Review: That Which Should Not Be by Brett J. Talley

That Which Should Not Be

by Brett J. Talley

Synopsis

Miskatonic University has a long-whispered reputation of being strongly connected to all things occult and supernatural. From the faculty to the students, the fascination with other-worldly legends and objects runs rampant. So, when Carter Weston’s professor Dr. Thayerson asks him to search a nearby village for a book that is believed to control the inhuman forces that rule the Earth, Incendium Maleficarum, The Inferno of the Witch, the student doesn’t hesitate to begin the quest.

Weston’s journey takes an unexpected turn, however, when he ventures into a tavern in the small town of Anchorhead. Rather than passing the evening as a solitary patron, Weston joins four men who regale him with stories of their personal experiences with forces both preternatural and damned. Two stories hit close to home as they tie the tellers directly to Weston’s current mission.

His unanticipated role as passive listener proves fortuitous, and Weston fulfills his goal. Bringing the book back to Miskatonic, though, proves to be a grave mistake. Quickly, Weston realizes he has played a role in potentially opening the gate between the netherworld and the world of Man. Reversing the course of events means forgetting all he thought he knew about Miskatonic and his professor and embracing an unknown beyond his wildest imagination.

Review

When you think of a supernatural book, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? The Twilight phenomenon? Harry Potter? I was really intrigued simply by the cover of this book. I once dated a guy who was slightly obsessed with Cthulhu, the ancient one resting at the bottom of the sea. The image of Cthulhu immediately grabbed my attention, but I had no idea what i was getting into.

This isn't just one story, but the story of a man who, along his journey, was told other amazing stories. After being asked to look for a long-lost, ancient text that had recently surfaced in another town, Carter Weston meets four men in a tavern that each have an amazing and unbelievable tale to be told. His quest for the book and the tales he learns are just the beginning of his adventure.

I honestly can't believe how wrapped up I became in this story. It wasn't just the need to finish it, but the need to know what is next. I would lay in bed after reading for a while and my mind would simply race, replaying all of the adventure again and again. This is an amazing adventure story, and I don't know if anyone else could have told it as well. I simply can't explain how amazing this book really is, but it left me wanting more.

If this cover alone doesn't knock your socks off,
check out the book!

Review: The Burning Sky (Halcyon #1) by Joseph Robert Lewis

The Burning Sky by Joseph Robert Lewis

Synopsis
Taziri Ohana is an elite airship pilot, though the long hours away from home have taken a toll on her family and she longs for a simpler life. When the Northern Air Corps is wiped out in a catastrophic fire, only Taziri survives to help the marshals pursue the suspects across the skies of Marrakesh. Their investigation reveals a vast conspiracy of deposed aristocrats, wealthy industrialists, and warmongers plotting against the crown. Taziri discovers that her own inventions have been perverted by the conspirators, the cities plunge into violent riots, and their only hope for salvation may be an exiled princess, her swashbuckling escort, and a crippled airship plummeting out of the burning sky.

A note about the text

This is a work of historical fantasy. Some of this world may be familiar to you.

But in this world, Europe never emerged from the last Ice Age and only the southern areas are habitable. North Africa is cool, wet, and fertile. Ancient nations such as the Persian Empire have persisted, though others, such as the Romans, never rose to power. Some of the countries in this world reflect the cultures and attitudes of the Renaissance while others reflect the Industrial Age. Historical figures appear, though they too may be different from the ones you have known.

Don’t expect this world to conform to the history that you know. The people and places are different. The climate and wildlife are different.

Even death is different here.

Review
I want to start off completely honestly and say that I never thought I'd finish reading this book. It's not a terrible long book, but I am a reader who likes to get lost in the world of the story and this is one hell of a world. The "steampunk" fad always seemed interesting to me, but it wasn't even until I finished the book that I thought about whether or not this term applies. The thought of inflatable airships and a world where lights out is at sundown simply took my breath away.

This story begins with Taziri, but this is in no way Taziri's story. It took a while to get all of the characters straight, but soon you realize how intricately woven their lives really are. The synopsis leads you to believe Taziri is the main character, and personally she was the character I connected most with. As a mother with a young daughter, I could imagine the pain and worry associated with the fantastic journey she gets to go on.

There is only one aspect of the novel that truly bothered me, and that involved Dr. Medina's experimentation. While I understand that her actions were aimed to show the moral character of both her and Lady Sade, the basement of the prosthetics shop is somewhere that left me with nightmares. Once again, Lewis described it in great detail, but the feeling of being there is something I could have lived without.


