In My Mailbox-11/29/11

In My E-mailbox:

A Bella Street Mystery: The Secret Formula

By: Clare Havens

In My Real World Mailbox:

River in the Sea

By: Tina Boscha

I've already started reading this one, and it is REALLY good.

It's So Easy: And Other Lies

By: Duff McKagan

Rust

By: Julie Mars

Drifting House

By: Krys Lee

Drifting House

By: Krys Lee

****My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie . A post where we share books acquired via mailbox, library, store, etc.****

Review of An Echo Through the Trees By: Michael Galloway

An Echo Through the Trees

By: Michael Galloway

Amazon

Summary from Amazon:
This is the story of Chase Krause, a man who sets out with his best friend, Josh, to camp for a weekend deep in the snow-filled wilderness. What starts off as the hunt of a lifetime quickly becomes the struggle of a lifetime. At the same time, Chase is forced to grapple with a nearly non-existent relationship with his father.

Set against the backdrop of Minnesota's picturesque north woods, it is a story of fathers and sons, broken relationships and healing, and triumph over circumstance. More importantly, it is a story of letting go.



My Review:

This is a bittersweet story.  It is not just a story of Chase coming to terms with his father's abandonment, but also his mother coming to terms with Chase's leaving home.  You never get to "see" Chase's father, but you do get to see the effect he has had on his son and ex-wife's lives.  Chase has continued to write letters to his father in hopes that he can form some semblance of a relationship with him, even though his father hasn't written back in years.  His mother had made him the center of her world.  (not a bad thing, she is his mom) But when he leaves for college she finds herself at a loss, with no one to cater to but herself, and not sure exactly what she wants.

The story itself spans a winter weekend, when  Chase and his buddy Josh have decided to go hunting.  For  
Chase it is only the second trip he has ever been on and he hopes to redeem himself by actually bagging a deer.  Karen, his mother, has decided to step out of her comfort zone, and enter one of her paintings in a local art sale.  She's not necessarily looking for fame or fortune, but looking for something new to fill her time now that her son is no longer at home. Neither one's weekend ends quite the way they expected. (no spoilers I promise)  I would have preferred a more conclusive ending, but aside from that the story was fine enough. 

I think this was a decent read.  Even if you are not a hunter, or not into hunting.  While the hunting itself is an important part of the story, it isn't THE story.  The book is only 94 pages long, not a major time investment, but I think it would make a great stocking stuffer.  I think even younger male teens would enjoy the book.    

*****In compliance with FTC guidelines, I'm disclosing that I received this book for free through GoodReads First Reads. ****

(I recommend everybody should go check out all the awesome first read giveaways they have!)

Review of Texting Through Time A Trek With Brigham Young By: Christy Monson

Texting Through Time: A Trek With Brigham Young
 By: Christy Monson
Amazon

Summary from Amazon:
When 12-year-old Micah borrows his father's experimental time-travel phone, his hopes for seeing the future are dashed as he and his sister, Alicia, end up trapped in the past at Brigham Young s boyhood home. This book is a fun way for kids and adults to dive into Church history and learn that no matter what time period you are in, God is still aware of you.


















My Review:

First let me just say I am not Mormon. But that didn't stop me from appreciating this book, it was really nice.  
It follows Micah and his sister Alicia through time, after they mess with their dads experimental phone and are sent back to the time of Brigham Young.  I found the book very informative, both about the man and the religion that he was such an influential figure in. The children first meet Brigham when he is a young boy and subsequently follow him through his life. Along the way they learn lessons about themselves and their own personal faith in God.  
The only part I didn't like so much with the story was when the kids were given choices as to which event in Brigham's life they were going to next.  I only didn't like it so much because there were choices given that weren't chosen and I would have liked to find out more about them...
I know, I know I can always look it up on my own! But I guess, even though I didn't like that part, it is still a good thing that it made me interested in finding out more about Brigham Young, right?  The book has a section in the back that "translates" the journal entry texts of the two children.  Since the phone puts them into shortened text lingo.  It also has discussion questions in the back that kids and adults can go over together.  
This book is cute and fun as well as educational. Just because the book is based on Mormon religion, it still does teach good lessons that even non-Mormon children could appreciate, such as hard work, faith, kindness.  
I'd like to end this review with one of my favorite lines from the book.  It is when  Brigham is explaining to the children why he is nice to the Indians.  He says:
"Some of them may join the Church and some may not.... I want to be nice to them no matter what. Many of them don't want to change...that's fine with me. I just want to live in peace."


No matter what your religious views this is a sentiment everyone should be able to get behind. 





****In compliance with FTC guidelines, I'm disclosing that I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads Giveaways.****
(I recommend everybody should go check out all the awesome first read giveaways they have!)

Excerpt from Something Different

Her laughter came close to breaking his resolve to treat her as nothing more than a guest of his hotel. She held nothing back. As she talked, she shared so much. His heart ached to hear the tinge of loneliness at the edge of her soul. He doubted she realized how much it showed. As she moved about the deck, following his orders, he admitted how much he enjoyed having someone so lively to sail with.
If she occasionally paused, as if uncertain, she took his direction and they suffered no damage as the result. He’d intended to sail a path angled so she could watch the sunset while he remained at the tiller, but something drew him to join her at the rail.
He stood, not quite touching her, as the sun drew close to the sea.
“My God, that is beautiful.” She whispered the words. 

“Preciosa.”
If she’d shifted her gaze to him, she’d have seen him focusing on her face, not the sunset. A few moments later, she drew a quick breath. “Oh! Did I just see the famous green flash?”
He smiled. “You are most fortunate.” A familiar sight to him, but he found it sweet to see the wonder of her first viewing cross her face.
She tilted her head to grin at him. “Well, I’m here, and you’re here. I have to agree with you.”
He met her look. This warm female, hair like tangled strands of dark honey, eyes a light brown and her lips….
He pulled back and shook his head, suddenly aware of how close he’d come to kissing her. He’d never kissed a woman other than his wife.
Maria! What have you gotten me into?

Amazon

Review of EVE: Templar One By: Tony Gonzales

EVE: Templar One
By:  Tony Gonzales
Release Day: December 6, 2011
Release for Kindle:  January 3, 2012

Summery from Amazon:

“There will be neither compassion nor mercy;
Nor peace, nor solace
For those who bear witness to these Signs
And still do not believe."

Book of Reclaiming 25:10

New Eden: the celestial battleground of a catastrophic war that has claimed countless lives.

The immortal starship captains spearheading this epic conflict continue their unstoppable dominance, shaping the universe to their will and ensuring a bloody, everlasting stalemate.

But a powerful empire is on the verge of a breakthrough that could end the war and secure their rule over mankind forever. For deep in a prison reclamation camp, a secret program is underway...one that will unlock dangerous secrets of New Eden’s past.

It all begins with inmate 487980-A . . . Templar One.

Prepare for DUST 514.

My Review:

The empires of the Eve universe are at war.  Whether it is a direct and obvious shoot-on-site, or a more subversive one that uses treaties and negotiations to hide their true agendas.  They are all competing to see who will rule New Eden.
The starship captains who are "immortal" already take deadly amounts of lives.  Why should they shy from battle, when death means nothing to them? In an instant they are in a clone body, memories intact ready to go to war for their respective home worlds once again.  But now the Amarr have discovered a way to make their soldiers immortal as well. They believe their warriors will will their holy crusade, but is all hell about to break lose?


I had been looking forward to reading this one since I saw it listed in the Goodreads giveaway, and I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed. This is pure science fiction. I'm not going to say I understood every teeny, tiny technical word of how everything in the story worked, but that is more my failing then the authors.  (My eyes sometimes glaze over when technical things are explained, especially when the technology doesn't even exist.  As long as it all  makes sense to some extent I'm happy and don't try to figure out if it would be possible outside of the book's universe.) To me the story is more important then if I can build my own spaceship from the technical specs that I've gleaned from the story, and Gonzales world and story drew me in and held me captive.  I was sad when it ended if only because I kept wanting to read more!(Fortunately for me, while this is the newest by Gonzales, there are others out there by him that take place in his EVE universe, so I can content myself with those until the next book comes out.) Even though this is not the first book in the EVE universe, it still is quite capable of being a stand alone novel.  Gonzales's characters are well rounded and I love the way he brings all of them together. I also really liked the way he described his multiple settings and people.  He really brought them to life for me.  The book is a cliff hanger, however it is not a complete cut off. So while I was left wanting to read more, I wasn't agitated and wanting to throw the book across the room.
As I said before, this is pure sci-fi, not a Romance in outer space. So if you or someone you know is into this genre, this book is definitely a great choice. I would say it is for more mature readers, there is gore and violence, but it doesn't really detract from the story itself.
 It is scheduled to be released December 6th so just in time for the holidays, if you are looking for a gift. Or \ for a book to cozy up indoors with during these cold winter months.

****In compliance with FTC guidelines, I'm disclosing that I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads Giveaways.****
(I recommend everybody should go check out all the awesome first read giveaways they have!)

In My Mailbox-11/23/11

In My Email-Box:

Envy 

By: Sandra Brown

In My Real World Mailbox:

Texting Through Time: A Trek With Brigham Young

By: Christy Monson

****My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie . A post where we share books acquired via mailbox, library, store, etc.****

Excerpt from A Christmas Evening Vigil

Sebastian Cole drifted through an endless half-conscious hell. When he was awake, he knew he was in a bed, aching from the waist up, curiously numb from the waist down. He still preferred being awake to sleeping.

When he slept, the nightmares returned. He was back at the garage, holding it against a foe that knew no mercy, no retreat, and no end. Again and again they charged through the courtyard, guns seeking him out. Again and again he smashed them into scrap, hammered them until they burned, or exploded, or just plain stopped moving. All the while he ignored his mounting exhaustion, his accumulating wounds, the failing Mechanicals behind him. The one thing he couldn’t block out was Gardner’s corpse, what was left of it. An enemy Mechanical had pulled him half through a heavy bunker door and used the door to grind him against the courtyard pavers until most of him was little more than a chunky paste. In his nightmare, he could still make out Gardner’s face, but it wasn’t Gardner’s face. It was his own.

The DaVinci that had killed Gardner had been shattered by the same woman who repaired his broken Mechanicals, sending them back into the line. She was an angel in a drab olive dress, ignoring danger, dashing unarmed and unarmored to drag damaged Mechanicals back to her tools. Nothing stopped her until Sebastian fell to the siege gun of the Bertha Command Mechanical.

Every night he fell, and every night she abandoned him as too damaged to repair. He tried to crawl back into position, tried to fight against the waves of Blitzmen charging the gap, but his legs wouldn’t work. He looked up and saw a Blitzman raise a blade to end his life. Every time, it was then he woke up screaming. Every morning, he shamed himself with his screams, and every morning, they came with more drugs to force him to his nightly shame once more. He wished he could get back into action, come to grips with the enemy once more, but in his lucid moments, he remembered his legs refused to work. When he tried to get up, all he heard was a faint metallic grinding.

Then, one morning like any other, he woke screaming, and she was there. An orderly was reaching to administer more drugs, to confine his screaming to the inside of his own head. With a gesture, she froze the orderly in place; with a word, she pushed him back to the corner of the room.

Amazon

Something Different by Maureen O. Betita

Something Different

A 1 Night Stand Story

By: Maureen O. Betita

Amazon

Summery:

“…We women, we know the truth of love and the human heart. He will mourn me, dearest Evangeline. But as this illness steals my time with him, I want to leave him with hope. This dating service you run…when you feel he is ready, find him a woman, Eve. Find him someone different so that he doesn’t look for me in her eyes.

Show him my letter, so that he knows I want this for him with all my heart. Our children will follow your lead. He will resist, but you must be firm. Use all you know to bring love back into his life.

My days are numbered, the drugs ease my pain. Help my Aaron to heal from his.

Yours in spirit, Maria Consuelo Castillo”


He read the letter and slid into the chair at the family meeting. With a shudder, he met his son’s eyes and sighed. They all watched him, waiting. She wanted this? His beloved wife, gone three years? It was a useless gesture, but he wouldn’t deny the attempt. One date, to satisfy Maria. But that was all. He swore it.

Excerpt from The Strange Fate of Capricious Jones

The roar of her Engines loud in her ears, Cap examined the wreckage of her wings. The right had been sheared off completely; only a portion of the leather remained. Sabotage had done for the other wing, the corroded leather strap still smoked faintly. The fabric was still attached, but the wing had been torn and broken in too many places to effect repairs.

The corroded leather told Cap a tale of betrayal, one she had unwittingly been complicit in. She had been so careful to check each and every part the Sephardic bastard had machined for her, to test each and every batch of alloy he mixed. She had known David Abrams lusted after her work from the moment he saw the partial designs. She had known, and kept the secret of how the parts fit together from him for just that reason. She thought she’d been so clever in keeping the secret of her Engines.

She had been. She just hadn’t been near as careful or as clever with her wings. They were, after all, just cut down versions of Orville’s design. She’d shared them with David, much as she’d shared herself with him; as a consolation for not sharing her Engines or the mix of fuel that powered them. Now, it seemed, that attempted kindness had come back to destroy her.

Suspicious, she checked her parachute. It took a full minute of careful digging for her to find the shattered glass vial within the tightly packed cloth. Her fingers burned from touching the cloth, her face burned with shame, and most of all her heart blazed with impotent fury at the man who had killed her.

Amazon

Excerpt from The Sister's Story

I dreamt of her. The brown haired girl who laughed with me, played with me, even sang silly songs and made a game of my name…she danced across my dreams at least once a month. My teacher, Twanson, said she was a distant relative, but somehow I knew better.

I pretended to believe her, but when I pulled the rough wooden doll out of my box and looked into the faded paint of its eyes, I almost knew her name. Hari? I almost had it! I would lift the old rags the doll once wore and hold them to my nose and smell the mystery girl. And what I remembered wasn’t mother. It was something else.

My name is Sari and I’m a student at the Lorensil Academy on the planet Verdant. I live with a wonderful family who never hid from me that I’d been adopted. I was six when I woke up in that soft bed, with the sound of birds outside the window. I don’t think I’d ever slept in a bed like that. And I’d never heard birds sing.

Amazon

In My Mailbox-11/18/11

In My E-mailbox-

The Harry Potter Bible Study: Enjoying God Through the Final Four Harry Potter Movies

By: Jared Moore

Drifting House

By: Krys Lee

Texting Through Time: Trek with Brigham Young

By: Christy Monson

In My Real World Mailbox:

Demon Days: Angel of Light

By: Richard Finney, D.L.Snell

A New Song

By Sarah Isaias

An Echo Through the Trees
By: Michael Galloway

****My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie . A post where we share books acquired via mailbox, library, store, etc.****

The Iron Angel Series

The Strange Fate of Capricious Jones

Book One of the Iron Angel Series

By: Robert C. Roman

Amazon

Summery:

The Triple Alliance, led by Kaiser Otto II, struck without warning. The combination of Prussian military might, Austrian clockwork, and Ottoman funding cut through the unprepared Entente powers like a chainsaw through Brie; hamstringing Britain, pinning Russia, and very nearly destroying France. The year is 1908, and the Entente is almost defunct. One base in the south of France is all that remains in Entente hands. All that remains to defend freedom are three Engineers.

One is an ingenue.

One is crippled.

One is dead.

A Christmas Evening Vigil

Book Two of the Iron Angel Series

By: Robert C. Roman

Amazon

Summery:

The Triple Alliance, led by Kaiser Otto II, struck without warning. The combination of Prussian military might, Austrian clockwork, and Ottoman funding cut through the unprepared Entente powers like a chainsaw through Brie; hamstringing Britain, pinning Russia, and very nearly destroying France. The year is 1908, and the Entente is almost defunct. Sebastian Cole and Leigh Abrams each came within a hair's breadth of giving their lives defending the last Entente stronghold. What each saw in the other that day draws them to each other. Their Duty forces them apart. Neither could be who they want to be for the other if they forsook that Duty.

Leigh is trying to be an Officer worthy of serving with Sebastian. Sebastian is trying to recover from physical and mental wounds of battle. Worst of all, the Triple Alliance is still set on winning the war.

A cowardly attack on Christmas Day leaves Sebastian standing alone against the might of the Ottoman Immortals. There is no sane way for Leigh to reach him in time to help.

Fortunately for him, Mad Scientists aren't burdened with an overabundance of sanity

Excerpt from The Ship's Mistress

Don’t we all think we know what we are doing? In a time of crisis, I had one hope. The Starborne Etwa took in those who came to them freely. I had little to trade, save for one thing. To keep Sari safe, I would sell myself.

They say everyone exists on a knife edge. One day I came home to find my mother dead. She’d slit her wrists. Coward.

I found a man there, digging through what little we had left. I ordered him to leave.

“I am the representative of Sirrah Efram. He is now the guardian of you both.” He glanced at Sari, playing in the dirt. Then back at me. “You’re too old to be of much use, but this little one, she is quite lovely. Sirrah has been contacted by the merchant Sahabad; he is interested in taking her as his fifth wife.”

Sahabad! That bastard owned six of the most profitable brothels in Jambaness. He ran the filthiest establishments. Women and young boys left his hovels only when they died. Usually died young. And it was rumored he ran a dozen around the world. Fifth wife, my ass.

I backed up, pulled my broken knife, and stood between this man and my sweet Sari. “Never.”

“It is useless to object. She is a beautiful girl and no doubt will thrive with Sahabad. Come, be reasonable.”

What he termed reasonable, I knew would be unimaginable. I held the knife low, showing I knew how to use it.

He bowed, his very fine robes held above our dirt floor. No doubt he feared getting them dusty. “Very well. I will return with the city guard.”

So, I ran. Because this agent of my hated uncle was right. The court would give him legal rights over Sari, even over me. But she was beautiful and he would sell her. I uncovered Mother’s little box, full of the remaining gifts my father had given her over the years. They were the last of her treasures. I grabbed a blanket and tossed Sari’s clothing in it, the jewelry and her one toy, a carved doll dressed in rags. Picking my sister up, I ran.

The slum wasn’t a good hiding place. Uncle Efram would find me. Especially since Sahabad had an eye out to take Sari. I headed for the space port, for the ones who came to us from the stars. As I said before, I thought I knew what I was doing.

Amazon

Winner's!

Yay, time to announce some winners!
Winners from the November Giveaway Hop have been chosen!
I have emailed the winner's and they have gotten back to me so they will be getting their prizes asap!

Ok, The winner of an e-copy of The Kraken's Mirror is:

Christed22!

And the winner of an e-copy of What Not to Fear is:

The Romanceaholic!

Congrats to the winners! I hope you enjoy your new reads!  To everyone don't forget to check out my Happy Haul-idays post! Also be sure to check out the Guys and Molls post for a chance to win some cool gangster prizes!  I will be participating in another blog hop starting December 2nd-6th! (The hop will be international again, so be sure to come check it out!)

In My Mailbox-11/15/11

In My E-Mailbox:

A New Song

By Sarah Isaias

Rust

By: Julie Mars

Demon Days: Angel of Light

By: Richard Finney, D.L.Snell

Everyday Spiritual Warfare 

By: Amy Barkman

In My Real World Mailbox:

El Narco

By: Ioan Grillo

****My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie . A post where we share books acquired via mailbox, library, store, etc.****

Excerpt from Road Mage

"Hey Jason. Time to die."

"Good to hear from you, Paul. You've decided on your place, I assume?"

"That I have, Jason. Turn on the traffic report. If I don't hear from you by sunset, I'm going to suck these brats dry and come hunting for you."

The connection cut off without any further information. Fatigue making his fingers thick, Jason pulled up a traffic report on his phone. He tried to, at least. All of the normal traffic reports were being overridden with the same news. As he listened, Jason felt his skin pebble with a potent cocktail of rage and terror.

"...Camden City school bus has been stopped across several lanes of traffic on the Walt Whitman Bridge. What at first looked like a relatively minor traffic accident now appears to be the work of a single hijacker. Traffic jammed across all lanes is preventing police from..."

Jason killed the news and hit call-back with the same motion. The phone only rang once before he heard Paul's voice. The bastard had been waiting.

"Yeah. At least now you admit you're hopeless. Tell you what; you give up now, and I'll keep you alive when I find you."

"Nah. I'll see you in a bit. Bye Paul."

Amazon

The Etwan Chronicles

The Ship's Mistress

Book One of The Etwan Chronicles 

By: Maureen O. Betita

Amazon

Summery:

Jahari gives herself to the starborne Etwa to save her little sister from life in a foul brothel. Ironically, tests reveal an aptitude for sensual service and Jahari is trained as a high court slut. A contract of seven years runs out on the planet Mentari, but the powerful Basba is determined to keep her. She escapes swearing to see him reported to the Etwan authorities.

Toseman is the captain of the Sea Horse, sailing the seas of Mentari. Several days from port a stowaway is brought before him. Her bright blue hair betrays her high slut identity and puts his secret at risk. Drawn to her, he accepts her offer to serve as ship’s mistress and promises to see her to the nearest Etwan spaceport.

They are pursued by her former master as the two join forces and with the help of the Sea Horse crew, they seek Etwan justice.

The Sister's Story

Sari's Search

Book Two of the Etwan Chronicles

By: Maureen O. Betita

Amazon

Summery:

Sari lives on the Etwan world of Verdant. A student for twelve years, the Etwan have helped her learn control of her telepathic abilities. She is sexually experienced, a bright woman with a past that is a blank slate. As she approaches her eighteenth birthday, her desire to know more of her background grows.

Haunted by bits and pieces of a world she barely remembers, she hears a name at a trader’s fair. Her faint memories begin to rise. Determined to discover more, she seizes the clues fallen her way and leaves for the world of Mentari, where she hopes to meet the woman who may have sold her to the Etwan.

On this journey she is accompanied by two men, J’reem and Dell. The three of them find a deep connection, reveling in the physical and mental bond that develops. But trouble awaits her on Mentari, riding with the Etwan ship. She reaches Mentari and sees the ocean, but whether the high slut Jahari will acknowledge her is something she may never discover.

2nd Annual Happy Haul-idays Giveaway! from Chronicle Books

Chronicle Books is offering a chance for one lucky blogger, one lucky commenter and one lucky charity to win $500 in books from Chronicle Books!!! Is that awesome or what?
Want a chance to win?
If your a blogger click here for official rules and what you need to have on your post to enter!
No blog? No problem! One lucky commenter from the winning blog will receive the same list of books chosen on the winning blog! So be sure to comment here! (of course!) and then click here to go to the list of bloggers who have entered so you can comment on their posts as well for more chances to win!
Also Chronicle Books is letting the winning blogger choose which charity. If I win I would like the $500 worth of books to go to my local library, the Beaumont Library in Beaumont, California.

It's located in this beautiful building that was built in 1914. I love it in there! I don't generally use libraries a lot anymore. I tend to get attached to the books and don't want to give them back. But that doesn't mean I don't just like to go in and wander around the stacks, and enjoy the peacefullness.








Ok now, on to the REALLY fun stuff, my list of books should I win!:








Sabine's Notebook, The Golden Mean, The Gryphon, and Alexandria,
By:Nick Bantock
Why? Because I loved Griffin & Sabine!






Dead Inside: Do Not Enter
By: Lost Zombies
Because I've seen it EVERYWHERE lately and I REALLY want my own copy!!!




Ten Little Zombies
By: Andy Rash
Who can resist a love story?




How to Speak Zombie
By: Steve Mockus
Because my zombie is rusty, and I really could use a refresher course!






Zombies
By: Don Roff and Chris Lane
Because I have an obsession with zombies. (don't judge me!)






Werewolves
By: Paul Jessup
Because I also have an obsession with werewolves.






Emily the Strange and Emily's Secret Book of Strange
Because she's cute and she's strange! (and she reminds me of when I was young)






Good Granny/Bad Granny
By: Mary McHugh
Actually I wish I could get at least 2 copies of this one. One for my kids grandmas, I think they would both get a kick out of it!












Amazing Animals: Cheetahs, Dolphins, Elephants, Lions, Sharks, Wolves, Centipedes, Crickets, Mantises,Scorpions, Spiders, Worms, Parrots
By: Creative Paperbacks
Because they look cool, and I have ones between 6 and 12 who I am always trying to find new ways to encourage to read!!!





The Story of Christmas
By: Pamela Dalton
Santa Claws
By: Laura Leuck
The Night Before Christmas
By: Clement C. Moore
Because it's gonna be Christmas!




There Was an Old Lady
By:Jeremy Holmes
Because OMG! I loved this as a kid, and it looks soo cute!




Seeing Stars
By: Charles Hobson
Because there is a telescope sitting in my living room, that is just dying to be used!






Cake Pops by Bakerella
By: Angie Dudley
OMG! Because it's CAKE POPS!!!




Painted Cookies
By: Akiko Hoshino
Because I am always looking for something new to try around the holidays!






Absinthe Cocktails
By: Kate Simon
and
Ultimate Bar Book
By: Mittie Helmich
and
Graffiti Art Coloring Book
By: Aye Jay
Because my boyfriend would enjoy flipping through these!




Holiday Crafting & Baking with Kids
By: Jessica Strand
Always looking for new ways to entertain the kids when it's too cold to go outside!




Creatures and Critters Origami Craft Pad
By: Randy Stratton
Because I love Origami!




Glamourpuss
By: Julie Jackson
Because the cover just looks soooo cute! I mean it's a cat and it's wearing a wig, come on, you gotta think that picture is cute!
(again, I know I have issues, no judging me!)


and last but not least:






Florence Broadhurst
By: Helen O'Neill
Mainly the cover alone caught my eye on this one, and the story from there looked interesting.


Ok, so there's my list of books? See anything you like? Dislike? Feel free to let me know! Comment away, since commenting gets you a chance to win too!