DIE FOR ME is the first of three books about Kate, a sixteen-year-old American who moves to Paris after the death of her parents. She finds herself falling for Vincent, who she discovers is not the typical French teenager he appears: he is something else entirely.
DIE FOR ME presents a new supernatural mythology presented in a city where dreams are sometimes the same as reality. (Goodreads.com)
My Review
I absolutely loved Die for Me (Revenants #1) by Amy Plum. This is by far one of the best YA/Paranormal Romance books I have read thus far. The book begins with the sixteen-year-old protagonist, Kate, attempting to deal with the recent death of her parents. She and her sister leave Brooklyn and move to Paris to live with their grandparents. After some time of hiding herself from the rest of the world, Kate finally decides to rejoin the human population, and to her surprise meets Vincent, and amazing young Frenchman, who not only sweeps her off her feet, but also introduces her to a whole new world she never knew existed.
By introducing a new group of beings, the Revenants, to the world of fiction, Plum provides you with a new take on the paranormal. She also captures the beautiful romantic and unique cultural aspects of Paris, France through the lives two tortured teenagers who find comfort in each other’s presence but are conflicted with self-preservation and the need for intense human companionship. Die for Me is a beautifully written paranormal romance that will leave you wanting more.
As I've said before, I'm a total movie buff, so I've decided to devote every other Monday to sharing some of my favorite movies with you. If you haven't seen one of them and would like to learn more about it, just click the links below (having a problem with my images right now). And remember, I love comments, even if you disagree with me!
Here are some of my all-time favorite movies, organized by category:
So I decided to devote Sundays to having a bit of fun, to forgetting about the seriousness of life. I also made a promise to myself to read at least one page of posts from DamnYouAutoCorrect.Com once a week, because laughing is life's best natural medication. Here's something to make you laugh along with me:
I absolutely love Shifter books. I used to be a vampire girl, but after I read my first Shifter book, I was totally hooked.
So, for all of you Shifter lovers, here's today's Shifter Saturday Question:
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SHIFTER? GIVE ME SOME DETAILS WHY HE/SHE IS YOUR FAV...
My favorite Shifter is FAYTHE SANDERS from Rachel Vincent's Shifters series. I can totally relate to her character - a graduate student trying to free herself from her Pride's control in order to lead a normal, human existence who is forced to return back to what she ran away from after she graduated from high school. She's strong, hot-headed, and doesn't compromise her beliefs for anyone. This series is a must read for anyone who loves Shifter books.
GREAT NEW BLOG HOP HOSTED BY SHAH OF WORDS IN SYNC -
CHECK IT OUT!
Super psyched that Shah thought of me as creative enough to join this hop! I love feedback, so please let me know what you think about my blog - it's brand new and I would love to hear ideas and suggestions.
Happy Weekend!
Since I'm a shopaholic, the least I can do is share with you some of the super duper great items I find while indulging myself in the world of retail :) I'm sure you book bloggers will love these as much as I do!
I absolutely LOVE Moleskine product! I bought a Wellness Journal after my heart failed so I could keep track of my doctors' appointments, medications, tests, treatments, blood pressure, etc., and it was one of the best investments I have ever made. I just bought a Book Journal, and it is even better! You can keep track of all of the books you read and details about them with the alphabetical tabbed section, and there are a ton of blank sections with the cutest little stickers to add on and make the book your own. I made sections for "Events", "Characters", "My Favorites", "To-Read", "Recommended by/to", "Wish List & Release Dates", "Websites & Contacts", "Remember to…", & "Thoughts". You don't have to use the same categories - you can totally personalize the book. And there are tons of little stickers and symbols that you can use to express how you felt about each book. If you love to read, you absolutely have to get this passion book!
Here's the product description:
Make the reading experience last longer.
Fully embossed cover, 3 ribbon place markers and double expandable inner pocket.
Alphabetically organized sections to fill in.
6 tabbed sections to personalize and 14 blank pages in which to unleash your passion's creativity.
A free customized bookmark.
Several adhesive labels: 40 to be used on the blank tabs, 150 coloured with icons and 12 to customize the cover.
Take a look at the Moleskine Catalog for more great passion books, journals, sketch books, and much much more.
Listography Journal: Your Life in Lists [Paperback]
I also recently bought this book by Lisa Nola. I hate to admit this, but I'm getting older (yes I said it, older, ugh), and soon enough I'll have kids, and eventually grandkids, so I wanted to sort of document my life from here on out so that I can one day share it with them. Each page has a different "list" for you to fill in, such as "List your favorite songs" and "List the places you have traveled with your spouse/boyfriend/etc". It's going to take me some time to get through the whole book, but I think it will be well worth my time. And I'm going to make my hunny bunny fill some of it out with me :) There is a lot of space too, so you can go back and add things after the years go by.
SHARE YOUR CURRENT FAV TELEVISION SHOW! TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT...
Like NaKesha, my blog isn't just a book blog. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love to read, but I also have a few television shows that I religiously watch, and I'm also a music and movie fanatic. I do a "Television Thursday" post every week, so I won't talk about any of the shows I featured this week. In all honesty, Criminal Minds is my all-time favorite tv show. I'm a psychology buff and am super interested in criminology - I'm actually about to start working towards my Master of Science degree in Counseling with a concentration in Mental Health. Criminal Minds is by far the best psychology/crime based series on the planet. I actually had my high school psychology students watch an episode every Friday during the 4th quarter and they absolutely loved it. They couldn't get enough! Watch this show once, and you'll be hooked. Click the pic below to learn more about the show.
And now it's time for
And this week's question is...
"Do you ever wish you would have named your blog something different?"
Absolutely not! I love my blog's name. I'm kind of weird (well, eccentric sounds better), so my whole existence revolves around EMBRACING MY ODDITIES. I'd rather embrace the not so normal, yet simple parts of my life than hide from them, trying to blend in with the rest of the sheep, lol. I love who I am - a nerdy, bookwormy, vertically challenged, high maintenance rocker with a hard core tattoo sleeve and more pets than can afford to be fed, haha! So, I think my blog's name fits me perfectly!
If you receive these awards, you must meet the following conditions:
1) Thank the person who gave you the 7 fact award and link back to their blog.
2) Post 7 random fast about yourself.
3) Past this award to 15 other worthy people!
HERE ARE 7 FACTS ABOUT ME:
1. I live in Reserve, Louisiana, a small town about 30 miles outside of New Orleans (and I'm super excited that 2 of American Idol's top 24 are from LaPlace, LA & Harvey, LA!!! Who Dat!)
2. I LOVE animals and have 9 pets - 4 dogs (Lady, Armani, Niña, and Maximus Desimus Meridius) and 5 cats (Jasper, Emmett, Aro…wonder where those names came from? Lol…Socks, and Victor)
3. My golden birthday just passed - I made 28 on January 28th. (ugh!)
4. Recently, I was diagnosed with a serious heart condition - a viral cardiomyopathy (viral heart failure). My heart actually failed in June of last year and for 2 months I had no idea what was wrong with me. I went to 7 different doctors and none of them could figure out what was wrong until August. I can't do any mentally or physically stressful work for a while, so I figured blogging was something constructive to do so that my brain won't turn into mush while I recover.
5. I love to read, but I'm also a music and movie fanatic! I totally dig alternative and hard rock, but I also listen to rap/hip hop, and yes, motown classics (I'm a sucker for the Temptations). Although I love romance books, I do NOT watch romance movies - I love thriller and horror films, anything packed full of action (the more guns and blood, the better), paranormal & sci-fi films, and last but not least, comedies. I absolutely LOVE stupid funny movies, like Half Baked, Zoolander, and Ace Ventura Pet Detective. Haha, I'm laughing just thinking about them.
6. My future husband, Mitchell, and I are complete opposites. I am a huge nerd - majored in History and minored in Spanish & Psychology at the University of New Orleans, I speak Spanish, and I'm a high school/middle school teacher while my heart isn't failing. He on the other hand, is a HOT alpha male, used to be a bad boy, and is now working for my father, as a plumber, LMAO! Opposites is an understatement.
7. And last but not least, I LOVE ZEBRA PRINT. Half of my wardrobe is zebra print, I have 12 zebra print bags/purses, and my house is full of zebra print decór.
I'm a multitasker and can't pay attention for very long if I only focus on one activity at a time...my solution: reading while I watch television or listen to music. It works for me. Lately I have come across some great television series that I feel deserve a little praise.
HERE ARE MY WEEKLY RAVES ABOUT A FEW OF MY FAVORITE TELEVISION SERIES:
The perfect paranormal series! Here's the deal with Being Human (Sci-Fi, Mondays 9/8c):
3 roommates, who happen to be a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost, struggle to keep their paranormal existence hidden from the world while also helping each other cope with leading double lives. I've been waiting so long for a series like this, and I can't believe I didn't watch it sooner! This truly is a great series, and if you are a paranormal reader, you absolutely have to watch it.
ABOUT SOUTHLAND:
Set in Los Angeles, CA, Southland is an intense drama about cops, criminals, victims, and their families. Sounds like every other cop series out there, right? That's what I thought before I watched an episode a few weeks ago. This series is absolutely amazing, nothing like I've ever seen before. This is as real as it gets-not only are you brought into the lives of the criminals and victims, but you also get a first hand experience of the dilemmas that the police officers face both on and off the job (losing partners and spouses, killing bystanders persons during high-speed chases, narcotic addictions, selling stories and photos to the press, etc.). If you are a Law and Order fan, you should definitely take a look at Southland. You won't be disappointed.
I've heard wonderful things about Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, and after reading the synopsis, I'm dying to get this book!
Here's the Goodreads description:
MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.
When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….
As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….
My teaser for today comes from Little Red and the Wolf by Alison Paige. I haven't started reading the book yet, but so far it seems like it is going to be a great paranormal romance.
Great googly-moogly, his mouth was too perfect. If he was a wolf, she'd let him gobble her up. Maizie stiffened, worrying her thoughts might show on her face. She turned around, ending the sex-charged staring contest. The back of her neck tingled like thrumming fingers rippling across her shoulders and down her back...
I'm definitely looking forward to reading this book. If anyone has read it already, post a link to your review here so I can take a look. Happy Reading!
Since I love music just as much as I love books, I thought it would be a nice to dedicate one day of the week to music. Every Monday (hopefully) I'll feature a song from my playlist, a favorite or emerging artist, or a favorite or heatseekers album.
If you are a fan of Science Fiction what is your favorite book? If you haven't read Science Fiction before...any inkling to? Anything catch your eye?
Honestly, I've never been interested in Science Fiction. I never really read anything other than nonfiction, mostly American and European history, psychology, and sociology books, before now. But a friend of mine turned me on to Paranormal/Fantasy books. If anyone has any suggestions, I might try reading Science Fiction :)
This week's question:
"What book(s) would you like to see turned into a movie?"
This is a difficult question for me to answer because I only recently started reading again, and I've only read a few shifter series over the past few months. So I guess I'll answer this question a bit differently. I recently saw Beastly on the YA table at Barns and Noble and wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but then I saw the movie trailer, so I'm definitely going to read the book. Anyone have any reviews of the book?
So, I decided to start TV Thursday on my blog where I can rant and rave about the shows I loved or hated each week. I guess we'll see how this goes...
As I've already stated, I'm a sucker for reality television, but don't be so quick to judge me on that statement - I only watch the good reality shows (not the silly ones like Real Housewives, although the New Jersey & New York housewives are pretty entertaining).
Here are my weekly thoughts about my favorite reality television shows:
Top Chef All-Stars (on Bravo)
I absolutely love Top Chef, and the All-Stars season has been the best one so far. For a few months now, all of the judges' favorite chefs from the previous seasons have been competing for cash, vacations, a feature in Food & Wine Magazine, and other prizes, and each week, the chef with the worst dish is eliminated.
Last night's episode was by far my favorite episode ever! Three Sesame Street characters served as guest judges for the "Quick Fire" challenge. Take a look - you won't be able to control your laughter. If you're having a bad day, watch this and all your worries will go away!
Face Off (on SyFy)
I was skimming through the channels last night and ran across Face Off, a reality show on SyFy (Wednesdays, 10/9c). I wish I would have known about this show sooner - I absolutely loved it. Here's a description of the show (from SyFy.com):
Face Off is a competition/elimination series exploring the world of special-effects make-up artists and the unlimited imagination that allows them to create amazing works of living art. The contestants are tasked with elaborate feature challenges including executing full body paint make up on models and creating their own horror villain. Not only will the show incorporate effects make-up, it will include a wide range of skill sets including prosthetics, 3-D design, sculpting, eye enhancers, casting and molding. Each episode involves incredible reveals of the competitors' finished work, and the drama of one contestant being sent home by the panel of expert and celebrity judges. It all culminates in one winner and one grand prize that will launch a career.
To determine who emerges victorious, Syfy has signed three-time Academy Award winner Ve Neill (Pirates of the Caribbean, Edward Scissorhands) and Hollywood veterans Glenn Hetrick (Heroes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files) and Patrick Tatopoulos (Underworld, Independence Day, Resident Evil: Extinction) as Face Off's judges.
There have been varying opinions about the success of this season of American Idol. I've seen and heard a lot of negative comments about the new judges panel which includes Aerosmith's lead man, Steven Tyler, the new panel hottie, Jennifer Lopez, and the only returning judge, Randy Jackson. I have mixed feelings about this year's judges - I absolutely love their energy, and they all (at times) provide great feedback to the contestants, but Steven Tyler occasionally gets a little goofy. So far, I'm enjoying the season, and I'm super excited to see so many contestants from Louisiana, including one of my favorites,Jordan, a music teacher from LaPlace, LA (I live next door to LaPlace!).
Group night was extremely intense this year, and many of the contestants cracked under the pressure. And I was not so happy about the way that many of the contestants treated each other, but if I were in the same situation, I would probably do whatever it took to get through to the next round even if that included "kicking out" the weak link in my group. If you missed last night's episode, take a look below:
Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega #2) was yet another amazing book by Patricia Briggs. She introduces an array of new, interesting characters while developing the characters of Charles and Anna beyond my expectations. I loved the setting of the book as well - it was a nice change from the calm of the mountains of Montana to the noisy streets of Seattle, Washington. This book was full of twists and turns and surprised me throughout its entirety. Amongst all the excitement, action, and turmoil that new packs, alphas, vampires, witches, and a sea fae create, Briggs also develops a beautiful romance story between Charles and Anna. Just as they seem to be settling into their newly formed mate bond, they are faced with countless obstacles which put dire strain on them as individuals and as a couple who can't live without each other.
What I love most about this book is the different ways Briggs develops the characters of both Charles and Anna. Charles has locked up all human emotion for so long so it would not interfere with the things he had to do (such as enforcing his father's policies, usually by killing the offenders). Once Anna enters his life, all those emotions come flooding back in, and he doesn't have the tools to deal with them. When he tries to deal with this by "putting a wall up", he also shuts Anna out. When he opens up and lets Anna in, he's left vulnerable and feels that he isn't able to protect her, but he soon learns that she does not need protecting - finds strength in his vulnerability. On the other hand, Anna, who once thought of herself as a weak, submissive wolf, finally finds her inner strength and proves to be a true Omega - one who protects without the need for violence. She and Charles balance each other - he gives her the strength to accomplish things she never dreamed of, and she brings calm to his life.
Charles's relationship with "Brother Wolf" is another wonderful theme of Hunting Ground. Charles is different from other wolves - he was born a wolf, not changed. He and Brother Wolf are one soul, one man, but two spirits. They are inseparable, and if one dies, so does the other. His relationship between the two spirits is a harmonious, trustful one - sometimes he even allows Brother Wolf to take over completely, which is something that causes many other wolves to lose their lives (usually after the Marrok has instructed Charles to execute them since they are dangerous to those around them as well as to the werewolf existence).
I truly enjoyed every page of Hunting Ground. The various themes blended together effortlessly and left me wanting more terror, adventure, and romance. I can't wait for the 3rd Alpha and Omega book to hit the shelves!
I have got to get a copy of River Marked (Mercedes Thompson#6) by Patricia Briggs. The book will be in stores March 1st, and I can't wait to read it!
Here's the description:
Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She's never known any others of her kind. Until now.
An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River-one that her father's people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help...
There will be an exclusive en large interview with Rachel Vincent posted on the blogs of your hostesses.
Newsfact #2: The Give-away
We will host a give away for people who enter this challenge.
At the end of the month march we will give away a Kindle book from Rachel Vincent's other series.
'The soulscreamers series'
This giveaway is open internationaly, but only for people who particepate in the challenge.
Sign up for the challenge today! We will post a seperate post in march where you can sign up for the give away!
From the 1th March to the 31th of March we will read and review as many books as many books of this series as possible in one month
We both have not read any books is this series, so we will both begin with reading the very first book in this series.
You can also join this Challenge
It does not matter if you have already read some of the books, you can just read the ones you did not read yet. And for people who read al the books already, ofcourse you can join aswell, you can choose to write reviews or just re-read them if you like.
Everybody is welcome!
On the first of March we will post a new blog were you can leave you links to the reviews you made.
What do you need to do to join this challenge?
1: Follow your hostesses: My Book Addiction & The Life of a BookAholic
2: Make a blog post about you entry to this challenge, and use the banner of the challenge in you post.
3: Post the banner in your sidebar.
4: Sign up with mister linky below.
5: Start reading as many books as possible from the first of march and write reviews of the books
Die for Me (Revenants #1) by Amy Plum
I absolutely love Shifter books. I used to be a vampire girl, but after I read my first Shifter book, I was totally hooked.
Here's the Goodreads description:
Great googly-moogly, his mouth was too perfect. If he was a wolf, she'd let him gobble her up. Maizie stiffened, worrying her thoughts might show on her face. She turned around, ending the sex-charged staring contest. The back of her neck tingled like thrumming fingers rippling across her shoulders and down her back...
I was skimming through the channels last night and ran across Face Off, a reality show on SyFy (Wednesdays, 10/9c). I wish I would have known about this show sooner - I absolutely loved it. Here's a description of the show (from SyFy.com):
There have been varying opinions about the success of this season of American Idol. I've seen and heard a lot of negative comments about the new judges panel which includes Aerosmith's lead man, Steven Tyler, the new panel hottie, Jennifer Lopez, and the only returning judge, Randy Jackson. I have mixed feelings about this year's judges - I absolutely love their energy, and they all (at times) provide great feedback to the contestants, but Steven Tyler occasionally gets a little goofy. So far, I'm enjoying the season, and I'm super excited to see so many contestants from Louisiana, including one of my favorites,Jordan, a music teacher from LaPlace, LA (I live next door to LaPlace!). 
