Pick Your A Thon- The Book Monsters UPDATE!

Thanks again to The Book Monsters for hosting this Read A Thon!

TGIF at GReads! (8)

Thanks to G Reads! for hosting! And TGIF!

This week's question is:
First & Last: What was the first book you read in 2011 and the last you finished in 2011? How do you feel about these books? Would you recommend them to other readers?

Pick Your A Thon!- The Book Monsters

Presented by The Book Monsters!
If you haven't checked out their blog, or their group on Goodreads, I recommend you do! It's fantastic fun!Starting today and running till January 3rd! 

Romance Report: The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

Title: The Demon Lover

Author: Juliet Dark

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: December 2011

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

Shelf Candy! (9)

Thanks to Five Alarm Book Reviews for hosting Shelf Candy every Saturday! 

My Saturdays are a lot more fun because of it!

This week my Shelf Candy is:

Book Review: Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

Title: Wherever You Go

Author: Heather Davis

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Publication Date: November 2011

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Welcome to the Midwinter's Eve Hop!

Thanks to I Am Reader, Not A Writer and Oasis For YA blogs for hosting!

You could win:













Stardust by Neil Gamain!

Winter Wishlist- Week Three!

Thanks to Read Now Sleep Later for hosting!

Week Three:
Write about a charity/nonprofit/community group that works with books and/or literacy!

Author Interview & Book Review: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Title: The Faerie Ring

Author: Kiki Hamilton

Publisher: Macmillan

Publication Date: September 2011

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Historical Fiction

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One


Synopsis can be found here.

Review:

In 1871 London, our world and the Otherworld blur. Queen Victoria's ring is lost, setting off a chain of events that may lead to an all out war with the Fey. The thief is a young girl named Tiki, an orphan who lives on the streets of London. Little did she know what she was going to start!

Trying to care for her family of orphans, Tiki is now being watched, and followed by humans and Fey alike. One of them is a fellow thief Rieker, but can he be trusted? And which side is he on, anyway?

The Faerie Ring blew me away. We start in the dirty, grimy streets of London where our heroine and her family are scraping by with what they can. Life is hard and while Tiki has a good heart, sometimes we all do things we can regret. (Like stealing Queen Victoria's ring for instance!)

The darkness of London is the perfect setting for the Fey, who hover in shadows, preying on innocent people. The two worlds blend so well, it was easy to be completely lost in the story. The twists and turns in the book are unexpected, reminding me of running through the narrow streets of London. In fact, one particular twist at the end is so surprising, I had to read the passage twice!

Tiki is a very likeable character, sometimes making wrong decisions but always with good intentions. Rieker, another thief, is mysterious, handsome and a little bit dangerous. The attraction between these two is obvious as the banter goes back and forth easily. Do we trust Rieker? Should we? 

Overall, The Faerie Ring is a wonderful mix of fantasy, rebellion and mystery. I loved reading every moment of this book! 

Rating: 10, One of the Best

Author Interview with Kiki Hamilton!

Kimberly- Thank you so much for stopping by Kiki!

Kiki- Thanks so much for inviting me over to your blog!

What inspired you to become a writer? 

I’ve always loved to write but I was so busy with work and my family and life that I didn’t make the time to write. Then I read Harry Potter. (I didn’t actually start Harry Potter until the Goblet of Fire came out… I read books 1-4 in a week.) I’d forgotten the magic of a well-told story. The magic of becoming the characters in a book and experiencing their adventures. I loved Harry Potter so much that I decided I’d write a little story for my daughter and that’s when the madness all started…

What was the last book you read?  

I read REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly recently and enjoyed that.

What sparked the idea of your book? 

I’ve always loved the idea of things not being what they seem. That other dimensions or worlds exist side by side with our own, just beyond our ken; that the scope of our world is more than just the three dimensions that we are able to easily comprehend.

At the same time, I'm intrigued by the past, by our history, by what may have occurred that might not have been formally documented for future generations. The untold story, if you will. And I am particularly fascinated with those untold stories that have a thread of documented fact woven through them, hich makes the reader question whether they are reading fiction or nonfiction. A story that makes the reader say... "What if..."

How did you choose the setting and time for your novel, which takes place in London 1871? (Do you have a time machine?) 

Victorian London is a mysterious and magical time in history.  It is an era of great change, great technological advances, yet at the same time, beliefs in the occult remained strong.  Additionally, the era offers a startling dichotomy between the classes and the way people lived, providing a great gap of motivations. 

What are your favorite things about Tiki? 

I like how loyal Tiki is – that she will stand up for and take care of people even when it’s frightening or difficult.

I’m a little in love with Rieker. Is he real?  

LOL, don’t we wish? That’s the fun of being a writer – you can create exactly what you want. But no, Rieker is not based on a real person.

Are you sure? 

LOL – You never know. I’ll let you know if I run into him in crowded railway station one day. J

What was the biggest challenge writing your novel? 

Actually, there wasn’t any great challenge. I wrote the story I wanted to read and it just fell out of my head onto the page.  I wrote THE FAERIE RING in 30 days.  Editorial revisions, however, took a bit longer. ;-}

How do you like your potato? 

Boiled, mushed with lots of butter

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be? 

I’ve been in business for many years.  Right now, I also work at a financial advisory firm.

Do you have a favorite literary character? 

I LOVED Eugenides in Megan Whalen Turner’s THE THIEF series. And of course, I love Harry Potter and the Weasley twins…

What do you do when you’re not writing? 

Clean the house, mow, walk the dog, grocery shop, cook dinner, laundry, haul the kid around….you know – the usual. But I also like to play the guitar, ski, play tennis, I paint occasionally and stuff like that.

What is one thing you would tell aspiring writers? 

Never, EVER give up.

What is your next book about and when is it coming out? 

Stay tuned!

Thank you again Kiki for stopping by! 

You can visit Kiki Hamilton here and follow her on twitter @kikihamilton

Shelf Candy Saturday!!! (8)

Thanks to Five Alarm Book Reviews for hosting Shelf Candy every Saturday! 
My Saturdays are a lot more fun because of it!

This week, my Shelf Candy is:

Book Review: Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Title: Going Too Far

Author: Jennifer Echols

Publisher: Pocket Books/MTV Books

Publication Date: March 2009

Genre: Young Adult Realistic Romance

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Winter Wishlist- Week Two!

It's the Winter Wishlist!
Hosted by Read Now Sleep Later!

This week: Write about Books or Bookish Things that you would love to give!

Book Review: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Title: Perfect Chemistry

Author: Simone Elkeles

Publisher:Walker & Company

Publication Date: December 2008

Genre: Young Adult Realitic Fiction/Romance

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

TGIF at G Reads! (6)

Thanks to G Reads! for hosting! And TGIF!
This week's question is: Book to Movie: Which book turn movie do you feel did the best adaptation? What about the worst?

There are so many wonderful and awful adaptations of books to film. How to choose?!

***Romance Report*** Book Review: How To Knit A Love Song by Rachael Herron

Title: How To Knit A Love Song (Cypress Hollow Yarn #1)

Author: Rachael Herron

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: March 2010

Genre: Romance/Knit Lit

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

Winter Wishlist- Week One!

It's the Winter Wishlist!
Hosted by Read Now Sleep Later!
This week: write about Books or Bookish Things that you would love to get.

Book Review: The Postmortal by Drew Magery

Title: The Postmortal

Author: Drew Magery

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: August 2011

Genre: Adult Fiction

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Shelf Candy Saturday!!! (7)

Thanks to Five Alarm Book Reviews for hosting Shelf Candy every Saturday!


This week, my Shelf Candy is:

TGIF at G Reads! (5)

 

Thanks to G Reads! for hosting! And TGIF!

The question this week: Writing Reviews 101: What's your process for writing book reviews? Any tips or suggestions you would recommend to other bloggers?

Book Review: Dead Kid Detective Agency by Evan Munday

Title: The Dead Kid Detective Agency

Author: Evan Munday

Publisher: Ecw Press

Published: September 2011

Genre: Young Reader Mystery

Series or Stand Alone: Series