Random Acts of Kindness: April wrap up

Another awesome month of RAKs! RAK is hosted by Book Soulmates. For those who do not know, RAK is Random Acts of Kindness. You sign up and share your book wishlist. Then you can view other's wishlists and send them a Random Act of Kindness.

I sent RAKs to...

Emily at Doodle's Book Blog

I received RAKs from...

-Emily at Doodle's Book Blog sent me...

 NookBook version of A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter

Hardback copy of Cinder by Marissa Meyer. (I'm so happy to have a hardback of this book. I love the cover!)










-Prayga at Reviewing Shelf sent me...

E-book version of Pure by Julianna Baggott











-Keri Reed sent me...

E-book version of Cinder by Marissa Meyer










E-book version of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs










Thanks to all these wonderful people for sending me RAKs and spreading bookish love. I can't wait to read all of these books!

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs
219 pages (e-book edition)

Short Version: Jacob searches for the truth of his grandfather's past by visiting the island where he grew up.

Why I Read It: The title and cover caught my attention and made me curious.

The Book: From Goodreads
A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

My Thoughts: Warning: May contain spoilers!!!
 I'm not sure what I really think about this book. It was entertaining and an easy read, but the story never seemed to go anywhere. Jacob's grandfather always told him stories of the island he grew up on and showed photos of the other children who lived there, children who were peculiar. As Jacob grew up he stopped believing, but after hearing his grandfather's last words before passing away, Jacob was forced to look for the truth. So this was the first part, Jacob searching for the truth about the past. Then he finds it. The peculiar children are real and live in a loop on September 3, 1940 where the day resets every day so they survived the Nazi bombing on the island. Miss Peregrine explains how they all came to live on the island and how they have survived so long.
Jacob finally found a place he fits in, but he is still going back and forth between the loop and his life in the present day. At this point there is not much going on in the story except Jacob's day to day journey to the loop to hang with the children. So where was the story going now?
All of a sudden they have hollows and wights trying to kill them and capture Miss Peregrine because she can control time. Hollows and wights are monsters that come after peculiars. The children go after her and while getting Miss Peregrine back they find out the wights are planning something terrible. And for the first time the loop does not reset. So the children decide they are going to fight. And Jacob makes his decision to stay and not go back to his ordinary life. End of story. Just when there could have been more action the story is over. I looked into it and there will be a sequel released in spring of 2013. However, I don't know that I will read it. This was just a bit disappointing for me. I was expecting a creepy paranormal tale but the creepy factor just wasn't in this book.
I did enjoy the photographs throughout the book! It was great to have all the vintage photos to go along with each of the peculiars described. "All the pictures in this book are authentic, vintage found photographs, and with the exception of a few that have undergone minimal postprocessing, they are unaltered." The fact that they used real photos is awesome! If anything the photographs would get me to read the sequel when it is released.

2.5/5 Stars

#7 in 2012 Ebook Challenge
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#4 in 2012 Wishlist Challenge
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Booking Through Thursday: Changes

This week's Booking Through Thursday asks...

Has a book ever inspired you to change anything in your life, fiction or nonfiction alike?

Hmmm....I do not think I've ever changed anything in my life because of a book. Or at least at the moment nothing is coming to mind. I have learned from books and I appreciate everything books and reading have to offer, but I don't think I have changed my life because of a certain book.

Have you read any life changing books? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Wordless Wednesday #2

Perfect place for a nap after the beach (Pondicherry, India)

"Cinder" by Marissa Meyer

Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
279 pages (e-book edition)

Short Version: A futuristic retelling of the classic Cinderella story with cyborgs, a deadly plague and of course an irresistible prince.

Why I Read It: I saw a bunch of reviews of this book and was curious about it. Plus I love the cover!

The Book: From Goodreads
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My Thoughts: I just finished this book at the pool and I wish it wasn't over. I had to come inside and write this to get my thoughts out before I could focus on another book. I wish the second book in the Lunar Chronicles was out so I could start reading it right away!

Anyways...This was the first fairy tale retelling I think I have read and I loved it. It was a perfect mix of new and old story. Of course you have an evil stepmother and stepsisters, a handsome prince, and a poor girl who can't go to the ball. But then you have a twist- the poor girl is a cyborg who knows nothing of her past, is the best mechanic around, and in fact gets along with one of her stepsisters. Cinder was a great character. She stood her ground more than any other Cinderella would have against the evil stepmother, but she was still not completely in control of her life which was what caused problems. Cinder is a very genuine cyborg; she cares for those who are important to her and keeps a loyalty to them. She could never let Prince Kai know she was a cyborg. He would be disgusted, but she couldn't seem to stay away from the prince charming.

Speaking of prince charming, Kai annoyed me at times. He of course had a lot on his shoulders with becoming emperor after his father's death and also having to deal with Queen Lavena from Luna. However, he acted quite childish at times with his joking and snarky remarks during serious situations. Kai has a lot of growing up to do quickly as the new Emperor. I am hoping to see this in the following books of the Lunar Chronicles.

As for the plot, it was a bit predictable but I still enjoyed it. With the basis being the story of Cinderella and the other pieces thrown in (the search for Princess Selena, those immune to the plague, Cinder's relationship with the Prince) you can pretty much guess how it all turns out. That being said they completely left the ending open. You find out all your guesses are right, then they stop the story so you are left wondering where they are going to go with it. I just looked into the second book of the Lunar Chronicles, Scarlet, to see when it was coming out (2013 is way to long!) and now I'm wondering how they are going to continue with Cinder's story. Scarlet is the story of Red Riding Hood, but hopefully they do not completely leave Cinder out. (each book of the Lunar Chronicles will feature a different fairy tale).

All in all this was a good read and I will patiently await the next book in the series. I will also be looking into reading more fairy tale retellings. Any suggestions??

4/5 Stars

#6 in 2012 Ebook Challenge
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#3 in 2012 Wishlist Challenge
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World Book Night ReadMOB

Here is the video of the ReadMOB held in St. Louis in celebration of World Book Night. I am so sad I was not home for this! For more info about World Book Night see my previous post HERE.





Would you participate in something like this? Tell me what you think!

Teaser Tuesday (April 24)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here's how it works..

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share does not give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here are my teasers...

"I am not talking fate or destiny. I am talking survival. You cannot let the queen see you."

p. 128, Cinder by Marissa Meyer (e-book edition)

"The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga

The White Tiger

by Aravind Adiga
212 pages (Nook edition)

Short Version: An entrepreneur in Bangalore write a letter to China' president telling him the story of how he got to be where he is today.
Why I Read It: The friend I am visiting in India recommended it to me.

The Book: From BarnesandNoble.com
The white tiger of this novel is Balram Halwai, a poor Indian villager whose great ambition leads him to the zenith of Indian business culture, the world of the Bangalore entrepreneur. On the occasion of the president of China’s impending trip to Bangalore, Balram writes a letter to him describing his transformation and his experience as driver and servant to a wealthy Indian family, which he thinks exemplifies the contradictions and complications of Indian society.

The White Tiger recalls The Death of Vishnu and Bangkok 8 in ambition, scope, and narrative genius, with a mischief and personality all its own. Amoral, irreverent, deeply endearing, and utterly contemporary, this novel is an international publishing sensation—and a startling, provocative debut.

My Thoughts: Hmm. I just finished this book before heading to the airport to go to India. The friend I am visiting told me to read it. I have to say it was not really my kind of book.
The point of view was interesting because it was new to me. Balram came for a poor Indian village yet learned enough in his few years of school to bring himself to be a driver, and eventually an entrepreneur. I have read quite a few books that took place in India but none of them were from a driver's point of view. Getting a glimpse of the hierarchies and castes even within the poor villages was very interesting.
The White Tiger was told through the letters Balram was writing to China's president. This was also new to me but I did not really like it. I don't understand why he chose to write to Mr. Premier, as he called him. The chapters were broken down into the nights he was writing- first night, second night, and so on until the seventh night when he finished his story. This clearly was a very long letter.
Balram's letter/story is all over the place. He is telling the story of how he became a driver then murdered his master and became and entrepreneur. (This is not a spoiler, we know he was a murderer in the beginning). He goes off on these tangents about chandeliers, yoga, tea shops, cell phones, etc that I just don't see the point of. Again, I kept asking myself why would you write all of this in a letter.
The overall story was a good one. Although you know about the murder in the beginning, it was still thrilling at that part of the story. Balram made quite a journey from the time he was growing up in the poor village to becoming a successful business man. I was happy when he learned to stand up for himself. This was an easy/quick read, but not really my cup of tea.

2/5 Stars

#5 in 2012 Ebook Challenge
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World Book Night 2012

World Book Night 2012 is coming up! April 23 the US is joining the UK and Ireland in the action of spreading reading love by giving out World Book Night Paperbacks. This awesome event began last year in the UK and there is talk of more countries joining in upcoming years. World Book Night focuses most of their attention on adults, whereas World Book Day is celebrated in the UK and Ireland for children. World Book Night also promotes reading, books, libraries, bookstores (pretty much all things book/reading related) through social media and traditional publicity all year round.

Unfortunately it is too late to become a giver for this year's WBN. However there are many events going on in libraries and local bookstores over the weekend and Monday for the World Book Night.

I am soooooo bummed I am not home for this. St. Louis is holding a "reading flash mob" under the Arch. People will arrive a few at a time, sit down on the steps and begin reading. Eventually the words "Read Books" will be spelled out. How cool is that?!?! I want to be a part of this awesomeness but I will still be in India. Next year I am taking vacation on World Book Night so I can join in on the fun! The event is to be recorded and posted on YouTube, so I will share it as soon as I get my hands on it. Any bloggers from the St. Louis area who want to participate, it begins at 12:30pm. You can see the article from Alive magazine in which I first heard about this event here. Anyone not from STL, you should see if there are any awesome events in your area to participate in. Let me know what you find. I would love to hear what events are going on around the country.

Happy reading!

Feature & Follow Friday #15

Q: Fight! Fight! If you could have two fictional characters battle it out (preferably from books), who would they be and who do you think would win?

A: This was a tough question for me. I don't read many books with heroes/villains. I tend to read more historical fiction (I clearly need to change this and start including more heroes in my reading). However, after looking through my reading list and thinking about characters this is what I came up with...
Lokesh from The Tiger's Curse Series and Voldemort from HP. Both are hungry for power and out to get the ones holding them back from becoming the most powerful. I am leaning towards Lokesh winning. He just seems pure evil with the way he likes to torture people.

Booking Through Thursday: Pet Peeves

This week's Booking Through Thursday asks...

Q: What are you literary "pet peeves"?

A: The thing that makes me cringe the most is when people say reading is dumb/stupid/waste of time/boring/for dorks/"insert insult here". Reading is none of those things. In fact it is quite the opposite- amazing/exhilarating/captivating/for EVERYONE/"insert awesome reading comment here". Those who insult reading have obviously not found the right books. Perfect example, my brother- growing up he despised reading. Getting him to read books for school was like pulling teeth. I admit there are times I read for him and gave him the summery of it all. Last year some time he picked up a book of a subject that he enjoyed! When he emailed me about looking for a book I was stunned. I immediately gave him my Nook to borrow and eventually bought him a Nook of his own. Now he is even reading The Hunger Games Series. It makes me smile every time I think about him reading. All he had to do what find what he liked.

OK back on track here... I despise when people tell me I read too much. I honestly do not believe I read all that much compared to some. I would much prefer to read more, in fact, but due to work and life responsibilities I cannot. Reading is something I enjoy, so in my spare time yes I am going to sit somewhere nice with a book and read it as long as I please.

When it comes to characters I get quite annoyed when I find one that is whiny. A little whining I will tolerate. A lot of whining and I think they need to get over it. Whining solves nothing. Take action! Perfect example, Lin the main character in Shantaram. He whines about his life all the time! If he would just do something about his crush on Karla instead of going on and on about it and feeling sorry for himself then he would be much happier with the results. And I would no longer have to read about his pity parties.

That ties into my next pet peeve, when book descriptions go on foooooorever! Don't get me wrong I love a good detailed description to paint a wonderful image in my mind. I do not like when that description is beat into my brain for what seems like eternity. This usually makes me want to put the book down and find something else to do.

I clearly had more feelings about my pet peeves than I thought when I started answering this question (hehe). What are your literary pet peeves?? Leave me a comment, I would love to hear them!

Wordless Wednesday #1

I decided to add another weekly meme to share some of the pictures I take on my traveling adventures. I'm hoping to share a photo of whatever place I am in during the week of the post. If I happen to be somewhere completely boring and cannot get an awesome picture, I will feature a random older photo. So, enough explaining (this is called Wordless Wednesday) and onto the meme. I hope you enjoy!

Dubai from my (dirty) window

Teaser Tuesday (April 17)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here's how it works..

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share does not give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here are my teasers...

"I walked down two flights of stairs and pushed open the door to the servants' quarters. The moment I got there, the other servants screamed - they yelled - they howled with laughter."

p. 83, The White Tiger  by Aravind Adiga (NookBook edition)

"Sisters of the Sari" by Brenda L. Baker

Sisters of the Sari
by Brenda L. Baker
327 pages

Short Version: Kiria decides to open a women's home in India after meeting Santoshi, a woman who has lived most of her life in run down shelters.

Why I Read It: The cover of this book caught my attention in the bookstore, but it has been sitting on my shelf ever since. I decided to pick it up since I am a week away from going to India.

The Book: From Goodreads
While vacationing in India, Kiria Langdon, the opinionated and driven CEO of a major company, meets Santoshi, a former slave who now works as a cleaning lady and lives in a shelter for homeless women in Chennai. Appalled by the conditions in the shelter, Kiria becomes obsessed with the idea of building decent housing for poor working women in India. Santoshi reluctantly agrees to help, even though she thinks Kiria's ideas are too crazy to succeed.

Embarking on a rich journey of personal discovery, both women will learn invaluable lessons about themselves as they forge a powerful bond of sisterhood across the barriers of language and culture-a bond that makes anything possible.

My Thoughts: This was a nice pretty quick read for me that I overall enjoyed. As I mentioned above, I chose to read it since I am going to India in a few days. I figure why not read some book set in the land where I am going.
Kiria was also vacationing in India on her first visit. As an executive of a major in America, she is very ignorant of the lifestyle in India. Her first day turns out to be a disaster, but this is how she meets Santoshi. Santoshi has lived most of her life in poor shelters, having to move every few years. When Kiria goes to the shelter to find Santoshi and repay her for her kindness, she is horrified by the living conditions. Kiria returns to Canada but cannot keep her mind off of the shelter she saw.
Kiria moves to India to set up a women's hostel. A place where women can live safely and decently for a fair rent amount. Santoshi works for Kiria and also helps her with these plans, as well as some other women we meet throughout the book. Eventually the hostel opens and after time becomes successful, something no one was sure would ever happen.
I really enjoyed getting to know Kiria and Santoshi. Both characters learned so much about themselves and about each other throughout the book. Kiria was so close minded and opinionated in the beginning- she kind of annoyed me. But slowly she realized her way was not the only way. She began to respect the ways of the Indian culture even if she did not agree or understand it. Santoshi gained much confidence in herself. She grew up poor and on her own after her family sold her off. She slowly was making a life for herself, but with Kiria's help she was able to realize her full potential. This was a great story of friendship between two very different women.


3/5 Stars

PS- Again I apologize if this review is not up to my usual standards. I still have not slept after traveling (my eyes are fighting to close right now as I type this).

#6 in 2012 Mount TBR Challenge
Click here to see full list

"The Lotus Eaters" by Tatjana Soli

The Lotus Eaters
by Tatjana Soli
388 pages

Short Version: Relationships form in the city of Saigon as three photographers strive to show the truths of the Vietnam War through their photos.  

Why I Read It: I've never read anything about the Vietnam War so this caught my attention. And being about photographers made me want to pick it up even more.

The Book: From Goodreads
In the final days of a falling Saigon, The Lotus Eaters unfolds the story of three remarkable photographers brought together under the impossible umbrella of war: Helen Adams, a once-naïve ingénue whose ambition conflicts with her desire over the course of the fighting; Linh, the mysterious Vietnamese man who loves her, but is torn between conflicting loyalties to his homeland and his heart; and Sam Darrow, a man addicted to the narcotic of violence, to his intoxicating affair with Helen and to the ever-increasing danger of his job. All three become transformed by the conflict they have risked everything to record.
In this much-heralded debut, Tatjana Soli creates a searing portrait of three souls trapped by their impossible passions, contrasting the wrenching horror of combat and the treachery of obsession with the redemptive power of love.

My Thoughts: Reading about the Vietnam War was a new experience for me. In the first chapter I was a little confused. It was the fall of Saigon and Americans were to be leaving. I think the confusing part was the names Soli used- street names, people's names, etc. There was no introduction and I have never really seen Vietnamese names before so it took me awhile to grasp what was going on. Helen and Lihn were making their way to the American embassy. I figured out they had a relationship but knew nothing about it. Lihn was injured, but I did not know how. I felt like I was dropped into the end of a story. Once I made it to chapter 2 it all got better.
After the opening chapter during the fall of Saigon, the book takes you back to the beginning of Helen's arrival in Vietnam. I really liked Helen. She was the first woman photographer in the war. None of the men believed she would make it. None of the troops wanted her around. Helen went in innocent with a lot to learn, but came out an amazing photographer. Sam Darrow, one of the top war photographers around, helped Helen out in the beginning. This is where the first relationship was formed. Their relationship was nothing at first, but turned into something more serious when Sam was injured and asked Helen to come with him on a little vacation to recover. Sam would never be fully committed to the relationship, because his biggest concern was getting the next best photo.
Lihn, Sam's assistant, was a Vietnamese man working for the American photographers. He lost his family in the war and had nothing but work now. Lihn secretly fell in love with Helen, but was satisfied with keeping his feelings to himself. Sam insisted Lihn be Helen's assistant for her safety. Helen and Lihn had an awkward relationship. He was not used to the way Americans were so blunt and open with their feelings, especially coming from a woman. Helen made Lihn uncomfortable at times and then would feel foolish about it. After Sam died on a mission, Helen and Lihn's relationship changes. They fall in love and create a life together in Saigon that works for them.
As I came closer to the end of the book I wondered if I should re-read chapter 1 since I now understood what was going on. It turns out I did not have to. The last chapter goes back to where chapter 1 left off, bringing the whole book all together. It was a great way to end.
Although The Lotus Eaters takes place in the middle of a gruesome war, the love triangles formed give a glimmer of hope in such a desolate setting. I really enjoyed reading about a subject that was new to me.

4/5 Stars

PS- I apologize if this review is kind of all over the place. I'm lacking sleep from traveling international and cannot seem to focus very well.

#5 in 2012 Mount TBR Challenge
Click here to see full list

Feature & Follow Friday #14

Q: What is one book you would be nervous to see a movie adaptation of because you think the movie could never live up to the book?

A: The book/movie One Day was a perfect example of this- I had to watch the movie because I was interested in how they would show the different years. Each chapter of the book takes place on the same day, but in a different year. And sometimes the years skip a few. I was not very impressed with the movie. They handled the timing well but the emotions from the book just weren't there.
A book that has not been made into a movie yet that I'm a bit worried about it of course my favorite, The Night Circus. I'm excited to see this one come to life but worried it won't be as amazing as the book. My fingers are crossed with this one.

What book to movie would you be worried about?

Booking Through Thursday: Eternity

This week's Booking Through Thursday asks...

Q: What book took you the longest to read, and do you feel it was the content or just the length that made it so?

A: I think Bright Young Things took me the longest due to work. Besides work getting in my way either Annabel by Kathleen Winter or Shantaram took me the longest to read. Annabel was due to content- it was about a hermaphrodite born in the 60's in a secluded area where men and women had distinct roles. This was a new subject to me and although it was interesting the book moved pretty slow. There was no real action or drama. Shantaram on the other hand was long- about 950 pages- and there was never a good stopping point so it was hard to just pick it up and read a few pages. I had to have time to sit down and read for awhile to get to a good stopping point.

