New Shoes... I'm excited... :o)

Aren't they sweet? And they were practically free because I used reward points to buy them. Nothing like cute, practically free shoes!

Review: The Red Queen's Daughter by Jacqueline Kolosov

Synopsis from GoodReads:

Mary Seymour is the daughter of the great Katherine Parr--the last Queen of Henry VIII. Orphaned at a young age because of her mother's bad marriage to Thomas Seymour, Mary determines early on that love is a sentiment that causes foolishness at best, and death at worst. She is sent to be raised by Lady Strange, a mysterious noblewoman who informs her of her destiny: Mary is to be a white magician who will join Queen Elizabeth's court and ensure her safe reign. After spending her early years honing her education and learning the arts of the white magician, Mary is indeed invited to join Elizabeth's court as a Lady in Waiting. There is she is met with warm welcome from the Queen, but soon realizes that the court is also rife with ambitious men and women who are jockeying for power. The most dangerous of these is Edmund Seymour, Mary's cousin. The moment she meets the dark, mysterious courtesan, Mary is drawn to him despite herself. Edmund is a black magician--the mirror image of Mary's own powers. When Edmund becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow the Queen, Mary has to risk everything she believes to fulfill her calling. But playing this dangerous game could cost her more than she ever imagined.

My Thoughts: The Red Queen's Daughter fills all of my "book love" requirements - historical, paranormal, & YA. Add a splash of romantic intrigue and WHAMO! 5 star book. Sadly I can only give this one 4 stars because I thought it was too short. I would have enjoyed more details and dialog. This story lacked real meat. But I loved the premise & the primary characters, so I felt reading TRQD was time well spent.

I would recommend The Red Queen's Daughter only to fans of the Tudor period & gothic, historical YA.

Followers! Reading! Ranting!

(1) Did you know I have 8 followers? How did this happen? I'm totally elated. Hi 8 people! I may not post often, but I totally appreciate your attention. **smile**

(2) I've been filling my head with this YA fluff lately... I've just lifted the synopses from GoodReads.

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
A modern girl's comedic odyssey in a school filled with the descendants of Greek gods.
When Phoebe's mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe's plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history. Now she must attend the uber exclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods. That's right, they're real, not myth, and their teen descendants are like the classical heroes -supersmart and superbeautiful with a few superpowers. And now they're on her track team! Armed only with her Nikes and the will to win, Phoebe races to find her place among the gods.

My Thoughts: Very fun to read. The plot is weak in places, but the story is so fun I really didn't care.

The Luxe by Anna Godberson

A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement. A delicious new twist along the Gossip Girl vein, readers will clamor for this sharp, smart drama of friends, lovers, lies and betrayal.

My Thoughts: DRAMA! A very dramatic love story with loads of historical charm.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

My Thoughts: The long awaited Hush Hush did live up to most of my expectations. I would have liked the pacing to be more even throughout, because all of the action happens at the end. However, I'm really looking forward to how this series plays out.

Sovay by Celia Rees
England, 1783. When the rich and beautiful Sovay isn't sitting for portraits, she's donning a man's cloak and robbing travelers in broad daylight. But in a time when political allegiances between France and England are strained, a rogue bandit is not the only thing travelers fear. Spies abound, and rumors of sedition can quickly lead to disappearances. So when Sovay lifts the wallet of one of England's most powerful and dangerous men, it's not just her own identity she must hide, but that of her father. A dazzling historical saga in which the roles of thieves and gentry, good and bad, and men and women are interchanged to riveting effect.

My Thoughts: I liked the historical elements of this book. Lots of interesting characters. The end was very dramatic, but the first half of the book felt slow. Getting through the slow part was totally worth it though. If you like The Red Necklace & A Tale of Two Cities you should try Sovay.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Can Cameron find what he’s looking for? All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.

My Thoughts: I'm going to call it - This book will win the Printz award for 2009. It's an incredibly well written, honest, intriguing journey of a book. However, I figured out the "big surprise" pretty early and I think it spoiled the Don Quixote-like road trip that took up the remaining 300 pages. That said - if I'm attached to a character I can easily overlook something like that, but in this case Cameron and I didn't connect. He was nearly unlikable (like most 17 yr old boys) in the beginning, but I did start to warm up to him about half way through and by that time I'd already been spoiled. :(

(3) Do you every feel you are totally at the mercy of the universe? I do. Control is an illusion. How does you come to just accept it? I feel a serious rant coming on, but I'm doing my best to stifle it. My new motto is "I live to serve the emperor!" Argh! The agony!

My DC Vacation Speedy Recap

So everyone knows I'm a planner. I plan to the point where it's more like a curse than an asset. Anyway, I had this elaborate vacation plan (see posted below). Post plan I'd like to go over the actual happenings... quickly.

10/4, Sunday: Drove for 12 hours from B'ham to DC.

10/5, Monday: (1) Spy Museum - fun, but expensive & long. (2) Lunch @ Jaleo - a tapas restaurant, tasty. (3) Library of Congress Tour - amazing & educational. (4) Art Museum West - also amazing, saw a Da Vinci, Monet, & Picasso. (5) Dinner @ Union Station - alright. (6) Monuments by Moonlight Tour - toured all of the monuments by bus, which was excellent because I was very tired of walking.

