Review: The Paris Vendetta

The Paris Vendetta (Cotton Malone series - Book 5) by Steve Berry

(For review from Media Muscle)

Synopsis:

When Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile in 1821, he took to the grave a powerful secret. As general and emperor, he had stolen immeasurable riches from palaces, national treasuries, and even the Knights of Malta and the Vatican. In his final days, his British captors hoped to learn where the loot lay hidden. But he told them nothing, and in his will he made no mention of the treasure. Or did he? Former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone isn't looking for trouble when it comes knocking at his Copenhagen bookshop. Actually, it breaks and enters in the form of an American Secret Service agent with a pair of assassins on his heels. Malone has his doubts about the anxious young man, but narrowly surviving a ferocious firefight convinces him to follow his unexpected new ally.

Thoughts:

As many of you know I am a huge history buff. History was my minor in college and historical fiction is probably one of my favorite genre's to read for pleasure. The Cotton Malone series by Steve Berry, satisfy's my itch the historical while also fulfilling my need to read a good thriller. Book 5 of the Cotton Malone series, The Paris Vendetta takes us into the world of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Exiled in 1821, Bonaparte took his secret to the grave, regarding National treasures he confiscated or stole from many powerful people including treasures from the Vatican. He never gave his English captors the satisfaction of finding out where he hid his vast treasure. Fast forward to present day where we find, Former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone, thrown into the center of a conspiracy to blow up the Eiffel Tower and thrust terrorism to center stage.

Cotton Malone is such a wonderful character. He is what most of us would consider a man's man. He is gets the job done no matter what it might be. As a former operative, he deals with the bad guys in a way that is harsh, but not undeserved. This series is a really a cross between, historical fiction and thriller. I really liked all the action, but there was that component of the unexpected in history as Cotton tries to figure out where Bonaparte's treasure resides.

Here is a look at the Book Trailer for The Paris Vendetta.

The Cotton Malone series, including The Paris Vendetta is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag! If you like a good thriller, a mystery with some history. This is the book for you!

Here is some additional information about Steve Berry.

Steve Berry is the New York Times bestselling author of The Charlemagne Pursuit,The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy, and The Amber Room. His books have been translated into 37 languages and sold in 50 countries. He lives on the Georgia coast and is currently at work on his next novel. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have founded History Matters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our heritage. Visit www.steveberry.org to learn more about Steve and the foundation.

Winner: Blind Hope Giveaway

The Blind Hope giveaway ended at midnight last night. I used random.org to pick a winner. I will be sending this one out, so be patient, August is my catch up month. I will be contacting the winner some time today.

The winner is....

Steph the Bookworm

Review: His Princess, Girl Talk With God

His Princess Girl Talk With God: Love Letters & Devotions For Young Women by Sheri Rose Shepherd

(For review from Revell)

Synopsis:

The bestselling author of His Princess and His Princess Bride now shares God's unconditional love with the demographic that most needs to hear about it--teen girls. In her trademark style, Sheri Rose Shepherd shows teen girls just how devoted God is to them, no matter who they are, what they look like, or what others say about them. With encouraging Scripture and love letters from God, His Princess Girl Talk with God makes a wonderful gift for every young woman.

Thoughts:

I'm always looking for Bibles or devotionals for young adults or young girls because I have two daughters. When I was growing up I had several great devotionals along the way and I want my girls to have that same opportunity to learn and grow in their Christian lives. When I got the opportunity to review, His Princess Girl Talk With God, I was excited.

Sheri Rose Shepherd has written and compiled 40 devotions for teen girls with many different themes, ranging from self esteem, bad hair days, and personal style to sharing faith, depression and even safe sex. Today, more than ever we need to aware of what our teens are facing in their everyday lives. Things have certainly changed from when I was a teenager. Shepherd's witty style is frank and to the point and I think young girls will really respond to it.

The book is beautiful from the gorgeous flower on the cover to the red inside pages with great letters written for girls from God's standpoint. This is a great idea to let girls know how much God loves them and what He is expecting from them. I liked this devotional a lot and look forward to passing it on to my girls.

Available July 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Here is some additional information about Sheri Rose Shepherd.

Sheri Rose Shepherd is the founder of His Princess Ministries and the author of several books, including the bestselling His Princess: Love Letters from Your King. She was the popular subject of a prime-time Billy Graham special and will be touring with Extraordinary Women in 2010. She lives with her family in Orange County, California.

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine. It showcases books that we can't wait to read. Most have just been released, or will be released very soon. My pick for this week is... Intrinsical by Lani Woodland, releasing next week.

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

Review: With One Eye Open

With One Eye Open by Polly Frost

(For review from the author)

Synopsis:

Polly Frost's humor book, "With One Eye Open," brings together twenty-five of her funniest stories, essays and pieces. Her targets for delicious satire include blogaholism, fitness trends, gamers, sex writers, carbohydrate addicts, and friendship in the age of the internet and cellphones.

Polly's humor has been published in numerous magazines including The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Grin & Tonic and Narrative. Four of her humor pieces were selected for The New Yorker "best of" anthologies "Disquiet, Please!" and "Fierce Pajamas."

PRAISE

"Miss Polly Frost is so funny, so wildly intelligent, and so mean to the unfortunate half-wits who cross her path, she is the Edith Wharton of her generation." --E. Jean Carroll, Elle columnist and life advisor at AskEJean.com

"In these sharp and unsettling, and very, very funny pieces, Polly Frost shows us how inordinately pleased too many of us are with the way we live now." --Daniel Menaker, author of A Good Talk: The Story and Skill of Conversation

"Polly Frost captures in fabulous details, the absurdity of life. Laughing out loud often follows. Whether it's inventing an I-Dog (cross between a phone and a dog) or seminars to help repressed bloggers release their inner critic, it's all here. Her work mixes highly observational smarts with a little bit of sass. It comes back and bites you in the ass when you're not looking." --Laura Banks, author ofEmbracing Your Big Fat Ass

"Polly Frost makes it look easy. I hate her." --Larry Doyle, author of Go, Mutants! and I Love You, Beth Cooper

Thoughts:

With One Eye Open by Polly Frost is a collection of Frost's most popular humorous pieces. Some have been published in magazines and newspapers and have gotten rave reviews. Frost has a very sarcastic wit, which really appeals to me. She has been compared to Edith Wharton and I would definitely agree with that. She speaks to the reader where they are, and humor always seems to make the truth go down a bit easier.

Polly writes about things we encounter everyday and gives us a humorous look at life. There were several themes in this book, that had me rolling on the floor with laughter. I think I am most definitely a blogaholic. I'm gonna have to start going to meetings LOL... and her take on friendship via the internet and cell phone was spot on. I found it funny, but all too true in most cases.

If we all looked at life like Polly Frost does, we would do a whole more laughing and a lot less crying. We might even look at exercise from a different perspective. When Frost starts talking about diagnosing the personality disorders of her family in friends, I just started cackling, don't we all do that? I know I do. My sister has "Annoying Conversation Changing Disorder" LOL... There are so many good stories in this book. If you want a good laugh or you just want to read a book that light and full of fun, this one is for you!

With One Eye Open is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

This one gets 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag! Check it out! I know you'll be laughing from the first page to the last.

Here is some additional information about Polly Frost.

Polly Frost is an author, playwright and journalist who lives in New York City with her husband, Ray Sawhill. Polly's story collection, "Deep Inside," was published by Tor in 2007. Polly and Ray Sawhill often collaborate. Their play, "The Last Artist in New York City," was selected for Best American Short Plays 2008-2009 published by Applause. They co-wrote and co-produced "The Fold" webseries along with director, Matt Lambert. Visit Polly's website for more information: pollyfrost.com.

Review: Emma and the Vampires

Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson

(For review from Sourcebooks)

Synopsis:

In this hilarious retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, screenwriter Wayne Josephson casts Mr. Knightly as one of the most handsome and noble of the gentlemen village vampires. Blithely unaware of their presence, Emma, who imagines she has a special gift for matchmaking, attempts to arrange the affairs of her social circle with delightfully disastrous results. But when her dear friend Harriet Smith declares her love for Mr. Knightley, Emma realizes she's the one who wants to stay up all night with him. Fortunately, Mr. Knightley has been hiding a secret deep within his unbeating heart-his (literal) undying love for her...

Thoughts:

Jane Austen would certainly be surprised at the new fad, we like to call "mash-ups." The classic works of Jane Austen are being updated for a new generation of readers. First we had, zombies and then sea monsters and now vampires have entered the world of Jane Austen. This is the first book of this kind that I've read and I'll have to admit being skeptical at first. I am a big fan of the paranormal, but I wasn't sure how that would translate to my love of historical fiction and Jane Austen in particular. But, I'll have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Emma is one of the best loved of Jane Austen's books and Wayne Josephson has taken it to a whole new dimension. Highbury, England has been infiltrated with "blue blood" vampires. The aristocracy has a very big secret and the local residents are unaware that vampires live amongst them. Emma believing she has a knack as a matchmaker works to procure matches for her society friends. As we all know, that usually backfires and this instance is no exception. When her best friend Harriet takes a liking to her neighbor, Mr. Knightley, Emma is forced to realize that she loves him and wants to be with him. Will she change her mind when finds out he isn't exactly what he seems?

It's really a great book in itself. If you put it up next to Jane Austen's work, you can easily see the parallels and Emma still has her most memorable moments in Josephson's adaptation. I was happy to see that the spirit of the novel is intact, however changed. I love Jane Austen and now I'll have say... I love Wayne Josephson as well. I would recommend this one to anyone who is a fan of both Austen and the paranormal or a fan of either and would like something a little different.

Emma and the Vampire is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Here is additional information about Wayne Josephson.

Wayne Josephson received his BA from Emory University and his MBA from Wharton. After twenty years on Wall Street, he decided to pursue his long-delayed desire to write, becoming a successful screenwriter. Emma and the Vampires is his first novel. He resides with his wife and three children in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Teaser Tuesday (31)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read.

Open to a random page.

Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

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

Share the title and the author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser this week comes from, Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson, page 140.

"But Mr. Churchill scoffed at her trepidation. He argued like a young man much bent on dancing, though Emma wondered how a man without heartbeat and who never breathed could possibly last the evening on the dance floor."