What book has taken up a lot of your time? Leave me a comment and let me know!

I'm back!

Hello all! I'm back from vacation and onto blogging again. San Francisco was awesome- full of wonderful food, tons of walking, and exploring a fun city! It was so nice to not be on the computer or even my phone for a few days. But now I'm back to the wonderful world of technology :)

Although I am back from vacation, I am traveling international tomorrow (for work this time). My Dubai trip is finally here! I will still be blogging my memes and probably some book reviews since it is a SUPER long flight, but my timing may be a bit off. I'm never very good at remembering the time back home when I am international.

Thanks for your patience with my vacation and crazy travels. Happy reading!

Teaser Tuesdays (April 10)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here's how it works..

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share does not give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here are my teasers...

The late afternoon sun cast a molten light on the street, lacquered the sidewalk, the doors, tables and chairs of restaurants, the rickety stands of cigarettes, film and books, all in a golden patina, even giving the rusted, motionless cyclos and the gaunt faces of the sleeping drivers the bucolic quality found in antique photos.

 p. 69, The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

Vacation!

Hello all you lovely readers. I wanted to post a quick note letting you all know I will not be around the blogging world the next few days because I'm going on vacation! I thought about trying to keep up with comments/post/memes but I decided I want to fully enjoy my time away and not worry about being on the computer. I have a couple scheduled posts so things won't be too quiet here at Reading Kelly, but I may take a few days to get back to any comments.

So until next week I will be exploring the wonderful city of San Francisco. Happy reading!

Feature & Follow Friday (#13)

Q: Have you ever bought a book BECAUSE of a bad review?

A: I don't think I have ever really chosen a book because of a bad review. I've read some books that had more negative reviews from some readers but I always keep in mind not everyone will like every book they read. And it is always a possibility I will enjoy something more than others- it's all about personal preferences.

What about you...any book you just had to read because of a bad review? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Booking Through Thursday: Recommendation

This week's Booking Through Thursday asks...

If someone asked you for a book recommendation, what is the FIRST book you'd think to recommend (without extra thought)?

I actually get asked about book recommendations quite a bit, especially from co-workers. The first book that always pops into my mind is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern because I LOVE this book and think everyone should read it. The Secret History by Donna Tartt also comes to mind quite a bit for those I think would be interested in a good psychological mystery in reverse.

What book would you recommend without thinking much about it?

Teaser Tuesdays (April 3)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here's how it works..

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share does not give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here are my teasers...

"Don't you think it's a calling to live in danger just to capture the face of those who are suffering? To show their invisible lives to the world?"

 p. 89, The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

Random Acts of Kindness: April

RAK is hosted by Book Soulmates. You can join the fun here.

For those who do not know, RAK is Random Acts of Kindness. You sign up and share your book wishlist. Then you can view other's wishlists and send them a Random Act of Kindness. This will be my second month participating. I had sooo much fun with RAK last month!

Here are the rules:

COMPLETE RULES RE-CAP:
Please read carefully & follow all rules! Thank you!

• Please sign-up each month that you can participate (and by participate, we mean give as well as receive).
• Show off your participation by grabbing our RAK button (code is in the right sidebar).
• Create a wish list (on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog, etc) and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger directly for their information.
• Once you receive a RAK, send us an our new email to [rakbybooksoulmates @ gmail . com] so that we can update the Google Doc. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND EMAILS TO THIS ADDRESS!
• E-book participation is limited to files being gifted directly to a person from the e-book store. Amazon's Kindle Store is set up to allow this, as well as the Kobo store and we believe Barnes & Noble with Nook as well.
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K by making a "RAK Wrap-Up" post. This post should include who you SENT gifts to as well who you RECEIVED gifts from :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE including all our International brethren!

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Easy peezy!!

 

You can see my wishlist here in my Google Docs. The top 5 I chose for this month are...

1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2. Pure by Julianna Baggott

3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffers & Annie Barrows

5. A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter