Blogger Friends!

Jamie at Revenge of the Book Nerds! posted a really fun blogger activity, that I found on My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale!:

"I'd Like To See What My Blogger Friends Look Like, Wouldn't You???"

"I just think it's fun to share what we look like with each other. Sure, we have our profile photos, but they are tiny! Let's have some fun and see what we look like."

I thought this was a really cool idea and I'm also glad to participate in Jaime's feature, so here I go! By the way, if you do this, link me to your post in my comments, please! I'd love to see you all : )

Me, of course! LOL!

This is my Little girl Aubriannah! She will be two in November! They grow so fast, I'm telling you!

Me again!

Aubriannah and me last Halloween!

This is my little puppy, Nala! She is an Eskimo Spitz and the cutest thing ever...LOL!

Book Review: The Graveyard Book!

Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Dave McKean
Genre(s): Fantasy, Horror
Age Rank: 9 and up
Publisher:Harper Collins
Publication date:September 30, 2008

Re-read? Sure. Like any children's book, you could read this many times over.
Recommended? Highly. Anyone looking for a fun, fast, and enjoyable read.


My Synopsis:
A boy they call Nobody Owens, Bod for short, is a normal boy like you and me. Well, except for the fact he's raised and taught by ghosts in a Graveyard. When I say taught, I don't just mean the normal things you learn in school like English, History, and Science. Oh, no, there's also fading, dream-walking, and how to put fear into your classmate bullies. Like any young boy there's mischief and trouble to be had, especially in a graveyard-- a secret gateway to long forgotten ghouls, a mysterious grave of the oldest inhabitant that if you enter you may never return. But what awaits Bod on the outside of the Graveyard could be even more dangerous then whats on the inside....

My Thoughts:
The Graveyard Book, a wonderful tale of a boys adventure through life that I found to be absolutely delightful and fun. This is a children's book, but it does have a darker, gritter side, like a ghost story told to children around a campfire. (There is a smaller children's version of the book found here, maybe not so gritty.) But, of course, all books have there villains, and Gaiman does a brilliant job of giving you just enough to give you the shivers. He has a very sound writing style with a dialogue that's perfect for anyone. Engaging world, fun characters, and the tale exceeds at a rapid pace with adventure steady to the very end. To top it all off we're left with an ending like no other! Now I know why The Graveyard Book won a John Newbery Medal, and in the end I was very happy to have read it!

Also, here's a link to Neil Gaiman on The Colbert Report: It's funny and tells a little bit about The Graveyard Book. Enjoy!

(P.S. I've changed my review up a little - I did my own Synopsis this time. All comments welcome!!)

The Wonderful World of Awards!

I would like to thank Miranda over at Paige Turners (great new blog, by the way!) for This One Lovely Blog Award! Thank you, Miranda! I would like to pass it on to the following:

• SarBear over at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale
• JuJu over at Tales of whimsy...
• Debbook over at Bookmagic

All beautiful and intelligent blogs, so be sure to check them out!

Thank you, BookAddict, Pageturners and Teen Read and Write (awesome blogs, by the way!), for this great award! The Lemonade Award is a feel good award that shows great attitude or gratitude. I'd like to pass this award on to:

• Ryan over at Wordsmithonia
• Miranda over at Paige Turners
• Alexia over at Alexia's Books and Such...

Be sure to check out all of these Blogs as well, they're all fantastic!!!

I received the Human Award from my dear friend Ryan over at Wordsmithonia! Thank you, Ryan! The Humane Award is to honor certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world. This award I pass on to:

• Logan over at Rememorandom
• Book Addict over at The Book Addict
• Kim over at The Twirling Dragon

Everyone of these Blogs are super cool as well as the Bloggers, so be sure to check'em out!

Waiting on Wednesday!

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Here's my pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:

Canticle ( Psalms of Isaak series #2) By Ken Scholes!

Author: Ken Scholes

Pub. Date: October 13, 2009

Publisher: TOR Books

Genre: Adult Fantasy/Science Fiction
Cover(s) Artist: Greg Manchess Awesome covers, by the way!


I can't wait for this next installment! I don't like giving the Synopsis for Series, because, for those who haven't read the first one, they usually give too much away. So, below is the Wonderful cover and Synopsis of the first book.


Lamentation (Psalms of Isaak series #1) By Ken Scholes

Synopses (Publisher Comments):

"An ancient weapon has completely destroyed the city of Windwir. From many miles away, Rudolfo, Lord of the Nine Forest Houses, sees the horrifying column of smoke rising. He knows that war is coming to the Named Lands.

Nearer to the Devastation, a young apprentice is the only survivor of the city — he sat waiting for his father outside the walls, and was transformed as he watched everyone he knew die in an instant.

Soon all the Kingdoms of the Named Lands will be at each others' throats, as alliances are challenged and hidden plots are uncovered.