Altogether I think that this was the best science fiction I've read in a long time. This is one story that really had my mind going as it pulled me right into it. If you enjoy fantasy, science fiction, or really any kind of adventure, grab a copy of The Burning Sky by Joseph Robert Lewis.
 

WINNER: Winner Wonderland Giveaway Hop!

I want to give a HUGE thank you to all of those who participated in the Winner Wonderland Giveaway Hop! Our winner is.... Krysta B! I hope you all have happy holidays, and stay tuned for more awesome giveaways in the new year!

Winner Wonderland! Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card and much more!

Welcome to the Winner Wonderland Giveaway Event. This event is hosted by Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink, Seeds of Life, And The Little Ones Too and Taking Time For Mommy. This event features giveaways with a value of $25 or more at each of the participating blogs! Check out all of the great Winner Wonderland Sponsors being featured in this event! Be sure to visit each blog from the linky below and enter for your chance to win! This event will close on December 4th at 11:59 pm EST.

Here at for the love of books, I'm giving you the chance to win one of my favorite prizes: a $25 Amazon gift card! While I'd love to give away some of my favorite books, I want you to have the option to treat yourself or a loved one. So fill out the Rafflecopter form below, cross your fingers, and head on down to the link to see what else you can win!! Are you ready??

Review and GIVEAWAY!! Craved by Stephanie Nelson

Craved by Stephanie Nelson


Synopsis
WITCH FOUND DRAINED

Gwen Sparks just wants to live a peaceful life in the supernatural town of Flora, but from the moment she read about the first murdered witch, all hope of peace was abandoned.

Possessing the rare ability to read the memories of dead, she volunteers to help catch the culprit behind the string of drained witches. Gwen has to team up with the one man who broke her heart, deal with a ghost who pulls her into the deathly realm at will, and a fight off the advances of sexy but frustrating vampire who not only craves what runs through her veins—he wants her heart.


Review
I was hooked on this book from the second I picked it up. It's got all of best parts of a good supernatural book: romance, mystery, crime, and of course the paranormal. Main character Gwen Sparks tries to live a normal life, but nothing can ever be normal. Whether it's managing her magic shop or nearly getting beaned by a levitating soda can, things are definitely not normal for Gwen. Things only get worse when a fellow witch is found drained, which sets off a dangerous and exciting chain of events. 
    Even though this is the first of a series, the vague mentions of things in the past made it feel like there was something I should have read beforehand. Luckily, it didn't deter me from reading. In fact, seeing how things would turn out in both her everyday life and her personal life definitely drew me in to this one. I will recommend this one to anyone who loves sexy supernatural stories who is over 18, since this is one hot read.


Giveaway!!!
Alright! I've got an eBook copy for one lucky reader! Just fill out the Rafflecopter below and GOOD LUCK!

Review: Death in the City of Light by David King

Death in the City of Light by David King
Review

Imagine a serial killer accused convicted of brutally murdering twenty-six in the current court system. There would be little doubt in your mind that this person was evil. Now imagine taking into account that this was during the last World War. Also, that the person accused was a French doctor that had been part of the French military during the First World War and part of the French resistance during the second. Add on to that idea that he claimed to be a hero of the resistance, not some monster that he was proclaimed to be by the people. This is the story of, Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi Occupied Paris by David King, and our character, Marcel Petiot.

The story is detail laden on the entire process of the initial crime scene on through the investigation of Dr. Petiot and his family, the court trial, his time in jail and his eventual conviction and beheading in the traditional French guillotine. At times the story feels very dense with a plethora of detail about the entire situation but also at other times there is just enough that you want to keep reading to find out more. The perfect blend and balance for a non-fictional read, as this is based off of real life accounts of the Dr. Marcel Petiot trial of the 1940s.

Not only do you find out that Dr. Petiot had murdered those twenty-six, you find out that there were many, many more that he executed during his ‘rein of terror’ that including many Nazi leaders and many other Germans that had infested the symbol of France, the beautiful city of Paris. He used this cover as a resistance member to murder these Germans as well as people that he just did not necessarily get along with in life for whatever reasoning. It was this that became his downfall. The fact that he had murdered many Germans in the same brutal fashion as the twenty-six he was convicted did not even come much to mind in the Parisian court where he was tried.

King also explores the mental stability of Dr. Petiot and his mental conditions that plagued him from his service to France in the First World War, but according to the physicians that were checking his mental state during the trial and prison time he had no such thing and was perfectly stable. All-in-all the book has moments where it shines like a beacon in a true-crime mystery thriller novel, but the book also its downfalls. It can be at times a bit muddled and has a feel of brokenness. Whether this was the intent by King to make us feel like the investigators in the story is unbeknownst to the audience. Certainly this is a book worth reading.

If you enjoyed this review, please comment or +1!

And the winner is....

The Rafflecopter has spoken, and....

Mickey from imabookshark is the winner of the Dark Corners giveaway!

Mickey, I'll be getting in touch with you to get your deets. Congratulations!!!

Click Like if you like this post!

Review and GIVEAWAY!!: Natural Selection by Elizabeth Sharp

Natural Selection by Elizabeth Sharp

Description

What do you do when you find out your family isn't your family, death is knocking at your door, and that guy you can't stop thinking about knows more about who you are than you do? Amelia Hoffman was just a normal 15 year old until she found out the truth. Now ancient myths, supernatural beings, and murder have changed everything. Tests and school dances are no longer the biggest worry in her life-- she has to figure out how to save everyone she loves and accept the future in front of her before it's too late.

Review

Let me begin by saying how refreshing it was to read a young adult paranormal novel that WASN'T about vampires. I like supernatural stories, but reading about different kinds of otherworldly creatures was very refreshing. The descriptions of nature helped me feel even more connected just by reading. 

Elizabeth Sharp has created some very interesting characters for this story. Amelia is someone that nearly any female can connect with, after all who doesn't remember the awkward stage right before high school? And just like every other family, Amelia thinks her family is strange. The only difference? Her family IS different, and this becomes apparent very quickly. For Amelia, the changes to her body come with huge revelations which quickly spiral into chaos.  

I really enjoyed this novel. Though it took a while to get into, once the action starts there is no going back.   One thing I enjoy about paranormal novels is to see the author's interpretation of how each creature would act, and Sharp did not let me down. It was a great read, but the best part is definitely the epilogue. That caught me completely off-guard and dying to read the next novel in the Forces of Nature series, Second Nature, which will be available in November.


If you'd like to read an excerpt, the first chapter is available on Elizabeth Sharp's blog, Sharp Words. If you'd like to purchase Natural Selection, here are a few links:

• Print book (Createspace)
• E-books (Nook, Kindle, or Other formats)

Be sure to check out Elizabeth's guest post over at Have Kids...Will Coupon! for another chance to win!

And now... for the giveaway!

Coming Soon...

That's right my wonderful followers!!! Your favorite blogger is going to be a part of an AMAZING bloghop presented by some of my favorite bloggers:

• Taking Time For Mommy
• Put A Little Umbrella in Your Drink
• And The Little Ones Too, and 
• It's a Mom's World

100 blogs, 100 prizes, all worth at least $25. You definitely don't want to miss this!! Stay tuned for more details!

Interested in Sponsoring my Prize Package?
Please check out my contact information linked above!!

Review and GIVEAWAY!!: Dark Corners by Liz Schulte

Dark Corners by Liz Schulte

Description
Ella Reynolds knew from the first moment she walked into the old house someone or something was watching her. Waiting. Her husband's violent murder sent her spiraling into a world of grief and isolation, but Ella isn't alone. Who or what is responsible for her husband's death is still with her. Darkness has engulfed the past year of Ella's life. Everyday reality slips a little more between her fingers as she struggles to break free from her memories.


She must look deeper into her past as well as the present to discover truth of her husband's homicide. A string of uncanny events takes place and practical explanations run thin as Ella follows the terrifying road to closure. As the past and present come to a head, Ella must decipher who or what the murderer is before it takes her as well.

Review

Scary stories aren't really my thing. I'm not a fan of blood and guts, and when I was asked to read and review Dark Corners, I was a little bit skeptical. The only reason I even decided to read it was because of the paranormal aspect, and boy I'm glad I did.

Ella's house, and life, seems haunted. After moving with her husband from the large city of Chicago to the small neighborhood of Wilmington, Ella starts to think she is losing her mind when she suddenly begins to hear and see things that even her own husband can't explain (or see.) But when she returns from a Book Tour to find a grisly scene in her kitchen, things take a turn for the worst. One year later, Ella is an over-medicated alcoholic who has been socially outcast since the police announced she was no longer a suspect in her husband's death.

The journey that Ella takes while trying to find who (or what) killed her husband is fascinating and very, very suspenseful. I spent most of this book trying to figure out the ending. As a person who believes in ghosts and who has had her own encounter with one, I found all of the mysterious (and terrifying) things going on in Ella's house fascinating.

