Hump Day Hotness
14 Jul 2010 8 Comments
in Hump Day Hotness Tags: Hotness
I have started taking requests for Hump Day Hotness, because sometimes, there are just too many options. My friend Georgia requested Ian Somerhalder this week, and I wholeheartedly support this request. Man…he is just…pretty. I am SOOO loving him in that guyliner (hence the larger size *lecherous laugh*). ::SIGH:: Enjoy!
Did Not Finish Friday
09 Jul 2010 5 Comments
in Random
I have a confession to make: I am a cultural phenomenon whore. If a book, movie, game, artist or trend is getting a lot of attention in the media, I have to know all about it. It’s like a compulsion. Sometimes, the results of said compulsion are great: Harry Potter, Halo, and Percy Jackson are a few that come to mind. Sometimes, I waste hours of my life I can never get back: Twilight (and subsequently, The Host), Spiderman 2 & 3, Uncharted 2, and now The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I had been resisting this one for a long time because it just didn’t interest me. But then I got my Entertainment Weekly with this book plastered throughout, and I was all “Alright, I get it! I will check it out!” Sigh…and then I wasted more hours of my life. I gave it a valiant effort, really, I did! I made it all the way to 40% before I wanted to claw my eyeballs out. The level of benign detail in this book was unlike anything I have ever read. The final straw for me was when I had to read about what computer programs one of the main characters was using. I mean, really?? Isn’t this a murder mystery?? Blah.
Anyway, from what I hear, I stopped reading just before “it got good” at 50%. But IMO, 50% is WAY too long for a world-wide phenom to get good. I read books on a daily basis that suck me in from start to finish, that make me ignore everything around me (including my poor husband and dog) and you will never see them on a best-seller list. So what is it about this book that has the whole world smitten? Are people too scared to go against the grain and admit that at least the first half was torture? Or am I just too shallow to appreciate the level of detail necessary to describe 47 family members who may have committed murder? I just don’t get it. Thoughts?
Tracking the Tempest By Nicole Peeler
08 Jul 2010 3 Comments
in Paranormal Romance, Reviews Tags: Djinn/Genie, Gnomes, Magic, Paranormal Romance, review, Shifters, Vampires
From Barnesandnoble.com: Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and Ryu – Jane’s bloodsucking boyfriend – can’t let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane’s life is thrown off course.
Ryu’s well-intentioned plans create mayhem, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings. All the evidence points towards another Halfling, much to Jane’s surprise…
Jane is a half-Selkie, who is dating a vamp, spends most of her time with a Gnome and is now being stalked by another halfling who is convinced they are soul mates. Needless to say, these books are different but in a good way. Jane is hilarious, here is one of my fave quotes:
“Ryu knew damned well that humor could overcome any emotion, even lust. I couldn’t help laugh s he helped to my feet and pushed me to the wet room. Meanwhile, I began strategizing all the various ways in which I would destroy him later. And he’s afraid of a little Gorgon, I thought as I wondered what, exactly, Iris has packed from my dirty drawer. Game on Vlad, I thought, wriggling my own eyebrows at my vampire’s back as he went to get my suitcase. I’ll show you an ‘impaler.’
I also have to include this quote because I know one certain fellow blogger who will appreciate this:
“Before executing my culinary genius, I first poked ay Ruy’s iPod, set in his state-of-the-art sound dock thingie, until I found the Killers and put them on shuffle. I was officially obessesed with the Killers, not least because of the lead singer’s slightly spastic-yet-strangely-sexy dance moves.”
Tracking the Tempest was action packed and hilarious from start to finish, kind of like a summer blockbuster for books. However, I have two complaints. First, I learned very quickly that the series is also forgettable. I had a really hard time remembering supporting characters (besides the Gnome, who I am moderately obsessed with) from the first book. It wasn’t a huge deal, and it didn’t ruin the fun, but since these are kinda short reads, they just don’t stick with you. Second, Jane talks a big game about all the dirty things she has planned for Ryu, but then we skip over the actual scenes. To this I say, BOOO! You can’t refer to Jane’s dirty drawer repeatedly and then not show the contents in action! Alas, I am not really crazy about Ryu anyway, so I was excited to see the little love-triangle brewing with Anyan. I am firmly on Team Anyan at this point. Ryu is just too pretty.
Rating: 8 (with bonus love for the super cute covers!)
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) By Ilona Andrews
07 Jul 2010 1 Comment
in Reviews, Urban Fantasy Tags: Magic, review, Shifters, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Witches
From Goodreads.com: When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake. Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles.
The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league—but she wouldn’t have it any other way…
The Good: Let me start by saying after I made it through the first 50 pages or so, I liked this book more than I thought I would. I liked most of the plot, espcecailly the fresh take on vampires and the need to be piloted by a human. It was refreshing to see vamps as gross, not hot and/or sparkly. I liked Kate, and I really liked Curran. But what I liked most was the setting. You see, I have lived in Atlanta my entire life, so reading about all these landmarks and even suburbs (I live very close to the Shifter compound, btw) of Atlanta was great! There was also a quote that I just have to include because it was so nice to see:
“‘Lovely morning isn’t it?” he said, the unmistakeable harmonies of coastal Georgia vibrating in his voice.
“Shouldn’t it be ‘ain’t it?’” I said. My voice sounded weak.
“Only if you are an uneducated fool,” the man said. “Or if you wish to appear country. And I’m too old to appear anything that I’m not.’”
THANK GOD. I love this because it’s almost as if the authors were warning you up front to not expect any hick jackasses just because it’s based in Atlantan which I appreciated.
The Bad: I think the worst thing about this book was the lack of explanation. At some point, something happened and magic started causing problems for technology. We don’t really know what happened, and it’s hard to understand why the “tech goes out.” I just felt that there wasn’t enough background on the current atmoshpere as well as the characters to feel a connection. It’s obvious that Kate has a lot of secrets, and I am sure we learn about them as time goes on, but I needed a little more for her. The villain was confusing, I had to re-read sections to make sure I understood what exactly has was. And be warned, his scenes are grusome and distrubing. This is pretty dark urban fantasy. The level of detail was a little much for me, I found myself skimming a lot in this one. Honestly, if I didn’t already know the series gets a lot better (and really enjoyed The Edge series), I probably wouldn’t continue reading. Liked Kate and Curran, but don’t really care at this point.
The Bumpin’ Uglies: Le Sigh. No one bumps the uglies in this one. I know it’s not PNR, so not required, but it might have been nice for Kate to have one lighter scene to break up all the darkness. But I am keeping my eye on Curran, he has potential.
Rating: 6.5
Hump Day Hotness
07 Jul 2010 2 Comments
in Hump Day Hotness Tags: Hotness
I am not really a tennis fan. But I know plenty of people who are, especially my mother. Mamalicious has decided to flex those cougar muscles and declare her adoration for one Rafael Nadal. Now, I know she is not alone on this, and admittedly, I wouldn’t toss him out of bed or anything. So for Mamalicious and all the other tennis-lovin’ cougars out there, here is Hump Day Hotness: Rafa edition. Enjoy!
The Darkest Lie By Gena Showalter
30 Jun 2010 2 Comments
in Paranormal Romance, Reviews Tags: Demons, Gods/Goddesses, Greek Mythology, Harpies, Paranormal Romance, review
From Goodreads.com: Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie—until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn’t remember the beautiful female, much less wedding — or bedding — her. But he wants to . . . almost as much as he wants her.
But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free, and a future with her could mean ultimate ruin. Especially as Gideon’s enemies draw closer . . . and the truth threatens to destroy all he’s come to love . . .
I think what I am about to say will be considered blasphemous to some, and it pains me to say it, but I liked the last one better. Maybe I was too excited about Gideon’s story because he is my favorite, so nothing or no one would be good enough. Or maybe I have been reading too much PNR lately, so the whole “oh, i will let myself enjoy this one moment, because we can never be together again” thing is just old to me at this point. But I was expecting Scarlet to be a kick-ass chick. She is Nightmares for crying out loud! She can kill you in your sleep! Why the lack of confidence? Why are we still wondering if Gideon could ever really love her at 90%?? Ugh.
Okay, I got that out, now I can sorta discuss the book. Well, not really. Not without giving out major spoilers anyway. Basically, the book picks right back up from the last one with Gideon discovering Scarlet was his wife, Aeron trying to figure out how to save Legion from Hell, and the Titan Rhea still unleashing her Hunters on the Lords. Aeron asks Amun and William to asist him in the rescue mission, so we get to learn a lot more about both of them. And I gotta say, I really liked the little hint we got about William. We also get to see the beginnings of Strider’s potential HEA, which I am very curious to see how that one will get pulled together, because the chick is NASTY. Obviously, we learn the most about Scarlet and Gideon, and aside from Scarlet annoying the crap out of me, her back story was great. I won’t reveal anything, but I will say those Titans are some dirty hookers. At this point, I have read almost every type of villain, and I would have to put these crazy bitches at the top of the list. Man, my heart was breaking for Gideon and Scarlet. Anyway, despite the PNR formula grating on me a little here, the book was great like all the others. I was a little disappointed by Scarlet’s whining because my blue-haired hottie deserves better, but the plot still rocked. And Torin has some great one-liners…actually I think he has replaced Gideon as my favorite, though I have no idea how he will ever get his HEA. Keep an eye out for another Immortals After Dark shout out during one of Torin’s scenes. Those always make me happy.
Rating: 8 (though the lack of blue hair on this cover really sucks!!)
Hump Day Hotness
30 Jun 2010 8 Comments
in Hump Day Hotness Tags: Hotness
This is for all the Twihards out there that are probably still sleeping from the midnight show last night. At least this will be something sweet to wake up to! Enjoy!
And yes, I did save the best for last.
Oh, and I thought since poor Misterlicious silently watches me lust after shirtless men every week, I would post a little something for him too. Not that I minded…Ashley Greene is hot, and officially on my girl-crush list. So for Misterlicious: Ashley Greene in body paint.
Kindle Freebies: Naughty Nooners
29 Jun 2010 1 Comment
in Kindle, Kindle Freebie or Cheapie Tags: free ebook, Freebies, Kindle freebie
Just a FYI for everyone: There seems to be abundance of smutty short stories available for free on Kindle right now. One of my goodreads groups says they are called “Naughty Nooners” because they can be read at lunch. Heehee. Here is a link to one:
And another:
But there are several others. Just go to: amazon.com –> Kindle –> Books –> Kindle Bestsellers and scroll through the right column where the free books are listed. I haven’t read any yet, but I plan on checking them out later. Enjoy!
Hunting Season (The Gathering #1) By Shelly Laurenston
28 Jun 2010 1 Comment
in Paranormal Romance, Reviews Tags: Gods/Goddesses, Norse Mythology, Paranormal Romance, review, Valkyries
From Gooodreads.com:
Stubborn, lethal, and from Jersey…what more could a Viking warrior want from his woman?
The Gathering, Book 1
Neecy Lawrence, winged warrior for a Viking goddess and second-in-command of the fierce Crows, doesn’t know what to do with a nice guy. As it is, making up for a past she’d sooner forget leaves her barely polite most days. But Raven leader and loyal Odin warrior, Will Yager, isn’t just nice. He’s gorgeous, hot, and a distraction she simply can’t afford.
Yager has wanted Neecy in his life—and in his bed—for a long time. Not just for a night, but forever. And, like any self-respecting Viking, he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. So what if she’s the most difficult, complex, never-gives-him-a-break woman he’s ever known? She’s more than worth the effort. In fact, she’s worth everything.
