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Update in Reading and FYI

>> Tuesday, January 19, 2010

OK. I'm back. But not for long. I broke the computer. Again. So I can't say on here long, but since I finally had time to get on here I thought I'd post this list of books I've read since my last post (January 11, son in 8 days):

  1. Ink Exchange ~ Melissa Marr
  2. The Blue Sword ~ Robin McKinley
  3. Smooth Talking Stranger ~ Lisa Kleypas
  4. A Kiss Remembered ~ Sandra Brown
  5. Eighth Grade Bites ~ Heather Brewer
Reading:
  • The Hero and the Crown ~ Robin McKinley
  • Ninth Grade Slays ~ Heather Brewer
  • The Friendship Factor ~ Alan Loy McGinnis (still!)
I will try to update my reading status but for day to day blogging.... no. Not a chance.

p.s.- Movies ~ Lake house = 5* ; Midsummer Night's Dream = 5*
~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine

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January 11, 2010

>> Monday, January 11, 2010

My weekend was...............interesting. I have decided that because of the events this weekend that I will only blog on the weekdays. Why you may ask? Well, my father has started to.... invade my privacy. NOT like 'weird' type, but he started going through my books and wish-lists and history and ALOMOST found my blog :0 !!! All weekend I stayed up in my room and cleaned. I had 14 socks without mates! LOL I tried to keep track of my "oppise-Daisies" but that was pointless. Well Sunday, the whole house just had tension seeping out of the walls; dad went to a friend; mom was doing dishes; kids were naive to the whole thing. So I baked! I made a Victoria sponge cake, inspired by "Calender Girls" :) lol it was soooooooooo good! I would put the recipe on here but........... remember how my mom was dogging me about blogging? well she has one now, ha ha. and she is going to put the recipe on her blog so I'll put a link up later for her blog/ the cake recipe. Well today I gave my 140 pound, yellow lab, Sam, a bath. In the bath-tub. With Pantene. It took my mom and I 30 minutes and 2 packs of Ritz crackers to get him in the bath. Then I scrubbed and conditioned him and now the bathroom stinks and Sam is right by my feet.... and he still stinks. But wuv him :) Well I have to run to break up a fight between the little ones from a fight. Oh! ps - I'm still reading the books I mentioned in my last post (The Blue Sword)
ttul
~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine

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Princess of the Midnight Ball

>> Friday, January 8, 2010


Name: Princess of the Midnight Ball
Author: Jessica Day George
Pages: 272
Start Date: January 6
Finish Date: January 6
Type: Fairy-Tale Retelling; Hardback
Status: Library
Rating:

Summary: Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above. Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.

My Review: This was a great book! When I saw the cover I just knew i had to read it,I didn't even see what it was about. So just by the name I thought it was about Cinderella. Boy was i wrong. It is about the 12 dancing princesses. And so when i told my 5 year old sister what i was reading, she ran back to her room, came back to the living room (with the big flat screen TV) and put on "Barbie and the 12 dancing princesses". Naturally. LOL But any way the only inconvenience with this book is that she never just gives you a list of all the girls in order. She gives you the 3 oldest and youngest, and gives some ages but I never really figured it out. And the last page (literally) is the best! And a plus to knitting fans: she tells you how to knit the shawl and the chain. I'm going to try the shawl sometime in my life time, but i don't know. I might kill myself with the needles. And I am going to buy this for my kids (when I have them) because this is how this Classical story should be told.

Exert: " 'What did you eat for dinner?' the dark prince huffed.
' What do you mean?' Jonquil frowned at her escort as he rowed.
'You're so heavy, it's like you're wearing iron underthings,' he panted.
'Oh!' Jonquil whacked her prince on the shoulder with her fan. 'How rude!' " - pgs. 203-204

Cover/Title: I want a dress just like that, in every color available! But the one thing I would have done differently is make the 'Princess' plural because it makes it sound like Cinderella.

Extras:


~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine

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January 7, 2010

>> Thursday, January 7, 2010


Well today was uneventful. Last night I didn't sleep at all so of course I finished "The Princess of the Midnight Ball" (I'm thinking about the review as we speak). I kinda just played games all day. Mom is razzing me about this blog. i mean no one can find out WHO i am so, muuuahauhuhahahahahaha. But she says it's a waste of time, and who in the world is going to give a rats buttock about what I read and how many times I hurt my self a day. Well idk and idc. I don't want to turn into Julie Whats-Her-Name but I just want my voice (hypothetically speaking [no pun intended]) out there in the world. And maybe if I do this, something will happen in my life. I mean, I don't need an adventure novel, or romantic love story life, but when the highlight of your week is if mom's going to the library, things get boring (plus I'm home schooled!). And depressing. I am not saying I'm per-say "depressed", I just want more out of life. So I type this out to all those love needing, thrill seeking, and life wanting people who haven't read this, and maybe never will, but I know exactly how you feel. But hey, it could be a LOT worse. And with that happy note I am heading up to my "tower" and I'm going to pray and dream about the love & life I want someday...... while reading "The Blue Sword" by Robin McKinley. :)

"Hey, it's going to be OK. Hey, we're laugh at this someday." -"Odd Ones" by Sick Puppies

Good Night and Pleasant Reading & Dreaming,

~The Clumsy Reader aka Christine~

p.s.- I ran into 3 doors today, and fell off the iced steps. That is all.

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Tantalize

Name: Tantalize

Author: Cynthia Leitich Smith
Pages: 310
Start Date: January 5
Finish Date: January 5
Type: YA Horror/Fantasy/Romance; Hardback
Status: Library; 1st book in "Tantalize Series"
Rating:

Summary: Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about to unveil their hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform their new hire into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Can he wow the crowd in his fake fangs, cheap cape, and red contact lenses -- or is there more to this earnest face than meets the eye? As human and preternatural forces clash, a deadly love triangle forms, and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who’s playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything? TANTALIZE marks Cynthia Leitich Smith’s delicious debut as a preeminent author of dark fantasy.

My Review: Well, I read the "contents" and liked it. Then I read "Innocenza", and loved it! This was another 5 hr read for me but I never wanted it to end. I fell in love with the world she created but not so much the characters. I mean duh I like the main guy, Kieren, but every one else just seemed blah. But I liked the whole love story; let me just say I got goose-bumped when Quincie & Kieren are kissing and she says "...his lengthening canines knocking against my extended fangs." The ending would be ok, if it was a movie, but I'm kinda mad; she just leaves you hanging! Granted the author is making "Tantalize" into a graphic-novel in Kieren's POV so we might get some "better ending details". Also Cynthia did write a "second" book (Eternal) (and working on a 3rd)but the only link is that it's the same "world", and state; I don't think Q & K are in it but don't take my word because that book is still on my "Need to Read" list.

Exert: " 'Trench coats,' Brad said, escorting me to The Banana, 'are for gumshoes, perverts, and rainy days.' " - 152

Cover/Title: I like the cover but what is the black stuff around her supposed to be? I guess it's just there. Also I think she looks to young, the model looks like she's 10! But he title is great! I couldn't have thought of another title!

Extras:










~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine

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Bet Me

Name: Bet Me
Author: Jennifer Crusie
Pages: 391
Start Date: January 4
Finish Date: January 5
Type: Adult Comedy, Romance; Paperback
Status: Library
Rating:

Summary: Setting: small city in Ohio.Thirty-three-year-old Minerva Dobbs is annoyed when her current boyfriend dumps her three weeks before her sisters' wedding. But she's downright furious a few moments later when she overhears her now "ex" boyfriend bet hunky Calvin Morrisey that he can't take her home and bed her. In fact, she's so angry at them both that she lets Cal take her to dinner and decides to string him along until after her sisters' wedding. Minerva pegs Cal as a handsome "used car salesman of seducers." Cal thinks Minerva is a "cranky, starving, risk-averse statistician." But Minerva's hormones keep whispering "this one," although she knows the gorgeous Cal isn't the man for her practical, white-cotton-bra, several-pounds-over-thin, self. And Cal is blindsided by the lust he feels for the voluptuous, sensual woman he glimpses behind Min's actuary exterior. While Cal and Min struggle to deal with their mutual distrust and attraction, their friends and families try their best to interfere and direct the progression of the unlikely romantic connection.Bet Me is unabashedly, irrepressibly romantic. In the wacky, wonderful world of Min and Cal, author Jennifer Crusie leaves no humorous situation unexplored--no potential comedic cauldron left unstirred--no hysterically funny complication left undeveloped. The reader is treated to a seemingly mismatched hero and heroine who fling caution to the winds to explore their unexpected attraction. The sexual tension is hot, the dialogue witty and wickedly sarcastic, and the supporting cast of secondary characters hilarious. Like Min's favorite Krispy Kreme donuts, this novel is rich and sinfully delicious. Indulge. Enjoy.

My Review: Wow. That is one word to describe this book. There is no action, mystery, or scandal, but there are bets. Lots of bets.... It a fairy-tale, in a snow-globe, that finally gets shaken up. Throw in doughnuts, chicken Marsala, both the awesome Elvis' (Costello & Presley), great shoes, a wedding, scary families, a freaky cat, crazy exes, and sexy bets, and you got this book. It has some very sexy sexual content, so you have been warned. But I loved it, and by the end (which is prefecto!) I was in love with not only the main guy Calvin, but I had a soft spot for every one. Even Harry :)

p.s. --- The Shoes!!!! Who wants them? I do!


Exert: " One upon a time, Minerva Dobbs thought as she stood in the middle of a loud yuppie bar, the world was full of good men. She looked into the handsome face of the man she'd planned on taking to her sister's wedding and thought, Those days are gone. 'This relationship is not working for me,' David said. I could shove this swizzle stick through his heart, Min thought. She wouldn't do it, of course. The stick was plastic and not nearly pointed enough on the end. Also, people didn't do things like that in southern Ohio. A sawed-off shotgun, that was the ticket." - Opening (pg. 1)

Cover/Title: Love the cover! And the title is perfect!!!

Extras:
Official Book Page <-- Have to read this page LOL
Chicken Marsala (as it is made by Min)
<-- You have to go down a little but it's there!
Bet Me
Copy Edit Collage
<-- It's at the bottom
My Bet Me Playlist <-- If I need to add songs, comment!





~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine

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A Knight in Shining Armor


Name: A Knight in Shining Armor
Author: Jude Deveraux
Pages: 464
Start Date: January 3
Finish Date: January 4
Type: Adult Time Travel, Romance; Paperback
Status: Library ;Montgomery Book 16
Rating:

Summary: Vacationing in England with her lover, Robert, and his spoiled teenage daughter, heroine Dougless Montgomery is abandoned by them in a remote country churchyard near the tomb of Nicholas Stafford, an earl who died in 1564. Almost immediately, an armor-clad swashbuckler materializes--Nicholas himself, reincarnated in the 20th century to clear his reputation, having been unjustly convicted of treason. Intrigued by his plight, Dougless agrees to help Nicholas learn his accuser's identity and restore his good name. They become lovers, and their adventures briefly lead Dougless back to the 1560s, allowing Deveraux to portray that period from a contemporary woman's perspective, as well as 1988 through the eyes of a confounded Elizabethan nobleman. Well-detailed historical highlights and a heartwarming conclusion will enhance the novel's commercial appeal to Deveraux fans!

My Review: OMG! I loved this book! Both my grandma and mother said I had to read it so I did. And I loved it! I cried a few times but that just shows me even more that it was good. I have read another one of Jude's "time-travel" romances (Legend) and this one was just as good! NO, wait, even better!!! After reading this, i thought about finding a guy, make him dump me, then cry for a Knight in Shining Armor, because i would looooooovvvvvvvveeeeeee to have a Nicholas!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL I can't give this book enough praise!

Exert: " He held her face in his hands. 'Only you have I loved, my Dougless. No other woman. Only you.'
She felt it then. She felt his body was no longer solid in her arms. 'Nicholas,' she yelled in fear. He kissed her again softly, but with all the yearning and wanting and desire and need he felt for her. ' I'm going with you,' she said. 'Take me with you. God!' she screamed. 'Let me go with him!' 'Dougless," Nicholas said, and his voice was far away, 'Dougless, my love.'........ Dougless ran to him, but she couldn't reach him. A streak of sunlight came through the windows and flashed off his armor. And then there was nothing. For one hideous moment, Dougless stood and stared at the tomb; then she put her hands to her ears and screamed, a scream such as no human had ever uttered before. The old stone walls vibrated with the sound, the windows quivered and the tomb...The tomb just lay there, silent and cold.
Dougless collapsed to the floor." - pgs. 251-252

Cover/Title: I like the cover because that's really where everything BIG happens. And the title has no flaws in it what-so-ever.

~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine


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January 6, 2010

>> Wednesday, January 6, 2010

It is still cold. We are supposed to have even more snow, but I am content with my red snuggie socks, coffee, and a new book: "Princess of the Midnight Ball" by Jessica Day George. Mom is still trying to make me read "The Friendship Factor" by Alan Loy McGinnis, but since it's a very boring non-fiction "self-help" book, i hate it and have been reading it for over a week. Is mommy saying I need more friends? Uhhhhha, idk, i like being a hermit. I set up this blog today, and it took all day. I still have 3 books to put reviews on but dad will be home soon and he don't like when I'm on his laptop. My day has been content with my younger siblings playing "Secret Agent" around the house and Power Rangers on the PS2 all day, while mom is making a COMPLETE home-made, Joy of Cooking, lemon meringue pie! She made the crust, pudding and even the meringue! But since we broke our mixer trying to make peanut butter cookies a while back, I was the mixer. So of course I hurt my self. First, the end of the metal mixer made a sore on my hand, then on the inside of my right forearm, my muscle or tendon is like popping out and it hurts. Other than that, all that's happened to me is my morning ritual of tripping down the stairs and stubbing my toes. !!!!!!!!!! It's snowing again!!!!!! well I HAVE to go get pictures so have a happy, joy filled day!...................... ug that sounds to Martha Stewart-y. Wateva, see ya'

~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine

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A Wind in Cairo

Name: A Wind in Cairo
Author: Judith Tarr
Pages: 258
Start Date: January 1
Finish Date: January 3
Type: Science Fiction & Fantasy; 1st ed. Paperback
Status: My Mom's Bookshelf

Rating:

Summary:
Award-winning author Judith Tarr creates a feast for the imagination and the heart. With rich, evocative prose she fashions the magical world of medieval Egypt- a world in which a most remarkable tale unfolds. Hasen, a spoiled, pleasure-seeking emir's son, gravely offends the most powerful magus in the land. The sorcerer retaliates by transforming Hasen into a spirited stallion with Hasen's human intelligence. Thus begins an enthralling, dramatic journey that will take Hasen and his beautiful new owner from the silent deserts into the teeth of war, from the depths of desperation to the edge of impossible love. Tragic, inspiring, witty, and ultimately triumphant, A Wind in Cairo is a wonder of a book.

My Review: A very adventurous read, recommended by my mother. And I thank her so much!!! At times I had to re-read a part but all in all a good book. It would be nice to turn all the perverted teen-age boys into stallions so we AWESOME girls could tame them into respective men. ;) I loved the ending; there was no better way to end it! It is an advanced read, I mean even I had problems understanding it, so I would recommend, 15 year and older.

Exert: " 'Within that biding, O prince of stallions, take my blessing.'
Khamsin took it as he had been trained to take all great gifts, with grace and gratitude. But his eye rolled back to Zamaniyah, and that eye was pure Khasmin.
Bright, wicked, and altogether unrepentant.
Training, she thought. Indeed.
It was going to be a very pleasant war." - pg. 258

Cover/Title: The cover is freaking awesome! And the title fits with the theme more than the story, but it works.

~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine

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The Snow Bride


Name: The Snow Bride
Author: Debbie Macomber
Pages: 234
Start Date: January 2
Finish Date: January 2
Type: Adult Romance; Hardback
Status: Library

Rating:

Summary: A Second-chance bride,practical Jenna Walsh has done something impractical. she's met a man on the internet and now, a month before Christmas, she's going to Alaska to marry him. Dalton Gray seems to be everything she wants in a husband -- sensitive, gallant, romantic . . .On the flight to Fairbanks, she has the misfortune to sit beside , who obviously isn't sensitive, gallant, or romantic. However, he's not impressed with her plan t marry Dalton, a man he detests . So Reed takes it upon himself to change her destination -- and her marriage plans.Which is why Jenna ends up at Reid's cabin in tiny Snowbound, Alaska. It's currently a one-woman town (and the other woman's out of town.) That leaves Reid, a bunch of eccentric old men, a few grizzly bears -- and Jenna. Kidnapped! And then there's a blizzard. The two of them alone, stranded in Snowbound . .

My Review: This is another book that took my less than 5 hours to read. I mean come on! It's only 234 pages!! LOL It is a book that had me going "Awww" and "Well, that's just screwed up" and giggling all the way. And , a BIG plus, it's completely "safe". Like you could read this to a 10 year old! I have only read now two books by Debbie but so far I like her better than Nora Roberts. If you want to a snowy, fairy-tale, with lumber-jack men on a rainy day, this is the book for you!

Exert: "Jenna pointed back at the closed curtain.
'My mother went to bed with a total stranger.'
'Pete's a good guy' Reid said.
'He just slept with my mother!'
'I didn't say he was perfect' " - pg. 208

Cover/Title: Cute cover! It kinda makes you think she's lost and kinda let down with her bouquet pointed down, but still love it. And the title? Perfect.

Extras:
Is there really a Snowbound, AL?
!!!!!!Reid!!!!!!! ;)


~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine

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Champagne Girl

Name: Champagne Girl
Author: Diana Palmer
Pages: 251
Start Date: January 2
Finish Date: January 2
Type: Adult Romance; Paperback
Status: Library
Rating:

Summary: Tired of being controlled, Catherine must match wits with Matt in order to escape to New York to follow her dreams, but the tables turn, and she is caught in a game of temptation and desire.

My Review: I would only recommend this to 14 yrs/o and older. Well actually I wouldn't recommend it at all! The whole book is basically foreplay. If you don't know what that is, ask your mom if you want a awkward conversation.But, yeah, the whole book was about to people that have loved each other and want each other and they just tease them selves to death (very nicely i might say) but "it" never actually happens. It was a quick read for me, 251 pages in 4 hours, so it didn't get to me to bad. But, like my mom, for people that take 3 weeks to read a 251 page book, it would be a let down.

Exert: "They took in the picture: swollen mouths, dreamy looks, Catherine's crumpled shirt, Matt's shirt half unbuttoned. They grinned. 'How about some champagne?' Hal offered. 'Get it out', Matt agreed. 'It feels like a champagne morning, all right.'" - pg. 250

Cover/Title: Cheesy cover and they only break out the champagne twice???!!!!!

Extras:
X

~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine

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Betrayed

Name: Betrayed
Author(s): P.C. & Kristin Cast
Pages: 310
Start Date: January 1
Finish Date: January 1
Type: YA Romance, Vampires & Horror; Paperback
Status: My Bookshelf; #2 in House of Night Series

Rating:

Summary:
Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

My Review: I loved it! The 1st one gives you the lay of of the land but this one focuses more on what is going on. It was WAY more sexier and I loved that! Also it just flowed along nicely, with no boring parts.LOL And I don't know who she should choose; Heath: cute mortal; Erik: steaming hot fledgling; Loren: mysterious,off limits teacher. But I have to read the rest of the books... PLEASE DON'T TELL ME ANY SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!

Exert: "Hey, Lucky Charms are good for you." - Stevie Ray
"Really? So, tell me, what are marshmallows- a fruit or a vegetable?" - Zoey
"Both. They're unique- like me." - Stevie Ray
-pg. 77

Cover/Title: It's an ok cover, I mean it kinda fits but it's just a cover to me. And the title fits I think more with the 3rd but it's ok.

Extras:
Official Book Page
House of Night Betrayed Trailer (Fanmade)
<-- Awesome!
UK Book Cover

~ The Clumsy Reader aka Christine

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