The Gathering

Goodreads Description:    Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

In The Gathering , New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong brings all the supernatural thrills from her wildly successful Darkest Powers series to Darkness Rising, her scorching hot new trilogy.

My Thoughts:

-    I don't understand how the title connects with the story.

-    There was a lot of description about the town and the surrounding area in the beginning, and it was kinda boring. 

-    I almost quit reading, but there was enough there for me to keep going. I wanted to see if the story would get better, and it did. Most of the beginning is setup, but towards the end, things pick up a bit. 

-    I really like Rafe. I don't know why yet, but I like him. For some reason I kept picturing him as Bender from The Breakfast Club. 

-    Maya wasn't a strong female lead. She seemed kinda dull. I really want more depth to her character. I kinda wanted more depth to a lot of the characters.

-    There is a lot of mystery surrounding this little town and it's residents. I think a lot of the characters have secrets, and Maya isn't the only one trying to figure out who and what she is. 

-    The writing was easy to read, and things seemed to flow ok. I did get confused on who was saying what a couple times. 

-    The ending is a killer cliffhanger! I didn't feel like this was a complete book. It was missing a whole lot! I have a lot of questions, and not enough answers!

-    I'm really glad this trilogy is complete, so I don't have to wait to find out what the heck is going on. Hopefully the next books keep up the momentum with the story. I don't want another slow beginning. 

The Black Cauldron

Goodreads Synopsis:    Peace reigns in Caer Dallben, where Taran works as Assistant Pig-Keeper, but evil threatens the rest of Prydain. The diabolical Arawn’s army grows every day, and his terrible warriors never die. They are born in the Black Cauldron from the stolen bodies of slain soldiers. If evil is to be defeated, the cauldron must be destroyed. Taran volunteers to travel to Arawn’s stronghold and assist in the destruction of the dreaded cauldron. With his faithful friends reassembled, Taran marches off to face great danger with a courageous heart.








My Thoughts:

-    Another epic adventure in Prydain! I love this series! 

-    Our friends set out to complete an impossible task, and new characters are introduced, some good, some bad. 

-    Gurgi's endless bag of food would be really handy. I wish I had one...but with an endless supply of money!

-    Ellidyr was an interesting fellow. His character development was my favorite. He was probably the deepest person in the story. 

-    Adaorn reminds me of the Lord Yupa from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I don't know why, but he does. Perhaps it is his wisdom.

-    Taran is a natural leader. He doesn't really ask to lead, but he naturally does it, and his friends follow him diligently. I hope my friends are as loyal as Taran's.

-    There were some tender moments in this book. The characters grieved and made difficult decisions. 

-    These books have something for everyone. I think no matter gender or age, these books will entertain and excite you! 

First book in The Chronicle of Prydain Series

(Click on the cover to see my thoughts)

Key Lime Pie

From Goodreads:    When Sadie Hoffmiller's new friend, Eric Burton, receives word that his missing daughter's body may have been found in Florida, he immediately packs his bags. Sadie is determined to stay home and prove to everyone that she is not a busybody. But when she senses Eric is hiding something, Sadie is compelled to take action. Before she knows it, she's in the heart of Miami, trying to piece together a trail that might just give Eric the answers he's so desperately searching for. In the process, Sadie finds herself in the company of some colorful characters and some good ol' southern cooking. But despite the drama and intrigue, all Sadie really wants is to go home ... as soon as she does just one more thing.

Includes eight new mouthwatering recipes, tested and approved by the official bakers of Sadie's Test Kitchen.

My Thoughts:

-    FINALLY!! Something other than a murder mystery! Well...there is still some murder involved, but the main mystery isn't a murder! 

-    The beginning was a tad slow. It doesn't really pick up until about 3/4 of the way through, and then the fun really begins!

-    Every time I fee like I'm not going to continue with these books, the story pulls me in, and I want to read another. 

-    For some reason, I feel attached to Sadie. I don't know why, but I feel attached, and I want to keep reading about her and her nosiness.

-    I'm starting to get the rhythm and feel for these books, so the ending wasn't a shocker, and I kinda predicted most of what happened. There better be some surprising things in the future for Sadie. 

-    My favorite character in this book was Monty. What a guy!

-    I thought Eric was a jerk and a loser in this book! I didn't like that. I wanted to continue loving him, but Pete stole the stage. Pete was a jerk in the last book though, so now I'm just confused!

-    Why are these considered LDS books? The author is LDS, but so are other authors from Utah that aren't considered LDS authors. There is almost no religion in these. I would just consider them mysteries. 

-    I like it when Sadie gets roughed up. Violence is exciting!

Previous Books in the Culinary Mystery Series

(click on the cover to see my thoughts)

  

Photo a Day

I'm participating in Rae Gun Ramblings' Photo a Day for October!

Here are my photos for this week!

Day 5: Spine

 Day 6: Mundane

Day 7: Ending

Missed Day 8

Day 9: Bookstore

Missed Day 10 too

Day 11: Festive

You can follow my photos on Instragram

Fan Art Friday

A lot of people enjoyed my Ally Condie Spotlight because I included some fan art of her books. I decided I wanted to showcase some more fan art, so I want to start doing:

Fan Art Friday

I enjoy seeing other's interpretation of the books and characters through art. I love seeing some of the scenes and characters come to life through art. I also love seeing the talent and different styles. Thanks to all the artists, and I hope you don't mind that I stole your pictures off the Internet!

Since The Book Thief by Markus Zusak has been on my mind a lot lately, I decided to start with that, and what I found didn't disappoint!

p.s. These pictures may or may not spoil the book for you! I dunno, we all interpret what we see differently. View at your own risk! You have been warned!

Which is your favorite? 

I love them all. The one with the accordion, books, bear, and Max's sun with a tightrope really speaks to me! I think my most favorite is the one that says "Kiss him, Liesel." I just want to scream for Liesel to give Rudy a kiss!

The Book of Three

Goodreads Synopsis:    Taran dreams of adventure, but nothing exciting ever happens to an Assistant Pig-Keeper--until his pig runs away. A chase through the woods leads Taran far from home and into great danger, for evil prowls the land of Prydain. With a collection of strange and wonderful friends whom he meets on his journey, Taran finds himself fighting so that good may triumph over evil--and so that his beloved home will not fall to a diabolical fiend.









My Thoughts:

-    This series is one of my childhood favorites! Reading this again was like greeting old friends. 

-    Reading an old favorite is just what I needed to get me out of my reading slump!

-    Taran has a lot of growing up to do, and while he grew throughout this journey, I'm glad there are more books for him to grow more. 

-    Gurgi is one of my all time favorite characters! He is right up there with Bilbo! I love the way he speaks, and I love his loyalty and courage.

-    I love the other characters as well. Gwydion was one of my first literature crushes! Eilonwy can be annoying at times, but sometimes Taran needed a good scolding. Fflewddur is a good companion and brings some great comic relief. SO many great characters!! I love them all!

-    Medwyn is full of wisdom and love for all living things. I admire him so much. I wish I had his job. It would be so peaceful and lovely.

-    The book is short, but the adventure is EPIC! This tale is a timeless classic that people will love forever! I can't wait to share Alexander's books with my little gnome!

-    Although we don't see much of him, The Horned King is one of the scariest and baddest dudes in all of fantasy! 

-    Nothing but love and praise from me for this book! This series holds a lot of nostalgia for me. I grew up reading about Prydain and The Shire, and I always wanted my own adventure. This is one of the books that started my love for reading! 

Blackbeard's Ghost

My Thoughts:

-    The picture looks grainy on the copy I got from the library. The DVD needs to be remastered. I've watched this on TV, and it looked a lot nicer. 

-    This is a good wholesome family fun movie! It is funny, and entertaining for the whole fam!

-    Blackbeard is fantastic! The casting was perfect! 

-    The track meet is hilarious! I love how everyone is so confused. 

-    The story is simple, but fun. It is entertaining enough for adults, but fun enough for kids. 

-    The main chick kinda looks like Elizabeth Taylor.

-    If you enjoy classic old school Disney movies, this is a movie for you! 

Tyson's Thoughts:

-    I wasn't too entertained, but I'd enjoy a ghost buddy.

-    I'm definitely gonna haunt someone like that when I die!

Hubby's Thoughts:

-    My favorite scenes are the track meet and the gambling part.

-    Captain Blackbeard is hilarious, and he kinda looks like Tyson. 

Top Ten Tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Best/Worst Series Enders

Best

 

 

 

Worst

 

 

Book Thief T-Shirt Winners

This is going to be a lazy post because...well, I'm feeling lazy.

Head on over to Suey's blog! 

She does these kinds of things better than me anyway!

Congrats to the winners! We'll be emailing you soon!

Thanks again to everyone who participated! I had a lot of fun!

Leading Men

Goodreads Description:    Tough, sophisticated, witty, and handsome from Rudolph Valentino to Buster Keaton, Cary Grant to Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart to Steve McQueen, each of the actors featured in this book brought a magnetic presence to the screen and made a powerful and enduring mark on film history. Produced by Turner Classic Movies, this stylish and definitive guide as the inside scoop and off-the-record reveals of fifty unforgettable actors and is also the focus of an on-air film festival on the channel. The lives and accomplishments of each actor are celebrated in an insightful career overview, accompanied by an annotated list of essential films, filmographies, behind the scenes facts, Academy Award wins and nominations. Full of surprising trivia, film stills, posters, and stunning photos, Leading Men pays tribute to the most charismatic, enduring, and elegant actors of the silver screen and essential resource for movie buffs and pop-culture enthusiasts alike.

My Thoughts:

-    I love old movies, and I love the old school actors. They had class and charisma that no other era or group of actors will have! 

-    My favorite quote in the book: "Their attraction was in what they did and were, not how they looked." LOVE THAT!

-    It was fun to flip through this book and read about some of my favorite actors. I admit, I didn't read about every guy, but I read most of them. 

-    After reading, I gained a lot more respect for Cary Grant, James Stuart, and Gregory Peck! They were real gentlemen that did great things! 

-    Sadly, my respect also faltered for a few. I won't list names.

-    I did not know Jimmy Stuart was a Brigadeer General in the Air Force!!!! Wholly huge shocker Batman!! I don't know why he wanted to keep it a secret. That title is something to be proud of! 

-    One of the best parts of the book was looking at all the pictures! So fun! The one of Charlie Chaplin is crazy! I totally didn't recognize him!

-    There is not enough time in the day...or life, to watch all the movies I want to watch! The movies listed in the book just killed me! I wanted to watch all of them at that moment I read about it. 

-    A couple of my favs is Spencer Tracy, Gene Kelly, Mickey Rooney, and the others I've mentioned above. 

-    I'm hoping my hubby looks like Spencer Tracy when he is older...I think he will :)

Similar Book

(click on the cover to see my post)