Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Wednesday share: books!

Today I'm sharing the book love.

Yesterday was a dual release day for two of my favorite authors (and good people), Melissa Marr (Ink Exchange) and Jeaniene Frost (One Foot in the Grave). It's the second book for each of them, and I loved both the first books. Of course I ran off to the bookstore and snatched them both off the shelves. Yay!

To celebrate, I'm sharing two other books I enjoyed with YOU.

First up, R.A. Nelson's Breathe My Name.

From the Penguin site:

I need to see you.

Please come right away.

We have to finish.

Frances Robinson is in high school now. She lives a quiet, suburban life, far from her horrifying past. When she was a child, her birthmother smothered her three sisters. Through pure luck, Frances survived. Now her mother has just been released from prison . . . and she wants to see Frances.

A new boy at school called Nix charms Frances. Together, Nix and Frances embark on a clandestine journey to visit Frances’ mother: to confront the monster in its lair. This trip will help Frances at last find peace—or die trying. But no matter what, Frances will discover just what it means to finish.

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Here's what I said about it on the blog when I read it: I highly recommend it. The writing is tense and vivid, with a strong, unique voice. There were times I had to put it down because the subject matter was so difficult, but I always went back to it, and I'm glad I did.

This book really draws you into a unique world, and a strong character.

Next up:

Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips

How could you not love THAT cover?

From Publishers Weekly:

British blogger Phillips's delightful debut finds the Greek gods and goddesses living in a tumbledown house in modern-day London and facing a very serious problem: their powers are waning, and immortality does not seem guaranteed. In between looking for work and keeping house, the ancient family is still up to its oldest pursuit: crossing and double-crossing each other. Apollo, who has been cosmically bored for centuries, has been appearing as a television psychic in a bid for stardom. His aunt Aphrodite, a phone-sex worker, sabotages him by having her son Eros shoot him with an arrow of love, making him fall for a very ordinary mortal-a cleaning woman named Alice, who happens to be in love with Neil, another nice, retiring mortal. When Artemis-the goddess of the moon, chastity and the hunt, who has been working as a dog walker-hires Alice to tidy up, the household is set to combust, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Fanciful, humorous and charming, this satire is as sweet as nectar.

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This one was an impulse buy, because the premise made me laugh...and it lived up to the premise AND the cover. The writing reminded me of Douglas Adams, one of my favorite authors of all time. It was just pure fun.

So, would you like one of these bad boys?

To enter: Leave a comment to this post and share the book love. Tell me about a recent book you enjoyed that you'd recommend to others. Entries close at midnight MST tonight.

I'll do a random drawing tomorrow morning, and pick two winners. First chosen gets first pick. No international entries, please! (I can't afford the postage!)

17 comments:

Precie said...

Oooh, I love book giveaways, and I might have to copy this idea on my blog. ;)

A recent book I enjoyed and would recommend to others: Sara Gruen's WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

I know, I know. It's not some sleeper hit. But the novel is wonderful. It's well-written, exquisitely detailed, and the voice is remarkable. Covering two time periods, Gruen makes both equally vivid and memorable.

Unknown said...

Yeah! I love me book giveways!

I read Ink Exchange (got and ARC) and totally loved it. Even better than Wicked Lovely, which is hard to do because that was brilliant!

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite recent reads is RULES OF SURVIVAL by Nancy Werlin.

Anonymous said...

Oh, cool! The books sound great! Put my name in for the contest, too.

Carmella (Car on Blueboard)

Susan Adrian said...

Yee-haw, entries and new book recs.

Carmella, do you have a book rec to share the book love?

Carrie Harris said...

I just finally made it to City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, and it was highly entertaining! I plan to pick up the next one after Unwind.

Carrie (CarrieAnn on Blueboard)

Anonymous said...

Just finished City of Ashes, the sequel to City of Bones (see CarrieAnn's comment above) and it was fabulous! This series is clever, romantic, edgy; I can't wait for the next one!! (AllyCowee on Verla's BB)

Jennifer Hendren said...

Suze,

WOOHOO...book giveaway. You know I'm in. (g) I haven't had much time to read lately, but some of my recent faves... THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak. Amazing book set during WWII, and narrated by death. Touching and beautiful.

Hmmm, THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher. This about a young girl who commits suicide and leaves behind cassette tapes for the people who had a hand in leading her to make that decision. i.e. The thirteen reasons why she did it. It's a tough read, but brilliant.

Yay, books. :)

Jen

Lottery Girl said...

Suze,

I haven't read anything decent lately. Believe me, I've tried. I am starting the book that Novel Woman recommended about the plague--perhaps that will cheer me. (HAHA) I'm only a few pages into it, and so far, it is good, but I'm not finished so I can't say for sure.

I think all this means is I NEED a decent book to read.

Julianne Douglas said...

Susan,

I'd recommend NEFERTITI by Michelle Moran. Historical fiction set in Ancient Egypt. I've almost finished it, and it's been a great read so far!

Carol Spradling said...

Hi Susan,

Have you read TAKE ME IF YOU CAN by Karen Kendall? Talk about gripping with non stop action. Wooo.

Anonymous said...

I recently read Neil Shusterman's Unwind--dark, and utterly amazing!

Amanda Marrone

K. said...

Wow, Breathe My Name sounds awesome. That little tag line gave me chills -- definitely something I'd want to read. I have two book recs. Rachel Vincent's Rogue, which I'm reading now and loving. And my brain is still stuck on The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray, which I finished before starting Rogue.

Sarah Blake Johnson said...

Nice to meet you.
Great blog.

~Sarah

Susan Adrian said...

Kelly: Libba Bray's on my list too. And yes, you need to read Breathe My Name! Whether you win it or no. :)

Suburban Vampire said...

Ooo...I've had my eye on Gods Behaving Badly for a while, so I'll definitely enter the contest. My most recent read was The Girl with No Shadow by Joane Harris, which is the sequel to Chocolat. Here's what I said about it on my blog: "There's plenty of witchcraft, Mayan and Aztec legends, fairy tales, and clairvoyance to satisfy readers craving a strong dose of urban fantasy... Harris's prose reads like poetry, and her creativity is boundless."

Suburban Vampire said...

Oops, that's Joanne Harris.