A Move

After much thought and deliberation I have decided that I am moving Confessions of a Book Junkie to wordpress (I've already imported all of my posts but this one from this blog into the new address.) I've been thinking about doing this for a while now...There are just a few things that I like a little bit better about wordpress than I do Blogger and I am in dire need of a 3-column layout and I've managed to screw up my blog when I've tried to make it 3-columns here.

I hope that anyone who is following me or has me in their reader will update with the new link!

The new home of Confessions of a Book Junkie can be found at: http://confessionsofabookjunkie.wordpress.com

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox explores the contents of my mailbox on a weekly basis. Of course I only mention the really cool things, like books! If you would like to participate and have your own “In My Mailbox” post, you can find more information here. In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

For Review:

There will be more exciting information/tidbits available in the near future about this book including a giveaway of a signed copy.

Synopsis (Available Feb. 16 2010): In this anemic medical thriller from bestseller Palmer (The Second Opinion), former trauma surgeon Dr. Nick Garrity, who suffers from PTSD as the result of a suicide attack on his field hospital in Afghanistan, is now in charge of the Helping Hands RV, a mobile clinic that plies the streets of Baltimore offering medical aid to the homeless. Meanwhile, a high-priced hit man starts to commit a series of murders, his first victim being Belle Coates, a nurse in Charlotte, N.C. When Belle's sister, Jillian, who lives in Virginia, searches for her sister's killer, she finds a connection to Nick. Several missing homeless men lead everyone to a massive plot involving high-level politicians and a secret CIA program. The action is all fairly predictable, the characters off-the-shelf, and the writing, if not exactly purple, at least mauve: “A guttural, primal scream exploded from Nick's throat as he crouched by the body.” 250,000 first printing. (Feb.)

Bought:

Synopsis: There were no surprises in Gatlin County. We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.At least, that's what I thought.Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.There was a curse.There was a girl.And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Synopsis: There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

Synopsis: The most anticipated story in the blockbuster Dark-Hunter series. The never-before-revealed story of the Dark-Hunter leader, Acheron. He was made human in order to escape death, but in death he was reborn a god. . .

Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron became the sole defender of mankind.

Only it was never that simple. For centuries, he has fought for our survival and hidden a past he’ll do anything to keep concealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.

Now his survival, and ours, hinges on hers and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.
War has never been more deadly... or more fun.

I feel like such a weiney!

I've been awarded a couple of awards since I've started my blog and I've been neglecting to get them posted. I will remedy this problem shortly. I aplogize to those who awarded them to me for neglecting to recognize you.

Oh my Google Reader!

I got smart this morning and decided that I was going to add all the book blogs that I follow (the ones that aren't already in there anyway) to my Google Reader. An hour and almost 600 posts later y'all are in there. Have a great weekend everyone! Less than a week until Christmas! I can hardly wait!

Good Reads Book Swap and some other stuff!

I just found this feature on Good Reads! I didn't even know it was there! How weird is that?!

In other news I've been working on finalizing my lists for all the challenges I've joined....Ok so I've just started to finalize my lists. Here's what I've finalized (for now anyway):

~ Book Blogger Recommendation
~ 2010 Debut Author Challenge
~ 2010 YA Challenge
~ Romance Reading Challenge 2010

2010 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

Hosted by Reading With Tequila

The following information I borrowed from Tequila's blog:

The Top 25
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Graceling - Kristin Cashore
Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Eragon - Christopher Paolini
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
The Host - Stephenie Meyer
The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel
The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
11 Minutes - Paulo Coelho
Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer

Click here to see the entire 2009 Book Blogger Recommendation List.

The Levels:

Level I - Read 5 books from the 2009 Book Blogger Recommendation List

Level II - Read 10 books

Level III - Read 15 books

Level IV - Read 20 books

Level V - Read 20+ books

The Rules:
~ Challenge will run January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. Participants can join anytime throughout the challenge.
~ Create an intro post, linking back to this post.
~ Sign up with the MckLinky below. Please link to your challenge intro post, not your blog home page.
~ Chose your own books from the list. You can decide to read books only on the Top 25 list or from the entire recommendation list. You do not have to make a list of books before the challenge begins.
~ All forms of books acceptable (audiobooks, eBooks, etc.)
~ Rereads do not count towards the completion of the challenge. The challenge is about discovering books that are new to you.
~ You don't need a blog to participate.
~ Reviews, while always appreciated, are not mandatory.

MY LIST (For Now):

1. Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

2. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

3. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

4. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

5. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks

6. Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles

7. This Lullaby - Sarah Dessen

8. The Green Mile - Stephen King

9. A River Runs Through It - Norman McLean

10. Persuasion - Jane Austen

11. Acheron - Sherrilyn Kenyon

12. Rhett Butler's People - Donald McCraig

13. The Help - Kathryn Stockett

14. Holes - Louis Sachar

15. Lamb - Christopher Moore

16. Manfield Park - Jane Austen

17. Teen Idol - Meg Cabot

18. The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom

19. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

20. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote

2010 Chunkster Reading Challenge

2010 Chunkster Challenge

February 1, 2010 - January 31, 2011

Definition of a Chunkster:
~ A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or nonfiction) ... A chunkster should be a challenge.
~ If you read large type books your book will need to be 525 pages or more ... The average large type book is 10-15% longer or more so I think that was a fair estimate.

The Rules:
~No Audio books in the chunkster. It just doesn't seem right. Words on paper for this one folks.
~No e-Books allowed - we are reading traditional, fat books for this challenge.
~Short Stories and Essay collections will not be counted.
~Books may crossover with other challenges
~Anyone may join. If you don't have a blog, just leave me a comment on this post with your progress (and to let me know you are playing)
~You don't need to list your books ahead of time.
~Once you pick a level, that's it...you're committed to that level!You must pick a level of participation (thanks again to Dana for the humor in these categories!):

The Chubby Chunkster - this option is for the reader who has a couple of large tomes on their TBR list, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. 3 books is all you need to finish this challenge.

Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to 4 Chunksters over the next twelve months.

Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to 6 or more chunksters OR three tomes of 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

Duke We're Glad We Knew You Review

Duke We're Glad We Knew You
Herb Fagen
4/5


Source: Library



Synopsis: To millions of movie fans, John Wayne was heroism personified, and to this day he is as big a star as he was in his prime. He was voted the 5th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly, the 4th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere magazine, and #13 Greatest Actor on the 50 Greatest Screen Legends list put out by the American Film Institute.


Here, in loving memory of the Duke thirty years after his death, is the updated and expanded edition of Duke, We're Glad We Knew You, featuring never-before-seen photos and interviews. The legendary icon is made real through vivid anecdotes and observations from the insiders who worked, gambled, drank, and fought with the outsized personality that was John Wayne. Candid, funny, revealing, moving and inspiring, this two-fisted tribute shows John Wayne as the true hero he was.



Review: John Wayne is my personal ALL TIME FAVORITE actor. He is quoted as saying "you shouldn't go to movies if you don't believe in hero's." This book is a collection of rememberances from those fortunate enough to have worked with Duke Wayne during his impressive film career. From Harry Carey Jr. to Ben Johnson they are all there telling us their stories of the Duke. Stories that just goes to show that even John Wayne was human.

Romance Reading Challenge 2010

Naida over at The Bookworm is hosting the Romance Reading Challenge. In my ever eclectic reading list I have decided to join up. Here is the information:

1. "Romance" isn't limited to steamy Harlequin novels. There is a huge selection of books in this category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge. The novels do not need to have a happy ending either, there can also be unrequited love.

Here's a few suggestions:

*Twilight By Stephenie Meyer

*Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

*Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

*The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss

*Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen or any other novel by Miss Austen

*Frederica by Georgette Heyer

*The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

*Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti

*Beneath A Marble Sky by John Shors

*The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

*P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

*The Princess Bride by William Goldman

need more suggestions? search through amazon.com Romance Section online for ideas.

2. Choose at least 5 novels read them between Jan 1st though Dec 31st 2010. You can change your choices at any time. Crossovers between other challenges are fine.

3. Read them at your own pace in 2010 then come here and post the link to your review(s).

Titles I've selected:

1. Gone With The Wind

2. P.S. I Love you

3. Pride and Prejudice

4. Emma

5. Dear John

6.

Fireproof Review

Fireproof
Eric Wilson

Source: Library

Synopsis: Growing up, his wife Catherine always dreamed of amrryuing a loving, brave firefighter...just like her father. Now, after seven years of marriage, she wonders when she stopped being "good enough." Countless arguments and anger have them wanting to move on to something with more sparks.
As they prepare for divorce, Caleb's father challenges him to commit to a 40-day experiment: "The Love Dare." Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb agrees, for his father's sake more than for his amrriage.
Surprised by what he discovers about the meaning of love, Caleb realizes that his wife and marraige are worth fighting for. His job is to rescue others. Now Captain Holt is ready to face his toughest job ever...rescuing his wife's heart.
Complete with action, humor, and romance, this entertaining novel by Eric Wilson will have you laughing, inspired, and challenged. Based on the screenplay by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the Fireproof novel includes subplots, characters, and back story not included in the movie.

Review: I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. I very rarely say this but the movie is better than the book in this case. I did NOT care for all the "extras" that were put into the book at all. For me personally, the book was pretty much the movie word for word plus all those extremely unwanted "extras."

Broken A Love Story Review

Broken A Love Story
Lisa Jones

Source: Library

Synopsis: Writer Lisa Jones went to Wyoming for a four-day magazine assignment and came home four years later with a new life.

At a dusty corral on the Wind River Indian Reservation, she met Stanford Addison, a Northern Arapaho who seemed to transform everything around him. He gentled horses rather than breaking them by force. It was said that he could heal people of everything from cancer to bipolar disorder. He did all this from a wheelchair; he had been a quadriplegic for more than twenty years.

Intrigued, Lisa sat at Stanford's kitchen table and watched. She saw neighbors from the reservation and visitors from as far away as Holland bump up the dirt road to his battered modular home, seeking guidance and healing for what had broken in their lives. She followed him into the sweat lodge — a framework of willow limbs covered with quilts — where he used prayer and heat to shrink tumors and soothe agitated souls. Standing on his sun-blasted porch, pit bulls padding past her, she felt the vibration from thundering bands of Arabian horses that Stanford's young nephews brought to the ring to train.

And she listened to his story. Stanford spent his teenage years busting broncs, seducing girls, and dealing drugs. At twenty, he left the house for another night of partying. By morning, a violent accident had robbed him of his physical prowess and left in its place unwelcome spiritual powers — an exchange so shocking that Stanford spent several years trying to kill himself. But eventually he surrendered to his new life and mysterious gifts.

Over the years Lisa was a frequent visitor to Stanford's place, the reservation and its people worked on her, exposing and healing theplaces where she, too, was broken.

Broken entwines her story with Stanford's, exploring powerful spirits, material poverty, spiritual wealth, friendship, violence, confusion, death, and above all else,"a love that comes before and after and above and below romantic love."

Review: I was looking through our libraries shelf of "new" releases when I came upon this one. The cover is what caught my eye....I have a "thing" for horses....I just LOVE them. As I was reading I got a little lesson in Native American history, which I did not expect but I thought it fit really well with the story. I also learned that life on the "rez" is not all that great....you pretty much have to learn how to go without in many case and that you are judged by your skin color. The characters (main and supporting) all have very interesting stories too. A little something that I picked up from this book from the author and the rest of the characters is that we are all a little bit "broken" it's just a matter of figuring out how to put the pieces back together again.

Overall, this was a really good book. I was really happy that I checked this one out. It did take me a little longer to get read than I would have liked (dang real life!) but it was totally worth that extra time.

Change in Pace

There will be a change in pace here at Confessions of a Book Junkie, effective immediately. In an effort to NOT feel like I'm pressuring myself to post on a daily basis I've decided that I am only going to post when I have a review or an update or something of that nature to say (though I will continue to post the meme's that I do participate in.). I don't want to burn myself out on reading or blogging (been there, done that already) by pressuring myself to post daily.

Right now I'm up to my eyeballs in library books....Most of which are for challenges that start in January, so for now some of them will be going back and requested again at a later date. Right now I'm in the process of reading a book called Broken A Love Story by Lisa Jones....It's really very good. It's a personal story about the author who does a story on a Native American man for a magazine and learns a little bit more about herself in the process.

So until next time,

Jamie

2010 Romance Challenge

This challenge is being hosted by Royal Reviews. Here is the information you need to know:

This is the second year we have run the Romance Reading Challenge. Although this year it will be a little different with more options for those die hard lovers of Romance novels. This challenge includes all sub genres of Romance i.e. paranormal, young adult, historical etc. So this should give you plenty of options.

Challenge Guidelines:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.--Non-Bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.

2. There are four levels:
-- Curious – Read 3 Romance Fiction novels.
-- Fascinated – Read 6 Romance Fiction novels.
-- Addicted – Read 12 Romance Fiction novels.
-- Obsessed – Read 20 Romance Fiction novels.

3. Any book format counts.

4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Only books started on January 1st count towards this challenge.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to the post about the Romance Reading Challenge. Include the URL so that other participants can find join in and read your reviews and post.

On My Wishlist (5)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City, which will be posted every Wednesday. It allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you are anything like me then your wishlist is getting longer by the day! If you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then you can find more info here. (This post was inspired by the fab In My Mailbox by Kristi at The Story Siren).

Synopsis (avalible April 27, 2010): When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado. Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.

With new characters to fall in love with and the same hot romance found in Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles has crafted another sure-fire hit for teens.

Synopsis: I'm marooned.
Abandoned.
Left to rot in boarding school . . .
Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at an all-girls school in South Bend, Indiana, far, far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Now Viola is stuck for a whole year in the sherbet-colored sweater capital of the world.
Ick.
There's no way Viola's going to survive the year—especially since she has to replace her best friend Andrew with three new roommates who, disturbingly, actually seem to like it there. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera.
Boarding school, though, and her roommates and even the Midwest are nothing like she thought they would be, and soon Viola realizes she may be in for the most incredible year of her life.
But first she has to put the camera down and let the world in.

Synopsis (available January 5, 2010): In this heartwarming collaborative debut from country music star Evans and Christian romance veteran Hauck (Sweet Caroline), antique dealer Jade Freedom Fitzgerald of Whisper Hollow, Tenn., must make peace with her hippy mama, Beryl Hill, before she can marry her lawyer fiancé, Maxwell Charles Benson. But wait, there's more: she also needs an annulment from an elopement at 16, to resolve her anger at the father who abandoned her, to learn how to get along with a pushy mom-in-law-to-be and take responsibility for a dire choice she made 13 years before. The arrival of Jade's mother and her tempestuous little sister, Willow, before the big day shakes things up further, especially after Beryl reveals an unhappy secret of her own. Comforting in that Southern way and inspirational without being too saccharine, Evans and Hauck's first outing together shows promise.

In My Mail Box

So this week on In My Mailbox, which is a meme put together by the Story Siren. Here's what I got this week:

***** Won *****

***** Borrowed for the Library *****

This is what I have gotten so far off of my list of requests and the items keep coming in...I was at the library for books 3 times this week alone.

The Vampire Diaries - The Struggle

Desperado City

I Love a Man in Uniform A Memoir of Love, War, and Other Battles

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

John Wayne A Novel

Friendly Persuassion

Food, Girls and Other Things I Can't Have

Fireproof

Wicked Prey

Certain Prey

Broken A Love Story

***** Bought *****

Most of these books were purchased at a local thrift store but the one at the bottom of the first photo was purchased used from my local library.

I Love A Man In Uniform Review

I Love A Man In Uniform A Memoir of Love, War, and Other Battles
Lily Burana

Synopsis - 10/10

Plot - 10/10

Characters - 10/10

Overall Story - 10/10

Conclusion - 10/10

Overall Score - 50/50

Synopsis: An all-American love story about a former punk-rock stripper and her unlikely marriage to an officer in the U.S. Army.

In this brave, eloquent, and often funny memoir, critically acclaimed author Lily Burana writes about love, war, and the realities of military marriage with an honesty few writers would dare.

A former exotic dancer who once had a penchant for anarchist politics and purple hair dye, Lily's rebellious past never would have suggested a marriage into the military. But then she met Mike, a Military Intelligence officer, and fell hopelessly in love, resulting in a most unorthodox romance-poignant, passionate, and utterly unpredictable.

After Lily and Mike said "I do" in a brief, pre-deployment City Hall ceremony, Mike left for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Lily was left in a strange town to endure his absence alone, with no support system and little knowledge of the vast and confusing military world into which she had married.

Upon Mike's return from the war, the couple moved to historic West Point, where Lily found that life on base had its own challenges. As the war continued and the past intruded unexpectedly into the present, Lily and Mike found themselves plunged into the nightmare of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Struggling to cope in a community where admitting weakness is the ultimate taboo and "suck it up" is the suggested response to emotional pain, Lily suffered from depression so severe, it almost ended their marriage. With the help of a revolutionary therapeutic technique, the couple made their way out of the darkness and back to each other. Through it all, Lily wrangled with her preconceptions about the military and found herplace within the uniquely supportive sisterhood of military wives.

From harrowing emotion to the dishy details of life on base, Lily Burana bares her heart and soul as a modern military spouse. I Love a Man in Uniform is a profoundly moving story of how a woman can locate, and heal, her true self as a dedicated Army wife, free spirit, and freedom-loving American.

Review: I was perusing the shelves at my local library when I found this gem. Personally, I think the synopsis pretty much says what I would have said about it. I LOVED this book, which is pretty evident by the elusive perfect score. Once I got started reading it I had a very hard time putting it down. It's funny, it's a tear jerker but most importantly....It's real.

2010 Erotic Romance Challenge

Timeline: 01 Jan 2010 - 31 Dec 2010
Rules: To read TEN(10) Erotica Romance in 2010

Details:
* You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront then you can change them, nothing is set in stone!

* The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

* If you decide to participate in this challenge please use the links I have set up below with the buttons to post on your sidebar, this way others can find their way back to this post and join in the fun.

* If you decide to join this challenge be sure to create a post telling others, please make sure you add a link back to this post so others can join in.

* If you decide to join and don’t have a blog and would like to join – Please leave details in comment.

* You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

*You must be 18 years or older to join.

Musical Thursday - Burn It To The Ground

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City, which will be posted every Wednesday. It allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you are anything like me then your wishlist is getting longer by the day! If you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then you can find more info here. (This post was inspired by the fab In My Mailbox by Kristi at The Story Siren).


Oh this week are are going Non-Fiction. This ought to be interesting!

Synopsis: High Voltage Tattoo is a graphic perspective on today's global tattoo culture by Kat Von D, star of The Learning Channel's L.A. Ink and one of the most talented and popular artists working today. Designed in a style that is reminiscent of a handmade Gothic journal with its red padded cover, ornate typography, and parchmentlike pages, it throws the door wide open to tattooing culture in the way only an insider like Kat can.

High Voltage Tattoo traces Kat's career as an artist, from early childhood influences to recent work, along with examples of what inspires her, information about the show and her shop, her sketches, and personal tattoos. The book goes deep into tattoo process and culture: readers can see up close the pigments, the tools, and the making of complex, even collaborative, tattoos.

With a foreword by Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx, the book features images and stories about celebrities, rockers, pro skaters, and everyday citizens, including Slayer's Kerry King, Anthrax's Scott Ian, Margaret Cho, Jackass' Bam Margera, David Letterman, and many others. It profiles and showcases the work of artists Kat has selected from all over the world, her interviews with people who have compelling tattoos and stories, and amazing images of extraordinary tattoo work. Numerous portfolios throughout the book showcase a range of relevant subjects, from the black and gray portrait work for which Kat is famous to a popular tattoo theme, such as the rose or biblical images. There is a knockout ten-page full-body spread of Kat—clad in a yellow bikini and seven-inch, rhinestone-studded red stilettos—that catalogs in detail all her personal tattoos on her front, back, left, and right sides—even her hands and head.

And because I recently read a memoir on Stripping...I am adding this one to my list as well:

Synopsis: How does a girl go from being a shy, awkward bookworm to the biggest porn star in the world? In Sinner Takes All, Tera Patrick reveals all, including: her career as an international model; losing her virginity at fourteen to a thirtysomething photographer; learning oral sex techniques backstage at a Guns N' Roses concert; having an orgy with a team of firefighters; her unglamorous job in a nursing home; her first forays into the adult movie business; and how, with her husband's help, she launched her own multimillion-dollar empire.

Along the way, she dishes on the emotional side of being Tera Patrick, writing candidly about her battles with depression and anxiety. She also discusses finding true love and building a healthy marriage, achievements that many consider to be impossible in the world of porn. Featuring hundreds of photos, plus diary pages and scintillating sidebars, Sinner Takes All takes the tell-all to raunchy new heights.

Synopsis: "They've said some crazy things about me over the years. I mean, okay: 'He bit the head off a bat.' Yes. 'He bit the head off a dove.' Yes. But then you hear things like, 'Ozzy went to the show last night, but he wouldn't perform until he'd killed fifteen puppies . . .' Now me, kill fifteen puppies? I love puppies. I've got eighteen of the f**king things at home. I've killed a few cows in my time, mind you. And the chickens. I shot the chickens in my house that night.

It haunts me, all this crazy stuff. Every day of my life has been an event. I took lethal combinations of booze and drugs for thirty f**king years. I survived a direct hit by a plane, suicidal overdoses, STDs. I've been accused of attempted murder. Then I almost died while riding over a bump on a quad bike at f**king two miles per hour.

People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of sixty, which one of us would end up with five kids and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and Beverly Hills, I wouldn't have put money on me, no f**king way. But here I am: ready to tell my story, in my own words, for the first time.

A lot of it ain't gonna be pretty. I've done some bad things in my time. I've always been drawn to the dark side, me. But I ain't the devil. I'm just John Osbourne: a working-class kid from Aston, who quit his job in the factory and went looking for a good time."

Synopsis: As the daughter of notorious rock manager Don Arden, Sharon Osbournes childhood was an unruly mix of glamour and violence. In her late 20s, Sharon finally made the painful decision to break with her family. Always irrepressible, Sharon flourished, creating a loving family of her own while becoming a legendary manager and rockband promoter. In rock star Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon found her soul mate, yet Ozzys drug and drink-fuelled excesseswhich culminated in his attempt to strangle hermade their marriage a whiteknuckle ride from the start; only her devotion to their three children gave her the will to survive. From the tremendous highs of the hit show The Osbournes to the lows of Ozzys near-fatal quad-bike accident and her own bout with colon cancer, Sharons tenacity, honesty, and humour have triumphed again and again.

Synopsis: Sharon Osbourne’s life has always been tumultuous, full of both heartbreak and passion. When she completed her bestselling first book Sharon Osbourne Extreme she had hoped to find some peace and stability after her rollercoaster years. It was not to be. In her brand new memoir she reveals what really happened next—from famous celebrity feuds, to her eventful experiences on The X Factor, to her turbulent relationship with her father and the tragic impact of his death, Sharon remains as frank and insightful as ever. Never afraid to admit her own problems, she is brutally honest about her weight issues and plastic surgery. She also describes movingly how her husband’s unconditional love finally brought her true happiness, even amid all the chaos of her life.

Blog With Bite Ballad Review **May Contain Spoilers**

Ballad

Maggie Stiefvater

Synopsis - 9/10

Plot - 9/10

Characters - 10/10

Overall Story - 8/10

Conclusion - 9/10

Overall Score - 45/50

Synopsis: Remember us, so sing the dead, lest we remember you

James Morgan has an almost unearthly gift for music. And it has attracted Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and then feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. James has plenty of reasons to fear the faeries, but as he and Nuala collaborate on an achingly beautiful musical composition, James finds his feelings towards Nuala deepening. But the rest of the fairies are not as harmless. As Halloween—the day of the dead—draws near, James will have to battle the Faerie Queen and the horned king of the dead to save Nuala's life and his soul.

***** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS *****

Review: In the beginning of the book I was totally confused....The characters kept talking about events that took place "last summer" which I took to mean "the last book, Lament" which I did NOT read before I started Ballad (bad me!). The book starts off telling us - the readers - a little bit about the Leanan Sidhe and then about the death of a Leanan Sidhe. Then we meet Dee, who we "hear" from in the book mostly in the form of text messages to James. James and Dee are new students at a prestigeous music high school called Thornking-Ash. James plays the bagpipe and is kind of a smart ass (which is an unusual instrument, but if you've ever heard it belt out Amazing Grace your hooked) and Dee plays the harp. James' roomate in the dorms is Paul who is a talented Oboe player but in my opinion a little bit too straightlaced for my liking in the beginning of the book.

The first week of school is just like any other school....learning the ground rules, learning your way around....all that fun stuff. Then week two starts and James and Paul are assigned to read Hamlet in Mr. Sullivan's first hour English class AND James is hearing and seeing the Antler King (king of the dead)...which means that there are fey around. Seems that there is a cloverhand (calls to the fey) at the school. Then to top is off James is sent to take private piping lessons from a piper who is nowhere near as good as James. Upon leaving his disasterous lesson James meets Nuala who is a Leanan Sidhe. In the beginning Nuala wants to make a "deal" with James but James refuses. But Nuala doesn't give up....Nuala has never not gotten what (read: who) she wanted, so she decides that she is going to send him a dream that will just make him want to take the "deal." The day after James' disasterous piping lesson he is informed by Sullivan that he will either have to learn the guitar or the piano instead to meet his musical requirements.

I didn't really like Dee....She seemed really weak and whiney....Not to mention more than a little bit of a "user".....Nobody likes to be used, especially James. This is the point where is feelings start to shift in regards to the ladies in his life....In the beginning all he wanted was Dee and he wanted nothing to do at all with Nuala....now it's starting to shift the other way. Nuala takes James one night to a movie where they get to talking about things and end up sitting down and writing the play Ballad. Upon the completion of reading Hamlet Sullivan assigns a 10 page essay on Metaphor to his students. James and Paul are so NOT happy about the assignment that it leads to one of my favorite scenes in the book...Paul getting "drunk." This is where James tells Paul about Ballad and we learn that James and Dee aren't the only ones who are dealing with the paranormal.

The further into the book I got the more I learned and liked Nuala. In the beginning I thought she was going to be some soul sucking leech but she really isn't like that. Come to find out she's part human and every 16 years on Halloween she must burn in order to continue to live. But the kicker is that once she comes back she has no memories. Also, the further into the book I got the less I liked the "relationship" between James and Dee....Very UNhealthy. You also learn who the cloverhand is and what James and Nuala have to do while she is burning to make there dreams come true. Also, Thornking-Ash isn't just any ordinary prestigous music school either. Oh and all the "dirty deeds done dirt cheap" whichs ends up with a new King of the Dead being crowned. Oh, and Ballad? Ballad ends up being AWESOME!

Overall, I was really happy with the book. Next time though....I will start with the first book in the series so things make sense in the second book!

BWB Scale - 3/4

*****Blog With Bite Discussion Questions*****

1. James is a flawed and heart broken character, do you find his mental peculiarities charming or annoying? Please do explain.

I find them a little bit of both. Nobody likes to be used and I feel that in a sense Dee was using James.

2. What did you think of James and Dee's kiss? This being a pivotal moment for their relationship, how do you think it changed James?

I agree that the kiss was a pivotal point in the story but I also think with that kiss James finally realized that things with Dee were never going to be the way he wanted them to be.

3. Whom do you prefer Dee or Nuala?

Nuala hands down. Dee was a little bit tooo weak and whiney for my taste.

4. What's your verdict on the best way to read Ballad? Is it a stand alone book or do you need to read Lament first? If you read Lament, what did it add/not add to Ballad? If you haven't read Lament, do you think it would have added to your reading of Ballad?

In my opinion I think you need to read Lament first. I was sort of confused by some of the conversations that were taking place because they kept talking about events that happened "last summer" which I took to mean "last book."

5. We've been reading a lot of stories with fairies as the central paranormal creatures. What are your thoughts on the "Fair Folk". Do you believe in faires?

From what I've been reading in the books for the group fairies aren't necessarily nice creatures....so I'm not real sure how I feel about them. Do I believe in faires?....I'm not sure to be honest.

Hondo Review

Hondo
Louis L'Amour

Synopsis - 9/10
Plot - 10/10
Characters - 9/10
Overall Story - 9/10
Conclusion - 8/10

Overall Score - 45/50

Synopsis: He was etched by the desert’s howling winds, a big, broad-shouldered man who knew the ways of the Apache and the ways of staying alive. She was a woman alone raising a young son on a remote Arizona ranch. And between Hondo Lane and Angie Lowe was the warrior Vittoro, whose people were preparing to rise against the white men. Now the pioneer woman, the gunman, and the Apache warrior are caught in a drama of love, war, and honor.

Review: Louie does it again in my opinion! This is another one of his novels that was turned into a movie featuring my favorite actor of ALL TIME John Wayne. There really is a lot going on in this book...The Apaches are uprising....Angie Lowe and her little boy have been left to fend for themselves on their ranch (which is on a watering hole that the Apaches frequent), the army is trying to get the Apache situation under control while trying to save the lives of the families around the fort and Hondo Lane is in the middle running dispatch for the army while trying to keep not only himself alive but also Angie and her little boy.

Lots of drama....Lots of gun play....Lots of all the things that make a Louis L'Amour western a Louis L'Amour novel.

Dark Side of the Moon Review

Dark Side of the Moon (Dark Hunter novel #11)
Sherrilyn Kenyon


Synopsis - 9/10
Plot - 7/10
Characters - 9/10
Overall Story - 8/10
Conclusion - 7/10

Overall Score - 40/50

*Optional*Smuttiness - 8/10


Synopsis: Susan Michaels was the hottest reporter on the Beltway Beat until she walked into a setup that ruined her reputation. Now she’s working for a small Seattle paper, penning stories about killer moths and alien babies, convinced that her life couldn’t get any worse…
That was before an idea for a breaking news piece brought her to a local animal shelter where she ends up listening to her source rant about vampires and gets coerced into adopting a cat despite her allergies. But when her new pet suddenly reveals himself to be a gorgeous—and lethal—shapeshifter, Susan realizes that there’s far more at stake than a career-saving by-line.
Born into a world of predators, Were-Hunter Ravyn Kontis was betrayed by those he loved best. Soulless, pitiless, he has spent three hundred years battling the Daimons who seek to subjugate humankind. Against all odds, Susan evokes in Ravyn feelings of tenderness. Desire. Love. And with the ultimate battle about to begin, this one very human woman holds the power to shatter both their worlds...

Review: This is the first book that I've ever read by this author. I liked it but I didn't really LOVE it. Ravyn and Susan are both characters that are dealing with some extra "baggage" shall we say. Susan is this reporter who always get's her story (which has cost her dearly) but at the same time has a pretty quirky sense of humor (which you see a lot in the book) and Ravyn he's pretty much a no-nonsense kind of guy who doesn't particularly care to be around humans at all because they have cost him dearly. Well now that the Daimons (with the help of some humans) are trying to kill both Susan AND Ravyn they are kind of stuck with one another. The more time they spend together the more that we the readers learn about these two character's pasts...Not a pretty picture. There is even a little twist thrown in for good measure too. If you like a little Death, Destruction and Mayhem with some smutt thrown in this is a good book to check out.

2010 Once Upon A Time Challenge

This challenge is being hosted by Tena over at Crazy Book Slut. Here is the information that you need to know (borrowed from Tena's blog):

This challenge is quite simple..... read the fairy tales you grew up reading but from another view than Disney's version. There are so many great fairy tale books out there, that might take the same story we know but with an added twist.

These books can be Young Adult, Romance, Erotic, e-books, audio books.... your only limited by your own imagination.

I am going to make this an easy challenge to finish, and say the goal is to read at least 5 books, again if you want to go big or go home... read more!The time frame for this challenge will be January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. Plenty of time. Please do not start this challenge before the time, and don't use books you have already read.

Need some idea's for books?
* Once upon a Time Series
* Sleeping Beauty Novel's
(Adult books, must be 18)* Tons on Alice in Wonderland
* Gregory Maguire is a good author to use
Who is in?

A Little break

I will be taking a little mini break (4 days) from my blog this week (for sure) to deal with the upcoming Christmas season that starts at my job in T minus 2.5 hours. Christmas is what we at my job like to refer to as a little bit of a "cluster (insert your own choice 4 letter word)." When I come back from my little mini break there will more than likely be a great big lump of posts for you all to read.

And on that note....I leave you with this photo.....

A little cowboy BUTT CAM! Enjoy!

On My Wish List (3)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City, which will be posted every Wednesday. It allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you are anything like me then your wishlist is getting longer by the day! If you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then you can find more info here. (This post was inspired by the fab In My Mailbox by Kristi at The Story Siren).

This week I've been going through some webpages looking for books for some of my challenges...Particularly the Debut Authors challenge that I'm doing. Most of what is now on my wish list I don't have a picture of the cover to add to the post so I apologize for that.

Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee (available May 2010)

Synopsis:
Retta Lee Jones is blessed with a beautiful voice
and has big dreams of leaving her tiny Tennessee
hometown. With a beaten down car, a pocketful
of hard-earned waitressing money, and stars in her
eyes, Retta sets out to make it big in Nashville. But
the road to success isn’t a smooth one in a town
filled with dreamers, and Retta begins to have
doubts: can she make her mark while staying true
to herself?

Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone (Debut Novel, available May 2010)

Synopsis:
When poor Boston girl Stephanie is abandoned by
her abusive mother and taken in by Annie’s Beverly
Hills family, she feels anything but home. Her dark
complexion and accent stick out like a sore thumb
in the golden-hued world of blondes and extravagance.
These are girls who seem to live life in fastforward,
while Stephanie is stuck on pause. Yet
when a new rival moves to town, threatening Annie’s
queen-bee status, Stephanie finds herself taking
sides in a battle she never even knew existed,
and that feeling invisible is a wound that can only
be healed by standing up for who she is.

The Best and Hardest Thing by Pat Brisson (Debut Novel, available May 2010)

Synopsis:
Fifteen-year-old Molly Biden has always been studious,
dependable, some might even say saintly. And
she’s sick of herself. So when she spots mysterious bad
boy Grady Dillon, she devises a plan to make herself
over into someone new, someone who will attract
Grady’s attention. She succeeds—but a little too well.
When Molly discovers she’s pregnant, she’s forced to
make the hardest choice of her life.

This addictively readable portrayal of Molly’s struggle
to accept her pregnancy and the fact that her life
will never be the same is told entirely in poetry, from
sonnets to haiku.

Wolves, Boys, & Other Things That Might Kill Me: A Novel by Kristen Chandler (Debut Novel, available May 2010)

Synopsis:
What’s more dangerous? Falling
for a boy? Or falling for a wolf?

KJ Carson lives an outdoor lover’s dream. The only
daughter of a fishing and wildlife guide, KJ can
hold her own on the water or in the mountains near
her hometown outside Yellowstone National Park.
But when she meets the shaggy-haired, intensely
appealing Virgil, KJ loses all self-possession. And
she’s not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that
they’re assigned to work together on a school newspaper
article about the famous wolves of Yellowstone.
As KJ spends time with Virgil, she also spends
more time getting to know a part of her world that
she always took for granted . . . and she begins to
see herself and her town in a whole new light.

Sea by Heidi R. Kling (Debut Novel, available June 10, 2010)

Synopsis:
Still haunted by nightmares of her mother’s death,
fifteen-year-old Sienna Jones reluctantly travels
to Indonesia with her father’s relief team to help
tsunami orphans with their post traumatic stress
disorder—something Sienna knows a lot about.
Since her mother’s plane went missing over the
Indian Ocean three years before, Sienna doesn’t do
anything if it involves the ocean or planes, so this trip
is a big step forward.

But the last thing she expects is to fall for Deni, a
brooding Indonesian boy who lives at the orphanage,
and just so happens to be HOT. When Deni hears a
rumor that his father may be alive, Sienna doesn’t
think twice about running away with him to the
epicenter of the disaster. Unfortunately, what they
find there could break both their hearts.

A compelling summer romance, Sea marks the
arrival of a stunning new voice in YA.

Faithful by Janet Fox (Debut Novel, available May 2010)

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Maggie Bennet’s life is in tatters.
Her mother has disappeared, and is presumed dead.
The next thing she knows, her father has dragged
Maggie away from their elegant Newport home,
off on some mad excursion to Yellowstone in Montana.
Torn from the only life she’s ever known, away
from her friends, from society, and verging on no
prospects, Maggie is furious and devastated by her
father’s betrayal. But when she arrives, she finds herself
drawn to the frustratingly stubborn, handsome
Tom Rowland, the son of a park geologist, and to the
wild romantic beauty of Yellowstone itself. And as
Tom and the promise of freedom capture Maggie’s
heart, Maggie is forced to choose between who she
is and who she wants to be.

Available April 13, 2010

Synopsis: When the Prom Queen becomes your fairy godmother…
Sixteen year old outsider, Jess Parker, gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join a secret girl power society dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world. The Cinderella Society guides all new recruits through its top secret ultimate life makeover. It’s all part of preparing them to face down the Wickeds and win. Determined not to let the Cindys down, Jess dives in with a passion. Finally, a chance to belong and show the world what she’s made of.
… be careful what you wish for.
Jess’s transformation wins her the heart of her dream crush and a shot at uber-popularity. Until the Wickeds–led by Jess’s arch enemy–begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers the real force behind her exclusive society. It’s a high stakes battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood… and herself.
What’s a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn’t want to wear it anymore?

Available February 2010

Synopsis: When a mandatory course forces Fiona to “try the knot” with super-jock Todd Harding, she’s convinced life could not possibly get any worse. Until moments later, when her long-time crush is paired with her arch-enemy (otherwise known as Todd’s obscenely hot, slightly sadistic girlfriend). But that’s nothing compared to her best friend’s fate – a year with the very shy, very goofy, very big Johnny Mercer.
A series of hilarious pranks and misunderstandings leave Fiona wondering: is there something her supposed “best friend” hasn’t told her? Could there be more to Johnny Mercer than a deep voice and an awesome music collection? And perhaps most intriguing of all, is it possible that Todd Harding could actually have a heart – and a brain – beneath his pretty-boy exterior?
Who knows what might happen once you begin a match made in high school…

2010 Debut Author Challenge

Since I'm on a big ole' reading kick right now I thought "what the heck...what's one more challenge." So I'm participating in The Story Siren's 2010 Debut Author Challenge. Here's the information that you need to know.....If you click on the RED words it will take you directly to the post with all of the information you need in it as well.

What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?

The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year.* I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! I’m hoping to read at least 30! You don’t have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them throughout the year. I will also be focusing on mostly Young Adult novels.

Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.

The challenge will run from January 1, 2009- December 31, 2009. You can join at anytime!

* I would like to limit the novels to those released in 2010.

The Potential List:

1. A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner

2. The Secret Year - Jennifer Hubbard

3. Sea - Heidi R. Kling

4. Faithful - Janet Fox

5. The Cinderella Society - Kay Cassidy

6. Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver

7. Leaving Gee's Bend - Irene Latham

8. Forget-Her-Not's - Amy Brecount White

9. Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me - Kristen Chandler

10. Everlasting - Angie Frazier

11. Shooting Kabul - N.H. Senzai

12. The Best and Hardest Thing - Pat Brisson

13. A Match Made In High School - Kristin Walker

14. Under My Skin - Judith Graves

L.J. Smith Challenge!

I am also participating in the L.J. Smith Challenge being put on by My Friend Amy. I've read the Twilight series but now I'm going to branch out a little bit and check out all this "The Vampire Diaries" thing is all about.

The "Reader's Digest" version of "The Rules":

So here are all the details again since this is the world's longest Introduction to a Challenge Post:

What are we reading? L.J. Smith's The Vampire Diaries!

What are we watching? The Vampire Diaries on the CW!

When do we start? September 1st!

When do we have to finish? August 31st, 2010

Who's that guy in the photo? Lenore's celebrity love match Ian Somerhalder who plays Damon in the Vampire Diaries!