Teaser Tuesday's - The Wednesday Sisters

Teaser Tuesday's is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just do the following:


- Grab your current read

- Open to a random page

- Share two “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 list if they like your teaser.

My teaser this week comes from page three of  Meg Waite Clayton's The Wednesday Sisters:

Sunrise, whatever time the light first crests the horizon that time of year.  It suits us, to leave our meeting time up to the tilt of the earth, the track of the world around the sun.

Musing Monday's - A Book Meme

Musing Monday's is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. This week’s musing:

a book meme!





What was the last book you…


• borrowed from the library? Sinful in Satin by Madeline Hunter and several children's books for my kids


• bought? Dangerous in Diamonds by Madeline Hunter


• cried over? Night Road by Kristin Hannah


• disliked and couldn’t finish? 13 Rue Therese by Elen Mauli Shapiro


• read & loved? Divergent by Veronica Roth


• got for review? (or: got in the mail?) not applicable


• gave to someone else? I can't remember at the moment


• stayed up too late reading? Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Book Review - Sinful in Satin by Madeline Hunter

Sinful in Satin, the third book in Madeline Hunter's 'The Rarest Blooms' quartet did not diappoint in the least.  Celia Pennifold is the daughter of a celebrated courtesan.  She is brought up to take on the same life as her mother.  However, at the age of seventeen, Celia runs away from the life she has been reared to live.  She finds refuge, friendship and true family with the women in Cumberworth.  Five years later, her mother passes away and Celia is left with a mountain of inherited debt and a house that she never knew existed.  She decides to forge a new life for herself.

Celia's first night in the new house brings her face to face with Jonathan Albrighton, a man she remembers from the time she lived with her mother.  Jonathan remembers Celia as well, as the girls she once was, not the adult she has become.  It turns out Celia's mom had made a tanancy arrangement with Jonathan and he expects Celia to honor it.  So, while she attempts to create a new life for herself, he lives in the attic and their paths cross often.  And when her past comes calling in a sad and distrssing fashion, Jonathan is there to help Celia, even though she is most stubborn about it.

What I most admire about this story is that Celia and Jonathan live on the fringes of 'acceptable' English society and flourish regardless of the snubs they receive.  Of course, their true friends (some titled, some not) and their emerging love for one another also create a strong foundation.

There is one more book in The Rarest Blooms quartet - Dangerous in Diamonds - and I plan to read it immediately.

Book Review - Divergent by Veronica Roth

Abnegation - Selfless

Dauntless - Courageous

Amity - Peaceful

Erudite - Intelligent

Candor - Honest

These are the five factions of society that make up Veronica Roth's futuristic dystopian society in Divergent.  Beatrice Prior is the sixteen year old protagonist of the story.  She has grown up in an Abnegation home and surprises her family at the cultural choosing ceremony by becoming Dauntless.  All of the new members of each faction must undergo an initiation period.  beatrice becomes Tris and gets quite a bit more than she bargained for in the often times violent initiation process.  This is the courageous and brave faction of their society, though.

In addition to combat training and being forced to face her fears, Tris makes human connections in a way she never had in her selfless community.  She has real, multi-layered friendships that she comes to trust and rely upon.  There is also Four, one of the leaders of her initiation process.  She is confused by his protectiveness of her and her developing feelings for him.

Divergent is the first book in a trilogy and I will say that I am greatly looking forward to the second book, Insurgent.  Veronica Roth has created a world where the factions, while trying to evenly distribute their strengths, has actually become a very fractured and imbalanced society.  There are political, social and basic societal elements all through the book.  It is full of bravery, self discovery and even has a very sweet love story.

Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

I remember reading about this the last time this event occurred at Trisha's
W O R D + S T U F F.  It sounded amazing but I was too late to sign up for it.  Sniff.  I was so sad.  This time, thanks to a post made by Trisha - I am in time to sign up for the event.  I am so excited to take part in this networking, hopefully writer-friend-building experience.

What is this event I am blathering on about? Go to here at Rach Writes for every single detail you could possibly want about the event.  Here is a very concise paragraph that I borrowed from the post to explain what the event is about:

"Basically, the Campaign is a way to link those of us in the writing community together with the aim of helping to build our online platforms. The Campaigners are all bloggers in a similar position, who genuinely want to pay it forward, make connections and friends within the writing community, and help build each others' online platforms while at the same time building theirs."

Sounds awesome, right? Absolutely! The Campaign runs from August 22nd until October 31st. If you want to participate, make sure you sign up by August 31st as that is when Rachel is closing the 'List of Campaigners'.


I am anticipating having a lot of fun and meeting a lot of new writer-friends.

Teaser Tuesday's - Divergent by Veronica Roth

Teaser Tuesday's is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read

- Open to a random page

- Share two “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 list if they like your teaser.

My teaser this week is from Nook page 265 of Veronica Roth's Divergent.  I just finsihed this book but it is so amazing that I still want to put it out there as my teaser! I read this book in less than twenty-four hours and it  has been a long time since I read a book that fast.

But our minds move in a dozen differnet directions.  We can't be confined to one way of thinking, and that terrifies our leaders.

Book Review - Provocative in Pearls by Madeline Hunter

The Earl of Hawkeswell is a man in desperate need of money. So he marries Verity Thompson, a wealthy iron works heiress, in order to better his own life and those of the people that live on his lands. Then Verity disappers on their wedding day and he is forced to live in limbo until she is either found or officially declared dead.


Two years later, by happenstance only, Hawkeswell finds Verity, alive and well. He is quite furious to say the least. Especially when Verity makes it quite clear to him that she has no intention of being his wife now that she has come of age and can care for herself. Hawkeswell insists that their marriage stands and she must do as he says since she is his wife.

I have to admit that Hawkeswell irritated me greatly in the first part of this book. I tried to tell myself that he was acting like any man probably would have during the time period but he still irked me. I really liked him in 'Ravishing in Red' so I kept hoping for his redemption in his own story and I was not disappointed.

I liked Verity from the very beginning of this book. She is smart, resourceful, kind and quite able and willing to speak her mind. She has valid reasons for wanting a life separate from Hawkeswell and insists that she was coerced into marrying him rather than doing so of her own free will. At first Hawkeswell does not buy in to this in the least. When he finally comes down from his high horse and actually listens to Verity - he learns that quite a lot of what she has said holds merit.

Hawkeswell and Verity clash greatly and seem to always be going in opposite directions. Once they finally start getting to know one another they discover they have a lot in common. They both believe in justice, free trade and they share a most alluring passion.

I enjoy Madeline Hunter's poignant and beautiful style of writing. I just love all of the characters in her 'The Rarest Blooms' series and look forward to the next story in the quartet - Sinful in Satin.

Review - Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter

This is the first book I have read by Madeline Hunter and I can say I will definitely be reading more. Her story telling is exquisite and passionate.

In this tale, Sebastian and Audrianna are brought together by the same cause but find themselves on opposing sides of said cause.  Audrianna's father was accused of a wartime crime.  The scandal led him to take his own life.  She is still trying to clear his name.

Sebastain was at the forefront of bringing her father's alleged crime to the public's awareness.  naturally, Audrianna and her family blame Sebastian for basically hounding her father to his death.

Audrianna and Sebastian find themselves in a position where they think they will both learn more and fianlly put the entire matter to rest.  Then a scandal ensues that changes their lives rather dramatically. As they try to uncover the truth surrounding the mystery in the book - they find themselves entwineed in the mystery of their own emotions.

I loved all of the characters in this book. I am quite happy that this book is the first in a quartet called The Rarest Blooms and look forward to reading the others.  The next book in the series is titled Provocative in Pearls.

Teaser Tuesday's: Provocative in Pearls by Madeline Hunter

Teaser Tuesday's is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just do the following:


- Grab your current read

- Open to a random page

- Share two “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 list if they like your teaser.
 
My teaser, from Nook page 35 of Madeline Hunter's Provocative in Pearls:
 
One more night, then, with her dear friends.  It promised to be full of nostalgia.

Musing Monday's: Other People's Bookshelves

Musing Monday's is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. This week’s musing:

Do you like looking at other people’s bookshelves?


Yes, absolutely! It is almost a compulsion for me to look at the books (and sometimes other items) that line a person's shelves.  If I see books I simply have to stop and check them out.  In part, I like to see what books there are that the owner and I have read.  I'm always open to book discussions.  I also like to see what books others enjoy that I may not have heard about.  Sadly, however; not all that many people in my real life read.  So I don't get to peruse bookshelves very often.

Booking Through Thursday: National Book Week

Booking Through Thursday is a fun weekly question and answer session, based on books, of course. This week there isn't a question but a fun bookish activity in honor of National Book Week.

Grab the closest book to you. Go to page 56. Copy the 5th sentence as your status.

Okay, so I'll play along here and other places.  I'm going to post mine on Twitter, too.  Silly? Definitely but I think it'll be funny, too.  Here is mine:

He sailed out.

Teaser Tuesday's: Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter

Teaser Tuesday's is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just do the following:


- Grab your current read

- Open to a random page

- Share two “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 list if they like your teaser.
 
My teaser from Nook page 18 of Madeline Hunter's Ravishing in Red:
 
"The value of any kiss is fleeting."
 
"What a sad moral.  Also an untrue on, I hope.  The poets say there are some kisses that can sustain a person's soul forever."

Musing Monday's: Books on Vacation

Musing Monday's is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. This week’s musing asks:

If you were (are) going on vacation, what books would you take with you?


This question right here illustrates one of my favorite things about owning my Nook; I can take a virtual library with me where ever I go! And I do - all the time.

So, some of the e-books on my Nook that would be going with  me on vacation: Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter (my current read), That's Amore by Erin McCarthy, Heart of the Witch by Alicia Dean, Four Corners of the Sky by Michael Malone and A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams.

Of course, another wonderful thing about the Nook is that I can buy books for it anywhere (I think) at any time.  so if I just wasn't in the mood for something I have on there - I could get something else.  And all I'd need to pack is the Nook itself (which goes every where with me anyway) and the power cord for recharging it.

How about you? What books would go on vacation with you this year?

Review - Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right by Kieran Kramer

I liked Kieran Kramer's Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right and think it's a decent follow-up to her debut novel When Harry Met Molly.

In this book - Nicholas is still the Impossible Bachelor and he is devoted to his career in the English spy Service. He is quite irritated when he is instructed that he must marry as a service to his country.

Poppy is a self-proclaimed Spinster. She and her closest friends even have their own Spinster club. They will not marry because society or their parents say they must. In fact, Poppy has turned down twelve proposals of marriage. And each time, her reason has been because she is in love with the Duke of Drummond and she is certain that he is 'on the verge of a proposal'. Of course, what she doesn't reveal is that The Duke of Drummond is a fictitious character invented by her family cook.

So, imagine Poppy's surprise when Nicholas - who actually is The Duke of Drummond - appears at a ball she is attending one night and indeed proposes to her. Down on bended knee, at that. What folows is a funny story with two very strong-minded characters bent on avoiding marriage. They find themselves in the middle of an intriguing case for the Service. And naturally, they find themselves falling for one another; while thinking the other is completely uninterested in marriage.
 
The third book is Ms. Kramer's Impossible Bachelors series is out now and called Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage.

Teaser Tuesday's: Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right by Kieran Kramer

Teaser Tuesday's is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two “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 list if they like your teaser.
 
My teaser on Nook page 19 of Kieran Kramer's Duke's to the left of Me, Princes to the Right:
 
Your esteemed colleague discovered that you and the subject of his search were one and the same person.  I've put the information to great use, as you will soon see.  Here's the girls name.