Some of you may remember that we did a post sometime ago announcing our upcoming Book Club selections? Well, at the end of that post, we asked YOU for some help in selecting a romantic story for our February book. Now it seems that February is fast approaching and we still haven’t found our love story to discuss next month!

So fellow book lovers, help us out by letting us know which books you think are swoon-worthy? Which couple melts your heart? What guy (or girl!) do you want to bring to life so you can have them all for yourself? Your suggestions will help us pick a book to discuss next month, so be sure to let us know which romantic tale you’d like to chat about!

Personally, I’ve been considering The Notebook, because it was one of my favorite romantic movies and I’ve never read the book. Have you read it? is it discussion worthy?

The Of the Royal Line Challenge is my first challenge with the Romance Readers Reading Challenges group over at Goodreads. Since I read a lot of historical romances, this one seemed like a no-brainer.

The goal is to read TEN books which titles (or series titles) have nobility words in it (Ex. king, queen, prince, princess, lord, lady, duke, earl, viscount, duchess, etc).

Duration: Dec 1, 2009 – Feb 28, 2010

1. Silent in the Grave (Lady Julia Grey, #1) by Deanna Raybourn, 01/03/10, ★★★
2. Silent in the Sanctuary (Lady Julia Grey, #2) by Deanna Raybourn, 01/05/10, ★★★
3. Silent on the Moor (Lady Julia Grey, #3) by Deanna Raybourn, 01/08/10, ★★★
4. The Princess Bride by William Goldman, 01/17/10, ★★★★
5. The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries, 01/21/10, ★★★★
6. How I Met My Countess by Elizabeth Boyle, 01/23/10, ★★★
7. His Lady Mistress by Elizabeth Rolls, 01/26/10, ★★★
8. At the Duke’s Pleasure by Tracy Anne Warren, 02/03/10, ★★
9. TBA
10. TBA

Note: I’m currently linking to each book’s Goodreads page but I do plan to review one or two of them here and I’ll update this post with links to those reviews as I get them done.

Welcome to our first With A Good Book Club discussion of the new year! As we mentioned when we announced our selection for this month, we’re trying something a little different this month. Rather than selecting just one book for the January discussion, we’re going to try and discuss a whole series of books!! We decided to try this route since the trilogy in question – Uglies by Scott Westerfeld – really leaves so much more to discuss when you can take all three books into account.

We’ve bumped up the discussion post now that we’re adding the rest of the discussion questions for the series. Both Pretties and Specials are included in this batch as I couldn’t find any questions that were divided up for the two books.

As always, you are in no way limited to the questions posted below. Please feel free to bring up anything you’d like to discuss about the book. (We love it when you add new points!) And if possible, please try to keep your comments limited to the first book until we post the next set of questions.

7. Tally has three important guys in her life: Peris, David and Zane. How does her relationship with each of the three effect her decisions at different points in the story? Which of the three do you think made the greatest impact on Tally?

8. Compare Tally’s society with our society today. What are the similarities between Dr. Cable’s controls and our own government? Just as Tally and her friends were brought up learning about the failure of the Rusties’ society, what lessons can be learned from the future portrayed in the series?

9. The author created new worlds, new technology and new language for the books. Which location — New Pretty Town, the Smoke, or Diego — would you want to make your home? Which of Tally’s futuristic possessions — a hoverboard, a sneak suit, SpagBol — would you like to own? What were your favorite slang words in the series?

10. If the Uglies series was made into a movie, who would you cast to play the part of Tally? Shay? David? Zane? Peris? Dr. Cable? Where in the world do you think it should be filmed? Who would be the best director for this project?

11. Who was your favorite character in the series? How did you feel about how they ended up at the end of Specials? Which character do you think is the most like you or your friends?

12. Where do you see Tally two years after the end of Specials? How about Shay? Peris? What do you think Pretty Town and Diego would be like two years later?

Click to read the previous questions for Uglies.

This week we have a free e-book download from author J. Timothy King. According to the description, From the Ashes of Courage is “a heart-wrenching story of human kindness and love without strings”.

For the month of January you can download this book in PDF, ePub, Kindle and Mobipocket formats before it’s Valentine’s release.

Here’s the complete description:

Gail Bishop is a headstrong, driven, single-minded businesswoman, a successful independent professional at only 29 years old. But she still feels empty. Eddie Chase is a fun-loving real-estate agent who made a mint in the boom market, now fast running out of money. And their friends set them up on a blind date, unaware that many years ago, they were once married to each other.

Now, both are taken aback by their feelings for each other at a romantic, seaside cottage on Ardor Point, and by the impact this will have on the rest of their lives. This long-languishing relationship that Gail thought was surely dead, could it hold the secret, the meaning of life that she’s looking for?

Please let us know what you think of the book if you happen to download it! Would it make for a good February book club discussion?

Canadian Voices, Volume One
An Anthology of prose and poetry by Emerging Canadian Writers
by Various Authors

Canadian Voices: Volume One is a lovely collection of short stories and poems written by a variety of budding Canadian authors. When I started this book, I sat down with a pack of post-it tabs beside me so I could flag my favourite works in order to highlight them in my review. I quickly realized that this was going to be a waste of time since I was flagging almost every story! Granted there were a few pieces that didn’t work for me, but for the most part this is a fantastic collection of writing that truly highlights the multiculturalism and diversity of Canadians.

I often shy away from short stories because I love to get lost in new worlds and adventures when I’m reading, and with short stories it sometimes feels like they end just as you’re getting absorbed. But with so many great tales packed into this book, I found myself rushing through each story, eager to uncover the next little gem that waited just a few pages away. One of the stories (Spontaneous Adventure by Sally Dillon) brought me to tears with its emotional tale, while another story of family and illness (Joey and the Turtle by Alison E. Bruce) took me through an array of emotions.  An excerpt from the novel Homecoming by Sherry Isaac was so intriguing that I’ve added the book to my wish-list!

Not having read much poetry since I was in school, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got to the poetry section of the book. But I was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful collection of prose. I found the poems by Elizabeth Barnes were wonderful, and enjoyed the offerings of Cassie McDaniel, R.G. Condie and John Ambury to name just a few.

With its vast collection of authors and stories, I believe Canadian Voices: Volume One has something for almost every reader to enjoy. I hope to see many people pick this one up (and pass it on!) in an effort to support and promote our country’s remarkable talent.

* I received a copy of this book for review by one of the authors who contributed to the volume.

Last night a friend and I were discussing books that we just couldn’t get through. As some of you may know, I very rarely give up on a book. I will fight with it and force myself to finish because I believe there will be something worthwhile that I’ll miss if I don’t finish the story. Often this pays off, and I find something to love about a book I would have written off, but sometimes I get to the end and I regret those hours I wasted trying to finish a book that never did get better. That’s right The Witches of Eastwick, I’m talking to you!

Then there are the few times I have given up on a book completely. James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces was one of those books that I just couldn’t force myself to read. I tried three times and never made it past the 2^nd chapter. And I won’t be trying again. (Learn about punctuation and grammar buddy.)

Currently, I’m stuck on 1984 by George Orwell. I’m not a huge reader of the classics, but I try to read at least one or two a year, just to counterbalance all the fluff. I started 1984 in November, and after realizing I wasn’t going to get our book of the month read unless I put it aside, I finally set it down, planning to go back to it once I caught up on some of my other reading. It’s now January and I still haven’t gone back to it. I do plan to finish it, because I just don’t believe that so many people could be entirely wrong about a book that is touted as one of the greats.

Are there books you’ve been unable to finish? What was the most recent? What do you do when a book isn’t working for you?

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)
by Rick Riordan

Let me just say that I adored this book! Set in a world where the Greek Gods still exist (in a manner of speaking), The Lightning Thief tells the tale of 12-year-old Percy Jackson, who after years of being a bad seed, realizes there might be more to his problems than dyslexia and ADD.  Trouble has always seemed to follow Percy wherever he goes, despite how hard he tries to avoid unwanted attention. Then when his mother takes him on a summer vacation, trouble comes for them in a big way. After battling an unbelievable creature, Percy finds himself thrust into a strange world that seems impossible, but just might explain the strange things that keep happening in his life.

I’ve always loved the stories of the Greek gods, and by weaving them into the tale of Percy Jackson, Riordan has created a magnificent world that feels entirely possible because so much of it is familiar to us.  I even spent time learning (or re-learning) the stories of the Gods, because I found it really added to my enjoyment of the book once I was up on the tales that were being referenced. There’s hardly a dull moment in the story, and by doling out bits of information slowly, the author ensures that we’re always wanting more. I really liked all of the characters in The Lightning Thief, and enjoyed learning the back-stories of Annabeth and Grover. I look forward to learning more about Chiron and Dionysus in the coming books.

We’re told at the beginning of the story that Percy is twelve, but I found I had a hard time picturing him as any younger than 16. Which, to me, is a good thing. I love my YA fantasy series, but I don’t like to feel like I’m reading a children’s book, and I believe that The Lightning Thief stands up well as a tale that will appeal to both teens and adults alike.

My one criticism of the story is the glaring similarities to the Harry Potter series. Yet even with the obvious parallels, it somehow doesn’t take much away from this wonderful tale.  It appears the author took the shell of the Potter series – magical land known only to those who are part of it; plucky, unaware young hero; whip-smart girl, and loyal boy to aid him in his adventure; wise, knowing elder to offer advice; and a young nemesis – but then filled it with a new world and new characters. While the framework of the two stories is almost identical, I found the similarities stopped there.  For example the fact that Percy is a young hero who is uneducated about his world and powers makes him similar to Harry, but Percy is often rude and sarcastic and the character is really nothing like Harry.

For those who are fans of the YA fantasy genre, the Percy Jackson series is not to be missed! The Lightning Thief is an exciting and thoroughly enjoyable read that sets up what looks to be a great series. I already have The Sea of Monsters and The Titan’s Curse, the next two books in the series waiting for me, and I can’t wait to dive in!

- The Lightning Thief is book #3 for the 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge.

I’m a huge fan of MaryJanice Davidson’s Betsy the Vampire Queen series, and of course a great way to discover new books/series to fall in love with is test out other works by authors you adore.  And that’s why I’m taking this opportunity to share with you an excerpt from one of MJ’s other works, the  Jennifer Scales series.

Here’s a description from the Jennifer Scales website:

Her fourteenth birthday was the last normal birthday Jennifer Scales ever had. Tied to the power of the crescent moon, she is forced as she comes of age to change into something powerful and dangerous. With the help of her father and grandfather, Jennifer must learn to cope with her new reality. But who will help when unfriendly eyes begin to notice what monster lies within her?

Sounds like fun right? And what about that gorgeous cover?

Be sure to head over to the Jennifer Scales website where you can read an excerpt which includes the Prologue and Chapter 1.

Let us know what you think! Did you enjoy the excerpt? Will you be checking book one, Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace out?

Hello Book Friends. Sorry for the lack of updates yesterday, but I was at home with a bad back and sitting at the computer just wasn’t going to happen.  I guess this is why it’s a good idea to have a few saved posts so you can just hit publish when you’re unable to take the time to post?

Anyway, while this back thing is no fun, the great thing about a sick day is it gives you the perfect chance to catch up on your reading! I took the opportunity to finish Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven book 2). And it was fantastic! This series just keeps getting better, and there’s nothing like a good fantasy novel to help you forget your troubles and pass an unpleasant day.

What about you? What kind of books do you like to read when you’re under the weather? What other ways do you like to pass the time when you’re stuck at home sick?

Fire Me Up (Aisling Grey, Guardian book 2)
by Katie MacAlister

Fire Me Up is an enjoyable second installment in the Aisling Grey Guardian series by Katie MacAlister. Aisling is fast becoming one of my favourite female characters along with Stephanie Plum and Sookie Stackhouse. I think the fact that I’ve become so fond of Aisling, is why I liked this book so much even though the mystery wasn’t as mysterious as it could’ve been. Not to say that I had it all figured out, but I was pretty sure of the Who, even though I had no idea about the How or Why.  But even with that, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading Fire Me Up.

Although Aisling hasn’t quite figured it out yet, it seems that everyone she encounters in the Otherworld is aware that she is one powerful Guardian. One who also has the potential to become much more than just a Guardian or Wyvern’s mate. That’s why she’s become one of my favourite characters. I love a strong female character with powers that she doesn’t fully understand, because it allows us to follow her journey as she discovers and accepts her powers. Throw in a hot sexy love interest, and a few great supporting characters and that’s a winning combination.

Jim the demon is a hilarious sidekick, and his role continues to grow so that he’s no longer just the comic relief, but an important part of Aisling’s team and family.  Rene the ever present driver and Aisling’s back-up, appears to know more than he’s been letting on, which leads me to believe he too has a bigger role to play in the coming stories.  Drake is still as hot and sexy as he was in You Slay Me, but this time his character exhibits a bit more depth. Instead of just being the sexy distraction, we see how stressful being a dragon wyvern can be and how seriously he takes his position. We’re also treated to glimpses of how much Drake has begun to care for Aisling, even though he often makes her feel like a possession rather than a partner. I will say that I find Aisling’s constant squinting and glaring excessive – girl’s going to have some massive wrinkles if she glares that many times a day for eternity.

Fire Me Up has expanded Aisling’s world, while beautifully setting up her story for Light My Fire, the next installment in the Aisling Grey, Guardian series where Aisling heads off to London to finally learn about being a Guardian with her new mentor Nora.