Teaser Tuesdays : The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.

Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers

***

Geert gave a chuckle. "Nothing, nothing is wrong." "Now, I'm really worried," the man said.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading ?

It's Monday What Are You Reading ? is hosted at Book Journey.

Where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

***

What I Read:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

What I Reviewed:

• Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

What I’m Reading:

• The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello

What I Plan to Read next:

• The Ambassador's Mission by Trudi Canavan
• Under the Dome by Stephen King

Review : The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Title : The Replacement Author : Brenna Yovanoff Reading Dates : 28 Apr - 1 May 2011
From goodreads :
Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world. Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Book Review of The Replacement.
The Replacement is another book I’ve enjoyed and it certainly has me thinking I’d like to try out more works by Brenna Yovanoff.

There are a few reasons for this. The first is Mackie Doyle. He doesn’t start off being likable but he is a character you can sympathize with. Seeing things from his viewpoint, its understandable why he feels so disconnected and lonely all the time. And thankfully, he’s able to realize when his opportunity to change comes along, although it takes quite a bit of butt-kicking to get him moving.

The other is Tate. I liked it that she kept on fighting and refusing to hide her head in the sand like the rest of the town. More, that she was smart enough to know she needed help and refused to give up on getting whatever she needed to change the status quo.

Last but not least is how the monsters in the tale comes in different forms and shapes. Not everyone who looks like a monster is one and what is an acceptable norm in one culture is not to another.

This is definitely a book I’m glad I picked up.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Yes.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series if there were one? Yes, but I though the ending here was just right. Adding anything else to it, might ruin the tale.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Maybe. This isn't the kind of book I'd re-read often.
• Who would I recommend this too? Paranormal or dystopian readers.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Try borrowing it first.

Read another review on the book by :

• Book Chick City
• Good Books and Good Wine
• Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf
• Mel's Book and Info
• Ninja Librarian
• Paperback Dolls
• Pure Imagination
• Teens Read and Write
• The Lost Entwife
• The Nerd's Wife
• YA Addict

Books alluded to :

On My Wish List

In My Mailbox

Teaser Tuesdays

Challenges : 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge, The Read-a-Myth Challenge

Review : To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Title : To Kill a Mockingbird Author : Harper Lee Reading Dates : 23 Apr - 27 Apr 2011
From Amazon :
"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel—a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so much. One of the best-loved classics of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many dis-tinctions since its original publication in 1960. It has won the Pulitzer Prize, been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. It was also named the best novel of the twentieth century by librarians across the country (Library Journal).

Book Review of To Kill a Mockingbird.
I must admit I picked this one up with some trepidation. I’ve found that there are plenty of times where I just can’t seem to love much less enjoy a “beloved classic”. Thankfully, To Kill a Mockingbird isn’t one of these.

What I loved best about this one was the way the story is told from Scout’s viewpoint. While there wasn’t any flash or excitement, I never once felt bored by the tale. Scout’s voice is a compelling one, all the more so when she doesn’t understand the events surrounding her. Her questions on why adults can behave in a certain way gives clarity to the situation at times. More than that, it turns what could have been a rather tragic tale into a hopeful one.

The other part which I enjoyed was Scout and Jem’s fascination with Boo Radley. Reading between the lines from book reviews and summaries, I felt I had an idea on what goes on in the tale. Yet, the story still managed to spring me a surprise at the end.

This is a book that I would definitely re-read but only when I have the time to savour and think on it.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Definitely.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series if there were one? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes, this one is a keeper.
• Who would I recommend this too? Everyone.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. This one's a keeper.

Read another review on the book by :

• a thousand Books with Quotes
• Book Journey

Books alluded to :

In My Mailbox

Teaser Tuesdays

Challenges : 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge, The Classics 2011 Reading Challenge

On My WishList : The President's Vampire Series

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted at Book Chick City.

Do you have any books that you desperately want but haven't bought yet? The books can be old, new or forthcoming.

The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth

From Amazon :

The ultimate secret. The ultimate agent. Nathaniel Cade returns.

For 140 years, Nathaniel Cade has been the President's Vampire, sworn to protect and serve his country. Cade's existence is the most closely guarded of White House secrets: a superhuman covert agent who is the last line of defense against nightmare scenarios that ordinary citizens only dream of.

When a new outbreak of an ancient evil-one that he has seen before- comes to light, Cade and his human handler, Zach Barrows, must track down its source. To "protect and serve" often means settling old scores and confronting new betrayals . . . as only a centuries-old predator can.

Review : Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

Title : Blood Oath Author : Christopher Farnsworth Reading Dates : 19 Apr - 22 Apr 2011
The President's Vampire
Books in the series so far : Blood Oath The President's Vampire
From goodreads :
Nathaniel Cade is a 160-year-old vampire who has sworn to protect and serve the President of the United States. In this gripping series starter, the Commander-in-Chief's very own blood sucker has secrets of his own that extend far beyond national security. An imaginative concept that plays out well. A debut novel to watch.

Book Review of Blood Oath.

Blood Oath was fun reading.

There are a few reasons for this but the main one is it feels almost like I’m watching a fast-paced action movie with plenty of likable characters and hilarious moments.

The pacing for this one was just right. Straight from the opening, there’s always plenty going on. But at the same time, the author manages to let us in on the main character’s past either through flashbacks or snippets of scientific reports. I really liked how the author manages to pack in so much information without drowning me in details.

Then, there’s the 2 main characters. I thought it a nice change to see a vampire being depicted as the monster he was. Nathaniel Cade may be fighting on the side of the good guys now, but if he wasn’t bound by his oath, there’s no doubt in my mind he’d be one of the enemy. Zach is another character that grew on me, changing from a whiny know-it-all to someone Nathaniel can depend on by the end of the story.

I’m definitely adding the next book, The President’s Vampire, to my wish list.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Yes.
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
• Who would I recommend this too? Anyone who enjoys a fast-paced action thriller with paranormal elements.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it.

Read another review on the book by :

• Geeky Blogger's Book Blog
• Reading with Tequila

In My Mailbox

Teaser Tuesdays

Challenges : 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge, Mystery and Suspense Challenge

It's Monday, What Are You Reading ?

It's Monday What Are You Reading ? is hosted at Book Journey.

Where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

***

What I Read:

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

What I Reviewed:

• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
• The Rook Trilogy by Paul Stewart

What I’m Reading:

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

What I Plan to Read next:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling