Review of "Blood Ties" by Lori G. Armstrong

 This must be the week of kick-butt heroines. I'm on a roll!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for this review.

Type: Mystery, Private Investigators, Kick butt heroines, Vices, Murder and Mayhem, Old Highschool drama

Why this book?: I'm a big fan of Lorelei James, and when I found out she wrote a mystery series under a different pen-name, I just had to look it up. I was never a huge fan of mysteries, but I'm starting to see the error of my ways.

About the book: Julie Collins works for the sherriff's department, as a secretary. It doesn't pay all that well, but she took the job so she could have the jump on any new info about her murdered brother's case. In some ways, she's still hoping, but by now, it's just another job. Luckily, her best friend Kevin is a private investigator that allows her to help out on the side. But this time, the case is a lot bigger and deeper than either of them could have imagined. The girl Kevin is searching for has turned up dead, and each new clue the pair find digs them that much deeper into a pit of secrets and lies dating as far back as highschool. Investigating isn't all fun and games, but Julie isn't about to let this case go.
Julie is the type of woman I would want on my side, though I'm not sure I could handle all of her vices all of the time. She smokes, she drinks, she curses, she runs her mouth.. frankly, it's no wonder that she only has a few friends left, both of them male. But for all of her faults, she's tough and won't back down, not when threatened, not even when coerced with physical pain. She's not perfect, she definitely gets scared or hurts, but that just makes this character human. That and the smoking and drinking, among other things. Julie is rough and tough, and definitely the kind of heroine needed to really get to the bottom of a good, scary mystery.

The plot itself was fascinating. Kevin and Julie are coming up against people they went to high school with, investigating plots and lies that started that far back. And the story kept me guessing right until the end. I'm not a huge mystery reader, but I know enough to dislike mysteries where the culprit is glaringly obvious, you just have to figure out how. But with all the new information Kevin and Julie uncover, each layer of the mystery is slowly revealed. And the two investigators never get any more information than the reader, which is another plus.

"Blood Ties" is not a book for the faint of heart. This plot deals with murder, rape, drug lords, abuse, neglect, and more. But remember the old adage, "No pain, no gain," and this book is definitely good enough to be considered a gain. I would definitely recommend "Blood Ties" by Lori G. Armstrong to any hardcore mystery fan, as well as anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful story.

Final rating: FOUR out of FIVE (4/5).

Get your copy of "Blood Ties" by Lori G. Armstrong at Amazon.com via the link to the left.

Have you read this book, or anything else by this author or her pseudonym Lorelei James? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, aka Morning Glow

What's your grace? - Review of "Graceling" by Kristin Cashore

 So all through this book, I was like "I want Katsa's Grace! Or Po's! Or this other person's!" And that got me thinking about what my Grace would be... Maybe something to do with music.. What about you guys? What do you think your Grace would be?

Disclaimer: Book is on loan from the library, I'm just reviewing it for pleasure. I was not compensated for this review in any way.

Type: Young Adult, Fantasy, Kick Butt Heroine, I want the hero!, Different World, Different Time, Special Abilities, I want a Grace dangit.

Why this book: I remember wanting to read this when it was released, then I forgot about it. Someone reviewed it recently, and I was able to find it at the library. Yay!

About the book: Katsa is the niece of the King of the Middluns, the country right in the middle of The Seven Kingdoms. Within this world, there are some people "blessed" with special abilities, or talents, called Graces. Gracelings are easily identified by their miscolored eyes; Katsa's one eye is blue, the other green. Since Katsa was a child, she was feared for her Grace, a Killing Grace, though she trained hard to learn how to control it and herself. But her uncle, the King, used her as a threat to keep in his good standing, and she went along with it - in theory. But Katsa created The Council, a network of citizens working against the rulers of the different kingdoms. And it was on a raid for the Council that Katsa first met Po. Who knew he would follow her home. Po is also a Graceling, with a huge secret that could leave Katsa is more untrusting of him. And maybe Katsa's Grace isn't as horrible as she and everyone else believes.

Katsa is one of those strong heroines I'm proud of, and we definitely need more of these types in Young Adult fiction. Katsa understands her Grace is dangerous, and she worked hard to find ways of keeping it under control, working with soldiers and generals to learn what are killing blows and what aren't so that she can complete missions for her uncle. She hates what her uncle makes her do, but she can't see a way out of it, since he gives her such detailed instructions. So instead, she goes all covert and starts the council, creating plots and actually carrying out missions to help the people of her country, The Middluns, and as many others as she can. Katsa is far from unintelligent, but her uncle and his orders make her so frustrated and angry she can't think around him, so when he calls her stupid or insults her brain power, she starts to believe him. Until Po comes into her life. Po, another Graceling, is a Prince from one of the other kingdoms, and he quickly takes to Katsa, despite her scary Grace. And Po does wonders for her. These two characters are amazing together, and I was rooting for them throughout the book. The characters are genuine and true, both good strong heroines, with human flaws.... or as human as a person graced with an ability can get, lol.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the ending. Well, that's not exactly right. The ending was bittersweet. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but it just didn't seem right. The build up to the big reunion, and then at the end...   Well, as I said, it's hard to go into anything without giving away some of the story, so I'll leave it at that. However, from what I see, there will be a book released this year that will be a sequel to both this book, and "Fire," which is apparently a prequel-esque book to "Graceling."

I highly recommend "Graceling" by Kristin Cashore. I couldn't put it down, and while the ending wasn't everything I hoped for, I do hope this next installment will tie up any questions, because Katsa is supposed to be in it. I HOPE!! So if you enjoy a good fantasy, with political intrique and a kick-butt heroine, make sure to pick up "Graceling"!

Final rating: FOUR POINT FIVE out of FIVE (4.5/5).

Purchase "Graceling" and "Fire" by Kristin Cashore from Amazon.com.

Have you read "Graceling" or "Fire"? Tell me your thoughts in the comments!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And on that note, please bare with me as I change some things around - new year, new way of doing things. Here's to making 2011 a very book-y year. =)

~!~ Amanda, aka Morning Glow ~!~

Whatcha Got Wednesday!

Another edition of "Whatcha Got Wednesday!"
Won:
"Anytime Darlin'" by Julia Rachel Barrett - Go to her page and subscribe to her newsletter - she occasionally has contests.

Received for review:
"Dakota Child" by Linda Ford - from Harlequin.

Bought:
"Pregnesia" by Carla Cassidy - after reading the review posted some time ago at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, I couldn't help but get a copy. While the review may have been mostly negative, I had to get this book for entertainment value alone. And to reward Ms Cassidy for being such a good sport about the Smart Bitches' review. =)

That's it for me this week. I didn't get any books for Christmas, but I didn't really ask for any either. I did get a Barnes and Noble $25 dollar gift card, so I'll be using that as soon as possible. Possible on Jill Myles' new release - I love her Succubi series!

~!~ Amanda, aka Morning Glow

Review of "The Replacement" by Brenna Yovanoff

 I have been meaning to read this for a long, long time. Luckily, my awesome library got a copy in not too long ago. Disclaimer: This book is on loan from my local library. I am not being compensated for this review in any way, I'm just doing it for fun.

Type: Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Changelings, Replacements, Creepy Towns, Even Creepier People, Cover Goodness

Why this book: Cover Goodness. I'd probably read anything with such an awesome cover. And when I read the description, well... I wanted to read it even more.

About the book: Mackie has never been normal. He always tried to keep his head down, go with the flow, not be noticed, but everyone knows. But Mackie isn't the only abnormal thing about the town, Gentry has its secrets and has for years. But he's starting to feel worse, and things are going very wrong, very quickly. Out with his friends, he is approached by a stranger who tells him Mackie is dying, and to get what he needs to live, Mackie must help the strange creatures that live underneath Gentry, no matter what they make him do.

So according to my Amazon Affiliate program, there is going to be a paperback copy of "The Replacement" coming out in January of 2011. But the cover looks different. So people! If you want this book, definitely go out and buy the hardcover! Seriously, this would be one of those covers I'd nominate for best of the year, if I had those sorts of polls. Maybe next year I will. But on to the book.

"The Replacement" was a good read, and this is the type of book I would eagerly suggest to both young adult boys and girls. Yes, the main character is male, but this is the type of novel anyone could enjoy, which is nice to see. With the influx of young adult paranormal romances, sometimes it's hard to find something that will work for everyone.

"The Replacement" definitely had a good story. And I loved that the creatures, the villains and the not-always-villainous, were never really named. Oh, old names they went by were mentioned, but they never named themselves, and the town of Gentry was so keen on ignoring their existence, that the town never named them either. That just made these creatures that much more scary. Without a name, you can't come up with any obvious weaknesses, and it makes them seem that much more "other." From descriptions in the book of habits and looks, the reader can guess what they could be, but it's just not the same as actually knowing.

This is definitely a coming of age story, and a good one at that. Mackie learns so much about himself, not just what he is, but what he can do. And I think teenagers can relate to this. Everyone can feel like an outsider sometimes, like they're not good enough or strong enough. But Mackie faces his fears, faces his weaknesses, and kicks some serious butt. And with a host of fascinating secondary characters (can I have Roswell?), "The Replacement" is definitely not one to miss.

This was a good, quick read. Spooky, chilly, and thrilling, perfect for curling up on the couch at night, under a warm blanket. I'm going to give "The Replacement" by Brenna Yovanoff a FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). A good read, a quick and fascinating story, and characters I would love to actually meet and chat up (if only) make this a must read for Young Adult fans, or just fans of good paranormal fiction. So be sure to check out "The Replacement."

Have you read this book? Tell me your thoughts in the comments! Want to read it? Pick up you own copy at Amazon.com via the link at the left!

Until next time - Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, aka Morning Glow ~!~

Review of 'iDrakula" by Becca Black

 I still haven't heard from the prize pack winner ALYSSA - so if she happens to see this, please answer my "Winner Announcement!" email within the next day so I can get your giftcard and books to you. If not, I'm afraid I will have to choose a new winner =(

Disclaimer: This book was borrowed from the reviewer's local library. Review is posted just because. Reviewer received no monetary (or otherwise) incentive in exchange for a good review.

Type: Young Adult Fiction, Vampires, Text-speak, Email, Spooky castles, Men are Jerks, Team Abe!, New version of a classics, Cool companion.

Why this book?: Part of it was cover love - I thought this was quite a cool cover. Second, I was curious how someone could take a classic (like Dracula), and change it into something more modern. Take the general story, change ages, places, times, and technology, and see what they end up with.

About this book: iDrakula is a modern retelling of the classic Dracula by Bram Stoker. Young Jonathan Harker is an intern, sent by his office to take care of finalizing the Count's estate and his move to America. Mina begins to worry when she hasn't heard from Jonathan for days, and takes it upon herself to go get him and bring him home. But she didn't realize that would just bring all of the darkness home, and soon her life gets scary a little too fast.

As I said, I was very interested by the idea behind this book (and the cover, which I really like!). With how important texting and emailing is in our everyday lives, it's interesting to see how that technology would effect a story. And add in that the main characters are now younger, well, I just had to read it.

I quite enjoyed the little references a Dracula fan would catch. Such as booking a flighting through Tepes Travel, AskVlad, a case file #666-666. It was fun going through the book and trying to find all these little things worked in, and Bekka Black deserves a shout out for adding them. And speaking of cool, from what I hear, if you have an iPhone or iPad, there is an app you can get to go along with this book. I don't know what it does, but if anyone has it or has messed around with it, let me know!

I did notice that occasionally Jonathan did not sound like a teenager. He's supposed to be a little older than Mina, maybe nineteen or twenty, but I doubt he would mention the Count having skin like "tracing paper crumpled into a ball then smoothed back out." If a book is going to be moved entirely to being told via texting and email, and the characters moved to a slightly younger generation, then it would be better to go all out, and find some teenager-y lingo to describe the Count instead of words that sound too old for Jonathan.

And on one last note, I definitely enjoyed Mina's kick butt heroine style. She knows what she has to do, is willing to fight for it, and deals extremely well with tough situations. "iDrakula" is short, and the medium (text, email) makes the book even shorter, but you still get a sense that Mina is a dang good heroine.

I'm going to give "iDrakula" a THREE out of FIVE (3/5). I enjoyed it, it was short enough for a quick, jaunty read, and it was a definitely interesting retelling. But it didn't scream "WOW" at me, and frankly, I'm not sure I would recommend this to too young an audience. While it is definitely Young Adult fiction, there is some mention of sex, cheating/affairs, and STDs, so make sure the reader is mature enough to handle that sort of thing (even if the references are few and far between, and a little flippant sometimes). But as I said, this is a fun book to read, so if you have the opportunity to get your hands on it, do it - especially if you're a Dracula fan.

Have you read iDrakula by Bekka Black or played with the iDrakula application? Share your thoughts in the comments! Want to pick up a copy of your own? Click the link on the left to order it from Amazon.com!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, aka Morning Glow ~!~

Winner Winner (Chicken Dinner)!!!

It's Monday, which means it's time to announce the winner of my prize pack! That's right, someone is about to have a very good day, receiving two ebooks and an Amazon.com giftcard!

So, without further ado.....


And the winner is..........................


Plugging everything into Random.org now....



Okay, finally, I'll stop teasing. The winner is
******************* ALYSSA ***********************

Congratulations Alyssa!! I'll be emailing you shortly. And as soon as you verify your email, I'll send your contact info to Jessica McHugh and Toni LoTempio so they can get you the ebooks. And your giftcard will be sent as soon as I get home from work ;)

To everyone else - Thank you so much for entering and making this contest a success! And I'm sorry I couldn't give everyone something - hopefully I will be able to continue having such great giveaways to give you guys better odds, lol.

Happy Monday, everyone! And of course, Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, aka Morning Glow ~!~

Last Day To Enter! Prize back (Books + Amazon GC)

Just a reminder! Today is the last day to enter my contest for TWO ebooks ("The Sky: The World" by Jessica McHugh and "No Rest for the Wicca" by Toni LoTempio) and an Amazon.com Giftcard!

Both of those were books I really enjoyed this year, and I'm trying to spread the great bookiness to my readers! Two awesome books, plus a $10 giftcard so you can buy yourself a little something - or maybe put it towards Holiday gifts.

So go HERE to read the rules and enter (contest link also in the right sidebar under Upcoming Excitements). All entries must be in by 11:59pm EST TONIGHT! No late entries will be accepted, and you MUST leave your email for your entry to count!

Good luck everyone!