My Reads of the Week: A Double Header!

So, as you can see, I'm trying to play catch up with some great books that were recently published by some of my favorite authors. One is on audio, (did I mention that I just LOVE Audible!), and the other is a hardback. Read on my friends!

Title: Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse series, Book #11)
Author: Charlaine Harris
ISBN: 0441020313

*Image courtesy of Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:

"With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit - and the twisted motive for the attack. But her attention is divided. Though she can't 'read' vampires, Sookie knows her lover Eric Northman and his 'child' Pam well - and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human - and that there is a new Queen on the board . . ."

I am so excited to be reading this book. I have loved the Sookie Stackhouse series for several years and couldn't WAIT for Dead Reckoning to come out! This will be sure to tide me over until season 4 of True Blood premieres on HBO in June!

Title: The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide
Author: Stephanie Meyer
ISBN: 0316043125

*Image courtesy of Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:

"This must-have hardcover edition--the only official guide--is the definitive encyclopedic reference to the Twilight Saga and provides readers with everything they need to further explore the unforgettable world Stephenie Meyer created in Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. With exclusive new material, character profiles, genealogical charts, maps, extensive cross-references, and much more, this comprehensive handbook is essential for every Twilight Saga fan."

I'm about a quarter into the guide and have already discovered all sorts of interesting facts and backstory details about many of the Twilight characters. If you are a fan of the Twilight Saga, you will definitely want to read this guide!

Happy Reading,
Crystal

My Read of the Week: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I'm a sucker for romance & all things vintage, so I am looking forward to reading Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants this week on my Kindle, which just happens to also be adapted for a film that comes out this Friday (which I hope to go see). While I normally don't like to see a film based on a novel that I haven't read, this one looks to be very promising, not to mention that it stars the gorgeous Mr. Robert Pattinson (**swoons**) and the lovely Reese Witherspoon!

Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants centers on the love and lives of a young man training to be a veterinarian and a gorgeous circus performer married to the circus' leader.

*Image courtesy of Amazon

Goodreads relays the synopsis for this particular novel (ISBN 1565125606):

"Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.

Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival."

I am very excited about reading Water for Elephants and seeing how it compares to the film! I especially can't wait to see the costuming and wardrobes of the era used in the movie!

My read of the week: Isolde: Queen of the Western Isle, Tristan and Isolde series

My read for this week is Rosalind Miles' Isolde: Queen of the Western Isle, book #1 of the Tristan and Isolde series. I have only read just a few chapters and I'm already in love with this book. Anyone who is a fan of medievil history and mythology will love this book, as the love story of Tristan and Isolde is truly heartbreaking but beautiful.

*Image courtesy of Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

"In the golden time of Arthur and Guenevere, the Island of the West shines like an emerald in the sea—one of the last strongholds of Goddess-worship and Mother-right. Isolde is the only daughter and heiress of Ireland’s great ruling queen, a lady as passionate in battle as she is in love. La Belle Isolde, like her mother, is famed for her beauty, but she is a healer instead of a warrior, “of all surgeons, the best among the isles.” A natural peacemaker, Isolde is struggling to save Ireland from a war waged by her dangerously reckless mother. The Queen is influenced by her lover, Sir Marhaus, who urges her to invade neighboring Cornwall and claim it for her own, a foolhardy move Isolde is determined to prevent. But she is unable to stop them. King Mark of Cornwall sends forth his own champion to do battle with the Irish—Sir Tristan of Lyonesse—a young, untested knight with a mysterious past. A member of the Round Table, Tristan has returned to the land of his birth after many years in exile, only to face Ireland’s fiercest champion in combat. When he lies victorious but near death on the field of battle, Tristan knows that his only hope of survival lies to the West. He must be taken to Ireland to be healed, but he must go in disguise—for if the Queen finds out who killed her beloved, he will follow Marhaus into the spirit world. His men smuggle him into the Queen’s fort at Dubh Lein, and beg the princess to save him."

"From this first meeting of star-crossed lovers, an epic story unfolds. Isolde’s skill and beauty impress Tristan’s uncle, King Mark of Cornwall, and—knowing nothing of her love for Tristan—he decides to make her his queen, a match her mother encourages as a way to bind their lands under one rule. Tristan and Isolde find themselves caught in the crosscurrents of fate, as Isolde is forced to marry a man she does not love. Taking pity on her daughter, the Queen gives her an elixir that will create in her a passion for King Mark and ensure that their love will last until death. But on the voyage to Ireland, Tristan and Isolde drink the love potion by accident, sealing their already perilous love forever."

Happy reading!
Crystal

I want Wednesday...

Just a few items on my wish-list that I find myself wanting today...

A North Electric early candlestick telephone from Collectors Weekly

Vivien of Holloway swing trousers from Polyvore

Vintage sailor pencil cotton dress from Chic Star

Hand carved wooden Rockabilly shoes with cherries and red leather straps from Crafts Hawaii Inc.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith, Quirk Classics

What lovely items are you craving lately? Do share!

XOXO, Crystal

My read of the week: Succubus Shadows by Richelle Mead

This week I continued my Georgina Kincaid kick by starting Succubus Shadows, (ISBN 9780758232007), book #5 of the Georgina Kincaid series by Richelle Mead.

*Image courtesy of Kensington Publishing Corp. & Richelle Mead

Succubus Shadows picks up with Georgina helping her best friend Maddy plan a wedding to Seth, and Georgina is none too happy to be talked into serving as a brides maid when the love of her life is marrying another woman, but Georgina continues to hold her tongue and remain silent throughout the ordeal. Meanwhile, Georgina has to adapt to having Roman as a roommate in their new condo, all while there is definitely still something there between them, though Georgina can't really figure out what exactly that is yet. There's also yet another new succubus in town who seems to be putting the moves on Seth, though he seems uninterested at the moment, though that doesn't dissuade the new succubus from trying to steal a piece of his soul. Lastly, Georgina seems to yet again be at the center of a troubling, yet inviting euphoria that calls to her in her most desperate and lonely states, promising to take her away from all the problems of the world and into one that is nothing but safety and love and comfort. Try as she might, Georgina just can't seem to avoid the pull of the siren song, and it may just cost her everything she has and then some.

I can't wait to finish this book, which I am sure will be just as wonderful as the others in the series. The next novel, Succubus Revealed, comes out in August 2011. Although I am very excited to read book #6 of the installment, it is somewhat of a bittersweet love, since it will conclude the Georgina Kincaid series.

Happy Reading, Crystal

My read of the week: The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks

I am absolutely infatuated with historical fiction. There's just something about the complex characters that are usually included in the work and the simple ways of life back then. I am especially fond of Renaissance, Victorian, American Civil War, WWI and WWII fiction. It doesn't necessarily have to be a romance novel, as I typically like any historical fiction novel so long as it has a good back story and is written well. Because I am such a big fan of Margaret Mitchell, Alexandria Ripley, Donald McCaig, and Charles Frazier, I was excited to read Robert Hick's The Widow of the South and I am sure it will be a great read!

The Widow of the South (ISBN 0446697435) tells a true, researched story of a woman named Carrie who lives in the deep south during and after the Battle of Franklin in the American Civil War. The novel tells of how thousands of soldiers were killed near her plantation and she becomes the caretaker of a cemetery solely dedicated to the fallen soldiers. The story flashes back to the aftermath of the battle and Carrie's struggles during the war, when her home is transformed from a plantation into a Confederate army hospital. The novel centers around her life, trials and tribulations during the battle, including the feelings and passion stirred within her heart by one wounded soldier.

This novel sounded wonderful and I can't wait to read it!

Happy reading, Crystal

My read of the week: Succubus Heat by Richelle Mead

I love fantasy fiction and Richelle Mead's Georgina Kincaid series certainly fits the bill!

This week I began reading Succubus Blues, (ISBN 9780758231994), book #4 of the Georgina Kincaid series by Richelle Mead. I previously read her Vampire Academy series and thought I'd give this series a try a few months ago, and I was not disappointed!

Georgina Kincaid is a succubus who sold her soul thousands of years ago in order to escape the pain of a ruined marriage. She now lives in the Seattle area and works at a local bookstore, moonlighting as a succubus in her off hours and stealing pieces of a person's soul through intimate contact in order to meet her quota for Hell. She tries desperately to live a normal life as much as possible, but that's sometimes hard to do when you're an immortal and friends with vampires, angels, incubuses, imps, demons, nephilim, and the like. This series consistently finds Georgina at the very center of an immortal crisis, where she has to help save the day in each new book. If you enjoy romance, fantasy, humorous wit, and a little mystery in your reads, you will love the Georgina Kincaid series!


*Image courtesy of Kensington Publishing Corp. & Richelle Mead

Happy reading, Crystal

My read of the week

I am an avid reader. I constantly search for the next good read and can go through MANY books in a month. I am not really picky as to my genres of books that I read, and like several different categories including: thrillers, sci-fi, chick lit, paranormal, classic literature, steampunk, fantasy, historical fiction and non-fiction, autobiographies, and even young adult fiction.

Some of my most favorite authors, in no particular order, include: Philippa Gregory, Charlaine Harris, Richelle Mead, Rachel Caine, P.C. Cast, Stephanie Meyer, Seth Graham-Smith, MaryJanice Davidson, Lauren Kate, Steve Hockensmith, Christopher Paolini, Anne Rice, Margaret Mitchell, Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, any of the Bronte sisters, Nicholas Sparks, Gigi Levangie-Grazer, Kate Chopin, Edgar Allan Poe, Ernest Hemingway, Alyson Noel, Donald McCaig, and DeeAnne Gist.

Reading is my ultimate hobby and my stress outlet. When I read a book, I can get lost in the language and travel to another world. It's no lie that I have tons and tons of books, both printed and electronic (I love my Kindle!), and love the Goodreads site that I'm a member of and the Paper Back Swap club that I belong to.



So, to share with you my current read for this week, I have started Robert Goolrick's A Reliable Wife, (ISBN 9781565129771). This novel follows the lives of a well-to-do older gentleman in the early 19th century who places an ad for a reliable wife, one that is demure and god-fearing. What he doesn't know, is that she has a hidden agenda which includes marrying the man and killing him inconspicuously, all to become a wealthy widow. However, what she doesn't know is that he has a plan all of his own and their lives become intertwined as they both never dreamed.



I am very excited to read this book and hope it will be as wonderful as it sounds!

Cheers, Crystal