Naomi's Reading Palace

Suzanne Lazear and my Bag of Man Swag!!

I wanted to share my Bag of Man Swag that I won from Author Suzanne Lazear. I entered a contest she had on her website where there were 2 bags full of Adult books and swag (swag and more swag!) and I happened to win one of the bags!! It is the biggest prize that I’ve won and the five books I received were:

· Cowgirls Don’t Cry- Lorelei James

· Lord of the Abyss- Nalini Singh

· Lover Unleashed- J.R.Ward

· The Vampire Shrink- Lynda Hilburn

· Touch if You Dare- Stephanie Rowe

I can’t wait to tackle them!!

Suzanne Lazear also has an upcoming release!! Her first book, Innocent Darkness, Book 1 in The Aether Chronicles, is due for release on the 8^th August, 2012. I am eager to get my hands on it!

Goodreads Summary

Wish. Love. Desire. Live.

Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.

You can find out more about Suzanne and her upcoming release, you can visit her website here or you can check out the book at Goodreads.

Naomi

Any Suggestions For Meme's??

As I am new to the whole Blogging process, I’m running out of ideas to post on my blog, so I wanted to get some suggestions of Meme’s to sign up to and run with. I did my first Meme this week, Twas the Night Before Payday, which is a monthly Meme. There are so many different and fun Meme’s out there and I’m not sure what else I should try, so I was wondering what you would suggest.

Leave me a comment with the link to any Meme’s you suggest so I can swing by and check it out!!

Naomi

Vaempires: Revolution by Thomas Winship

Author: Thomas Winship

Title: Vaempires: Revolution
Series: The Evolutionary War- 1
Publisher: Smashwords Edition
Published: December 2011
Format: Ebook won on Blog Tour

Goodreads Summary

It is the morning of Princess Cassandra’s sixteenth birthday. Everyone’s attention is focused on the heir to the vampire throne. World leaders, the rich and famous, and VIPs from every corner of the globe have gathered in the nation’s capital to celebrate the momentous event.

Cassandra’s boyfriend, Daniel, is late for the party. He’s still outside the city when all hell breaks loose. What he believes is an act of terrorism proves to be a full-fledged revolution. Væmpires—former vampires who mutated into warm-blooded creatures with an insatiable hunger for cold blood—have launched coordinated attacks across the globe, with three goals: the eradication of humanity, the enslavement of vampires, and the ascension of væmpires as the dominant species on the planet.

The vampire and human leaders are killed. Cassandra is missing. Daniel is the acting king. Desperate to find the princess, Daniel and his friends fight their way across the besieged city. With the hopes of the free world resting on the shoulders of four vampire teenagers, væmpires unleash their secret weapons—væmpires with special powers.

What can four teens do against an enemy that can shape-shift, fly, or walk through walls?

If you are looking for an action packed book full of fights and Vampires, this is it! Fighting from the very start of story which continues all the way through the book to the very end, because as the title states, it's a Revolution. After I read Vaempires: White Christmas, I hoped that this book was more action packed, and I wasn't disappointed!

Thomas Winship has written a very fast paced book, which takes place in about 24 hours. The Vaempires are trying to take over the city and the world, and are causing devastation everywhere, praying on the other two species the Vampires and Humans. He has given us a great twist to the Vampire world having the normal Vampires and the super-powered Vaempires.

The story drew me in more and more the longer I read it. However when I got to the last page it was left on a cliff hanger! But I want to know what happens now! Bring on the next book!!

For more information go to Goodreads

Naomi

Vaempires: A White Christmas: A prelude to the Evolutionary War by Thomas Winship

Author: Thomas Winship
Title: Vaempires: A White Christmas: A prelude to the Evolutionary War
Series: The Evolutionary War – 0.5
Publisher: Smashwords Edition
Published: December 2011
Format: Ebook won on Blog Tour

Goodreads Summary

It’s almost Christmas. With the global holiday days away, the people of the world should be turning their attention toward celebrating peace and goodwill, but tension between humans, vampires, and væmpires is at an all-time high. Desperate for solutions, King Brant schedules a secret summit deep in North America’s Northern Forest. Along with Queen Anne, Princess Cassandra, Daniel’s family, and the human President and First Lady, the vampire leader seeks to reaffirm the ties between humans and vampires, while brainstorming ways to respond to the growing hostility among væmpires.

