Thursday, July 28, 2011

Review & Giveaway: Left Neglected by Lisa Genova (Blog Tour)



Title: Left Neglected
Author: Lisa Genova
Available: Now
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction












Synopsis via Goodreads:


Sarah Nickerson is like any other career-driven supermom in Welmont, the affluent Boston suburb where she leads a hectic but charmed life with her husband Bob, faithful nanny, and three children—Lucy, Charlie, and nine-month-old Linus. 

Between recruiting the best and brightest minds as the vice president of human resources at Berkley Consulting; shuttling the kids to soccer, day care, and piano lessons; convincing her son's teacher that he may not, in fact, have ADD; and making it home in time for dinner, it's a wonder this over-scheduled, over-achieving Harvard graduate has time to breathe.

A self-confessed balloon about to burst, Sarah miraculously manages every minute of her life like an air traffic controller. Until one fateful day, while driving to work and trying to make a phone call, she looks away from the road for one second too long. In the blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her jam-packed life come to a screeching halt. 

A traumatic brain injury completely erases the left side of her world, and for once, Sarah relinquishes control to those around her, including her formerly absent mother. Without the ability to even floss her own teeth, she struggles to find answers about her past and her uncertain future. 

Now, as she wills herself to regain her independence and heal, Sarah must learn that her real destiny—her new, true life—may in fact lie far from the world of conference calls and spreadsheets. And that a happiness and peace greater than all the success in the world is close within reach, if only she slows down long enough to notice.



My thoughts:


Having read and loved Lisa Genova’s debut novel, Still Alice, I jumped at the chance to read her newest release now available in paperback! While I don’t feel I connected with Left Neglected quite the way I did with Still Alice, I still found Sarah’s story engrossing and informative. 


Sarah goes from an overachieving mother of three, to a woman oblivious to all things on the left because of her choice to use a cell phone while driving. Now she is facing an unknown future. She could overcome the little known about disorder, Left Neglect, or spend the rest of her life having to remind herself to “scan left” and to take in the entire room. 


I enjoyed Sarah’s voice. She was a very sarcastic main character and managed to make light of many situations that would have easily reduced me to tears. She also has three children who just warmed my heart. There is a side story happening involving her oldest son, Charlie, and a possible case of ADD that leads to some amazing scenes between him and Sarah. There is also husband Bob who I really liked. I felt his emotions and reactions to the changes in their lives, as well as the reactions of their children, were very believable. I liked that they reacted exactly how I expect your average family would when faced with a similar crisis.


After Sarah's accident her mother becomes a part of her life again. Sarah is bitter and angry over events in their past that seemed to have led to almost an estrangement between the two. The interaction between Sarah and her mother causes this book to become so much more than a story of simply healing physically. There are emotional scars here like you wouldn’t believe! It gives the plot quite a bit of depth and prevents it from becoming weighed down by the medical side of things.


Having read so many mixed reviews of, Left Neglected, I was worried going in. Thankfully this was unfounded because I truly enjoyed the time I spent reading. While it didn’t pack the emotional punch of Still Alice, it was still an intense and heart wrenching (sometimes heartwarming) story of survival and adapting to a new way of living. 


I would definitely recommend Left Neglected especially if the topic of traumatic brain injuries touches you on a personal level, or if you’re just fascinated by the workings of the human mind. Lisa Genova has a real gift for story telling, and I look forward to more novels from her in the future.


My Rating:


Lisa Genova on the web:


Giveaway Details:

I have one copy of Left Neglected up for grabs courtesy of Gallery Books!
Open to residents of the U.S
Leave a comment with a way to contact you to enter (email/Twitter/etc)
Ends August 5th

Source: Provided by publisher in exchange for my review
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Waiting On Wednesday - July 27th

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from,Breaking The Spine

This week I’m waiting on,

Ward Against Death
by Melanie Card
Available August 2011
Synopsis via Goodreads

Twenty-year-old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.

But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.

However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a nobleman’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…


Why I’m “waiting on” this book? I totally dig books with male main characters and necromancers. This sounds like a fun one :)

What are you waiting on?



Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Review: Solstice by P. J. Hoover


Title: Solstice
Series: ?
Author: P.J. Hoover
Available: Now
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Dystopian/Fantasy/Mythology












Description from P.J. Hoover’s website:


Where Mythology and Dystopia meet...

Piper’s world is dying. Global warming kills every living thing on Earth, and each day brings hotter temperatures and heat bubbles which threaten to destroy humanity. Amid this Global Heating Crisis, Piper lives with her mother who suffocates her more than the chaotic climate. When her mother is called away to meet the father Piper has been running from her entire life, Piper seizes an opportunity for freedom.

But when Piper discovers a world of mythology she never knew existed, she realizes her world is not the only one in crisis. While Gods battle for control of the Underworld, Piper's life spirals into turmoil, and she struggles to find answers to secrets kept from her since birth. And though she’s drawn to her classmate Shayne, he may be more than he claims. Piper has to choose whom she can trust and how she can save the people she loves even if it means the end of everything she’s ever known.



My thoughts:


P.J. Hoover has created a frightening dystopian world, and paired it with a plot full of fascinating mythological elements. It is unlike any other dystopian or fantasy novel I have ever read. This is a book that readers will have trouble putting down. You will find yourself craving the same answers Piper is searching for and unable to stop reading until you discover them alongside her.


Not only is the world in Solstice wonderfully developed, although a little nightmare inducing, but the characters are top notch. Piper is a protagonist that I liked even though I was a little put off by the initial bitching about her mom. Blame it on the mom in me. We never want to think we’re smothering our kids ;) As the plot progresses Piper’s bitching quickly becomes justified, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her because of the isolation her mother seemed content to keep her in. A little rebellion on Piper’s part is only expected. Plus mom was acting kinda creepy at times.


Over the course of Solstice there are also two boys competing for Piper’s affections. Reese who is much more aggressive about what he wants, and Shayne who seems content to let Piper set the pace. I’m usually all about the bad boys, but Reese scared the bejesus out of me! As I read I discovered this was for a very good reason. Love triangle? Yes. Typical YA love triangle? Not even close! 


The writing in Solstice was also absolutely wonderful. The author did such an excellent job of painting a picture in this reader’s mind of the different places Piper was seeing and experiencing. It was so easy to conjure an image of Solstice’s backdrop, and most definitely heightened my reading experience.


I really loved Solstice and totally recommend it to fans of dystopian, fantasy or books with mythological elements. I look forward to seeing more from P.J. Hoover in the future! Solstice does contain scenes that might be a little mature or frightening for younger teens. 


My Rating:


P.J. Hoover on the web:

Website | Blog | Twitter  | Facebook


Follow the Solstice Blog Tour:


Sunday, July 24, 2011

Reviews & Giveaway x 3 - Forever Historical Romance Blog Tour




Series: Children of the Mist #3
Author: Paula Quinn
Available: Now
Reading Level: Adult

My thoughts: 

This is a series I absolutely adore. After literally devouring the first two books in the matter of days, the long wait for Connor and Mairi’s story was torture, but oh so worth it. Paula Quinn’s writing stayed true to the swoon worthy romances I’d enjoyed so much in the first two books of this series, Ravished by a Highlander and Seduced by a Highlander. I adored the main characters, and also enjoyed the secondary characters immensely. The plot also featured a nice mix of mystery and political intrigue. I don’t usually enjoy political elements, but it works well in this series without being overwhelming. The ending was stellar and has left me pining for Colin’s story. This is an author and series you don’t want to miss!

Books in this series:

Ravished by a HighlanderSeduced by a Highlander (Children of the Mist)Tamed by a Highlander




Series: The Daughter’s of Erin #3
Author: Laurel McKee
Available: Now
Reading Level: Adult

My thoughts:

I had difficulties getting into Lady of Seduction initially simply because I hadn’t read the two earlier books in this series. It was apparent main characters, Grant and Caroline, had a tempestuous history I was not privy to. The author did try to highlight events from earlier books, but unfortunately I found I did myself a serious disservice by diving into this series with the final book. This was in no way the fault of the author. Thankfully the amazingly developed characters and beautifully creepy setting caught my interest and kept me reading. This was another historical romance with a healthy dose of political intrigue and seriously troublesome villains. It also featured a very passionate romance with some very erotic scenes. Not what I usually expect from this genre, but it worked perfectly to highlight the intensity of Grant and Caroline’s connection. I’d wholeheartedly recommend this series, but please read in order. You’ll thank me later ;)

Books in this series:

Countess of Scandal (The Daughters of Erin)Duchess of Sin (Daughters of Erin)Lady of Seduction (Daughters of Erin)


Series: Highland Warriors #2
Author: Sue-Ellen Welfonder
Available: 8/1/11
Reading Level: Adult

My thoughts:

Temptation of a Highland Scoundrel takes us back to the beautiful Glen of Many Legends. I fell in love with the world Sue-Ellen Welfonder created when this series debuted earlier this year. In the first book of this trilogy the sisters of the chieftains of three rival clans vow to woo and marry a man from the rival clan to help keep peace in their lands. This installment explores the unconventional romance of Kendrew Mackintosh and Isobel Cameron. Both are unlike any character I’ve encountered in the historical romance genre. Kendrew portrays himself as quite the mad man until the lovely Isobel gets under his skin. I truly admired Isobel’s moxie and go get ‘em attitude. This is a romance for anyone who enjoys watching two stubborn and strong-willed individuals losing themselves to love.

My absolute favorite thing about this trilogy is it features not only knee weakening romances, but also an intriguing mix of legends and ghost stories.  I can’t resist the pull to a book set in a beautiful historical setting when it is paired with a healthy dose of fantasy. Sue-Ellen Welfonder’s fascinating trilogy is just that!

Books in this series:

Sins of a Highland Devil (Highland Warriors 1)Temptation of a Highland Scoundrel (Highland Warriors 2)

Giveaway Details:

I also have 3 sets of Tamed by a Highlander, Lady of Seduction, and Temptation of a Highland Scoundrel up for grabs courtesy of Hachette Book Group.

Open to residents of the U.S & Canada
No P.O boxes please
Leave a comment with a way to contact you (Email, Twitter, etc) to enter
Ends August 1st

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Author Guest Post: Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman - Sirenz Blog Tour






It's Launch Time!

Sirenz was released into the wild on June 8—but we waited until July to have our launch party, which took place on July 14, 2011—and it was a BLAST! We had a few extra special tricks up OUR toga for this celebration. Here's what happened...

5:45PM. Everything's in place:



The books — 100+ copies...



Mauricio delivers the cake (and gets ambushed by fans!)...


Buddy's team at Carlo's Bakery did a fantastic job on our cake. It looks JUST LIKE the book—only it tastes better!


 The prizes are lined up and ready to go to the lucky winners. What was in those baskets anyway? We had a Meg basket, a Shar basket, A Sirenz basket, and an Elevensies basket with books and swag from other 2011 debut authors. WOW!



3... 2... 1... It's 6PM—LAUNCH TIME!


 Can you believe this? We couldn't!


 Look who showed up to make sure we behaved ourselves—and to see if he could make some new deals... HADES!



 We're signing as fast as we can!


It was so cool to see so many new and familiar faces—here we are with Co-bloggers Suzi Ryan and Suzy Ismail! Check out their amazing blog, A Tale of Two Suzis (http://www.ataleoftwosuzies.blogspot.com) !



Let them eat cake!



We hope that everyone who came to our launch had a great time—we did! Thanks to everyone—friends, family, authors, bloggers and readers—who came and showed their support, and for those who were there in spirit too! Mendham Books is a fab indie bookshop that hosted our launch party and they were AWESOME! Indie book stores LOVE authors—support them!

Special thanks to Darlene Fraulo and Suzi Ryan for the use of their photos :)

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Waiting On Wednesday - July 20th

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from, Breaking The Spine

This week I’m waiting on,

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick
by Joe Schreiber
Available: October 2011
Synopsis via Goodreads

Ferris Bueller meets La Femme Nikita in this funny, action-packed young adult novel. 

It’s prom night—and Perry just wants to stick to his own plan and finally play a much anticipated gig with his band in the Big Apple. But when his mother makes him take Gobija Zaksauskas—their quiet, geeky Lithuanian exchange student—to the prom, he never expects that his ordinary high school guy life will soon turn on its head. Perry finds that Gobi is on a mission, and Perry has no other choice but to go along for a reckless ride through Manhattan’s concrete grid with a trained assassin in Dad’s red Jag. 

Infused with capers, car chases, heists, hits, henchmen, and even a bear fight, this story mixes romance, comedy, and tragedy in a true teen coming-of-age adventure—and it’s not over until it’s “au revoir.”

Why I’m “waiting on” this book? I saw this one at ALA and seriously regret not asking if they had an ARC. The title itself is fantastic, and when I got home and had a chance to read the synopsis, I knew this was a book I had to read. Ferris Bueller? Might be showing my age, but enough said!

What are you “waiting on” this week?

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Into The Past with Alex Epstein - The Circle Cast Blog Tour (& A Giveaway)


Alex Epstein, author of The Circle Cast, is here to discuss what books his past self would recommend at ages 5, 11, 16 and 20.



Age 5

Where the Wild Things Are
I’ve always loved this book. I might be able to recite it from memory. I’ve probably read it to my daughter, Jesse, a hundred times.

The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge
I’ve never been able to get Jesse to sit still for this one. And reading it now, it seems like a hard read for a kid. But when I ran across it in a bookstore, I suddenly realized I was crying.

The Little Engine That Could
Do I even have to explain this?

The Jungle Book
Just So Stories
I think my dad read me The Jungle Book. I prefer the Just-So Stories. I choke up every time I read “The Cat That Walked by Himself.” Unfortunately it’s the last one in the book, and Jesse insists I read the book in order, so I never get to read it to her. These books are magic at any age.

Age 11

The Sword in the Stone, The Once and Future King, The Book of Merlyn by TH White.
The Black Arrow, by Robert Louis Stevenson

I remember when I was a little older than 5, my dad used to read to me out of the T. H. White books about King Arthur. They obviously stuck in my head, since here I am with my own Arthur book. I’m pretty sure I would have reread them on my own when I was a little older. Swords! Sorcery! Knights! Eleven sounds about right.

Age 16

The Shockwave Rider, The Sheep Look Up, Stand on Zanzibar, by John Brunner
Stranger in a Strange Land, I Will Fear No Evil, Time Enough for Love, by Robert Heinlein
Foundation, Foundation & Empire, Second Foundation, by Isaac Asimov
The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien
Liddell Hart, A History of the Great War
In the Shadow of Man, by Jane Goodall

I real a lot of science fiction when I was a teenager. I loved the big fat books by Robert Heinlein, with their epic sweep and their rather naughty sexual behavior. (In Time Enough for Love, at one point, a character sleeps with his differently-gendered clone.) I loved John Brunner’s books about the future of society. Stand on Zanzibar was about what happens when the world’s population gets out of control. The Sheep Look Up is about what happens when people can change jobs and identities without trouble. The Shockwave Rider is about a hacker on the run in a future where everyone has access to a sort of planet-wide network of computers and information – a sort of world-wide web, if you will.

I wouldn’t recommend the Asimov books now. I care more about characters now. At the time, I liked the big sweep of epic future history books. He can’t write characters worth a damn, though. If I were giving me then books from now, I’d give me Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash, not to mention his Baroque trilogy. Also Vernor Vinge and Charlies Stross (but not the Merchant Princes series). Also Tim Powers.

I also read histories about Napoleon and the Persian Wars and the great sweep of real actual history. There’s a bit of that in The Circle Cast -- the Saxon invasion, and Morgan’s effort to unite Ireland. But it’s more a background to her struggle to choose her own path between love and magic. I wish I could have read Jared Diamond’s books Guns, Germs & Steel and Collapse then; they would have blown my mind. Also, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus.

Age 20

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A Moveable Feast; The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas; Picasso by Gertrude Stein
My Life and Loves, Frank Harris
Memoirs, Casanova
Ulysses, by James Joyce
Graves, The White Goddess
Fraser, The Golden Bough
Eliot, The Wasteland
Ezra Pound, Translations
Rimbaud, Illuminations
Frank O’Hara poems (“The Day Lady Died”; “A True Account of Talking to the Sun on Fire Island”)
Rainer Maria Rilke, poems

In college I was on a Modernist kick. I also read a lot of poems. I’d taken a semester off Yale to hang around Columbia and take creative writing courses, which were not offered at Yale. I spent most of my free time in an intense Platonic relationship with my ex-girlfriend, Lisa, which was all about Paris in the 1920’s. She dumped me, but I went to Paris after university anyway.

(That led to film school, which led to becoming a professional screenwriter.
Then 14 years later, she emailed me, and we wound up getting married after all.)

