Stacking The Shelves #4

From Tynga's Reviews:

We are all book lovers and the need to share our enthusiasm is sometimes overwhelming. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! 

If you’re anything like me, you are probably hoarding books and even though you are excited about your latest book arrival, it might be a while before you get to review it and Stacking The Shelves is a good way to express your undying enthusiasm for those titles!

This week has been very slow on the acquisition front.  Only brought in three books.

(Clicking on the image will take you to the books GoodReads page)

Purchased From B&N for my Nook:

How are your shelves looking this week?

Friday Finds: June 29th

Friday Finds hosted by Should Be Reading ask:

What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

For the next couple weeks (until the end of July), all my find will be from some of my favorite sites.  Each week I will feature books from one or two sites.

(Clicking on the image will take you to the books GoodReads page)


From Jen at Devourer of Books:

From Reads 4 Pleasure:




That's eight books total for the week... a lot but I did eliminate some as I read the Goodreads reviews.  

BTT: First Teacher

This week Booking Through Thursday ask:

Margaret asks:
                                    Who taught you to read?

The simple answer:
      Mrs. Hershey in the second grade.

The longer answer:
     The beginning of my childhood was really unsettled and I didn't attended school that often.  Then my grandmother got custody of me and moved to a small town where she worked.  Since I was behind the school she enrolled me in at first made me leave my second grade class and go to the first grade class during reading time.  I hated it, it was really embarrassing to walk into a first grade class and have all the students look at you.  Only to walk out again and go back to my regular class a short time later.

    Then something change how the school handled kids that were behind in their reading ability (or maybe it was always there and I didn't know about it).  I still had to leave my regular class during mid-day but instead of going to the first grade class I went to see Mrs. Hershey.  Mrs. Hershey helped the students that were behind, she basically taught us how to read and spell.

     I will always remember Mrs. Hershey because even though she was just doing her job, she seemed to really care about what she was doing and her students (I was lucky and had a lot of teacher that cared).  Not only did she care but she seemed to enjoy what she was doing.  And she was a really sweet lady.  When I finished with her class, she gave me an ornament.  I don't have the ornament anymore but I remember it was as beautiful as she was.

Review: One Blood by Qwantu Amaru

Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 486 pages (eBook)
Genre: Horror
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Publication Date: November, 2011
Source: GoodReads (Authors Requesting Reviews)


Synopsis (GoodReads):

For every action... Lincoln Baker, born a ward of the state, has gone from orphan, to gang banger, to basketball superstar, to lifer at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in the space of eighteen years. During his prison term, he meets Panama X, a powerful and mysterious father figure who gives Lincoln a reason for living - he must assassinate Randy Lafitte, the sitting Governor of Louisiana.

There is an equal and opposite reaction... Lincoln orchestrates the kidnapping of Karen Lafitte, Randy's only daughter. But Randy Lafitte is a man who built his fortune by resurrecting a family curse from slavery to kill his own father. A curse that may or may not have been responsible for his son Kristopher's death in the gang crossfire that sent Lincoln to prison for life. Randy will stop at nothing to save his daughter, even if it means admitting the curse is real. Even if it means committing greater atrocities.

Too bad for anyone stuck in the middle. Three days after Karen's kidnapping, an explosive cocktail of revenge, manipulation, serendipity, fate, truth, and redemption detonates throughout Louisiana. When the dust settles, the ending is as unexpected as it is illuminating. There are secrets sealed in our blood, you see. The best answers, as always, lie within.

Review:


The reason that Qwantu Amaru 's One Blood caught my attention was the mention of Louisiana, slavery and curse.  I was curious to see where he would go with this.  I really want to say that Amaru pulled the plot off. He sort of did.  One Blood was unique but there was just too much.  There was too much ground to cover and it affected the flow of the overall story.  Normally, book liked One Blood (thriller and horror) are easy reads for me, that I speed through and eat up.  This time I found myself putting the book down after a couple chapters and resting.

The book goes back and forth from present day to past.  At times there are markings to let you know what time frame this chapter is set in but at other times there aren't, which can get confusing.

As I mentioned before there is a lot of ground to cover, I think if was less information and backstory this would have been a better read.   I just think the story was too "complex", it had too many parts.  I found myself saying "WTF" a couple of time because information just did not seem to add up or it contradicted something for earlier in the novel.

Another issue I had with One Blood was that there were just too many characters to keep up with.  There were like 10 that were important, and then there were a bunch more.  It was impossible to connect with 10 characters, making it hard to connect with just one.  While the synopsis says this is a story about Lincoln at thought this was more a story about Randy Lafitte and his family.  Most of it had to do with them, Lincoln just seemed to get caught up in all there drama.

Amaru is a good writer and was able to keep my attention.  I did want know what happened next and curious to find out how One Blood would end.  I do look forward to reading more of his work in the future.


Overall Recommendation:

I would recommend One Blood who is a horror/thriller fan.  It probably is not for a newcomer to the genre. But I would caution people that at times this book could be a little exhausting.

I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

Teaser Tuesday: The Keepers of The House

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.

• Let the book fall open to a random page.

• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

This weeks teasers is from The Keepers of The House by Shirley Ann Grau

She looked at her father and said nothing.
"Staying all night to treat a nigger kid - ain't a patient I got will stand for that."

Don't forget to post a link to your teaser!

I want to read it.

Giveaway: Oxford Messed Up

I am so happy to announce my first giveaway of the 2012.

For the next two weeks, you have the chance to win a (used) copy of Oxford Messed Up by Andrea Kayne Kaufman.

• This give will last from June 24, 2012 until July 1, 2012.
• There will be only one winner, which will be announced on July 8, 2012.
• This giveaway is only open for shipment with the United States. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday Post: #1

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
~this meme was inspired in part by - In My Mailbox~

• It's a chance to share News.
• A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
• This is your news post, so personalize it. Include as much as you want or as little.
• Be creative, it can be a vlog or just a showcase of your goodies.

This is my first time participating in this meme.  Normally I would do Sunday Salon, but I thought it was a time to try something new.

What Happened Last Week:

• Wicked Wildfire Read-a-Thon (June 20 - June 24) - There is still one more day left on this RAT.  It has been a great opportunity for me to catch up on some reading.  Since I am still trying to read the books I had planned to read in April.  I'm so far behind.
• Friday Finds:  I added 11 more books to Mt. TBR  which brought the total number of books on my official Goodreads to read list to 265 on friday.  Way to many.
• Reviewed:  On Friday, I finished my review of  Oxford Messed Up: by Andrea Kayne Kaufman.  
• Stacking The Shelves: I added two more books to Mt. TBR and purchased A Tree Grow in Brooklyn, which has been sitting on the mountain for some time now.  Mt. TBR is officially 267 books strong.

What's Happening This Week:

• GiveAway:  This week I'm holding my first giveaway for 2012.  I am giving away my copy of Oxford Messed Up: by Andrea Kayne Kaufman.  The giveaway only last one week, from June 24 until July 1st.  You can enter here.
• Reviews:  My review of One Blood by Qwantu Amaru should be done by Monday.
• Teaser Tuesday:  This Tuesday's teasers will be from The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau.  Thanks to NetGalley.
• If I am lucky *crosses fingers*  I can start Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout by the end of the week but that all depends on The Keepers of the House.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway.

Happy Reading,

MoniqueReads

Stacking The Shelves Saturday: #3

From Tynga's Reviews:

We are all book lovers and the need to share our enthusiasm is sometimes overwhelming. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! 

If you’re anything like me, you are probably hoarding books and even though you are excited about your latest book arrival, it might be a while before you get to review it and Stacking The Shelves is a good way to express your undying enthusiasm for those titles!

This has been a slow week for book acquisition.  Which is good because I have plenty of stuff to read already.

Free From B&N this Week:

Purchased From B&N:

Wicked Wildfire RAT: Friday Update

This RAT has been a little different from the ones that I have participated with in the past.  I am pretty much doing this by myself with not much socialization with other bloggers.  Which is alright with me.  It's kind of hard to already to fit in blogging and real life.

Other than that the RAT has been a success so far.  I am pretty much on schedule with my reading.

Started:

• One Blood by Qwantu Amaru (27% Completed).

Completed:

• Oxford Messed Up by Andrea Kayne Kaufman (Finished 06/20/12)

Planning To Read:

• The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau 
• Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

I wanted to be a little further along with One Blood but it is turning out to be a more slower read than I thought it would be.  Hopefully, I can finish with it on Saturday and at least start The Keeper of the House before the RAT is over.

How are you doing?

Review: Oxford Messed Up: by Andrea Kayne Kaufman

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pages: 328
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Publication Date: November 2011
Source:  Free from Author Agent in Exchange for an honest Review

Synopsis (GoodReads):

Rhodes Scholar Gloria Zimmerman has come to Oxford University to study feminist poetry. Yet the rigors of academia pale in comparison to her untreated Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, fueled by her overachieving parents and manifested in a deathly aversion to germs and human contact. Her next-door neighbor (who is also, to her mortification, her loomate) is Henry Young, the appealing but underachieving English music student. Still mourning the death of his supportive mother while enduring the mockery of his disapproving and merciless father, Henry is haunted by the unexpectedly serious ramifications of a reckless and tragic youth. Gloria and Henry's relationship evolves from a shared obsession with Van Morrison's music into a desire to fill the gaps in each other’s lives. Yet the constraints of a debilitating illness and the looming revelation of a catastrophic secret conspire to throw their worlds into upheaval and threaten the possibilities of their unlikely yet redemptive love.

Review:

Contains Spoilers

When I  read the synopsis for Oxford Messed Up was interest was spiked.  The idea is so original.  I have never read a book about OCD  or one were music by one musician was the main theme.  I wounder how Kaufman was going to pull this off. A love story that involves OCD, feminist poetry, and Van Morrison?  That seem like a tall order.

Kaufman was able to pull most of it off.  The feminist poetry portion of the story was not too out there.  There was no preaching about feminism and women's right.  Instead, Kaufman used the feminist poetry element as a tool to bring the characters together and contrast the different portions of Gloria's personality.

The Van Morrison portion was a little overwhelm for me.  I am not that familiar with Van Morrison's music and was lost when certain songs were referenced. Van Morrison was everywhere.  After a moment I got tired of reading about Van Morrison.  In place were feelings and emotions would have been appropriated there were Van Morrison song titles or quotes.  Sometime the story seemed to be more about the greatness of Morrison than the relationship between Gloria and Henry.

The OCD angle was both good and not so good.  Gloria's OCD was real and it was interesting to see how it affected her life choices and interactions with others.  At one point of the story behavior therapy is used to help Gloria overcome her obsessions.  I thought that the treatment work a little too quickly for someone who has been suffering from OCD for most of their life.

I did enjoy both Gloria and Henry's character.  They were will developed and complex. They were both messed up and the glimpses that Kaufman gave into their past allowed the reader to see why.  I think Henry's experiences were more traumatic and his character was a more developed than Gloria's.  There was the opportunity for the difference between Gloria's feminist poetry background and her actual personality.

I rooted for them as a couple.  They were just messed up enough to expect each other as they were and to work through their flaws together.    Henry's humor balanced out Gloria's seriousness. Gloria ambition balanced Henry's laziness.  Their love for Van Morrison helped, also.

Kaufman did commit what I think is a sin: The Epilogue.  I would have been happy with the story where the last chapter had left off but the epilogue messed up the ending for me.  I for one am comfortable wondering what happens in characters lives after the main part of the story ends.  I don't need complete closure.


Overall Recommendation:
Recommended, especially to those that are familiar with Van Morrison music and who will appreciate the references to his music.  I would also recommend it to people who are not Van Morrison's fans but I would warn them that the Van Morrison's references are heavy and sometimes distracting.

Friday Finds: June 22nd

Friday Finds hosted by Should Be Reading ask:

What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

I was bad this week.  I found 11 books to add onto MT. TBR.  I now have 264 books on my "to read" list over at Goodreads.

Oh Well

(Clicking on the image will take you to the books GoodReads page)

From Reading Rendezvous Reviewz:

From White Readers Meet Black Authors:

From Lit and Life:

From BookNAround:

From Fluttering Butterflies:

From Diary of an Eccentric:

From Reading Has Purpose:

From Mrs. Q: Book Addict:

From Bibliophile By The Sea:

From Devourer of Books:

Wicked Wildfire RAT: Thursday Update

It's time my first update. So, far I am on schedule

Completed:

• Oxford Messed Up by Andrea Kayne Kaufman (Finished 06/20/12)

Started:

• One Blood by Qwantu Amaru

Planning To Read:

• The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau 
• Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

I need to complete the review for Oxford Messed Up.  I plan to have that up by tomorrow afternoon.

If you are participating in the RAT: How are you doing?

BTT: Quotable

This week Booking Through Thursday :

Valentina asks:
                       Do you have a favorite quote from a book?

This one was really easy for me.  As soon as I read the question I knew the answer.

"All that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity."

- William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1.2

I didn't care much for William Shakespeare during my high school English class days but this quote stuck with me the most.

Maybe because it was the same school year that my grandmother died and death was on my mind.  But till this day when I think of favorite quotes this one always is first in line.

Wicked Wildfire Read-a-Thon: Reading List

I know that I normally fail when it comes to Read-a-Thons but I can never keep myself from signing up for them.  No matter how much I try.  I think that I like the experience and camaraderie more than I like actually reading the books.    I have found some great blogs because of Read-a-Thons in the past.

So, I have signed up for another one.

Wicked Wildfire Read-a-Thon, last 4 days.  Which gives me plenty of them to try to work through my TBR pile.

My goal is to complete the books that I was suppose to read in May

My Reading List:

• Oxford Messed Up by Andrea Kayne Kaufman  (65% completed)
• One Blood by Qwantu Amaru
• The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau 
• Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

I don't expected to read all of the books.  But I will try my best.  I am going to up my nightly reading time from 2 hours to 3 hours.  And I plan to read my butt off during the weekend (after I finish my Saturday plans).

I really need to get caught up with my 50 Books in 2012 challenge and some of the other challenges that I signed up for.

Stacking The Shelves: June 16th

From Tynga's Reviews:

We are all book lovers and the need to share our enthusiasm is sometimes overwhelming. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! 

If you’re anything like me, you are probably hoarding books and even though you are excited about your latest book arrival, it might be a while before you get to review it and Stacking The Shelves is a good way to express your undying enthusiasm for those titles!

I am proud to say that very little was put on the shelves this week.


Free From B&N 

Purchased From B&N

Friday Finds: June 15th

Friday Finds hosted by Should Be Reading ask:

What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

The next two books were found thanks to Cheap e-Reads on Facebook.

Found while reading blogs