Top Ten Tuesday: Vol. 2

It's TUESDAY! You know what that means! Another Top Ten Tuesday! This week's Top Ten is focusing on Series...some of my favorites..from duos, trilogies, quartets, and series that are already up into the double digits.  With these, I have absolutely zero commitment issues, and dive in head first! These are in no particular order, and the order does not reflect my level of adoration for these series...other than the fact that I love them all equally and think they are fantastically awesome!

TOP TEN SERIES

1.) The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

2.) Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling

3.) Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy - Lani Taylor

4.) A Song of Ice and Fire - George R.R. Martin

5.) Lord of the Rings Trilogy - J.R.R. Tolkein

6.) Lexy Cooper Mysteries - Christa Charter

7.) The Sandman - Neil Gaiman

8.) Black Dagger Brotherhood - J.R. Ward

9.) The Wicked Years Quartet- Gregory Maguire

10.) The Giver Quartet - Lowis Lowry

What are some of your favorite series? I am always looking for more series to dive into.  Those series that I love that didn't make this particular list include: 

The Dwellers Saga - David Estes

House of Night - P.C. Cast

Anita Blake Series - Laurell K. Hamilton

The Fever Series - Karen Marie Moning

And countless others that I cannot even call to memory that I've read and re-read multiple times. 

FIRE COUNTRY'S 1ST BIRTHDAY BASH!!!!!!!!

Today, Fire Country by David Estes turns one year old.

In the first year  since Fire Country was born, so much has happened. David signed with an agent, sold more than 10,000 books, wrote five more books and  published a further three). He knew he just had to celebrate and he'd love for you to  be a part of it! David owes so much of his support to the blogger community, and he wants everyone to have the chance to be a part of the Fire Country Birthday  Bash.

Everyone goes home a winner, simply follow the prompts below and swipe your eCopy of Fire Country from Smashwords. Read and leave a review on Amazon if you enjoyed it. Feel free to share the code with your friends, family, neighbours and literary inclined pets.

Fire Country on Smashwords.com

Coupon Code: WH62C
Expiration: March 1, 2014

What's  a party without prizes? Yes, David is not only giving everyone a chance  to download their own copy of Fire Country, book one in the Country  Saga for free, but he's also giving you stuff too. You could win an  Amazon giftcard open internationally, U.S residents can win a signed  copy of the David Estes book of your choice, or a handful of David Estes  eBooks of your choice. Awesome.

Visit David via: his Blog • Facebook • Twitter • and via Goodreads
Pay Perry the Prickler a visit on Twitter and Goodreads'

(SINCERE APOLOGIES: Rafflecopter code not transferring properly.)

What's On My Kindle? Vampires, Werewolves & Coyotes! Oh My!

Welcome to the eighth installment of What's On My Kindle?

What exactly is What's On My Kindle?  This is my own little thing that I am going to be getting out every Sunday.  Within this post I'll list a few of the books that are currently on my TBR list on my Kindle.  Some are freebies (or were when I bought them), and others I paid for with gift cards, or had a few spare bucks to spend on a book.
All of them, I fully intend on getting to, at some point (and taking a massive chisel to my to-read list and hopefully hack it down to under 1000, again).

Vampires: Check.

Werewolves: Check.

Coyotes: Check.

Faeries: Check

Witches: Check.

Human trouble magnets: Double Check.

Barbie Doll: Check...?

Mystery Machine: Check!

Busted down old school VW Rabbit: Check.

Bad movie references: TRIPLE Check.

What do all these things on my list have in common? They are all parts and pieces that make up the world created by Patricia Briggs in the Mercedes Thompson and Alpha and Omega series.  What makes Patricia Briggs so special? Well, for one she is an author who actually listens to her fan base.

This story is true, and it is something that had happened with my roommate's husband and one of her books had come out, and was not text-to-speech enabled for Kindle.  An email was written to Patricia Briggs, and within twenty-four hours there was a response waiting in his inbox for him saying that the decision to not allow the book to be text-to-speech was her publisher's decision and ultimately she would be having words with her publisher for making one of her books not text-to-speech enabled.  Within two hours, there was an update to that particular book available from Amazon, and since then all of her books when purchased as e-book have been text-to-speech, which is a plus for him and those who like to read while doing multiple things (like cooking). Especially for him, as he's blind and uses the text-to-speech to read.

Patricia has other series, and we have I think one or two books.  But, she's also done several short stories that fall into the worlds she has created.

The books that make up the Mercedes Thompson Series are:
1. Moon Called
2. Blood Bound
3. Iron Kissed
4. Bone Crossed
5. Silver Borne
6. River Marked
7. Frost Burned

The books that make up the Alpha & Omega Series are:
1. Alpha & Omega (Novella)
2. Cry Wolf
3. Hunting Ground
4. Fair Game

I've read all eleven of these books, and I adore them.  She is definitely a very, very good paranormal fantasy writer and I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a new paranormal/fantasy writer to get into.  You will get sucked in, and you will enjoy it!

What are some of your favorite paranormal fantasy authors?

What's on My Kindle? - The Mortal Instruments

Welcome to the fifth installment of What's On My Kindle?

What exactly is What's On My Kindle?  This is my own little thing that I am going to be getting out every Sunday.  Within this post I'll list a few of the books that are currently on my TBR list on my Kindle.  Some are freebies (or were when I bought them), and others I paid for with gift cards, or had a few spare bucks to spend on a book.

All of them, I fully intend on getting to, at some point (and taking a massive chisel to my to-read list and hopefully hack it down to under 1000, again).

I am crazy for YA Series, and this one ranks amongst my top ten YA series.  The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare will be the next book to movie series, that will be turning up in theaters soon. 

This series at the moment has five books in it, and the sixth book is currently in the works and slated for publication in 2014.  I've not read books two through five yet, but they are definitely on my TBR list at the moment and I'm delighting in getting back to the series.  Here are the titles and a bit of a blurb on them, blurbs taken from Goodreads.

1. City of Bones: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

I will probably begin reading this one toward the end of the year, I'll re-read it before I read further into the series because it's been a little over a year since I last read this book. 

2. City of Ashes: Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

This one, I am definitely looking forward to, to see how Cassandra Clare progresses her series and I know several people who are greatly invested in this series and highly recommend this series.

3. City of Glass: To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

Again, I've met people who love this book and who hate it.  I love hearing from other people before I read  books, but ultimately I do not let their opinion impair my own opinion of the books that I read because I don't need anything coloring my reviews.  

4. City of Fallen Angels: The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And - most importantly of all - she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

The end of the Motal War - always a good thing right?! I mean really, and the best part is - Clary can finally call Jase her boyfriend.  YAY for love! Love is awesome! Isn't it? But there is always, always a price. 

5. City of Lost Souls: What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Love has its price.  Finally together, and yet torn apart, when they meet again Jase is now a servant of evil.  However, can he be freed without the ruining of Clary's brother Sebastian?  Even still, is there anyway that Clary can trust Jace again?  Again, mixed reviews on this book, so ultimately when I get to it, we will see how things progress and if I'll enjoy it as much as some of my friends have. 

6. City of Heavenly Fire: Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

2014! That is the publication date of this sixth and final installment of this series.  Already people are anxiously awaiting the conclusion, to see if the Nephilim will be able to destroy and rid the Shadowhunter world of the greatest evil they have ever faced, Sebastian. Nailbiter to be certain.

This series is definitely on my TBR list and one of those that I'm giving into the hype to dip my toes into the waters of yet another fandom! 

What's On My Kindle? - Episode 1

Welcome to the first edition of What's On My Kindle?

What exactly is What's On My Kindle? This is my own little thing that I am going to be getting out every Saturday or Sunday (depending on what the evil thing known as RL does to me).  Within this post I'll list a few of the books that are currently on my TBR list on my Kindle.  Some are freebies (or were when I bought them), and others I paid for with gift cards, or had a few spare bucks to spend on a book.