This remarkable first novel from an award-winning short fiction writer will take readers away to a new world — an Earth so far in the distant future that our time is not even a memory; a world where magick is commonplace and great areas of the planet are impassable wastes. But human nature hasn't changed through the ages: War and faith and love still move princes and nations. "

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

• Here is how it works.
• 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 others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman!

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife. The knife had a handle of polished black bone, and a blade finer and sharper than any razor."

So begins The Graveyard book!

(P.S. I've been super busy this past week, so I'll try this week to get a review or two up. We will see.... Thanks for stopping by!)

Crystal Shade: Angeni by Istvan Sazabo

Okay, so I found this awesome new upcoming (fall 2009) Epic High Fantasy novel that looks like it could have promise called Crystal Shade: Angeni by Istvan Sazabo! Check out this awesome website for it: Crystal Shade: Angeni - Official Website

Here is the Synopsis to the Novel:

"Thousands of stars could tell thousands of stories."

" Under the Brilliance of a sapphire star, in the last golden age of mankind, on a world of peace and prosperity; legends and tales are more than myth. Where valiant heroes are reborn after their death, one young guardian angel, believing in the approaching shadow of fear and destruction, must face the brilliance and shadow of her soul and must fight her darkest fears. She must delve to the core of her true existence to learn the meaning of belief and sacrifice. Only then can she bring hope and light into a future that may never come. To discover the truth of a hidden past mystery to protect and guide the fragile present she lives and learn what the dreaded legendary Crystal Shade really is."

Award Time!!

This is the BINGO Beauty Award. I have been awarded This award from Melissa over at My World . Thank You, Melissa!! This award means my blog is:

B: Beautiful

I: Informative

N: Neighborly

G: Gorgeous

O: Outstanding

B: Beautiful - SarBear over at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale (ha, ha, and you thought you were done getting awards!)
I: Informative - BookChick over at Book Chick City
N: Neighborly - Debbook over at Bookmagic
G: Gorgeous - JuJu over at Tales of whimsy...
O: Outstanding - Logan over at Rememorandom

Be sure to check them out there all AWESOME Blogs!

And Now The Super Comment Award!

SarBear over at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale gave me this award for Super comments, Woot, Woot!-- Thank you, SarBear! Be sure to see her awesome site while you're at it!

Okay, Now here are my nominees for some of my super commenters:

1. MelHay over at My World
2. Ryan over at Wordsmithonia
3. Karoline over at Okbo Lover
4. Miranda over at Paige Turners
5. Alexia over at Alexia's Books and Such...

Be sure to check out all of these Blogs as well, they're all fantastic!!!

Waiting on Wednesday!

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Here's my pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:

Catcing Fire (book two of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins, out September 1st!

Here's the book trailer for Catching Fire because if you haven't read The Hunger Games then the Synopsis would give too much away , I think.





I also wrote a Review for The Hunger Games (book one) here, and here I'll share the book tralier for it too.




Awesome book I can't wait for Catching Fire!!!

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Here is how it works.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random pageShare 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 others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm re-reading The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss!

"This is who I came to see, Chronicler thought to himself, this is the man who conseled kings and walked old roads with nothing but his wit to guide him. This is the man whose name has become both praise and curse at the University."

(pg.103-104, Great book!)

Book Review: Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson!

Genre: Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Books
Hard Cover: 592 pages
Publication Date: June 9, 2009
My Rating: 10/10 One of My all time favorites!

Recommended: Oh, yes, for sure! There isn't anyone I wouldn't recommend Brandon Sanderson to!

Re-Read? Most Definitely, without a doubt!

Synopsis (book cover):

"Warbreaker is the story of two sisters who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people. By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery; and the mysterious Vasher."

My thoughts (spoiler free):
Warbreaker is a standalone novel (though there has been talk about a second one in the far off future) written by the bestselling author of Elantris and The Mistborn Trilogy(AWESOME!) and the author finishing up The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson!

First off, I'd like to tell you that Sanderson is My all Time Favorite Author! I've enjoyed All of his work immensely! Anyway, on to the review:

This is easily Sanderson's best work to date. If you haven't read any of Sanderson's work, then you may not know that he's known for his well thought out, thought provoking, and unique magic systems. There is no exception to that fact in Warbreaker - a world where Color and Breath is magic. In Warbreaker the magic system plays a big part and is absolutely breathtaking, but what really stands out is his spiraling plot twists and his Three dimensional characters. The plot literally takes you on a roller coaster, and once you think you've figured out whats going to happen next, you'll only soon realize you were highly mistaken. The Characters all grow and mature in a way that's authentic, intriguing, and there are absolutely no one dimensional characters. He gives each character their own time in the spot light, and their development you can see from beginning to end. His writing style is simple yet affective. Some authors, even Sanderson, claim that humor is the hardest part to write, but Sanderson has found a way to pass humor off remarkably well in this tale. His religions are also something to marvel at, they're all well thought out, indeed.

