Harry Potter Moment of the Week [51]

This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts.The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! She is picking a topic within HP for us to focus on each week and then if anyone wants to take part feel free! All she asks is to link back to her blog :). There is now a full list of the topics to come here.

  Best Joke from the Series

Hands down:

"WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO?

YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT U-NO-POO

THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!"

Honorable Mentions:

Dudley: They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall. Want to come upstairs and practice?
Harry: No, thanks. The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it -- it might be sick.

Ron: Can you believe our luck? Of all the trees we could've hit, he had to get one that hits back.

Draco: Sure you can manage that broom, Potter?

Harry: Yeah, reckon so

Draco: Got plenty of special features, hasn't it? Shame it doesn't come with a parachute-in case you get too near a Dementor. (Crabbe and Goyle sniggered)

Harry: Pity you can't attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy. Then it could catch the Snitch for you.

Professor Trelawney: Would anyone like me to help interpret the shadowy realms within their orb?

Ron (whispering to Harry): I don't need help. It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight.

Fred Weasley: Anyone can speak Troll, All you have to do is point and grunt.

Percy: I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days.

Fred: Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?

Percy: That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway! It was nothing personal!

Fred (whispering to Harry): It was. We sent it.

Fred: He can run faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo.

What is your favorite joke from the series?

Review: Facade by R.M. Webb

Published: December 23rd 2014
Genre: paranormal thriller, urban fantasy, romance
Format: ebook
Source: provided for honest review

Goodreads Summary

Seven years ago, Claire woke up scared and alone in the woods without a clue as to who she was or where she came from. She’s adapted since then. Learned to hide what she doesn’t know, to create a façade to protect her secret from even her closest friends. But now an injury has isolated her even further and life has just simply ground to a halt.


The day Claire first sees William, his blue eye electrifying the air between them, she gets what she wants most in the world. A memory. After seven years of faking it, of not knowing anything or anyone, she knows William. She’s unnerved by him. Mesmerized. He sweeps into her bitter little life, unconcerned about hiding the truth behind his quick movements and cold skin. The moment they’re alone, he sinks his teeth into her throat, drinks her blood, and fills her with his own.


For Claire, it’s like coming home.


Now she sees better, hears better, and thinks faster. Thrust into a world where nothing is as it seems, Claire learns she has dangerous enemies. She stumbles from discovery to discovery, desperate for answers, each piece of the puzzle bringing her closer to those who have sworn to see Claire dead.

Buy Facade by R.M. Webb Today at Amazon

She shook her head to knock away the encroaching memories, those images from years ago that brought nothing but questions without answer. She pushed them back into their hiding place deep in her heart and climbed up the creaking wooden stairs and into bed.

Her last thought before she crossed the line into sleep was of the blonde haired man with the electric blue eyes at the cafe.

The Good

This one was a bit different from what I normally read. Most of the book is Claire trying to find out who she was and who she can trust as she begins to reveal her past. This is more of a romance/mystery novel as the past slowly catches up to her and those few people she considers friends. Facade does end with a bit of action taking place but for the most part it seems to be setting up Claire's world.

The Bad

When Claire finally deals with the main villain, Sybil, things seem to come to a conclusion a little faster than I was expecting. I would have liked to know a little more about some of the supporting characters, like the Babylonian for instance.

The Romance

Claire, while trying to recall who she was, runs into William, the blonde haired mystery man she can't help but be drawn too. All the while, she has Josh who wants nothing more than to be the one that matters most in her life. Not really a love triangle as she is drawn to William but keeps Josh around as he is familiar to her.

Conclusion

Overall, the book was enjoyable. I did like some of the powers displayed, and if you like romance there is plenty of romantic drama. It could have been longer, but it was enjoyable none-the-less. If you like supernatural with plenty of romance then you should enjoy Facade.

Excerpts

"Who am I?" She choked on the words, strangled by emotion. She stood on a great precipice, she could feel it. Moving forward meant stepping off the edge into the unknown, tumbling down with no way to get back up again.
"You're my creator and my destroyer. My savior and my downfall."


"Niiqiarqusu," she said, studying the dark eyes of the man before her.
"You are the only being still in existence to know my given name. After time, I grew not to care what I was called. And so I am known only as the babylonian."


"I want to wait until those words don't surprise you." He grasped her face between his hands, kissed her once on the forehead, once on the tip of her nose, and then let his lips linger against hers, his kiss a promise of things to come. "Get dressed," he said, indicating the packages on his bed. "i'll wait for you downstairs."

Buy Facade by R.M. Webb Today at Amazon

Sunday Cover Scramble [104]

Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.

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Review: A Twist of Fae (Surfaeillance #1) by Rebekah Shafer

Published: October 21st 2014 by Lantern Leaf Press
Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, Magic
Format: ebook
Source: provided for honest review

Goodreads Summary

“My crystal was vibrating harder than ever now. More fae were moving in. I glanced over my shoulder at the dark gardens. This can’t be good. The crystal was designed to register the presence of faery matter, besides serving as identification and other mundane uses, but after the years I’d spent wearing one around my neck, I was becoming more and more convinced it picked up on danger, too.”

In special agent Burgundy Graves’ opinion, desk work is for sissies. So what if Surfaeillance Agency exists to regulate faery activity on Earth? Tracking the monsters is a form of regulating. Give her a gun, a dangerous threat to hunt down, no questions asked, and she’s in.

But when Surfaeillance puts her in a team of wet-behind-the-ears investigators and tasks them with trailing a clueless millionaire, Burgundy begins to seriously consider pulling out—until the millionaire is murdered on her watch.

With the agency at risk, and shape-shifting ogres on the loose, Burgundy races to unmask her enemies before she becomes the next victim in this deadly, faery-tainted plot.

Buy A Twist of Fae by Rebekah Shafer Today at Amazon

"It's something other than flattering to be forgotten by so many fae, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they do it intentionally. Rather like forgetting that you have an uncle in the mafia. I don't see what their problem is. After all, the Earth-Faery relationship was their idea in the first place."

The Good

Special agent Burgundy Graves is one of my favorite types of heroes. She hates being out of the action and has an attitude that keep you entertained throughout the book. She also prefers to work alone as others just hold her back in her mind. She does end up with a couple of odd partners but odd is the only partner she would be able to work with efficiently. Plus, A Twist of Fae has plenty of supernaturals to keep her busy.

The Bad

I wish the book had been a tad longer. I felt like I got through it way too fast. I also would have liked more time in Fairyland. The little bit of time spent there in the book was more of a teaser than anything else.

The Romance

Burgundy didn't really have any time for romance in this book, but to be honest I was ok with that. Maybe in the next book.

Conclusion

A Twist of Fae was a fun read even if it did seem to be over before I was ready. The good news is there will be a second book and I'm looking forward to what trouble finds her next. And it does seem like she will spend a lot more time in fairyland with the next installment.

Excerpts

"You'll feel better when the adrenalin wears off," I said, glancing around at the few stunted trees. They looked like shadows in the dark. "If we get out of here, I'll buy you some ice cream." If there was one thing pixies had a weakness for, it was frozen dairy products.

Bentley has been described as many things during his employment, but the simplest way to imagine him is to pretend an anteater and a bat got married, and their child was turned into a dwarf by an irritable wizard. He stood there on his scrawny little legs, no taller than my knee, bristly brown arms folded, batwings crossed -- even his long nose looked like it had a kink in it.

A tall, dark, and handsome shadow loomed up beside me. "All quiet so far? Stewart Landis asked, leaning an elbow against the bar behind me.
Coworkers. I waved a hand at the crowded press of humanity. "Sickeningly so. I haven't been this keyed up since Fairy Invasion of '98, when a single fairy burst into the office and demanded a ransom of two donuts." I glanced at him to make sure the sarcasm wasn't being lost. "And I do believe I'm out of ginger ale. Again. Where were you?"

Buy A Twist of Fae by Rebekah Shafer Today at Amazon

Harry Potter Moment of the Week [50]

This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts.The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! She is picking a topic within HP for us to focus on each week and then if anyone wants to take part feel free! All she asks is to link back to her blog :). There is now a full list of the topics to come here.

