Wish List

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

The Beginners
(cool covers, huh?)
Theo and Raquel Motherwell are the only newcomers to the sleepy town of Wick in fifteen-year-old Ginger Pritt's memory. Hampered by a lingering innocence while her best friend, Cherry, grows more and more embroiled with boys, Ginger is instantly attracted to the worldliness and sophistication of this dashing couple.

But the Motherwells may be more than they seem. As Ginger's keen imagination takes up the seductive mystery of their past, she also draws closer to her town's darker history-back to the days of the Salem witch trials-and every new bit of information she thinks she understands leads only to more questions. Who-or what-exactly, are the Motherwells? And what is it they want with her?

Both a lyrical coming-of-age story and a spine-tingling tale of ghostly menace, The Beginners introduces Rebecca Wolff as an exciting new talent in fiction.




THE ORCHARD is the story of a street-smart city girl who must adapt to a new life on an apple farm after she falls in love with Adrian Curtis, the golden boy of a prominent local family whose lives and orchards seem to be cursed. Married after only three months, young Theresa finds life with Adrian on the farm far more difficult and dangerous than she expected. Rejected by her husband's family as an outsider, she slowly learns for herself about the isolated world of farming, pesticides, environmental destruction, and death, even as she falls more deeply in love with her husband, a man she at first hardly knew and the land that has been in his family for generations. She becomes a reluctant player in their attempt to keep the codling moth from destroying the orchard, but she and Adrian eventually come to know that their efforts will not only fail but will ultimately take an irreparable toll.

How do I decide what to read and review?

Question ... as somewhat of a newbie when it comes to the process of
reviewing a million books, How do YOU decide in which order to read
and review books?

My philosophy is this -
 
So I'll let you in on a little secret. I have a small organization problem
when it comes to certain things - and I say certain things because I'd
love to say I am this OCD about all things, but I am not. I am a pig
when it comes to vacuuming and doing dishes, to name a few. I
created an Excel spreadsheet with the following on it - title, author,
publisher and publish date. This tells me, first and foremost, when I
have to read the book by because most publishers would like the
review posted on the publish date. Then I have additional information
like review done or declined and download date - so I know if I am 
under the gun - since once downloaded, I only have 50 days to read it. 
 
This whole process I have come up with is great in the sense that it helps
me stay focused when I wake up, bookless and wanting to read
something, but in all honesty I am trying real hard to not put myself in
a box, which I am so good at. I give myself these rules and then I am
mad when I don't want to follow them. Which means, if I don't want to
read something, I don't. 
 
I have a bunch of books in my nightstand that I haven't read and those
are fillers. Most of them have bookmarks already in them as I have
picked them up a few times and read 'til something better comes along.
I also have books on hold at the digital library, which are time sensitive,
so I must read those in 14 days - this puts them at the top of the list
when I am approved to download them. And then of course because
I am lucky enough to work at a bookstore, I can check out hard copies
for free - so when a book like Sookie Stackhouse's next book in the
series comes out - all books, no matter what, are thrown aside to
read that one. 

What about you - how you decide what order
to read and review books?

The Massage from Hell

I have been working my Yoga practice like I am training for a yoga marathon. Fact is, I love this type of yoga. I get so excited during class that I work my butt off. Literally. I have sweat dripping down my forehead during class. I feel refreshed and renewed after each class.

Then I had this one class recently and for some odd reason I felt like I was in a boxing match with demons on my mat. I was sweating. I was struggling to breath correctly. I hurt and I wanted to cry. I was tired. I just felt like everything I did was so much effort. Until one pose I felt something twinge and my feet started to go to sleep. You know, that pins and needles things. It was weird. Here I am trying to stand on one leg in tree position and my foot is literally asleep. Have you ever tried to stand when your foot is asleep? What about standing on one leg? It's quite hard, I'll tell you.

My feet never really woke up after that. I did quickly cut back and not push myself as hard, since the whole feet asleep thing does slow me down. I walked out of that class with rubber legs. I felt like I was picking up each foot and putting it in place, just so I could walk. I went home thinking I would feel much better after a good nights sleep.

NOPE!

I woke up with tingly feet still. Very weird to try and walk when my feet felt so well, non-existent. They felt like they were fading, disappearing. I didn't have a choice. I went to work like that. I did get a chance to call my dad, who is very knowledgeable in this sort of thing and he said to ice/heat and stretch. But after a day and a half of this, I was ready to see a doctor. Then a friend of mine said how great she felt from a morning massage.

LIGHT BULB!

I went straight back and made an appointment for one. Maybe this would save me a trip to the doctor's office. Or . . . it could be the death of me.

I made sure at my massage they knew why I was there - possible pinched nerve in my lower back. If anything, I would not let them just ignore that. They then suggested a type of icy/hot procedure they could use. Yes! Sign me up. I love icy/hot and if Saint lived here, he would have been doing that to me every night since my yoga twinge. The masseuse started me on my back and rubbed my shoulder blades and neck. Can I just say, that HOLY COW I HOLD A LOT OF TENSION IN MY SHOULDERS! Whew! Okay got that out. Then she did some cool pulling of my arms and rolling me in half to crack and stretch my back. Yum! Felt really good. Then she had me flip over onto my stomach.

DIGRESSION: Does anyone else feel a little odd being naked, alone in a dark room with a total stranger? Or is it just me?

Ahem. That said, I flipped over and the massage began on my back. Oh yes, did your palms into my back muscles and push as you slide your palms down the ridges of my tense back muscles. Oh sorry, it was just really nice.

When she got to my legs, I knew this is where I really needed the massage, but what I didn't expect was to have sounds coming out of me like a horrible B porn movie. As she slide her forearms over my calves, from top to bottom -

OOOOOOOOHHH MYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOD!

When she pushed on my thighs and rolled down the muscle -

OOOOOOOOOWWWW!

When she touched and pushed on my arch -

HOLY CRAP that's a 10! (the masseuse wanted me to tell her if the pain went above a 7) That's a 10!!!

Then I started giggling because seriously I really hoped no one could hear me. Which then in turn, made the masseuse start laughing. It was fun. Even if it hurt like hell.

Apparently, I had knots in my calves, and thighs so tight they were like a rock. Oh, and one in the arch of my foot.

Hey I am a star pupil when it comes to doing yoga with my toes in the air. Try it! It really does make stabilization easier.

To say the least, I had a really fun time with the masseuse. She was a kick and seemed to know exactly what she was doing. I felt great when I left. And the morning after, I still feel pretty darn good.

Wordlesss Wednesday - The Nest

Wordless Wednesday

Reveiw - I Am Number Four by PIttacus Lore

Title: I Am Number Four
Author: Pittacus Lore
Lorien Legacies #1
480 Pages
Publish Date: Jan 1, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780062026248

GoodReads
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

From the moment I started reading this book I was pulled and didn't stop loving it until it ended . . . and then I wanted more. This was such a good read, through and through. It is inventive and new, which is so needed in the teen fantasy section. The characters are fantastic. They have special powers that are creative and fun to develop. There is a true definition in this entire plot.

INCOMPARABLE!!

I think my favorite part about the book is that when one of these "superheroes" are killed, in order of course due to a spell, a circle is burned into their shins so they know how many have been killed and how much longer they have til they start hunting the next one. It brought such suspense and crazy action in a book! I really enjoyed all the special powers and the descriptions of the action sequences too.

I cannot wait to see this in the theaters although I pray they do it justice, though it was such a phenomenal book that I seriously doubt it.

Waiting in suspense for the next in the series. Very nice job Pitticus Lore.

Summary -

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.