Warbreaker is definitely a book to put on the top of any ones reading list. Likable and superb characters, comic relief that's on-key, unique religions, awesome magic system, and plot twists that won't leave you disappointed in any way. This is a tale that will leave you absolutely flabbergasted, and hoping Sanderson won't just leave this book in standalone form! Sanderon is a master storyteller, no doubt about it.

Also, the cover is absolutely spell-binding, and one of My all time Favorites, so here's the making of it by Dan Dos Santos! So AWESOME! Enjoy!

(All feedback welcome! Thanks! Also, If you wrote a review please leave the link I'd love to read it!)

The Zombie Chicken Award

Thanks to Ryan over at Wordsmithonia for this award! It's too funny!

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all.

I'll pass it on to a few of my favorite blogs to read.... umm lets see.....

Logan over at Rememorandom

Deb over at Bookmagic

The Writer over at The Writer's Notebook

David over at My Little Corner of the World
Melissa over at My World

They all have great stuff on thier blogs, so don't forget to check'em out!

Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult (12 and up), Science fiction
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: September 14, 2008
Hard Cover: 374 pages
My Rating: 5/5 Really, really good!

Recommended? Absolutely! For anyone who is looking for a Quick paced, can't put down Read!



Reread? Definitely! I've reread this book myself, and I found the second time to be just as awesome as the first!

Synopsis (book cover):
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Thoughts (spoiler free):
The Hunger Games is the first novel in a trilogy written by the bestselling author of The Underland Chronicles, Suzanne Collins.

This book will keep you enthralled the whole time with Suzanne Collin's fast-paced, suspense filled plot, and memorable characters. Katniss, the narrator of this tale, is easily an outstanding character living in a future world of hard times, and takes control of her life by doing what has to be done in order to stay alive. This book is well written in a way that the words fall away, and you're left in the middle of this battle between life and death. The depiction of the world Collin's has created is believable and realistic of what our world could become. I was captivated and mesmerized by the intensiveness of the plot, and fueled by all her characters. Once you get started on this tale there will be no turning back, so be prepared to lose all sense of time.

This is the best Young adult book I've read to date. Strong characters, great action, crazy plot twists that will keep you at the edge of your seat. When you get to the end you'll be anxiously awaiting the next book "Catching Fire," out September 1st, to this extreme trilogy. I highly recommend!

(This is my first attempt at a book review, so any and all feedback would be great! Thanks!)

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Here is how it works.

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 others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm Reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

"Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to."

How's life, you say!

Well, guys, this is officially my very first post due to the encouragement of a couple friends Ryan over at wordsmithonia and Melissa over at My world, so here goes nothing and Thanks guys!! I'm not really sure where this blog is going or even if I'll have anything that interesting to tell everyone, but I thought I'd try and give it a go.

But, hey, enough about that on to something more exciting like trying to potty train your little one! Oh, yes, I said it! I'm trying to get Aubriannah out of diapers and into undies, but boy is it harder than you may think, because I never know when she has to go...LOL! Now is about the time I wish I had some mind reading powers that you only find in movies or books! Plus, I just finished potty training our new found puppy Nala can you believe it, what's that saying "two birds with one stone"...LOL! Ha, that's laughable. It just seems like yesterday I was taking her bottle and pacifier away! Boy, do they grow up fast, and I mean Fast! Before I know it she'll be headed off to High School and I'll be left in the dust by best friends and boy friends. Oh, no, boy friends, I'm not looking forward to the birds and bees talk, yikes! But, well, I guess someone has to do it, and I do love her too much to put into words! Life is great with these two around Lots, and I do mean lots of laughs! Aubriannahs in the dancing stage, so cute! She's also learning how to swim, oh my goodness she's growing up....!

Anyhow, I'm in the beginning of The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss for my third time, and, I tell you what, it's even better than I remember! Rothfuss' writing style is fantastic! The way Rothfuss starts off his story is by easing everyone in and grabbing your attention with soothing yet powerful words, and once he has you he holds you. Rothfuss has tons of little quotes that are just amazing like page 26 "It was deadly as a sharp stone beneath swift water." A Simple little sentence, but what it gives you is a wonderful visual, as well as a great meaning. It's the actual flow of the words that keep you so immersed. It doesn't feel as though you're reading this story, but actually there beside Kvothe as he's telling his life story. Kvothe, the main character, is an innkeeper telling his life story to a stranger, but mind you, this is no ordinary life story this story is filled with magic, love and music. Kvothe may be young, but he's old in mind, and he tells his story as though a grandfather would to his grandchildren - with heart, love, and sadness of now and memories left behind. And what's more comforting and enchanting then sitting on your grandfathers knees and listening to an old War story, I say!?! Also, one of my favorite parts about Rothfuss' writing style is his use of Music. When the music comes around he uses it in such an exhilarating and captivating way, and it's absolutely unbelievable how he can describe music as though you are right there listening to it. Seriously, I can't even put into words how intoxicating it really is! So, I urge any and everyone that hasn't read this book to do so, I promise you, you won't be disappointed!

Well, I guess that's it for now I hope everyone has enjoyed and hopefully I can come up with more things to write about at a later date!