A Journey in Reading: December 2011

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Bloodstone Saga Tour & Contest

I am excited to be a part of this tour this week provided by the lovely Heather & Danny at Kismet Book Touring! The Bloodstone Saga is by the one and only Courtney Cole and she has been gracious enough to play Fast 5 and offer up some amazing goodies for you!!!

About With My Last Breath - goodreads, Amazon, B&N
Just when Harmonia thought she had saved everyone she loved, the unthinkable happens and her life is shattered… in the space of just one breath.

Now, she is left alone to shoulder a challenge, because she alone can fulfill a prophecy and restore Olympus. She knows she can succeed; she is the daughter of gods, after all. But will doing so cause her to lose herself?

To find Zeus’ sword, she is forced to return to a place that she knows will cause her pain. But she willingly goes in order to save everyone she loves, because pain alone cannot kill her. Or can it?

I have always loved Mythology... so this is going to be great!!!

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Now for her Fast 5

Stand alones or series? Ack. This one is hard. They both have merit. But if I had to choose…. I would say series. I like really getting to know my characters.

Ancient Greece or Dark Ages England? Ancient Greece. I wouldn’t want to wear all of the layers of clothes from the Dark Ages.

Guinevere or Heleyne? Heleyne. (And not only because of Lucan…)

Mythology or reality? Mythology…because anything can happen.

Knight in shining armor or boy next door? Knight in shining armor. I have a thing for strong, brave men. (But who doesn’t?)

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Other tour stops this week

Monday, December 26th - Amanda, Letters Inside Out

Tuesday, December 27th - Kat, A Journey In Reading

Wednesday, December 28th - Kate, I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read

Thursday, December 29th - Tiffany, For Those About To Read

Friday, December 30th - Erika, One A Day YA

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About Courtney Cole - website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads
Courtney Cole is a YA novelist who loves thunderstorms, cake batter and insane amounts of coffee. She wrote her first story at the age of 9, although thankfully it has remained hidden away in an old cedar chest beneath musty blankets. Her more recent efforts are much better.

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Now for the goodies!!!

Contest Info: Courtney is offering two give-aways for those following her tour!

The first give-away is a daily one with a unique prize for each stop! Courtney is offering a signed bookmark and an authentic Greek Drachma, necessary for paying the ferryman to the Underworld! (The daily prizes may be different at each stop..hint hint...check them all out!)

To enter the daily give-away, contestants must leave a comment on the tour post.

The second give-away is for a grand prize of a gorgeous Kindle Touch skinned with the cover art from the final book in the Bloodstone Saga: My Tattered Bonds!

I don't know about you, but I think this is absolutely gorgeous!!!!!

Review: 11/22/63

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Hardcover, 849 pages

Published November 8th 2011 by Scribner

November 22nd, 1963 was a rapid-fire sequence of indelible moments: Shots ring out; a president slumped over; a race to the Dallas hospital; an announcement, blood still fresh on the First Lady's dress. But what if President John F. Kennedy didn't have to die; if somehow his assassin could have been thwarted? For Maine schoolteacher Jake Epping, those hypothetical what if's become real possibilities when he walks through a portal to the past. Without special skills and still unfamiliar with his new/old surroundings, he struggles to discover a way to change the history he left. Like its Under the Dome predecessor, Stephen King's 960-page novel shows that this master of suspense is back at the top of his game.

I haven't read a King book in many years. After reading this one, I will definitely have to go back and catch up.

What if you could go back and change the past? Would you do it? What if by doing so, you changed everything...the good and the bad?

The premise of the story involved Jake Epping/George Amberson traveling back in time to prevent the assassination of JFK from happening. During his travel, he prevents some other horrible things as well...but by doing so, he changed everyone's life, including his own.

Yes, this book is 800+ pages, but once the story captures you, it won't seem as long. You will be transported back to a simpler time, to lindyhopping, to a world where bad things didn't happen, people trusted each other and a person's word was all it took to make a deal.

Jake/George is an English teacher who is asked by a friend to help him prevent the assassination. He travels back to September 1958 and everything changes. There is no horror in this story that King is known for, but some horrible things happen... or do they? There is also a love story that unfolds...but the ending may surprise you. Friends and enemies are made, bets are won, lives are lost and changed forever.

I loved how the story unfolded and "reset" several times and each time a string to the original past was left. If you like time travel with lots of "what if's" thrown in, I think that you will enjoy this story.

Pure Epicness!!

I wanted to share this amazing giveaway! I have seen many blog posts about Across The Universe and A Million Suns and have seen how many people loved the books. Make sure that you go to the Beth Revis blog and enter to win!! 200 prizes and for every entry up to 1000, money will be donated to a charitable organization!!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

IMM 12/4/11

"In My Mailbox" is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren where we get to see what goodies everyone has gotten the past week. The books shared can be ones that were bought, borrowed, won, or received to review.