Meanwhile, Daniel and Cassie’s relationship is at an all-time low. The princess is still reeling from her breakup with Vielyn, and Daniel doesn’t know what he should or shouldn’t do to help. Little does he know that the summit will be flooded with surprises—guests, allegations, accusations, proposals, and even Christmas Eve revelations—but not all of the surprises will be pleasant.

This was a great Prequel to start the series.

We learn about the three races that will be in the story- Humans, Vampires and Vaempires. There is a King and Queen that rules over both Vampire and Vaempire races and there is a President for the Human race. However, there appears to be a conflict between two groups, the Human/Vampires and the Vaempires. The Humans and Vampires have set up a meeting and the Vaempires crash it, as they believe they have been left out on purpose.

The story is being told from Daniels POV, so he mostly observes what happens on the trip. He is second in charge to his father who controls security for the King and Queen. Daniel also has a secret crush on the Princess Cassie, who has been his best friend since childhood. We meet a lot of characters in this short story who I assume pop up again into the series. And it all takes place in a couple of days prior to Christmas.

Although there wasn't a lot of action in this story, the writer is quite detailed about the surroundings, describing things from the forest outside to rooms in the compound. I thought it was a little over the top because I don't think boys take in all those kinds of details, especially a 15 year old. However, I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, hopefully there's plenty of action!

For more information go to Goodreads

Naomi

Twas the Night Before Pay Day

This is a new feature hosted by The Reflections of a Bookworm

Go here to check it out!

Twas the Night Before Pay Day is a monthly feature hosted right here that will take place the Wednesday before the Last Friday of each month. After writing up your monthly budget, seeing that it doesn't leave much for new books, ripping it up and starting again: this feature is designed to hold a list of books that you just can't wait to buy. You've been waiting all month and now you can finally get your hands on them! Bills are overrated.

The books I’d like to purchase this month have been in my wish list for some time now. They are:

Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent (Unbound #2)

Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent (Soul Screamers #6)

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #5.5)

Tangle Of Need by Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling #11)

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #12)

Just so you know, I think we’ll be skimping on food this month, the husband will be having little meals like the kids, so there’s plenty of money to spend on my reading habit!!

Naomi

Cleopatra’s Perfume by Jina Bacarr

Author: Jina Bacarr

Title: Cleopatra’s Perfume
Publisher: Mira Books
Published: 2009
Format: Paperback I purchased myself

This book is for Adult readers, it contains sex scenes.

Goodreads Summary

Europe 1939
The world may be teetering on the brink of war, but that's no reason for the privileged classes to deny themselves the satisfaction of their deepest lusts. In exotic and exclusive clubs, they pursue the delights of the flesh with little thought to the world crumbling around them. Marlowe has everything she needs to lead the most decadent of lives, money, nobility, nerve, and an insatiable appetite for sexual adventure. She also has a singular treasure, a fragrance of ancient origin said to have been prepared for the Queen of Kings herself. Seductive, irresistible, even mystical, it is the scent of pure sensuality. The power of this elixir is such that it sweeps Lady Marlowe into a game much more dangerous than those she played in the darkened rooms of kinky bars. As the Nazis devour Europe and North Africa, she embarks on a fevered journey, with sizzling stops in Cairo, London, Berlin, each city filled with new perils and pleasures for one anointed with pure lust.

I found this book quite confusing. The book starts in April 1941 in Chuck's POV, and then jumps back to March 1941 when Eve starts writing the diary because of her role in WWII, but then she flicks back to 1939, when her adventure starts after the death of her husband. But in her diary she is often jumping between the present and 1939, as well as remembering some of her moments with her late husband.

We go back to Chuck in the middle of the book, and towards the end. But the book finishes with Eve writing in the diary again.

To me I think the story would've been better if the diary section started from 1939, so the reader is not so confused with the jumping back and forth in time. Then Eve would only then recall memories with her husband which would've been easier to follow.

However, I had to keep reading because it really had a good storyline and I find books written around War fascinating. The feelings and emotions of people caught up in things they cannot prevent, being scared whether they live or die, it is just unbelievable to me. I can't imagine what it would be like to be caught up in War.

