The Mortal Instruments: Should you go see it?

Image Source

Hello Lovelies! 

Are you still wondering whether or not it is worth going to the theater to see The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones? 

Well read this and see how you feel. 

If you have not read the books you CAN read the below review, I believe I have left out the spoilers.

Last night I went to see The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones with my younger sister. I have read 4 of the Mortal Instruments books and she has yet to pick them, so I figured it would be interesting to have her take on the movie and mine, seeing that they would be very different.




So you have read them, what will you think?
Having read the books, I think the main plot points are all there but there was a lot of explanations left out that are needed to understand a lot of the content. For example, I don't think they ever address what a Stele is or a the Seraph Blades and their importance and how they work. Hodge's character is just as strange as in the books but his back story isn't told at all -- he is just said to "not get out much" or something along those lines.

I think they did a great job with casting but felt that in my head Luke was buffer.... just a thought. Overall I found it to be pretty good but was not overly impressed. The sets where wonderful and captivating but they overtook a lot of the content I feel.

Mmmmmm Jace.... Image Source

So you have read them yet but want to see it, how will that go?

Cecilia, who hasn't read the books, thought it was great and loved the story but thought it was confusing with the whole Instruments explanation (or lack there of): Why are they important? What are they? (Were a few of her questions.) She was curious about why people were acting certain ways because of the lack of back story and wanted to know what the "glowy stick" was when they were etching runes into themselves and what the deal was with Shadowhunters and Werewolves versus demons. What are the Accords? 
 
Given all that, we are going to the bookstore today to buy a copy for her to read, I can only hope the movie hasn't completely tainted it for her, that would suck.

So there you have it: As a book lover, I would suggest reading it first if you haven't and if you have read it, it is still up to you. It was a god showing but it was a really long book (hardcover is 485 pages) and to pack all that into 130 minutes would be a challenge for any book/movie adaptation. 

Here is the Trailer if you have been living under a rock and haven't seen it:

Would you like book reviews?

 Here is a link to short reviews for books 1-3 in the Mortal Instruments series.

ARC August Update #3

 

Hello Readers! 

I have been keeping track of my updates on my original post but decided it would be nice to have update posts throughout as well. But you can keep track as I go at that link :)

So during the Third Week of August I have completed -- 

1 Audiobook ARC and ...that's it :( -- Total is up to 5

 

Covers go to Goodreads 

Gated by Amy Christine Parker -- 3 Stars - wasn't on my list but still an ARC right?!!

but I also got 46% into...

Weather Witch by Shannon Delany -- and it was a DNF :/
I really tried to get into it and really wanted to like it but no such luck. Oh well. (DNF review up this weekend)

This week I am going to try to do better than this past one and my goal is: Wicked Kiss (again bc I didn't get to it) and maybe Eternity Cure and then that will be my required list... here is hoping!

Update #1
Update #2 

Have you been participating? Link and Comment below and I will come visit you!

-Steph- 

Recent Reads: Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Gated by Amy Christine Parker
Publisher: Random House Audio, Listening Library
Available: Now! August 6th, 2013 

 

Source: Random House Audio for Review
Format: Audiobook

My rating:



Goodreads Synopsis:

She thought the evil lived outside the walls. She was wrong.

Amy Christine Parker's deliciously chilling prose creates a fast-paced, nerve-fraying contemporary thriller that questions loyalties and twists truths.

In the Community, life seems perfect. Lyla Hamilton believes she is one of the chosen. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Pioneer invited her family to join the Community and escape the evil in the world. They've thrived under his strict, charismatic leadership. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.
Will is her Intended.
The end of the world is near.

Pioneer has visions of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must prepare to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the Silo, the underground shelter where the Community will wait out the apocalypse.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but a chance encounter with an unchosen boy has her questioning Pioneer, the Community--everything. She needs time to figure out the truth. But with Pioneer's deadline for the end of days fast approaching, time is the one thing she doesn't have.

Read a Sample Here!

Review: Gated is an interesting story about a girl names Lyla who lives with a group called the Community. They live outside of cities and towns and off the land and are preparing for the very worst, the end of days. They are the chosen ones and Pioneer their leader has ben preparing them for the doom of the planet.

Lyla and her family move in with the Community after her sister is kidnapped and her parents start to mistrust the world outside. Pioneer gave them their salvation, a remote world where they will live and prosper and the wicked world will die.

