Chocolate Chunky Munkie

Wishlist Wednesday #23

2012-02-29T06:16:00.000Z

Every Wednesday, Dani at Pen To Paper features Wishlist Wednesday, a meme in which you can list a book that you really want to read or keep meaning to get. These are books that you want to add to your wishlist, and believe me there are plenty! I've decided to use Dani's feature every Wednesday :)

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://www.pentopaperblog.com/) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

So here is my book for this weeks Wishlist Wednesday:

The Catastrophic History of You & Me by Jess Rothenberg

Goodreads Synopsis:

Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

I came across this book the other day as one of my giveaway winners requested it as a prize. I had never heard of it before then. After reading the blurb, I thought to myself, you know what...... This sounds a great book. So on the wishlist it has gone. The title and cover are pretty eye catching too. I hope I get a copy of this soon as I would love to read it :D

Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop

2012-02-28T21:00:00.003Z

This giveaway is open to International followers, so if the Book Depository ships to you, yes you can enter!! Click HERE to see if the Book Depository ships to your country.

This Giveaway Hop is co-hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer & Jinky is Reading

To find details of the hop and the links click Here

So what is up for grabs?? Well the winner will get to choose one book from the Book Depository up to the value of £10 or $15(USD)

So here are the details:

There will be 1 winner - The winner will choose one book of their choice from the Book Depository

· Open to International Followers·

You must fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter
Giveaway will end 5th March 2012
Please don't leave your email address in the comments box

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mail Box Sunday (IMM) - Weekly Round Up #17

2012-02-26T04:34:00.000Z

Hi Guys! It's Sunday again and that means another Mail Box Sunday. I'm going to share what goodies I've had this week. Mostly they are e-books so thankfully my bookcase isn't groaning too much.

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren - what a great way to see what everyone else has had in their mailboxes :D

Paperbacks in this week:

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - I bought this from Amazon. Last week's IMM featured book 2 & 3 of this series. I now have book 1 yay :D

A Conspiracy of Violence by Susanna Gregory - This books was passed on to me by my Sister-in-Law.

E-books I had this week:

Sliding Beneath The Surface by Doug Dillon - This was kindly sent to me by the author for review.

Malice by Griffin Hayes, The Scarlet Dagger by Krystle Jones & The Savior of Turk by Ron D Smith - I won these ebooks from a giveaway @ Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews.

From Netgalley:

Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You To Know: Eleven Courageous Canines Tell All by Hy Conrad - I received this one to review from Netgalley :D

What books did you get in your mailbox this week? Leave a comment and a link and I will have a peek :D

Review Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer

2012-02-25T16:53:00.001Z

Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer

Released: February 1st 2011

Publisher: Maclehose

Series: Yes #1 in the series

Format: Hardcover

Source: Bought

Buy At: Amazon| Amazon UK| Barnes & Noble| The Book Depository

Goodreads Synopsis:

"Write to me, Emmi. Writing is like kissing, but without lips. Writing is kissing with the mind."

It begins by chance: Leo receives emails in error from an unknown woman called Emmi. Being polite he replies, and Emmi writes back. A few brief exchanges are all it takes to spark a mutual interest in each other, and soon Emmi and Leo are sharing their innermost secrets and longings. The erotic tension simmers, and it seems only a matter of time before they will meet in person. But they keep putting off the moment - the prospect both excites and unsettles them. And after all, Emmi is happily married.

Will their feelings for each other survive the test of a real-life encounter? And if so, what then?

Love Virtually is a funny, fast-paced and utterly absorbing novel, with plenty of twists and turns, about a love affair conducted entirely by email.

My Review:

This book was recommended to me by a good friend, who said I had to read it as she gave it top marks. She even bought me a copy so that I could see what she was raving about. Thank you!!

This book is written as a series of email exchanges between the two main characters of Emmi and Leo. The story starts with an email mistakenly being sent to Leo from Emmi. After numerous and sometimes witty exchanges the pair strike up a close and unique friendship. Over time you can see this friendship start to develop into something more. Throughout the book you can really feel both characters needs, uncertainties, and a whole host of other emotions just from the way they write the emails and also from the words they use. They vulnerabilities and fears really do come through. You only ever get to know about the two characters from what they write about themselves to each other.

This book really takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, at times I felt quite emotionally drained. But this just shows the writers ability to be able to manipulate the reader’s emotions. I think it is a very clever but simple concept; the author has really managed to capture a lot of feeling just from simple email exchanges between the two main characters.

This book was really easy to pick up and put down. There are no long chapters and sometimes the email exchanges are very short. I managed to fly through this book and I think it could even be devoured in one sitting.

I felt that the ending was brilliant; I actually sat there for a few minutes afterwards digesting it. There is another book following on from this story, it’s not yet been released (I have checked) and I can’t wait to get my hands on it so I can carry on with the story of Emmi & Leo.

Story Rating: 4/5 – A clever concept for a story that will leave you emotionally exhausted :D

Cover Rating: 3/5 – I can’t say it is one that jumps out at me, but there is a relevance to cupid and the name of the book is certainly fitting to the story.

Friday Recommends #10

2012-02-24T13:18:00.000Z

Friday Recommends is a weekly meme hosted by Dani at Pen To Paper. This is where we list a book we would highly recommend.

I'm quite excited about this new feature as one of the things I love is being able to share the news about a great book. We've all been there! After reading a fab book you want to shout out to the world how great it is.

The rules for Friday Recommends are:

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://www.pentopaperblog.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

My choice this week is:

Star Gazing by Linda Gillard.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Blind since birth, widowed in her twenties, now lonely in her forties, Marianne Fraser lives in Edinburgh in elegant, angry anonymity with her sister, Louisa, a successful novelist. Marianne's passionate nature finds solace and expression in music, a love she finds she shares with Keir, a man she encounters on her doorstep one winter's night. While Marianne has had her share of men attracted to her because they want to rescue her, Keir makes no concession to her condition. He is abrupt to the point of rudeness, and yet oddly kind. But can Marianne trust her feelings for this reclusive stranger who wants to take a blind woman to his island home on Skye, to "show" her the stars?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Linda Gillard. Star Gazing is the second book I have read by this author and I have enjoyed both books immensley, this one just pipped to be my favourite one though. I loved the characters, such a wonderful rich contrast. Part of the story is set on the island of Skye, which sounds a wonderful place. In the book you'll find lots of drama, emotions and romance. Keir sounds like a dreamy wonderful man, shame he is a fictional character. For a bit of pure escapism I would recommend you read this book.

Young Adult Paranormal Activity Giveaway Hop

2012-02-23T21:00:00.002Z

This has to be one of my favourite genres, so it is really exciting to be able to be part of this giveaway hop.

To find details of the hop and the links click Here

The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver

Mist by Kathryn James

The Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

Dearly Departed by Lia Habel

So here are the details:

There will be 1 winner - The winner will choose one book of their choice from those listed

· Open to International Followers

You must fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter
Giveaway will end 28th February 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner of the Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway.

2012-02-23T19:31:00.000Z

Thank you so much to everyone who entered, be it new or existing followers :D I have the greatest pleasure in announcing the winner for the Chocolate Chunky Munkie Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway. The prize was the book of your choice from the Book Depository! Drumroll please.............

The winner is:

Reading Mind (reviewer for Sognandoleggendo, an Italian book blog)

Congratulations on winning, I hope you enjoy your copy of The Catastrophic History of You & Me by Jess Rothemberg

Wishlist Wednesday #22

2012-02-22T06:17:00.000Z

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://www.pentopaperblog.com/) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

So here is my book for this weeks Wishlist Wednesday:

Sweet & Deadly by Charlaine Harris.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Now best known for her New York Times-bestselling Sookie Stackhouse novels, Charlaine Harris garnered an unusual degree of acclaim with her first novel -- the story of a murder that embroils a small-town reporter in a mystery that hits close to home.

Catherine Linton came home to Lowfield, Mississippi convinced that the untimely deaths of her parents in a car accident was no accident -- but nobody believed her. So she stayed, taking a job at the local paper, to try to both convince the sheriff that she was right-and maybe convince herself she was wrong. After all, her father had been the town doctor, loved (she always thought) by all. To think he was killed was to think that one of her friends or neighbors has harbored some deep resentment toward him. Then she finds the dead body of the women who had been her father's nurse for many years. Obviously murdered. Now Catherine knows that she was not wrong about her parent's death. Someone in Lowfield has a terrible secret, a secret worth killing for. Not once, not twice, but -- when another body is found -- three times. And the killer won't hesitate to add more victims to the list, as Catherine gets closer and closer to the truth.

I love Charlaine Harris, her books have always rated highly with me. My favourite series would be the Southern Vampire series (Sookie Stackhouse). I have most of her books on my bookcase or kindle but I'm missing this one. I thought this book sounded good with a mix of mystery and murder. I hope I manage to get a copy soon so I can add to my Charlaine Harris collection :)

Review Across The Universe by Beth Revis

2012-02-19T11:19:00.000Z

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Released: January 11th 2011

Publisher: Razorbill

Series: Yes #1 in the Across The Universe Series

Format: Kindle

Source: Bought

Buy At: Amazon| Amazon UK| Barnes & Noble| The Book Depository

Author Site: Beth Revis

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

My Review:

“I never thought about how important the sky was until I didn't have one. ~ Amy”

Amy is seventeen years old, up to this point she has lead a normal teenage life. This is all to change........ Amy’s parents are part of group of people that are to set up a new civilisation on a newly discovered planet that is 300 light years away. To reach this planet they have to be cryogenically frozen and placed as frozen cargo in a spaceships helm. Amy is given a choice to come with her parents or stay with other family on Earth. She chooses to follow her parents and is placed as non-essential frozen cargo. Fifty years before she is to come out of her frozen sleep, she is unplugged....... why, who and more importantly what the heck is going on?? Amy must adjust to life on board Godspeed and find out the truth.

I have to say that this book was amazing! The beginning really sucked me in. All the way through it was a fast paced and exciting read. I’ve seen so many positive reviews for this book that I just had to get a copy for myself and see what all the fuss was about. Well I’m pleased I did, as it was awesome.

This book is a YA, Sci-Fi and romance story all rolled into one. I’m not into heavy Sci-Fi books but this was great for me. I found it a real good easy read and was not baffled with techie scientific stuff. This book is suitable for teens upwards as there are no graphic scenes or bad language.

There are a few twists and turns in the story and at times you start wondering who to trust. It seems lies fuel the ship and keep it orderly. It certainly makes you feel paranoid. I like the twists and turns they certainly keep you on your toes and stops the story from feeling flat.

I really liked the dual narrative of Amy and Elder, it managed to capture two different sides. One of someone who had spent their lifetime on Godspeed (the spaceship) and one who was new to Godspeed. Seeing the ship through both of their eyes was very clever and helped enrich each character.

My favourite character was Elder, I fell in love with him from the start. He really is sweet and it was interesting to see how his character developed throughout the story. There are so many layers to him.

I really thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think this has to be one of the best books I have read this year and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. So if you haven’t already got a copy of this book then get one!!

Story Rating: 5/5 - This was such an amazing story, I could read this again anytime.

Cover Rating: 5/5 - The colours, the picture, amazing!

About The Author:

Beth Revis is the author of the NY Times Bestselling Across the Universe series, published by Razorbill/Penguin in the US and available in 17 countries. The first book in the trilogy, Across the Universe, is a “cunningly executed thriller” according to Booklist, and the second book, A Million Suns, was hailed by the LA Times as “a fast-paced, action-packed follow-up.” The final book of the trilogy, Shades of Earth, will be released in early 2013.
A former teacher, Beth lives in rural North Carolina with her husband and dog. Her goals include travelling around the world in 80 days, exploring the moon, and finding Narnia.
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads
Beth is represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House.

Mail Box Sunday (IMM) - Weekly Round Up #16

2012-02-19T03:54:00.000Z

Hi Guys! It's Sunday again and that means another Mail Box Sunday. It's been a couple of weeks since I last did an IMM post, so I have lots of books to tell you about.

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren - what a great way to see what everyone else has had in their mailboxes :D

From Amazon UK for the kindle:

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Soul Kiss by Scarlett Jacobs

Paperbacks I bought this week:

Ask & The Answer by Patrick Ness

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer

I met a friend who visited and we had a little book shopping spree. I bought the two Patrick Ness books. Love Virtually was bought as a gift from my friend Julie, she sang its praises. Thank you xx

What books did you get in your mailbox this week? Leave a comment and a link and I will have a peek :D

New Blog Design - Yay!!

2012-02-18T13:24:00.000Z

I am so pleased to announce that Chocolate Chunky Munkie has had a new facelift. Check out this new design, isn't it lovely :D I am so grateful for all the hardwork that Vicky at Sweet Dreams Design has put into it to make it so wonderful. I am so proud to have a lovely looking blog. let me know what you think. If you need a new blog design at a reasonable cost, then I would highly recommend Vicky and suggest you check out her blog design page.

Random Acts Of Kindness Giveaway Hop - International

2012-02-16T20:40:00.000Z

To find details of the hop and the links click Here

So what is up for grabs?? Well the winner will get to choose one book from the Book Depository up to the value of £10 or $15(USD)

So here are the details:

There will be 1 winner - The winner will choose one book of their choice from the Book Depository

· Open to International Followers·

You must fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter
Giveaway will end February 21st 2012
Please don't leave your email address in the comments box

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner of the Follower Love Giveaway.

2012-02-16T09:13:00.001Z

Thank you so much to everyone who entered, be it new or existing followers :D I have the greatest pleasure in announcing the winner for the Chocolate Chunky Munkie Follower Love Giveaway. The prize was the book of your choice from the Book Depository! Drumroll please.............

The winner is:

Pavan

Congratulations on winning Pavan, I hope you enjoy your copy of Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Don't forget there's still the February monthly book giveaway happening right now. To enter click HERE

Wishlist Wednesday #21

2012-02-15T14:20:00.000Z

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://www.pentopaperblog.com/) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

So here is my book for this weeks Wishlist Wednesday:

Tempest by Julie Cross

Goodreads Synopsis:

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

One of my blog giveaway winners chose this book as a prize. I thought it sounded fab. I also spotted a review of this at Vicky's blog Books, Biscuits & Tea. Vicky really liked it and said it was worth reading, so that was good enough for me. So on the wishlist it has gone. I think the cover is awesome, I could sit and look at it for ages. I hope I manage to get a copy soon!!!

We have some winners!! #2

2012-02-10T11:25:00.000Z

Thank you so much to everyone who entered, be it new or existing followers :D There have been a few competitions going on recently. I have the greatest pleasure in announcing the winners. Drumroll please.............

The winner is:

Megan @ Book Brats

Congratulations on winning Megan, I hope you enjoy your copy of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.

The winner is:

Farah @ Maji Bookshelf

Congratulations on winning Farah, I hope you enjoy your copy of Touch by Jus Accardo.

Don't forget to look out for more giveaways happening right here at Chocolate Chunky Munkie :D

Friday Recommends #9

2012-02-10T09:42:00.001Z

Friday Recommends is a weekly meme hosted by Dani at Pen To Paper. This is where we list a book we would highly recommend.

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://www.pentopaperblog.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

My choice this week is:

The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson

Goodreads Synopsis:

As teenagers Poppy Carlisle and Serena Gorringe were the only witnesses to a tragic event. Amid heated public debate, the two seemingly glamorous teens were dubbed ‘The Ice Cream Girls’ by the press and were dealt with by the courts.

Years later, having led very different lives, Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what really happened, while married mother-of-two Serena wants no one in her present to find out about her past. But some secrets will not stay buried – and if theirs is revealed, everything will become a living hell all over again..

I'm going to recommend this book as it really made an impact on me. I read this just over a year ago. One of my good booskish friends highly recommended it, I totally trust their judgment and couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. I found The Ice Cream Girls to be an excellent and gripping story. Really well written and full of emotion. I really really enjoyed this book. I have managed to read a couple more of Dorothy Koomson's books, but this one has been my favourite one by far. I rated it 5/5.

Follower Love Giveaway Hop

2012-02-06T23:02:00.004Z

To find details of the hop and the links click Here

So what is up for grabs?? Well the winner will get to choose one book from the Book Depository up to the value of £10 or $15(USD)

So here are the details:

There will be 1 winner - The winner will choose one book of their choice from the Book Depository

· Open to International Followers

You must fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter
Giveaway will end February 14th 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

International Book Giveaway - February!!

2012-02-05T13:06:00.001Z

February is here and time to kick off another monthly book giveaway :D

This giveaway is open to International followers, so if the Book Depository ships to you, yes you can enter!! Click HERE to see if the Book Depository ships to your country.

So here are the details:

There will be 1 winner - The winner will choose a book from those I've listed below

Open to International Followers (only those that the Book Depository ships to)
You must fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter
The more entries you put in, the more likely you are to win
Giveaway will end February 29th 2012

Books on offer:

~ Fracture by Megan Miranda

~ Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

~ Touch by Jus Accardo

~ Cinder by Marissa Meyer

~ Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

~ Across The Universe by Beth Revis

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cruise Quarters Free on Amazon for one day!!

2012-02-03T11:53:00.000Z

Today Feb 3 Cruise Quarters - A novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships will be free at Amazon.com. It is the # 1 cruise ship and the #1 casino novel at the Kindle store. It was chosen as 'Read of the Week' at Tripatini.com.

The Review Girl blog raves, "Cruise Quarters is an amazing travel novel which is as much about romance as it is about travel (the novel is based on their real-life love story)."

Please help us celebrate the anniversary of the day we met by downloading a copy. I hope you have as much fun reading it as we did writing it.

Cara and Ray Bertoia

The link to our book at Amazon is:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NIFUUU United States

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004NIFUUU United Kingdom

Product Description

Cruise Quarters - A novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships is the # 1 cruise ship and the #1 casino novel at the Kindle store. It was chosen as 'Read of the Week' at Tripatini.com.

The Review Girl blog raves, "Cruise Quarters is an amazing travel novel which is as much about romance as it is about travel (the novel is based on their real-life love story)."

It is a fun, fast paced tale of working in the casino aboard a Regal Cruises cruise-ship. It is based on a true story and was written by authors who have decades of experience working on luxury cruise ships and in casinos across the globe. The crew of the Regal Star resemble a mini United Nations, hiring people from all over the world. But unlike the UN, Regal Cruise's employees present a united front above decks as they attend to their passenger's every needs. Sarah Seldon is a croupier on the luxury liner. After many unhappy endings, and burnt out on shipboard romance, she is determined to forget about men and concentrate on becoming a casino manager. On land women face a dearth of GOOD men but on a ship giving up men would take willpower. The mostly male crew exist to serve her every need. Handsome Italian waiters bring her food, the Filipino steward cleans her room, English officers play poker with her and the Welsh plumber fixes her sink. She leads a cushy life, sleeping 'til noon , eating gourmet food, and the topper - she gets to wake up in beautiful new place everyday. All because she works in a casino, a place so bad it has SIN in the middle. Book a cruise and travel with Sarah and the crew as they work, play, feast, and fall in and out of love, all while the ship sails around the globe, stopping at exotic ports of call. Along the way, from Venice to Barcelona sight-see in the Med, shop in St. Martin , take an eco-cruise down the Amazon, and feast in Glasgow . Let the crew tell you their own stories as they sit in the hallway in the wee hours of the morning. While the ship travels to new destinations, tired and tipsy they share tales of love and betrayal. Excerpt from Chapter One: When people sat down at Sarah Seldon’s blackjack game, they always wanted to talk about The Book. “Should I double down? Should I hit? Dealer, I know you’re a gambler; you could let me win if you wanted to. What does the book say?” She had never read this book, this mythical Bible for gamblers. The truth is there are 2256 books, each teaching its own foolproof winning system. But Sarah had been in the casino business long enough to think with a gambler’s mind. Gamblers knew they could follow all the rules of basic strategy, utilize money management and still lose if they weren’t dealt the right cards. The allure and curse of gambling was that there were no sure things. In the end it all came down to luck; gamblers prayed that Lady Luck would show up and that she would stick around for awhile. On that particular day, Sarah perched on a chair to get a better view through her salt-stained porthole onto the dock, filled with people busying themselves with the activities necessary to supply a huge cruise ship. Port activities in Hong Kong demonstrated a model of modern efficiency. Even though the ship had been docked for under an hour, already the crew had begun to perform the necessary safety checks. At the same time operators steered forklifts, moving wooden pallets filled with provisions into the hold. Like a patient hooked up to life support, long, fat hoses attached to the side of the ship fed water and gas into tanks, providing nutrients for the upcoming voyage. You can find out more about Cara and Ray at Author Central and please check out their blog: casinosandcruiseships.blogspot.com

About the Author

Growing up in a straight laced Southern family, I was always fascinated with casinos. In my twenties on a summer hiatus from teaching in North Carolina , I drove to California and became a dealer at Caesars in Lake Tahoe . My mother highly disapproved of my working in a casino, "a place so bad it has 'sin' in the middle." Eventually, I succumbed to pressure from the family and returned east to take a high-tech job in Boston . I also began working on my MFA in writing at Emerson. I wanted to write the first realistic novel about casino life from the perspective of an experienced table games dealer. I am always amazed that normal and sometimes quite intelligent players become absolutely clueless in the casino. They repeat superstitious nonsense and no amount of logic can change their position. On a whim I submitted an article to The Boston Tab, about trying to find a rent control apartment. To my amazement they published it and I even received my first piece of fan mail. Spurred on by that success, the next week, after a few glasses of wine at lunch, I called the editor of the Brighton Allston Journal and told him I should write a humor column. While in Boston I was offered the opportunity to join Princess Cruises as a croupier. Jumping at the chance, I spent the next five years circling the globe. Sometimes life exceeds your dreams. I was awed by the wonders of Venice, the fjords of Norway, and the Northern Lights in Leningrad but on the downside I also watched glaciers melt at an alarming rate in Alaska, snorkeled to coral reefs killed by pollution in the Caribbean, and witnessed the devastation as the Amazon burned. It was the best education I could ever have had. Taking advantage of every opportunity to be a tour guide, I soaked in as much history as I could. I returned from ships with a very special souvenir, my husband Ray. Besides being a handsome Glaswegian, he is my co-author. We also produced a movie on walking the 500-mile "Camino De Santiago," in Spain . The Desert Woman and the Desert Sun both featured stories about our walk. When we were researching the Camino we could never find a good practical guide on the terrain and the trail, the things a person would experience every day, although there was plenty on the architecture and history. So seeing a need we made a movie of our journey. It is a thrill to come home and find orders from such diverse countries as Japan and Denmark . The address for our movie is: www.caminovideo.com

Amazon links to Cruise Quarters:

United States: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NIFUUU

United Kindgdom: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004NIFUUU

Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B004NIFUUU

France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B004NIFUUU

Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B004NIFUUU

Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B004NIFUUU

Wishlist Wednesday #20

2012-02-01T12:25:00.000Z

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://www.pentopaperblog.com/) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

So here is my book for this weeks Wishlist Wednesday:

A Million Suns (Across The Universe #2) by Beth Revis

Goodreads Synopsis:

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.
It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

This is book two of the Across The Universe series by Beth Revis. It came out last month so is a fairly new release. I am currently reading book one and I'm really really enjoying it. So I have put A Million Suns on my wishlist as I would love to read more of this series. I think the idea behind the story is very clever and unique. I have seen some good reviews for this author and this book, so I am really looking forward to getting my hands on a copy.

Review Pure by Julianna Baggott

2012-01-31T21:54:00.000Z

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Released : 8th February 2012

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Series :Yes #1 in the Pure series

Format :Kindle

Source : Digital ARC Netgalley

Buy at : Amazon | Amazon UK |Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Author Site: Julianna Baggott

Goodreads Synopsis:

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

My review:

“We know you are here, our brothers and sisters.

We will, one day, emerge from the Dome to join

you in peace.

For now, we watch from afar, benevolently.”

Wow this was one complex and mind popping book. Ten years ago atomic bombs were detonated on Earth; a select few were allowed to escape the detonations by entering a dome. This dome protected those inside and a new self sufficient community was made. Meanwhile those outside the dome “the wretches” were left to survive. Their bodies twisted, scarred and fused to everyday objects. Life is a constant struggle for them.

This book did take me a good, and I mean a good few chapters to settle into. I think it is the sheer detail to the story that just boggles the mind. When you learn about each character you really do settle into the story. I thought this book was very good and I loved the way the story panned out, I was taken by surprise in a couple of places, and I really like that in a book. I mean who likes predictable books?!?

My favourite character was Pressia Belze, what a lovely gutsy character

she was. We meet Pressia around the time of her 16^th Birthday. One of her hands is fused into a doll head that she was holding at the time of the detonations. This girl has to grow up so fast to deal with the chaos that erupts when she meets a “pure”. I loved the romance between Pressia and Bradwell, it was sweet and just shows that love can occur in the most horrendous places.

I do think that books which have an element of things that could be possible and believable certainly make you think more about the world around you. This story could in theory come true in a few decades time. Pretty scary stuff.....

Lots of detail and some really good characters. I really liked the way the story was written; it didn’t boggle the reader with too much science fact and science talk, but just enough for readers to grasp the enormity of a nuclear holocaust.

Story rating: 4/5 – weird and wonderful. A fast paced ride.

Cover rating: 4/5 I love the butterfly in the dome, certainly a very suitable cover that relates to the story.

About the Author:

Critically acclaimed, bestselling author Julianna Baggott also writes under the pen names Bridget Asher and N.E. Bode. She has published seventeen books over the last ten years. Film rights for her forthcoming novel PURE have been acquired by Fox 2000. The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted, written under pen name Asher, was published in spring 2011. There are approximately 50 foreign editions of her novels to date.

Julianna began publishing when she was twenty-two and sold her first novel while still in her twenties. After receiving her M.F.A. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she published her first novel, Girl Talk, which was a national bestseller and was quickly followed by Boston Globe bestseller The Miss America Family, and then Boston Herald Book Club selection, The Madam, an historical novel based on the life of her grandmother. She co-wrote Which Brings Me to You with Steve Almond, A Best Book of 2006 (Kirkus Reveiws) optioned by producer Richard Brown and adapted by Keith Bunin with Matthew Warchus set to direct.

Her Bridget Asher novels include The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted, The Pretend Wife, My Husband's Sweethearts. More info can be found at her Bridget Asher blog.

She also writes bestselling novels for younger readers under the pen name N.E. Bode as well as under Julianna Baggott. The Anybodies trilogy was a People Magazine pick alongside David Sedaris and Bill Clinton, a Washington Post Book of the Week, a Girl's Life Top Ten, a Booksense selection, and was in development at Nickelodeon/Paramount; The Slippery Map (fall 2007), and the prequel to Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007), a movie starring Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, and Jason Bateman. For two years, Bode was a recurring personality on XM Sirius Radio.

Julianna's Boston Red Sox novel The Prince of Fenway Park (HarperCollins), was published in spring 2009. It is on the Sunshine State Young Readers Awards List for 2011-2012.
The Ever Breath (Random House) was published in December, 2009.

Baggott also has a highly acclaimed career as a poet, having published three collections of poetry and having been published in the best literary publications in the country, including Poetry, The American Poetry Review, and Best American Poetry in 2001 and 2011.

Baggott's work has appeared in over a hundred publications, including the The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Glamour, Ms., Real Simple, and read on NPR's Here and Now, All Things Considered and Talk of the Nation. Her essays, stories, and poems are highly anthologized.

She is an associate professor at Florida State University's Creative Writing Program.

In 2006, Baggott and her husband co-founded the nonprofit organization Kids in Need - Books in Deed, that focuses on literacy and getting free books to underprivileged children in the state of Florida.

Mail Box Sunday (IMM) - Weekly Round Up #15

2012-01-29T22:09:00.001Z

Hi guys!! It’s Sunday again :D time for another Mail Box Sunday. I’m going to share with you what goodies I’ve had through the post this week. A small selection this week, especially compared to to last week :)

In My Mailbox (IMM) is hosted by The Story Siren -what a great way to see what everyone else has had in their mailbox over the week!

What books I got over the past few week:

Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong - This was kindly sent to me by Lainy @ So Many Books, So Little Time. Thank you Lainy!!

Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison - This was an e-book from Netgalley.

What books did you get in the mail this week? Leave a comment and a link and I will have a peek :)

Friday Recommends #8

2012-01-27T07:01:00.001Z

Friday Recommends is a weekly meme hosted by Dani at Pen To Paper. This is where we list a book we would highly recommend.

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

My choice this week is:

Touch by Jus Accardo

Goodreads Synopsis:

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

I can't believe I haven't put this book down for a past Friday Reccomends as I loved it!! It made #2 of my top five all time reads for 2011. It's fast paced and I love the characters, especially Kale who has a certain something special about him :) If you haven't already got your hands on a copy of this book, seriously go and buy one now. I gave it top marks a full 5 star rating. I can't wait for the next one in the series, Toxic, to be released possibly May this year :D

You can see my full review of Touch HERE

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

2012-01-26T21:00:00.001Z

It’s time for another giveaway!! This one is was fun to do as I love YA books, it’s one of my favourite genres. So I was really excited to choose some really good YA books. One lucky winner will get to choose one book from those I’ve listed below.

This giveaway is open to International followers, so if the Book Depository ships to you, yes you can enter!! Click HERE to see if the Book Depository ships to your country.

This giveaway hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Down the Rabbit Hole

To find details of the hop and the links click Here

~ Fracture by Megan Miranda

~ Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

~ Touch by Jus Accardo

~ Cinder by Marissa Meyer

~ Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

~ 0.4 by Mike Lancaster

So here are the details:

There will be 1 winner - The winner will choose one book of their choice from those listed

· Open to International Followers

You must fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter
Giveaway will end January 31st 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Time Will Come #18

2012-01-26T07:01:00.001Z

Every Thursday, Jodie at Books For Company hosts The Time Will Come, a weekly meme in which we list a book that we really want to read or keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books that have been on the TBR shelf for awhile now but also they can be books that have just come into my home. I have a massive to-read pile, it seems to be growing by the day.....

If you'd like to join in?

Pick a book you have been meaning to read
Do a post telling us about the book
Link the post up in the linky on Jodie's blog.
Visit the other blogs!

Here is my choice for this weeks Time Will Come:

An Idiot Abroad by Karl Pilkington

Goodreads Synopsis:

The companion guide to the hysterical television show of the same name, in which Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant force their arrestingly simple pal Karl Pilkington on a global journey "He'd have been happier in medieval times in a village where you didn't travel beyond the local community." —Stephen Merchant

A cult celebrity due to his role in The Ricky Gervais Show, the most-downloaded podcast ever, Karl Pilkington has been accused of being a comic creation, so unburdened is he by complex thought—but that is truly just him. The trio's newest project mines Karl massive provinciality: put simply, Karl is not big on traveling. Given the choice, he'll go on vacation to Devon or Wales or, if pushed, eat English food on a package tour of the Mediterranean.

So what happened when he was convinced by Gervais and Merchant to go on an epic adventure to see the Seven Wonders of the World? Does travel truly broaden the mind? Find out in Karl Pilkington's hilarious travel diaries.

I've been a big fan of this tv show as I love the dry humour of Karl Pilkington. He's faced some tough challenges and sometimes I can't blame him for being a bit stubborn and bad tempered. So when I saw this book I thought it would be good to re-cap some of those moments and read about Karl's hilarious travels. I've got it sat waiting to be read on the kindle and I do hope I get a chance to read it soon. One to definitely lift the spirits ;)

What books do you have on your bookcase that you just can't wait to read?

Wishlist Wednesday #19

2012-01-25T07:01:00.001Z

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

So here is my book for this weeks Wishlist Wednesday:

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Goodreads Synopsis:

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

I really fancy reading this one, the blurb sounds really interesting and different. I've seen this book crop up a few times on other people's blogs, I have to say it was the cover that intially drew me to this book. It's not out until the 31st January 2012, so not long now. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy :D

Cursed By S A Archer: Blog Tour #2 Guest post & Giveaway

2012-01-23T10:00:00.029Z

This is my second stop on the Cursed blog tour, I am really excited to reveal that on this tour stop I have a guest post from S A Archer author of Cursed. Cursed is one of the many books that’s part of the Sidhe series.

You can see my review of Cursed – which was my first stop on the tour HERE.

I’m also excited to announce that there is a giveaway!! One lucky winner will receive ebooks of the entire Touched mini- series, yes, the entire series :D

So firstly I would like to welcome S A Archer and thank you for guest posting here at Chocolate Chunky Munkie.

New Trends in Ebooks

By S.A. Archer

Time is a premium. As much as I love reading, there just isn’t time to sit down and read a massive novel. Like a lot of folks, I have an e-reader on my phone so I don’t have to tote a fat novel around to have something to read during those odd free moments, like standing in line at the store or while waiting for a table in a restaurant. But I don’t usually have more than a few minutes, so I am nibbling away at a story only a page or two at a time. At that rate even a moderate length novel can take me months to finish, and by then I have forgotten much of the early part of the story.

Short stories and novellas are more attractive lengths for readers like me. On my phone I have two full length novels and a whole slew of short stories and novellas. Knowing I can’t hack away much at those novels, whenever I have the time to goof around on my phone I grab one of the shorter length works instead.

I’m not the only one shoehorning reading into snippets of free time. I have friends who commute on a train every day. They know they have 20 minutes. They know they can get through a short story in that time; and get all the experience of character growth, wonderful settings and description, a nicely compact plot, and have the satisfaction of completing it before they arrive. So that’s what they pick, rather than a novel that might only be getting started by the time they have to put the story away.

And when you sift through most novels, how much fluffy and filler is there? Did we need the description of the character having interpersonal relationship issues with their neighbor, when the main focus of the story is about their career as a demon fighter? I am reading for the meat of the story anyway, and skim through the neighbor chit chat looking for the good stuff. Many novels are chocked full of descriptions of meals, random chit chat, working the day job, and ordinary happenings just to pack all around the main story. Chuck all that extra stuff. I don’t have time for it and I am just wading through it to get back to the main plot. Novellas skip all that extra stuff that just dilutes the power of the story.

This is one of the reasons I write short stories and novellas. I want to get to the heart of the story. The more fluff I expel, the tighter and more intense the story becomes. Recently I received an email time stamped 2am, from a reader who told me that she woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep, and even though she wanted to read to help her drift off, she didn’t want something that was going to take forever to get into. So she skipped all the other books in her to-be-read pile and read Cursed. She loved the excitement and intensity and could not wait to see the next story.

This is the second new trend with e-books: serialized fiction. Just like we enjoy half-hour or hour long television shows each week, serialized fiction brings the story to readers in bite-sized ‘episodes’. Serialized fiction builds on previous episodes which allows for the epic story, the large scale character growth, and the sense of a larger world which goes beyond a single book. While you have that complete reading experience of the short form, you are left with the excitement and curiosity to see what will happen next. And just like you tune in week after week for your fix of your favorite shows, the next episode of your favorite stories are right there every month or so, rather than having to wait a year or more for the next novel in a traditional series to be written and go through the publishing pipeline.

With the mini-series of The Sidhe (Touched, Rise of the Unseelie, and Champion of the Sidhe) we are hitting all of the marks that make serialized novellas so awesome. You get an intense read that grabs you right from the beginning and doesn’t let you go. You get the tight character focus that makes you feel like you are living inside their skin. You get the cliffhanger that drives you to read the next book. And you don’t have to wait more than a month to get your next fix. Those are the promises we make and have been keeping so far with the first five books of The Sidhe. With a fully realized and complex story world, headstrong characters who give everything to defend their beliefs, and intense action packed into every book, The Sidhe is on the cutting edge of the new era of e-books.

- S.A. Archer

www.SidheTouch.com

About The Author:

Urban fantasy author. Chronicler of the fey. Addicted to Sidhe magic and vampire bites.

The Sidhe Touch blog Free The Sidhe stories. Segments posted twice a week.

Fey Cast The story behind the story and fun stuff.

The Sidhe Touch website Character profiles, series reading order, and other goodies.

Sign up for the fan club newsletter and get a free The Sidhe ebook.

So here are the giveaway details:

There will be 1 winner - The winner will get ebook copies of all the books in the Touched mini-series

· Open to International Followers·

You must fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter
Giveaway will end January 30th 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mail Box Sunday (IMM) - Weekly Round Up #14

2012-01-21T07:01:00.009Z

Hi guys!! It’s Sunday again :D time for another Mail Box Sunday. I’m going to share with you what goodies I’ve had through the post this week. I had a lovely book shopping trip with Dani @ Pen to Paper this week. I managed to come home with 9 new books from that visit :)

In My Mailbox (IMM) is hosted by The Story Siren -what a great way to see what everyone else has had in their mailbox over the week!

What I got over the past few weeks week:

From my book shopping trip with Dani & Julie.

~ Cinder by Marissa Meyer (bought)

~ Divergent by Veronica Roth (bought)

~ Lasting Damage by Sophie Hannah (bought)

~ Rosebush by Michele Jaffe (bought)

~ No Way Out by David Kessler (given to me by Dani)

~ The Moses Legacy by Adam Palmer (given to me by Dani)

~ Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver (bought)

~ Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore (bought)

~ The Hollow by Jessica Verday (bought)

E-books

~ Straight To Hell by Michelle Scott (from the author to review)

~ The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin (from the author to review)

~ Addicted by S A Archer (from the author to review)

~ In The Shadow Of The Moonlight by J J Bidell (From the author to review)

What books did you get in the mail this week? Leave a comment and a link and I will have a peek :)

Friday Recommends #7

2012-01-20T07:01:00.001Z

Friday Recommends is a weekly meme hosted by Dani at Pen To Paper. This is where we list a book we would highly recommend.

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

My choice this week is:

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Goodreads Synopsis:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

—despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

I've recently just read this and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. So I would highly recommend this unique book. Imagine someone falling through a frozen lake and being plunged into the icy depths, but somehow even though her heart stops beating and she stops breathing Delaney somehow survives. But with this miracle comes a dark side......... It's also interesting to see how this accident has effects on all the people around Delaney. Great characters and a great story line. You can see my full review HERE

Wishlist Wednesday #18

2012-01-18T06:09:00.000Z

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.
Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

So here is my book for this weeks Wishlist Wednesday:

Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Awakening in a bleak landscape as scarred as her body, Cass Dollar vaguely recalls surviving something terrible. Having no idea how many weeks have passed, she slowly realizes the horrifying truth: Ruthie has vanished.

And with her, nearly all of civilization.

Where once-lush hills carried cars and commerce, the roads today see only cannibalistic Beaters—people turned hungry for human flesh by a government experiment gone wrong.

In a broken, barren California, Cass will undergo a harrowing quest to get Ruthie back. Few people trust an outsider, let alone a woman who became a zombie and somehow turned back, but she finds help from an enigmatic outlaw, Smoke. Smoke is her savior, and her safety.

For the Beaters are out there.

And the humans grip at survival with their trigger fingers. Especially when they learn that she and Ruthie have become the most feared, and desired, of weapons in a brave new world….

This book has suddenly been zapped on my radar because I received book three in this series (Horizon) as a review book from Netgalley. Of course I would love to read the rest of the series so I can get a true feeling for this review book. I think it sounds a great series and I'm really into the whole post-apocalypse zombie thing now. Thank you to The Forest of Hands and Teeth and Dearly Departed for whetting my appetite for these books. I would love to get hold of a copy of this, maybe my book shopping trip tomorrow with Dani @ Pen to Paper and another good friend will prove fruitful. I will keep you posted!!!

Chocolate Chunky Munkie

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