Black Friday Book Bonanza

Black Friday Book Bonanza
Nov 27-30, 2015
hosted by BookShelfery.com and Caffeinated Book Reviewer
details and complete list (here)
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Pretty Baby
by Mary Kubica
-Mystery, Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

The Fever
by Megan Abbott
-Horror, Mystery, YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

The Good Neighbor
by A.J. Banner
-Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads| my review

WIN my review copies!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: November 30, 2015

TO DO: (2 parts)

1. COMMENT here and tell me what you are currently reading (include your email).

2. READ and comment on another post on my blog.

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Contest has ended - (winner is here)

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NOW, hop-along to these other sites for more goodies… (here)


THIS would be a riot to see/hear during a shopping expedition...

Stacking the Shelves - 11.21.15

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

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Bought:

Winter
(The Lunar Chronicles #4)
by Marissa Meyer
-Fantasy, YA
Amazon | Goodreads -signup for current giveaway

=====> Books Inc. of Opera Plaza, San Francisco presented MARISSA MEYER and her latest book!

Here are a few things that she shared:

- loves fairy tales which started with Disney's The Little Mermaid
- instead of reading from Winter, she recited the Grimm's version of Snow White
- would love to see action figures made for the series and see the creation of Cinder on Ice!
- Thorn character was the most fun to write

AND presenting Megan as Princess Winter...

ALSO, was treated to...

=====> My second time to see and hear DAVID SEDARIS live! The way he presents his observations through his writing and speaking engagements are a riot!

Here are a few things that he shared:

- cute in his culottes
- read two of his recent New Yorker magazine essays
- read clips from a new book he is working on which is a compilation of his diary entries that date back to the 90's


UNBOXING:

From Uppercase package (details & signup):
A hand-selected young adult book & fun bookish item, delivered monthly #UppercaseBox

MONTH Box includes:
- Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
- Signed bookplate from Ryan Graudin
- Wolf by Wolf pin
- Oscar Wilde print by Risa Rodil (Uppercase-exclusive)
- Certified Book Addict (cat and books) keychain by PeachyApricot (Uppercase-exclusive)

Wolf by Wolf
by Ryan Graudin
Amazon | Goodreads
Her story begins on a train.

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, they host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The prize? An audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball in Tokyo.

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele's twin brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move.

But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and stay true to her mission?

Freebies: from library

Crewel
(Crewel World Book 1)
by Gennifer Albin
-Dystopia, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

The Jewel
(Jewel Series Book 1)
by Amy Ewing
-Dystopia, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

Shatter Me
by Tahereh Mafi
-Dystopia, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

Prize winner:

THANKS to BookSparks for this Halloween Book Bag prize!

Blood Orchids (Lei Crime #1)by Toby Neal | Goodreads
The Fever by Megan Abbott | Goodreads
The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner | Goodreads
Ghosting by Edith Pattou | Goodreads
Hell or High Water (Nola Cespedes Mysteries, #1) by Joy Castro | Goodreads
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter | Goodreads

OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

Magazines:

Little White Lies
Truth & Movies
September/October issue
-for film news | Website=====> Love the layout and presentation of this film related magazine. This issue has a focus on Guillermo del Toro and his latest movie, Crimson Peak.

AND watched: in theatre

Spectre
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig
-Action, Adventure, Thriller | imdb | list | My rating: 5
A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

=====> Loved the opening sequence set in Mexico during the Dia de los muertos - Bond doing his Bond thing rocks throughout. And, loved his latest love ;-)

THESE are part of the San Francisco Film Society - Hong Kong film festival (here).

To The Fore (2015)
"Po feng" (original title)
Director: Dante Lam
Starring: Eddie Peng, Si Won Choi, Shawn Dou
-Drama, Sport | imdb
My rating: 4Dante Lam’s (Unbeatable, Beast Stalker) latest film is an epic sports drama that captures the visceral intensity, speed and tactics of world-class competitive cycling. With twists and turns both literal and figurative, and relying on its stellar cast, the film centers on three cyclists, Ji-won (Choi Si-won), Ming (Eddie Peng) and Tian (Shawn Dou), and spins an exciting story about the rivalries, friendships and moral hazards that accompany pedaling one’s way to the top.
=====> CUTE soap opera sentimental vibe. Got some viewpoints of the cycling scene.

Two Thumbs Up (2015)
"Chung fung che" (original title)
Director: Ho Leung Lau
Starring: Francis Ng, Simon Yam, Leo Ku
-Action, Drama | imdb
My rating: 5In a throwback nod to the golden years of wonderfully goofy action films that has so often marked Hong Kong filmmaking, Two Thumbs Up follows four lovable losers intent on pulling off the (im)perfect heist. The bumbling gangsters decide to disguise a minibus as a police vehicle, intending to use it to pull over and rob trucks that carry human carcasses stuffed with cash. Everything that could go wrong (and even some things that couldn’t) does, including the introduction of a ruthless rival gang that happened to have the same idea and is competing with our “heroes” for the cash. Writer/director Lau Ho-leung’s directorial debut is crackling with a frenetic pace and hilarious situations, a truly fun film that is a wish fulfilled for lovers of 1980s and '90s Hong Kong pulp.
=====> FUN with plenty of chuckles and fantastical happenings that climax to a fit of laughter!

Monster Hunt (2015)
Director: Raman Hui
Story by: Alan Yuen
Starring: Baihe Bai, Boran Jing, Wu Jiang
-Action, Comedy, Fantasy | imdb
My rating: 5China's #1 Box Office Hit of All Time
Former Bay Area animator Raman Hui directed this box office–busting tale about a broken truce between the human and monster worlds. Blending brilliant live action with expertly rendered CGI, the action-packed and hilarious fantasy adventure is based on the idea that humans have forgotten the real existence of beasts and ogres. However, when a coup erupts within the monster world, forcing their queen to hide within the human world, the long-separate realms collide with comic fury.
=====> WOW - really enjoyed this blend of martial arts action, live animation with humans and cute monsters.

Wuba could be the next big thing in the US...

~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner

The Good Neighbor
by A.J. Banner

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Facebook
Twitter @ajbanner1

Just released: September 1, 2015
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Thriller, Women's Fiction
Hardback: 204 pages
Rating: 3

First sentence(s):
I'm drowning. The river's current is tearing me apart.

Named by Harper’s Bazaar as a book that could be the next Gone Girl.

From a phenomenal new voice in suspense fiction comes a book that will forever change the way you look at the people closest to you…

Shadow Cove, Washington, is the kind of town everyone dreams about—quaint streets, lush forests, good neighbors. That’s what Sarah thinks as she settles into life with her new husband, Dr. Johnny McDonald. But all too soon she discovers an undercurrent of deception. And one October evening when Johnny is away, sudden tragedy destroys Sarah’s happiness.

Dazed and stricken with grief, she and Johnny begin to rebuild their shattered lives. As she picks up the pieces of her broken home, Sarah discovers a shocking secret that forces her to doubt everything she thought was true—about her neighbors, her friends, and even her marriage. With each stunning revelation, Sarah must ask herself, Can we ever really know the ones we love?

My two-bits:

Although a thriller, this felt more like a light mystery in regards to fidelity.

There are twists and turns that strung my curiosity along. But the unlikable characters made this one a hard read because I did not care one way or another about the final outcome.

About the author:

As a child, A. J. Banner loved reading everything from Nancy Drew to Tolkien to her parents’ spy novels, “borrowed” from their bookshelves and hidden beneath her pillow. She wrote her first thriller, Mystery at Crane Corner, at the age of 11. She drew her own cover art and bound the pages with staples.

Born in India and raised in North America, A. J. graduated from high school in southern California and received degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. She tried various professions after college – some more successfully than others – including a stint in law school, an office management position, and a memorable job at a veterinary clinic, since she loves animals, but eventually she returned to writing. Her first novel of psychological suspense, The Good Neighbor is now available on Kindle and in audiobook and paperback formats from Lake Union Publishing.

A longtime fan of Agatha Christie, Daphne du Maurier, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, A. J. feels at home writing stories with unexpected twists and turns. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three rescued cats.

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* review copy courtesy of BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge 2015 (details) @booksparks #FRC2015

Stacking the Shelves - 10.24.15

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~
Bought:

City On Fire
by Garth Risk Hallberg
-Historical, New York
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> This is a chunkster at 944 pages. Been hearing rave reviews. Plan to hunker down with this during the cold winter months.

For Review:


The Admissions
by Meg Mitchell Moore
-Women's Fiction
courtesy of BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge 2015 @booksparks #FRC2015 -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

The Upside of Iris
by Helen Rose
-Fantasy, Romance
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

The Good Neighbor
by A.J. Banner
-Thriller
courtesy of BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge 2015 @booksparks #FRC2015 -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
Library:

Wonder
by R.J. Palacio
-MG
Amazon | Goodreads
You can't blend in when you were born to stand out.

My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August Pullman wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things. He eats ice cream. He plays on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside.

But Auggie is far from ordinary. Ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids don't get stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life, in an attempt to protect him from the cruelty of the outside world. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

Narrated by Auggie and the people around him whose lives he touches forever, Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

=====> Listening to audio version and loving it!

OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

UNBOXING:

From Uppercase package (details & signup):
A hand-selected young adult book & fun bookish item, delivered monthly #UppercaseBox

October Box includes:
* First & Then by Emma Mills
* Signed bookplate from Emma Mills
* Alice in Wonderland Coin Purse
* Alice's Enchantmints from The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild
* Lunar Chronicles metallic tattoos from FierceReads

First & Then
by Emma Mills
-Sports, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive jock, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them--first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

With wit, heart, and humor to spare, First & Then is a contemporary novel about falling in love--with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

=====> I was thrilled to get this book! It is said to be a mashup of Pride & Prejudice and Friday Night Lights.

AND binge watching:

Scary/horror movies...

Crimson Peak (2015)
Director: Guillermo del Toro
-Drama, Fantasy, Horror | imdb
In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.

Goodnight Mommy (2014)
"Ich seh, Ich seh" (original title)
Directors: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
-Horror, Thriller, Austria | imdb
Twin boys move to a new home with their mother after she has face changing cosmetic surgery, but under her bandages is someone the children don't recognize.

Jaws (1975)
Director: Steven Spielberg
-Adventure, Drama, Thriller | imdb
When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.

~*~
* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Fall Reading Challenge 2015

Fall Reading Challenge 2015
sponsored by BookSparks
(details here)
The Fall annual reading challenge sponsored by BookSparks is starting up next month!

JOIN in and treat yourself to some amazing reads!

Here are the books I plan on reading:
SEE details (here) for complete list

Crooked Little Lies
by Barbara Taylor Sissel
Amazon | Goodreads | my reviewCourse Title: Manipulation Sciences
Department: Suspense
Course Date: September 7
Description: Seeing is not always believing. Unravel the mysteries behind Crooked Little Lies by Barbara Taylor with this deep dive into the deceptions lurking within your own memories.

The Legacy of Us
by Kristin Contino
Amazon | Goodreads | my reviewCourse Title: Ancestry 101
Department: Women’s Fiction
Course Date: September 28
Description: Track one woman’s journey through the generations and learn to identify key heirlooms and clues in tracing your lineage with The Legacy of Us taught by Kristin Contino.

The Admissions
by Meg Mitchell Moore
Amazon | Goodreads | my reviewCourse Title: Sociology 101
Department: Women’s Fiction
Course Date: October 5
Description: Put today’s modern “has-it-all” family under the microscope in this revealing course by Meg Mitchell Moore.

Sleeping With The Enemy
by Tracy Solheim
Amazon | Goodreads | my reviewCourse Title: Scandal Studies 101
Department: Romance
Course Date: October 12
Description: Study heartbreak, jealousy, attraction and grudge-holding during this juicy course by Tracy Solheim.

The Good Neighbor
by A.J. Banner
Amazon | Goodreads | my reviewCourse Title: Bad Behavioral Studies
Department: Suspense
Course Date: October 19
Description: Examine community and neighbor relations under a microscope in this mysterious course from AJ Banner.

Beautiful Affliction
by Lene Fogelberg
Amazon | Goodreads | my reviewCourse Title: Anatomy & Physiology
Department: Memoir
Course Date: November 2
Description: Take an honest look at growing up on the verge of death by following the life of Lene Folgelberg, a double open-heart surgery survivor.

The Word Game
by Steena Holmes
Amazon | Goodreads | my reviewCourse Title: Advanced Trauma & Recovery
Department: Women’s Fiction
Course Date: December 7
Description: Go inside the complicated world of sisterly relations, family secrets and unthinkable acts with this course by Steena Holmes. Past students are still talking about it!

Put A Ring On It
by Beth Kendrick
Amazon | Goodreads

Postcards from the Sky: Adventures of an Aviatrix
by Erin Seidemann
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

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* head over to get more details and to signup for this challenge (here) - books provided for honest reviews