I have to admit that I was not a fan of this story in the beginning. I have trouble with people that do not question things and follow the herd so to speak. So in the beginning Lyla was annoying and I could not relate to her at all… I didn’t like her and I didn’t like the cult atmosphere.

I think the turning point for me was when she does begin to question how she lives, and that comes about when a boy from the outside enters her community and she starts to fall for him and seeing the cracks in the Community’s plan and preparations.

The chapters all began with quotes, from Pioneer her leader, the Bible, and other notorious cult leaders. These were interesting and set up each of the chapters more than I realized. I though they were an interesting snippet.

Like I said, Lyla, I wasn’t really a huge fan of in the beginning, but she did seem to grow on me the stronger she got as an individual breaking away from the beliefs of the Community.

I finished the book pretty quickly all things considered and it was enjoyable and entertaining. I would recommend for those with and interest in cults (there was a good amount of research doe to portray this group I felt), and for those that enjoy a good internal struggle in characters (because this is a big one).


View all my reviews

Recent Reads: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Available: Now!

 

Source: Won a long time ago :)
Format: Audiobook


My rating:


Goodreads Synopsis:

In Clockwork Princess, Tessa and her companions travel all over the world as they race to stop the clockwork army before it’s too late. As Jem’s health worsens alarmingly and his friends search desperately for a cure, can Tessa choose between the two boys she loves—even if it means never seeing the other one again?

Review: Clockwork Princess starts us off right where Clockwork Prince left us. Tessa, Jem and Will are still at it and forming greater bonds while the Magister is still on the run and in hiding. The Magister still wants Tessa as his weapon against the Shadowhunters but no one is sure why.

The story starts off with a recap and a bang and the plot takes off from there, at 13 CDs I never thought I would make it through them, but oh my this book was such an emotional rollercoaster! I am not even sure how to put it into words, and honestly I can’t because I would spoil everything.

We have known about Jem’s health from the first book and in this one it is so bad, I found myself getting upset at the mention of him name because I thought he was going to die in every scene.

Will is just as stubborn as always but trying to be better about loving the people around him without being too much of a dick and now he is tormented by his sisters presence as well.

The Magister is a tricky man and that becomes all the more clear as this plot thickens and his infernal devices are just that and more.

I really liked the tie-ins between this series and the Mortal Instruments series (most of which are at the end), they made me happy and even more interested in the previous series and I may go back and re-read knowing the things I do now. I found this to be a wonderful book, but it definitely took a toll on my emotions and you should be prepared to go through all of your emotions while reading or listening to this book.


Oh and I heart Magnus Bane so much! He is such a wonderful and interesting character thrown into everything.

Interested in the Series? Here are Amazon links and Reivews

Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices #1) Review

 Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2) Review

View all my reviews

Blog Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway! -- Lucky Phoo by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon

Lucky Phoo by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon

Genre: Children’s Mid Grade
Publisher: Imajin Books
Date of Publication: August 1, 2013

Number of pages: 109
Word Count: 43,000
Cover Artist: Ryan Doan

imajinbooks.com, amazon.com, luckyphoo.com and www.staciadeutsch.com

About the Book

Seventh grade best friends, Caylie Jiang-Kahn, Lauren Blindell, and Sabrina Robinson have busy middle school lives.

Sabrina wants to make a movie about their friendship, but a stray dog shows up and ruins the day. In frustration, Lauren curses, “Oh Phooey.” The name sticks. The crazy mutt will forever be named Phoo.

Sabrina pieces together bits of the footage she shot. She highlights Phoo’s silly antics and puts the video up on a movie contest website.

The video goes viral and suddenly, Lauren, Caylie, and Sabrina are celebrities at school. When a volunteer at the dog shelter sees the film, she assumes the dog belongs to the girls and calls them to come collect Phoo.

The girls arrange to take turns caring for Phoo until he can be adopted.

While sharing Phoo, Caylie, Sabrina and Lauren begin to notice that if the dog is around, lucky things seem to happen. The moment he’s gone…the luck disappears.

When they all need the dog’s magic at the same time, it’s up to the girls to decide once and for all: Is Phoo truly a lucky dog?