And if it turns out that twenty-four hours of non-stop, any-way-she-wants-it sex doesn’t work with Neecy? Then it looks like he’ll just have to get a little more creative…
I think I am developing a Shelly Laurenston addiction. I just can’t stop reading her stuff. This makes the 10th book (counting the GA Aiken books) I have read and I swear she can do no wrong. There is just something about the way she captures funny, smart people being…funny and smart that I love. I think the blurb above explains the plot pretty well, as it follows the standard PNR formula. You know the one: Neecy and her group of bad-ass chick friends bump into Yager and his group of super hot dudes, they immediately hate each other, until tossed into grave peril, and then those pesky hormones take over. Only this time, Neecy belongs to porn-loving Norse God Skuld, while Yager is forced to tolerate Odin’s penchant for turning strippers into Valkyries. Such a nice twist. So, there I was, happily reading along, already loving this book because 1) Shelly Laurenston wrote it, and 2) it’s a fresh take on the standard PNR…and then she goes and does this:
“Didi looked up from the television as Arri, Janelle, and Katie walked into the living room. It was a quiet night. No job from their goddess, so they’d all decided to watch movies. As usual, they ended up watching Aliens…again. They simply couldn’t get enough of Vasquez. Any chick who kicked that much ass was an honorary Crow.”
It’s like…she can see into my soul or something. Not only is Aliens one of my absolute favorite movies EVER (behind Ghostbusters 1 & 2 of course), but she mentions Vasquez!!! Do you know how long I have been lusting after that flame thrower she eviscerates the aliens with?? I have mourned her death all 573893495 times I have seen it! She’s gotta be the most underrated movie chick of all time, and they mentioned her!! So I mean, I don’t really need to say any more about this book. It was great, like all the others. It was a little more edgy than the Pride series, which I loved; more cussing, more sexing, more awesomeness. My only complain is, while stalking reading her blog, Ms. Laurentson said she doesn’t know when she will pick back up the series. To that I say: It’s not very nice to set up not one but TWO more couples in the first book and not carry on with the series! Please write more! I am not above begging!
Rating: 9.5
GFY Monday!!
28 Jun 2010 3 Comments
I have a serious case of grumpypantsitis today. I can’t seem to shake it. I blame Monday of course. Everything is just getting on my effing nerves today. People especially. Well, people get on my nerves on a normal day, but today, becoming a hermity-hoarder suffocated by my own trash is looking more appealing than dealing with another fecking person. And you know what spawned this tirade? The Neelys. Ever watched the Neelys on Food Network? Cute lady obsessed with pork and her lecherous husband oogling her bum while they make scrumptralescent Southern fare? Well, usually I love them, they are cute, and no matter how many times I hear that molester laugh of his, the ridiculousness still shocks me. But today…today they are killing me. I was watching them while cooking dinner, and my God its like they gave her speed and turned on the camera. Plus, she just pulled one of my big human being faux pas. You see, I really, really hate it when people act like they are something special for liking/thinking/doing something incredibly mundane. For example, Mrs. Neely just exclaimed “I love marshmallows, I can eat them right out of the bag!!” Well no shit. Are there people who don’t like marshmallows?? They are sugar infused with air and deliciousness! And every person on the planet that ever made a rice krispie treat ate one or two out of the damn bag. That’s like saying,”OMG I am soooo crazy about desserts!! I eat them every chance I get, but they totally make me gain weight!! “ Well who doesn’t genius? Besides those with diabettisss of course. (That’s diabetes to those who don’t know Wilford Brimley.) Or what about, “Ooooh black is so my color, it’s just so slimming!!” Really?? Cause Captain Obvious just called, he wants his cliché back. Sigh…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Hmmm…I kinda feel better now. OMG, it’s like when I talk about my feelings, I feel better! I am so telling other people about this! I am soooo brilliant!
