Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Seth Grahame-Smith does a fantastic job of combining fact and fiction while telling the "TRUE" story of Abraham Lincoln.

Through Abe's journal entries we are able to follow his life as he discovers and fights vampires and how these events shaped his life and history as we know it. The story begins with Abe's childhood through his assassination at the Ford Theatre. I know readers will be shocked to learn just how much influence vampires had over the development of the United States, and even over Abe himself.

I truly enjoyed how Mr. Grahame-Smith gave us a new version to historical events... making it almost believable that, yes, vampires were somehow behind them. The Civil War, The Union... none of these things will mean the same thing once you are done reading this book.

Although I was a bit speculative about this book at first, I really think it was done very cleverly and in the end I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. My only complaint would be that the book ended rather abruptly. I'm not sure if maybe there is the hope of a sequel... I can also envision it becoming a movie. Oh yes, I can see it's appeal. Also, I do want to mention that it was gory - blood, guts and decapitations all over the place - but it was expected. This book is certainly NOT for the light of heart or those who become faint at the mention of blood.

This was an audiobook (my first) and I enjoyed it. Considering the nature of the story, I found Scott Holst's voice soothing. I think he also did a great job in changing his voice to emphasize tones and accents in the different characters. They also played this great bluegrass music at the beginning and end of each CD. I'll definitely be checking out more audiobooks in the future.

This audiobook was provided for review by Hachette Book Group.

Manic Monday Recaps (Week 7/05/10)

Well, hello lovelies. Hope you all had a magnificent 4th of July and are enjoying the day off today - I know I am. I'm not sure about the weather where you guys are from but, over here in South Florida, it has rained all weekend long. We actually made it out to the water park on Saturday and after we paid for our admissions, laid out our towels, and put sunblock on, the sirens went off that there was eminent thunder in the area and they closed the park down. My poor kids were definitely upset. Thankfully it let up a little last night and we were able to go out to our community park and enjoy the Independence Day / Firework activities. Oh well, at least it's been a relaxing weekend.

Here's what I plan on reading this week:

Last week I read the following:
- Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
- Seven Tears into the Sea by Terri Farley
- My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares
- Billie Girl by Vickie Weaver

I reviewed the following:
- The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa [review]
- Spells by Aprilynne Pike [review]
- The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan [review]
- Numbers by Rachel Ward [review]

Have a fantastic week!

Have a lovely weekend friends

Here's to a red, white & blue-tastic Fourth of July!

[via We Heart It]

Numbers by Rachel Ward

Title:  Numbers 

Author:  Rachel Ward

Pages: 352

Genre: YA / Teen
Source: Library

Jem has a secret no one knows. A secret she knows must not be shared. See, if Jem stares into a persons eye she sees a set of numbers. These numbers are the date of the person's death... an expiration date, if you must. She's had a rough life. And at 15, she's orphaned, never knowing her daddy and her mum having overdosed when she was still a child, she's been bounced around from foster home to foster home and although now she is stable living in yet another foster home, she lives behind a hard shell that allows her to not get too close to anyone.

Until she meets Spider. Spider an outcast just like her, but also so different. Spider is full of life, he's bursting at the seams with energy and for some reason he keeps finding ways to follow and hang around Jem. She eventually relents and they form a distant and grudging sort of friendship. One day while in line at London Eye, Jem begins to see that everyone around her has the same numbers and quickly makes up her mind that something terrible is bound to happen. She grabs Spider and makes a run for it. When a devastating act kills those at the "Eye" that day, they both become the main suspects and end up on the run.

What a very interesting premise. Imagine to know the date of everyone's death. That concept alone was very thought-provoking for me. I really found Ms. Ward to have created a very credible character in Jem. The way that her unique ability basically forces her to act, always wearing hoody's, with her hair in her face, never really wanting to look into someone's eyes, not wanting to force bonds - familial or friendship, all these traits were very realistic to me. Her relationship with Spider (which is really the main focus in the book) and how said relationship changes Jem and her views was very enjoyable to read.

My only complaints would be that the whole "numbers" thing was not the main focus on the story - halfway through the story the numbers just dwindled. The story changed and it became more of a love story - I found that unexpected. I also really hate (and this is just something personal on my behalf) when there is a lot of description as to body odors... you know, bad breath, oily hair, BO in general. If an author mentions it once or twice I can overlook it, but if it's the main focus every time a new character is introduced I start getting turned off to it - this was really a factor with me in this book. 

All in all, this story really had a lot of potential. It was like a roller coaster ride for me - it was very fast-paced in the beginning then it slowed for a while towards the middle and then picked up speed again at end. It's not one that I loved, but I definitely enjoyed it. The last sentence in the story really surprised me so I most definitely will be picking up the sequel (The Chaos) upon its US release sometime in early 2011. 

One last thing I also want to mention, although it is advertised as a young adult book, I do recommend it more for older teens as there is drug use, theft, sex and death.

My Rating:

The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

Lena has lived her whole life near the beach—walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves—the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching.

As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Lena vows she will no longer watch from the sand: she will learn to surf.

But her father – a former surfer himself – refuses to allow her to take lessons. After a near drowning in his past, he can’t bear to let Lena take up the risky sport.

Yet something lures Lena to the water … an ancient, powerful magic. One morning Lena catches sight of this magic: a beautiful woman—with a silvery tail.

Nothing will keep Lena from seeking the mermaid, not even the dangerous waves at Magic Crescent Cove.

And soon … what she sees in the mermaid’s mirror will change her life … [via GoodReads]

I have a thing for mermaids... I can't help it. It stems back to my younger years of watching Disney's The Little Mermaid repeatedly for like a year straight. Yes, my poor parents, who don't speak much English, can sing Part of Your World. Anyway, so needless to say the moment I read this title I was hoping to get my hands on it, the sooner the better.

There were many things that I liked about this story but in the end it just didn't live up to my expectations. I thought the author did a great job in smoothly blending fantasy with contemporary realism. I also really enjoyed the descriptions of surfing, the beach, Lena's friends and the relationship with her parents and brother. But it just started really slow for me, nothing really happens for 100 pages or so. I also wasn't a big Lena fan. I thought she was selfish and aside from the loving relationship she has with her brother, I thought she was not very nice to her BFF, Pem, nor her boyfriend Kai. She was obnoxious, whiny and acted immature for her 16 years.

It did finally pick-up some - my favorite parts and characters revolved around the Mermaid world and the Mer-people, but I wasn't entirely awed by it either. I still think I enjoyed learning about surfing and it's lingo more than anything else. The relationship Lena has while "under the sea" (haha couldn't help it), didn't flesh out as much as I would have liked it to, and in the end, it felt rushed and just ended too abruptly for my tastes. The ending was bittersweet. I almost wish there would be a sequel just to clarify some things. But as a stand-alone, I'd have to say it just fell flat for me.

The Mermaid's Mirror was a light and quick read - and while it did have potential, it wasn't what I hoped it would be.

This book was provided for review by Houghton Mifflin Books through NetGalley.

Just because I almost peed my pants watching this

This definitely made my morning... [still giggling]