If I were recommending books to me at 20 now, I would hook me up with Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series of graphic novels; also his American Gods and Neverwhere. I’d give me anything by Malcolm Gladwell. I’d tell me to check out Margot Adler’s Drawing Down the Moon, and Starhawk’s Spiral Dance, from both of which I learned about Wicca. Almost anything by Ernle Bradford, but especially Ulysses Found. Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia). In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch. Understanding Comics and Making Comics by Scott McCloud.

Of course I could have read any of these at 16, too, if I didn’t have a science fiction book handy…

I’m forgetting tons of great books here. Fortunately, I’m starting to put my library on LibraryThing – check it out here: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/AlexEpstein


Thanks for stopping by and sharing your book picks, Alex!


Giveaway Details:

4 e-books will be up for grabs over the course of the blog tour. 
1 winner will be chosen each week.
Follow The Circle Cast Blog Tour & comment for your chance to win!


Friday, July 15, 2011

Review & Giveaway: How to Seduce a Scoundrel by Vicky Dreiling


Title: How to Seduce a Scoundrel
Series: Book #2
Author: Vicky Dreiling
Available: Now
Genre: Historical Romance
Reading Level: Adult
ISBN: 9780446565387
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing









Description via Goodreads:

When Lady Julianne Gatewick realizes the rake of her dreams thinks of her as practically his sister, she decides it's time to get even. The charming Marc Darcett, Earl of Hawkfield, is every lady's fantasy, but he's determined to evade virgins and their matrimonial traps - especially his best friend's sister.



Hawk reluctantly agrees to be Julianne's guardian for the season, but he's having trouble resisting his gorgeous ward. Worse still, she's taunting him by flirting with every scoundrel in London - and he's sworn to protect her! Certain she's learned her tricks from the authoress of that scandalous publication "The Secrets of Seduction", Hawk sets out to uncover the writer's identity. But he never expects to find the formerly angelic Julianne behind the mask - and between his sheets.



My thoughts:


After reading and falling in love with Vicky Dreiling’s debut novel, How to Marry a Duke, I couldn’t wait for her next release. Having become familiar with main characters, Julianne and Hawk, over the course of the first book, I was eager to see the direction the author took with their forbidden romance.


Julianne is younger and more naive than what I’m used to in a historical romance main character. I think this really showcased her role as the younger, and sometimes coddled, sibling of a very overprotective older brother. As a reader, I appreciated how much room this gave her to grow. I did enjoy her strong and stubborn nature. I have difficulty relating to female character who err on the side of weak minded, and was thrilled Julianne was anything but. I really grew to adore her over the course of the novel, and felt having her write a sinful pamphlet advising others on how to land a man suited her mischievous nature perfectly.


As for love interest Hawk, I don’t think he is a character all readers will enjoy. He was completely blind to Julianne’s feelings, and inadvertently hurt her on numerous occasions. Having spent his life looking at her as his best friend’s little sister, seeing her as a grown (and beautiful) woman was an adjustment. For me, I truly enjoyed watching him reform from Hawk the notorious rake to the man he becomes at the conclusion of the novel. I thought the chemistry between him and Julianne was spot on. There was very little about this couple I didn’t enjoy.


Hawk’s aunt Hester was probably the highlight of How to Seduce a Scoundrel. Her eccentricities and advice for the young women seeking a husband were priceless. Novels need more characters like her. She made me laugh out loud on more occasions than I can count. I just loved her!


Aside from enjoyable characters, the storyline of this novel was a good one. I enjoyed watching “The Secret of Seductions” form from initial idea until the upheaval its publication causes. I love how fresh and unique Vicky Dreiling’s ideas are. It really makes this series something special. She also has such a fun writing style, and I love the wit that encases her dialogue. She really gives historical romance a fun and feisty edge!


Vicky Dreiling’s series is a must read for all fans of historical romance! While How to Seduce a Scoundrel can easily be read on its own, I highly recommend reading the series in order. 


My Rating:


Books in this series:

How to Marry a DukeHow to Seduce a Scoundrel


Vicky Dreiling on the web:


Giveaway:

I have 3 copies of How to Seduce a Scoundrel up for grabs courtesy of Hachette Book Group!

To enter please leave a comment with a way to contact you (email, Twitter, etc.)
Open to residents of the U.S & Canada
No P.O Boxes please
Book ships directly from publisher
Ends 7/22


FYI: Vicky will be signing at Katy Budget Books in Houston, Texas on July 30th with Sophie Jordan. Anyone thinking of attending? I’m going to try my best!