29042012: IMM Alternatives!

I've held off making this post for most of today to wait and see what gets uncovered, I knew straight away that I wouldn't be creating my own new idea because I knew there would be others, and boy was I right! I've stumbled across 6 so far! So for now I'm going to be linking all 6 here to allow others to find one that suits them best, and I guess that means for today I'm taking part in them all. Hopefully I don't need to explain why I'm no longer taking part in IMM and that others respect my decision.

1. Showcase Sunday at Books, Biscuits and Tea.

2. Coming Next at Nook of Books

3. The Sunday Session at The Aussie Zombie

4. Sunday Post at Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

5. Stacking the Shelves at Tynga's Reviews

6. Goodie Bag Saturdays at Livredeamour-booksoflove
7. Bought, Borrowed and Bagged at TalkSuper (starts next week)

ARC won:A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer

Vampires live only for lust and pleasure in the eternal twilight of Vamp City. But the city’s magic is dying. The only person who can restore it? A beautiful woman from the mortal world...one who knows nothing of the power she wields. Quinn Lennox is searching for a missing friend when she stumbles into a dark otherworld that only she can see—and finds herself at the mercy of Arturo Mazza, a dangerously handsome vampire whose wicked kiss will save her, enslave her, bewitch her, and betray her. What Arturo can’t do is forget about her—any more than Quinn can control her own feelings for him. Neither one can let desire get in the way of their mission—his to save his people, hers to save herself. But there is no escape from desire in a city built for seduction, where passion flows hot and blood-red. Welcome to Vamp City...

GR

Amazon: UK | US

eBooks won:

 Lichgates by S. M. Boyce

The Grimoire turns its own pages and can answer any question asked of it, and Kara Magari is its next target. She has no idea what she's getting herself into when she stumbles across the old book while hiking a hidden trail. Once she opens it, she's thrown into Ourea: a beautiful world full of terrifying things that all want the Grimoire's secrets. Everyone in this new world is trying to find her, and most want to control her. Braeden Drakonin grew up in Ourea, and all he’s ever known of life is lying. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. He has one question to ask the book – one question that can fix everything in his broken life – and he’s not letting Kara out of his sight until he gets an answer. There’s no escaping Ourea. There’s no going back now.

GR

Amazon: UK | US

Forgiving Trinity by Liz Reinhardt

 At seventeen, Trinity McCabe has already made enough mistakes to fill a lifetime. Especially the one where she got high, drove a car, and almost killed a dog. And then let her friend Aidan take the blame. She’s clean now and desperate to fix the messes she’s made, but first she’s going to have to get out of her pajamas. As Trinity struggles to stop sleepwalking through life, she faces the painful, tingling sensation of waking up. It’s sometimes embarrassing (she really didn’t want to have lunch with Aidan’s mom), sometimes terrifying (group therapy is beyond intimidating), and sometimes, amazingly enough, pretty romantic (who’d have though Aidan would be such a great kisser?) Trin is lucky, though—luckier than she deserves, she’s sure—and she doesn’t travel this road alone. Her family, her therapist, and her new friends are all pulling for her. And it turns out, some of them have made pretty big mistakes, too. But before she can embrace her new life completely, Trinity has to be forgiven by the one person who is holding out the hardest: herself. It’s not easy changing everything, especially when you don’t think you deserve a second chance. Trinity might make an even bigger mess of things before she figures that out. When the smoke clears on her latest disaster, will anyone still be standing there?

GR

Amazon: UK | US

Posts you may have missed this week:

Map Out Monday

WWW Wednesday

Review: A Good Man

Bouts of Books read-a-thon post!

Follow Friday

On My Wishlist

Read this week:

The Secret by Mike Richardson

A Good Man by Vanessa Morgan

Started reading:

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

If you have your own or have stumbled across another one then please let me know and I'll add it to this list for others to see and choose from.

28042012: On My Wishlist (16)

This is a weekly event, originally created by Book Chick City, and now hosted by Cosy Books, where we showcase the books which are currently top of our wishlist. Old, new or yet to be released titles are all welcome. And why keep it to books?

Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest by William Henry Hudson

A master of natural history writing, W. H. Hudson forms an important link between nineteenth-century Romanticism and the twentieth-century ecological movement. First published in 1904, Green Mansions is a poignant meditation on the loss of wilderness, the dream of a return to nature, and the bitter reality of the encounter between savage and civilized man. This is the only critical edition available of this engrossing ecological fable.

GR
Amazon: UK | US

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training. Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister. Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives. Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel. 

GR
Amazon: UK | US

Poe's Children: The New Horror: An Anthology by Peter Straub
Peter Straub—bestselling author and 8-time Bram Stoker Award winner—has gathered here 24 bone-chilling, nail-biting, frightfully imaginative stories that represent the best of contemporary horror writing. 
Dan Chaon “The Bees”
Elizabeth Hand “Cleopatra Brimstone”
Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem “The Man on the Ceiling” 
M. John Harrison “The Great God Plan”
Ramsey Campbell “The Voice of the Beach”
Brian Evenson “Body”
Kelly Link “Louise’s Ghost”
Jonathan Carroll “The Sadness of Detail”
M. Rickert “Leda”
Thomas Tessier “In Praise of Folly”David J. Schow “Plot Twist”
Glen Hirshberg “The Two Sams”
Thomas Ligotti “Notes on the Writing of Horror: A Story”
Benjamin Percy “Unearthed”
Bradford Morrow "Gardener of Heart”
Peter Straub “Little Red’s Tango”
Stephen King “The Ballad of a Flexible Bullet”
Joe Hill “20th Century Ghost”
Ellen Klages “The Green Glass Sea”
Tia V. Travis “The Kiss”
Graham Joyce “Black Dust”
Neil Gaiman “October in the Chair”
John Crowley “Missolonghi 1824”
Rosalind Palermo Stevenson “Insect Dreams”

GR
Amazon: UK | US

27042012: Follow Friday (5)

 Q. Have you ever had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then "broke up" with later on in either series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

Honestly there is no one I can think of right now, which  I assume means that there wasn't one. I guess I am praying that it doesn't happen in the future with certain characters I am currently reading about - Jon Snow and Dany Targaryen but I have a feel she will let me down.

26042012: Bout of Books read-a-thon

 

Bout of Books is a week long read-a-thon, which runs from 12.01am on Monday 14th May through to 11:59pm Sunday 20th May. It is a low pressure read-a-thon which means participants are only asked to push themselves to read more than they normally would during any week. There is no competition between readers. Each reader can commit as much time as they personally want to read, tweet and network with fellow bloggers and all challenges and giveaways are optional. Networking with other bloggers is actively encouraged but not required, and co-hosts are there to provide blog hops and interaction between participants. Twitter is used to post updates throughout the read-a-thon and use the #boutsofbooks hashtag! - information taken from Bouts of Books.

I will be participating in Bout of Books read-a-thon, its super easy to be a part of and sounds like fun challenge for myself as it'll be my first full week off college. I normally read a book a week, two if I'm lucky so I'd like to double that and aim for 4 finished book and 5 if I really do have a good run. I'll decide what I want to read each day because if I plan to read something I most likely don't, oops!

Follow me on twitter ready for this event!

26042012: A Good Man

A Good Man by Vanessa Morgan

Page count: 91

Synopsis: Louis Caron is a good man - vegetarian, he feeds the homeless, takes care of animals and is even concerned with the ecological future of the planet. But his altruism has a sinister edge - he's a vampire - and local detective Taglioni is becoming increasingly suspicious. Louis' attempt to escape the police takes him on a journey into his own private hell where he is not only forced to confront his worst fears, but also to destroy the lives of those he cares about most.
My Review: A Good Man is a screenplay about Louis Caron, an elderly vegetarian Vampire and is currently in preproduction with Radowski Films. From the first page I was amazed at how easily I could vision each scene and had such a strong connection to Louis, even with there is less description that a typical book. I loved this screen play from the start, it was humorous throughout yet was deadly serious when needed to be and in the end you can't help but feel extremely sorry for Louis, it seems in the end he really is his own worse enemy. I must point out that my favourite scene was when the cat knocked over the wine, a really good touch with what happened next and made me chuckle out loud on the bus. Its scenes like that, that make it seem almost real because it happens day to day but in this it has a twist - I'm sorry this part was vague but if any of you end up reading or watching A Good Man in the future I really wouldn't want to spoil it. I really wanted to give this book 5 starts (or hearts seen at the top) as I thoroughly enjoyed it but it was just too short and there didn't need to be more but I really wanted more, wanted to know more. I guess I'll have to keep my eyes out for the film of it. 

GR
Amazon: UK | US
Vanessa Morgan: Website | Twitter | GR | Facebook 

22042012: In My Mailbox (14)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren where we share what books we received during the week.

Books Bought:
The Secret by Mike Richardson

"I know your secret." Tonight is Tommy Morris' big change: he's been invited to party with the social elite of Franklin High and maybe even hook up with Pam, the girl of his dreams. But when a prank call turns sour, Pam goes missing, and Tommy gets sucked into her disappearance deeper than he bargained for. The Secret is a chilling coming-of-age mystery from Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson and Eisner-nominated artist Jason Shawn Alexander. 

GR
Amazon: UK | US

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. Since its publication, Stephen Chbosky's haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, and grown in to a cult sensation with over half a million copies in print. It is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, where all you need is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Chbosky has created a deeply affecting novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

GR
Amazon: UK | US

Books received for review:
A Good Man
Loved DEXTER and AMERICAN PSYCHO? Then you'll love A GOOD MAN. Louis Caron is a good man - vegetarian, he feeds the homeless, takes care of animals and is even concerned with the ecological future of the planet. But his altruism has a sinister edge - he's a vampire - and local detective Taglioni is becoming increasingly suspicious. Louis' attempt to escape the police takes him on a journey into his own private hell where he is not only forced to confront his worst fears, but also to destroy the lives of those he cares about most.
GR
Amazon: UK | US
(I have received and advanced copy of this book which is actually a screen play and is currently in preproduction with Radowski Films. If you wish to win a copy Vanessa Morgan is currently running a giveaway at her blog - http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com - but be quick! It ends soon.)

22042012: On My Wishlist (15)

This is a weekly event, originally created by Book Chick City, and now hosted by Cosy Books, where we showcase the books which are currently top of our wishlist. Old, new or yet to be released titles are all welcome. And why keep it to books?

Akira (1) by Katsuhiro Otomo
Dark Horse is committed to bringing the finest comics from around the world to America. Now, in association with Kodansha Ltd. and Studio Proteus, Dark Horse has again gathered one of the crown jewels of graphic fiction. Katsuhiro Otomo's stunning science-fiction masterpiece, Akira Regarded by many as the finest comic series ever produced, Akira is a bold and breathtaking epic of potent narrative strength and astonishing illustrative skill. Akira is set in the post-apocalypse Neo-Tokyo of 2019, a vast metropolis built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by an apocalyptic blast of unknown power that triggered World War III. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when dormant paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, who becomes a target for a shadowy government operation, a group who will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like that which leveled Tokyo. And at the core of their motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear: a fear of someone -- or something -- of unthinkably monstrous power known only as...Akira. And Akira is about to rise Collected in six massive volumes, Akira has been reproduced in its original, black-and-white majesty as never-before-seen in an English-translated edition. If you love science fiction, manga or comics, Akira is the one work that must be represented in your collection.

GR

Amazon: UK | US

As She Climbed Across the Table by Jonathan Lethem

Anna Karenina left her husband for a dashing officer. Lady Chatterley left hers for the gamekeeper. Now Alice Coombs has her boyfriend for nothing … nothing at all.  Just how that should have come to pass and what Philip Engstrand, Alice’s spurned boyfriend, can do about it is the premise for this vertiginous speculative romance by the acclaimed author of Gun, with Occasional Music. Alice Coombs is a particle physicist, and she and her colleagues have created a void, a hole in the universe, that they have taken to calling Lack. But Lack is a nullity with taste—tastes; it absorbs a pomegranate, light bulbs, an argyle sock; it disdains a bow tie, an ice ax, and a scrambled duck egg. To Alice, this selectivity translates as an irresistible personality. To Philip, it makes Lack an unbeatable rival, for how can he win Alice back from something that has no flaws—because it has no qualities? Ingenious, hilarious, and genuinely mind-expanding, As She Climbed Across the Table is the best boy-meets-girl-meets-void story ever written. 

GR
Amazon: UK | US

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

In his journal, John Steinbeck called East of Eden "the first book," and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families--the Trasks and the Hamiltons--whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Adam Trask came to California from the East to farm and raise his family on the new, rich land. But the birth of his twins, Cal and Aron, brings his wife to the brink of madness, and Adam is left alone to raise his boys to manhood. One boy thrives, nurtured by the love of all those around him; the other grows up in loneliness, enveloped by a mysterious darkness. First published in 1952, East of Eden is the work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. A masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is a powerful and vastly ambitious novel that is at once a family saga and a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis.
GR
Amazon: UK | US

20042012: Follow Friday (4)

Q. Fight! Fight! If you could have two fictional characters battle it out (preferably from books), who would they be and who do you think would win?

I think I'd rather like to see Ned Stark and Bastard Joff have a fight because IT WASN'T FAIR. I am still wounded okay guys, okay! I finished A Game of Thrones last night and the wounds are fresh and deep - even if I did finish watching S1 about two weeks ago. Ned would win obviously. Cersei would have a bitch fight and call The Hound over and Sansa would be a horrible brat for a while. 

16042012: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Page Count: 159 pages

Genres: Science Fiction / Humour / Fantasy

Synopsis: The story is legendary. Arthur Dent, mild-mannered, out-to-lunch earthling, is plucked from his planet by his friend Ford Prefect just seconds before it was demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Ford, posing as an out-of-work actor, is a researcher for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Together they begin their now-famous intergalactic journey through time, space and lunch.

My Review: I don't think there are that many people who haven't read this book, and if you haven't read it then I'm pretty sure it's on your wishlist. If its not then I am taken back in surprise! The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is easily one of the funniest books I have ever had the pleasure to read and is the definition of random. I'm not sure how to physically explain my love for this book without giving away too much because lets be honest if you have read it then you know full well I literally can't explain the basics of the story line because it's far from basic. This was the second time that I've read this book and I hope this year I'll get through the full series. I highly recommend this book and I'm assuming the rest of the series is just as good.
Recommend: Completely

GR
Amazon: UK | US

Douglas Adam's official website

15042012: In My Mailbox (13)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren

Books Bought:

Civil War: Front Line - Book 1

Theres a truth buried deep in the heart of every war, and reporters Sally Floyd and Ben Urich uncover that truth in the midst of the biggest conflagration in the Marvel Universe. In the wake of the Stamford disaster, the public cries out for super-hero registration. This volume collects stories from "Civil War: Front Line" #1-#6. Older teens.

GR

Amazon: UK | US

14042012: On My Wishlist (14)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Cosy-Books

Requiem for a Dream by Hulbert Selby
In this searing novel, two young hoods, Harry and Tyrone, and a girlfriend fantasize about scoring a pound of uncut heroin and getting rich. But their habit gets the better of them, consumes them and destroys their dreams. "Selby's place is in the front rank of American novelists. His work has the power, the intimacy with suffering and morality, the honesty and moral urgency of Dostoevsky's....To understand Selby's work is to understand the anguish of America."

GR
Amazon: UK | US

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

GR
Amazon: UK | US

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

When originally published in 1971, The Exorcist became not only a bestselling literary phenomenon, but one of the most frightening and controversial novels ever written. (When the author adapted his book to the screen two years later, it then became one of the most terrifying movies ever made.) Blatty fictionalized the true story of a child's demonic possession in the 1940s. The deceptively simple story focuses on Regan, the 11-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D.C.; the child apparently is possessed by an ancient demon. It's up to a small group of overwhelmed yet determined humans to somehow rescue Regan from this unspeakable fate. Purposefully raw and profane, this novel still has the extraordinary ability to literally shock us into forgetting that it is "just a story." The Exorcist remains a truly unforgettable reading experience. Blatty published a sequel, Legion, in 1983.
GR
Amazon: UK | US

13042012: Follow Friday (3)

Q. What is one book that you would be nervous to see a movie adaptation of because you think the movie could never live up to the book?