Review blurbs for LUCKY PHOO

“With punchy dialogue and a fast moving pace, LUCKY PHOO takes readers on a wild adventure as three friends try to share fostering duties of a lovable stray dog.” —Marianne Mitchell, author of FIREBUG

“Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon are two very best friends who write books together, which is very lucky for their readers. You’ll want to share LUCKY PHOO with all your friends, too!” —Jennifer J. Stewart, author of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF A THIRD WORLD KIND, Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award List; Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award List; Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award List

"LUCKY PHOO is a great story about friendship, love and responsibility--Phoo, the lucky dog who wanders into Sabrina's, Caylie's and Lauren's world is indeed  lucky--although maybe not as lucky as these girls whose life he changes." —Terry Trueman, Printz Honor Author of STUCK IN NEUTRAL

"Okay, full disclosure: I LOVE good, strong, dog stories--Lucky Phoo is precisely one of those!" —Terry Trueman, Printz Honor Author of STUCK IN NEUTRAL

Mrs. Salinas was ready to go. “So if you girls are sure you can’t take him any longer, I’ll just head on over to the van―” She took a few steps forward then turned back to the girls. “You’re sure you can’t foster him any longer?”

“I can’t,” Sabrina said, her voice tight and sad.

“Not me,” Lauren confirmed.

“I might be able to squeeze out another weekend,” Caylie said, “but we’d be back here on Monday.”

“Right,” Mrs. Salinas said. “And at least this way he has a chance of getting adopted in Fresno.”

She took a few more steps towards the van. The rain, to Lauren, seemed to be coming down harder. The drops blended in with her tears now. And looking at Caylie and Sabrina, Lauren couldn’t tell, but was pretty sure they were crying, too.

Mrs. Salina’s stopped one more time, just at the edge of the parking lot. “It was great having him,” she said. “Wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Lauren agreed. “Great.”

“We had fun,” Caylie said.

“Fun,” Sabrina repeated the word. “Yeah. We had a good time.”

Mrs. Salinas nodded. “I thought so.” She looked down at the dog, then back at the girls. “Tell me,” she said, her voice soft, drippy like the rain. “Weren’t things better when Phoo was around?”

The remark caught Lauren off-guard. What was Mrs. Salinas talking about?

“I think she’s right,” Lauren said, turning to Caylie and Sabrina. “Things have been going better than usual for me lately.”

“You don’t think he might have some kind of powers?” Sabrina looked over at Mrs. Salinas who was now at the van, loading Phoo inside.

“Well,” Caylie said, considering.

“I think maybe,” Lauren said tentatively. “I saw this show about luck and how―” Lauren stopped herself mid-sentence when she saw Mrs. Salinas push Phoo into an empty carrying cage. His voice joined the choir of barking dogs and was the loudest of them all.

In a sudden move, the girls rushed forward to stop the truck, shouting together, “Mrs. Salinas! Wait!”

Tour Wide Giveaway

4 bracelets- US Shipping Only

1 full set of 8 titles of Blast to the Past (Blastothepast.com) US Shipping Only

1 set Smurfs Movie Novels- US Shipping Only

4 plush dogs with Lucky Phoo dog tags- US Shipping Only

3 Copies of the Lucky Phoo Ebook for download- international

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
About the Authors

Rhody Cohon wishes she could adopt a million pets! Until her house is big enough she'll pamper the few she has and help others find the perfect home.
Find Rhody at www.rhodycohon.com.

Stacia Deutsch sits at the keyboard crafting stories all day and then, plays with her own crazy, lucky, dog at night. She and her three kids live in Southern California. You can visit Stacia at www.staciadeutsch.com or on twitter at @staciadeutsch.

Find the Authors

Websites: www.staciadeutsch.com, www.rhodycohon.com

Stacia's Blog

Twitter: @staciadeutsch 

Facebook Pages: www.facebook.com/staciadeutsch  or www.facebook.com/luckyphoo to post your own pet photos and videos

Stacia's LinkedIn

Stacia's Goodreads

AuthorCentral

Recent Reads: Wrecked (Clayton Falls #3) by Alyssa Rose IVy

Wrecked by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Publisher: CreateSpace
Available: Now!

 

Source: Bought
Format: Ebook 

My rating: 


Goodreads Synopsis:

When your past catches up, it's time to stop running.

Jake Mathews messed up yet again— but this time his misstep lands him in the hospital. He wakes up to find the girl of his dreams and the memory of having his deepest secret revealed.

Emily Taylor needs a break. She's been working double shifts as a nurse just to pay the bills while trying to heal a broken heart. The last thing she needs is to fall for a patient.

