Tag Archives: reading

May 21, 2013 · 12:30 pm

eMag Review #2

Hi Everyone,

You might see the title of this and think, wait… Where was eMag number 1 posted? Well… I am sad to say I cannot share eMag review #1 just yet, because… it will be published in the magazine. I will be able to share a portion of that review later next month.

In the meantime, here is review #2.

Enjoy,
~Ariesgrl

The Warrior Prince
By: Nancy J. Cohen.

The Warrior Prince, the first in a series, comes across as a combination of stories. It starts out in the science-fiction realm, with a group of men from another planet trying to rid Earth of the bad guys from a very different planet. About halfway through, the story takes a leap into the ancient tales from Norse Mythology as the characters repeat ancient quests and reacquaint themselves with the Norse Gods.

This combination has potential to work well in a story. However, readers will have a hard time following along, especially when the main ‘alien’ characters’ dialects keep switching back and forth between their home country and the current Earth setting. Nira Larson and Zohar Thorald each have redeeming qualities of inner strength and humility that readers will be able to relate to and appreciate.

I was provided a copy of the book by BTS eMag for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review – all conclusions are my own responsibility.

About these ads

Leave a Comment

Filed under Fiction Books, Sci-Fi Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

May 19, 2013 · 11:41 pm

And the Countdown Continues…

Hi Everyone,

Ready for the next bit of info about the Big Giveaway that starts Saturday? A couple days ago, in Let the Countdown Begin, I discussed the Twitter Guess the Character bonus portion of the giveaway. So today, I thought it would only be fair, if I shared the Facebook only bonus portion!

Every Monday, I will post on Facebook a line or stanza from one of my favorite poems growing up. These could be from anything, but I hope you will recognize at least a few right away. After you read the line or stanza, then you will head over to the Rafflecopter (links will be on here and on Facebook) and type in the Title ~OR~ Author of the poem. (I am allowing either or, since there are several poems that have no title.) Please do not answer on Facebook! There will be a separate entry in the Rafflecopter for each of the ten posts, so make sure you click on the corresponding weeks.

Pretty simple, right? My goal is to make this fun and easy for everyone! (And don’t worry there are several other options and bonus entries available. This is just a small portion!)

Only a few more days left before we begin. I know I am dancing right now from all of the anticipation!

Wishing you all a wonderful night!
Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Leave a Comment

Filed under About Me

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 18, 2013 · 7:25 pm

Heart Robber

Lifestyle by Design #2. By: Miranda P. Charles. Read: May 2013.

Jessa Allen has low self-esteem and is completely thrown for a loop when the hunk of the party, Rob Granger asks her to dinner. Jessa agrees, because she knows she will never get another chance, but Rob is not looking for any long-term commitments. After one night of fun, an arrangement is made to keep things casual. Will they both keep their hearts protected or will they give in and accept their feelings?

Heart Robber is the story of how Jessa and Rob overcome their insecurities and learn to love themselves and each other. This is the second book in the Lifestyle by Design series and picks up right where the first book left off, but it can be read as a stand-alone novel. Fans of Will and Clarise will still get snippets of their inner thoughts and follow their happily-ever-after, while falling in love with Jessa and Rob. The writing is improved from the first book, while the spiciness of the romance is amped up too. This book is a must read for fans of spicy romances with sweet, relatable characters.

I found the female lead a bit more relatable in this story due to her lack of self-confidence. However, it does seem to repeat the basic storyline from the first book. I do enjoy the fact that it picks up right where the first one left off, at Megan’s party and I appreciate a book in the middle of the series that focuses on the couple in the book, like this one does. Unfortunately there some “middle” books can focus too much on the past and too much on setting up the future. Have you noticed any “middle” books that remain focused on its characters’ story, like this one?

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Note:
The author provided a copy of this book for me to review. To learn more about this author and her books, please visit her website.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Fiction Books, Romance Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 17, 2013 · 3:21 pm

Let the Countdown Begin…

Hi Everyone,

Today is Friday, May 17th… We are just a week away from the start of the Big Celebration Party! (Don’t know what I what I am talking about, please read the Big Announcement.)

I thought I would share one of the ways you will be able to enter to win the BIG Giveaway. As you know, the BIG Giveaway will be a Rafflecopter giveaway. There will be a page here, with the Rafflecopter widget and it will be available on Facebook. There are several “games” that will be played during the upcoming weeks. ALL answers will need to be entered into the Rafflecopter. For instance: (yes, I am about to reveal one of the games) every week on Sunday, there will be a “Guess the Character” game! Every Sunday, (at various times) I will post a character description from some of the books/stories that I read when I was younger. I call these characters “Classics,” because of the fact that I have read their stories multiple times. I will post these descriptions on Twitter only! (I will post a reminder here, but not the description.) Once you see the description on Twitter, please go to the Rafflecopter page on here or on Facebook and type in the Character’s Name. (Please do not post the Character’s Name on Twitter.) At the end of the BIG Giveaway, I will list the character’s names and their descriptions on here.

Sound fun? I hope so, because I have enjoyed picking the characters! (Let me tell you it was hard to narrow down to just 10!)

And if you don’t have Twitter, don’t worry! There will be a Facebook only game and a TON of other ways to enter to win!

I will give more clues and rules to the other games throughout the remaining days!

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

1 Comment

Filed under About Me

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 15, 2013 · 8:31 pm

Reading Update…

Hi Everyone,

How are you? I am just curious as to what everyone is reading this week. For me, I am half way through book number 44 on The List. It is a romance novel. I am also a third of the way through book number 31 on My Sister’s Books List. This book is a suspense/intrigue book. And I just finished a children’s book for the eMag and am going to start reading a sci-fi/fantasy young adult book. My plate is full of diverse books and I couldn’t be happier. (Thank you all!) I hope to be able to soon share the reviews that I wrote last month for the eMag. I will post them as soon as I am allowed to share.

Yesterday, the new Dan Brown novel, Inferno, came out and I am thrilled! I love Dan Brown’s unique and skillful writing. Are there any books that have come out or are about to come out this month, that you are excited about?

Hope you all have a wonderful evening!

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

5 Comments

Filed under About Me

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

May 12, 2013 · 7:55 am

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Good Morning Everyone,

I just wanted to take a minute and wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day!!! Whether your a Mama of a human baby or a fur baby, Happy Mother’s Day!!!

What were some of the books that you shared with your Mom while you were growing up?

For me, the Children’s Book… I’ll Love You, Forever is a book that I can still recite from memory. My Mom and I used to read that together all the time. Now my Grandmother used to bring me a set of 6 Nancy Drew books every time she would visit. So Nancy Drew will always hold a special place in heart, thanks to her.

As for being a fur-Mama, the book that made me laugh and cry because of its honesty and truth is… Marley and Me. If you have ever loved a dog with your whole heart, then that book is a must-read. (And no, I have never seen the movie.)

Hope each of you have a wonderful, beautiful day!

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

2 Comments

Filed under About Me, Children's Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

· 7:45 am

Wendy Review #1

SHADE
By: Jeri Smith-Ready

Review by: Wendy

Synopsis:

Love ties them together. Death can’t tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan’s band playing a critical gig and Aura’s plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend’s life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan’s sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He’s gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn’t help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding–and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura’s relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura’s heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Review:

Aura is a sixteen year old “post-shifter”. Post-shifters are all kids born after December twenty-first at three fifty a.m., which happens to be the exact time of Aura’s birth. Everyone born after this time, has the ability to see, hear, and speak to ghosts. Aura is after the answers to why the “Shift” happened and how she can undo it. She is tired of being harassed by ghosts everywhere she goes, in her job, at school, and at the mall. She just wants to find peace for her and all the other kids around her.

Logan is Aura’s Irish punk rock boyfriend, who is on the brink of stardom. Aura fears that she is going to lose Logan to his desire to be a star, and to the inevitable flock of groupies to follow. Logan loves Aura and will do anything for her and doesn’t think fame will change him.

After the successful concert and After Party/Logan’s Birthday party, Aura decides this is going to be the night she gives herself to Logan. Logan, however blows it by getting wasted at the party, and after being unable to “Rise” to the occasion, makes a fateful decision to try to salvage the night. After Logan’s poor choice, he accidentally kills himself, and now Aura can see his ghost. The thing she wanted to get rid of is now the one thing she doesn’t want to give up, because having him partly there is better than not having him at all.

Zachary is the Scottish exchange student that comes into Aura’s life as it is falling apart. Zachary is a “Pre-shifter”. He was born exactly one minute before the shift, and is unable to see the ghosts around him. Zackary becomes an outside support system that was not part of her life with Logan and she can escape with.

This is an emotionally charged book that is hauntingly beautiful. Do you let go or hang on with everything you have. How do you move on with your life when your soul mate is no longer with the living. This was a read that I stumbled upon and I am so glad I did. It gets a solid 4 stars from me and it doesn’t matter how many times I read it, I still cry.

3 Comments

Filed under Guest Reviews

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

May 11, 2013 · 6:00 am

BIG Announcement!!!

Good Morning Everyone,

It is time. It is here. Today is Saturday, May 11, 2013 and it is 6:00am EDT and this can only mean one thing… It is time for the BIG Announcement. You all are amazing you know this, right?! I want to thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this BIG Announcement!

So without further delay…

I can’t believe that a year has gone by since I started this amazing journey. My little dream of finding a way into to the world of literature has grown into something that I could never have hoped for. Thank you all for your support. I am so honored to have each of you following along in this journey. I love being able to read books, write reviews and then talk with all of you about the wonderful books and authors. So on May 25th, 2013, I hope that you all will join me as I begin a three month long celebration party.

Why three months? Well… on May 25th, my blog will turn 1, on June 20th, my first posted book review will turn 1 and on July 27th, my first Indie Author book review will turn 1. Three BIG birthdays/anniversaries!!! And with all that is going on in the world around us, why not celebrate to the fullest. (Besides, who doesn’t love to celebrate good times!)

What kind of Celebration?

Starting on May 25th through July 27th, each Saturday, I will take a look back at some of the books that I have had the honor to review. “A Year in Review” weekly special. On the majority of those weeks, you the followers will get a chance to win some pretty cool prizes, such as bookmarks or ebooks, thanks to the author(s) of the book(s) being Re-Reviewed. Yes, that’s right, there will be 10 weeks with 8 giveaways! But this is only half of the BIG Announcement…

The second half?

This part is extra-special. You see, through May 25-July 31st, there will be a separate giveaway going on. Yes, that’s right another chance to win! This giveaway will be active the ENTIRE time between May 25th-July 31st. For this giveaway, some very generous authors have donated Autographed books, both ebooks and Paperbacks, plus bookmarks. AND… my very favorite and very talented artist friend, Dana Zalesky , has donated an original piece of artwork. So as you can see this giveaway will be BIG!!!

How do you win?

The individual weekly contests will be held like the regular giveaways. (And there will still be those scheduled during this time, too.) All you have to do is leave a comment under that week’s blog post to be entered to win. With the help of Random.org, winners will be chosen and announced the following week. Each contest/feature, will run for a week (Saturday-Friday.)

The BIG giveaway will be a Rafflecopter giveaway, but not just a plain Rafflecopter giveaway. It will be a game… A mixture of Guess the Book from the Quote and a Scavenger Hunt. Bonus points (bonus entries) will be plenty and some will be offered daily!!! You will be able to find the Rafflecopter here, as it will have a page to itself and on Ariesgrl Book Reviews Facebook Page.

(And yes, it is a possibility to win more than one giveaway.)

My goal is to make the next several weeks fun for everyone! I want this to be a true celebration as my way to say thank you to each of you! I hope I have answered any questions you may have, but if not just post a comment below. (However no specifics on authors/books/prizes will be given, just yet.)

So this was my BIG Announcement! I hope you all enjoyed it and that it was worth the wait!!!

Have a wonderful day!
Enjoy!!!
~Ariesgrl

15 Comments

Filed under About Me, Giveaways

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 10, 2013 · 12:42 pm

Almost time…

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to give you all a quick update. There is less than 18 hours left before the BIG Announcement is made!!! I just have one question… Are you ready to have a party?

Hmm… was that a small hint… I don’t know. I just know, that I am super excited about tomorrow morning’s announcement and I hope you all are too.

Have a wonderful day everyone!!!

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

4 Comments

Filed under About Me

Tagged as , , , , , ,

· 11:45 am

My Sister’s Books Review #13

And Then I Found You
By: Patti Callahan Henry

This fictional story is based off the real-life events that occurred within the author’s family. Jack Adams and Katie Vaughan grew up together and were childhood sweethearts. Katie even vowed on the first day of Spring, that magical day when all promises come true, to never love another as much as she loved Jack. However life happened, Katie is now Kate who is trying to be in love with her boyfriend, Rowan. Too much has occurred in the last 13 years and Kate knows she can’t fix things until she first talks to Jack. However the true healing process starts when her thirteen year old daughter, whom she gave up for adoption, finds her on Facebook. This is the story of how Katie, Jack and Emily find one another and find themselves along the way.

Patti Callahan Henry uses her real-life experiences and emotions as inspiration for this story. With each chapter rotating between the present and the past, readers will feel like they are walking down memory lane with Kate. Then, when the story switches to Emily’s point-of-view, it brings about a new round of emotions for readers. The author’s writing will rip your heart open causing it to bleed with the characters’ pain, and then stitch it whole again with the sweetest thread made from undying love and conquering the fear of the unknown. This book is packed full of emotions and lessons to be learned that I highly recommend it to fans of Women’s Literature.

Note:

This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Fiction Books, My Sister's Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,