10/6, Tuesday: (1) Capitol Tour - a great insider visit, went through the underground portion & happened to see the Dali Lama & Nancy Pelosi - no kidding! (2) Lunch @ the Capitol Cafeteria - very much like Perry Cafeteria food. (3) Washington Monument - went to the top, awesome. (4) Holocaust Museum - moving and thought provoking. (5) Take out for dinner.

10/7, Wednesday: (1) White House - awesome, my favorite thing. (2) American History Museum - loved the 1st Lady's exhibit. (3) Lunch @ Old Ebbitt - the best meal of the trip. (4) Arlington Cemetery - saw the Kennedy's grave site, The Tomb of the Unknown Solider, the Changing of the Guard (sadly England does this better), & Arlington House. (5) Dinner was take out part 2.

10/8, Thursday: Drove to Williamsburg VA. Toured all sorts of little shops & experienced Williamsburg as it had been at the verge of colonialism (well, sort of - they served Diet Coke - Thank God).

10/9, Friday: Drove 12 hours home.

Just in case your curious - we did not stop when we got home. Saturday I grocery shopped, cleaned house, baked pumpkin walnut bread, & made caramel apples. Sunday I scrubbed the front porch while Chris raked the front yard. After that we hung Halloween lights. We are nuts! It's a sickness really.

Pleasant Thoughts

1. I have 4 new free books waiting for me at the library right now. Yay! Every time I pick up a stack of books that have been especially held for me I feel so grateful. Libraries rock! So today's haul will be - Sovay by Celia Rees, Oh.My.Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs, The Luxe by Ana Godberson, and A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist.

2. Today is Friday. 7.5 more hours of work then I'm free for 2 days. Oh the joy. Oh the relief!

3. Tomorrow my best friend Chrissi is coming to B'ham to go shopping. It's common knowledge that I really don't enjoy shopping unless (1) I have a need and (2) feel that we aren't strapped for cash. Miraculously both requirements have been satisfied. Maybe I'm imaging #2, but I'm still going to roll with that. Whoo Hoo!

4. Halloween is coming. I'm working in Boston Halloween, but I should be on a plane by 1 pm & back in B'ham by 6! Plenty of time to greet my trick or treaters! To celebrate Halloween I put up orange & purple lights and jackolantern. Also I put out all of my fall decorations which will stay out until Christmas decorations come out on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. To top it all off I've started my fall food extravaganza. I made real caramel apples with nuts at home along with some pumpkin walnut bread! So delicious and so much fun for fall!

5. I'm starting to feel recovered from my awesome DC vacation. It was exhausting, but awesomely educational & totally fun. The highlight of the trip for me was visiting the White House. I think I was a little star struck by the place. I kept thinking - the president (or where is he lives) is just one floor above my head. Amazing.

6. I got my hair cut yesterday & I bought some fancy shampoo/conditioner, new brushes, & dye. I've been ignoring my hair problem for a while, but I feel encouraged by a new cut. I styled my hair this morning and I do feel like it's improved. Again, a pleasant though. :o)

Review: Soulless - An Alexia Tarabotti Novel by Gail Carriger

Synopsis from GoodReads:

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she’s a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she is being rudely attacked by a vampire to whom she has not been properly introduced!

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire, and the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible.

Can she figure out what is actually happening to London’s high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? And who is the real enemy . . . and do they have treacle tart?

“Soulless” is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking…

My Thoughts:

So much fun to read! Soulless is a comedy, romance, paranormal, historical fiction! I really loved the characters and was totally sucked in by their originality, especially the preternatural Alexia. I also loved the Steampunk creativity and imagery.

Soulless definitely exceeded my $7.99, mass market paperback expectations! Like Gail says on her blog, "it costs as much as a Starbucks latte, but lasts a lot longer." And I'll say it's a whole lot more satisfying.

I can't wait for more in this series. I can see myself finding enjoyment in re-reading it over the years.

PS. Just saying Soulless is not flawless, but to me its flaws are easily over looked. If I had to pick out the flaws I'd say there's more telling than showing and the plot is a tad predictable. But don't let that deter you from enjoying the fun, because really isn't that reading is all about.

5 Stars.

Vacation in Washington DC... Wooo.... Hooo!

So on Sunday Chris and I are loading up the car and driving to Washington DC & Williamsburg VA. We're going to tour everything, well, mostly everything. I don't have much to share about the trip yet except my itinerary. Doesn't all of this sound fun?

MONDAY MORNING: Mall Part 1 – Museums on the Mall
1. Gallery of Art – East & West w/ Sculpture Garden
2. American History
3. Holocaust Museum
4. Air & Space
5. Natural History

MONDAY AFTERNOON: Capitol Hill Part 1
1. Library of Congress Tour
2. US Supreme Court
3. Union Station w/ Monuments at Moonlight tour at 7:30 pm.

TUESDAY MORNING: Capitol Hill Part 2
1. Botanic Gardens
2. Capitol Tour @ 10:30

TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Mall Part 2 – Monuments and Memorials
1. Washington Monument
2. Reflecting Pool
3. Vietnam Memorial
4. Lincoln Memorial
5. Korean War Memorial
6. WWII Memorial
7. FDR Memorial

WEDNESDAY MORNING:
1. White House Tour @ 11:00
2. Back to Monuments or Museums if we want

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON:
1. Arlington National Cemetery
2. Pack and rest

THURSDAY – Visit Williamsburg

FRIDAY – Return Home