, hobby-wise, and not with the hobby you THINK I’m going to talk about!

I don’t know what made me want to, but I started picking up books that I was in the middle of and finishing them.

I finished Strangers in Death by JD Robb, finally. I remember starting it off really quickly, but then things happened and I just never got around to it again. Well, I finished what was left of it on my breaks and at work during the day. After Strangers in Death, I picked up 7th Heaven by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro.

I was much further into this book than I thought I was, and honestly, I was sort of disappointed in it. The story lines just seemed to both come from outerspace, and the link between them was weak. It’s probably my least favorite of the Women’s Murder Club series.

After I finished that book, I decided to pick up Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. A bunch of my friends have said very good things about the book, and I do like vampire love stories, so I’m surprised it took me as long as it did to actually get into it. I read the book in about 2 days between reading at work and at home. I don’t have the next books in the series, so I’m having to appease myself with A Stroke of Midnight by Laurel K Hamilton. It’s the 4th book in the Merry Gentry series.

I am itching to start a few new books, but I can’t until I buy them. lol. I’m really wanting to start The Hollow by Nora Roberts. It’s the 2nd book in the Sign of Seven trilogy. Every time I see it at the store, I want to pick it up, but I’m trying to be good and read some books that have been collecting dust on my bookshelf! I also really want to start the next book in the Twilight series, New Moon.

It’s been fun, finding my old favorite hobby again. I’ve missed it, and I didn’t realize how much until I found it again. :)

What are you reading right now?

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