King Arthur Movie Tristan

Book Giveways are always fun, and I found a couple I wanted to post about:



Trish is hosting a Summer Reads Giveaway and will be giving away 14 books.

click here for more info about the 14 book giveaway

this contest will close on Saturday, July 12th.
If you go, make sure to tell her I sent ya over there.






j. kaye is giving away another set of great books. Witch Ember and The Raven are being raffled off at her blog.








click here for details about winning Witch Ember and click here for info about winning The Raven

This raffle will be held on the 5th of July.

It's Monday...again....the weekend always flies by. Enjoy your day!


I found some fun stuff to amuse myself with this morning online:




Your Rockstar Name Is...

Bunny Agony







Your Slogan Should Be





Bookworm. Hand-built by Robots.









See what Care Bear you are.






and another slogan generator:







: Manic Monday


What sound or noise do you love? The sound of my children laughing.

What sound or noise do you hate? My cockatiel, Cookie, up at 6AM screeching loudly.



What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Actor.





What profession would you not like to do? Doctor..I'm squeamish.






Back In Black



1. Who's the black sheep in your family? We have quite a few of those in my family...I won't get into it. The things they do can get us on Jerry Springer for sure!lol

2. Do you take your coffee black? I can't drink milk, but I take my coffee with soymilk and sugar.

3. Do you own a Blackberry? nope

4. Which black forest would you rather eat - cake or ham? cake!

5. Have you ever had a black eye? nope.

June will soon be over, here are the books I read & reviewed this month:



1. The Taking


2. Wicked Nights

3. All The Pretty Girls

4. Gone With the Witch

5. Beneath A Marble Sky

6. The Wednesday Sisters

7. A New Earth (this was an ongoing read...since March)

8. Return of the Rogue


I'm going to take a walk on the wild side, and try for 10 next month. My goal for 2008 was to read 100 books, but I don't think I'll reach that. Not unless I read like 11 per month from now on, which I don't think I can do. *sigh* If only I didn't have to work or sleep...lol...I could get so much more reading in! So far I have read 34 books....which so far is the most books I've ever read in a year anyway.

Happy Sunday Salon everyone. I hope you are enjoying your weekend.

I am still reading Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson by Maria Murnane. I hope to have a review up this coming week.


I got two reviews done this past week:







title: The Taking

author: Dean Koontz

genre: horror/suspense

pages: 410

first line: A few minutes past one o'clock in the morning, a hard rain fell without warning.

click here for the review







title: Wicked Nights

author: Nina Bangs

genre: paranormal romance

pages: 309

first line: "You bring the heat, O Evil One."



click here for the review


That's about it for now. What are you reading and reviewing?

title: The Taking

author: Dean Koontz

genre: horror/suspense

pages: 410

first line: A few minutes past one o'clock in the morning, a hard rain fell without warning.

rated: 5 out of 5








'One rainy night, the end of the world began.'







'The Taking' is one of my favorite Dean Koontz novels. The only books I re-read are ones I absolutely love, so I decided to pick this one up again.


Early one morning, in her cozy California home, Molly Sloan wakes up from bed, unable to sleep. Her husband, Eric, is next to her, sleepy soundly. Molly can hear the sound of rain falling outside, and she senses something is not right.

'Nonetheless, as she scanned the night woods, the nape of her neck prickled as though a ghost lover has pressed his ectoplasmic lips againts her skin. A shudder of inexplicable misgiving passed through her.

Rattled by the conviction that something in the forest returned her scrutiny from behind the wet veil of the storm, Molly backed away from the window.'

She winds up going outside and touching the rain drops, and knows for sure there is something dangerous happening. This is not normal rain, it has a strange scent to it, and touching it makes Molly feel dirty.





Soon enough Eric wakes from a nightmare, and he and Molly turn on the TV to see if there are any weather forecasts. The rain is a heavy downpour and blue snow is falling in other parts of the world. They soon find out that this is not normal weather, that something sinister is out there, so they decide to head out in search of others. While in thier car, they hear a radio broadcasting a recording of a team of astronauts who have recently made contact with these other 'beings'. They hear these astronauts being slaughtered by the aliens.




They find a group of townspeople who have taken refuge in the local bar. These other people are divided in what they want to do. Some want to fight, others want to hide and some want to make peace with whatever has landed on Earth. Molly has a premonition that she is meant to save any children that have been abandoned in this 'rainstorm'. She & Eric head out in search of the children.







I enjoyed the plot, the characters are well written and this book takes off from page one. There isn't a dull moment.

'Although she had resisted this knowledge all her life, had lived determinedly in the future, focused there by ambition, she understood at last that this was the real condition of humanity: The dance of life occurred not yesterday or tomorrow, but only here at the still point that was the present. This truth is simple, self-evident, but difficult to accept, for we sentimentalize the past and wallow in it, while we endure the moment and in every waking hour dream of the future.

What Molly had done thus far in her life was the history of her soul, unalterable, ineradicable. What she hoped to do in the future was of no meaning if she failed to do the wise thing, the good thing, moment by moment, here at the still point, here
in the dance of life.'

I also like Molly & Eric's relationship, it is believeable and you wind up caring what happens to these characters. 'The Taking' is a great read, especially if you're in the mood for a good science fiction/horror/end of the world story. At time Koontz writes this novel, almost like poetry. And I enjoy the references to T.S. Eliot throughout.

'They were as different as mice and moonbeams.

Considering their contrasting natures, they shared a love that seemed unlikely. Yet love was the cord that bound them together, the sinewy fiber that gave them strength to weather dissapointment, even tragedy.'

Some of you have already heard this story...but I'm telling it again. *grin*

I liked this book so much, that when I first read it a few years ago, I mailed Dean Koontz a fan letter telling him how much I loved the book and his writing. I included one of my crocheted elephants with the letter. I didn't expect a response, but a few weeks later, I received a package in the mail. It took me a few seconds for my brain to register what this was once I opened the package....lol. He sent me a personalized letter, thanking me for the elephant. And a hardcover copy of 'The Taking', personally autographed for me. Yeah, that was an O-M-G moment for me. I love my personal autographed book and letter, and I show it off to whoever will listen...lol.














this read has been part of the following reading challenges:

100 +

it's the end of the world challenge

TBR

suspense & thriller

All the weeks Fluff stories about all those Hollywood nuts.

The clever, and funny, Get Smart trounced Mike Myers awful looking Love Guru at the box office this past weekend, proving funny can work. Smart was clever, living in the past by paying homage to the original TV show, and the present with a witty script and good actors nailing their roles. Love Guru features a double neck sitar for laughs, and the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup, in case you thought it was a documentary.

The weekly Led Zeppelin update, courtesy of Ramble On: The Who had a song called Dr. Jimmy, with some ever so wonderful lyrics:

What is it? I'll take it.
Who is she? I'll rape it.
Got a bet there? I'll meet it.
Getting High? You can't beat it.

Doctor Jimmy and mister Jim
When I'm pilled you don't notice him,
He only comes out when I drink my gin.

I can't help thinking of that song today after hearing that Jimmy Page will now be Dr. Jimmy:

The University of Surrey is proud to confer the honorary degree of Doctor of the University to Jimmy Page for services to the music industry.

Congratulations Dr. Pagey.

Prediction time: Warning: Possible Spoiler.

Hells Kitchen is down to the final contestants, Christina and Petroza.Warning: Possible Spoiler.

Although the internet buzz is that Christina won and is already at work at the London West Hollywood, my read of the show is that under the radar Petroza has never been made to look bad, and is this pages choice to take home the prize: Executive Chef at Ramsey's new, above mentioned London West Hollywood restaurant.


George Carlin (1937 - 2008). George Carlin was my introduction to comedy. My brother had Toledo Window Box and we used to listen to it continuously. Being a kid I got great pleasure from the snot and fart jokes. As I grew older and heard more comedians, Carlin was still always a favourite. His ability to take a simple word and turn it and twist it until you understood every nuance of it was amazing, and for a word guy like me pure genius. Funny too. While his 60's and 70's stuff is the legendary work, his 1986 album Playin' With Your Head has always been my favourite.

For Canadian content, one of my favourite scenes from his 1994 TV show was the guys in the bar betting on the curling, arguing over whether Moose Jaw or Yellowknife would win.

Whatever you think of Carlin's views, and he was certainly controversial, he was an original thinker and the words comic genius don't seem to be hyperbole.

Thanks to Justice Max Teitelbaum who has declared John Gomery was biased against Jean Chrétien and therefore, his conclusion that Chrétien, and his chief of staff Jean Pelletier, bore some responsibility was wrong. Chrétien was said to be "very very pleased. Chrétien ran a $100 million program in which up to $40 million is said to have gone missing. He is either responsible, or extremely incompetent. As he cannot be responsible, isn't Justice Teitelbaum just declaring Chrétien incompetent? So again, thanks to Justice Teitelbaum for clearing that up.

Actually, as Justice Teitelbaum makes Justice Gomery's findings invalid, and as it's probably an election year, Prime Minister Harper should call a new enquiry into the sponsorship scandal. Think another enquiry would find the Prime Minister had no responsibility when $400M in malfeasance was happening under his watch? And it can't hurt Harpers re-election chances.

Oh, to the person who's going to comment that Gomery cost more to conduct than was stolen and it would be a waste to spend it again: I accept that argument as soon as you show me where you made the same argument re: Brian Mulroney.

A little less than a year ago John Palmer at EclecEcon had a post on the three most important concepts in economics. While some fools were arguing utility theory and the theory of perfect competition, he argued for opportunity cost. Opportunity cost isn't just basic, econ 101 stuff, it is econ 101, day 1, page 1. It works this way: every time you engage in economic activity (i.e. buy something), you make a choice. I buy this litre of gas or that litre of milk, for instance. It's so simple, and so often misunderstood.

Why misunderstood? An example: when Stéphane Dion says we want to make polluting pay, that's opportunity cost. When he says he will return the money to you through the tax system, that's misunderstanding opportunity cost. Here's why: if it costs more to heat your house you have two choices: run the furnace less (i.e. turn down the heat) or sacrifice other economic activity to accommodate the extra cost (before the clever among you cite the obvious problem with this case, savings and leisure time both count as "economic activity"). If you're public policy objective is reducing carbon producing activity, this will effectively work. It is that choice between competing economic activities that will give you incentive to reduce. However, if you give back the extra you took at the thermostat, you have eliminated the incentive. Revenue neutral means, or is intended to mean, opportunity cost = zero. But with zero opportunity cost, there is zero incentive to reduce.

I have cited before others problems with both a carbon tax as it is being sold, and with the concept of revenue neutral: the real level of taxation required to be effective; revenue neutral means neutral for the government; what happens to the tax when it effectively works amd government revenues decline?

But the truth is the main reason revenue neutral is bad policy is opportunity cost. Revenue neutral means zero opportunity cost, and without opportunity cost Dion's tax shift is simply for the sake of shifting taxes. Or as Stephen Harper would put it, it's crazy economics.

Friday is finally here....*yay*

I'm still reading The Taking & Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson.

I should have my reviews up in a few days.

Enjoy your Friday and happy reading.

...this week’s theme is Challenges....


If you participate in any challenges, get organized! Update your lists, post about any you haven’t mentioned, add links of reviews to your lists if you do that, go to the challenge blog if there is one and post there, etc.



I participate in too many challenges...lol. They are always fun though. I frequently check A Novel Challenge for any new challenges posted.





I run the RRC. If you haven't joined us, come on...it's a fun way to get your romance reads in.




One challenge I need suggestions for is The Arthurian Challenge. I need suggestions for this one. The idea is to read books 'starring characters found in or inspired by Arthurian legends'. Any suggestions?




I also wanted to do the The Harlequin/Silhouette Reading Challenge . Any suggestions for some good books?

title: Wicked Nights

author: Nina Bangs

genre: paranormal romance

pages: 309

first line: "You bring the heat, O Evil One."

rated: 4 out of 5 stars








This is my first time reading Nina Bangs, and I will be reading more of her books. I was hooked from page one with this book, to the point where I stood up past midnight reading.


Donna Nolan hosts a late night radio show called 'Donna Till Dawn'. Lately she's been getting calls from female listeners saying that they have been taken each night by non-humans and whisked away to a place called 'Castle of Dark Dreams' for a wild time.
This castle is a Live Fantasy Theme Park/Hotel. In the castle you can live out your fantasies...i.e...being a damsel in distress and being rescued by prince charming. Donna decides to spend one week in this theme park, and broadcast her show from there to see if there is any truth to these wild tales of seduction. She of course doesn't believe there is any truth to the stories of the creatures of the night.


There she meets Eric McNair. Eric plays a vampire in this theme park. Donna takes an interest in Eric right away.

'His mouth. She drew in her breath on the savage beauty of that mouth. Sensual lips made fuller by the fangs they hid, lips that made her slide the tip of her tongue across her own bottom lip as she remembered the feel of them touching her neck. Lips that tempted her to stand on her toes so she could press her mouth to his and test their firmness. Lips made to bring pleasure to a woman's body.

He smiled. A smile filled with wicked knowledge.'

While at the castle, Eric & Donna have a tryst, but Donna's life is soon in danger from another vampire. Donna finds out that there really are creatures of the night out there. Eric swears to protect her from harm, and the two soon form a relationship based on more than just sex, even though they both try to deny it.

He wanted Donna to see him as special. And since he couldn't reveal his more spectacular powers, he'd wanted her to remember him as the guy who gave her the Super O-the orgasm able to leap tall buildings at a single bound.

This was a great read.

The author adds alot of interesting characters to the mix. The plot was good and it remained believeable, even though it involved vampires, demons, wizards, a talking cat and a ghost. I liked Eric & Donna's characters and the romance between them.

"Being on top doesn't automatically mean you're in charge talk-show lady. Right now the pleasure starts on the bottom." His voice was cool with certainty. 'And I'll be in charge of the pleasure-giving today. Screaming is encouraged."

This was a fun summer read.



visit the author's website: http://www.ninabangs.com/





this has been part of the following reading challenges:


RRC

TBR

100+

triple 8

Wake by Lisa McMann


premise:

Not all dreams are sweet.


For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.


She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.


Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

J.Kaye is raffling off yet another awesome read. She posts some great reviews over there, and frequently raffles off books. She is now raffling off a copy of Wake by Lisa McMann.

'Raffles are held on Saturdays. Books are raffled off to viewers who comment about the review. The raffles have a cut off date in the post.'

Head on over to J.Kaye's blog for more details! Make sure to read her review of this book and leave a comment. This raffle will be held on the 28th of June.




'Wake' sounds like a great read, J.Kaye gave it a good review and it's got some good ratings over @ barnesandnoble.com.