Mailbox Monday - 5/17

Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

I got four books in my mailbox last week.  Two were from paperbackswap.com; those were the anthology "Night's Edge" and "From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler"

The third from from Librarything.com Early Reviewer's Program and that one was Cyclist BikeList by Laura Robinson.  Looks like a great book on basic bike maintenance, which is something I could definitely brush up on.

The fourth book I bought; this one was Volcano: A Visual Guide.  My son is obsessed with Volcanoes right now and this is an awesome book.  It is full of tons of beautiful pictures with short descriptions and had some interesting volcanic things that I had never seen or heard of before.  It even talks about volcanoes on different planets!  Highly recommended!

Hope you all got some interesting books!  Happy reading :-)

Night's Edge by Maggie Shayne, Charlaine Harris, Barabara Hambly
 
First Sentence: "Rue paused to gather herself before she pushed open the door mark both Blue Moon Entertainment and Black Moon Productions."
From Amazon.com: "Dancers in the Dark by New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris
Dancer Layla Rue Le May's childhood prepared her to handle just about anything, including her aloof partner, Sean McClendon, a three-hundred-year-old redheaded vampire. Even so, when she somehow acquires a stalker, Layla Rue is surprised to find that Sean is the only one she can trust….
Her Best Enemy by USA TODAY bestselling author Maggie Shayne
Kiley Brigham refuses to believe there's a ghost in her house, but when an unseen hand leaves a bloody message on her bathroom mirror, she's forced to turn to local psychic Jack McCain. As the two work to uncover a long-buried secret, Kiley finds that she's haunted not by spirits, but by thoughts of Jack….
Someone Else's Shadow by Locus Award–winning author Barbara Hambly
Maddie Laveau worries about her young roommate, Tessa, when she stays late to practice ballet in the old Glendower Building…and when Tessa goes missing, Maddie enlists mysterious tenant Phil Anderson to help. But is Phil the white knight she needs, or the predator she fears?"

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
 
First Sentence: "Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away."
From Amazon.com: "When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn't just want to run from somewhere she wants to run to somewhere--to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and preferably elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing that her younger brother, Jamie, has money and thus can help her with the serious cash flow problem she invites him along.
Once settled into the museum, Claudia and Jamie, find themselves caught up in the mystery of an angel statue that the museum purchased at an auction for a bargain price of $250. The statue is possibly an early work of the Renaissance master Michelangelo, and therefore worth millions. Is it? Or isn't it? Claudia is determined to find out. This quest leads Claudia to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the remarkable old woman who sold the statue and to some equally remarkable discoveries about herself."

Cyclist BikeList: The Book for Every Rider by Laura Robinson
 
First Sentence: "I remember the April day when I fell in love with cycling."
From Amazon.com: "Bikes are becoming an ever-more vital part of daily life for people of all ages. Laura Robinson combines fascinating history (the first bike was propelled by the rider’s feet pushing against the ground) with useful and fun information, including tips for the way to dress for safe and efficient biking; what to eat for maximum body efficiency; and how to select and maintain a bike.

The book features riding superstars like Lance Armstrong as well as the kids from Chippewas of Nawash First Nations, whose mountain bike team is coached by Robinson.

Detailed diagrams and charts of different types of bikes, tire treads, and even road signs, along with bios of famous cyclists throughout history make this lively book the perfect resource for both dedicated riders and first-time cyclists."

Volcano: A Visual Guide by Donna O'Meara
 
First Sentence: "Volcanoes are a smorsgasborg for the senses."
From Amazon.com:"Rare and previously unpublished photographs of the most powerful of all natural events.
Through 250 spectacular full-color images, Volcano: A Visual Guide takes readers on an armchair journey to 40 of the world's most active and important volcanoes.
Informative text describes the features and structure of volcanoes, eruption dynamics, and what makes a volcano active, dormant or extinct. Fascinating details reveal how experts use technology to predict volcanic activity, and what volcanoes tell us about the geological history of Earth.
Stunning color photographs of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions showcase volcanoes worldwide and beyond, including:

• The United States
• Japan
• Indonesia
• Montserrat
• Italy
• The Galapagos Islands
• Papua New Guinea
• The Cook Islands
• The Philippines
• The Pacific Ocean
• New Zealand
• The Moon, Venus, Mars and Triton.