One major part of the book was Ella's constant flashbacks, which gave you insight into her relationship with Danny and her personality before his death. I thought that those were an amazing way to add to Ella's character development.

All-in-all, this is a truly great book. I didn't want to put it down the minute I picked it up, and Liz Schulte definitely knows how to draw a reader in. I wouldn't recommend reading it in the dark though!

If you want to check out more about Liz Schulte, check her out on Facebook, or visit her blog Bat Country.

Now for the fun part... The Giveaway!!
Liz has been gracious enough to offer up a copy of her book Dark Corners to one lucky blog reader!! Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win!

Veiled Winner!!

Congrats to Heather for being the Winner of a copy of Veiled!! Heather, keep your eyes out for an email from me about your prize!

Thanks for all you who entered :)

Book Review and Giveaway! Veiled by S.B. Niccum

Veiled by S.B. Niccum

When I first learned of Veiled, I assumed it was just another supernatural young adult fiction book about ghosts. I was hesitant to start, wondering how many new types of ghost stories there could possibly be, but began reading anyway. And boy, am I glad I did.

Veiled is the story of Tess and her friends in a world like none I’ve seen before. Here, beings start out simply as intelligences and gradually evolve through the spirit stage before being born. That’s right, there is a whole life each experiences before they are ever even born into existence. Friends are made, soulmates are found, and gifts are discovered. The only problem is that when you are born, you are veiled from this previous life and everything you have ever learned. And that is exactly what Tess is afraid of.

When the world they have been waiting eons for is finally created, Earth, they begin training for their upcoming lives. This causes a rift in Tess’s group of friends as each gets sent to do different tasks and rarely sees the others. At the same time, a darker spirit has set out on their own tasks to stop the spirits from ever evolving to mortality. Does Tess ever become a human? You have to read to find out.

S.B. Niccum did a wonderful job on this story. With her wonderful descriptions, I was able to feel like I was right with the spirits no matter where they went on Earth or in the heavens. My favorite part of the story was getting to see what became of the different spirits. My only problem was getting to the end and still wondering what comes next. Once you read Veiled, you will be begging for a sequel just like me.

And now, here is your chance to WIN a copy of Veiled by S.B. Niccum! You can choose either a e-book or a print copy! Simply comment below with your email address! (Following isn’t a must but is definitely appreciated!)

Giveaway ends on 7/20 at midnight and I will announce the winner on 7/21!

If you guys want to check out more about S.B. Niccum and veiled, be sure to head over to her blog (http://www.spiritualsupernaturalparanormal.blogspot.com/), hit up her website (http://www.sbniccum.com/), or her Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/silvina.niccum.)

Oh how I've missed you!

Darling followers,

I must apologize for my absence! The last few weeks have been really hard on my family and I. After multiple visits to the hospital for my father and daughter, things aren't going too awfully well around here. I'd like to say that I'm back, but with school starting back, this may be a challenge to keep running!

I want to thank you all for sticking with me while I figure all this out. In the mean time, stop back by tomorrow for my very first ever giveaway!

See you soon!
With love!

Nikki's Guide to Surviving Heartbreak, Pt. 1

Hey folks. So over the weekend, the break-up happened. After moping for a few days, I figured I'd put my blog to good use (since I haven't had much time to read while moping.) So here you are. Introducing...

Nikki's Guide to Surviving Heartbreak
Things have gone horribly, horribly wrong. Maybe you are fighting all of the time, maybe your partner has cheated on you, maybe you just lost all communication. Either way, your heart is completely broken. You know the feeling. The nausea, the lack of sleep, the constant waves of sadness. Everything is hurting you, and you don't know what to do. Well, I'm here to help!

Step 1: If you know that things are beyond repair, and you're relationship hasn't ended, go ahead and end it. I know it'll hurt, and it'll be awkward, but it'll be worth it. If he/she broke your heart, then they aren't worth having it. So your first step is to end your relationship.
Now, a lot of people will say "don't break up through a text, or online, or even over the phone. Do it in person." But I'm here to tell you that you can do it in whatever way fits the situation. If your boyfriend refuses to talk to you on the phone, it's perfectly reasonable to do it online. If your girlfriend still wants to spend time with you for some reason, then you ought to do it in person. Honestly, do it however you need to. Just remember that you should show them the same amount of respect they have showed you, if not more.
With the ending of the relationship comes the changing of the Facebook relationship status. In case you weren't aware, Facebook is now what declares any relationship changes official. It doesn't matter if you haven't spoken in months, if it's still on Facebook, it is. So go ahead and change that status. And while you are at it, you may want to change your profile picture.
What I would advise against is deleting everything related to your ex in a fit of rage. Maybe seeing those zoo pictures are making you cry right now, but they are still a part of your life. Pictures and wall posts may mean something to you when you are.... less angry, so take a while to think about it. Also think about deleting them before you do it. Do you want to save the friendship?
Once your relationship has ended in every official and unofficial way, move on to step two!

Step 2: Mope. Cry. Punch your pillows. Write angry letters and emails (but you probably shouldn't send those.) My point is, heart break hurts like hell. Don't deny yourself time to grieve. You've just ended a relationship with someone who was a part of your life for some amount of time, it's perfectly fine to show your emotions. Take as much time as you feel is appropriate. For instance, I've allotted myself 4 days for the 4 months we were together. Of course I will miss him after those 4 days are up, and I'll still love him for a long time after. But the fifth day is the day I stop letting myself be brought to tears thinking about the past. After you've reached your fifth day, or fifth week, head to step 3.

Step 3: The one thing that has always bothered me is that after a break-up, you avoid or despise things that remind you of the other person. That is why step 3 is to find something you enjoy that reminds you of the other person and do it. My ex is a barista, and every time I smell or drink coffee I think about him. Right now, I have a large cup on my desk and I'm okay with that. The only way you are ever going to change your feelings is if you can associate those things with something happier, and the only way to do that is to get over your aversion to them. So maybe I'm smelling my coffee and thinking about when I would stop in to see him when he was at work. It's just another step to getting over that heartbreak.


I'm sure there are more steps, but this is as far as I've gotten. I still have to mail his things back to him, so I'm sure I'll have more good steps to getting over heartbreak soon.

What are your best tips for getting over heartbreak? Post a comment, let me know!

Follow Friday! #2

Woo hoo! Yay for my second Follow Friday! This is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely Parajunkee. This week, the featured blogger is... Erika @ let's talk about books! So you may be asking "Nikki, what is this week's question?" Well, my dears, this weeks question is....

Your favorite book/movie character (example Hermione Granger played by the Emma chick) just walked into the room! Who is it and what would be your first reaction?
Hmm. I like dorky guys. Who doesn't? So my favorite character is Simon from Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. My first reaction would probably be to stare, seeing as that's what I do. I tend to be shy, but once I got over that I'd go talk to him. Nothing too exciting lol.

So what about you guys? Who's your fav? What would you do? Let me know!

And welcome to all new followers :) Let me know who you are so I can return the follow-favor!

Time4Mommy Meme Monday!

Today, I'm going to participate in Time4Mommy's weekly Meme Monday. This week's questions are...

1. What did you do this week to take time for yourself?
2. What is your favorite kind of candy?
3. Do you have any siblings?

And here are my answers!

1. This week, I didn't get much time for myself. But even when I had the wee one, I was able to rearrange my bedroom and clean it really nicely. It was definitely nice to be able to look around last night and just smile since there was no more work to be done!
2. My favorite candy is chocolate. Mmmmm. I didn't use to be a chocoholic, but when I got pregnant that was all I wanted. In fact, I used to go to the local ice cream shop and get sundaes every night. (That didn't last too long...) Now I have to limit myself, but if there is any chocolate in my house, I will definitely hoard it for later!
3. Yes, two. I am the youngest in my family. My brother, Tim, just turned 28. He has a traumatic brain injury and is both physically and mentally handicapped. He lives with us in our big ol' house. My sister, Meg, is practically my twin. She is one year older and shares many of the same interests as me. She doesn't live with us any longer, but I get to see her once a week.

Well I'm really excited to see everyone else's answers! What about you guys? Even if you aren't participating in the meme, answer these in the comments!

-nikki

Sunday Blog Hop at Planet Weidknecht!

Since the last blog hop I did went SOOOO well and I met such amazing people, I thought I'd give the Planet Weidknecht Blog Hop a shot!

So welcome new followers! I am Nikki and well, this is my blog! I'm just getting started. I'm trying to do a lot of book reviews from all the genres I love: romance, paranormals, children's books, young adult fiction, and even Christian lit. I'm currently working on getting some author interviews and giveaways, including a giveaway after I reach 100 followers!

Come in, introduce yourself, and if you get a chance, follow me on twitter too @greisn1. I'll return any follows (as long as you let me know you followed lol)

-Nikki

Giveaway and a Plea for Tweeps

Hi there!

Omigosh I really can't believe how many followers I now have. Fifty one is an AMAZING number, at least it is when you start at zero! So I think what I want to do is....

Have a 100 follower giveaway!!!!

Obviously, I'm going to need 100 followers first. So help me out! Spread the love!

I'm also putting out a call for you to follow me on twitter. I'm seriously lacking on the twitter front right now. So go to the right side (yes, that's it over there ===>) and follow me on twitter! Let me know who you are and I'll definitely return the favor!

I'm pretty pumped about having you all here with me! So I'm going to work extra hard and you can help out, and one lucky person will win... something... when we get to 100 followers!!

-nikki

Review: "Summer Promise" by Robin Jones Gunn

Summer Promise by Robin Jones Gunn
5 of 5 Stars
Summer Promise is the story of Christy Miller, a 14-year-old girl from Wisconsin that is spending her summer with her aunt and uncle in California. She has trouble making friends in the beginning, but after her aunts gives her a complete makeover she gains the confidence to finally go out and socialize. Her new friends seem wonderful, but looks can be deceiving. Christy has a wild and eventful summer, during which she learns all about herself.

This is another book that, as a mom, I would encourage my daughter to read in her teens. Though Christy has to deal with some tough issues, including death and finding herself, she shows younger girls that it is okay to be upset. The main message I took from this book was that when you put your life in God's hands, he will help you deal with your problems.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is a wonderfully wholesome and entertaining story. This book was hard to put down. Though the religious aspect was a bit overpowering at some parts, I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen next. I'm still left wondering what is going to happen next, and encourage you to read the story and find out why.

Like my review? Despise it? Let me know how I'm doing!

Follow Friday!

This is the first Follor Friday I've participated in, hosted by the wonderful Parajunkee.

Check out the featured blogger, Mickey from I'm a Book Shark. She is one of my favorites and I know you'll love her too!

Welcome all new followers! Leave me a comment so I can return the love!!!


Question of the day:
Q: In light of the Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer, let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?

A. Honestly, I haven't read much YA or adult fiction about the fae. My favorite fairy tale is Sleeping Beauty. Though I'm a bit against the whole "weak princess needs the strong prince to save her" idea, this fairy tale has always been close to my heart. I have to admit that i LOVELOVELOVE the Disney version.

Note to my followers

Hi everyone! I'm so glad you are all reading my blog! I'm really excited that so many people are here with me on my adventure to becoming a book blogger! I really appreciate all the feedback I've received on my reviews, but one comment brought to my attention an issue I'd like to bring up.

While I have been reviewing some Christian literature, I am not here to discuss religion, my views, or any interpretations of the Bible. I appreciate any comments I receive on my posts, however I do ask that you respect my wishes and refrain from making comments about my personal beliefs or yours. I realize that every person has their own beliefs, and sincerely hope you respect my beliefs the way I respect all of yours.

Once again, thank you all so much for reading my blog and I can't wait to get more feedback from each an every one of you. (Or any comments really. I'd even love to hear about your award-winning sweet potato pie!)

-nikki


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Help me out: rate my reviews!!

So I'm trig to become a book blogger and I'd really appreciate if I could get some feedback on my recent reviews! Follow these links to read my reviews and rate them. I really appreciate it!

"What Are You Waiting For?" by Dannah Gresh

"Only You, Sierra" by Robin Gunn Jones

Review: "What are you Waiting For?" by Dannah Gresh

"What Are You Waiting For?" by Dannah Gresh
4 of 5 stars
When I first read about this book, I thought it was interesting. I thought it would be neat to see what I thought would be a different view on sex from what I was originally taught in church: no premarital sex, no masturbation, and being anything but straight is a sin.

The beginnings of Dannah Gresh's book was really great. She gave us really interesting facts about dating, introduced new Hebrew to our vocabulary, and gave some fascinating quotes from the Bible. But here is where I started to lost interest. Gresh's work is just like everything you've ever been taught about sex. I commend her for using scientific facts about the brain in her work, but it was nothing different or new.

I never finished the book. I will admit that. I am a supported of gay rights, and was turned off by her mentions of women who are "in recovery" of being lesbian. Unfortunately, my views clashed with Gresh's.

Though we do not see eye-to-eye, I must admit that this book is very well done. She clearly researched all of her facts. I particularly liked how she included stories and anecdotes from her life and other women's lives. This book is great for reinforcing the standard Christian views on marriage, and even though my views differ, I would give Gresh 4 out of 5 stars for such a well-researched work and such a candid book.

I was given this book to review free of charge through the Blogging for Books program an was not required to write a positive review.

In order to help realize my dream of becoming a book blogger, I would appreciate if you would rank this review!

Check out this giveaway over at Time4Mommy!

Ending 6/30:
Win Changeling Moon and Changeling Dream by Dani Harper!

http://takingtimeformommy.blogspot.com/2011/06/changeling-moon-changeling-dream-book.html

Check out these awesome giveaways at Good Choice Reading!

Ending tomorrow (6/21):
Win a SIGNED copy of Passion by Lauren Kate!
http://www.goodchoicereading.com/2011/06/giveaway-signed-copy-of-passion-by.html

Ending soon! (6/22)
Win a copy of Forever and The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater!
http://www.goodchoicereading.com/2011/06/bea-giveaway-forever-and-scorpio-races.html

SiS read-a-thon Final Report!

1. First of all, give us an end-of-read-a-thon status update. Books read, pages read, you know the drill!
*books read: only 1
*Pages read since last update: only 13
*Pages total: 229
2.What is your favorite book you read during the read-a-thon?
The only one I completed was Only You, Sierra, so I suppose that was my favorite!
3. Did you participate in any mini-challenges? Which ones?
I participated in all of the mini challenges! Even the optional ones :-)
4. Which mini-challenge was your favorite?
My favorite was creating a story, I really enjoyed seeing all the ways people connected those four words!
5. What has been your favorite thing about the read-a-thon?
That I was able to connect with new bloggers and make friends, or at least get my very first followers!
6. Are you satisfied with how much reading you got done? Did you do more than you expected? Less?
I'm rather unsatisfied with the amount of reading I got done, but when you are raising a 14-month old you can't expect to do much anything else. I expected to get a bit more done than I did.
7. What did you think of the updates? Too close together? Didn't like the time limit?
I think the updates were perfectly spaced out. It gave me enough time to attempt to get some reading done before I had to post and tell you guys how little I actually got done!
8. If you could change one thing about the read-a-thon, what would it be?
I personally wish that it was held for another day (til Sunday night.) I am in the Easter time zone, so at least 8pm is 10pm for me, but I get most of my reading done after the baby goes to sleep around 9pm. I the read-a-thon was held for another day, then I would have had two full nights to read and would have looked more productive P
9. Would you participate in another read-a-thon hosted by Squeaky Books? Why or why not? (Again, I won't cry if you say "no")
yes, I would! This was my first read-a-thon and it was very enjoyable!
10.Any last comments on the read-a-thon?
Well, I sure would like to win at least one of those prizes...



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SiS Read-a-thon Update #11!

Update:

• Books read so far: Still just one
• Pages read since last update: 20
• Pages read total: 206
• How I'm Feeling: Pretty good. I wish I had more time to read, but I might be able to get some more reading in before the final update/report/thingy.

Mini-Challenge:

To be completely honest, I think the book-world I want to live in is the real world. While all the fantasy worlds seem like they would be so magical and great, they all involve way more conflict and fighting than the world. I wanna live in the world of the muggles, the world that the Cullens hide from, the world Clary grew up in. It's safer and less dramatic.

SiS Read-a-Thon Update #10!

Update:

*Books read so far: still just 1
*Pages since last update: none!
*Total pages: 186
*How I'm feeling: hungry!

Mini-Challenge!
Nothing I've really read is funny or inspiring. Except that in What Are You Waiting For? it mentioned that in Iran, dating is apparently illegal. I don't know of that's true, but it's really something to think about. Look at how lucky we are that we get to date whoever we want? Very interesting.

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SiS Read-a-thin Update #9!

Update:

*Books read so far: still just 1
*Pages since last update: none, but the babez and I had a great nap!
*Total pages: 186
*How I'm feeling: still rather sleepy ;-)

Mini-Challenge
Anagrams are always fun. Let's see what we get from Nikki Greis... Kinkier Sig, haha!

What about if I use Nicole Greis?
Cringe So Lie

:-D

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SiS Read-a-thon Update #8!

Update:

*Books read so far: still just 1
*Pages since last update: 15
*Total pages: 186
*How I'm feeling: pretty good, though I'm not getting too much reading done lol

Mini-Challenge:
When I organize my bookshelf, I do it first by author, then by series, and last by title (unless it's in a series, then I do them in order!) What about you guys?
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SiS Read-a-thon Update #7!

Update:

• Books read so far: Still just 1
• Pages read since last update: ...3 lol
• Pages read total: 171
• How I'm feeling: Well I'm not getting too much reading done, but I'm trying.

Mini-Challenge:

Personally, I can't think of any books I've read that were oh-so-moving or anything. But I think a good book for fifth graders would be City of Bones. I absolutely loved that book, though it didn't have any moral to it. I think it would be a good way to get old elementary students interested in reading. Since I spent most of last semester with a group of awesome fifth graders, I think it's safe to say I know that they like fantasy books. And City of Bones is perfect.

Check out the giveaway at Weaving Colors!

My fellow blogger Kate over at Weaving Colors is celebrating her 50th follower by giving away a copy of Possession by Elana Johnson! Go check it out and enter to win today!

Weaving Colors: 50 Followers Contest!

SiS Read-a-thon Update #6!

Update!

• Books read so far: 1!
• Pages read so far: 168
• Pages since last update: 78
• How I'm feeling: So happy I finally got one book done! However, I am not reading the ones I originally said I would. Death and The Penguin ended up not being very interesting. So now I'm moving on to What Are You Waiting For? It seemed pretty interesting, though it's not the fiction I usually read. Actually, I don't usually read Christian works, but I got them to review since I'm just starting out so I guess I gotta read them at some time!

Mini-Challenge

For this challenge, I would put together Anita Blake with Ron Weasley. No, not romantically. I think that Ron would be a great sidekick for Anita. Anita is really brash and fierce, while Ron.. is not. He is the humorous friend, the one everyone likes to laugh at. I think that they would be great together, because even though he is a clown he sometimes gets things right that no one else does.

Review: "Only You, Sierra" by Robin Jones Gunn

Review:
5 of 5 stars
"Only You, Sierra" by Robin Jones Gunn is the first work of Christian fiction I have ever read, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was surprised to see how prevalent Sierra's faith was in the story. The entire story revolved around Sierra waiting for "God-things", or events caused by the creator that were meant to lead Sierra to something.

As a mother, I found this to be a great story. Sierra is a very polite, moral young lady who is not afraid to follow her heart. Her relationship with her parents is very open and adult, with both sides willing to listen to each other and compromise. Sierra definitely thinks about her actions and what effect they will or have had. More than once in the story, she admitted she was wrong and apologized. This character is one that every parent will wish they had.

The only part I was concerned about was Sierra's strong desire to have a boyfriend. For being a Christian novel, I was rather surprised that was the focus of the novel. However, I can recall my teen years and yes, my life revolved around boys. I really commend Gunn on her ability to show something most teens worry about in a way that still puts the main focus on God.

One thing I did notice about the novel is that it was originally published in 1995, and it seems like Gunn tried to do some minor updating. There are a few times when sentences about cell phones or emails look like they were added in at the last minute. This doesn't change anything about the story, but I found the lack of technology to be refreshing. So much of our lives today focuses on technology, it was nice to read about a family who likes to spend time together.

I would give this book 5 of 5 stars. Gunn did a great job writing a story that focuses on real-world problems like dating and relocating that is also wholesome and entertaining. I would recommend this book to any Christian.

Could you please rank my review below? I am just getting started and I'd love to know how I'm doing!

SiS Read-a-thon Report #1!

1. Update:
Books read: 0
Pages read: 90
Pages since last update: 52
How am I feeling: glad the little one is in bed so I can get some reading done!
2. What is the favorite thing you have read today?
Well today I've really only been reading "Only You, Sierra", so I suppose that's my favorite. It's a cute story.
3. Which mini-challenge was your favorite?
I really enjoyed the story challenge. It was interesting to see how many way those words could be put together!
4. What has been your favorite thing about the read-a-thon?
Getting to connect with all kinds of new bloggers, and getting new followers!
5. What has been your LEAST favorite thing about the read-a-thon?
The fact that I haven't got to read as much as I would have liked to.
6. Are you on track to meet your goals?
Not at all but I'm having fun, so who really cares?
7. Will you be participating tomorrow? Do you have any new goals?
Yes I will be participating as much as I can Saturday. I have no new goals.



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SiS Read-a-thon Update #5!

Update:

• Books read so far: still none.
• Pages read since last update: 3! Woohoo!
• How I'm feeling: Pretty good since the baby is about to go to bed and I can get mah read on!

Mini Challenge:

This one was super hard, but I think I got it. It's in two sentances, but it's only in titles.

Just after sunset, Brother Odd, what are you waiting for?

It makes some sense :)