A is for Amityville (A to Z Challenge)

The A to Z Challenge is daily meme posting every day (except Sundays) in April. Check out the list of 1500+ participants below and follow along for 26 days (and 26 letters) of fun. The 2-letter code after each blog name may help narrow your choices - (BO) is Books, (WR) is Writing, (PH) is Photography . . . and, if you're concerned about those NSFW pages, (AC) is Adult Content.For my theme, I'm going with a little author/title alliteration.Today's...

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River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay (ARC REVIEW)

A sequel in terms of setting and history, if not character or plot, River of Stars sees Guy Gavriel Kay return to the Chinese-inspired world of Under Heaven. It's a book that can be enjoyed by new readers as a standalone volume, but one which holds added significance for readers already familiar with the first.As a fan of Kay's work, and someone who thoroughly enjoyed Shen Tai's journey through the dying days of the Tang Dynasty, I was quite curious...

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Quintessence by David Walton (ARC REVIEW)

It's been a long time since a novel frustrated me as much as Quintessence. Here is a book built around a great concept, with some really interesting philosophical questions attached. It's a story that's just packed with potential, but one where I found the execution to be lacking. Make no mistake, David Walton clearly knows how to tell a story, just as he clearly knows how to construct an argument, but it felt as if he spent too much time trying...

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Waiting On Wednesday - Aliens: Recent Encounters by Alex Macfarlane

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:Aliens: Recent Encounters by Alex MacfarlaneJune 25, 2013 (Prime Books)Under the countless billions of stars in the universe, what forms will alien life take? How will they live? And what will happen when we meet them? Aliens: Recent Encounters...

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What Makes You Die by Tom Piccirilli (REVIEW)

Wow. What a wild and crazy ride. If, like myself, you've never read Tom Piccirilli before, then strap yourself in and make yourself comfortable, because What Makes You Die is going to make you supremely uncomfortable . . . while entertaining, of course.On the surface, this is the story of a writer who has long since lost his grip on reality, and is only somewhat interested in regaining it. Tommy was once something of a success, selling a few...

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Blood Moon by Holly Hunt (GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY)

So, what's next? Blood Moon is a roaring success (he he) and my other books are out there keeping their own. What's next on the cards for the wonderful Holly Hunt? Well, I'm a mistress of all genres, as people who have investigated my books would have found out. In my current library, I have a dark fantasy, a historical romance, a m/m romance, a fairy tale, an apocalyptic, and a time travel book. What could possibly be left, I hear you ask.Well,...

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Stacking The Shelves & What I'm Reading

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme being hosted by Tynga's Reviews, while Mailbox Monday is being hosted by chaotic compendiums this month (see Mailbox Monday for each month's host). Both memes are all about sharing the books you've added to your shelves - physical and virtual, borrowed and bought. It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey, and it's focused on what's in your hands, as opposed to what's on...

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Harbinger Cover Reveal

Harbinger Philippa (Pip) BallantineRelease date July 30thBook Description:The Deacons of the Order are all that stand between the wicked spirits of the Otherside and the innocent citizens of the Empire. They are sworn to protect humanity, even when they cannot protect themselves…After the Razing of the Order, Sorcha Faris, one of the most powerful Deacons, is struggling to regain control of the runes she once wielded. The Deacons are needed...

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Tirza by Arnon Grunberg (REVIEW)

Tirza by Arnon GrunbergPublished February 19th 2013 by Open Letter Paperback, 452 pagesSynopsis:Jorgen Hofmeester once had it all: a beautiful wife, a nice house with a garden in an upperclass neighborhood in Amsterdam, a respectable job as an editor, two lovely daughters named Ibi and Tirza, and a large amount of money in a Swiss bank account. But during the preparations for Tirza's graduation party, we come to know what he has lost. His wife...

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GIVEAWAY: Bloodline by James Rollins

To celebrate the mass-market release of BLOODLINE by James Rollins on March 26th, I am very pleased to be taking part in a week-long giveaway. Just complete the entry form below, and the winners will be announced on March 25th.But first, a little bit about the book . . .In a thrilling masterwork that will make you rethink your perceptions of life and death, New York Times bestselling author James Rollins takes you to the edge of medicine, genetics,...

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Waiting On Wednesday - Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. CoreyJune 4, 2013 (Orbit)For generations, the solar system -- Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt -- was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artifact working through its program under the clouds of...

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Oddities & Entities by Roland Allnach (TOUR REVIEW)

Short story collections are generally hit-or-miss. When you get right down to it, they're only as good as their strongest entry, or as bad as their weakest. Oddly, with one or two notable exceptions, Oddities & Entities is one collection that was largely even all the way through - not exactly stellar, but still solid enough to keep me reading.The stories themselves were somewhat oddly structured, coming cross as more through and fully...

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A Murder of Crows by David Rotenberg (ARC REVIEW)

There's just something quintessentially Canadian about authors from the Great White North. Call it a sense of subtlety or a flair for understatement, but I find that even when dealing with fantastic subjects, their tales are often more grounded and - dare I say it? - literate than their peers from around the world. That's not a complaint or a knock against other authors, just an observation, and one that occurred to me again while reading David Rotenberg's...

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Top Ten Movie Blogfest!

It's time for Ninja Captain Alex's Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest! Hop around, check out the lists, and leave comments where you agree, or disagree, or are just completely bewildered. For my top 10 list, I didn't spend too much time ranking the entries or trying to figure out which are the BEST movies of all time - instead, I went with those old stand-bys that I know I will watch again and again and again everytime they hit TV. So, in no particular...

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