Volcanoes and the forces that create them produce many of our planet's most stunning natural spectacles and dramatic landscapes. Volcano: A Visual Guide provides a magical view inside the Earth's interior."

Mailbox Monday - 5/10

Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.  

 I got four books this week.  All of them were from paperbackswap.com.  Two of the books are Jane Jameson books; this looks like a cute and fun series to read and I am eager to read it.  The third was a Persephone Alcmedi book; this sounds like a pretty action packed urban fantasy that I have been interested in reading.  The last book was Dreamfever, the fourth book in the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning.  I haven't read any of the book in the Fever series yet but I am hoping to start it next month.

See below for details on all of the books.

Viscious Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 1) by Linda Robertson
 
First Sentence: "Half past six A.M. A ruggedly handsome man...Arthur, yes, Arthur...held be in his stong arms, gazing into my eyes with sensitivity and understandig and desire, and he was about to kiss me, and---  The sound of the garage dorr opening ruined my perfectly romantic dream."
From Amazon.com: "Being a witch doesn't pay the bills, but Persephone Alcmedi gets by between reading Tarot cards, writing her syndicated newspaper column, and kenneling werewolves in the basement when the moon is full -- even if witches aren't supposed to mingle with wolves. She really reaches the end of her leash, though, when her grandmother gets kicked out of the nursing home and Seph finds herself in the doghouse about some things she's written. Then her werewolf friend Lorrie is murdered...and the high priestess of an important coven offers Seph big money to destroy the killer, a powerful vampire named Goliath Kline. Seph is a tough girl, but this time she bites off more than she can chew. She needs a little help from her friends -- werewolf friends. One of those friends, Johnny, the motorcycle-riding lead singer for the techno-metal-Goth band Lycanthropia, has a crush on her. And while Seph has always been on edge around this 6'2" leather-clad hunk, she's starting to realize that although their attraction may be dangerous, nothing could be as lethal as the showdown that awaits them."

Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (Jane Jameson, Book 2) by Molly Harper
 
First Sentence: "I can't do this."
From Amazon.com: "Once a devoted children's librarian, Jane Jameson now works at a rundown occult bookstore. Once a regular gal, she's now a vampire. And instead of a bride, she's an eternal bridesmaid -- which leads her to question where exactly her relationship with her irresistibly sexy sire, Gabriel, is headed. Mercurial, enigmatic, apparently commitment-phobic vampires are nothing if not hard to read. While Jane is trying to master undead dating, she is also donning the ugliest bridesmaid's dress in history at her best friend Zeb's Titanic-themed wedding. Between a freaked-out groom-to-be, his hostile werewolf in-laws, and Zeb's mother, hell-bent on seeing Jane walk the aisle with Zeb, Jane's got the feeling she's just rearranging the proverbial deck chairs.
Meanwhile, Half Moon Hollow's own Black Widow, Jane's Grandma Ruthie, has met her match in her latest fiancé. He smells like bad cheese and has a suspicious history of dead spouses. But Jane's biting her tongue. After all, would a nice girl really think she has a future with a vampire?"

Nice Girls Don't Live Forever (Jane Jameson, Book 3) by Molly Harper
 
First Sentence: "My life didn't begin until I died."
From Amazon.com: "Nothing sucks the romance out of world travel like a boyfriend who may or may not have broken up with you in a hotel room in Brussels. Jane Jameson's sexy sire Gabriel has always been unpredictable, but the seductive, anonymous notes that await him at each stop of their international vacation, coupled with his evasive behavior over the past few months, finally push Jane onto the next flight home to Half Moon Hollow -- alone, upset, and unsure whether Gabriel just ended their relationship without actually telling her.
Now the children's-librarian-turned-vampire is reviving with plenty of Faux Type O, some TLC from her colorful friends and family, and her plans for a Brave New Jane. Step One: Get her newly renovated occult bookstore off the ground. Step Two: Support her best friend, Zeb, and his werewolf bride as they prepare for the impending birth of their baby...or litter. Step Three: Figure out who's been sending her threatening letters, and how her hostile pen pal is tied to Gabriel. Because for this nice girl, surviving a broken heart is suddenly becoming a matter of life and undeath...."

Dreamfever (Fever series, Book 4) by Karen Marie Moning
 
First Sentence: "Death. Pestilence. Famine."
From Amazon.com: "MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the erotic Fae master she once swore to kill. Far from home, unable to control her sexual hungers, MacKayla is now fully under the Lord Master’s spell.…In New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s stunning new novel, the walls between human and Fae worlds have come crashing down. And as Mac fights for survival on Dublin’s battle-scarred streets, she will embark on the darkest—and most erotically charged—adventure of her life.
He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge.…

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons…and about the world she thought she knew."

Mailbox Monday - 5/3

Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

I got four book this week.  The first was from paperbackswap.com and is the first book in a series I am interested in reading: "Magic Lost, Trouble Found" by Lisa Shearin.  I am hoping that this will be a fun series.

The remaining three books were through the Amazon Vine program.  I got "Red Hot Fury" a debut novel by Kasey MacKenzie, "The Bumper Book of Nature" by Stephen Moss, and Discover Ireland (Lonely Planet).  A wide variety of books there!

See below for more information on the individual books.  Hope you all have a happy Monday and a great week reading.

Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Raine Benares, Book 1) by Lisa Shearin
 
First Sentence: "Sorcerers weren't normal, sorcery wasn't natural, and Quentin Rand didn't like either one.
From Amazon.com: "Raine Benares is a Sorceress Seeker of average ability until she comes into possession of an amulet that amplifies her powers-and her enemies."

Red Hot Fury (A Shades of Fury Novel) by Kasey MacKenzie
 
First Sentence: "Something seemed fishy about the corpse stretched out on the sand, and it wasn't the heavy odor of Boston Harbor hanging in the predawn air."
From Amazon.com: "Hell hath nothing worse than a Fury scorned...

As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an Arcane race that has avenged wrongdoing since time immemorial. As Boston's Chief Magical Investigator for the past five years, she's doing what she was born to: solving supernatural crimes.

It's far from business as usual when the body of one of Riss's sister Furies washes up in Boston harbor. Riss discovers that the corpse's identity has been magically altered, but as soon as she reports her findings, she's immediately--and inexplicably--suspended from her job. Then a human assassin makes an attempt on her life, and Riss starts to realize that someone may be trying to stir up strife between mortals and Arcanes.

When a Fury gets mad, she gets even, and Riss is determined to untangle this case. Without the support of the mortal PD, Riss turns to the one man she can trust to watch her back--shapeshifting Warhound Scott Murphy. But since Scott is also Riss's ex, she'll have to keep a tight leash on more than just the supernatural rage that feeds her power as they try to solve a murder--and stop a war..."

The Bumper Book of Nature: A User's Guide to the Great Outdoors by Stephen Moss
 
First Sentence: "The great thing about the natural world is that it never stops."
From Amazon.com: "The Bumper Book of Nature is a gloriously designed treasure trove of nature activities, ideas and information to inspire the whole family to switch off the TV and computer and get outside, whether you live in the deepest inner city, by the sea or on a farm."

Discover Ireland by Lonely Planet
 
First Sentence: "For such a tiny country, Ireland get pretty big billing."
From Amazon.com: "Experience The Best of Ireland
Make the most of your trip abroad – Lonely Planet’s full color Discover guides highlight the best a country has to offer while still providing an authentic and memorable experience.

Full Color Throughout
Full of color images and maps – makes planning as inspiring as the journey itself
Color-coded navigation

Easy-To-Use Structure
Easy-to-use tools include: color-coded chapters, color thumb tabs, dynamic color spreads on major highlights and
Easy-to-read planning sections throughout

Highlights
Special front-of-book chapter on the top 25 can’t-miss experiences
Features the must-see attractions and unbeatable experiences
Focuses on key cities and regions

Itineraries
Country-wide itineraries take you step by step though the country – broken out by interest, theme and length of trip
Region-specific itineraries help you plan more deeply for the regions you are most interested in

Local Experts
Major attractions include insights from local experts on what not to miss."

Mailbox Monday - 4/26

Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

I was pretty light on getting books this week.  I really am trying to make an effort to read through the 180 so that I have to read.  So, I only got three books.

