{ Teaser Tuesday - July 19, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb over at shouldbereading. Anyone can play along just do the following:

* Grab your current read

* Open to a random page

* Share two(2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page

* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share does not give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the author and title, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they liked your teaser!

Here's mine this week:

'Well," says Bean, "here we are. Only with you...I pack for the beach, expecting a vacation of broads and booze, and we wind up in the loony bin. Good times."

Pg 66 - The Sleepwalkers by J Gabriel Gates - provided by Net Galley

What's your teaser this week?

{ It's Monday! What are you reading? - July 18, 2011 }

It's Monday! What are you reading is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney. This is were participants share what they read last week, what they are currently reading and what's up next.

I was busy today, so my post is going up a bit later than usual. However, here are mine:

Last week:

Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder
Intoxication by Tim Kizer (author provided for review)
Ashfall by Mike Mullin (Net Galley)

Currently reading:

The Sleepwalkers by J Gabriel Gates (Net Galley)

Up Next:

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Spells by Rose Pressey (Publisher provided for review)
The Eye of The Crystal Ball by T P Boje (Author provided for review)

What are you reading this week?

{ Ashfall by Mike Mullin }

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Oct 11, 2011 by Tanglewood Press

Source: Net Galley

From Goodreads:

Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a super volcano. Most people don't know its there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone super volcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

My review:

At the request of the publishers, my review will not be available until 30 days prior to release date. I will say this though? If you are a fan of post apocalyptic dystopian? You are sure to devour this book! The fact that there is an element of 'this could actually happen', makes this one hell of a ride and an outstanding debut by Mike Mullin! Stay tuned for my full review closer to release. In the meantime be sure to add it to your TBR list or better yet head over to Net Galley and request a review copy!

Rating: 5 stars!

{ Intoxication by Tim Kizer }

Intoxication by Tim Kizer

March 30, 2011

Source: ecopy provided by author for review

From Goodreads:

For the the fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz...

How do you force a confession out of a coworker trying to poison you? Do you kill those who dismiss your fears and believe you are paranoid? What do you do if you start questioning your own suspicions - and sanity - as you take the law into your hands?

In this disturbing tale of derangement, a young psychotic woman is slipping into madness as she fights an enemy that may exist only in her imagination. She has to resort to desperate measures when she realizes that a gun, security cameras in her apartment, and constant vigilance will not be enough to survive.

Bonus: 'Hitchhiker' by Tim Kizer, the first entry in the As The Darkness Falls series.

When a serial killer hitches a ride one sunny day in a beautiful California valley, he does not suspect that he may have met his match, who is dead set to take another life. The battle of wits begins and only the most devious mind will survive.

My review:

Intoxication is a short story consisting of 31 pages. I am not normally a big fan of short stories, mainly due to there is never enough time to get invested in the story or the characters. I will admit that the first 14 pages felt a bit choppy and disjointed, however by page 15 I really got into the story. The last half flowed nicely and I was very interested to see where the story and characters were going to go. I don't want to give too much away, but I really did connect with these characters and what brought them to the end. It was a good suspenseful read. I would like to see this one made into a longer version.

Rating: 3 stars

The second story included was Hitchhiker. This again was a short story of only 13 pgs. This one I did not enjoy as much as the first one. Again I found the writing to be choppy and disjointed and I really did not find myself connecting with the story all that much. I think there needed to be more to this one to get fully invested in these characters and their story.

Rating: 2.5 stars

The third short story The Bike was way too short and quite frankly just plain silly for me. A man gets framed for a robbery all in an attempt to get back at him for killing his neighbors dog. Not enough substance for me.

Rating: 2 stars

{ Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder }

Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder

April 11, 2009 by Smashwords Inc

Source: Free ebook from Kobobooks.com

Format: ebook

From Goodreads:

What if you could bank your money for your next life? Smart-aleck and computer security expert Scott Waverly is skeptical of his new clients claim that they have been tracking souls for almost twenty-six hundred years. Is it a freaky cult, or a sophisticated con job? As Scott saves Soul Identity from an insider attack, he discovers the importance of the bridges connecting peoples lives.

My review:

After I first purchased my ereader, I decided to see what kind of free books were out there. I found this one at the kobo bookstore and thought it sounded like a good one. There really is not much to say about this one. While the story line was something different, the execution fell short. I felt there should have been some major editing done to this book. I am not a writer, publisher or editor, but I am a reader and this one just felt very choppy. The beginning of the book had a good flow and I did feel connected with the main character Scott Waverly, but then after a few chapters it just gradually fell apart. I found most of the action scenes were rushed and it was over before it really began. The romance between the main character Scott and Val was very forced and I felt it was just there for a token romance.

In the end, it was not a terrible read, just not all that great either. If you are looking for something light to pass the time, perhaps give this one a read.

Rating: 2.5 stars

{ Teaser Tuesday - July 12, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Mizb over at shouldbereading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

* Grab your current read

* Open to a random page

* Share two(2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page

* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share does not give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the author and title, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

Here's mine for this week:

"I didn't see your name on that cup," she commented with slight but discernable irritation as she sat down next to Rick, whose left arm was resting on the back of the leather couch, waiting to crawl upon her shoulders. Of course, when she said it, she had no idea that the coffee was contaminated and that she and eight of her coworkers would die of poisoning in less than three weeks.

pg 1 - Intoxication by Tim Kizer

What's your teaser for this week?

{ It's Monday! What are you reading? - July 11, 2011 }

It's Monday! What are you reading is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney. This is where participants share what they read last week, what they are currently reading and what is up next. Here is mine for this week:

Last Week: (was camping last week and did not do a whole lot of reading)

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Currently Reading:

Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder

Up Next: (found NetGalley this week and very excited to read these!)

Intoxication by Tim Kizer(author provided copy for review)

Ashfall by Mike Mullen(from Netgalley)

Ashes by Ilsa J Bick(from Netgalley)

The Sleepwalkers by J Gabriel Gates(from Netgalley)

What are you reading this week?