Follow Friday #42

Thanks to Parajunkee and Alison Can Read for hosting Follow Friday ever week! You girls are awesome!

This week's question:

Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then “broke up” with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

A: Ya know... I thought about the answer to this for a while before actually coming to answer it. And honestly? I just don't know. The only character I could even think of was Edward Cullen. I thought he was just the cat's meow at first. But then I re-read New Moon and completely changed my mind. He didn't deserve to be the one that got the girl in the end. He was a jerk. He deserved to be lonely and miserable. Instead, Bella, not really being the brightest crayon in the box, leaves Jacob (the guy who's actually BEEN THERE FOR HER the whole time and who is a complete and total awesome person) for the guy who told her she didn't belong in his world. That he didn't want her. Stupid girl.

If you all haven't yet, go check out Reasoning With Vampires for all the reasons Edward is not swoonworthy and Bella is just... Bella.

Can't wait to see ya'lls answers!

Oh... and before I go... click the link over there to the left at the top of the side bar and enter my giveaway!!

Daring You to Read - Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Daring You to Read is hosted every week by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews.

Here's how it works:

- You choose a book you’ve read, loved and would dare your readers to read!

- The book you choose must be an older release (at least 6 months ago), because let’s be honest, we’re all quite aware of the latest releases.

- Write your own blog post, using the button and linking back to Tynga’s Reviews, inviting your readers to read your chosen book.

- Come back on Tynga’s Reviews and put your link in the linking tool.

- Browse other bloggers Dare and let them know if you’ve read their featured book, or plan on reading it.

- Super easy and an awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

This week I'm daring you to read Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce.

"From now on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I'll be a knight."

And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Disguised as a girl, Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page.

But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies.

Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna's first adventure begins -- one that will leard to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.

Originally, my dad purchased this book because of the name Alanna. That just so happens to be my oldest daughters name. He read the series and then gave it to me. And I have to say, it was amazing.

Alanna knows what she wants and she's not going to let a silly little thing like gender get in her way. Determined to become a knight she disguises herself as a boy and makes her way to King Roald's castle while her brother, who is completely uninterested in knighthood, disguises himself as a girl and heads off to learn magic. Things are going well at first. It seems her secret is safe. It takes her a while to get into the swing of things being a Page but she manages and is soon content in her duties. She befriends the Prince and the two grow as close as two friends can. But then there's George. The cunning thief who steals your heart in three seconds flat.

It couldn't get any better. Until... she's forced to make the decision to either keep her true identity a secret, or help one of her friends. What will she choose?

This story is the first in a series of four. I thought the entire tale of Alanna and Thom and Jonathan and George was absolutely wonderful. From beginning to end. And I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something easy to read.

So go borrow it from someone. Or check it out from your local library.

I dare you.

Time for a Giveaway!

Yep. I went to the store and got some books for a giveaway! WOoHOo. Just because you guys are so awesome.

So here's the skinny. It's US only (sorry guys, I don't know international shipping rates and I'm on a rather fixed income for right now). And all you need to do to enter is comment with your email address. But your email address HAS TO BE IN THE COMMENT for it to count. If it's not, you can't win. Because I can't contact you to let you know. Savvy?

There will be 3 (three) winners. Chosen randomly. Comments are numbered and I use a random number generator to give me my winners. There are 3 (three) different prize packs.

Winner number 1 will receive:

Fire by Kristin Cashore (one of my personal favorites)

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer (book 3 in the Nightshade series)

Winner number 2 will receive:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Winner number 3 will receive:

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Please only one entry per person. I retain the right to disqualify any entry. Remember, US only! Get to commenting! Contest closes at 12:00AM (Eastern Time) on May 2. Winners will be emailed then and have 48 hours from that time to respond with their mailing address! If anyone doesn't respond within that period of time, new winners will be chosen.

In My Mailbox #35

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, for hosting In My Mailbox every week!

It's been a while since I had anything to post for an IMM. However, I have discovered the joy that is Ollie's Bargain Outlet which, thankfully, is just minutes away from my house.

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

How awesome is that? With the exception of 2 of those books, I got them all from the same store and they cost me, in addition to books for my kids, $36. I mean really? And most of them are hardcover. Most I spent on 1 book from that store was $2.99.

I'm smelling a giveaway in the works! Maybe 2 because Maggie Stiefvater is going to be downtown next month and I'm going to go see her!! More details on those later. Can't wait to see what you guys got this week!



Bookshelves

So I've been finding all kinds of interesting bookshelves on the internet. Thought that I'd post a few of them here for everyone to pine over (or just look at funny) the same way I have been.

Have you all found any interesting bookshelves?

Follow Friday #41

Thanks to Parajunkee and Alison Can Read for hosting FF every week!

This week's question:

Q: Fight! Fight! If you could have two fictional characters battle it out (preferably from books), who would they be and who do you think would win?

A: Hmmm... that's a hard one. I don't know. First thing that popped into my head was Tucker from Unearthly, by Cynthia Hand... but I don't know who I'd put him against. Then Cole from Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls series pushed Tucker out of the way. But again, don't know who I'd have him battle it out with. I think they are both phenomenal characters (I totally love them) but I don't know if I'd want them to battle anyone really. Ugh. Always with the hard questions. Maybe Eragon from the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini vs. Harry Potter. :-P What do you think? Both able to use magic, but two totally different types of magic. Would be interesting.

Who would you pick?

Follow Friday #40

Thanks to Parajunkee and Alison Can Read for hosting FF every week!

This weeks question:

Q: What is one book that you would be nervous to see a movie adaption of because you think the movie could never live up to the book?

A: Probably Graceling or Fire by Kristin Cashore. I would be worried about the type of people picked to play Katsa and Po. Or Fire and Brigan. And would they get the gracelings right? Or the monsters?

How about you?

I'm Sorry

Sorry guys for my lack of posts this month. I'm not feeling too well right now. Hopefully all will be back to normal soon and I'll get this back up and running.

For now though I'm re-reading Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson. It was great before and I'm noticing things this time around that I didn't pick up on before because I didn't know what I know now... does that make sense?

When you love someone, there's nothing you wouldn't forgive.

But what about murder?

Ara-Rose will learn that life is fashioned from one tragedy after the next, and that sometimes, the truth people hide from you is nothing you could have imagined.

But Ara has secrets of her own, and she's willing to take them to her grave--a place David Knight will fight to keep her from.

You can grab it for free HERE on Amazon for Kindle. Go check it out!

Review - Catch Me a Cowboy by Katie Lane

Shirlene Dalton has it all: a dream marriage to a man who spoils her rotten and the most outrageous mansion Bramble, Texas, has ever seen. But when her husband unexpectedly dies, Shirlene finds herself right back where she started-in a rundown trailer on the wrong side of the tracks. Never the type to let a little bad luck and a whole heap of heartache get her down, Shirlene is ready to prove to the local gossips she can make it on her own... until she ends up living next door to the most tempting cowboy in town.

Billy Wilkes has a score to settle and a plan to wipe Bramble right off the map. But when his sexy, redheaded neighbor figures out what he's up to, his good ol' boy charm won't be enough to save him. With the town on his tail, Billy will have to come clean quick -- or kiss Shirlene goodbye.

I finished Catch Me a Cowboy by Katie Lane the other day. It's the 3rd book in the series and definitely did not disappoint. I wasn't sure how I'd like it without the main characters from the 2 other books being more front and center, but Billy (Bubba) Wilkes and Shirlene Dalton were definitely great leads.

Not only did poor Shirlene lose her husband but due to some bad financial management, she loses her house as well. Now, part of me didn't feel sorry for her. She had all that money that she just spent and spent and spent, knowing there wasn't anymore where all that came from. And yet she didn't stop spending. Part of me wanted to say, "Well, it's your own fault." But I know that sounds heartless. Another part of me feels sorry for her. She was depressed after the love of her life died and tried to fill the void with material things. And it just didn't work.

Bubba has let a family legend sour him on a group of people who've come to love him and trust him. People who didn't know they didn't have a chance as far as he was concerned. Or at least... that's how it started. Bubba didn't plan to have them grow on him. He didn't plan to become friends with them. And he didn't plan to fall in love with the spitfire living next door to him. Or the baggage that she picked up when she went home.

I loved Shirlene. She was definitely down and out, but put her heart and soul in to not letting anyone find out. She was determined to right the situation she was in no matter the cost. You've gotta give her credit for her guts and her persistance. And Bubba. He's full of surprises, some good some not, but his heart is the size of Texas. Even if he refuses to believe it.

This was a great book. A quick read and a fun one. I can't wait for book number four to come out later this year (I think)! I would recommend this to anyone over the age of 18 as it is an adult romance novel. But especially for adults who find themselves wanting to be swept away by love... or an incredibly good looking cowboy.

Teaser Tuesday #40

Thank you to MizB of Should Be Reading for giving us Teaser Tuesday every week!
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from Catch Me a Cowboy by Katie Lane.

"Watch it Jesse." Bubba's deep voice had Shirlene's heart thumping against her ribcage. It lodged there when he suddenly appeared around the side of the trailer in all his shirtless glory. Since the air conditioner didn't work, she had figured he'd given up. Obviously, Bubba was more dedicated than she thought. Dedicated and wet...   p 134

Can't wait to check out ya'lls teasers!

In My Mailbox #34

Thanks to Kristi, the Story Siren, for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

I know I said I wanted to get a week's worth of reviews up before doing anymore memes, but I've got 4 in the last couple of weeks so I think I'm ok for now.

This week I got book number three in the Deep in the Heart of Texas series, Catch Me a Cowboy by Katie Lane. The first two books were wonderful. You can read my review for Going Cowboy Crazy: here, and for Make Mine a Bad Boy: here.

Shirlene Dalton has it all: a dream marriage to a man who spoils her rotten and the most outrageous mansion Bramble, Texas, has ever seen. But when her husband unexpectedly dies, Shirlene finds herself right back where she started-in a rundown trailer on the wrong side of the tracks. Never the type to let a little bad luck and a whole heap of heartache get her down, Shirlene is ready to prove to the local gossips she can make it on her own... until she ends up living next door to the most tempting cowboy in town.

Billy Wilkes has a score to settle and a plan to wipe Bramble right off the map. But when his sexy, redheaded neighbor figures out what he's up to, his good ol' boy charm won't be enough to save him. With the town on his tail, Billy will have to come clean quick -- or kiss Shirlene goodbye.