Waiting on Wednesday - The Lost Symbol

I'm so excited that Dan Brown has written another book! Today, for Waiting on Wednesday, I can't wait for The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. It has been a very long time since Dan Brown released a book. It's about time! Here's a description from Amazon:

"THE LOST SYMBOL will have a first printing of 5 million copies, and it will once again feature Dan Brown’s unforgettable protagonist, Robert Langdon. Brown’s longtime editor, Jason Kaufman, Vice President and Executive Editor at Doubleday said, "Nothing ever is as it first appears in a Dan Brown novel. This book’s narrative takes place in a twelve-hour period, and from the first page, Dan’s readers will feel the thrill of discovery as they follow Robert Langdon through a masterful and unexpected new landscape. THE LOST SYMBOL is full of surprises."

The book is being released on September 15. I can't wait! I've read all of Dan Brown's books and I loved them all.

I Won Again!

I can't believe it! I won another book from GoodReads.com! The book is Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. It's not really a "First Read" because it has been out for a few years now. I guess it was for publicity or something. I've been wanting to read this book for a while now, though. I'm so excited!

Here is a description of the book from Amazon:

"Something Borrowed tells the story of Rachel, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl---until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend, Darcy, throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancé. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice. In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness."

I can't wait to get the book! Apparently it takes a while, though, because I haven't received The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie yet. Oh well, it's worth the wait!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book is about a young boy who escapes when his entire family is murdered. He flees to a nearby graveyard where he meets the ghosts of the people who were buried there. Mr. and Mrs. Owens (two of the ghosts) decide to raise the boy as their own. They name him Nobody, or Bod for short. Bod isn't allowed to leave the graveyard because the man who killed his family is still out there looking for him...

This book was given to me as a gift. I feel like too many questions were left unanswered. I'm kind of confused about a lot of what happened, and why it happened, in this book. I feel like the plot was lost during the middle of the book; it was just about life in the graveyard. It picked up near the end, though, which was good. I'm not sure if I agree that a boy becomes a man at 15 and is old enough to be on his own at that point, but that's OK. Overall, the book was OK.

2 out of 5 stars

Well, I guess I missed Waiting on Wednesday...

I just now realized that today is Thursday. I totally missed Waiting on Wednesday. I was all ready to write it when I looked at the calendar and saw that it's Thursday. Apparently, my brain isn't working today. My sister-in-law and niece are visiting this week, so I won't have much time for reading or posting.

I was going to post about The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley for Waiting on Wednesday. I actually won this book from GoodReads.com. I'm really excited to get it! Here's a description of the book from Amazon:

"It's the beginning of a lazy summer in 1950 at the sleepy English village of Bishop's Lacey. Up at the great house of Buckshaw, aspiring chemist Flavia de Luce passes the time tinkering in the laboratory she's inherited from her deceased mother and an eccentric great uncle. When Flavia discovers a murdered stranger in the cucumber patch outside her bedroom window early one morning, she decides to leave aside her flasks and Bunsen burners to solve the crime herself, much to the chagrin of the local authorities. But who can blame her? What else does an eleven-year-old science prodigy have to do when left to her own devices? With her widowed father and two older sisters far too preoccupied with their own pursuits and passions—stamp collecting, adventure novels, and boys respectively—Flavia takes off on her trusty bicycle Gladys to catch a murderer."

I think it sounds like it will be cute. I was so surprised to find the email that said I won the book. I'm still kind of shocked. I will start reading it as soon as I get it, but it said it can take up to a few weeks. The book will be released on April 28, 2009.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark is the first book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris.

Sookie Stackhouse is a quiet girl who works as a waitress in her hometown, Bon Temps, Louisiana. She mainly keeps to herself because of her "disability" - she can read minds. Sookie is thrilled when a vampire, Bill, comes in to the bar where she works. She wanted to meet a vampire ever since they had come "out of the coffin." She is even more excited when she realizes that she can't read Bill's mind. The silence is heavenly! She soon develops feelings for Bill, but when girls around town start dying, she's not sure what to think...

I saw the first two episodes of True Blood on HBO before I realized that it was based on this series. I have yet to watch the rest of the episodes (I'm waiting to see them on DVD) but now I can't wait to see them! I enjoyed this book a lot. It was cute and not too predictable (at least I didn't think so). Bill seems pretty sweet, kind of like Edward from Twilight. From what I saw of the TV show, it didn't look like they were following the book very well. Maybe I'm just not remembering it correctly. Anyway, I really liked all of the characters in this book; I thought they were pretty interesting. I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in the series.

4 out of 5 stars.

Waiting on Wednesday - Bundle of Trouble

At the Fiction Writing Seminar I attended last month one of the women on the panel talked about a new mystery series written by Diana Orgain. The first book, Bundle of Trouble, will be released on August 4, 2009.

Here's a description from Amazon.com:

"Kate Connelly may have found the perfect work-from-home Mommy job: private investigator. After all, the hours are flexible, she can bring the baby along on stake-outs, and if you’re going to be up all night anyway, you might as well solve some crimes. But when a body is pulled from San Francisco Bay that may be her brother-in-law, Kate must crack the case faster than you can say “diaper rash” in order to keep her family together."

I'm really looking forward to this book. It sounds really cute. It almost sounds Stephanie Plum-ish for moms. Apparently, the book was originally going to be called Postpartum Detective, but it was changed to Bundle of Trouble. Personally, I think the original name was really cute, but oh well.

Birthday Books!

My birthday isn't until tomorrow, but I had a celebration with my family yesterday. I just wanted to post about the books I got. My parents gave me The Queen's Fool and The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory. I've been wanting these books since I finished The Boleyn Inheritance. I'm so excited to read them! My brother gave me City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. I'm so happy!

I can't wait to read my new books, but I still have a bunch from Christmas still!

Waiting on Wednesday (oops, Thursday) - Vamped

So I just found out about "Waiting on Wednesday" and decided to join in on the fun. Sadly, I decided one day late (Thursday), but I really wanted to mention the book Vamped by Lucienne Diver.

Lucienne was one of the women on the panel at the Fiction Writing Seminar I went to. She is a literary agent and author. She has a new young adult book coming out on May 1 called Vamped. It's the first in a series, apparently.

Here is some info about it from Lucienne's website:

"Because I'm terrible with synopses, I'll let my protagonist (heroine might be pushing it just a bit), tell you all about it in her own words:

Hey, all, it's me… Gina Covello, fashionista of the damned. Yeah, I know, I managed to get almost all the way through high school without cracking a book and now here I am immortalized in one. Well, actually, the immortalization process might have started a bit earlier, like in the broom closet at the after-prom-party, somewhere around the time Bobby-freakin'-Delvecchio started gnawing on my neck. Anyway, this is one book I'd maybe even phone a friend about, since it covers all my adventures going from chic to eek. Because, let me tell you, eternity without a mirror or tanning options—totally uncool. And they don't tell you in, like, Vampirism 101 about crazy conspiracies, psycho-psychics and other hazards of unlife. But I will, so stay tuned."

I think it sounds like it will be a cute series. Lucienne was very nice and gave us a lot of great information about writing and ultimately getting published. I will definitely give Vamped a shot. I'm looking forward to reading it.

I will probably continue to do "Waiting on Wednesday" (on Wednesday) from now on. It's fun.

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Don't read this review if you haven't read the other books in this series, as it may contain spoilers!

Brisingr is the third book in the Inheritance Cycle. It continues the story of Eragon, a dragon rider, and his dragon, Saphira, and their quest to destroy the evil King Galbatorix.

Here is a description from Amazon:

"Following the colossal battle against the Empire’s warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.

First is Eragon’s oath to his cousin Roran: to help rescue Roran’s beloved, Katrina, from King Galbatorix’s clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalty to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength—as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices— choices that take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice.

Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once-simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?"

I reread Eragon and Eldest before I started Brisingr, and I'm glad I did. I didn't remember the first two books at all. I think that Brisingr is written better than the first two. You can tell that Paolini was young when he began. His writing is definitely improving. I still find Eragon to be a bit whiney, although not as bad as he was in Eldest. I think Roran is a better character and would make a better rider, but that's just my opinion. I thought the "revelation" at the end about Eragon's family was a little odd. I'm not surprised, but I was a little disappointed. It kind of reminded me of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. I was just thinking, "O...kay... weird." Also, I don't think Christopher Paolini is very knowledgeable when it comes to pregnancy. The timelines just don't add up. I think Elaine has been pregnant for a year and a half now... It doesn't sound like it, but I did actually enjoy this book. I thought it was better than the first two, but it's not Twilight or Harry Potter.

3 out of 5 stars.

I am lame...

Wow, I can't believe it's been over 5 months since I last posted. I'm so lame. Not only has it been a long time, but I've only read ONE new book since then. Life got really crazy. 2009 didn't start very well for me, and that's an understatement. I just hope that the rest of the year is better. I'm not sure how much more I can take. Anyway, on to less depressing things...

I'm beginning to get more reading time in, so hopefully I can update more again. I went to an awesome writing seminar last weekend. The surprise party I planned for my mom's 50th birthday was great. My sister-in-law and niece are coming to visit in two weeks! And to top it all off - my birthday is in 6 days! Woohoo!

Sorry for the (long) interruption. Back to your regularly scheduled programming...