News to come later

Okay Folks here it is the BEA has come to a close for me as I a catching a train at 12 and need to fit some books into my suitcase my arms are gonna disown me now...lol feet disowned me yesterday.

So I will share with you all the fun I had last night at the Geektastic party put on by Little Brown, Barry Lyga's contest he is having and a recap of lasts night cab ride where I had to sit in the front with the cabbie. Scary Scary Scary. Let's just say if you need to sober someone up whether it be you or a friend let them ride in the front seat in a NYC cab. That will fix anyone. will also tell you about the bouncer I met at the Lucky Strikes bowling alley. for now I am signing off.

Day 2 of the BEA

Day two of BEA 2009

First my poor feet have disowned me. I have never made them do this much walking in one day in a very long time. But it is a very good tired and very good sore feet. Another wonderful day at the BEA.

Before I forget I realized this morning that I had forgotten to list out a couple of books I had received at the Authors breakfast those books were:

Strega Nona Harvest by Tomie DePaola
Air Head by Meg Cabot.

Now on to today's list of books that were autograophed.

James Van Praagh for Unfinished Business: What the Dead can Teach us About Life

Brenda Jackson for Temperature Rising

Frank McKinney for The Tap

Frank McKinney and his daughter for Dear Fred, Flying Lunchboxes and the Good Luck Circle

Daniel and Dina Nayeri for Another Faust

Hannah Friedman for Everything Sucks

Janet Lord Leszi for A Pebble to Polish

Jeannette Franfou Ramnarine for The 4 Little Pigs

Jess McCann for You Lost Him at Hello

Carrie Silver-Stock for Secrets Girls Keep

Todd Strasser for Wish You Were Dead (which I have begun to read already)

George Mann for The Affinity Bridge

Ouisie Shapiro and Stephen Vote for Autism & Me:Sibling Stories

Leigh Brescia for One Wish

Francine Prose for Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife

Those were all planned signings but as I was walking through the various booths I picked up a couple more books signed by the author and they were:

Is It Dumb To Suck Your Thumb by Paul M. Krammer

Maggie Goes on a Diet also by Paul M. Krammer

Sniper Bid by Rick Robinson

Bedtime with Rollo by brothers David and Seth Bier (Here I must take a minute and tell you how awesome these two gentlemen were not only did they give me one book and one stuffed toy of Rollo but they gave me a total of three books and three stuffed toys and signed all three books. They are helping me keep the peace with my nieces and nephews. These two gentleman were awesome and I think everyone should have a copy of their book.)

Other books picked up but not signed are as follows:

A golf Book (spacing on the title and already shipped it home so it will have to come later)

Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby ( given to me by a fellow attendee who didn't want it. How nice is that)

The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison

Pals in Peril: Jasper Dash and the Flame PIts of Delware by M.T. Anderson

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot

Allie Finkle's Rues for Girls Stage Fright by Meg Cabot

The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliott

Oh wait almost forgot, I got books this am at the author breakfast I attended and they are:
Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder

Half Broke Horses: A True Life Novel by Jeannette Walls

American on Purpose: A Memoir by Craig Ferguson

This days total of books is: 29 b00ks not counting the two books I forgot yesterday.

I have had a wonderful time at the Bea and plan on attending next Year. This time though I will pack short sleeve shirts ans better shoes. lol

First Official Day at the BEA 2009

Began my day at 3:45am. Yes, Yes you read correctly. Crazy you say, why yes I would have to agree with you on that one. lol However the reason for my craziness to get two orange tickets for authors signing later in the day, one of which I gave to a fellow tweeter and blogger who could not get up that early and one to get books signed for my mom... aren't I sweet...lol.
The first event of the day was they Children's book & Author breakfast. The authors there were Meg Cabot, Tomie DePaola, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and the well know and love Julie Andrews. Much to my surprise at this breakfast was to find free books were on my seat when I sat down. What a wonderful way to start the day. then from there I began the day long event of getting authors' signatures.

So in review here are the authors I saw and got autographs from.
Jordan Summers for Crimson (also was given another book but at the moment at a loss for the
tittle.)

Sarah MaClean for The Season

Laurie Faria Stolarz for Deadly Little Lies

Jennifer Leigh (PsyD) for Laid or Loved? The secrets Guys Wish You Knew About Being a
Dream Girl instead of a Just-in-his- jeans Girl. (here she gave out a keychaing
attached to a zipper book mark. Very cool message and with the bookmark.
Should you be curious and want to know just ask me and I shall tell you. =).

Heather Graham for Dust to Dust

Two books for my mom
Carol Higgins Clark for Cursed
Mary Higgins Clark forJust Take my Heart

Bridie Clark for The Overnight Socialite

For the nieces and nephews
Chris Van Dusen for Circus Ship
Ted Lewin illustrator for The Longest Night
Lynnette Murray-Gibson for The Magical adventures of Clara the Cleaning Woman: Clara Meets
Mr. Twiddles (She was nice enough to sign two books for me so they cherubs wont fight)

Back to my books
Walter Krumm for Diary of a Dead Man (sadly he did not show up to sign it but still got a copy)

Lev Grossman for The Magicians

Darryl Hagar for The Man Overboard

David Lubar for My Rotten Life:Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie

Then I went to a couple of Publishers booths and picked up a couple more autographs they were
Anna Leonard for DreamCatcher

Gena Showalter forVampire's Bride

Maria Synder for Storm Glass

Rachel Vincent for Pride

Along with the above books a publisher asked me to review a children's book that is quite
popular and will be sending the book my way the book to be reviewed is Everybody
poops. (yes folks you read it correctly...lol ) Look forward to getting it and posting about
it here.
Also picked up School of Fear (blanking on the author. Sorry) and a friend picked up a vampire book for me (wasn't that nice of her?)
Too other locations I went to were a booth selling massaging insoles. The company is Best Soles Inc. They had me try on the insoles and lets just say my feet were thanking God that the Guy pulled me into the booth to try them. walked out buying a pair and they are quite comfortable. The website if you are interested is www.MassagingInsoles.com
And finally I stopped at a booth for Carl R. Sams PhotoTgraphy Inc. where I was shown a book about being lost in the forest. The photographes used in this book were exsquiste. It had a nice story line and was educational. Highly reccomend if interested in books on animals Another book shown too me had oil paintings for the illustrations again the pictures were exquiste. The webpage to find them at is www.strangerinthewoods.com

So at the end of Day one I managed to pick up 23 books, 24 counting the one being mailed to mre.

Well that is all for me for tonight. My feet are hurting and my have sore muscles that I never knew I had. But the above books eith the exception of three were shipped home and hopefully will arrive this week. So excited.

Happy reading.

Book Expo America day one

Well really it is not the first day of the expo but it is the first day in NYC. Arrived in NYC at Penn Station at 5:00pm grabbed a cab and headed over to the Roosevelt Hotel. Man it was a fast ride and I had my eyes closed for half of it. Never take a New York Cab ride if you are faint of heart. Checked in to the hotel and headed out to meet some fellow tweeters at the Strand. The strand for those of you that don't know (cause I didn't) is a huge and I mean huge book store. You would need a whole day to look through everything they have on their shelves. But FYI where light weight clothes as it is very hot. Could have been inpart due to the two mojitos I had at dinner but the store was hot. After spending about two hours in the strand I left having spent 124.00 dollars. Way more then I planned on especially cause I am do to get some books at the BEA this weekend but who I tell you can resist half price books or books that are just $1.99. (apparently not me) Anywho, day one in NYC is over and I am heading to bed as I have a early wake up call 4 am so my friend and I can go get tickets for an authors signing. so night all and more to come tomorrow.

Reviews, reviews and more reviews

Just when I think I am getting caught up on reviews I can add 3 more books to the list.
The Season
Red Headed Step Child
Salt and Silver

reviews left to be done

Okay I am almost caught up on my reviews I only have two reviews left and they are:
1. Necking
2. Evermore

Breathers A Zombies Lament by S.G. Browne

Title: Breathers A Zombies Lament
Author: S.G. Browne
Rating 5 out of 5 stars

For all you zombie lovers Breathers is a must read. This book provides a very different take on how Hollywood presents Zombies. In Hollywood Zombies can't talk and want to eat people. S.G. Browne presents a different kind of zombies.

The Zombies in Breathers all can talk at the most part and are not out to eat people but want to co-exist with them. Meet Andy the main character in Breathers. Andy came to be part of the undead after a car accident where he lost his wife, his human life and his daughter moving in with his in-laws.

Andy was pronounced dead after the accident but after being prepped for his funeral Andy cam back to life. Andy however can't talk as the funeral parlor had sewn his mouth shut. So to communicate he writes on a board hung around his neck.

Andy is part of a support group of other zombies, zombies that are trying to find their new place in a world that will not accept them. In their new world they need to be careful where and when they go out as the humans or also referred to as breathers will torment them and beat them up. Even though the zombies are being tortured by breathers they themselves can not retaliate against the breathers for risk of being arrested and either sold to a zombie zoo or have their body parts sold for research.

Breathers A Zombies Lament is a story of rebirth, love and determination to fight for ones rights. S.G. Browne does an excellent job of telling Andy and the others stories and how they survive in a world that does not accept them.

Willow by Julia Hoban

Title: Willow
Author: Julia Hoban
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Willow is a book that covers a difficult topic to talk about, Cutting or self mutilation. If you never have never known someone who is self abusive this book can give some insight into what individuals are thinking and what is behind the cause for one to self mutilate.

Julia Hoban does a wonderful job of describing the feelings that Willow has before she is cutting, during and also after she has cut herself.

Willow is a young girl who blames herself for her parents death. Since her parents death she has moved in with her older brother and his wife and daughter. Willow also feels that her brother blames her for the death of their parents and now for having to play a parent role for his younger sister. When Willow experiences all these emotions of loneliness, depression and guilt she cuts herself. Willow feels that she is all alone until she meets a boy named Guy.

Guy showing interest in Willow finds out that she is cutting herself and for the first time in her life Willow lets Guy in and tells him why she cuts and the purpose that it serves.

There are parts of the book that are difficult to read and aren't for the faint of heart but overall Julia Hoban does a wonderful job of showing an outsider what it is that drives an individual that feels the need to cut.

Willow is a heartfelt story that shows how one girl can overcome her past.

Ghost Huntress: The Awakening by Marley Gibson

Title: Ghost Huntress: The Awakening
Author: Marley Gibson
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Ghost Huntress follows Kendall a 16 year old who moves from Chicago to a quiet town in Georgia with her family. It is in this quiet town where she begins to hear voices. Not only does she hear voices she sees ghosts, and she can sense other people's thoughts and pains. A chance encounter with a local New Age businesswoman helps Kendall to see and understand that she's experiencing an awakening of her psychic abilities. Just what she wants now she gets to add extrasensory perception/sensing the dead to her list of things to worry about, along with making new friends and fitting in at her new high school.

It isn't long before she finds some new friends who are interested in the paranormal, and together the form a Ghost hunting group and take on the case of the ghost haunting Kendall's father's office.

Marley Gibson does a great job of telling the story of Kendall and has done her research on the paranormal and the equipment used. I am definitely looking forward to the second book in the series.

The Pregnancy Test by Erin McCarthy

Title: The Pregnancy test
Author: Erin McCarthy
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

In the Pregnancy Test you meet Mandy who was told by a physic that he saw pastries around her. Mandy couldn't think of what the heck that physic meant until she finds out that she is pregnant and that it is not a business she will be doing but she has a bun in the oven literally.

Could things get any worse? But of course. Mandy's boyfriend leaves her saying he can't take being a father again as his children are grown. So Mandy is left to be a single mother to be and in desperate need of a job. In walks Damien who she applies for a job to. However, all the employees call him Demon. He is the boss that makes every assistant he had cry.

Mandy knows she needs this job and also knows that she must hide for her current boss that she is pregnant and thus the story between Mandy and Damien begins.

The Pregnancy Test is a well written story that in the end does have a underlying meaning. What that is can be different for each person who reads it.

Death's Daughter by Amber Benson

Title: Death's Daughter
Author: Amber Benson
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Meet Calliope Reaper Jones just your average woman, right? Well think again. Calliope is the daughter of death who for a while forgot about her family by casting a forgetting charm. Well that charm is no longer working when she sees a large monster in her building. Thus begins her adventure back into her families world.

Calliope returns home to find out that she must take her father's place as Death as he has been kidnapped, however becoming death is not so cut and dry as Calliope comes to see.

Calliope needs to complete three tasks given to her by the board before she can become Death. And so begins her adventure in Hell where she finds out more about herself and her family.

Death's Daughter is a great story and has many laugh out loud moments as Calliope goes on an amazing adventure.

Before I Wake by Kathryn Smith

Title: Before I Wake
Author: Kathryn Smith
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Meet Dawn to the human eye she is a normal woman working in a Dream lab helping others understand their dreams. What you don't know is that she is the Daughter of the King of Dreams Morpheus. This makes her a nightmare in the dream world but not a full fledged nightmare as her mother is not from the Dreaming Realm. Dawn has done her best to avoid her destiny but in walks Noah.

Noah is a patient in Dawn's study on dreams and shares with Dawn he feels that his dreams are trying to kill him. Dawn hopes she can help him but doesn't know how to share with him that she is not your typical human. Through helping Noah Dawn comes to accept her heritage and trains with the man who is her father.
Will Dawn be able to help Noah fight the person in his dream from killing him and also save herself.

Kathryn Smith does a great job telling the story of Dawn and how she comes to accept who she is.

Books needing to be reviewed

Ghost Huntress: The Awakening
Willow
Necking
Evermore
Breathers A Zombie's Lament

will hopefully get them done this weekend

Fade by Lisa McMann

Title: FADE
Author: Lisa McMann
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Once again we are with Janine as she enters others dreams. This time it is to find out what faculty member is taking advantage of his students. There are ideas but no one knows for sure and so Janine is asked to see what she can find out.
With the new assignment Janine begins to notice changes in herself. Not only does she notice but her boyfriend Cabel notices too. Janine now needs eyeglasses when before she didn't. As these changes takes place she is given a journal written by Martha Stubin another individual that was able to enter others' dreams.
In this journal Janine will find out things about herself and the gift she possesses.

Janine continues going into peoples dreams but this time she is learning how she can pause the dream and help the dreamer change the dream. Janine wants to help others with their dreams and also can't help being pulled into the dreams but at what cost to herself.

At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost

Title: At Grave's End
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


At Graves End by Jeaniene Frost Bones and Cat are fighting one evil vamp. This one however is different then the rest as she is related to Bones' grand-sire. However his grand-sire understands the need to vanquish her. He himself cannot do it but will allow Bones to. Bones alone is not powerful enough and so he joins forces with his grand-sire sharing their blood with each other. By sharing their blood the are able to share each others powers. Bones and his fellow vampires team up to fight this evil vampire. Many die but Bones will not let the fight die with his fellow vampires. He calls apon all those that the evil vampire killed to help find her. While Bones and Cat fight this battle Cat is also looking to find her father, the one who created her and wants to end his life. Again Frost as done a wonderful job in telling Bones and Cats story.

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: One foot in the Grave
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Ratin: 5 out of 5 stars

In One foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost again we find Cat battling vampires except this time it is with out Bones but with a special force team. Cat feels leaving Bones was the only thing she could do to keep him safe. However Bones finds her and they once again team up to hunt evil vampires. Another great story by Jeaniene Frost. One Foot in the Grave brings Bones and Cat closer together in the search for Cats father.

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

Title: Breaking Dawn
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The fourth book in the Twilight Saga is Breaking Dawn here we find Bella still pressuring Edward into changing her. She wants to be like him. She wants to live forever by his side and not age . What Bella doesn't know is how her life will change when and if she becomes a vampire.

Bella is torn though because of her love for Jacob who is a werewolf and has vowed that if the Cullens turn her they would be breaking the treaty made with the wolves.

Although Edward doesn't want to turn Bell he knows that if he doesn't the Volturi will come for them. Can he risk this?

One of the conditions that Edward had with turning Bella is that first they would be married. This promise Bella completes and they go away on their honeymoon. What takes place there changes everything.

Bella becomes pregnant and as the child grows needs to make a decision that will affect not only her unborn child but herself and the family she has amrried int

The choice that Bella makes is somewhat predictable but the repercussions of that choice are not what one may expect.

PureHeart By Rita Hsu Syers

Title: PureHeart
Author: Rita Hsu Syers
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

We have all read books on good versus evil, Angels vs. demons but Rita Hsu Syers puts a spin on the age old story of good vs. evil. In PureHeart it is not the humans fighting the evil demons it is a dog. yes you read correctly a dog named Jake. Rita Hsu Syers pulls you into the story from the very begining with the tail of how Jack's mother came to live in the little New York town and the powers Jack poseses. Jack's owner knows that he and his sister are special because they are born of a dog who was spaded. How can a dog who was spaded give birth to two dogs? Brownen (Jack's mother) shares with Jack that she was told by a voice that her pups were special one would be a healer the other a warrior and the fate of the world would placed on one of them. Jack knows it is him.

In Pure Heart the author takes the time to introduce you each character and also give you background of the characters. Often you are reading the same story but from different point of views. I feel this worked well as you got to see how all the characters interact with each other and how perceptions of one act can be different from every person you talk to.

PureHeart is a must read for anyone who enjoys the age old battle of Good vs. Evil. PureHeart shows you that not only humans can save the world.

Review status

The following books have been read and are due for a review fingers crossed I will be have them completed by weekends end. Wish me luck. The books are
1. FADE
2. Ghost Huntress the awakening
3. Willow
4. Breaking Dawn
5. Evermore
6. One foot in the Grave
7. At Grave's End