Mundie Moms

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday- Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Published by Feiwel & Friends
To Be Released on August 31st, 2010

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio.

They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove.

There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth. (taken from Goodreads)

I am dying to read this book. The story sounds like a Mundie Moms must read and the cover is beautiful. I'm excited to have learned this is the first book in three book series. I received this yesterday in mail, and I'm looking forward to reading it and sharing my review.

Here's a Q&A with Alexandra

You can visit the publisher's site here to learn more http://us.macmillan.com/halo

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event spotlighting upcoming releases we are highly anticipating. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Clockwork Angel - June Excerpt

Here's what Cassie tweeted last night:

June Clockwork Angel excerpt up. It's short, and the second to last excerpt I'll be posting before the book is out! No August excerpt, but I think there will be plenty of other excitements is August to keep us all occupied. :)
We are all buzzing around here at Mundie Moms because, well, here's the excerpt from mid-book, Will Herondale and Gabriel Lightwood:

Will went back to scrubbing dried vampire blood off his hands and arms. The task was absorbing enough that he was able to almost completely ignore Gabriel Lightwood when the other boy appeared out of the shadows and sauntered over to Will, a superior smile plastered on his face.

"Nice work in there, Herondale, setting the place on fire," Gabriel observed. "Good thing we were there to clean up after you, or the whole plan would have gone down in flames, along with the shreds of your reputation."

"Are you implying that shreds of my reputation remain intact?" Will demanded with mock horror. "Clearly I have been doing something wrong. Or not doing something wrong, as the case may be." He banged on the side of the carriage. "Thomas! We must away at once to the nearest brothel! I seek scandal and low companionship."

Thomas snorted and muttered something that sounded like "bosh," which Will ignored.

Gabriel’s face darkened. "Is there anything that isn’t a joke to you?"

"Nothing that comes to mind."

"You know," Gabriel said, "there was a time I thought we could be friends, Will."

"There was a time I thought I was a ferret," Will said, "but that turned out to be the opium haze. Did you know it had that effect? Because I didn’t."


Oh Will, you with the snarky comebacks. You sound a little familiar to us! August 31st cannot come fast enough! Can it? Have you pre-ordered your copy of Clockwork Angel, yet?

Book Review-The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, an Eclipse novella

By Stephenie Meyer
Published by Little Brown
Released on June 5th, 2010
Source: bought
3.5 stars - it was good read

Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire.

All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.

Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as "her". As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trus. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth? (taken from Goodreads)

It's been over a year since I've read from the Twilight series, and it was nice jumping back into the world Stephenie Meyer created. I liked getting to know Bree more, and seeing the darker side to the vampires in the Twilight series. It only broke my heart more knowing her out come. I'm not giving anything way by saying that, as most everyone has read the books. If you're going to see Eclipse tonight, and haven't read the books, than you'll soon find out what happens.

*SPOILERS below*

It didn't have the same feel the rest of the Twilight books had for me, but that was due to Stephenie taking the reader into a darker world. I liked that she made Bree, Diego and Fred characters who wanted to do something about the life they were now apart of. While they didn't have a choice about being turned, they had the choice try and do something about it.

Now that I've read
The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner, I'm looking forward to seeing what aspects of the book they added to the movie. It's nice getting more of Bree's back story. I liked understanding the meaning behind some of Edward's comments he makes to Jane and also Carlisle after the fight. I despise Jane that much more. I like that Bree gave Edward all the information he needed to know about the army and the Volturi's involvement.

I'd recommend adding this book to any Twilight fans collection.

Guardian of the Gate Book Trailer

Remember how much we loved Michelle Zink's Prophecy of the Sisters (link to review)? Well, the sequel, Guardian of the Gate, is coming out on August 1st and the incredibly talented Vania of VLC Photos has once again amazed us with her book trailer. Don't wait, Mundie Moms, be sure to pre-order your copy now:


Twitter Tuesday - Stephanie Perkins

You know when you find a comment that just makes you smirk? Well, Stephanie's words brought to mind all those early summer mornings when my kids were babies and they would cry the moment the neighbor's gardeners showed up. There's nothing quite like that magic moment of realizing I Really Can't Sleep Any Longer.

Speaking of magic moments, have you read the synopsis of Stephanie's book, Anna and the French Kiss? (quoted from Stephanie's website)

A contemporary romance set in the City of Light, guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt :

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris — until she meets Étienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna — and readers — have long awaited?


And have you seen these blurbs?

"Very sly. Very funny. Very romantic. You should date this book."
—Maureen Johnson, NYT bestselling author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes and Scarlett Fever

"Imagine a mug of rich, thick hot chocolate. Now add a swirl of sweet whipped cream. Yummy? Oui. Well, Anna and the French Kiss is richer, sweeter, and—yes—even hotter. You're in for a very special treat." — Lauren Myracle, NYT bestselling author of Peace, Love, & Baby Ducks and Let It Snow

We're looking forward to the release of Anna and the French Kiss on December 2, 2o1o. It looks like it will be the perfect break for those stressful Pre-Holiday Magic Moments. Doesn't it?

Monday, June 28, 2010

I've kidnapped 13 to Life's Pietr!


If you missed our chat with Shannon Delany tonight, I announced that I kidnapped Pietr. Since we love wolves so much, Shannon's made it so anyone can easily meet my demands.

Here's my demands:
Here's what you can do to free him:

(All this is on and from Shannon's site) Pietr is being held for ransom, but you can help Pietr get home and help wildlife sanctuaries at the same time!

Make a donation of $13 or more (or the foreign equivalent) and email your receipt to info [at] shannondelany [dot] com. As soon as Shannon knows there’s a hero helping Pietr and his kind out, she’ll contact the ransomers and let them know the ransom’s been paid. Then Pietr (the adorable stuffed wolf seen here) will be sent to visit you! Take good care of him, because he’ll be traveling on as soon as more people jump in to help get Pietr home. As soon as Pietr arrives at his next stop, you’ll be sent a signed 13 to Life mini poster, a signed bookplate to put into your copy of the book, a glow-in-the-dark 13 to Life pin and a card from Shannon thanking you for your willingness to help wildlife sanctuaries. All particpants are required to pay to ship Pietr to his next destination within 1 week of being notified of another hero.

*(For now Pietr cannot travel abroad in person, but we hope to change that soon! If you are participating from a foreign country, follow the same steps as listed above and you will be sent everything except Pietr. Shannon will try to put together a special waiting list of foreign contacts so that Pietr will be able to tour the world as an ambassador of wildlife goodwill soon!)

** You can find out more by visiting the Wanted picture on our side bar** Visit Shannon's site for list of ALL the Wolf Sanctuaries you can donate too and learn more on how you can free Pietr-http://13-to-life-a-werewolf-tale.blogspot.com/2010/06/13-to-life-pietrs-been-ransomed.html

We're chatting with Shannon Delany TONIGHT! 8 pm CST/9 pm EST




*Our *
will have spoilers* chat will start at 8 pm CST/ 9 pm EST. To join, hit join and enter a screen name.

*Please know that we will be discussing 13 To Life by Shannon Delany, which was released last week!

*We do our best to make sure all comments are published, so that Shannon can answer your questions. With the high volume of guests expected tonight, not all the questions may be answered in the hour time frame of the chat. If that is the case, we will be sure to send them to Shannon so that she can answer them, after which we will post them on the blog and our forum.

*In respect to Shannon's time, we will only publish comments that pertain to their current writings, and book.

*We will not post any personal questions or comments.

* Any rude, disrespectful, or spam like comments will not be published.

*Thank you and we look forward to chatting with everyone tonight!


**No part of this chat is allowed to be used with out our permission**

Mundie Moms Freebie Friday

We've decided to forego our book mark contest and just make this a nice simple giveaway. Since we love reading, and summer is the perfect time to sit by the pool and read, we want to provide two lucky people with a box of great summer reads. (Unfortunately, with the amount of books and the cost of shipping, this is open to US residents only).

Here's the Prizes:
1st place winner will receive a box of these books:

* Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
* Borderline by Allan Stratton
* Guardian of The Dead by Karen Healey
* The Sons of Liberty by
* The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott (ARC)
* Inside Out by Maria Snyder (ARC)
* The Turning, What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis (ARC)

2nd place winner will receive:
* Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
* The Chronicles of Nick, Infinity by Sherilynn Kenyon
* Grace by Elizabeth Scott (ARC)
* I Kissed A Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer (ARC)
*Siren by Tricia Rayburn
* Wicked, Witch and Curse by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie


*more books can be added before our giveaway ends*

Good Luck!!

Mundane Monday #39

Today I thought we'd do something a little different. We're very excited for our month long CWA celebration that we're having in August. We'll be posting an interview with Cassie, introducing you to each of the main CWA characters, hosting giveaways and ending our celebration with a LIVE chat with Cassie on September 8th!

I wanted to share a sample of some of the giveaways we have planned. Thank you to Simon and Schuster, we have some CWA posters and CWA journals we'll be giving away. Here's what they look like (the front and back of the journal).

The back of the journal says,

"One must always be careful with books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us."

"I'm not sure a book has ever changed me," said Will. "Well, these is one volume that promises to teach one how to turn oneself into an entire flock of sheep-"

"Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry," said Tessa, determined not to let him run wildly off with the conversation.

From
The Infernal Devices
Book One
Clockwork Angle
Cassandra Clare

We can't wait for August!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It's a list of books we've received this past week for review, borrowed from friends or the library, received as a gift and/or bought.

For Review:
*Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie (published by Simon & Schuster, 9/2010)
* Zombies vs Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
(published by Simon & Schuster, 9/2010)
* The Ring of Five by Eoin McNamee (published by Knopf Delacorte Dell/Random House Kids, 5/2010)
* Frankie the Walk N' Roll Dog by Barbara Techel (from the author)

Bought:
* The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison

Received As A Gift:
* The Magicians by Lev Grossman

AND, I'm so excited to share this picture with you guys, as Shannon Delany sent me
a box full of goodies to raffle off tomorrow night at our private Twilight Moms midnight
showing of Eclipse. We host raffles for ALS (Alex Lemonade Stand), and 100% of the
proceeds go to ALS. If you're attending any of the TM showings, most all of us are hosting
raffles for ALS. THANK YOU Shannon!!!
*big plush wolf is NOT included in the raffles.
He's part of a ransom that we'll be doing during
tonight's chat w/ Shannon.* more details to come.









I'll be posting more of what we received in our Mailbox in our Mundane Monday post.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Random House Kids and Sophie for this weeks
wonderful reads. Thank you Shannon Delany for the wonderful goodies to raffle off for ALS.

What goodies did you receive this week?

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Book Review - SIREN

By: Tricia Rayburn
Published by EgmontUSA
Release Date: July 13, 2010
Source: ARC Tour via FireIcePhotos
4 Stars- I really liked this book. Go pick it up.

Synopsis (from EgmontUSA): Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything--the dark, heights, the ocean--but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is until Justine goes cliff diving one night near the family's vacation house in Winter Harbor, Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Vanessa's parents want to work through the tragedy by returning to their everyday lives back in Boston, but Vanessa can't help feeling that her sister's death was more than an accident. After discovering that Justine never applied to colleges, and that she was secretly in a relationship with longtime family friend Caleb Carmichael, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor to seek some answers.

But when Vanessa learns that Caleb has been missing since Justine's death, she and Caleb's older brother, Simon, join forces to try to find him, and in the process, their childhood friendship blossoms into something more.

Soon it's not just Vanessa who is afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes home to a string of fatal, water-related accidents . . . in which all the victims are found grinning from ear to ear.

As Vanessa and Simon probe further into the connections between Justine's death and the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance, and that will change her life forever.


You know that feeling when you find a book that hooks you from its very first chapter? That is exactly what happened to me when I started reading SIREN. Tricia's description of Winter Harbor, Maine and her well written cast of characters pulled me in like some bewitched tide. Before I knew it, pages kept turning, hours had passed and I was closing the last page of the book with a satisfied smile much like the victims found on the shores of Winter Harbor.

At the heart of the plot is a mystery -- a string of unrelated deaths where the victims are found with frozen smiles on their faces. The only victim who was not smiling was Vanessa's sister, Justine. And now, Justine's boyfriend, Caleb, is missing and more bodies keep washing up.

Vanessa, who is scared of everything -- the dark, the ocean and even her feelings for Caleb's geeky brother, Simon, finds the courage to help Simon search for Caleb. I loved her journey as she faces her fears and finds the determination to find the answers to mysteries that are as deep as the water which surrounds Winter Harbor.

I know we've been talking about good Summer Reads lately. Just think of it, Mundie Moms, here's a seaside mystery which begs to be solved. Surrounding the intrigue is a delicious mythology which moves in and out of the plot until, in the end, it all begins to make sense. Now, I also need to mention that most Good Summer Reads have a romantic subplot and the romance in SIREN will tug at your heart and make you think of your own first love -- awkward, emotional and yet so very, very right .

So don't wait, pick up SIREN and put it in your beach bag. You will find yourself happy that you made the journey to Winter Harbor and dropped in just in time to get swept away by its secrets.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Freebie Friday!

Happy Friday! Our official Freebie Friday contest isn't starting until Monday, as we're finishing the last few details for it. Here's the list of books we'll be giving for it:

The first winner will receive a box of these books:
* Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
* Borderline by Allan Stratton
* Guardian of The Dead by Karen Healey
* The Sons of Liberty by
* The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott (ARC)
* Inside Out by Maria Snyder (ARC)
* The Turning, What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis (ARC)

The second winner will receive:
* Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
* The Chronicles of Nick, Infinity by Sherilynn Kenyon
* Grace by Elizabeth Scott (ARC)
* I Kissed A Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer (ARC)

The full details for the contest will be posted on Monday!

Cassie's treat for hitting 10,000 followers

Congratulations to Cassie for hitting 10,000 followers! In case you missed it, Cassie promised her followers a wonderful treat for when she hit 10,000 followers and boy has she treated us. Here's what she says,

"I promised my Twitter followers that when I got to 10,000 followers I'd post the short story that tells the story of Jocelyn's early life and marriage to Valentine from her point of view, that I originally gave away last year as a prize at the Bryant Park party. http://cassandraclare.livejournal.com/32496.html (It's what the chapter in which she tells Clary her backstory in CoG was adapted from, but much longer and more detailed.)

Here it is:

http://bit.ly/bXFyh3"

Happy Reading! Thank you Cassie!

*SIGNED* Michael Scott The Necromancer Winner

I am so sorry I'm late on posting our winner. I've had family in town this week and haven't been on much at all lately.

Congratulations to Ashley! She has won a *SIGNED* copy of The Necromancer by Michael Scott and will also receive a Necromancer water bottle.

Thank you to Random House for all their support. Thank you to everyone who entered. Don't forget to enter our other giveaways. We'll be announcing details for our next giveaway soon.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Thoughtful Thursday-NWF (National Wildlife Federation)

A couple nights ago I stayed up to watch CNN's Larry King telethon he did to raise money for the Gulf Coast. Why were they doing this? Well BP has a long way to go in their clean up efforts and sending the money they've promised to not only help rebuild the lives destroyed by the oil in the Gulf Coast, but to also send money for the cost of cleaning and taking care of the thousands of animals who are caught in this disaster. Help is needed to clean and re-release the thousands of sea animals and birds that have been directly effected by this. It's going to take awhile before all the money is sent to those who need it, Larry King/CNN decided to raise money that will be sent to The Gulf Coast now.

One of the three organizations that were apart of the telethon is NWF (National Wildlife Federation). I'm already a huge supporter of them and what they stand for. So when I saw that I could text the words NWF, and send $10 each time I texted that, I jumped at the chance. You can still text wildlife to 20222 to donate $10 to NWF.

You can visit http://www.nwf.org/ to see what they're doing to help clean up the Gulf Coast.

Here's what NWF is doing to help with this crisis http://tinyurl.com/2axekt9 "We believe strongly we have an obligation to find out what is happening, share this information with the public and do everything we can to help wildlife survive this tragedy." (taken from NWF's site).

Be sure to visit the link to find out all the ways they are helping and what we, as an individual can do. Two ways we can help are:

You can donate-http://tinyurl.com/296wdld "The wildlife casualties are adding up. Hundreds of birds and sea turtles have already been found dead. Hundreds more animals are struggling to survive, drenched in toxic oil. Sadly, this is just the beginning of what’s in store for wildlife in the region due to this devastating tragedy.

Please donate today to support National Wildlife Federation’s efforts on-the-ground to confront this crisis. We’re tracking and reporting on the impacts of the oil spill, and we’re setting up an extensive network of volunteers that will support wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts and restore damaged coastal ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico." (taken from NWF's site)

You can Volunteer to help in the clean up efforts http://tinyurl.com/2b34bsp "To monitor the impact of the BP Oil Spill on wildlife and habitat, the National Wildlife Federation and our state affiliates in the Gulf are organizing and deploying teams of volunteers to observe the more than 10,000 miles of shoreline along the Gulf Coast." (taken from NWF's website).

You can also find a button, like we have at the top right of our blog and add them to your sites, with NWF's link to help spread the word. Any thing we can do to help in this urgent matter will help. You can follow NWF on twitter here http://twitter.com/NWF

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Book Review- The Eternal Ones

by Kirsten Miller
Published by Razorbill (Penguin)
To Be Released on August 10, 2010
Source: Publisher
4 Stars- I really liked this book. Go pick it up.

Synopsis: (from Penguin) Haven Moore cannot control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother's house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

I was engrossed in The Eternal Ones from the very beginning where Haven has a vision of her past life, I was unable to put the book down for too long. The whole concept of reincarnation was very intriguing to me and was the main thing that made me want to read this book. I needed something different from what I've been reading recently and I definitely got it.

Haven Moore is a girl from a very small town in Tennessee, she's been having visions since she was little of another life where she was in love with a man named Ethan. This visions finally get her to the point that the people in her town start believing that she is possessed by a demon. She gets tired of it one day and decides to go to New York in search of Iain Morrow the famous billionaire that she believes is Ethan (her soulmate) reincarnated. From then on the book gets even more interesting as she is being followed around the city by some strange men, she discovers secrets about the Ouroboros Society, and is not completely convinced that she is meant to be with Iain. I thought Haven seemed a little too naive and I felt very frustrated with her actions and how easy it was for the other characters to convince her and change her mind constantly. Then I found myself as confused as she was sometimes and I kept wanting to yell at her to just leave everything and get out of there as fast as she could like if I were watching one of those scary movies where the girl runs upstairs instead of out the door.

I thought the writing was great and the characters were well developed as I found myself connected to the main character and felt the rollercoaster of emotions that she was feeling. I got to be honest and say that I had several mixed feelings about the book while reading it and didn't know if I was really loving it specially when the plot was stretching a little too long for me, but by the end I felt very sad that it was over and wanted more. It was definitely a very suspenseful story about love against evil that I will be reading over again. I don't think it will be for everyone though, as I felt confused about my own feelings while reading it. Some might love it and some might not like it much but I was definitely swooning over it sometimes while reading it and found myself falling in love with it and it's characters. I know I sound sappy but I did, and I'm hoping there will be more like this one.

Waiting on Wednesday- Crusade by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Published by Simon Pulse
To Be Released on September 7th, 2010

The ultimate battle. The ultimate love.

For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain's Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.

Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated—and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.

Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself—and her heart. (taken from Goodreads)

We're looking forward to Nancy's new series, and Crusade is book #1. Not only is the cover eye catching, but the story sounds like a must read. With so many great upcoming fall releases, this is one book we don't want to miss reading.

You can find out more about it from Nancy's site here http://nancyholder.com/, Debbie's site here http://debbieviguie.com/ and you can visit Simon and Schuster's site here http://tinyurl.com/22ocpbs

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event spotlighting upcoming releases we are highly anticipating. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

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