The first one I got through Librarything.com's Early Reviewer program and that was "Shapeshifter" by Holly Bennett.  The second book I got from Traveling ARC Tours and that one is the first book of The Morpheus Trilogy called "The Light" by D. J. MacHale.  The last book was a Kindle book that I picked up for free on Amazon called "Regina in the Sun" (Children of the Goddess, Book 1) by R. G. Alexander.

Check out more details on these books below!  Hope you all have a great week of reading :-)

The Light (Morpheus Road, Book 1) by D. J. MacHale

First Sentence: "I believe in ghosts."
From Amazon.com: "#1 NYT bestselling author D.J. MacHale's Morpheus Road trilogy brings readers down an ethereal pathway between the worlds of the living and dead."

Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett

 
First Sentence: "She woke in the early dawn, the light still only a promise in the dissolving darkness.
From Amazon.com: "A woman trapped in the body of a deer.  A dark sorcerer in relentless pursuit.  A mysterious child, found along on the slopes of a great mountain.  Set in the wild, magical landscape of iron-age Ireland, Shapeshifer is a tale a rapacious evil, quiet courage and the healing power of love."

ebook:

Regina in the Sun: Children of the Goddess Book 1 (Kindle Edition)by R. G. Alexander

First Sentence: "She was going to die."
From Amazon.com: "There's only one place left to run-into forbidden arms. Children of the Goddess Book 1 Children of the Goddess Book One When she arrives at Ye Olde Haven Pub, the sanctuary for Trueblood Vampires, Regina is wounded and desperate. Her only thought is to save the Deva Clan, her family, from the dangerous Loups De L'Ombre, the Shadow Wolves. She knows she will not exactly be welcomed with open arms. She is, after all, an Unborn, the lowest caste of Vampire.
As a natural born from the purest line, Zander Sariel knows the rules are sacrosanct-a Trueblood mates with his own kind. But one taste of the young Unborn is all Zander needs to know that rules were made to be broken.
With enemies at every turn, Zander risks everything to save Regina from the monster that hunts her, his own kind's ignorance and-if he must-her lack of faith in her own unique abilities.
Only together do they have a chance to defeat the shadow that haunts their future, and save their entire race from extinction."

Mailbox Monday - 4/19

Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

I only acquired one paper book this week and that  was "Underkingdom: Disco Goblins vs the Machine" by Jonathan Culverhouse.  I received this book directly from the author, so thanks to Culverhouse for sending it.

The rest of the books I got were e-books.  I downloaded a whole bunch of free classics to my Kindle consisting of: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Phantom of the Opera, Anarine Karenina, Great Expectations, and The War or the Worlds.  Then I also purchased a large variety of either free or $0.99 books that looked very interesting to me.

More information on all of the books can be found below.  Hope that you all have a great week of reading.

Underkingdom: Disco Goblins vs the Machine by Jonathan Culverhouse
 
First Sentence: "Something that looked almost exactly like the Klamp family cat crept in with the early morning mist."
From Amazon.com: "An unexpected school trip leads Angelica into the strange and dangerous Underkingdom, where she meets a timid goblin whose passion for all things human includes 1970's disco music and Earl Grey tea. How will this unlikely hero help her to defeat a ruthless king, rescue Angelica's schoolmates before they become the filling in a giant pie, and stop a monstrous war machine, which rises from the earth taking the heart of central London with it? The answers lay somewhere inside Underkingdom: Disco Goblins vs The Machine. A light-hearted novel which should appeal to young adults and grown-ups who enjoy reading children's fiction."

eBooks:
Wistril Compleat by Frank Tuttle
 
First Sentence: "The torches hurled on the tiny inn's wood-shingled roof, which should have touched off an inferno with the first lick of flame, merely guttered and went out."
From Amazon.com: "All three of Wistril's magical misadventures are included in this complete compilation of cantrips and catastrophes!

Wistril Besieged --
Wizard Wistril's wants are simple -- four meals a day, a steady supply of honey-gold Upland beer, and above all else, peace and quiet.
All but the latter are in plentiful supply at Castle Kauph. Despite secreting himself in the Wild, Wistril finds himself battling an army of relentless mercenaries while the entire population of the nearest village takes refuge in his home. Even Kern, Wistril's long-suffering, sharp-tongued apprentice, isn't sure whether the army or the houseguests will prove to be Wistril's undoing!

Wistril Afloat --
Wistril doesn't believe in lake monsters -- until they invade the lake that just happens to provide Wistril's favorite fish dinners. Faced with the choice of adjusting his menus or daring the wilderness around Lake Ovinshoon, Wistril and Kern soon have bigger problems than mere lake monsters on their hands.
Because while Wistril wishes only to study the beasts, others wish to hunt them and skin them. Will Wistril's peaceful White Chair magics prevail against a ruthless band of wyvern-hunters who have only profit on their minds?

Wistril Betrothed --
If ever there was a determined bachelor, thought Kern, his name was surely Wistril.
So when Wistril's wife-to-be shows up with a pursuing army on her heels, life at Castle Kauph is turned upside down. And when another suitor for Lady Emmerbee's hand arrives, with a dark and menacing wizard of his own in tow, it's up to Kern and the rest of Castle Kauph to get Wistril wed without losing his head!

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck
 
First Sentence: "The prisoner stood with his hands tied in front of him, tired, beaten, and filthy, but with a proud back befitting his royal heritage."
From Amazon.com: "Kelsey Hayes was just a freshman in high school when her parents were killed in an automobile accident, sending her into the foster-care system. After graduation, she takes a job at a circus in Oregon to earn money for college. There, she becomes fascinated with the star attraction, a white tiger named Dhiren. When the tiger is sold to the mysterious Mr. Kadam, Kelsey is heartbroken—until Mr. Kadam offers her a job as Dhiren’s traveling companion. Because of her strong affection for the tiger, she agrees . When their truck is hijacked on a dirt road outside of Mumbai, Dhiren leads Kelsey deep into the jungle. There, he reveals his true nature: he is a three-hundred-fifty-year-old Indian prince, cursed by an ancient magician to live out eternity as a tiger. Young-adult readers will be enthralled by this mystical adventure story of a girl who risks her life to save the man she comes to love."

Sleepwalker: The Last Sandman by Brad Marlowe
First Sentence: "There were no shadows in the place some call Nod until the night he was created."
From Amazon.com: "A dark force is born from the uncommon imaginations of young Sean and Cole Golden, casting a cold shadow over Nod, the ever-changing land of dreams. When the malevolent entity abducts the Sandman, and then snatches its own creators from their cozy beds in an Iowa farmhouse, Jake (the boys’ cynical father) is forced to resurrect the imaginative child within in order to cross the adult-proof barrier that separates the real from the surreal. In Nod, a world literally made of our dreams, the younger Jake must rescue Sean, Cole, and the Sandman before the sleep-deprived citizens of the world burn everything to the ground.

Jake faces physical manifestations of all manner of dreams, including a treacherous money forest, Lost Lake (where mankind’s collected regrets churn beneath black waters), They and Them (monochromatic Siamese twins who are the architects of The Rules for accountants and elementary school teachers), The Tree of Hope, and Death himself—who turns out to be a pretty nice guy. But despite the wondrous locales and characters contained in the story, there is a current of authentic emotion tethering the whimsical fantasy elements to a credible reality like the string of a bright red balloon tied around a child's wrist.

SLEEPWALKER: THE LAST SANDMAN is a modern fantasy without wizards, faeries, dragons, or vampires. It is an exploration of the origin of dreams and the tale of a world-weary, brokenhearted father’s love for the sons he has neglected far too long. It is a fantastical journey through lost love and rediscovered hope that may lead to redemption—for one family, and the world entire."

Celia and the Fairies by Karen McQuestions
 
First Sentence: "Every night after Celia was tucked into bed she tiptoed out of her room and sat quietly on the upstairs landing."
From Amazon.com: "When Celia Lovejoy’s parents announce that her grandmother is coming to live with them, Celia is delighted. Now while her parents work at their toy company, she can spend time with Grammy instead of going to bossy Paul’s house.
When her grandmother tells stories about the fairies living in the woods behind Celia’s house, her parents are quick to dismiss it. “Just a lot of nonsense,” says her father with a wave of his hand. Her mother reminds her that a ten-year-old girl is too old to believe in magic. But if there are no fairies, how to explain the glimmers of light she sees from her balcony at night? And why does she dream of a fairy girl begging for help? All of the answers are in the woods, if only Celia is brave enough to find out.
An engaging story sure to delight readers everywhere."

