Bookworm Giveaways

Luanne over at A Bookworm's World is having a couple of giveaways.


For the audiobook Absolute Power by David Baldacci go here. Open until March 6th.

For The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock go here. Open until March 17th.

For Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman go here. Open until March 24th.

For This One is Mine by Maria Semple go here. Open until March 20th.

For Slip of the Knife by Denise Mina go here. Open until March 27th.

All contests end at 6:00 PM EST on the date mentioned. All are open to the US and Canada only. No PO boxes.

The Friday 56, Rosemary and Rue

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The book this week is Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire. The first of the October Daye books. If you like urban fantasy it's worth a look.

The sentence:

Evening couldn't be dead. She was the frigid, ruthlessly efficient Countess of Goldengreen, she was the woman who yelled until they let Sylvester knight me, she was pureblood Daoine Sidhe, and she was going to live forever.

Evening, of course, is the name of a person. Not a human person, but a person none the less. And our heroine is in a bit a denial here.

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show

Savvy Verse & Wit is giving away a copy of Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show by Frank Delaney (either a signed copy or an audiobook.)

For entries:

1. Leave a comment of what you would like to see in Ireland.
2. Leave a comment on the interview with Frank Delaney.
3. Blog, Facebook, Tweet , or spread the word about the giveaway.

But you better hurry because you only have until March 1st at 11:59 PM EST to get your entries in. It is open to the US and Canada only.

A Little Good News

Bookin' With Bingo is giving away 3 copies of When Will There be Good News? by Kate Atkinson. Just leave Bingo a comment saying why you think you would like to read the book and you are entered. For more entries say if you follow Bingo and how, if you are a subscriber, or blog or tweet about the giveaway. Make sure that you leave your email address, links to your blog or tweet and a separate comment for each entry. The giveaway ends at 6:00 PM EST on March 14. It is open to the US and Canada. No PO boxes.

For a list of Bingo's other giveaways go here.

Omega Review

Omega by Patrick Lynch

(from the back of the book)
Los Angeles is under siege. A fatal bacteria is spreading out of control. No drug known to modern medicine can stop it…
Omega
…a genetically engineered antibiotic that could be mankind’s only prayer.
Omega
…a phantom drug that may not even exist.
Omega
..the last hope for respected surgeon Marcus Ford, whose thirteen-year-old daughter lies deathly ill.
Omega
…a relentlessly suspenseful medical thriller that has already begun to come true…



Omega is a medical thriller and like most medical thrillers there is a lot of medical jargon. It uses words like sternocleidomastoid and cricothyroidotomy and I have no idea what they mean. But that doesn’t matter. You can always understand the context well enough. Some of the terms and procedures are even explained for you right in the text which I found rather interesting. Marcus Ford turns into a bit of a tragic figure. When things start to go wrong for him they go wrong in a big way. You feel bad for him as he gets blamed for things that are beyond his control and his whole world seems to be falling apart and you want things to turn around for him but you know that they won’t and you wait with anticipation for the next horrible tragedy. You can understand his disbelief, outrage and helplessness as people die and no one will listen to him or let him help and the answers stay just out of his reach. Lynch does a great job of making the reader feel the desperation, fear, and urgency as things start to spiral out of control. It all starts out so small and builds until you can imagine it having disastrous and far reaching consequences. The story pulls you along as you follow Marcus as time and all his options run out. He doesn’t know who to trust, where to turn, what to do, or even what is right. It is suspenseful, engrossing, fast paced and an entertaining read.

The Friday 56, Voyage of Argo

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


This week my book is The Voyage of Argo by Apollonius of Rhodes. I like it but it is sometimes hard to keep track of everyone. There are a lot of names. When they list who is going on the voyage they say the person's name, the father's name and sometimes that they are remembered for doing something to someone else who is named here just to confuse me because he plays no part in the story. But the story is still fun.

The sentence:

Next, Aphrodite of the long locks, wielding Ares' formidable shield.

Here they are describing the embroidery on Jason's cloak. There is a lot of stuff stitched on it. It must have been a big cloak.

Huckleberry Finished Review

Huckleberry Finished by Livia J. Washburn

(from the book jacket)

Ain’t no doubt about it: Ben Webster was murdered, broken neck and all. And it turns out, he caused quite a ruckus and made a few enemies before he expired by trying to slug a roulette dealer. Delilah knows the steamship’s no-nonsense head of security definitely is dirty and low-down and just plain old mean…but could he be a murderer? It’s all enough to make her wish she was floating lazily down the Mississippi with Huck and Jim, mainly.

But when someone breaks into and searches her cabin, Delilah is fixin’ to do some seriously sly sleuthing into all of this foolishness. Pretty soon her list of suspects is longer than the Mississippi is wide…not to mention she’s taken quite a shine to Mark Twain himself – or rather Mark Lansing, the handsome actor playing Huck Finn’s scribe for the tour.

But of course things just ain’t never what they seem when Delilah’s at the helm, and one tricky murder turns into two and things start to get pretty dicey on yonder steamboat. Thankfully Delilah’s sassy daughter Melissa is only a phone call away because she’ll need all the help she can get to keep the boat and its passengers from an ending that could only be described as…explosive!

This book is a fast, fun, and light read. Delilah Dickinson is charming and likeable. I have the feeling she would swear like my mother, where all the bad words are replaced by things like ‘fudge ripple’. You can’t help but want things to go right for Delilah. But, of course, things go wrong. And when things start to go wrong it is fun to listen in on all of her theories about who did what and why. I like all the Mark Twain quotes thrown in and how they managed to fit well into the story so they didn’t seem forced. But I’m glad that you don’t have to be a Mark Twain enthusiast to enjoy the book. There are several references to the first book in the series so that you learn about Delilah’s business and her last ill fated tour and perhaps it was mentioned more than it needed to be but this is still very much a stand alone story. There are a lot of interesting characters to muddy the waters but they all belong there and they are realistic and believable so that you do start to like some, hate some and feel sorry for others. The mystery is fun too. There are twists to follow and various pieces to fit together and a nice harrowing climax when everything finally falls into place.

The Friday 56, Inkspell

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The book this week is Inkspell by Cornelia Funke. I seem to be reading a lot of YA books lately. This is the sequel to Inkheart of course which I liked alright so I thought I would keep going. Meggie is kind of annoying me in this one so far though.

The sentence:

The honey did burn your mouth like red-hot coals, but the pain passed away - and if you bore it long enough, then afterward you could speak to fire, even with a mere human tongue.

Sounds cool. The speaking to fire part, not the burning like red-hot coals part. Still, I don't think I would jump into the story even if I had a chance. But I've never been very adventurous. That's why I like to read so much. You get all the adventure but get to stay safe at home with a nice cup of tea.

Jane Austen and Monsters

Savvy Verse & Wit is giving away a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith and a copy of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben Winters.

To enter:

1. Leave a comment about what Austen novel mash-up you want to see next.
2. Leave a comment on the review of Pride & Prejudice and Zombies
3. Blog, Tweet, Facebook, etc. and leave a comment with a link .

Deadline is Feb. 19, 2010, at 11:59 PM EST
This giveaway is global

Patricia Briggs Books!

All Things Urban Fantasy is having a wonderful Patricia Briggs giveaway. One winner will win all 4 books in the Mercy Thompson series, Moon Called, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, and Bone Crossed. And if the number of followers grows to over 400 by the time the contest is over another winner will be chosen who will get the Alpha & Omega series Cry Wolf, Hunting Ground, and On The Prowl. You do need to be a follower or an email subscriber to enter. Leave a comment with your email address letting everyone know what your favorite or least favorite book is.

Want extra entries?

+1 Take the poll on the top left of the All Things Urban Fantasy site
+2 for each place you share the giveaway - Sidebar, Facebook, Twitter etc. (leave links)
+5 Add All Things Urban Fantasy to your blogroll
+10 Actual Blog post (leave link)

Enter by February 28th. Open internationally!

Dan Simmons

Wrighty's Reads is giving away 5 copies each of Drood and Black Hills by Dan Simmons. You can enter to win one or both. Just get over there and fill out the handy form. New followers get an extra entry, old followers (well, those of us who have been following for awhile) get 2 extra entries. Two more for promoting the contest and leaving a link. It is open until February 24th. Open to the US and Canada. No PO boxes allowed.

When Will There Be Good News?

So Many Precious Books, so Little Time is giving away up to three copies of When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson. The number of copies given away will depend on how many people enter. To enter get over there and leave a comment. Make sure you include your email address! For two more entries you can blog about the contest (make sure you leave a link) and you will also get an entry for everyone who says they found out about it from you. (So if you enter make sure you say I sent you.) For five more entries you can become a follower or subscribe through Google reader. Currant followers and subscribers also get the extra entries. It is open until February 19th. Open to the US and Canada. No PO boxes allowed.

Dino Vicelli

BookHounds is giving away a copy of Dino Vicelli, Private Eye by Lori Weiner. Do you like a good mystery? Do you like sharply dressed Italian greyhounds with a great fondness for cigars? Then this is the book for you. Pop on over and leave a comment with your email address. You can get more entries by following and by posting about it on some social network. Make sure to leave a new comment for each entry. The contest runs through February 21st.

Catching Fire Review

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

From the book jacket:

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mallark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol – a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she’s afraid she cannot stop. And that scares her even more is that she’s not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol’s cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.



In the second book of the Hunger Games series Collins once again does a good job of making you feel for and with Katniss. Her fear, confusion, anger, hurt, hopelessness, and her hope. Katniss and her friends are once again thrown into a seemingly impossible situation that I didn’t see coming. And once again Katniss is in turmoil. She is surrounded by people, many of them trying to help, but you know that she feels alone in many ways as she tries to deal with the consequences of her “victory” both to herself and her friends and family. She starts to realize the far reaching effect her actions had in the other districts. She must figure out what is best to do for herself and for the others as she worries that she isn’t strong enough for what she has to do and finds herself in a position that she never wanted to be in. There is again a wonderful cast of characters, some of whom you met in the first book and other new interesting people that are drawn into Katniss’ world. A world that is well drawn so you can feel the tension on the air; the menace of the capital and President Snow; the hope and fear of the people. It is still a hard, harsh world but I think there is more hope in this book when you can imagine something better. There are also moments when you feel like you have figured something out and you are waiting for Katniss to catch up and your sympathy starts to turn to frustration and you have to remind yourself that she is still just a child but they are brief moments and most of the time you truly feel for her. It is a coming of age story, a story about personal growth as well as a story about the districts and their fight against the Capitol. Katniss has many hard choices to make and decisions about what path her life will take as she comes to realize that she can have an impact on so much, when she truly starts to understand that she has become a part of something bigger than she ever could have imagined. The ending was a bit of a let down, sort of anticlimactic. In the last 1 ½ pages you get a curt explanation of all the unexplained things that have been going on. Some of which need further explaining. It did help settle some things so you weren’t left with a lot of loose ends and wondering what had just happened but I hope there is more to come and these things will be gone into in more depth in the next book. If this is all I ever get I think I’ll be disappointed. But still, once again, I am left eager to read the next book and see what happens.

The Friday 56, Tarzan Triumphant

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The closest book this week is Tarzan Triumphant by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Yes, I read Tarzan novels. And I like them. This is number 15 in the series.

The sentence:

Furthermore, to admit that he was a Red might assure the other that a ransom could be obtained more surely than from a White, whose organization was admittedly weak and poverty stricken.

Apparently a moment when being Red was not worse than being dead. This is the second time the Russians have been running around in the jungle with a political agenda. I guess Tarzan needed someone besides big game hunter and fortune seekers to fight.

Rachel Vincent Giveaways

Rachel Vincent is on tour and giving away books!

The Story Siren is giving away 2 copies of My Soul to Save and 1 set of both books, My Soul to Take and My Soul to Save. Ends February 8th. Open to the US only.

Tales of a Ravenous Reader is giving away 3 copies of My Soul to Save. Open until February 8th to the US only.

Luxury Reading is giving away 2 copies of My Soul to Save and 1 set of both books, My Soul to Take and My Soul to Save. Open until February 10th to the US only.

Robots and Vamps is giving away 3 copies of My Soul to Save. Open until February 11th to the US only.

GreenBeanTeenQueen is giving away 2 copies of My Soul to Save and 1 set of both books, My Soul to Take and My Soul to Save. Open until February 12th to the US only.

WORD for Teens is giving away 3 copies of My Soul to Save. Ends February 14th. Open to the US only.

The Compulsive Reader is giving away 2 copies of My Soul to Save and 1 set of both books, My Soul to Take and My Soul to Save. Ends February 14th. Open to the US only.

Frenetic Reader is giving away 3 copies of My Soul to Save. Ends February 15th. Open to US mailing addresses only.

Chick Lit Teens is giving away 3 copies of My Soul to Save. Open until February 15th to the US only, no PO boxes.

The Book Pixie is giving away 3 copies of My Soul to Save. Open until February 15th to the US only.

Park Avenue Princess is giving away 3 copies of My Soul to Save. Open until February 28th to the US only.

Please make sure to read the rules for entry on each site. Good luck!

Books I Finished in January

I read some short books this month so I managed to get up to eleven.


The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Good. I liked it but I think that the first half of the book was better than the last half.

The Firebrand by George Challis
Swashbuckling adventure. A lot of fun if you like this sort of thing.

By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie
I think this is the first Tommy and Tuppence book I’ve read. They weren’t together much in the book and I think I would have liked it better if they were.

Company of Liars by Karen Maitland
Interesting. Slightly strange. Definitely grim.

Transition by Vonda McIntyre
Second book in the series. I should have read the first one I guess. I thought I was going to be able to catch up but I don’t think I ever really did. I missed too much.

Stones of Summer by Dow Mossman
Man, this is long. I felt like I had been reading it forever. Full of strange metaphors. Nothing could just happen, it had to happen like something else. Usually something I couldn’t even envision. I liked a lot of the characters but I’m not sure they were enough to make the book worth reading for me.

Romeo's Ex by Lisa Fiedler
I liked the different vantage point on the play but I’m not sure I liked the way Fiedler changed things up at the end.

Unfallen Dead by Mark del Franco
Third in the Connor Grey series. I like these books. They make me laugh and always build to a very impressive climax.

Shambling Towards Hiroshima by James Morrow
Funny in a dark sad sort of way. I liked that I felt the story was like nothing I had read before.

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
Vampires and zombies and werewolves, oh my. I like this sort of stuff but I felt like this book was a big set up to the series. I kept waiting for the story and never really got there. Not that stuff didn’t happen, I just think that with all this stuff out of the way the next one will be better.

Huckleberry Finished by Livia J. Washburn
A fun fast read.