All of them, I fully intend on getting to, at some point (and taking a massive chisel to my to-read list and hopefully hack it down to under 1000, again).

The books that I'm featuring today are all by the epic YA author David Estes.  Two of his series, are my favorites, and an anthology that I will be reading as well that has stories by several phenomonal YAauthors, most of which I've read at least something by.  I encourage you to check out David Estes if you love YA books!

THE MOON DWELLERS - First book in David Estes second series, YA Dystopian.  In a desperate attempt to escape destruction decades earlier, humankind was forced underground, into the depths of the earth, creating a new society called the Tri-Realms.  In this series we meet Adele, a seventeen-year-old middle class member of the Moon Dwellers, who is sentenced to life in prison for her parents crimes of treason.

THE STAR DWELLERS - Second book in the Dweller's Saga by David Estes.  This series is his second series, and definitely a great read.  If you love YA Dystopian, then this series is for you.  Adele, after rescuing her father and younger sister, is forced to leave her family and Tristan behind to find her mother.

THE SUN DWELLERS - Third book in the Dwellers Saga by David Estes.  YA Dystopian novel.  In this book, Adele must embark on a secret mission to the Sun Realm to assassinate the president, and uncover secrets about her relationship with Tristan that she is not yet ready to face.

FURTHERMORE - An anthology of stories from YA authors Rebekah Campbell, David Estes, Amber Garr, Karen Amanda Hooper, Stephanie Judice, and Leigh Michael.  A first date, a lottery, treachery and deceit.  Eighteen original stories will take you through worlds here and beyond, depths of the earth and the embrace of the sea.  Proceeds from the sale of this Anthology go to cancer research and support.

ARCHANGEL EVOLUTION - Third book in the Evolution series by David Estes.  This series gives us a new look on the way that angels and demons were created.  While Taylor is getting used to her evolution, the Archangel Council has uncovered a bold new secret, on that will allow them to finally defeat the demons.  I highly recommend this series if you love YA paranormal.ANGEL EVOLUTION, DEMON EVOLUTION

Cover Reveal: Determinant by A.M. Hargrove

Alright ladies and gentlemen.  You've seen my feature on the Guardians of Vesturon, well, there is a new book coming out in that series, book three! Determinant, and it will be coming out at the end of this month, June 30, 2012! YAY! So, onto the reason we are here...the revealing of the COVER of Determinant! YAY!

• Series: Guardians of Vesturon
• Genre: YA Paranormal Romance (with Sci-Fi Element)
• Heat: HOT!

Isn't that an awesome cover?! I mean really?

Determinant blurb: January St. Davis, on her own since the age of sixteen and struggling to stay in college, thinks she’s scored in a major way when she lands a paid summer internship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.  One evening, after working an especially long shift, a chance encouter with a group of mysterious men alters the course of her life.  

Rykerian Yarrister, a Guardian of Vesturon with unearthly powers and impossibly gorgeous looks, finds himself at odds over the human female he recently saved from certain death.  When it seems he is on the verge of winning her over, she is ripped from his hands by a strange and powerful being, threatening to destroy her if his demands are not met.

Do Rykerian and the Guardians have the ability to meet this fierce barbarian’s ultimatums, or will January suffer a horrid demise?

Excerpt of Determinant

I was lost in the events of the day and the amount of work I had and I was still nursing my wounded ego as I headed out of the lab.  As I made my way down the corridor, I noticed six men advancing toward me. 

It wasn’t their actions I noticed so much or even the way they walked.  And though it was an oddity for them to even be here at all, it was their attire that captured my attention.  They were dressed identically, in an extreme fashion, much like members of a gang or secret society.  Large and muscular, they wore black vests and their bare arms were almost completely tattooed with tribal symbols of a sort.  Metal bands criss-crossed their chests and their legs were tightly encased in leather.  Knee high boots and black gloves finished off their ensembles. 

As I neared them I felt my flesh tingle and the hairs on the back of my neck come to attention.  Gooseflesh erupted and alarms started clanging in my head.  I sucked in my breath and as I did, my eyes connected with the apparent leader.  I say this because he was in the front of the formation as they plodded along.

Time stood still as our eyes connected.  His were an uncanny shade, lavender with hints of indigo and specks of silver.  It was a hue I was unfamiliar with but they were intriguing and fascinating.  The alarms were still ringing in my ears and the air felt electrically charged around us. 

“Halt!”

I turned into stone.  I couldn’t move a muscle.  He cocked his head as his eyes bore into mine. 

“Breathe!”

I distinctly heard his command in my mind and I was helpless to disobey him.  I felt myself take a deep cleansing breath.  I questioned him with my eyes.  He flicked his head toward his men and they stepped back several feet.

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

I was confused by the demanding questions swirling in my brain but felt compelled to answer him.  I had never used mind reading to communicate, but I was sure he would hear my answer.

“I’m January St. Davis.  I’m here working on an internship for college credit.”

“You are human?” he asked with incredulity.

I wasn’t sure what he meant by that.  Why would he want to know if I was human?  What a ridiculous question!

ABOUT A.M. HARGROVE

One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn't do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life.  So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase.  Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodgeball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head.  Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what lap top out the window.   She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone and hit #4 on her speed dial.

A.M.’s Boss:  Hello.

        A.M:  Hey Boss, I'm calling to let you know you can pick up my luxury Ford Focus at Starbucks near the interstate.

A.M.’s Boss:  Why ever would I want to do that?

A.M.:  Because I quit!

                            A.M. hit the end button and speed dialed her husband.

A.M.:  Hey hubs, can you pick me up at Starbucks?

A.M.’s Hubs:  Sure...having some car trouble?

A.M.:  Not at all.  I don't have a car to have trouble with because I just quit my job.

A.M.’s Hubs:  WHAT?!

A.M.:  It's time for a new career and I am going to be a very famous novelist.

So began A. M. Hargrove's career as a young adult paranormal romance author of self-published ebooks.  Her series, The Guardians of Vesturon, centers around a family of six siblings and is a mix of humor, mystery, suspense and of course, love.  Survival and Resurrection are her first and second full length novels, and Beginnings is her prequel novella to the series.  Determinant, her third in the series will be released 6/30/12.

(It didn’t really happen like that, but you get the idea!)

WHERE YOU CAN FIND DETERMINANT AND A.M. HARGROVE

Amazon: http://amzn.to/I5RCcQ

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/Lg7mJm

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/JwH3yf

iTunes: http://bit.ly/uChmR3

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=a+m+hargrove

A.M. Hargrove's Blog: http://www.amhargrove.blogspot.com

Website: htttp://www.amhargrove.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anne.m.hargrove

Facebook: http//:www.facebook.com/guardiansofvesturon

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amhargrove1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5338829.A_M_Hargrove

Goodreads Fan Club: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/71364-a-m-hargrove-s-fan-club

This stop on the Determinant Cover Reveal Blog Tour was made possible by the A.M. Hargrove Fan club on Goodreads.com.  I am glad I got a chance to participate and highly recommend this series to any and all YA book lovers.  

Review: Moon Spun (Unbidden Magic #3) by Marilee Brothers

Title:  Moon Spun (Unbidden Magic #3)
Author:   Marilee Brothers
Rating:  4/5

Summary: Beck is healing a new girl.  Junior and his entourage are back from Mexico.  Mom is now dating Principal Hostetler.  Tri-Marks are still a menace and the pendant has revealed even more mind-boggling powers.  Allie Emerson’s life as the Girl Voted Least Likely To Save The World From Evil has gone from Weird to Super-Charged Super-Weird, and the rollercoaster ride of weirdness is not over yet.  Enter the mysterious Ryker, who can turn himself into a hawk btw, divulges that Allie is a faery princess and destined to be his bride.  Wait, what?! Yeah.  Oh yeah, and the faery land, Boundless, is dealing with a threat bigger than the Tri-Marks and Allie and Ryker gotta save it.


Review:  This one is just as compelling as the first two in the series, but this one has a flavor all its own.  It picks up shortly after where Moon Rise left off, summertime is here and the faeries are out to play.  Beck is in Seattle and with his departure Junior returns.  However, we also have mysterious boy number three, Ryker, who is now after Allie’s heart.

The threat in this book, thankfully is not the Tri-Marks, but in a whole new world, the Faerie Land of Boundless.  Allie’s grandmother needs her help to free the faeries of the forest from the prison they’ve been in for years.  There is a changling who wants to return to Boundless, and oh yeah, if Allie goes to Boundless, the land of her grandmother, she may never be able to return to her home.  Sounds good right?!  We learn more about her heritage in this book, her grandmother is a faerie queen, and her father has a mysterious heritage as well.

Another well written installment to this series, and kudos to Ms. Brothers for creating such a wonderful world and delightful characters – that I adore! Also, I do have to feel for Allie, I mean, the boys keep coming out of the woodworks to woo and protect her regardless of what she wants.  Allie would be just peachy settling down and being a normal teen, but that isn’t in her cards.  I love that we get this glimpse into her grandmother’s world and what it means for Allie’s future.  I love how she is further coming into her own as she bargains and stands up for what she wants.  I am more than ready for the next book in the series to see what twists and turns Allie comes across and if any more woo and protect hotties come out of the woodworks.


If you have any questions, comments or recommendations you can contact me at simplicity.kindreth@gmail.com
My reviews can be found here:
http://www.caedyslibrary.blogspot.com
http://www.tumblr.com/caedy
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/caesreviews

Review: Moon Rise (Unbidden Magic #2) by Marilee Brothers

Title:  Moon Rise
Author:  Marilee Brothers
Rating: 4/5

Summary:  Allie’s powers have taken a hike, she can no longer read people’s minds and move things by looking at them.  Junior is gone off to Mexico to become a soap opera star (not something I’m thrilled with), however, Allie’s got enough to worry about.  The evil Tri-marks are closing in, wanting to grab the moonstone necklace while she is helpless, the Starseekers need her more than ever, and there is a new guy in Allie’s life that is ready and willing to fight her battles.  Oh yeah, and new hottie is a demon, always a plus right?


Review:  This was an exciting follow up to Moonstone, and a wonderful continuation of Allie’s story in the Unbidden Magic series, however, my one pet peeve is that Junior got shipped away to Mexico.  Sadness there.  However, that sadness faded away at the introduction of the new hottie on the block, this story is filled with twists and turns that are prevalent on every page and it was hard to put down once I started it.  Allie is starting to learn more about her powers, but much like her mother Faye, her grandfather will reveal nothing of what he knows, and she also has the potential to reveal secrets about her mother’s past.

Allie’s grown up quite a bit in this one, she’s growing stronger and more mature as the story goes on, and the timid Allie has been left behind.  Brothers did a fantastic job growing her up in this second book, allowing her to become a strong equal in the war of good versus evil.   Also, I truly enjoyed the introduction of some new faces Beck and Nicole, the twins.  The mixture of a nun and a succubus, with some Shaman training, that is the yummy Beck.  I also liked the inclusion of Grandfather Claude in the mix, however, saddened that he may not be around much longer, and it did annoy me that he is as closed mouthed as Faye. 

There were some questions I had about Allie and Beck’s relationship and not understanding the reason for the “pretending” of boyfriend/girlfriend when they were clearly both into each other.  Perhaps there was something more along the lines of Allie’s age, as she’s only fifteen and Brother’s is skirting the line for a more realistic setting.  The message sent to young adults by having innocents discovering the opposite sex for the first time. 

I do look forward to reading more installments of this series, this book is definitely one I would recommend along with the first, because with this series, if you do not read them in order you will miss out on important information.


