Chick Lit

"A religion is as much a progressive unlearning of false ideas concerning God as it is the learning of the true ideas concerning God."— Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan (1881-1983), founder of the Reconstructionist movement of Judaism

First off my apologies for taking so long to pick the winners of the Spring Blog Carnival. Life cane be distracting sometimes! Anywho you don't care about that you just want to know who won....so without further ado the winners are as follows: First Place (5 books): Vivien Second Place (3 books): FakeSteph Third Place (2 books): Clarissa To recap the books up for grabs are: Clarity by Kim Harrington* Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout* Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor* Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell Devils Kiss by Sarwat Chadda* Unnatural Creatures by Neil Gaiman Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey * Transparent by Natalie Whipple Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers (Can substitute this for a pre-order of What Goes Around which is Some Girls Are and Cracked up to Be in one volume.) Hourglass by Myra McEntire* *Can substitute out for another book in series if you already have this book Congratulations to all the winners and thanks everyone else for entering. I'll be contacting the winners shortly. Vivien will get first pick of the books on the list followed by FakeSteph and Clarissa will get the remainder.

“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…” Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will? This book is the iBookstore Book of the Week! That means you can get it for FREE in the iBookstore! A crowd gathers for the funeral. The church walls seem to strain to accommodate the bodies, but there isn’t enough space for everyone. People cram together, squished thigh to thigh in the pews, shoulder to shoulder in aisles. The back is standing room only. Not surprisingly, I don’t hear anyone complain. I hardly hear any sound at all except the occasional whisper, cough, or sniffle. Everyone wears dark colors, even kids who don’t usually follow rules or social customs. I guess it’s like that when someone young is snatched from the earth. It’s wrong on so many levels that thinking about it makes my already sad heart ache even harder. Dad says parents shouldn’t have to bury their children. He says a lost child leaves a hole in the heart of the parents, a hole hacked out with a dull knife. The heart can function with the wound, but it never entirely heals. chapter one No matter how much I don’t want to care, it’s not easy being stranded all alone in the middle of a crowded room, like the ugliest dog at the animal shelter. Kristina shoved me into her shiny red Toyota like she’s my fairy godmother, insisting I do the party “for my own good.” But other than a few heys and disinterested stares, no one notices that I’m there. Before long, even Kristina forgets about me. Swept up by her friends and admirers, Kristina leaves me bathing in my own flop sweat. I begin plotting my escape just as a drunk guy plunks down on the couch beside me and leans against me for support. Smoke and alcohol fumes waft off him and he blocks me, pinning me in place. Wrinkling my nose, I elbow him in the side, trying to move him. He hacks up the equivalent of a human fur ball, focuses his eyes on me, and then grins the carefree smile of the intoxicated. He leans closer, giving me an up-close view of the angry red pimples on his shiny skin. “Hey, Freshie. You’re Kristina’s little sister aren’t you?” He whistles through his teeth. “She’s seriously hot.” He’s implying that I’m not and, honestly, I’d be okay with his observation if he’d get out of my way. I take a deep breath, but no words form in my mouth. I glare at him but he doesn’t notice. His long blondish hair curls up at the edges and in the middle of his face is a big crooked nose that looks like it’s been broken or something, but the imperfection kind of works on him. His eyes look like they might have been a great shade of blue before the alcohol consumption hit, but they’re pretty much pinkish now. Folding my arms across my chest, I push hard with my shoulder, but he doesn’t budge. Other than the brief pant over my sister, there’s no indication he even notices I’m not part of the furniture. I wiggle and push and finally make progress, when he snaps his arm out and grabs mine, pulling me back down. The strength in his arm is deceptive for such a skinny guy. “What’s she like?” Drunk Pimple Guy stares at her, his voice dripping with the kind of reverence people save for the very famous or very beautiful. Far as I know, Kristina isn’t famous outside of Great Heights, but even I can’t deny she has the beauty part down. Breathing deep, I try to shake him off but he doesn’t let go. Propelled by growing humiliation, I decide to give him some truths. “She burps. Red meat gives her gas and she won’t eat anything that contains a carbohydrate. Oh, and she ta

Title: Renfred's Masquerade Author: Hayden Thorne Publisher: Queerteen Press (imprint of JMS Books) Series: None Other Reviews for This Author: A crap ton, and rightly so! Hayden Thorne is a dear friend and will therefore not be getting officially "rated" in this review. That's partially because I love all of her books to bits, and partially because my reviews have bias, especially now that I've gone long past casual acquaintanceship stage with her. That being said: read this damn book. Seriously. You shouldn't even bother reading this review - just go out and buy or borrow the book, because it's wonderful and one of the best examples of an amazing writer of LGBTQ genre fiction that should be getting a bigger marketing push at a big publisher somewhere. Renfred's Masquerade is part fable, part fantasy, and part history. It's Thorne's most personal book to-date and has a sense of timeless storytelling about it that will make it perfect for readers across a broad range of genres and ages. Renfred's Masquerade is a fairy tale. Nicola Gregori's father is a craftsman, a maker of clocks that astound and amaze with their gothic brilliance. They are works of art as much as they are functioning timepieces. Nicola has always wanted to follow in his father's footsteps in making such brilliant things. Nicola's father has other desires for his son. He sends Nicola off to a boarding school to learn about things that are non-magical and non-creative; the hope that practicality will prevent Nicola from attempting to live the life of a starving artist. Going away to school doesn't help Nicola. His love of his father's artistry doesn't diminish. Home feels a million miles away, a paradise, as Nicola gets teased for his right leg. It was deformed due to infantile paralysis, a constant reminder that Nicola is different from the privileged boys around him at school. To go back to Papa and the clocks - that is what Nicola desires, just as he desires the ability to craft them. Tragedy doesn't take this childish longing into account, though, as Nicola eventually loses his father and finds himself alone in the world. A friend of Nicola's father takes him on and boats him away to an islet of deserted mansions and nightly masquerade balls filled with noise and light, a place of ghosts that cannot be shaken. Gustav Renfred, the family friend, lives on the island with his twin, the lady Costanza. The Renfred twins find Nicola a welcome addition to their spectral island, even as he begins to explore the nightly masquerades, uncovering a boy that attends the balls and has connections to the Renfred's. Nicola befriends this boy, Davide, and slowly becomes aware of the reasons behind Davide's presence at the masquerades - and why Davide can never leave them. A fairytale that blends the light and the dark with an Italian twist, Renfred's Masquerade is a tender story about love and recovery that goes far beyond a simple boy to boy romance. I loved everything about this book - Hayden Thorne has outdone herself with Renfred's Masquerade. Her books show a consistent growth in authorial voice and writing ability, and this piece is probably struck the strongest in terms of emotional connectivity with me as a reader and as a writer. Thorne's writing has always taken great inspiration from fairy tales, whether they are the ones of a dark, sadistic medieval Europe or the comic book stories that have grown popular in the past century. Each of her books has had a level of timelessness to it - even the contemporary stories have that feeling, which is something very special - and that timelessness also seems to effect how well I respond to the book. While I've loved all of her books, Renfred's Masquerade just has this particularly astounding tone to it that feels like it could work for any age of reader. There's a lightness to the story that prevents it from being bogged down with angst or extraneous characters, bu

Rating: 5/5 Publisher: Mulholland Books Publish Date: May 7, 2013 Origins: From Publisher for Review Format: Hardcover Order From: Amazon / Barnes & Noble Synopsis: GASLIT LONDON IS BROUGHT TO ITS KNEES IN DAVID MORRELL'S BRILLIANT HISTORICAL THRILLER.Thomas De Quincey, infamous for his memoir Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, is the major suspect in a series of ferocious mass murders identical to ones that terrorized London forty-three years earlier.The blueprint for the killings seems to be De Quincey's essay "On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts." Desperate to clear his name but crippled by opium addiction, De Quincey is aided by his devoted daughter Emily and a pair of determined Scotland Yard detectives.In Murder as a Fine Art, David Morrell plucks De Quincey, Victorian London, and the Ratcliffe Highway murders from history. Fogbound streets become a battleground between a literary star and a brilliant murderer, whose lives are linked by secrets long buried but never forgotten. Author Bio: David Morrell is a Canadian novelist from Kitchener, Ontario, who has been living in the United States for a number of years. He is best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become a successful film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. More recently, he has been writing the Captain America comic books limited-series The Chosen.For more information on David Morrell and his novels, please visit the official website. You can also follow David on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Review: Thomas De Quincey and his daughter Emily have been brought to London under mysterious circumstances. While they are in London, vicious and brutal murders take place reminiscent of murders from over forty years earlier. As De Quincey’s essay "On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts" describes the murders in detail, the Scotland Yard is determined to receive De Quincey’s assistance or secure his arrest. De Quincey and his daughter are in a race to clear his name amidst the growing civil unrest and his laudanum fueled dreams. ‘Murder as a Fine Art’ is an addictive read! It is so easy to get drawn into the world of Victorian London in 1854 through Mr. Morrell’s vivid description, dialogue, and characters. An intensely compelling and exciting book, ‘Murder as a Fine Art’ will capture the senses and the imagination. I don’t want to give anything of the story away – just read this book! Author Website Author Twitter Author Facebook Author Google +

Cat Patrick has some of the most inventive premises in YA, and I love her for that. FORGOTTEN (read my review) and REVIVED (read my review) were both solid reads.THE ORIGINALS gives us three cloned sisters who must share the life of one girl or risk being "found out" (by whom is never clear, which deflated the tension a bit for me). Lizzie takes mornings and she and her sisters Ella and Betsey are fine with this arrangement. Until the day Lizzie gets switched to afternoons, meets Sean and gets a huge crush on him.Suddenly, it's the most important thing in the world to Lizzie that she be allowed to live her own life and make her own choices -- so she risks everything by telling Sean her family's secret (an aside: what's up with all the "intra-trust" in YA novels lately?).I mean, I guess I get it - because I wanted to trust Sean too. He's incredibly appealing and he and Lizzie have great chemistry. Their fight to be together - and their relationship in general - was the highlight here for me.Another highly original story from Cat Patrick! Find out more about THE ORIGINALS.FTC disclosure: ARC from ALAAnd here's what the other Bookanistas are reading:Elana Johson is enthralled by CROWN OF EMBERS by Rae CarsonStasia Ward Kehoe is mesmerized by GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFeversChristine Fonseca adores DEAD SILENCE by Kimberly DertingCorrine Jackson revels in ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Sara DessenKaty Upperman is charmed by QUINTANA OF CHARYN by Melina MarchettaKimberly Sabatini is touched by TARNISH by Katherine Longshore

Greeting and Salutations Everyone, Today I'm pleased to welcome Hunter Shea to the blog to talk about the setting of his new horror novel Siniter Entity. This one sounds pretty creeptastic and I can't wait to read it! I may be a New Yorker, but my heart has belonged to New England for as long as I can remember. I love everything about the north east, except clam chowder and lobster, two things that will keep me from ever becoming a card carrying New Englander. When I first started writing, I stuck to the adage, write what you know. Hence, most of my early stories and books all took place in the lower half of New York State. The day I decided it was time to write my first full length horror novel, I wanted to break out of the NY mode. With that book, Forest of Shadows, I started in Long Island, NY, but quickly moved everyone to the deep of Alaska. The sense of isolation worked perfectly for that novel, and even became a character all its own. I’d always wanted to travel to Alaska, so this was my chance to go there, even if it was a trip through the creative landscape of my own mind. It cost a lot less than a cruise and I didn’t gain any weight. The sequel to that book and my latest release, Sinister Entity, gave me a chance to ‘live’ in one of my favorite New England states, New Hampshire. Now, I will tell you that I’ve been an adopted Mainer since I was a baby. But I figured Stephen King has that state pretty much locked up. In deference to the master, I set my sights a little south. My family and I have been to New Hampshire quite a few times down by the Atlantic coast and have loved it. The folks there are hard working, practical and the living definition of everyday people. When I sent my young, brash ghost hunter Jessica Backman on a case, I wanted it to be with people who are grounded and not given to flights of fancy. When the Leigh family comes face to face with the doppelganger of their living daughter, the doubt and fear are real and honest. Jessica’s job is made all the more difficult trying to convince them all that what they are seeing is real and a possible portent of terrible things to come. As I wrote Sinister Entity, from time to time I would close my eyes and recall fun family vacations, smell the briny ocean air and hear the splash of water and laughter of my kids when they were young and I was still relatively cool. When I opened my eyes, I got back to the business of injecting the New Hampshire family with mind-blowing terror. God, being a writer is fun! Sinister Entity by Hunter Shea Sequel to Forest of Shadows Genre: Horror Publisher: Samhain Publishing ISBN10: 1619212331 Number of pages: 264 Amazon BN Samhain Book Description: How can you escape the ghost of yourself? The Leigh family is terrified. They’ve been haunted by the ghostly image of their young daughter, Selena. But how can that be, when Selena is alive and well, and as frightened as her parents? With nowhere else to turn, the Leighs place their hopes in Jessica Backman, who has dedicated her life to investigating paranormal activity. Accompanied by a new partner who claims to be able to speak to the dead, Jessica will soon encounter an entity that scares even her. And a terror far worse than she imagined. Excerpt: “Kitchen drawer just closed so hard, the wood cracked. Time is two-forty-eight a.m. I dared the EB to be more demonstrative and it’s taking up the challenge. The air smells funky, like burning wires. No signs of smoke.” She stopped. Something started tapping on the walls around her. Tap-tap, pause, tap-tap-tap, pause, tap. Jessica continued, using meditative breathing exercises to calm herself, “I hope I caught that. It’s tapping out in a sequence.” Tap-tap. “Two taps, followed by three, then one. I’m not sure if it’s some form of Morse cod

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S" ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY" I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S AUDIO BOOK CHOICE.... LET'S EXPLORE DIABETESWITH OWLSESSAYS, ETC.BY DAVID SEDARISREAD BY DAVID SEDARISABOUT THE BOOK:A guy walks into a bar car and...From here the story could take many turns. When this guy is David Sedaris, the possibilities are endless, but the result is always the same: he will both delight you with twists of humor and intelligence and leave you deeply moved. Sedaris remembers his father's dinnertime attire (shirtsleeves and underpants), his first colonoscopy (remarkably pleasant), and the time he considered buying the skeleton of a murdered Pygmy. With Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, David Sedaris shows once again why his work has been called "hilarious, elegant, and surprisingly moving" (Washington Post).ABOUT THE AUTHOR:David Sedaris is a playwright and a regular commentator for National Public Radio. He is also the author of the bestselling Barrel Fever, Naked, Holidays on Ice, Dress Your Family in Corduroy, Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames and Me Talk Pretty One Day. He travels extensively though Europe and the United States on lecture tours and lives in France. PRAISE FOR LET'S EXPLORE DIABETES WITH OWLS:"Sedaris is a remarkably skilled storyteller and savvy essayist. He weaves together vivid images and sensations into a coherent whole that packs a serious emotional punch....Yes, David Sedaris is really that good. And, based on this latest collection, he's getting only better."---Heather Havrilesky, Los Angeles Times"Artfully milked embarrassing personal incidents for literary laughs...There are plenty of well-cut gems, including one about an ill-fated adoption of some sea turtles that's both hilarious and touching."---Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly"If you are a David Sedaris fan, any new book from the humorist is cause for celebration. His newest offering, Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, is no exception. It's quintessential Sedaris....There's always a laugh-out-loud moment just around the corner."---Craig Wilson, USA Today"The funniest writer in America....Sedaris is thoughtful and sweet in addition to being slyly hilarious."---Leigh Haber, Oprah"David Sedaris has become a signifier of taste and intelligence....Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls was the kind of book that I finished and just immediately wanted to start reading again."---Anna Peele, Esquire"David Sedaris still talks pretty."---Kathryn Schulz, New York Magazine"Fresh....funny, whimsical, unexpected, and never obvious....Who would anticipate that an encounter with an Australian bird could be so damn touching?"---Sherryl Connelly, New York Daily News"Ridiculously funny....A find for the reader who appreciates a sense of humor....Sedaris, like the great humorists before him, hits a nerve with his wit, which brings the reader into intimate contact with the human condition."---John Henry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram"An acute observer and master of the quick, excoriating takedown, Sedaris claims new territory in this exceptionally gutsy and unnerving collection."---Donna Seamn, Booklist"Hilarious....Winning....Sedaris's experiences are an endless source of good material."---Danielle Trussoni, People SOME OTHER BOOKS BY DAVID SEDARIS: MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:For those not familiar with David Sedaris, his latest book, LET’S EXPLORE DIABETES WITH OWLS, is not a medical reference book! Far from it. Rather, Sedaris is back with another incredibly witty commentary on life that to some extent, is a bit more cultured and urbane than ever before. Taking topics from ordinary scenarios in life even including some based on family members (his father is his prime target-as well he should be!), Sedaris uses satire in a way that few others can. His comedic presentations of how hard his father always is on him has given the author so much material as he strives continually to prove his father wrong. Mo

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'SWINNERS' ANNOUNCEMENT! THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON MAY 26, TO REPLY WITH THEIRINFORMATION OR A NEW WINNERWILL HAVE TO BE CHOSEN!*************************************ALL HE EVER NEEDEDBY SHANNON STACEYTHE WINNER IS:#67 holdenj***************************************STARTING NOWA Blossom Street Novel BY DEBBIE MACOMBERTHE WINNER IS:#10 Becky********************************************* THE BEGONIA BRIBE A Garden Society Mystery BY ALYSE CARLSONTHE WINNER IS:#6 Monja Blue********************************************* As required by the FCC: I received one copy of this book/item in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation for this review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are mine alone. This post and all images contained herein are © 2010 BOOKIN' WITH BINGO's Book Blog. All Rights Reserved. If you’re reading this on a site other than BOOKIN' WITH BINGO's Book Blog or its RSS feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is being used without permission.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It is a weekly meme that allows you to share a book you can’t wait to read! Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols July 16, 2013 from MTV Books Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away. Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again… Goodreads | Amazon | IndieBound Related Posts: Review: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols Review: Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols Review: The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols Interview: Jennifer Echols Review: Love Story by Jennifer Echols Write a quick commentThe post Waiting on Wednesday: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols appeared first on Chick Loves Lit.