Strapped with community service and the knowledge that he's disappointed everyone in his life, Jake is determined not to let Emily slip through his fingers. Emily wants Jake, but can she really open herself up to heartache again?

Review: I love this series so much. It is interesting to me that instead of a series where you have all the same characters in different progressions of the plot, these are the same location and a group of people that know each other but all are different stories. Derailed, book one, is about Molly and Ben. Veer, book two, is about Becca (Molly’s friend) and Gavin the town cop. Lastly book three, Wrecked is about Jake (Ben’s brother) and a girl named Emily. All take place in Clayton Falls and all are romantic and quick reads.

I think they are in the genre of New Adult romance and they do include some sexual content, but the non-raunchy kind. The characters are all flawed in their own ways and make the most of their situations.

In Wrecked, Jake ends up in the hospital and wakes up to a beautiful nurse who takes care of him. Obviously he falls for her, but he isn’t the type to normally settle down, as we learned in the previous books. Emily is trying to pull her life together and has not dated in a very long time and isn’t sure she wants too but Jake insists they meet up outside of the hospital.

From there, they are both thrown together on a journey of love, understanding, and growth as individuals and together. It was a really beautiful story.

My only issue is the happily ever after ending all the time, these books while so wonderful to loose yourself in are very cliché in the romance department, but they are quick and lovely reads for the lover of romance and happily ever afters.

Interested in the Series? 

Here are links to Amazon and to my Reviews :) 

Derailed (Clayton Falls #1) & Veer (Clayton Falls #2) -- Reviews Here

View all my reviews

The A to Z Survey

 

So you haven't heard of this survey yet? Well go grab it from The Perpetual Page Turner

Author you’ve read the most books from:

I am pretty sure it is AgathaChristie the queen of Mystery.

 

Best Sequel Ever:

Don't know if this counts but I love the Wicked Lovely books... all of them.

 

Currently Reading:

Weather Witch by Shannon Delany

 

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Tea or Coffee

 

E-reader or Physical Book?

Physical book, but my ereader makes things easier and I can carry a lot more with it.

 

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Hm, this is a hard one. I am not sure…Um probably Henry from the Goddess Test series. Dark and mysterious…

 

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

Recently, A Beautiful Fate. I joined a tour for it and am SO glad I did, cannot wait for the next one.

 

Hidden Gem Book:

I am a huge fan of Chuck Klosterman and Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is still one of my favorite books.

 

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

Starting my blog. I have been a big reader all my life but my husband told me to put it all online and get a hobby, so I did and this has been an awesome experience with an awesome community.

 

Just Finished:

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (It too me forever to get around to it)

 

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

I will read just about anything, but I stay away from the more religious ones the most. Then probably erotica because I read in public a good amount and can feel myself blushing :/

 

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (870pgs)

 

Major book hangover because of:

Harry Potter series (stay up til 12 for the release, go home and read the whole thing!) and the Twilight series (I know – that one is a doozy, but I wanted to get through them!)

 

Number of Bookcases You Own:

3… two short ones and one large one,  but I need more and will be getting them soon.

 

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

The Great Gatsby <3

 

Preferred Place To Read:

It is s tie: In bed with my animals snuggling or in the bathtub with loads of bubbles!

 

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

Fave book quote is: 

“It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.” 

~Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

I still get shivers reading it.

 

Reading Regret:

That there isn’t enough time to read everything that I want to. I wish I had more hours in the day.

 

Series You Started And Need To Finish (all books are out in series):

I still have not read Mockingjay in the Hunger Games series L

 

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk; Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie; Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

 

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Everything Chuck Palahniuk, writes even if it isn’t better than other things I have read.

 

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

AH! Um…I don’t know L

 

Worst Bookish Habit:

I find it hard to DNF a book, so I will read through a crappy one all the way to the end ..it doesn’t leave time for better books, but I NEED to know the ending.

 

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

My books are all packed right now, waiting to be moved into a new house hopefully soon…

 

Your latest book purchase:

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (I haven’t read it yet)

 

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

A Beautiful Fate

Building the Book Pile #62

Welcome to Building the Book Pile! 
A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Giveaways Going on NOW!        

  
Click pic to be taken to the giveaway!
Others may be linked on the right sidebar :) check them out!

  
What's Happening?!

Coming up on the Blog...

Review: Wrecked (Clayton Falls #3) by Alyssa Rose Ivy (NA)

Spotlight: Excerpt and Giveaway! Lucky Phoo  by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon (MG)
Review: Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare (YA)

Cover Reveal: Immagica by K.A. Last (YA)

 

What I got this week...

EBooks

Candy and the Cankersaur by Jason Sandberg (review up on Thursday 8/15. see link below) from Author for Review
The Dairy of Edward the Hamster 1990-1990 by Miriam Elia and Ezra Elia from Netgalley and Blue Rider Press for Review
The Cute Girl Network by MK Reed, Greg Mean, & Joe Flood from Netgalley and First Second Books
Ratgirl: Song of the Viperby Gayle Krause from Author and Xpresso Tours for Blog Tour
 
 

Audiobooks

Echo by Alyson Noel (Soul Seekers #2)

Two Boys Kissing by David Leviathan

Covers Link to Goodreads

 

Have you missed anything lately?

Last Week

ARC August Update #2Early Reader Review: Stitch Head The Pirates Eye by Guy Bass (MG)
Cece Review: The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (YA-Adult)
Review: The Wacko Academy by Faith Wilkins (YA)
Review: Candy and the Cankersaur by Jason Sandberg (Youth)

Blog Tour: Beautiful Fate by Cat Mann -- Review (NA)

  Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up post! Happy Reading!

Blog Tour: Review and Excerpt -- A Beautiful Fate by Cat Mann

Title: A Beautiful Fate (#1 Beautiful Fate Series)

Author: Cat Mann 

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance 

About the Book
Obsessive and driven by nightmares, Ava Baio is uprooted from her Chicago home after the untimely and tragic death of her loving mother. Taken across country by her antagonistic grandmother and placed as a boarding student at a school in Dana Point, California, Ava struggles with isolation and the loss of her mother and her grandfather. Faced with having left her beloved brownstone behind and attending a new school, surrounded by new faces and unfamiliar scenery, she finds herself sorting through unfamiliar and uncharted feelings with a strange and beautiful boy, Ari – a modern day Adonis. After an unconventional start to their relationship, Ava becomes intensely absorbed by her love for Ari, and with his help and the help of his family, she discovers who she really is – a Fate descended from Atropos. She learns that the Greek mythology she grew up reading is not comprised of myth after all. Ava faces constant challenges both in her relationship with Ari and with the fact that she is being hunted by six threatening and ruthless men who want nothing more than for her to die so that they can live forever. She has no choice but to stand up for those she has come to love. In doing so, she becomes something she hates, a killer. A true page-turner, A Beautiful Fate is Part one of The Beautiful Fate Series. The novel is full of suspense, romance and the allure of ancient Greece. Ava and Ari will leave the reader hoping the story will never end.

Warning: This book does contain some sexual content and is intended for a more mature reader. The more intimate scenes are not overly graphic but they are there.

 

Ave Biao is finishing her senior year of high school without parents, at a new boarding school, and having to deal with her guardian grandmother who is not the most friendly person. Tormented by dreams about her mother’s death and a pair of giant daunting scissors, she is constantly awakened in the night by her own screams and tears.

A Beautiful Fate is a New Adult paranormal romance which incorporates a modern family setting with aspects of ancient Greek lore. With a plot full of suspense, romance and history this book has a lot to give.

I flew through this book in about two sittings and it was only divided because I had to go somewhere. I absolutely loved the romance in this story, it was full of turmoil and passion. The characters were compelling and kept my attention throughout the details of the plot.

I found that the romance was a big portion of this installment, the building of relationships seemed the primary focus while the suspense fell a little short. Yes, there was a lot of moments that caused me anxiety but most had to deal with the characters and their relationships versus the plot line of good versus evil. Ava is dealing with a lot and you can feel her panic, sadness and giddiness through the writing style of the author. I loved that. Ari and Rory, the main male characters, are both great, and really there isn’t a love triangle which is so common in books within this and the YA genre.

I cannot wait until the next book is available, the plot was not left on a complete cliffhanger but there is a lot that is still going on and I am very interested in how the author takes the plot line.

Ari and I lay interwoven together in bed. I felt his hand run down the length of my back. I blinked my eyes open. It was only two in the morning.

“When is doing something you know is wrong the right thing to do?” he asked.

Snuggling deeper into his chest, I thought about his question. I knew what was worrying Ari. Could I do it, could I kill?

Everyone comes from somewhere. Some of us come from good and others from bad. The best part about life is that we have the ability to rise above the situation we find ourselves in; we are dealt certain cards, yes, but we don’t have to cheat to win. My father made the wrong choice; Andy made the right one. I hoped I would make the right ones, too. We were at war, a silent war that would not be reported on the news or told in any history books. The first battle was with ourselves as we decided how to deal with our internal conflicts on a day-to-day basis. Should I choose what’s right or should I choose what’s wrong?

Unfortunately, the line between right and wrong isn’t always cut and dried. The Kakos came from bad, the lowest of the low, and decided to try to go lower. They are direct descendants of Hades. Their blood is not watered down or tainted. They are literal spawns of Satan. They possess no soul and therefore feel no grief or regret for their actions. The Kakos’ ultimate goal is to live forever on earth. They escaped from hell eons ago, tracked down and tricked a descendant of a Fate, who agreed to allot them more time.

They followed this pattern for centuries until finally, the idea came to them that if there were no Fates, there would be no more cutting of their threads, and they would be free to live on earth forever. They then set out to kill every descendant from Clotho, Atropos and Lachesis they could find until they got to my father, the last known Fate on earth. He had made a covenant with the Kakos and then had broken his promise. As a result, the Kakos had declared war on every last Greek descendant. The Greeks could side with the Kakos or they could die.

I was the only weapon the Greeks had, but what do I know about war? I’m a seventeen-year-old girl. I have not yet discerned the path my life will take...and I am supposed to go up against the devil’s brood? If I fail, I die. Eventually the Kakos will come for Andy, Aggie and Ari and everyone I love. Andy will have to choose whether to side with the enemy and spare his family’s life, or accept death. In my heart, I knew Andy would never back down and that his family would die a horrible death because of his decision.

If I hunted the Kakos down, then I would have blood on my hands. I would be a murderer, a sinner, and a criminal. I decided to refuse to murder anyone in cold blood. I saw myself as good and I did not want to tarnish my soul.

Ari had asked me how a person knows when the wrong thing to do is right. And I answered: “If I must do wrong to save someone I love, it is right. I will not murder anyone, Ari...but I will kill to save you.”  I will protect my people, but I will not go out in search of blood.

Quotes

Ava: “I hate death -- it’s so permanent and so unfair.” “Je t’aime aussi.”

Ari : ““I love the girl that’s in my bed.” “Your skin is soft and I can’t seem to keep my hands off it.”

About The Author

Cat Mann has lived her entire life in central Illinois, but her interests and passions span the planet. She loves skiing, French music and working with the written language.

A self-proclaimed hermit, she is happiest at home reading, writing and scouring the far corners of the internet for new musical artists — artists she skillfully weaves into her tales of the offspring of ancient Greece. She is happily married to her amazing and awe-inspiring best friend, Derek Mann, and together they have created two beautiful daughters.

A Beautiful Fate is Cat’s first novel in The Beautiful Fate Series. The second installment of The Beautiful Fate Series, A Broken Fate, will be available August 26, 2013. Visit Cat on Facebook and keep up with Cat on her blog.

Find the Author and Book

Blog 

Facebook  

Goodreads  

Purchase on Amazon  

Purchase on Barnes and Noble

Recent Reads: Candy and the Cankersaur by Jason Sandberg

Candy and the Cankersaur by Jason Sandberg
Publisher: Jason Sandberg ebooks
Available: Now

 

Source: from the author for review
Format: Ebook 

My rating:


Goodreads Synopsis:
This is the sweet and funny tale of a young girl named Candy and a Cankersaurus Rex! Candy receives a dinosaur as a gift and is determined to train him to be a good pet.
 
Review: Candy and the Cankersaur is an adorable book about a girl whose father works a lot and to keep her company gives her a dinosaur to play with. The pictures are vibrant and bright and the story is applicable to ages 3-9. The story begins by telling us about Candy and her father, then the arrival of her dinosaur and her attempts at training him.

Candy is a courageous little girl, playing with a dinosaur and trying to teach him not to bite. Which I feel is an important lesson for many children in this age group. There are times when biting is unacceptable and only in extreme circumstances may it be allowed.

The book was short and simple and the author explains that it can be a picture book or a read-alone book for the age group. I enjoyed the story and believe young children will enjoy it as well.

It speaks to their imagination with the possibility of owning a dinosaur but also to moral standards and understanding people and situations. It was a very interesting book.

You can find the author and more of his books at his site: www.jasonsandberg.com

Purchase Links Borrowed from Jason's Site: