keyhole: vampires

Alice twirled to the left and looked into this keyhole...

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening
by L.J. Smith
Win by gently read (once) copy.

Open to all.

Offer ends: April 3, 2011

TO DO:
Tell me something vampire-ish - i.e. book or movie recommendation, joke, poem, etc.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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~*~
Night World: No. 1
by LJ Smith
which includes the stories:
Secret Vampire
Daughters of Darkness
Spellbinder
win this from Book Babblings
-offer ends Mar 22

Should Alice open this door?

~*~
If you attempt to open this door, you may want to consider getting this from Bo Press...



Take a look inside this vampire hunter box...



And these are inside too...



Description from Bo Press:
A toolbox for hunting miniature vampires, or for a miniature vampire hunter.

This miniature vampire hunter’s kit is bound in paper printed with weathered wood, and lined with a peach and olive Art Nouveau pattern.

The exterior of the box has brass hinges, handles, and decorations (a screaming bat’s head!). The box opens on each side, and contains:

– a mallet and four wooden stakes

- a revolver, cleaver, and silver (colored) cross

– two tiny test tubes containing ‘blood samples’

– a glass bottle of ‘holy water’ sealed with wrapped lizard skin

– a bible (blank inside)

– a journal (also blank)

– a incomplete letter from the former owner, which ends abruptly and tragically

– a packet of maps of eastern Europe

– a brown card stock box which contains:

– a rosary

– a brown leather drawstring bag which contains:

– a bulb of garlic

Most of the items are secured to the box with thin leather straps, and all of the items, with the exception of the test tubes, are removable. The bible and journal are hand-bound. This little kit measures 1 7/8″ x 1 1/4″ x 2 1/8″.

You can have a custom made kit made from Bo Press here.

~^o^~ Alice in WhoLand schedule ~^o^~

Vampire Diaries: The Struggle by L. J. Smith

Vampire Diaries:
The Struggle
by L. J. Smith

Published: 2007
Genre: Romance, Vampire
Paperback: 512 pages
Rating: 3

Description from Jacket Flap:
In book two of the Vampire Diaries Elena Gilbert quickly realizes that the only thing more dangerous that being in love with a vampire is being desired by two. As Stefan struggles to suppress his instinctive thirst, Damon persists in his quest for Elena′s heart. A dark turn of events forces Elena to risk her mortality to save one of her immortal suitors.

My two-bits:
In-a-word: struggle

A struggle for Elena and a struggle for me.

It was a struggle for me to get through this book because of the pacing and because I love the tv show characters much more.

I had to constantly keep the book story and tv story separate in my mind. It was confusing because the same names are used but they are and act different in each storyline.

I am now enlighted with how vervain works:

That's an herb that's supposed to protect you against bewitchment, and it can keep your mind clear even if someone is using Powers against you. People used to wear it around their necks.

-Stefan (chapter 7, page 346)

So, the book series does provide some background info that is not necessarily explained in the tv show.

Regarding the book story, it was slow going with Elena's struggle to find a missing Stefan, to find a missing diary and to deal with an exasperating Damon. However, the last chapter is what grabbed my attention. I was going to stop reading the series altogether. But now, Elena has changed. For the better? I hope. I want to find out.

Anyhoo, I'm going to continue reading this series after the tv season of Vampire Diaries has ended in May (i think).

Series:
The Awakening - my review
The Struggle
The Fury
Dark Reunion
The Return: Nightfall

*part of my Vampire Diaries challenge
*part of Ms V's Vampire Week
*don't forget to enter the Vampire Haiku giveaway offer this week
*blogosphere vampire giveaway:
How to Catch and Keep a Vampire:
A Step-By-Step Guide to Loving the Bad and the Beautiful
by Diana Laurence
from Vampire Romance Reads
-offer ends Jan 31, 2010

Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L. J. Smith

The Vampire Diaries:

The Awakening

by L. J. Smith

Published: 2009

Genre: Romance, Vampire

Paperback: 272 pages

Rating: 4

Description from the amazon:

A deadly love triangle

Elena: beautiful and popular, the girl who can have any boy she wants.

Stefan: brooding and mysterious, desperately trying to resist his desire for Elena . . . for her own good.

Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him.

Elena finds herself drawn to both brothers . . . who will she choose?

Description from widipedia:
The first volume of the series introduces the reader to Elena Gilbert a popular and beautiful high school student in Fell's Church, Virginia and her best friends Bonnie and Matt. A former childhood friend, Caroline, is also introduced and revealed to be Elena's antagonist. As their senior year at Robert E. Lee High School begins, Elena meets and becomes involved with a mysterious new student, Stefan Salvatore. As Elena and Stefan fall in love, strange attacks begin to happen in the town and Elena discovers that Stefan has a dark secret—he is a centuries-old vampire. Soon after Elena and Stefan meet, another charismatic stranger later revealed to be Stefan's estranged elder brother, Damon Salvatore, begins to make appearances. The reader learns that the brothers both fell in love with a young vampire named Katherine in Renaissance Italy. Fueled with rage at Katherine's refusal to choose one brother over the other and her subsequent suicide, Stefan and Damon kill each other in a sword fight. They are interred in the family crypt but soon awaken as vampires, at which point they part ways until they encounter each other once more at the beginning of the novel. The Awakening ends with Elena seeking out Damon, whom she believes to be the prime suspect in Stefan's disappearance after the townspeople begin to suspect him for being behind numerous violent animal attacks and the recent murder of the high school's subst history teacher.

My thoughts:

In-a-word: selfish

Finally, finally finished reading this. It was tough going while watching the TV series. The book has a different feel with characters that don't totally match up with the TV series characters. I read the book with this cover and found that it just does not match the innards. The cover with Stefan below is a better fit. The cover posted above with the crow works too, but has a xmas-sy feel to it. Anyhoo if you'd like to have my copy, let me know in comments below.

At first I did not like how this story was going mainly because I had the TV version warring with it in my head. But, as I continued the read I began to get into the story and accept the book characters as they are.

The story does have a different take on a vampire love story. An unusual love triangle where the girl/woman has the upper hand.

The book ends with a cliffhanger so I must read book 2 to continue the story. The big question I have is what is the connection between Katherine and Elena other than their appearance? You can say that this story also fits into the Mystery genre.

Interesting European folklore (from Scotland?):

One of the characters mentions a way to find out who your future spouse by way of old ritual called the Dumb Supper. You create a place setting at dining room table with one plate, one glass, and one set of silverware without uttering a word. Then you light a single candle in a candleholder in the center of the table and position yourself behind the chair with the place setting.

According to Bonnie, on the stroke of midnight she was supposed to pull the chair back and invite her future husband in. At that point, the candle would blow out and she would see a ghostly figure in the chair.

-page 175

Zombie sighting:
Several zombies turned as Elena came in. Their grinning skulls visible through the rotting flesh of their faces.
pg 187

Series:

The Awakening

The Struggle - my review

The Fury

Dark Reunion

The Return: Nightfall

*part of my Vampire Diaries challenge

*part of my R.I.P. challenge

*part of my Helluva Halloween challenge

L.J. Smith Reading Challenge

L.J. Smith Reading Challenge
hosted by My Friend Amyreview links
Yup, I must be nuts starting another challenge.

BUT, this was too juicy to pass up especially with the tv series tie-in.

What are we reading? L.J. Smith's The Vampire Diaries!

What are we watching? The Vampire Diaries on the CW!

When do we start? September 1, 2009

When do we have to finish? August 31, 2010




Series:

The Awakening - my review
The Struggle - my review
The Fury
Dark Reunion
The Return: Nightfall

And, the tv series begins September 10, 2009!



Episode 1 - review - Pilot

Episode 2 - review - The Night of the Comet

Episode 3 - review - Friday Night Bites

Episode 4 - review - Family Ties

Episode 5 - review - You're So Undead

Episode 6 - review - Lost Girls

Episode 7 - review - Haunted

Episode 8 - review - 162 Candles

Episode 9 - review - Turning Point

Episode 10 - review - History Repeating

Episode 11 - review - Bloodlines

Episode 12 - review - Unpleasantville

Episode 13 - review - Children of the Damned

Episode 14 - review - Fool Me Once

Episode 15 - review -

Episode 16 - review -

Episode 17 - review -

Episode 18 - review -

Episode 19 - review -

Episode 20 - review -

Episode 21 - review -

Episode 22 - review -

==end result==
got a couple read, however, challenge not completed