MOONLESS book release blogfest ~ Crystal Collier

Today I'm participating in Crystal Collier's MOONLESS book release blogfest. First off I want to say that I just lurve the blogfest badge below - isn't it so pretty?!!? Anyway, I'm very happy to be participating in this blogfest, and now I'm going to step aside so you can learn more about Crystal's book.

In the English society of 1768 where women are bred to marry, unattractive Alexia, just sixteen, believes she will end up alone. But on the county doorstep of a neighbor’s estate, she meets a man straight out of her nightmares, one whose blue eyes threaten to consume her whole world—especially when she discovers him standing over her murdered host in the middle of the night.

Her nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.

BUY IT HERE

(SPECIAL OFFER: Until February 14th, Crystal's publisher is offering a $2.00 coupon:
Book link: https://www.createspace.com/4550104Coupon code: LQJM3F84

So here's the question: If you lived in a society where arranged marriages were a la mode, whom would you beg your parents to set you up with? Why? (Literary characters and celebrities welcomed.) 

SO glad I don't live in such a society, buuuut if I did I'd give the world of LOST IN AUSTEN a shot (yes, this show is related to Jane Austen's work, namely Pride and Prejudice). I wouldn't be terribly devastated to be destined for Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, even if it did mean shoving Lizzie out of the way - and even if the apple of my eye does refer to me as "an abomination!" at one point. heh. It would all be worth it, I think, for that moment by the lake when he makes my dream come true. :)

Find the rest of the hop below!

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Review: Jane Austen's MANSFIELD PARK

For March's book review I thought I'd mention that I recently read Mansfield Park, I'm pretty sure for the first time. I say "pretty sure" because I have seen the BBC miniseries (I think it was a miniseries...) and my memory was possibly getting confused between that and the read. Anyway... I only gave it 3 out of 5 stars, and here's why:

Firstly, it lost a point because it's less awesome than P&P, Persuasion and others. And a second point was lost because Fanny and Edmund, the romantic couple of the story, are first cousins. Ew. ;) Still, I did enjoy the read even if the book I was carting around was really heavy and I couldn't wait to be done with the read due to said heaviness.

Perhaps my lack of adoration for this story isn't helped by the fact that the BBC thing I saw was quite dated, and could hardly compare with the Firth/Ehle combo in P&P (LOVE!). Edmund is a really lovely love interest, though of course the fact that he wants to be a priest doesn't endear him to me all that much. I do think Edmund and Fanny are perfect for each other, but then maybe it's only reasonable since they share FAMILY TRAITS due to being CLOSELY RELATED. Again, ew.

But moving on. ;)

In between watching the TV version and reading the book, I had forgotten some things about the storyline, things I don't even remember seeing in the TV version. Namely I forgot all about the attentions Mr Crawford paid to Fanny, and also about all the trouble Fanny's cousins Maria & Julia got into. Particularly Maria. The main things I remember of the TV version are the part where they are rehearsing for the play, and the part where Fanny Price is really timid and uninteresting as a character. I liked the book version of her better than the TV version (especially at moments when she was getting a bit annoyed - hey, animation!), but she's still not nearly as interesting as other Austen heroines.

So there you go. 3 stars.

Novel Films Blogfest, whee!

It's time for the Novel Films Blogfest, hosted by the super groovy Madeleine over at Scribble and Edit! This blogfest requires that we list novels, comics and plays that we have read AND have seen the film/TV adaptations. I went through a really sizable list of books that have been converted to movies, and pretty fast I realised I haven't read/seen many combos at all. So not only will I list those that make the proper list, but I'll add a few other lists to the end too, just for fun. Just a note before I begin - the rules don't state that you have to LOVE both the book and the movie, just that you have to have read the book and seen the movie in each case.

READ/SEEN (even if I can't remember some too well. hehe)

1. Chocolat by Joanne Harris
2. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
3. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

4. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
   
5. Emma by Jane Austen
6. 
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

7. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
8. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (book: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”) by Roald Dahl

9. The Witches by Roald Dahl
10. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
11. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
    
12. The Stand by Stephen King
13. Harry Potter and the [insert book/movie title here] by J.K. Rowling.

Now, my extra lists, just for fun!