  Best Spot to Chill at Hogwarts

While I feel like I would be similar to Hermione in always running to the library, it doesn't really seem like a cozy place with Madam Pince shooting glances and worrying over the status of her books. As much as I love to read, I also enjoy spending time with those nearest and dearest to me. I feel like the Quidditch pitch would be nice for when you want to let loose, and let's face it if I was allowed to fly, I would be doing it often. Flying is not really 'chilling' though, so I would pick the Gryffindor Common Room for those nice, relaxing hang out sessions.

It's described as being circular with a bunch of squashy chairs to relax in along with a huge window to look out over the grounds. Plus, who could forget the large fireplace that Sirius used to contact Harry? It just has all the makings of cozy. I would absolutely love chilling there with the besties.

What would be your favorite spot to chill at Hogwarts?

Review: Shattered (Logan Book 1) by Valerie Davisson

Publisher: March 3, 2014, Hauser Publishing
Genre: Horror
Format: ebook
Source: Gifted by author for honest review

Goodreads Summary:

Meet Logan McKenna … fiercely loyal, and impossibly inquisitive.

In SHATTERED, the first book in the original mystery series and stunning fiction debut with which Valerie Davisson lets us crave for more, Logan McKenna loses her husband, her illusions, the company they built together, her music, and now, probably her job. But that won’t stop her from digging into a murder investigation that keeps Southern California’s tight-knit artist community on its toes and law enforcement cluelessly guessing.
At loose ends, and running out of money after buying a fixer upper on the coast, she decides to help out her best friend from high school, Thomas, a Native American artist, and his wife Lisa at their booth at the Otter Arts Festival, in the idyllic coastal town of Jasper, where she and her police-officer brother Rick grew up. When one of the talented, young artists is found gruesomely murdered at the festival, Logan is faced with the reality that her best friend not only lied to her, but may be guilty of murder. It’s up to her to find out what really happened that night, before the murderer kills again.

If you enjoy reading Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon, James Patterson's Murder Club, J. A. Jance’s Joanna Brady or more general: mystery novel with a strong female character, you will quickly fall in love with Valerie Davisson’s Logan McKenna - guaranteed!

Shattered is the story of Logan McKenna. After a tragic car accident that killed her husband and turned her life upside down, she is trying to restart her life. Her new life has several bumps in the road. Once she thinks things are starting to come together, one of her best friends is accused of murder. Everything, all evidence, points to him. She is on a mission to clear her friend's name and find real justice for the victim.

River Otter Festivals Who Knew They Were Fun

This is the debut book of the Logan McKenna story.   I must say overall, I really enjoyed it.  It could be a very promising series.   It is full of fun, interesting, different, and entertaining characters.  The supportive cast in this book is dynamic.  The book did have a slower pace; however, it was a good, interesting slow.   I love a good murder mystery.  I didn't guess the murderer in Shattered which is always refreshing.   Out of all the characters though, I think Iona (who was a fairly minor character) was my favorite.   I like the spitfire, no-nonsense attitude.  Tave’a the café owner is a pretty amazing mysterious character to me also, and she made me wish I had a cinnamon roll.  I would work out and read about her delicious baked treats.  My tummy would tell me I worked out...let’s eat sweets!!!  I would love to see more of them and see their characters expanded in future books.

That Moment When the Thrill is Gone  

When I started reading the book, I was really excited.  It started with lots of promise and I was so engrossed in what was going to unfold.  However, it fell kind of flat.   The editing ruined the flow of things.   I liked Logan, but I do hope that her character grows stronger in the following books.  In Shattered, I am not sure if she was a strong enough lead.  Being a first book in a series though, that may not be a fair judgment since this may be on purpose to show her beginnings into a stronger character.   However, in many scenes and chapters I was more captivated by the supporting characters.   The storyline was solid but it had a rushed feel and it felt like some of it was just blown through.   I had a hard time caring about a lot of it.   Some of that could have been the editing though.

All’s Well That Ends Well

All in all, it’s a decent read and could turn out to be a very interesting series.   The killer is not easy to spot, and Logan stays hot on the trail of the murderer.  There is good and bad in the book, but as the first book it has a lot of potential to be a very good series.   I would love to see more depth and growth in all the characters.  Shattered was easy to read and did have you wondering how it was going to unfold.   This book made me realize anyone can be crazy :)

Sunday Cover Scramble [103]

Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin