ARRA 2011 Conference

I'm getting quite excited now, it's only about five weeks until I get to visit Sydney for the Australia Romance Readers Association 2011 Conference. Yay! I've been trying to work my way through books from the list of authors that are visiting. if only I didn't have to work - it would be so much easier!

I'm looking forward to the keynote speakers: Anna Campbell, Cindy Gerard and Nalini Singh.

The other authors visiting are: Maggie Anderson, Any Andrews, Keri Arthur, Heather Boyd, Berengaria Brown, Rhian Cahill, Shannon Curtis, Christine Darcas, Jess Dee, Michelle Douglas, AB Gayle, Anne Gracie, Lisa Heidke, Kelly Hunter, Fiona McArthur, Nicole R Murphy, Maggie Nash, Tracey O'Hara, Cathleen Ross, Karen Simpson Nikakis, Helene Young.

The following authors are panel moderaters: Karlene Blakemore-Mowle, Jennifer Brassel, Lexxie Couper, Kate Cuthbert, Erica Hayes, Melanie Milburne, Bronwyn Parry, Paula Roe, Denise Rossetti, Kandy Shepard and Annie West.

(I did have links to all the authors pages, but for some reason Maggie Anderson plotted evil things and took over all the linkage, so here is a link to the ARRA website so you can have a look at each authors website/blog - check them out, there are some great authors attending).

So far I've read:

'Coyote Run', 'Coyote Home' & 'Coyote Wild' all by Rhian Cahill,
'Doing Logan' also by Rhian Cahill,
'Secrets in the Marriage Bed' by Nalini Singh ,
'Innocent Baby, Wife of Shame' by Melanie Milburne (Link to the book is from LibraryThing, as I couldn't find it on Melanie's website).
'His Christmas Angel' Michelle Douglas,
'Carnal Connections' & 'Loving Lydia' both by Berengaria Brown.

All of which I enjoyed, this is the first time I'd read any of these authors. Some of which I probably wouldn't have read if not for ARRA, so that's great. But the standout has to be the Coyote series. There was serious swoonage, squee and general feelings of awesome, Rhian Cahill has a way with words, she's a fantastic author. I can't recommend the series enough. I'll have to add my reviews for these later.

C.

It's Book Blogger Hop Time!

Crazy-for-Books has put the blog hop up on her site again, here's my contribution :)

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs

This weeks question:

"What book(s) would you like to see turned into a movie?"

I'm going to go with what is fresh in my mind - I read it on the weekend - loved it!

"Shiver" by Maggie Stiefvater

This was brilliant, I couldn't stop reading until I'd finished - but at the same time, I didn't want it to end. I own the second book and spent a half hour tearing up my room trying to find it, but alas it is in that 'safe' place I often put things and now I have to wait until a copy becomes available at work. A separate review will be up on the blog this week.

So until next time, happy blog hopping, I'm off to discover some new blogs myself.

C.

The Friday 56 - Ruthless Game

Well it's that glorious time again - the weekend :) Which also means it's time for The Friday 56!! This was returned at work on Tuesday and has been next to my computer, ready for me to take home this weekend. What is it you ask:

'Ruthless Game' by Christine Feehan

About the Friday 56

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
• Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
• Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

"I throw males. I'm damned sure of it. We're having a boy. I'll be right back."

This will be the third book in this series I've read, I haven't read them in order - but it hasn't detracted from my understanding of the background or love of the series. I'm fairly new to the world of Christine Feehan but so far what I've read I'm loving.

Whatever you've got planned for the weekend, hope you guys have fun. There are advanced screenings of I Am Number Four tomorrow night, so I'll be toddling off to the cinema for that, then it'll be onto less fun things - uni starts up again in a weeks time, so I'm trying to organise myself for that. The end of my BA is quite close and while I can't wait to finish, I need a little motivation at the same time. This trimesters subject is Marketing of Libraries and Information Agencies. Which is good, as it's a subject that I'm interested in and will tie in nicely with the subject I've just completed (Social Networking for Information Professionals), but sometimes I can't help but dwell on all the lovely books I'll miss out on reading.

C.

I can has DVDs?

I got to watch a couple of DVDs on the weekend, the first being The Rebound, with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Justin Bartha. I actually enjoyed this a lot. Yes it was predictable, but I thought it was well acted and funny.

The Rebound centers around Zeta-Jones character, Sandy and her move to New York with her two children after she catches her husband cheating. Enter Aram (Bartha), who helps by looking after her kids as she re-enters the workforce. As time goes on they get closer and closer, but is their relationship the real thing or just a 'rebound'.

This is one of the better chick flicks I've seen recently, as I mentioned before, it's well acted and that is partly due to the two leads having actual chemistry, their getting together was believable *I'm looking at you JLO and Ralph Fiennes - I still haven't gotten over the scary mismatch that was Maid in Manhattan*.

The kids add the funny and the awww and both have some great lines of their own - in general the supporting cast was great, with some scary cringe worthy screen time from Supermans dad (John Schneider).

The thing I hate most is the undies in his mouth on the movie poster - I just think it's ick, I know what they're trying to convey, but eww! One other thing is the ending, it's not as sctrong as it could've been, without giving anything away, it leaves it open to personal interpretation, but I was looking for something more. Overall, I enjoyed this a lot and was perfect reward after looking after the terribles for the evening. I'd definitely watch this again, always a good sign in my book.

Then I watched this:

I knew this was going to be bad, I'd heard it was and fully expected it to be so when I first saw the preview. But seriously, what more could I ask for - angels - check, crazy apocalypse - check, hotboys - check, check, check, explosions - CHECK, evil children - shudder (and check).

Legion is the story of an angel (Paul Bettany) who comes to earth the protect a baby, so that humanity has a chance at survival. God has grown angry with us and rather than a flood this time, he's given the order for angels to destroy us. Enter one small diner/mechanics in the middle of the desert (the closest town being an hour away). Charlie (Adrianne Palicki) is a young girl, pregnant with the saviour of mankind. Jeep (Lucas Black) isn't the baby daddy - but he wants to be. He and his father (Dennis Quaid) run the diner where she works. When everything goes down, everyone has to band together to protect Charlie and her baby, while trying to keep the possesed out and them selves alive. In the mix is cook Percy, Kyle - who's lost and the unlucky family whose car has broken down.

For a movie with religious backstory, it has no real mention of religion - beyond God being angry with us, hence sending angels to destroy mankind. I found this kinda annoying, I think it would've added to the story if more religious explanation was added to the story.

And while there were plenty of explosions/gun fights, I would've loved to have seen more fight scenes, there is one which is pretty awesome - who knew angels had bullet proof wings y'all. The angels themselves, or should I say the possessed, are fairly scary, the ice cream dude reminding me a little of The Exorcist when the girl comes down the stairs, spider style. As the movie went on they became fairly standard bad guys and less scary, so there was the possibility of these being a lot more menacing with some more thought from the writers.

And seriously - who doesn't love evil nanna, she is awesome! I think she may even be my fave part. Even when she was all "aww cute when's you're baby due", smile plastered on her face I was all "bitch is crazy evil." See picture above - proof that GRANNY IS EVIL. If that's not scary I don't know what is.

This was predictable, and maybe because I didn't have high expectations, I didn't feel so let down, but there are quite a few flaws that would've been easy to fix if the movie had been given a bit more thought. And as much as I love Lucas Black, I was more than a little confused as to why his character had a Southern accent - I know that he refuses to change his accent, but perhaps another actor could've been used when none of the family had any connection to the south.

Did I love it - no, would I watch it again - hell yeah. Because in all honesty, I'm a huge fan of the craptastic and that's really what this is. Gorgeous, glorious, craptastic fun.

C.

Manhunt by Janet Evanovich

Manhunt is the story of Alex, a high-powered exec from Pittsburgh, who decides to give it all up, dog in tow, for a tiny cabin and a hardware store in the wilds of Alaska. She's looking for a husband - but not just any husband. He has to be average, stable, brown haired, cute butted and wants to have kids. Instead she meets Casey, of all these things he possesses a cute butt. As for the rest of it, he's far too exciting, plus he's rich, very hot and bound to get her into trouble.

I began reading this, putting aside other books I'd already started, I knew what I was going to get - a fun read, guaranteed to make me laugh. This is one of the twelve novels she wrote before she started the Stephanie Plum series, she seems to follow a formula with them - and I by no means am dissing her for this, it works for the books, and that's one of the reasons I love them, but there's usually a giant dog, a hot man and the feisty lady that wrangles them both - It may not work for some books/authors, but I've always enjoyed reading them, and each books still seems fresh. Evanovich has a knack for writing hilarious dialog/scenes. And there are some great moments when Alex is pottering around her new cabin.

I enjoyed the teasing between Alex and Casey and even though they've only known each other a short time, their relationship doesn't seem forced. I was laughing out loud when Alex was out with her sled buddy, knowing full well it would make Casey jealous. Evanovich had me hankering for a tiny cabin of my own in Alaska...fully equipped with a Casey all of my own. How does one arrange a holiday like that I wonder? In fact I'd be happy to move to Alaska if this muggy heat keeps up.

Definitely recommended for a light, quick, fun read, perfect for snuggling up in front of the fire (or in my case trying to cool down under the air conditioner in 35° heat).

C.

Book Quiz 1 & 2

I was playing about on the innerwebs when I found these. I'm not quite sure what these say about me - apart from apparently I can't stop playing with rabbits and I like dead things??? But it is true - I do love Halloween :)

According to BQ 1 I'm Watership Down by Richard Adams.

You're Watership Down!

by Richard Adams

Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

For BQ 2 I'm the much creepier Frankestien by Mary Shelley

You're Frankenstein!

by Mary Shelley

Inventive, clever, and perhaps too creative for your own good, you
are widely admired. While most around you believe that science can only offer
unmitigated improvement of their lives, you show them another side to technological
advancement that is dangerous and downright scary. While this may sound like you're
regressive and even retrograde, it really demonstrates that you're voicing important
concerns with a world rapidly spinning out of control. There are those who believe
you're melodramatic, but most people appreciate you for this entertaining streak.
You really love Halloween.


Take the Book Quiz II
at the Blue Pyramid.

What book are you?

C.

Please Help...

There are lots of awesome people in the world, Marrion P’Udongo, a minister in the Congo, is one of them. Before today I'd never heard of him, I found a link through twitter, asking me to comment on Shiloh Walker's blog. If she get's 400 comments on her blog post she is going to donate extra money to help Marrion P’Udongo, get his kidney transplant. This is that post here:
If you had a chance to save a life... I always love hearing about people helping other's out, it doesn't have to be big, it just has to happen.

In your lifetime, there are few moments when you’re given the opportunity to directly save another person’s life.-Bryan Mealer, HuffPo

If you had a chance to save somebody’s life, and it didn’t take all that much… would you do it? Well, here’s that chance.

Check out Shiloh Walker’s blog for a chance to read how you can help save a man’s life…

Changes to the blog

While I should've been leaving work on time and 'getting things done', I did some procrastinating instead - so technically I did DO something, just not the thing I was supposed to.

Like the new look? It's got some more colour, I liked the brown, but this are more my style, and I love the flowers. Now I just have to organise some tabs, since this blog isn't just devoted to books, I thought tabs would be a good way to separate the topics I write about. Now there's no way I'm getting time to do anything before book club, until next time stay classy Adelaide. It's time to discuss The Road.

C.

It's my first Blog Hop!

I thought I'd try something different and have seen this on a couple of other blogs that I read. So I thought I'd give it a go.

This weeks question is: "What are you reading and why are you reading it?"

I'm reading a few things this week, all are for my LibraryThing challenges I've got going for 2011.


Beyond Evie is the coming of age story of Charlotte, who feels a bit left behind by life, since her father passed away, she hasn't really spoken about it until Evie. Evie is the new girl that Charlotte works with at the local bakery. I'm enjoying this so far, it's by Australian author Rebecca Burton, whose first novel is supposed to be very good - another one for Mt. TBR, but really what's one more!









This was recommended to me by a friend, I'm a fan of Evanovich, I've not read her Stephanie Plum series, but I loved the Full series and I'm slowly working my way through her earlier titles. Alex moves to Alaska to find herself a man - all thanks to Alaska's lack lustre man to woman ratio. She meets Casey, who in anybody else's opinion, would be prime material, hilarity follows I'm told.









I first read this in high school a long time ago, and found it again last year as a rerelease, I've only read the first bit so far but I'm enjoying it enough to keep reading. I remember this was supposed to be a true story, the diary of an anonymous teen girl who was sucked into the world of drugs with no way out, I didn't particularly believe that then and I definately don't now. This was written by Beatrice Sparks, who also wrote a number of other diaries that she just happened to 'find', dealing with Satanism, teen pregnancy and HIV, to name a few.



I started reaing this last year, but I keep getting side tracked by other stuff, it doesn't help that I'm reading it on my iPhone. So it's usually trucked out when I'm waiting in line. I'm enjoying it enough, but I'm not finding it terribly scary or thhrilling, which is the side effect of reading it in parts. Oolanga has just had a first hand experience with the worm, so I think it's curtains for him, but there's still plenty of other unsuspecting victims and let's not forget the kite flying, fun for the whole family!*


* Apparently kite flying is the perfect thing to scare off a bird infestation - I'm still confused about that, (and a few other things, maybe the application of vodka would help?).


So there you have it, a few different things on the boil and who knows what we'll start reading for book club, something a bit happy I think, we're discussing and watching The Road by Cormac McCarthy tonight, which should be fun (well as much fun as an apocalyptic road book/movie can be), but I think it'll give great discussion. I've already got lots floating around my head. I really enjoyed the book, I love the lyrical way that McCarthy writes. This is the first that I've read of his - I've seen No Country for Old Men, but I'll be heading out to the shelves to find out what else we have of his.

C.

Weekly Hotboy

I'm all aflutter this week - Vampire Diaries is back for 2011. Yay! It's all very excited with the threat of the new witch in town, new werewolves and more on the way and what's this - emotion from Damon. Gasp! He does wounded so well. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season, but not having to wait forever and a day for season three. I know - put me out of my misery and give me Wolf Lake on DVD dammit. I wants it - like yesterday. Until then, there's these lucious morsels to tide me over and aren't they a delight :) Why yes, they are.

C.