In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme by The Story Siren (www.thestorysiren.com). I recently got very interested in looking at different websites and they way they set their blogs up. Since I had a brief hiatus from blogging and I'm just getting back into it I would appreciate some tips on how to improve my blog. If you have any ideas don't hesitate to post a comment.
Anyhow, here is what I picked up this week:

BOUGHT ON MY KINDLE:


These purchases were definitely inspired by searching around different blogging sites. I have found that a majority of these sites focus on YA fiction which is great. I am a primary/junior teacher so I teach from JK to grade 6 right now as an occasional teacher. I love that more and more students are really into reading and reading different genres so I thought I'd pick a few of these up. I also bought a few books this week. Here they are for you.

BOUGHT AT $1 SALE:



Most of these I have been wanting for quite some time with the exception of the Tanya Huff novel. My aunt had read it and she encouraged me to get this one. It's what I'm reading right now and I'm quite enjoying it. Anyhow, that's it for me. I much prefer watching the vlogs so if I can figure out how to do that for next week I'll give it a go. Hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as I enjoyed mine.

The Fall by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

From the Publishers: From the authors of the instant New York Times bestseller The Strain comes the next volume in one of the most imaginative and frightening thriller series in many, many years Last week they invaded Manhattan. This week they will destroy the world. The vampiric virus unleashed in The Strain has taken over New York City. It is spreading and soon will envelop the globe. Amid the chaos, Eph Goodweather-head of the Centers for Disease Control's team-leads a band out to stop these bloodthirsty monsters. But it may be too late. Ignited by the Master's horrific plan, a war erupts between Old and New World vampires, each vying for control. At the center of the conflict lies a book, an ancient text that contains the vampires' entire history . . . and their darkest secrets. Whoever finds the book can control the outcome of the war and, ultimately, the fate of us all. And it is between these warring forces that humans-powerless and vulnerable-find themselves no longer the consumers but the consumed. Though Eph understands the vampiric plague better than anyone, even he cannot protect those he loves. His ex-wife, Kelly, has been transformed into a bloodcrazed creature of the night, and now she stalks the city looking for her chance to reclaim her Dear One: Zack, Eph's young son.With the future of humankind in the balance, Eph and his team, guided by the brilliant former professor and Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian and exterminator Vasiliy Fet and joined by a crew of ragtag gangsters, must combat a terror whose ultimate plan is more terrible than anyone has imagined-a fate worse than annihilation.

My Review:
This is the second book in a trilogy. I really enjoyed reading this book although at times I found that it lagged a bit. I really liked the first book and knew I just had to have the 2nd and 3rd books when they came out. What I like about this novel is that it has vampires in it but they are vampires at a very primal animalistic level. Rather than being 100 year old men who still go to high school, the ancients are focusing their energy on total domination of the human race. For all the Twilight fans out there who are going to be upset with that last sentence, I still enjoyed reading Twilight. Don't get me wrong, it was a good series but at times I found myself wondering why on earth would these vampires go back to high school. I know I personally wouldn't want to go back to high school and date a teenager (too much angst for me). Anyhow, it's time to get back to The Fall. As much as I enjoyed the first book, I found myself needing to go back and re-read parts of it because I couldn't remember exactly what had happened. I think that could be because I read so many books in a year it's sometimes hard to get all the characters straight. I am also wondering if it would have been better to wait and read The Fall until the last book comes out. I found myself wanted to know what is going to happen next when I finished the book and I hate that I have to wait to find out. That being said, I think the author did a good job of ending the 2nd book of the trilogy. I find that sometimes it can read like the end of a chapter but in this case it seemed like a logical place to end the book. I love the characters in these books. All the characters come from such different backgrounds but find a way to come together to kick vampire butt. One is a doctor, one is a pest control man, one is a former gang member and another is an old Holocaust survivor. All in all this was an excellent book and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Booking Through Thursday

So since I started blogging again, I though that I would start responding to Booking Through Thursday again. So here is the question:
When you travel, how many books do you bring with you? Has this changed since the arrival of ebooks?

I have to say that I am a classic overpacker to begin with so it isn't any different when it comes to books. (It may actually be even worse). When it comes to packing books I have this unrealistic expectation that I'm actually going to read every book I bring with me. If I'm going away for a weekend I've been known to bring 4 books. If I'm going for a week then I usually bring about 7 books. I never actually read this many books but I always think I'm going to. I couldn't bear being away and running out of books to read. Usually, I bring a few extras home with me too.
I got a Kindle e-reader for my birthday in July and I have only been away twice since I've had it. I brought it with me both times but I have to admit I still brought paperbacks with me as well. I don't know, I guess I like to have options. I'm heading to the Barbados this summer so I'm thinking this will come in handy since we're flying and there is a weight restriction. I'm curious to see how many books other people pack with them.

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

From the Publishers:
Sophie Kinsella has dazzled readers with her irresistible Shopaholic novels-sensational international bestsellers that have garnered millions of devoted fans and catapulted her into the first rank of contemporary storytellers. Now her beloved heroine Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) returns in a hilarious tale of married life, toddlerhood, and the perils of trying to give a fabulous surprise party-on a budget!
Becky Brandon thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true: a shopping friend for life! But it's trickier than she thought. Two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.
Minnie creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is "Mine!" and she's even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there's a huge financial crisis.
With people having to "cut back," Becky decides to throw a surprise party for Luke to cheer everyone up. But when costs start to spiral out of control, she must decide whether to accept help from an unexpected source-and therefore run the risk of hurting the person she loves.
Will Becky be able to pull off the celebration of the year? Will she and Luke ever find a home of their own? Will Minnie ever learn to behave? And . . . most important . . . will Becky's secret wishes ever come true?

My Review:
Well, it has been quite some time since I posted anything on my blog. Let's just say I've been quite busy planning a wedding and trying to find a teaching position. Anyhow, that being said, I have still been avidly reading. I have to admit while Kinsella is not literary genius, I have a soft spot in my heart for her writing. I have read every one of her books written as Kinsella and I have also read a majority of her books written as Wickham. I much prefer her non-shopaholic books but as the Shopaholic series has progressed I think it has just gotten better. I could not put this book down. I read this book in one day and I have to say that it lived up to its expectations. I really enjoy the hilarity of Becky Brandon's antics. She is a train wreck waiting to happen. In the end though, she pulls everything off. (Is there really any other way for a Kinsella book to end?). I can't wait for the next installment of this series. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris

I read 4 of these books in a row so I thought I'd review them together. The last few weeks I have been reading: "Dead as a Doornail", "Definitely Dead", "All Together Dead", and "From Dead to Worse". I really enjoy this series and I can't get enough of it. I had a hard time putting these books down and when I was done I wanted to go out and buy the last book published this winter. I stopped myself because I have far too many books in my TBR pile. I like how Sookie's character evolves over the course of the novels. In the beginning most of the novels were about her being in a relationship with Bill but I almost like these books better because Sookie is single for the majority of them. She has different short term flings with different characters but nothing super serious. I like her better this way because she seems to be more independant and displays a take-charge attitude. Harris' imagination is fascinating; there is always a new type of supernatural creature in each book. She has it all: vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, were-panthers/tigers, faries, etc. I highly recommend these books and if you enjoy them you should definitely check out the series based on the books called True Blood.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

From the Publishers: This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s widely acclaimed No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to “help people with problems in their lives.” Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witch doctors.

My Review:
Well it was my day off on Friday and I had big plans of cleaning my house and doing laundry and my apartment building decided it was a great day to shut the water off for 7 hrs. Needless to say I didn't get anything accomplished except reading an entire book. I have to say that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would have. I did like the main character but I thought that the book didn't give as much character development as I would have liked. There are a lot of mini stories going on throughout the entire novel. I did enjoy reading the descriptions of Africa and I suppose that the character development may come in future books in the series but I have to say that overall I was a little disappointed. There is so much hype about this series and I felt it fell a little flat. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Flying Changes by Sara Gruen

From the Publishers: Twenty years after her competitive riding career died, Annemarie Zimmer worries that her relationship with the man she loves is off course, and fears that daughter Eva's own dreams of Olympic glory will carry her far from home ... and into harm's way. When the teenage Eva is invited to audition for a world-class trainer, Annemarie realizes that she must give Eva a chance to soar. But when Eva falls in love with a spectacular blue roan Nokota who hasn't let anyone ride him since his arrival at the barn, Annemarie's doubts come crashing back. It is a time of change at Maple Brook, when fears must be saddled and broken. And one remarkable family must learn how to deal with.

My Review:
This is the second book of a two book series. I have already reviewed the first book Riding Lessons and that being said I really enjoyed this book a lot better than the first one. The main character in the first book was quite irritating and it was difficult to sympathize with her. In this book, while she still does some frustrating things, she is a much more believable character. I stayed up all night finishing this one; I couldn't put it down. I also found that this book tugged a bit more at the heartstrings. Gruen really develloped each character from the first book and I found myself drawn into wanting to know more. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.