Sunday Update

Happy Sunday everyone! Man is it hot here today. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

I wanted to let you guys know what my plan is for the blog this week.

Wednesday I will be announcing the winners of Dancing with Ana. If you haven't entered yet you still can here.

I will also be posting the interview with Nicole Barker sometime during the week as well. That will wrap up Dancing with Ana Theme Week.

Next week's focus will be The Women of Charles II. Each day I will have a post about one of the women in his life and at the end of the week I will have my review of The Merry Monarch's Wife by Jean Plaidy. I will also have an extensive list of vocabulary words from this book as well!

Also, a long term plan is to work on posting some reviews of books that I read during my pre-blogging days. These will appear every now and then. As I go through my bookshelf I will be updating my reviews that I missed.

Can't wait to see you around the blog this week!




Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: 2nd Chance by James Patterson

2nd Chance by James Patterson with Andrew Gross
Book 2 in the Women's Murder Club Series

Unabridged, 8 hrs.

Hachette Audio

Melissa Leo, Jeremy Piven (Narrators)

March 1, 2002

★★★★ ½☆

 

 

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

 

Source: Personal Collection

2nd Chance reconvenes the Women's Murder Club, four friends (a detective, a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner) who used their networking skills, feminine intuition, and professional wiles to solve a baffling series of murders in 1st to Die. This time, the murders of two African Americans, a little girl and an old woman, bear all the signs of a serial killer for Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to lieutenant of San Francisco's homicide squad. But there's an odd detail she finds even more disturbing: both victims were related to city cops. A symbol glimpsed at both murder scenes leads to a racist hate group, but the taunting killer strikes again and again, leaving deliberate clues and eluding the police ever more cleverly. In the meantime, each of the women has a personal stake at risk--and the killer knows who they are.

This is my second read in this series in the last month. I am very happy to be reading these on audio book; I think that hearing these stories is more effective than reading them myself.

Lindsay and her 3 best girl friends are back on the case again. Lindsay has been promoted to the position of Lieutenant after the success of the last murder case. This time a string of murders are occurring that appear to be racially motivated and by someone with amazing aim with a firearm. As with all major murder cases a nickname is given to the killer – Chimera – from the symbol that is left behind at the scene as a calling card. While Lindsay is wrapped up in this case her father walks back into the picture – after being gone for 20 years…

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. It surged ahead at a great speed and changed direction a million times. I wish I could jump right into the next one – but I think I’m going to have to get it through interlibrary loan, which will take a little time.

★★★★ ½☆

Two well-known actors were the narrators of this audio book – Melissa Leo narrated the main part of the novel (about the girls and investigation) and Jeremy Piven narrated the parts from the perspective of the murderer. It was effective to have the different parts narrated by different people, different genders, because it helped to differentiate between the stories. Both people did a great job.

You can listen to a short sample from the audiobook (links to Audible)

Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by James Patterson:
James Patterson has penned many mystery/thriller novels, the other books in the Women's Murder Club series include:
 

1st to Die [My Review]


3rd Degree [My Review]


4th of July [My Review]


5th Horseman


6th Target


7th Heaven


8th Confession


9th Judgment


10th Anniversary


11th Hour


12 of Never


Unlucky 13


14th Deadly Sin
(To be released in May 2015)

Find James Patterson: Website | Facebook | Twitter |Pinterest | Instagram

Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

A Call for Questions!

I have a unique opportunity for anyone who is interested. Nicole Barker has offered to answer any questions that you might have about Dancing with Ana! If you have anything that you would like to ask her you can either leave the question here in a comment or email it to me at dolleygurl@hotmail.com. I will compile the questions and send them to Nicole. I will then post the answers here on the blog. So send me those questions!

You can check out my review here.

You can enter the giveaway for the book here.




Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

GIVEAWAY - Dancing with Ana

Giveaway – 3 copies of Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker
Hey everyone! As promised last week we have another giveaway! This time, the wonderful Nicole Barker has generously offered up 3 signed copies of her new book Dancing with Ana. I just finished reading this book about a week ago and it is truly amazing. If you missed my review you can read it here. I would recommend entering for this book not only for yourself but for any teenage daughters you have. It is worth the read. You can check out the Dancing with Ana website for more information or to purchase the book.

Here are the many ways you can enter:
1) Leave a comment with your email address for 1 entry
2) Become a follower of my blog (or let me know if you are already a follower) for 1 entry
3) Comment on my review of Dancing with Ana and let me know here that you commented for 1 entry
4) Post on your blog, Twitter or Facebook a link to the Dancing with Ana website for 2 entries (here is the link for your convenience http://www.dancingwithana.com/)
5) Post about this giveaway on your blog or Twitter for 2 entries

This contest is only open to residents of the US and Canada. Sorry to those of you across the pond, but this was not up to me.

The last day to enter the contest is Tuesday August 18, 2009. I will pick the winners at random on August 19th. I will send an email to the winners as well as post them on my blog to get your mailing address. These books will be sent to you from the author. Good luck to everyone – this book will not disappoint!

This giveaway is now closed and no longer accepting entries.




Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker

Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker

ARC, Paperback, 170 pages

Golden Rod Press

July 13, 2009

★★★★ ½☆

 

Genre: Young Adult

 

Source: Received from Author for Review

Beth is a lucky girl... She comes from a loving family. She has three best friends. She loves to surf and lives five minutes from the beach. She also recently discovered that the boy she's grown up with has the most amazing green eyes... Beth has every reason to smile. Every reason to be happy. Every reason to feel blessed. 

Then why is she sticking her fingers down her throat?

Welcome everyone to Dancing with Ana theme week! Hopefully you will find some useful information here this week and we can have a great conversation. To kick off the week we have my review of Dancing with Ana. So without further ado...

Beth’s life is perfect. She has what every high school girl wants: great friends, a great body, and a cute boy who likes her…except that it’s only on the surface. Underneath everything her life is a mess. Her parents are divorced and the loss of her father is eating at her slowly. She begins to not enjoy the things that she used to and becomes fixated on losing weight. Everyone around her is worried about her. Will she be able to regain control of her life or will it continue to spin out of control?

Beth’s story is one that is poignant for many young girls in today’s society. Divorce and weight issues are common scenarios. While this story could have easily fallen into clichéd territory, Nicole Barker does a phenomenal job at creating stories and characters that you care about. By the second chapter I was absorbed in Beth’s story and couldn’t wait to read what would happen next. Her characters are very real. They not only have real problems, but they react in real ways. Being a few years out of high-school myself, I could still relate to the problems Beth and her friends were facing. The way this story is written I think that anyone of any age can relate and enjoy it.

This book would be a perfect book for any teen girl to read; it’s hard being a teen today. Issues of self image, self-mutilation, peer pressure, divorce, and relationships are all approached in this story in a way that is sensitive but without feeling patronizing and preachy. It really illustrates how quickly something can spiral out of control and how hard it can be to climb back out of that hole. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though.

I received this book from the author for review. This was a quick and awesome read. I would highly recommend this read. Don’t brush it off because it is a young adult novel.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• SMS Book Reviews
• Missy's  Book Nook

 

Where to Buy: Amazon | B&N

 

Find Nicole Barker: Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

Expand Your Vocabulary

I know I'm a little behind with this one, but I have had more exciting/pressing posts lately :). Alright here are the words from The Heretic Queen.

• Faience – (n) glazed earthenware or pottery, esp. a fine variety with highly colored designs
• Wadis – (pl. n) A valley, gully, or streambed in northern Africa and southwest Asia that remains dry except during the rainy season

There were other words that I didn't know but there was a glossery of some of them in the back of the book.





Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

Announcing Next Week's Theme!!!

Hi everyone! I am so excited to get to offer a theme week next week! I finished reading Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker a few days ago and have been emailing back and forth with her since then. Together we have brainstormed some fun things to offer next week here.

Here is the tentative schedule of events:

• Monday - Review of Dancing with Ana posted
• Tuesday - Giveaway posted and Call for Questions!
• Sometime near the end of the week - Responses to your questions as well as a general Q&A with Nicole.
• Following Tuesday - Giveaway winners announced

I hope you will drop by and take a look at all the exciting things that will be offered here over the week. This will be an opportunity to meet and learn about a great new author!

Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Rage by Jerry Langton

Rage: The True Story of Sibling Murder by Jerry Langton

Paperback, 256 pages

Wiley

June 11, 2008
★★★ ½☆☆

Genre: True Crime

Source: Personal Collection

In a quiet working-class neighborhood in east-end Toronto, on an early winter day in November 2003, Johnathon Madden returned home from school only to be bullied and threatened by is older brother, Kevin; Kevin's friend Tim Ferriman; and another teenager. the confrontation turned violent and fatal. Johnathon didn't have the strength or size to protect himself against the frenzied attack of his powerful 250-pound brother. 

Sibling violence may be as old as time, but this case is particularly disturbing and unsettling.

Being a criminal justice major during college, crime stories – true or fictional – are always interesting to me. This book came to me in a giveaway and I thought I would give it a try. I should warn you, this book is not for the weak at heart.

The bulk of this book consists of the story of the brutal murder of Johnathon by his brother Kevin and his friends. There is the suspected story of what happened as well as the story of the trial. The other portion of this book looks at aspects of this story in a more detailed way. For example, the author goes into a chapter of details about the inner workings of a psychopath.

I have a sort of split opinion about this book. The writing of the actual story of the murder was very compelling and kept my attention. The sections of the in-depth background information didn’t really hold my interest. They were too long. There were sections that I found interesting and I understand the importance of the background info, but I feel like it went on for too long.

Overall, a generally good book, but a little slow at times.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Book Reviews by Bobbie
  

Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

UK Paperback, 512 pages

Quercus Publishing Plc

December 26, 2008

★★★★★

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Personal Collection

"In ancient Egypt, a forgotten princess must overcome her family’s past, and remake history. 

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the 18th dynasty’s royal family— all with the exception of Nefertari, niece of the reviled former queen Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. A relic of a previous reign, Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But all of this changes when she is taken under the wing of pharaoh’s aunt, and brought to the Temple of Hathor where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen. 

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the crown prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history."

I want to say right from the start that this book is the BEST book that I have read to date. I don’t know what was wrong with me, but for some reason I didn’t want to get started with this one. I put it off for three days after finishing Eve for some unknown reason but as soon as I started reading it, I was like “What was wrong with you!”

The Heretic Queen sort of picks up where her previous book Nefertiti leaves off. Nefertari is a princess in the royal court of Seti I. Her mother was Queen Mutnudjamet, the sister of Queen Nefertiti. Nefertari is the only remaining link to this family. With these family connections, Nefertari is constantly harassed by her school mates and others about being from the Heretic family. Her two closest friends, the only ones who really don’t consider her the Heretic, are Asha and Ramesses. Ramesses is the son of Seti I and he is declared co-reagent of Egypt along with his father. Along with his title, Ramesses must select a wife; a role that Nefertari would love to fill. Except there are some major roadblocks in the way…politics, greed, pride.

This story never felt like it was dragging. The sentences never felt clumsy, out of place, or just used as filler. Every sentence was important and helped move the story along in major ways. Moran is well versed in her Egyptian vocabulary and ways of living during the 19th dynasty. Her writing really makes you feel like you are right there or watching a movie play out right in front of you. About halfway through the book I realized that this book would only get through a fraction of the life/story of Nefertari. I was slightly depressed knowing this because this is a great love story for the ages; one that has stood the test of time. When it ended I wanted to read more, more, more! This has quickly moved its way to the top of my favorite book list.

I cannot wait to read Moran’s third book, Cleopatra’s Daughter. I have thoroughly enjoyed her first two.

 

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?  There is also a great Q&A with the author about the book.

Other blogger's reviews of this book:

• The Lit Witch
• Jules' Book Reviews

 

Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Michelle Moran:

Nefertiti [My Review]

 

Cleopatra's Daughter [My Review]

 

Madame Tussaud [My Review]

 

The Second Empress

 

Rebel Queen

 

Find Michelle Moran: Website | Blog | Facebook | Pinterest

 

 

Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

Mailbox Monday #7

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.

I haven't gotten to participate in Mailbox Monday for the past two weeks because I was away but I do have some things from those Monday's to include here.

Purchased from Ebay:
2nd Chance (audio book) by James Patterson - I'm listening to this currently

Won from Plaidy's Royal Intrigue blog:
The Silk Vendetta by Victoria Holt - thanks Arleigh!

Received for Review from author Nicole Barker:
Dancing with Ana - Reading/Enjoying this currently as well - look for an exciting week coming
up soon

Hand-Delivered with Love from my Boyfriend:
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe




Copyright © 2009-2011 by The Maiden’s Court

My Ever Growing Bookshelf

In response to a post at J.Kaye's Book Blog I decided that I would post some pictures of my bookshelves. I don't really have a huge organizational strategy to my shelves, but they are in some order. I try to keep each author grouped together and usually try to keep them in numerical or chronological order. Then I try to keep the taller ones to the left and the shorter ones to the right. I have the books that I want to read mixed in with the books that I have already read. It's all in my head as to which ones those are. I will explain more as I go...
The bottom shelf has all of my Philippa Gregory, Jodi Picoult and a couple other random authors.
The second shelf holds my Libba Bray, Allison Weir, Julie Lessman, and Kate Morton, as well as a couple others.
My third shelf hosts my rapidly expanding Plaidy/Holt collection as well as my Margaret Campbell Barnes, Michelle Moran, and Robin Maxwell books.
The fourth shelf is mostly made up of my Gossip Girl Series and my paperback James Pattersons (the audiobook versions are either in the car or by the stereo).
The top shelf (the one that I can't reach without standing on my bed) holds my Shel Silverstein poetry books, as well as the couple of celebrity books that I have (my favorite being Get Happy about the life of Judy Garland).Any books that I am currently reading or my magazines are put on the bottom shelf of my nightstand.
As I said...not too much organization - I change my mind too often, but at least it is an organized mess.





Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court

August Reading Challenge

I know that I am probably crazy starting another challenge - but since it doesn't require anything more from me than I will be doing anyway - I figure, why not? This challenge is hosted by Pizza's Book Discussion. The goal of this challenge is to see who can read the most books in the month of August. Whoever reads the most will receive a blog award. I'm not the fastest reader, but I think it will be fun just to see what I can read.

Here are my reads during August (updated as I finish reading them):
1. Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker
2. 2nd Chance by James Patterson
3. Five Days in Paris by Danielle Steel
4. The Merry Monarch's Wife by Jean Plaidy
5. The Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard
6. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
7. Tara Road by Maeve Binchey




Copyright © 2009 by The Maiden’s Court