It's Wednesday! Time for Cym Lowell's Book Review Party!

Just a quick reminder that it's time for Cym Lowell's Book Review Party! Click on the banner below, and link up one of YOUR reviews that you want a bit more publicity for! Don't forget to visit the other bloggers who have linked up when you're done!

My featured title this week (click the cover to go to the review):

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Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon

The Spring Into Horror Read-a-Thon is being hosted by Michelle at Castle Macabre.  I'm late getting started ... but, hey!  Better late than never?  Does that sound like a good excuse?  :)

From the blog:

You can sign in linking to Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads...wherever you will be updating from.  And you don't have to start at the beginning.  Start on any day this week, or if you're working all week, join us for the weekend.  People can sign in up until Friday night at 11:59pm CST.  I'll be stopping by and visiting you so I hope you will have your book piles/reading lists posted. *hint hint*  Remember to include at least one scary book (horror, paranormal, mystery, etc.).

 So, see?  I can start ANYtime!  And so can YOU!  So get that reading list together and join the fun!  And to make it even MORE fun, there are prizes and mini-challenges!

My list (I think, and, NO, I will NOT get through all of these, because my reading time has been severely curtailed by a job and-a-half, so I can only read once Bebe Boy James goes to bed unless I'm going to or coming from work):

(covers link to Goodreads page)

"The Bedlam Detective" is a gothic mystery, so it counts toward the "scary" goal!  Let's see if I can get through all of these in the next five days!

I'm currently reading:

"The Odditorium" by Melissa Pritchard; a varied mix of stories, some odd, some not, at least a couple that are a bit "too" odd, but still ... it's original and interesting.  I'm on the third-to-last story, page 189.  

If you're joining in, leave a link to your starting and/or update post so I can visit and cheer you on!

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Teaser Tuesdays - April 24, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along; you don't have to be a blogger! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The teaser this week is for a classic which comes highly recommended by my fellow reading friends!

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My teaser this week: 

"Let him go," the surgeon said to her, adding, without rancor, "because frankly, Mister Becker, you're being neither use nor ornament here.  If you can help the situation, please do.  But be warned.  Two minutes after he attacked your wife, the man killed a nurse."

- page 151 (ARC), The Bedlam Detective by Stephen Gallagher (The Book Depository / Amazon)

Goodreads description:

Madmen see monsters – and monsters hide in plain sight

  From a basement office in London’s notorious Bethlehem Hospital, Sebastian Becker investigates wealthy eccentrics whose dubious mental health may render them unable to manage their own affairs. His interview with rich landowner Sir Owain Lancaster, whose sanity has been in question since a disastrous scientific adventure in the Amazon killed his family and colleagues, coincides with the disappearance of two young local girls. When the children are found slain, Lancaster claims that the same dark forces that devastated his family have followed him home. It is not the first time that children have come to harm in his rural countryside town, though few are willing to speak of incidents from the past. Becker must determine whether this mad nobleman is insane and a murderer, or if some even more sinister agency is at work.

   Struggling on his small salary, and with unexpected help from a son who needs special care, Becker and his wife make sacrifices so Becker can stay on the case after an innocent man is convicted of the crime. The answers he seeks may be found with the assistance of the local investigator and a young suffragette who fled Arnmouth, but couldn’t flee the horrors she encountered there. 

   From dank asylums to the lush and treacherous Amazon, through the makeshift studios of the early film industry and a traveling fair of freaks and illusions, Sebastian Becker’s search for answers brings him face to face with madmen and monsters, both imagined and real. Confronting immense danger in his hunt for the truth, he will explore murder, tragedy, and the tempestuous depths of his own mind.

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Feel free to leave your teaser or link to it in the comments section; I find that I always end up adding to my to-buy list when I visit!

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Monday Memes - April 23, 2012

"Mailbox Monday" is the brainchild of Marcia at The Printed Page.  Martha has closed The Printed Page effective December 18th and set up Mailbox Monday on it's own blog here:  http://mailboxmonday.wordpress.com/

April's host is Cindy at Cindy's Love of Books! Hop on over, link up, and join the fun!

"In My Mailbox" is hosted by The Story Siren

Every week we'll post about what books we have that week (via your mailbox/library/store bought)! Everyone that agrees to participate will try to visit each other's list and leave comments!  Everyone is welcome to join! You can join at anytime and you DO NOT have to participate every week.

I guarantee that you will add to your reading list by visiting the participating blogs in both of these memes!

The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich -  For review from publisher -  (The Book Depository / Amazon) - this is being compared to "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamante, one of my favorite books of all time, so I'm happy to

Goodreads description:

Hannah Levi is renowned throughout Venice for her gift at coaxing reluctant babies from their mothers—a gift aided by the secret “birthing spoons” she designed. But when a count implores her to attend to his wife, who has been laboring for days to give birth to their firstborn son, Hannah is torn. A Papal edict forbids Jews from rendering medical treatment to Christians, but the payment he offers is enough to ransom her beloved husband, Isaac, who has been captured at sea. Can Hannah refuse her duty to a suffering woman? Hannah’s choice entangles her in a treacherous family rivalry that endangers the baby and threatens her voyage to Malta, where Isaac, believing her dead in the plague, is preparing to buy his passage to a new life. Not since The Red Tent or People of the Book has a novel transported readers so intimately into the complex lives of women centuries ago or so richly into a story of intrigue that transcends the boundaries of history.

The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain - For review/Blog Tour 5/23 from Meryl Moss Media Relations -  (The Book Depository / Amazon) - Another that was on my to-buy list!

Goodreads description:

A beloved daughter. A devastating choice. And now there's no going back. Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. But he's never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life. The reason behind every move he makes. And so far, she is fed. Cared for. Safe.But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he's worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble…. Then a miracle. A job in Raleigh has the power to turn their fortunes around. It has to. But when Travis arrives in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions.With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter's sake.Even if it means he might lose her.

More Like Her by Liza Palmer -  For review/Blog Tour 5/8 from publisher through TLC Book Tours -  (The Book Depository / Amazon)

Goodreads description:


What really goes on behind those perfect white picket fences?
In Frances's mind, beautiful, successful, ecstatically married Emma Dunham is the height of female perfection. Frances, recently dumped with spectacular drama by her boyfriend, aspires to be just like Emma. So do her close friends and fellow teachers, Lisa and Jill. But Lisa's too career-focused to find time for a family. And Jill's recent unexpected pregnancy could have devastating consequences for her less-than-perfect marriage. 

Yet sometimes the golden dream you fervently wish for turns out to be not at all what it seems--like Emma's enviable suburban postcard life, which is about to be brutally cut short by a perfect husband turned killer. And in the shocking aftermath, three devastated friends are going to have to come to terms with their own secrets . . . and somehow learn to move forward after their dream is exposed as a lie.

Hemlock by Katherine Peacock - ARC for review from publisher - Release Date 5/8/2012 -  (The Book Depository / Amazon)

Goodreads description:

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

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"What Are You Reading?" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  Click over to see what other readers are into this week and add to your TBR pile!

READ:

Book Depository  Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository  Amazon Review Upcoming	Book Depository Amazon
Book Depository  Amazon   Review Upcoming	Amazon Review Upcoming

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REVIEWED:  (click the cover to go to the review):

4.5 of 5 stars

4 of 5 stars

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CURRENTLY READING:

(Click on the cover for the Goodreads page)

Hard copy

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Next to be read on the personal pile (click cover for Goodreads page):

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Next to be read on the hard copy review pile (click cover for Goodreads page):

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FAVE OF THE WEEK:

Bloodland by Alan Glynn

Book Depository

Amazon

Starts off rather dizzying (lots of characters introduced, etc.), but falls into a great flow that kept me turning pages.

How was YOUR reading week?  Please leave a link to YOUR "What Are You Reading/In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday" post(s) in the comments (I'd love to come visit) or simply comment with what your reading week was like!

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Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-thon Wrapup

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon started the morning of April 21 at 8 AM EDT.  I feel asleep last night a bit before 2 AM, which is about 2 hours longer than I THOUGHT I'd be able to stay up!  :)

End of Event Meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? - Definitely by 1 AM, I was feeling very tired, as evidenced by the fact that I couldn't make it through the entire hour.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? - I read "Bloodland" by Alan Glynn, which started out rather dizzying, with tons of characters being introduced rather quickly, but by page 100 or so, I had a good mental picture, and was very eager to keep reading.  If you like thrillers, this is a good one.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? - I had a difficult time finding the date, etc., on the current site.  I just couldn't find it on the front page.  The only way I found it was through a direct link on Book Blogs Ning site.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? - I always thinks it's a good thing to have an hourly update on the main site - it gives all of the readers a chance to "check in", maybe do a mini-challenge or two, and visit other readers to cheer them on.
5. How many books did you read? - I read one full, one half, and 1/3 or so of another.
6. What were the names of the books you read? - finished up "Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick, read "Bloodland" by Alan Glynn, and started "White Horse" by Alex Adams
7. Which book did you enjoy most? - I'm just starting "White Horse", so I'd definitely give two thumbs up to "Bloodland"
8. Which did you enjoy least? - "Hush, Hush" - I realize that it's YA, but I expected a lot less rushing into situations and a bit more depth based on the reviews that I'd previously seen
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? - Unfortunately, I was not an official cheerleader this time around (because I didn't even see the sign-up link until the night before)
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? - Definitely will.  I'd like to be a cheerleader and maybe host a mini-challenge.

WRAPUP:

Time Read Since Last Update:  36 minutes

Pages Read Since Last Update:  46 pages 

Books Read Since Last Update: to page 86 of  "White Horse" by Alex Adams

Total Time Read:  7 hours, 29 minutes
Total Pages Read: 685 pages
Total Books Read:  1.75

Books Read:

(covers link to Goodreads page)

Last 215 pages

384 pages

To page 86 of 292

If you participated, add your link in the comments so I can visit!

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Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon - April 21, 2012 - Starting Post and Updates

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon actually started a few hours ago, so I'm a bit late getting this up!  Lots of prizes, mini-challenges, and reading fun to be had!   I'll be simply updating this post as I go, with the newest items first, rather than putting up separate posts every hour or so.

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1:03 AM (Hour 18)

Picturrific Memory hosted at Stella Matutina:

I want you to step away from your current read just long enough to find a picture that somehow relates to the book. Find an image that makes you think of the story, the characters, the book's theme, a vital element... whatever works for you.

I'm currently reading "White Horse" by Alex Adams:

This is a dystopian tale of our world recently decimated by a genetic mutation called White Horse.  This stark aerial image gives the kind of weird, other-worldly feeling engendered for me by my reading so far of this novel.

PROGRESS REPORT:

Time Read Since Last Update:  1 hr, 38 minutes

Pages Read Since Last Update: 185 pages

Books Read Since Last Update: On page 40 of  "White Horse" by Alex Adams

Total Time Read:  6 hours, 53 minutes
Total Pages Read: 639 pages
Total Books Read:  1.5

Books Read:

(covers link to Goodreads page)

Last 215 pages

384 pages

On page 40 of 292

ANOTHER monochrome sort cover ... hmmm .. next up is "The Odditorium", which has a colorful color (if I can stay awake long enough, that is).

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10:03 PM (Hour 14)

Mid-Event Survey hosted at Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon:

1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?

Not sleepy at all; it's not even 10 PM and my day hasn't been all reading :)

2) What have you finished reading?

I finished "Hush, Hush" by Becca Fitzpatrick

3) What is your favorite read so far?

I'm currently reading "Bloodland" by Alan Glynn, and I'm liking it better than the first title 

4) What about your favorite snacks?

I've been keeping it light, but I DID have a scoop of vanilla ice cream with warm caramel topping!  Yumm!

5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love!

I have only visited a few so far (and yes, I've found a couple of new ones - Naida at ... the bookworm ... for one :)

PROGRESS REPORT:

Time Read Since Last Update:  2.25 hours

Pages Read Since Last Update: 180 pages

Books Read Since Last Update: On page 239 of "Bloodland" by Alan Glynn

Total Time Read: 5.25 hours
Total Pages Read: 454 pages
Total Books Read:  1.5

Books Read:

(covers link to Goodreads page)

Last 215 pages

On page 239

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5:29 PM

Weird Sisters Mini-Challenge hosted at Just One More Thing:

The Challenge is to tell us how you share your love of books with family or friends who live at a distance. You can submit a picture, humorous anecdote, or just a description of how you keep that reading connection going. 

Actually, I don't have a ton of friends and family that read who live at a distance, but I do share books and blog posts on Facebook.

PROGRESS REPORT:

Time Read Since Last Update:  3 hours

Pages Read Since Last Update: 274 pages

Books Read Since Last Update: Finished Hush, Hush by Becka Fitzpatrick (215 pages out of 391); started Bloodland by Alan Glynn (on page 59)

Books Read:

(covers link to Goodreads page)

Last 215 pages

On page 59

Notice the sepia tone on both covers?  I didn't plan that .. really.  :)

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 12:24 PM

Mini-Challenge 1:  Reading in Translation hosted by Reading Through Life

One book that I'd like to read in its original language is one that is on my TBR shelf (if only I actually KNEW Spanish):

Original cover  (I believe)

Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Classic

Now, I'm actually off to read!  :)

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11:57 AM (Starting Post):

I have a bit of a busy day ahead, but I still hope to finish Hush Hush by Becca Fitzgerald (I'm currently on page 176 of this very quick read), and get through at least two of the following review titles:  Bloodland by Alan Glynn, The Odditorium by Melissa Pritchard, and White Horse by Alex Adams.

I also have to get down to my local library today to pick up books to distribute to a nearby Volunteers of America site for World Book Night on April 23rd.  I chose to distribute The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to the men living in the transitional housing unit there.

My introduction:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

From Cleveland, Ohio ... I'll pretty much be sticking to the couch instead of being tempted to read outside; it looks to be a wet one out there today

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

I'm thinking probably White Horse, but all of the books in my list seem to be very good reads.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Actually, hmmm ... I didn't really prepare well for this read-a-thon; I think I'll likely have to run out in the middle and pick some snacks up  - crunchy, healthy things like apples, since I'm trying to lose a bit of poundage :)

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I'm a mom of four - three girls ages 28, 23, and 18 and one 11-year-old boy.  I like reading (duh!), volunteering, anything textile art-related (knitting, crocheting, quilting, cross-stitch), and I'm just coming out of a stretch of on-again, off-again (mostly off-again) employment, so I'm trying to get into a new routine (which is why I'm loving having this excuse to simply do almost nothing today)

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

Well, I didn't plan for this one at all - this morning, I simply pulled the first three books off the top of my review pile, so I'll be flying by the seat of my pants.  I DO plan to visit at least 5 other participants every couple of hours to cheer them on, even though I'm not an official cheerleader this go-round.  :)

For anyone else that's participating, good luck!  Have fun! 

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