Bite Me by Parker Blue
 
First Sentence: "The stench of rotting garbage filled my nostrils as I scoured the dark streets of San Antonio for something to take off the edge."
From Amazon.com: "An edgy book for teens that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction. Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon. Val Shapiro is just your ordinary, part-demon, teenaged vampire hunter with a Texas drawl. And a pet hellhound named Fang. Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not. "

Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese
 
First Sentence: "The Apocalypse has a way of fouling up one's plans."
From Amazon.com: "Years of covering the antics of End Times cults for The Banner, a religious news magazine, have left Christine Temetri not only jaded but seriously questioning her career choice.

That is, until she meets Mercury, an anti-establishment angel who’s frittering his time away whipping up batches of Rice Krispy Treats and perfecting his ping-pong backhand instead of doing his job: helping to orchestrate Armageddon. With the end near and angels and demons debating the finer political points of the Apocalypse, Christine and Mercury accidentally foil an attempt to assassinate one Karl Grissom, a thirty-seven-year-old film school dropout about to make his big break as the Antichrist.

Now, to save the world, she must negotiate the byzantine bureaucracies of Heaven and Hell and convince the apathetic Mercury to take a stand, all the while putting up with the obnoxious mouth-breathing Antichrist." 

Mailbox Monday - 4/5

 Mailbox Monday can be found at: The Printed Page

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

Again this week my vow to acquire less books went down the drain.  I feel like at paperbackswap.com I always get a whole bunch of wishes granted over a couple weeks and then nothing for a bit.

Anyway I got the following books through paperbackswap.com: "The Amaranth Enchantment" by Julie Berry, "Monster Hunter International" by Larry Correia, and "Midnight's Daughter" by Karen Chance.

Then I got two more books through the Amazon Vine program.  Those were: "Perchance to Dream" by Lisa Mantchev, and "The Boneshaker" by Kate Milford.

Then I got a couple of books from author Jim Bernheimer.  Those two were "Horror, Humor, and Heroes" and "Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman".  I just finished "Horror, Humor, and Heroes" and really enjoyed it.  It was a fun and well-written collection of short-stories.  Thanks to Jim for sending these out.  I plan to do an interview and giveaway with his books as soon as I finish reading the second one.

Lastly I got two books from the Library: "Succubus Shadows" by Richelle Mead and Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.

Definitely a great bunch of books.   I look forward to reading them all :-)

I should also mention I finally purchased a Kindle.  Soooo....that will be an interesting shift for me.

Hope that you all got great books too and have a great week of reading!

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
  
First Sentence: "I sit on a velvet stool at Mama's feet, watching her brush her hair."
From Amazon.com:"When Lucinda Chapdelaine was a small child, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned. Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt’s jewelry store. Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda’s path. In this magical story filled with delightful surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch’s spell, avenge her parents’ death, and maybe—just maybe—capture the heart of a prince."

Perchance to Dream (Theatre Illuminata, Book 2) by Lisa Mantchev
  
First Sentence: "It is a truth universally acknowledged," Mustardseed said, flying in lazy loops like an intoxicated bumblebee, "that a fairy in possession of a good appetite must be in want of pie."
From Amazon.com:"We are such stuff as dreams are made on.
Act Two, Scene One
Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.
Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY
But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—
 Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril.
 Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.
When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Thèâtre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?"

Horror, Humor, and Heroes by Jim Bernheimer
 
First Sentence: "Nal was a lean, fast, brown hunter."
From Amazon.com: "Horror, Humor, and Heroes is a collection of twelve short stories, one novella, and a preview for my next novel that should contain enough variety to entertain you readers. Sample some of my finest offerings, such as - a guardian wolf fearing the coming of man, a producer willing to do anything to bring the first pay per view live werewolf hunt to the world, a zombie running for congress, a vampire trying to get his life insurance company to pay up, a six year old girl, who makes a cookie people will do anything for, the story of the first child born on the Moon, or a draftee in a war against science gone awry. This collection includes the novella, Confessions of a D-List Supervillain. It is one of my favorite endeavors and anyone who has ever cracked open a comic book will appreciate this story about a down on his luck bad guy forced into the reluctant role of world savior. Also inside is a preview of my forthcoming series Battle Maidens."


Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman by Jim Bernheimer
 
First Sentence: "I volunteered for Mr. Bush's war."
From Amazon.com:"My name is Mike Ross. I'm a Ferryman. I help people with ghost problems, or ghosts with people problems. Funny thing, no one ever helps me with my problems. Civil War ghosts bent on killing me, Skinwalkers who just want my body, and a vindictive spirit linked both to my bloodline and my destiny... It turns out the dead still hold a good deal of influence over the world, and they don't want to give it up. I'm in way over my head. Fortunately, I'm too stubborn to quit."

Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia
 
First Sentence: "On one otherwise normal Tuesday evening I had the chance to live the American dream.  I was able to throw my incopmetent jackass of a boss from a fourteenth-story window."
From Amazon.com: "Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a fourteenth story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer.
            It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Officially secret, some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. On the other side are the people who kill monsters for a living. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.
            It’s actually a pretty sweet gig, except for one little problem. An ancient entity known as the Cursed One has returned to settle a centuries old vendetta. Should the Cursed One succeed, it means the end of the world, and MHI is the only thing standing in his way. With the clock ticking towards Armageddon, Owen finds himself trapped between legions of undead minions, belligerent federal agents, a cryptic ghost who has taken up residence inside his head, and the cursed family of the woman he loves.
            Business is good . . .
            Welcome to Monster Hunter International."


Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab, Book 1) by Karen Chance
 
First Sentence: "My least favorite dead guy had his feet up on my desk."
From Amazon.com: "Dorina Basarab is a dhampir—half-human, half-vampire. Unlike most dhampirs, though, Dory has managed to maintain her sanity. Now Dory’s vampire father has come to her for help— again. Her Uncle Dracula (yes, the Dracula), cruelest among vampires, has escaped his prison. And her father wants Dory to work with gorgeous master vampire Louis-Cesare to put him back there.

Although Dory prefers to work alone, Dracula is the only thing that truly scares her—and when she has to face him, she’ll take all the help she can get…"


Boneshaker by Kate Milford

First Sentence: "Strange things can happen at crossroads."
From Amazon.com: "Thirteen-year-old Natalie Minks loves machines, particularly automata—self-operating mechanical devices, usually powered by clockwork. When Jake Limberleg and his traveling medicine show arrive in her small Missouri town with a mysterious vehicle under a tarp and an uncanny ability to make Natalie’s half-built automaton move, she feels in her gut that something about this caravan of healers is a bit off. Her uneasiness leads her to investigate the intricate maze of the medicine show, where she discovers a horrible truth and realizes that only she has the power to set things right.

Set in 1914, The Boneshaker is a gripping, richly textured novel about family, community, courage, and looking evil directly in the face in order to conquer it."

From Library:

Succubus Shadows (Geordina Kincaid, Book 5) by Richelle Mead

First Sentence: "I was drunk."
From Amazon.com: "Georgina Kincaid has formidable powers. Immortality, seduction, shape-shifting into any human form she desires, walking in heels that would cripple mere mortals--all child's play to a succubus like her.
Helping to plan her ex-boyfriend's wedding is a different story. Georgina isn't sure which is worse--that Seth is marrying another woman, or that Georgina has to run all over Seattle trying on bridesmaid dresses. Still, there are distractions. Georgina's roommate, Roman, is cluttering her apartment with sexual tension. Then there's Simone, the new succubus in town, who's intent on corrupting Seth.
But the real danger lies in the mysterious force that's visiting her thoughts, trying to draw her into a dark, otherworldly realm. Sooner or later, Georgina knows she'll be too weak to resist. And when that happens, she'll discover who she can trust, who she can't--and that Hell is far from the worst place to spend eternity."

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
 
First Sentence: "Finn had been flung on his face and chained to the stone slabs of the transitway."
From Amazon.com: "Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible. And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know."