In My Mailbox #26

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted every week by The Story Siren. To find out how to participate and the "official" details, check out the IMM page.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.

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Received for Review:

--Dael and the Painted People by Allan Richard Shickman

--New England Witch Chronicles by Chelsea Bellingeri

Bought on Kindle:

--The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I am anxious to read The Help because of the movie's upcoming release. Also looking forward to the two I recevied for review :)


Happy Reading! Leave a link to your IMM in the comments, and I'll be sure to stop by!

What's your status? (23/7/2011)

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This post was inspired by, well, my previous Reading Status posts. I wanted to make it something that everyone could particpate in. Every Saturday (and sometimes Sunday), I will post what I've finished in the past week, what I'm currently reading and where I am in the book/s, what I plan to read next, and possibly what I want to buy/get. I will be trying to do this every week, so be sure to check back every weekend! Be sure to leave your links to your WYS posts in the comments.

This next portion of the post is an idea that I saw on the wonderful blog Small Review. She posts what reviews and memes she has posted and participated in that last week. Remember, however, that it is not mandatory for you to do this part of the post.

Things You Don't Wanna Miss:
~Giveaway!!!!! (Closes on July 30th!) (Update about the giveaway HERE) **There's only one week left to sign up! Make sure you get all your entries in!!!**

Reviews this week:
~The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

Memes this week:
~Music Monday
~Teaser Tuesday
~Waiting on Wednesday
~Thursday Interpretation & Library Unveiled

Now, for my status! (Please keep in mind that you do not have to use this exact format. Whatever works for you is what works for me.)

Finished This Week:
1. Night World: Volume 2 (Night World, #4-6) by LJ Smith. Finished on 21/7/2011. I reread this for quite a few challenges on GoodReads. This one is my second favorite of the omnibuses :D.

Currently Reading:
1. Fallen by Lauren Kate. On page 163. Didn't get a chance to focus on this one some more. My goal over the next couple of weeks will be to incoporate this one in just a smidge :)

2. Cloaked by Alex Flinn. Have read 39%. This is getting pretty bad. "Bad" as in I haven't read it in FOREVER. :(

3. The Lens and the Looker by Lory S Kaufman. On page 127. This one is definitely turning into another Before I Fall. I'll have to do something about that ASAP...

4. Tower of Parlen Min by Matt Xell. Have read 10%. This book is super awesome! I am read interested so far, so I'm sure that I will be finishing it quickly :p

Next On My TBR (To Be Read) Pile:
1. Reborn by Ley Mesina
2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

What I Would Like To Buy Next:
~The Girl Who Played with Fire & The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson
~Torment by Lauren Kate
~TTYL by Lauren Myracle (?)

Don't forget to leave the link to your WYS post in the comments!

Also, the winner of the 1st Annual WYS Contest is......*drumroll*........

Marla @ Starting the Next Chapter

CONGRATULATIONS, Marla!!!!!! I'll be emailing you soon to get some dates together for you to host WYS for a few weeks. Should be in your mailbox in a few minutes :).

Congratulations again, and thanks to everyone who participated!!! Happy Reading :D

Catching Up In Memes #3

Waiting on Wednesday #11


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over @ Breaking the Spine; we are to give a book that we are anxiously anticipating the release of. I probably won't be participating every week, but I will try to post every so often.

This week's spotlight novel:

Silence
By Becca Fitzpatrick
Publication Date: October 4th, 2011

From GoodReads.com:


The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

What book are you looking forward to?

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Thursday Interpretation #18 & Library Unveiled #8

Thursday Interpretations is a "meme," which means that you may participate in this on your blog, but I won't be advertising it nor adding a Linky for links to your post/s.

Anyway, Thursday Interpretation will be a weekly post where I post a motivational quote (and/or a book quote) and tell you my feelings about it. You are more than welcome to post a comment telling how you feel about the quote.

*Remember that these are only my opinions. They are not influenced by anyone else.*

This week's motivational quote:

"Give respect before you expect it, treat people the way you want to be treated, remember the mission, set the example, keep going." ~Vernon Baker, African American Veteran of World War II

My Thoughts: Keep going, and remember your goal. Don't act ugly to others if you wouldn't want them to act that way towards you. Give respect, whether you get it or not.
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This meme was started by my good 'ole blogging friend, The Mad Scientist @ Steampunkery & Book Reviews; every Thursday, you are supposed to post 5 books from your shelf and maybe give a snippet of your thoughts about the book. You can use physical books, ebooks, audios, whatever you have that makes up your library :). This week I'm unveiling:

The Twilight Saga: the Official Illustrated Guide by Stephenie Meyer:

Got this one a while ago at the store, but seriously excited to start reading it!

New England Witch Chronicles by Chelsea Bellingeri:

Just received this one for review. Looks like a really awesome book! Esp since the Salem Witch Trials are incoporated into it. :)

Angelfire (Angelfire, #1) by Courtney Allison Moulton:

Won this one in a giveaway. I've been wanting to read for SO long! Will have to start on it soon!

Haven by Kristi Cook:

Also won this one in a giveaway. This one looks pretty promising as well!!

Sinful by Sara Dailey & Staci Weber:

I got this one either earlier this year or late last year to review. I have sadly been procrastinating reading it because I've been so busy, but will definitely get arounf to it before this year is over!!

What's in your library?

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

The Devil's Arithmetic

By Jane Yolen

Publisher: Puffin Books, 2004

170 pages, paperback

Date Finished: 11/7/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Fantasy

Hannah thinks tonight's Passover Seder will be the same as always. Little does she know that this year she will be mysteriously transported into the past where only she knows the horrors that await.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: " 'I'm tired of remembering,' Hannah said to her mother as she climbed into the car."
~Last Line: "Life."
~Last Line (of author's "What is True about this Book"): "And can remind us that the swallows still sing around the smokestacks."

Review: The first time I'd even heard this title, we were studying World War II in English. Unfortunately we didn't get to read the book; I was glad that I found the book, though! The movie was really good, and the book was even better! :)

Our main character, Hannah Stern, is tired of remembering about what happened during World War II. She doesn't see why it's all so importaqnt to keep remembering every year. She gives all of her wine willingly (when you're only supposed to pour part of it) and is given the task of opening the door for Elijah. Voila. Somehow twenty-first century Hannah Stern is sent back in time to 1962.

I loved the plot of this. Since I'd already seen the movie, it was definitely easier to picture the characters. Still, everything that happened was, in a way, new to me all over again. I can understand why Hannah didn't want to remember every year. To her, it was boring and in the past. Why bother with it; it's not like you can go back and change it. But I think once she went back in time and actually lived it, she realized why they work so hard to remember it, and to make sure that the children know it.

Hannah definitely became appreciative of her family's past. I became more educated on what really happened in the camps. I think everyone can learn something from this book, and maybe even the movie. Recommending this one to anyone and everyone! :)

Plot Rating: 4.5
Character Rating: 5
Cover Rating: 3.5


Overall Rating:
and a half :)

Teaser Tuesday #32

This meme is hosted weekly by MizB @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can participate, even if you don't have a blog (you can post back in MizB's comments).
*Grab your current read.

*Open to a random page.

*Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page. You can share more if you want!

*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!!! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give away too much information. You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

*Share the title and autor as well, so that Teaser participants may add to their TBR list/s if they enjoy your teasers!

*Leave a link in the comment section of MizB's blog so that others can check out your teasers! You may leave your teasers here with the book title and author if you do not have a blog. (MizB's Blog)

This week's teasers come from page 429 of Night World No. 2 by LJ Smith (GoodReads, Amazon):


Killing and eating. Hunting and dying. . . . It's the way the world has always been. Humans wetre part of it, too, except that they let slaughterhouses do the killing for them and received their prey in the form of McDonald's hamburgers.

I read this a couple years ago, and I'm rereading for challenges on GoodReads as always LOL :)

Happy Reading!

Music Monday #20

Music Monday is a "meme"* that I will try to post every week or biweekly. In these posts, I will provide you with what song, artist, CD, etc. I am currently into the most.

* Meme is quoted because I will not be providing a Linky for you to add you links to, nor will I be advertising these posts. However, if you would like to participate and leave a link or your music info in a comment, I have no problem with that.

[As you all may have noticed, I never had a movie up in the last few posts. For this reason, I have deleted the movie portion from these posts; however, you may still have movies in your posts or leave movie info in the comments.]

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Music

1) Angels on the Moon by Thriving Ivory. I hadn't heard this song in such a long time, but we were listening to the radio sometime last week, and I made my mom stay on the station so I could listen to it. It just reminds me of when everything was so much easier for some reason. :)) Love a good ole flashback!

Song Rating: 4.5 Wings
Music Video:




Happy Listening!

The Week Ahead... (July 18-24)

Every Sunday, I will let you all know what to look forward to in the upcoming week: reviews, guest posts, memes, whatever I think/know I will be putting up for your viewing. The things I post will not always be followed out, but I'll try. Vice versa, I might end up posting something that isn't mentioned in this post.

For the week of July 18th - 24th...

Monday:
~ Music Monday

Tuesday:
~ Teaser Tuesday
~ Review of Before I Fall

Wednesday:
~ Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday:
~ Thursday Interpretation & Library Unveiled
~ Review of Night World No 2 (Only if I have it finished!)

Friday:
~ Book Blogger Hop & Fun Friday

Saturday:
~ What's your status?

Sunday:
~ In My Mailbox & Sunday Confessions (maybe)

Have a great week everybody!!! :D

Guest Post by Meredith Allard!

And today, I have a wonderful guest post from Meredith Allard!!! If you didn't get to read my review of her novel, Her Dear and Loving Husband, or our interview, click HERE. And if you already have, help me welcome Meredith back to Butterfly Feet!!!


As I began my journey into the vampire world, having decided to write my own vampire story, I noticed that some readers are very particular about how they like their vampires. I’ve seen more than one criticism that vampires these days are too soft. Vampires are bloodthirsty, angry, violent creatures of the night, they say. That’s what vampires have always been, and that’s what they always should be. Fair enough, since we all have our likes and dislikes about what we like to read.

I realized that I had another important decision to make as I was writing Her Dear & Loving Husband. How violent were my vampires going to be? As I stated in a previous guest blog post, the main reason I had never been into the vampire genre was because I’m not a fan of violence in any way, shape, or form. I can’t even watch The Real Housewives because their heated arguments are too much for me. I’m not a wimp (well, maybe a bit), but it’s not entertaining to me to see people or animals being hurt. As I was deciding how brutal my vampires would be in their search for blood to drink, I had to consider what violence means to me.

I’m not fascinated by violence. To me, violence is the lowest common denominator. When we’re angry we want to lash out, physically or verbally, whether it’s with loved ones, the barista at Starbucks, at that guy in the gray BMW who cut us off in traffic. To me, giving into violence is weakness because it means I’m letting outside circumstances control my emotions and my behavior. And it seems, as I get older, that it’s becoming more accepted to be mean and rude and angry and violent.

Rising above that violence to be calm and rational, even kind, is an amazing thing, especially since it’s so easy to give into the anger. It takes an extra thought process, an extra determination, to overcome the fury. Now I was onto something. Overcoming our baser instincts to be better than we are. That fascinates me. And that’s the journey we’re all on—struggling to be better today than we were yesterday.

That is also the journey that James Wentworth, the vampire protagonist in Her Dear & Loving Husband, is on—being better than he was. Is he violent? He can be. But he’s working toward being more human than some humans. His motto is “Live and let live.” It’s a motto I try to live by as well.

Thank you for reading my post. I hope you enjoyed it.

Purchasing information for Her Dear & Loving Husband can be found here:
http://www.meredithallard.com/
http://www.copperfieldpress.com/


Thank you, Meredith for coming back!!! :D

What's your status? (16/7/2011)

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This post was inspired by, well, my previous Reading Status posts. I wanted to make it something that everyone could particpate in. Every Saturday (and sometimes Sunday), I will post what I've finished in the past week, what I'm currently reading and where I am in the book/s, what I plan to read next, and possibly what I want to buy/get. I will be trying to do this every week, so be sure to check back every weekend! Be sure to leave your links to your WYS posts in the comments.

This next portion of the post is an idea that I saw on the wonderful blog Small Review. She posts what reviews and memes she has posted and participated in that last week. Remember, however, that it is not mandatory for you to do this part of the post.

Things You Don't Wanna Miss:
~Giveaway!!!!! (Closes on July 30th!) (Update about the giveaway HERE)
~Interview w/ Meredith Allard
~Guest post by Meredith Allard

Reviews this week:
~The 19 Dragons by SM Reine
~Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
~Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
~Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard

Memes this week:
~In My Mailbox
~Music Monday
~Teaser Tuesday
~Waiting on Wednesday
~Thursday Interpretation & Library Unveiled
~Fun Friday

Now, for my status! (Please keep in mind that you do not have to use this exact format. Whatever works for you is what works for me.)

Finished This Week:
1. The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. Finished on 11/7/2011. I loved this novel! I had already seen the movie, but the book (as always) brought much more detail! :D

2. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. Finished on 14/7/2011. I had been reading this book since somewhere on April 2md. SO glad that I finally finished it!

3. Her Dear and Loving Husband (Loving Husband trilogy, #1) by Meredith Allard. Finished on 15/7/2011. This was a really awesome book! I can't wait till the sequel comes out! :D

Currently Reading:
1. Fallen by Lauren Kate. On page 163. I think I will be reading this one alongside Night World in the next few days. Want to get it done.

2. Cloaked by Alex Flinn. Have read 39%. Haven't read this one in a while. Need to get to finishing this one as well.

3. The Lens and the Looker by Lory S Kaufman. On page 127. Really haven't this one in quite a while.. I'll finish it one of these days. I'm starting to kinda think it's going to be another "Before I Fall."

4. Night World: Volume 2 by LJ Smtih. On page 13. Rereading this one since I reread the other one last year. Also rereading it for a challenge on GoodReads! :)

Next On My TBR (To Be Read) Pile:
1. Tower of Parlen Min by Matt Xell

What I Would Like To Buy Next:
~The Girl Who Played with Fire & The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson

Don't forget to leave the link to your WYS post in the comments!

Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard & Interview w/Meredith!!!!

Her Dear and Loving Husband (Loving Husband trilogy, #1)
By Meredith Allard
Publisher: Copperfield Press, 2011
262 pages, eARC (PDF file)
Date Finished: 15/7/2011
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Fantasy

How long would you wait for the one you loved?

Her Dear & Loving Husband, the new novel from Meredith Allard, is part literary fiction, part historical fiction, part romance, and part paranormal fantasy. With elements of Twilight and The Crucible, Her Dear & Loving Husband is a story for anyone who believes that true love never dies.

James Wentworth has a secret. He lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties anywhere. One night his private world is turned upside down when he meets Sarah Alexander, a dead ringer for his wife, Elizabeth. Though it has been years since Elizabeth's death, James cannot move on.

Sarah also has a secret. She is haunted by nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and every night she is awakened by visions of hangings, being arrested, and dying in jail. Despite the obstacles of their secrets, James and Sarah fall in love. As James comes to terms with his feelings for Sarah, he must dodge accusations from a reporter desperate to prove that James is not who, or what, he seems to be. With the help of their friends, witches Jennifer and Olivia, James and Sarah piece their stories together and discover a mystery that may bind them in ways they never imagined. Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again?
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "I am looking lovingly in to the eyes of a man, though I cannot see his face because it is featureless, like a blank slate."
~Last Line: "Some things never change."

Review: Her Dear and Loving Husband was a really awesome book! The first few chapters took a minute for me to get into, but as I got farther along I didn't want to put my Kindle down! Meredith Allard is one name I'll be on the lookout for!

Our main character, Sarah Alexander, is a young woman just divorced and new to Salem, Massachusetts, historical real-life setting of the Salem Witch Trials from three centuries earlier. Then add in James Wentworth, the the 30-something college professor with a secret. Together, the two are the most romantic couple, and they can't be spereated by anyone or anything.

The plot was most definitely original. I'd never read about something like this before. I love how the book included soo much history from the Salem Witch Trials. It was kind of like a history lesson mixed into a really awesome novel. Between the plot and the history alone, I wasn't able to put the book down!

The characters were super-awesome as well. Sarah and James were my ultimate favorites, of course, but I also loved James's "family" friend Jennifer. Jennifer is definitely the sarcastic one! In the two quotes below, she's present and she's the reason why I loved those scenes in the book.

There's so many great things about this series debut . . . Wow! I can't say all I want to, sadly, because then I'd have to give this review a ginormous spoiler alert. LOL. But I definitely recommend the book! :D

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 4.5
Cover Rating: 4


Overall Rating:
and three-eighths :)

Quotes from the book:

" 'Do you think we should put some sunblack on him?'
'Sure, Mom. You have any SPF 400 laying around?' "

Sarah pulled a medical bag from the refrigerator. She sliced open the top with a knife she found in a drawer, pulled a stryofoam cup from the cupboard, poured the red liquid into the cup, and put it in the microwave.
'That doesn't gross you out?' Jennifer asked.
'It's what he drinks.'
'You really are the right girl for him.' "

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And now, I have an interview with Ms. Meredith Allard! Help me give her a warm Butterfly welcome! :p

1. What made you want to be an author?
For whatever reason, writing always came easier for me than it seemed to for other people I knew. Teachers were always using my writing as an example for the class, and then when I was in high school one of my English teachers suggested I choose a career where I could use my writing skills—perhaps something like journalism. I took one journalism class and realized that was not the route for me—too formal and structured for my taste—but I still loved to write. I was an English major in college, and when we read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens the bells and whistles went off and I realized that’s what I wanted to do—write novels.

2. Did you love to read as a child growing up?
Absolutely. Books were a great escape for me when I was younger. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on, and often my school librarians knew me by name. My favorites were The Little House on the Prairie series, and anything by Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary. I still smile when I remember reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Shel Silverstein’s poetry for the first time. I remember reading Roots by Alex Haley when I was in third grade.

3. What are some of your favorite hobbies when you're not writing?
The truth is, most of my free time is spent writing. As crazy as it is, writing really is my favorite thing in the world to do. But I do have other interests! I love taking dance classes such as belly dancing, Zumba, and Polynesian dance. I enjoy yoga. Sometimes I scrapbook. I still read everything I can get my hands on. I like to cook, and I enjoy listening to music and watching movies.

4. How did you come up with the idea for Her Dear and Loving Husband?
After I had read a few vampire books, it occurred to me that, though vampires live forever, the people they love would have died at some point. How would vampires deal with that? Would they mourn their dearly departed for centuries? Would they forget and move on? I started seeing scenes of a vampire finding a woman who looked like his dead wife, and then I wondered what would happen to them because of that resemblance. At first, I didn’t realize there was enough there for a novel. Like most storytellers, crazy ideas just spring up out of nowhere for me sometimes, and usually I dismiss the crazy ideas and they go away. But this one wouldn’t leave. I fell asleep at night and woke up in the morning thinking about it. Finally, after about six months, I decided to see if there was anything to this idea about the vampire and his wife and I started writing out the story.

The idea for the heart of the novel came about when I decided to set the story in Salem, Massachusetts. I didn’t originally intend to have any historical fiction in the story, but once I chose Salem as the setting I had to incorporate the Salem Witch Trials somehow. I’m glad I did because the historical context gives the story meaning and depth in a way I didn’t originally intend, and a lot of readers have said that the history is their favorite part of the book.

5. What can we expect from you in the next couple of years bookwise?
Her Dear & Loving Husband is book one of the Loving Husband Trilogy, so right now I’m working on book 2, Her Loving Husband’s Curse. After that is book 3, so I’m going to be busy telling James and Sarah’s story for the next two or three years.

6. Do you like to sing and/or dance?
I do love to dance! As I said for question 3, I love belly dancing, Zumba, and Polynesian dance classes. And I didn’t realize until I was in my thirties that I had some talent for dance. I always assumed that I couldn’t dance—I don’t know why, I just thought that since I was a teacher and a writer I couldn’t dance. Doesn’t even make sense, right? Then one day a few years ago I saw a belly dancing class going on in the gym while I was on the treadmill. The dance class looked a lot more fun than the treadmill, so I took the class and I realized I could learn the moves and follow the routines fairly easily. Now I love to go to dance class. Just goes to show—we should all be willing to try new things because you never know when you’ll find something you connect with.

7. How can my followers and I keep up with you and your books?
The easiest way is to follow my website at http://www.meredithallard.com/. I keep the website up to date with the latest information about my books. Purchasing information is available there as well.


Thanks for coming by the blog, Meredith! :D

Make sure you come back tomorrow for a guest post by Meredith herself!! :D