FEEL THE COMPULSION, HAVING SEEN THESE, TO READ THEIR RESPECTIVE BOOKS:

• The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver

• Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

• The Color Purple by Alice Walker

• Dances with Wolves by Michael Blake

• The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

• Father of the Bride by Edward Streeter

• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
• 
Field of Dreams by W.P. Kinsella (book: “Shoeless Joe”)

• Forrest Gump by Winston Groom

• Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
• 
Gorillas in the Mist by Diane Fossey

• He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt
• Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman


HATED THE MOVIE, WON'T READ THE BOOK UNLESS SOMEONE PAYS ME

• A Clockwork Orange by Antony Burgess


And now I consider this blogfest done! Except for the part where I visit everyone else's entries to see their lists!

Books read so far in 2011

So far in 2011, I've finished reading the following books:

Currently I'm reading this:

And who knows what I'll read next?! I have an entire shelf on my "to be read before I read anything else" shelf. And then I have most of another bookcase full of books - my "to be read at some point" collection. Just a note before I post this...I've definitely added a few titles to my "favourites" shelf at GoodReads this year. And you can see my reviews of all these titles on GoodReads (some are more extensive than others). As for non-spoiler reviews, I wrote about "Grotesque" and "The Brutal Art" in this blog.

The Favourite Book Challenge Blogfest!

It's that time and here I am to talk about 5 of my favourite books. Let me tell you it wasn't easy to narrow it down from my original shortlist of 20, and those last few on the end were agonising to have to chop! Also, this may look like a weird list to most of you out there, but what can I say - I've got my reasons. And I guess I'm meant to share them with you, right?

So without further ado, these are the requirements of the Blogfest:

1. Pick your top five favorite books

2. Between Jun 20 and 22, write one line of what each book is about and then write one line of why you liked it. Think of it like a twitter pitch for other people’s work. Semi-colons are cheating, but you can use them anyway.

3. Go to other blogs and discuss the books.
4. If you do not keep a blog, put your challenge in the comments on the day of the event. - Teralyn Rose Pilgrim

1. Firestorm: The Zagor Chronicles (Book 1) - Livingstone, Ian & Sargent, Carl

A young wizard is destined to become the "top gal"
on the magical island of Sanctuary, after killing off
lots of evil demons and stuff; good thing she's got a sexy warrior
and some other cool friends to help her in her quest!
I loved this book (and the rest in the 4-book series) because
I fell in love with the characters and because my little mind
would NOT let the ending lie, so I just had to make believe that
two of my favourite characters did NOT get killed off...

2. Twilight Eyes - Koontz, Dean

Slim McKenzie was born with "the twilight eyes",
as his grandmother called them, meaning that he can see
that some ordinary-looking people have "goblins" living inside them;
he runs away from home after a traumatic incident which
alienates him from his family, and meets a bunch of new friends
including a stunning but troubled woman with dark secrets of her own.
I loved this book to absolute bits because of the awesome
concept of the "goblins" and Slim's gift,
and also because I totally ADORE the characters
(this book really felt to me like it could've been the start of a series...
and I still lament the fact that it wasn't).

3. Jane Eyre - Brontë, Charlotte

Jane Eyre grows up to be a governess in the home of brooding
Mr. Rochester, and falls in love with him only to find out he's got
a pesky secret that stands in the way of their unlikely love!!
I loved this book 'cause a) Jane wasn't a complete dolt who
sold her integrity down the river for a dude and b)
it all worked out in the end, awwww and c) Mr. Rochestor = yummo.

4. The Sword of Shannara - Brooks, Terry *

Shea and his brother (whose name I can't remember. Gahhh, the shame!)
leave home on a quest and what an epic quest it is too
(I know, that was a crap 'pitch'...hehe).
What I love about this book (and much of the Shannara series too)
is the absolute epic-ness of it, and the fact that I really do
love the characters (so sue me).

5. Pride and Prejudice - Austen, Jane

Elizabeth Bennett is known for being headstrong,
but it turns out she's pretty prejudiced too,
against the sexiest man in the history of literature
(wait, did I say that aloud? and am I thinking only of Colin Firth here...?).
Yeah, basically I loved this book because it was funny
AND I love how it ends, and I damn well love Mr. Darcy dammit.