The story is not just about the Sex, although Eve is pretty open about her pleasures, it is more about her relationships with the men who have been in her life, and how their influence has guided her to make the decisions for today. What a woman would do for love, not just for herself, her political beliefs and for her country.

For more information go to Goodreads

Naomi

What To Tackle Next??

I’ve got all these books in the cupboard and I don’t know what to read next!! Some of them I won, others I purchased myself and some are second hand.

What do you think??

The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

House of Commare Series (1-3) by Kirsten Painter

The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn

Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Balthazar by Claudia Gray

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Cowgirls Don’t Cry by Lorelei James

Lord of the Abyss Nalini Singh

Kiss of Snow Nalini Singh

Touch if You Dare by Stephanie Rowe

Naomi

The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead

Today I wanted to share one of my favourite set of books with you, the Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead. I haven’t actually written a review on any of the books (as yet) but I have read them all twice. Each book has a different plot all written from one POV. Richelle has done a fantastic job writing the series, tying all the books together to create a fabulous finale. I loved reading each book to see the characters develop and to see their relationships mature.

In this World, there are two types of Vampires, the Moroi (Good) and the Strigoi (Bad), as well as the Dhampirs which are half Vampire, and also humans. The way Richelle ties all of the races together is just exceptional! You just need to read it! Here is a spiel from Richelle Mead’s website.....

Two races of vampires walk our world. One, the Moroi, are alive and wield elemental magical. The other, the Strigoi, are undead and evil--feeding on the innocent to survive. Rose Hathaway- a half-vampire with poor impulse control--is training to be a bodyguard for a Moroi princess. Learning to decapitate and stake is hard enough, but Rose's real danger may lie in an illicit romance with one of her instructors...

It just sounds like fun already, and that’s just a quick summary!!

Since the completion of the Vampire Academy series, Richelle has also written a spin off series, Bloodlines, which involves some of my favourite characters from the VA series (hmmm...Adrian!!!!). I’ve read the first two books, Bloodlines and The Golden Lily. Book three, The Indigo Spell is due out Feb 2013. Here’s a pic of the books, but more on this series later!!!!

For more information go to Richelle Meads websites

Vampire Academy

Bloodlines

Richelle Mead - Goodreads

Naomi

Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Author: Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules
Series: Blood of Eden
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: May 2012
Format: Paperback purchased myself

Goodreads Summary

"In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity."Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.

Ooh! What an exciting new twist with vampires! I was thinking it was like the movie 'I Am Legend' with vampires thrown into the mix! Definitely not like the normal Vampire books that are out there. And I really did enjoy this book. Julie Kagawa has done a great job writing this book and with a great storyline to boot.

There was so much hype going on about this book that I decided I had to go out and get it to see what all the fuss was about. I was a little disappointed when I was reading the book as I expected so much more. However, I did enjoy the story more the longer I read it. So by the end of the book I was getting excited about what was going to happen next. It is a great first book in the series, and I look forward to see what is going to come next!

For more information go to Goodreads

Naomi

Artemis Rising by Cheri Lasota

Author: Cheri Lasota

Title: Artemis Rising
Publisher: Spirehouse Books
Published: September, 2011
Format: ebook

Artemis Rising is an Ebook Category Finalist in the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards!

I won this ebook on another author’s blog and Cheri sent it to me. I contacted her to let her know that I was going to feature it on my Blog so she sent me this summary to share with you.

Escape your name. Escape your fate...

On the voyage home to the Azores Islands, Eva accepts the pagan name of Arethusa but learns too late that her life will mirror the Greek nymph's tragic end. Her mother reveals that her destiny lies with Diogo, the shipowner's volatile son. But Eva has a vision of another...

When the ship founders in a storm off the coast, Tristan, a local boy, saves her life and steals her heart. Destined to be with Diogo yet aching for Tristan's forbidden love, Eva must somehow choose between them, or fate will choose for her.

What a wonderful read! Cheri Lasota has written a beautiful romance novel. Once I started reading this story I found it hard to put down. I enjoyed reading about the combination of myths, legends and religion. The beliefs of adults tend to extend to their children, and in this story the teenagers have to decide whether to use what they have been taught by the people who love them the most, to make decisions that will shape their futures. It has everything you want in a great storyline- joy, sorrow, fear, betrayal, desire and love!

Other recent reviews:

"Artemis Rising left me breathless and spellbound. I wanted to live inside its pages."

--Karen Hooper, Author of Tangled Tides

"Compelling, original and lyrically written ... unlike anything I've ever read before."

--Jessie Harrell, Author of Destined

If you want to know more about Artemis Rising or want to catch up with Cheri, click on the links below.

Amazon

Cheri Lasota

Facebook - Cheri Lasota

Naomi

Look what I won from Moonlight Reader!

I received these books in the mail early last week.

Ange at Moonlight Reader, who happens to also be a fellow Aussie Blogger, was hosting her One Year Blogerversary and I won second prize and I got to choose two fabulous books from a list of 24 books over 6 genres. It was so hard to pick just two, but after a long process of elimination, I picked Anna and the French Kiss Stephanie Perkins and Everneath by Brodi Ashton. I am looking forward to reading them!

I also wanted to say a big Thank You to Ange as well. She helped me with a few things when I was setting up my blog and answered any questions I had, no matter how minor they were. So Thanx heaps Ange!!

You can visit Ange at Moonlight Reader

http://ange-moonlightreader.blogspot.com.au/

Naomi

Mea Culpa by Christine Fonseca

Author: Christine Fonseca

Title: Mea Culpa

Series: Requiem 1.5
Publisher: Compass Press
Published: June 2012
Format: ebook supplied by author

Goodreads Summary

Everything has a price, especially duty. And love.

Azza's attacks are always deadly...ALWAYS. But that was before Nesy. And before Mikayel and Zane. Now, death has a new enemy. But, what's the cost for saving a life?

MEA CULPA follows one angel's quest to save his best friend.

This was a fantastic short story!! It was great to see another side to Zane. He has to decide if he can make some sacrifices to save his best friend and I didn't realise how close his connection was to Nesy. In LACRIMOSA, Nesy tries to keep him at a distance, but seeing things from Zane’s POV, he definitely sees her differently.

This short story answers some questions that I had at the end of LACRIMOSA, and I am hanging for more!! I am starting to fall in love with the characters and I can't wait for LIBERA ME; I want to see where the story will go now after the end of both this story and LACRIMOSA. I can't decide who I like more now out of Zane or Ayden, the 'Good Boy' or the 'Bad Boy'.

For more information go to Goodreads

Naomi

Lacrimosa by Christine Fonseca

Author: Christine Fonseca
Title: Lacrimosa

Publisher: Compass Press

Published: March 2012

Format: Hardcover won from Author

Goodreads Summary

It's been three thousand years since the fall of Azzaziel and the rebirth of evil; three thousand years since the Sentinal Order, an elite group of warrior angels, returned to Celestium. Their job-rid Earth of the dark creatures, the UnHoly. And with luck, end Azza's rule. As if casting out demons isn't hard enough, five-hundred-year-old Nesy has to masquerade as a teenage girl to do it. Nesy is the best of the Sentinals. She never makes mistakes, never hesitates, never gets emotionally involved. Until she meets Aydan. He is evil incarnate; a fallen angel that feeds off the souls of others. Everything Nesy is supposed to hate. But she can't, because he's also the love of her former life as a human girl-a life that ended too soon, tying her to emotions she was never supposed to feel. Now Nesy must choose between doing her duty-damning Aydan to the fiery depths of hell-or saving him, and condemning herself. And her choice may cost her, and Celestium, far more than anyone realizes. How much will she sacrifice for love?

Wow!! What an amazing book!! The world of Angels and Demons is just fantastic! Christine Fonseca has written a truly amazing book, which has left me wanting more! I Loved It!! I was hooked on this book from the start.

Aydan was an Angel, who fell in love with a human girl, Elle. After she died Aydan Fell, and became the apprentice of The Dark One. Nesy became an Angel after her death as a human, and trained to be a Sentinal. She had to learn to detach all of her human feelings so she can kill Unholy demons. It is on one assignment that she is sent to kill Aydan and all her human feelings surface again and jeopardises everything that she is.

The book is beautifully written, in both Nesy and Aydan’s perspectives. There is so much emotion in the story and I just couldn’t put the book down. I can’t wait to see where we will go next. Bring on the next book, Libera Me!

For more information go to Goodreads

Naomi

Dies Irae by Christine Fonseca

Author: Christine Fonseca

Title: Dies Irae
Series: Requiem 0.5
Publisher: Compass Press
Published: 2012
Format: Paperback won from author

Goodreads Summary

Some sacrifices should never be made—even for love.

Mikayel lives by one rule—obey the orders of the angelic Council at all costs. That is, until he and his friends, Azza and Demi, are sent to Earth. Assigned as Watchers while they await their decision of which angelic order to serve, the three assume the bodies of teenagers and experience life as human.

The sensations are overwhelming as the angels experience a host of human emotions—rage, terror, love—and come ever closer to breaking one of the unbreakable rules—never fall in love.

But being human isn’t the only problem facing the three angels. Unbeknownst to the Council, demonic activity is on the rise, threatening to break a tenuous peace that has existed for a millennia; a peace Azza seems bent on destroying.

Caught in a struggle for power with unseen demonic forces and Azza, and fighting against his rising emotional attachment to Demi, Mikayel must now decide how much he is willing to sacrifice for his new found love—a decision that could reignite an ancient war and will threaten the only thing that matters to the angels, the survival of humanity.

I won Dies Irae and Lacrimosa through Christine Fonseca’s blog, and it is the first time I have read either of the books so I am reading them in order. I must say that so far, I am not disappointed, and I can’t wait to start Lacrimosa!!

Dies Irae is a Novella and the first story in the Requiem series.
Angels are sent to earth, in human disguises to observe how humans deal with their emotions. There has been no war between angels and demons for a thousand years.

Mikayel, Azza and Demi are three Angels that have been sent to live in a small Human town. They have been put here to learn how to detach from their human and angel Feelings, but they are primarily here as Watchers, observing Humans, as directed by the Angel Council. While they are on Earth they come across some Demons living in the mountains. The choices they make here will direct how their lives will go in the future.

It is a fabulous story, showing us how difficult it can be trying to be an Angel. Learning how to deal with their teenage feelings and emotions, and showing us how easy it can be to become a Fallen Angel. I think that this Novella shapes how the characters and the story will unfold in the following books.

For more information go to Goodreads

Naomi

Bone Dressing by Michelle I. Brooks

Author: Michelle I. Brooks

Title: Bone Dressing
Publisher: Smashwords Edition
Published: April 2011
Format: Ebook purchased myself

Goodreads Summary

Time is running out & the Dark that's been chasing Syd for many lifetimes has finally caught up with her.

Sydney Roberdeau lost her parents as a young girl. Waiting for her life to start and the freedom that will come with her eighteenth birthday, Syd spends much of her time haunting the local cemetery. It is there, stretched out among the dead, that she feels most alive, most at home. Until one rainy night when Beau, Sarah and T.J. crash her ghostly sanctuary, appearing out of nowhere, turning her already inside-out world one degree past upside down.

Syd must now revisit past lives, dressing in the bodies of her previous selves & bone dressing. Her only chance to outrun the evil breathing down her neck is to face her own worst nightmares and her strongest desires. But if she can't stay out of trouble in this life, how can she possibly fix mistakes from past lives? And just how many lives has she lived, loved and lost? What is Syd exactly, and what will she risk for the life of a man she doesn't remember, the man she spent a lifetime with, the man she loves? Everything including her very own life?

Bone Dressing, the first in a series of seven books, will carry Syd and Beau on an adventure that transcends life itself.

I was a little worried at first, because after you read the first chapter, the book jumps back in time a few days to show you how Syd ended up on the rooftop to begin with, but as the storyline unfolds you sort of stop and think, ‘Oh now that’s why’, as pieces of the book start to fit together.

Syd is a very witty teen and there were heaps of spots where I was laughing out loud whilst reading the book, but there were other times that I got a bit teary, because no teen or child should ever be put in this position. I thought the book was going to be good just by visiting past lives, but add a bit of shapeshifting into it and you have more fun! (I didn’t see that coming!)

In some areas I believed that there was too much over analysing, but when I stopped and thought a little on some of the words, I could see that that probably would happen because teens often do over think things.

Michelle has done a fantastic job with Bone Dressing, and there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered, which have obviously been left that way for the future books. I look forward to seeing where she will take it next, and hopefully get some of those questions answered!!