Boiling Up Some Bad Blood by Nicky Peacock + Giveaway!

Bad Blood by Nicky Peacock

Page Count: 118

Release Date: 10 May 2013

Publisher: Noble Young Adult (Noble Romance)
Genre: Young adult, Paranormal, Vampires, Zombies, Apocalypse

"I am Britannia. I am your protector. I will fend off the hungry hordes of undead hands that reach toward you. I am your steadfast defender. I will stand between you and the zombie masses as they try to taste your flesh. I am strong, unyielding, and dedicated to your survival. All I ask from you... is your blood."

A five-hundred-year-old bloody game of vengeance will need to be put on hold if vampires are to survive the zombie uprising. Britannia and Nicholas, bitter enemies and the only two surviving vampires left in London, have to work together to save un-infected humans and deliver them safely to a vampire stronghold in the Scottish Highlands. Unable to drink the zombie "bad blood", the remaining vampires need the humans to stay alive. But will the vampires tell the survivors who they are and what they want from them? Will Britannia be able to hold back her vengeance for the greater good? Is survivor Josh the reincarnation of Britannia’s murdered true love? And can she bring herself to deliver him to the "safe" hold? Survival instincts run deep, but bad blood can run deeper.

 
Buy the book at: Amazon | Amazon UK

The Great Gatsby Movie and Original Soundtrack

Who's seen or is looking forward to The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan??

There are so many things that are perfect about this movie, including the casting (except for Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson... Myrtle isn't supposed to be that hot!!!), my worship of the novel (and Scott F. Fitzgerald in general), and of course, the brilliant soundtrack.

I'm already in love with Lana Del Rey but her original single from the official movie soundtrack will make you orgasm. Don't hold me accountable.

Among other artists for this mix which is ABSOLUTE PERFECTION are Florence and the Machine (yay!) and Jay-Z (YAY!).

I've been thinking about posting my lit essay on the book that I wrote for class instead of a review. Would you be able to handle the nerdiness?

In other news, I'm officially San Francisco-bound July 31st :D Can't believe I've been in Korea for two years already—where does the time go?? Both thrilled and devastated to be leaving this beautiful country (and I know I've been terrible at updating you guys with my touristy Korean experiences... do I ever have a good excuse? I won't even bother). Will have to make the most of my time remaining here for the next two months.

Double Click by Lisa Becker: Excerpt and Giveaway!

Double Click by Lisa Becker

Page Count: 308

Release Date: 27 March 2013

Publisher: self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Online dating

Fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene, the heroine of Click: An Online Love Story, reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles.

The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal-compulsive Mark, the overly-judgmental Ashley and the over-sexed Shelley) as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online. From the guy who starts every story with "My buddies and I were out drinking one night," to the egotistical "B-list" celebrity looking for someone to stroke his ego, Renee endures her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates.

Fraught with BCC's, FWD's and inadvertent Reply to All's, readers will root for Renee to "click" with the right man.

 
Buy the book at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Sony eStore | Kobo

8 Heart Review: In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar

In the Country of Men
Hisham Matar

Page Count: 245
Release Date: 1 January 2006 (first edition)
Publisher: Dial Press (Random House)
Source: Complimentary copy provided by TripFiction in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Libya, 1979. Nine-year-old Suleiman’s days are circumscribed by the narrow rituals of childhood: outings to the ruins surrounding Tripoli, games with friends played under the burning sun, exotic gifts from his father’s constant business trips abroad. But his nights have come to revolve around his mother’s increasingly disturbing bedside stories full of old family bitterness. And then one day Suleiman sees his father across the square of a busy marketplace, his face wrapped in a pair of dark sunglasses. Wasn’t he supposed to be away on business yet again? Why is he going into that strange building with the green shutters? Why did he lie?

Suleiman is soon caught up in a world he cannot hope to understand—where the sound of the telephone ringing becomes a portent of grave danger; where his mother frantically burns his father’s cherished books; where a stranger full of sinister questions sits outside in a parked car all day; where his best friend’s father can disappear overnight, next to be seen publicly interrogated on state television.

In the Country of Men is a stunning depiction of a child confronted with the private fallout of a public nightmare. But above all, it is a debut of rare insight and literary grace.

Buy the book at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-A-Million | Sony eStore | Kobo

Review

I'm normally not a fan of historical fiction, but as a world literature lover, I couldn't help but try this one. Even though it was a little difficult to get into, I am so, so glad I did.

In the Country of Men is a gripping account, from a small boy's perspective, of Gaddafi's infamous terror regime. It shimmers in the triumphs and fumes in the horrors of the the Libyan revolution of 1979, and expertly depicts Libyan culture and customs—the entire "world full of men and the greed of men"—as well. I found this a shocking, affecting read, and be forewarned: this book hits hard and will leave bruises.

There are a several difficult issues tackled in Suleiman's first-person narrative, each coated with a blasé haze of childish charm. The exterior ones among these, include gender inequality and societal persecution, but Hisham Matar dares to venture deeper as the story spins around the values of family, friendship, nationalism, and the definition of loyalty. He portrays with deliberate precision and indelicacy, the oppression of not only women, but also of humans and human rights; this is all poignant, truthful, and startlingly refreshing.

Facets of the narrator's childhood make him the most vulnerable, and yet most potent character. Most of the other characters are shallow or, as with the central themes, influenced by Suleiman's innocence and lack of awareness, but they are nevertheless lyrically and memorably described.

I'll admit this book was a bit slow for first half, but the second half blew me away. In the Country of Men is not the sort of book I'll soon forget. Hisham Matar has woven a brilliant novel on what it is to be family, what it means to grow up, and what it takes to be free, because they are all—the author claims—achievable aspirations... but only to few, in the land of men.

Pros

Raw, uncensored // Stunning literary style with both graceful and repulsive notes // Fascinating perspective of Gaddafi's Libya // Impressive stylistically, historically, and culturally // Mesmerizing and haunting // Unforgettable

Cons

Slow-moving start // Dry at times

Love

I am in love with the way Matar writes:

If love starts somewhere, if it is a hidden force that is brought out by a person, like light off a mirror, for me that person was her. There was anger, there was pity, even the dark warm embrace of hate, but always love and always the joy that surrounds the beginning of love.

Grief loves the hollow, all it wants is to hear its own echo. Be careful.

[In me], there is this void, this emptiness I am trying to get at like someone frightened of the dark, searching for a match to strike. I see it in others, this emptiness. My expression shifts constantly, like that of a prostitute who waits in your car while you run across a busy road to buy a new pack of cigarettes for the night. When you walk back, ripping the cellophane, before she has time to see you, you catch sight of her, temporarily settled in another role as a sister or a wife or a friend. How readily and thinly we procure these fictional selves, deceiving the world and what we might have become if only we hadn't got in the way, if only we had waited to see what might have become of us. 

Verdict

Hisham Matar's literary debut glitters in the backdrop of 1979 Tripoli and lingers in the yearning mind. Every so often you pick up a book so resonating and so captive of emotional truth, that it sends shivers down your spine and leaves an ache in your chest. In the Country of Men is one of those books 

8 hearts: An engaging read; highly recommended (x)

Click by Lisa Becker: Excerpt and Giveaway!

Click by Lisa Becker

Page Count: 347

Release Date: 29 March 2011

Publisher: self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Online dating

Fans of the romantic hit Click: An Online Love Story will enjoy another voyeuristic dive into the lives of Renee, Shelley, Ashley, Mark and Ethan, as Double Click picks up with their lives six months later.

Are Renee and Ethan soul mates?

Does Mark ever go on a date?

Has Shelley run out of sexual conquests in Los Angeles?

Will Ashley's judgmental nature sabotage her budding relationship?

Through a marriage proposal, wedding, new baby and unexpected love twist, Double Click answers these questions and more. Readers will continue to cheer, laugh, cry and cringe following the email exploits of Renee and friends.

 
Buy the book at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-A-Million | Sony eStore | Kobo

Untethered by Katie Hayoz Excerpt and Giveaway!

Untethered by Katie Hayoz

Page Count: 340

Release Date: 25 April 2013

Publisher: Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (self-published)
Genre: Young adult, Paranormal

Sylvie isn’t comfortable in her own skin. In fact, there are times she can’t even manage to stay inside it. But if there is one thing she’s sure of, it’s her love for Kevin Phillips. She’s willing to stake everything on it—her family, her friends, and possibly her soul.

Sixteen-year-old Sylvie has been best friends with Cassie forever. But everything is turned around when the boy Sylvie’s loved since fifth grade falls for Cassie. Devastated, Sylvie intends to get Kevin by any means possible, even if it involves treachery, deceit, and the dark side of astral projection. She is positive her plans will give her what she wants, but she doesn’t count on it all spiraling out of control.

Untethered explores the intoxicating and dangerous world of jealousy and obsession when coupled with paranormal ability.

 
Buy the book at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords

Top 10 Tips on How to Get Your Man by Sherry Kyle and Giveaway!

Pump Up Your Book presents...

The Heart Stone by Sherry Kyle

Page Count: 320
Release Date: 1 April 2013
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Genre: Contemporary, Women's Fiction, Christian romance, Inspirational

When the biological father of Jessica MacAllister's son decides to break their custody agreement, Jessica and her son visit her Uncle George for advice and refuge...

Following a year of grief, Evelyn Sweeney is finally ready to move on. Pondering her new path in life, her mind drifts to her first love, George MacAllister...

When the lives of these two women cross, they discover that one heart-shaped ring binds their stories together. But will the results be a rekindled faith and new hope, or will it lead them both back into the darkness they've fought for so long?

 

Buy the book at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Books-A-Million | Kobo