If you have any questions, comments or recommendations you can contact me at simplicity.kindreth@gmail.com
My reviews can be found here:
http://www.caedyslibrary.blogspot.com
http://www.tumblr.com/caedy
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/caesreviews

Review: Moonstone (Unbidden Magic #1)

Title:  Moonstone (Unbidden Magic #1)
Author:  Marilee Brothers
Rating: 4/5

Summary:  Allie lives in Peakcock Flats, Washington with her mom.  Every day life has the typical filler of every fifteen-year-old’s life: high school bullies, snarky drama queens, bad-guy dudes with charming smiles.  Oh, Allie also has this prophecy to live up to about saving the world from evil.  Her psychic abilities are jump started by an electrical jolt from a TV antenna which brings forth a hippy-dippy guardian angel and the gift of an incredible moonstone pendant from the town “witch,” who just happens to be Allie Emerson’s next door neighbor. 


Review:  The story starts off a touch strange, but it quickly becomes exciting and more suspenseful as you progress.  Kudos to Marilee Brothers on her first attempt, and as a self published book there are a few flaws, but that is to be expected, and they did not bother me too much, except for the failure to set the ‘rules” so to speak for the many magical talents Allie is now in possession of by the end of the book. 

Allie’s powers are telekinetic and they are amplified by the moonstone pendant that she is given by her eccentric neighbor, however, there are others that want the pendant as well, and now Allie’s world is filled with quite a bit more than your average high school drama, she has now started her part in the age old battle between good and evil, however she isn’t sure who she can trust. 

The characters are pretty well developed, and they are the type you can either love or hate.  Allie just wants a normal life, and actually wants her powers to go away when they first manifest themselves.  She is also more grown up than her mother Faye, who you just want to shake and smack some sense into.  Junior is the local bad boy, former gang member and now trying to right his wrongs and keep himself out of trouble.  I love the interaction between Allie and Junior and the potential for a budding relationship is so strong, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.

If you have any questions, comments or recommendations you can contact me at simplicity.kindreth@gmail.com
My reviews can be found here:
http://www.caedyslibrary.blogspot.com
http://www.tumblr.com/caedy
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/caesreviews

Series Sunday: We Love Them

Series.  Everyone loves a good one, as much as we love a good stand alone novel.  There are so many that have stood the test of time, been turned into major motion pictures, and some that have fallen into obscurity.  I have my favorites, and I'm sure that everyone out there has their own personal favorites.  These are the books that we fall back on time and time again when we need to find something for "comfort" reading or simply to revisit the worlds that we have fallen in love with.

I have fallen in love with The Witches of Eileanan series by Kate Forsyth.  I was originally turned on to this series a couple of years ago by a good friend and I now own all six books of the series, simply because I borrowed the first one from her!

• The Witches of Eileanan  
• The Pool of Two Moons  
• The Cursed Towers
• The Forbidden Land
• The Skull of the World
• The Fathomless Caves

One of the other series that I'd been given as a gift was the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.  I was initially given book four, Drums of Autumn for my sixteenth birthday by my aunt.  I loved it, it's got elements that I absolutely love in a good story: romance, time travel and historical events.  

• Outlander
• Dragonfly in Amber
• Voyager
• Drums of Autumn
• The Fiery Cross
• A Breath of Snow and Ashes
• An Echo in the Bone

There are also so many urban fantasy, vampire, werewolf and classic series that I love, and there are some that I just never started reading (please do not throw stones, I will eventually get into them at some point). What got me on a series kick for today, I'm not sure, but I have a feeling it may have something to do with one of the past episodes of Laser and Sword where they had been talking about series and the time between books, since the last book in the Wheel of Time series is due to come out in the next year or so.  That would be one of the series that I never actually started reading, but I know some who have gotten into it and loved it all the way through, and there are some like Veronica from Laser and Sword who stopped at book four.  

Urban Fantasy series that are my favorites are the Alpha and Omega series and the Mercedes Thompson series both by Patricia Briggs.  I've also fallen in love with the Iron Fae series by Julie Kagawa.  Some of the classic series that I love are Tolkins Lord of the Rings series, and I even loved the movies.  I also love some of the more popular trilogies and series such as Fifty Shades, The Hunger Games, Wings, and Artemis Fowl.

What are some of your favorite series?

Author Read and Review Corner

Alright, so through various groups that I am part of on Goodreads, I have come across some epic books that I've been given a chance to review by the author.  Today's blog post will feature a handful of books by various authors that I've been given the pleasure of reading their books.

Alright, are you ready for a showcase of four fantastic books?  I know I am! So, let's get started.

First book on the list, is A Story not Wished to be Read by Nicola Black.  This is a collection of poetry and is actually quite good, nothing about it ruffled my feathers like some poetry is known to do.  My review was short, but this is by far a four star book, and one that will keep you thinking long after you've read through this short collection.  Review: A Story not Wished to be Read by Nicola Black.

Now, from poetry we venture off into some Dreadful Beginnings, which is the first in the Penny Dreadful series by Marty Shaw.  This book is cute, and I'm looking forward to reading more about Penny and Dr. H. as the series progresses.  Epic book here.  I mean you've got a teenage heroine with pink highlights, strange and mysterious Doctor (complete with nifty and mysterious suitcase of epic demon slaying things), and Penny's new "company car" is a hearse! Review: Dreadful Beginnings by Marty Shaw

From a teenage demon slayer and the strange Dr. H we go to the story of Heather Robbins who has finally escaped her hometown and is beginning her freshman year of college, her own apartment, and so much more, but wait, it's all been a dream?  Spending time in a coma, Heather has created this life in a dream.  She must now press forward and begin finding out the truth, but will she lose all that she has fallen in love with when she finally finds it? Review: Reflection by Jessica Roberts

From dreams created in a coma patient to the New England Immortals, see, I told you this would be a unique and entertaining venture going all over the place!  Andrea Dayla is heading off to college, leaving her Uncle behind, and heading to the town of Hanover, however little does she know that the stories her Uncle has been telling her have been truthful, and not just superstitious nonsense. She meets Shane Brennen and falls in love, but being a teenager and being in love is only half of it right?  Something has to go horribly wrong doesn't it?  Yup, turns out Andrea is only one in a long line of immortal vampire hunters - wait doesn't that mean she has to kill her boyfriend? Just great! Review: Believe by E. Leighanne Grimm-Weever

All of these books are among my favorites and I will definitely be looking for more books in each of these series (save for the poetry book because it isn't in a series).  I've fallen in love with these characters as we are all inclined to do when we get our hands on a good book.  Take a look at all of these books and you will hopefully fall in love with them as well.

Tuesdays: Galley Galore

I've gotten some awesome galley copies of novels from Netgalley.com and while I am not allowed yet to post some of the reviews that I've done (due to it being too early), I am going to share a couple each Tuesday, and will be doing special features for those books that I can't yet review come time to showcase their reviews.  This blog is going to be short, and merely direct you to the reviews because I've got an update coming out as well with some give away winners in it.

Review: Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer

Review: Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
Review: Turquoise: A Love Story by Ayshe Talay Ongan

Review: Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer

Title:  Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony
Author:  Eoin Colfer
Rating: 4/5

I received a copy of this from the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, via netgalley.com for an honest review.  My thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Summary:  The fifth book in the Artemis Fowl series and another of my favorites.  This series does not seem to ever disappoint me.  Once again, Artemis will have to pair up with his old comrade, Captain Holly Short, to track down the missing demon and rescue him, before the time spell dissolves completely and the lost demon colony returns violently to Earth.  That’s all I’m sayin’ in my summary. 


Review:  Alright, so we have the fairy folk who moved underground to keep their world safe and secret from humans right?  Then we have the demons, who flat out refuse to join the fairy folk underground. Instead, these wonderful demonic creatures decide to move their whole island to another dimension.  Yup! Demons got it good, lets hop dimensions to keep our secret world safe from humans! This will work.  Failure on their part.

They are now stuck in Limbo! Such a wonderful place to be! Ain’t it? Especially when you are stuck there indefinitely…with nowhere else to go, right? No, something bad is bound to happen and it does of course, the spell weakened and now we are getting demons in present time – yup, always a good thing to have demons popping up in the present and causing demonic mischief and such!

Though, Artemis’ first attempt to capture one of the demons that come through is thwarted.  Someone got their first, leaving our hero flabbergasted, because that demon was supposed to be “his.” Oh, and did I mention it is a 12 year old GIRL that keeps Artemis on his toes.  She’s very pretty, and a French genius, her name is Minerva Paradizo. 

Will Artemis and his friends be able to save the world from destruction (again)?


If you have any questions, comments or recommendations you can contact me at simplicity.kindreth@gmail.com
My reviews can be found here:
http://caedmoneries.wordpress.com
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Sexy Saturday: Adult Content Ahead

Disclaimer: Today's topic is going to be of an adult theme.  We are touching on Erotica.  Sex and romance and more sex.  As you all know I read lots of things and this is no exception.  So, if talking sex makes you uncomfortable, today's entries and reviews are not for you. You've been warned.

Let's Talk About Sex - Salt-N-Pepa (C) 1991 

SEX!

Alright! That's today's topic.  Or rather today's topic is erotic literature.  Harlequin novels, things of that nature.  Though, truth be told I really can't stand Harlequin novels (though one of my favorite series is published through their Teen division so I can't complain too much).  "Mommy porn," "smut," "erotica," "romance," and so many other descriptive words can describe literary works with this particular theme.  I mean there are published novels that have soft-core scenes in them, there are novels that have hardcore themes in them.  You can find fetish novels and I'm fairly certain that you can find an erotica novel concerning any little thing that makes your body crave that mindblowing orgasm!

Today's theme will include five reviews, the entire Fifty Shades series as well as two other erotica pieces that I've read recently.  Four of these reviews are examples of good erotica the fifth one, not so much.  It was horrid and painful, and truth be told I've heard better in some old '70's porn they were that bad.

What do you look for when you seek out an erotic novel to tickle your senses? Do you have a favorite author you turn to? A particular theme or do you just reach for any particular erotic story?  Does the cover image of an erotic novel help in your decision to read it?

For me, when I turn to erotica, I want something that is going to spark my imagination - the naughty part of it.  I want something that is going to inspire me to be a bit creative, and I also look for a good story.  Something with character development intertwined with the sex, something with description.  Yes, I have a vivid imagination, but I want to know what the author's imagination has come up with.  Sometimes I do look at the cover art, but honestly, if I can't find some sort of spark in me by reading the first paragraph or so of the story I won't read it just may save it for another time when I want something to merely kill time.

Now, to review erotica, that is a completely different story, because it can be a touch tricky, at least for me it can be.  This is what I look for when I venture into reviewing the erotica that I read:

1. Is there some form of character development? 
2. Is there enough description to keep me reading?
3. Can I move past the cheesy lines to actually enjoy the story? 
4. Could I picture myself in the lead female's position?
5. Is there a sense of reality to this story? 
6. Did it spark my imagination, did it do what it was supposed to? 
7. Does this book have the potential to be pulled off the shelves at the library? (such as the case of the Fifty Shades series by E.L. James.)

If it meets all of these then I am likely to give it a fairly high rating.  If it falls short of the mark on a few things then I'm likely to give it a rating somewhere in the middle.  If I can't get past the cheesy lines in the story or I can't simply get into it or I end the novel feeling cold, then I'm likely to give it a low rating.  

If I can't find anything to read on my Kindle, or anything decent in physical book I do venture to an erotic literature site online, Literotica.com.  Here you can find everything from poetry to multiple part novels that will cater to every little whim of your sexual fancy! 

Reviews

Review: Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Review: Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

Review: Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James

Review: Take Control: Erotica Romance Short Story by Marion Francis
Review: Coveting My Neighbors Wife by Epic Sex Stories