I think the Uglies series would be a gamble simply because they'd either have to do really good prosthetics or editing for when they go under the knife, because they still look like themselves just prettier and if it looks terrible or use a different actress it'll defeat the point of the book.

08042012: Spring Cleaning

Hello all.

This is just a quick notice to let you know that today I have given my blog a good ol' spring cleaning. I've updated the look of it and slowly been implementing a new style to my posts. I have also re-done my "About" and "Reviews" page allowing a much easier and professional feel and include a "Policy and Rating" page to provide more information. On the side I now have added Networked Blogs, Linky Followers and a subscribe by email option to allow those of you who aren't able to use GFC to select your preferred choice of following. 

08042012: In My Mailbox (12)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren

Books bought:
1Q84: Book Three by Haruki Murakami

Book Three of 1Q84 is the final volume of Murakami's magnum opus. At the close of Book Two, Aomame and Tengo found themselves in perilous situations, threatened and confused. As 1Q84 accelerates towards its conclusion, both are pursued by persons and forces they cannot understand. As they begin to decipher more about the strange world into which they have slipped, so they sense their destinies converging. What they cannot know is whether they will find one another before they are themselves found.

GR
Amazon: UK | US

Books won:
Kronos by Guy Adams

When a young girl in the village of Durward is found emaciated, drained of all youth, Dr Marcus summons former comrade-in-arms Captain Kronos, who arrives with hunchbacked assistant Professor Grost in tow. Cast out from her clan for dancing on a Sunday, gypsy Carla has hitched a ride with the pair, whom she discovers to be vampire hunters. Vampires exist in many forms, and a spate of attacks indicates that Durward is cursed by such a presence. Marcus, meanwhile, has cause to suspect that the rich Durward family are involved. At their grand estate, he questions heirs Paul and Sara. Their bed-bound mother blames Marcus for the death of her husband Lord Hagen, a plague victim. The doctor is later assaulted by the mystery vampire. Upon his instructions, Kronos and Grost experiment on Marcus to find the one method that will negate this particular vampiric strain. Successful, his friend destroyed, Kronos devises a plan to expose the fiend -- by using Carla, now his lover, as bait...

GR 

Amazon: UK | US

07042012: On My Wishlist (13)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

GR
Amazon: UK | US

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

GR
Amazon: UK | US

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

The night the first snow falls, a young boy wakes to find his mother gone. He walks through the silent house, but finds only wet footprints on the stairs. In the garden looms a solitary figure: a snowman bathed in cold moonlight, its black eyes glaring up at the bedroom windows. Round its neck is his mother's pink scarf. Inspector Harry Hole is convinced there is a link between the disappearance and a menacing letter he received some months earlier. As Harry and his team delve into unsolved case files, they discover that an alarming number of wives and mothers have gone missing over the years. When a second woman disappears, Harry's suspicions are confirmed: he is a pawn in a deadly game. For the first time in his career Harry finds himself confronted with a serial killer operating on his turf, a killer who will drive him to the brink of insanity. A brilliant thriller with a pace that never lets up, The Snowman confirms Jo Nesbo's position as an international star of crime fiction. 

GR

Amazon: UK | US

01042012: Jan - March Wrap Up

I know this wrap up is a few months late but I didn't decide to do them until now and I didn't want to just start with March! So for the first "monthly" wrap up, you get three.

Outdo Yourself Challenge:

1. The Hunger Games

2. Catching Fire

3. Mockingjay

4. Death of a Murderer

5. Harry Potter: The Prequel

6. This Brilliant Darkness

7. Water for Elephants

Total: 7 / 36

Coffee & Books GR Book Club BotM:

Room - read last year

College Book Club BotM:

Death of a Murderer

Water for Elephants

eBooks bought:

The Night Circus

Genus

eBooks won:

Maid for Me

Books bought:

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

A Whisper of Blood

Sword in the Storm

Uncanny X-Men: The Dark Phoenix

Outdo Yourself Challenge:

1. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

2. The Night Circus

3. Uglies

Total: 10 / 36

Coffee & Books GR Book Club BotM:

Uglies

The Lit Wits GR Book Club BotM:

The Night Circus

Books bought:

Uglies

Invisible Monsters

Handling The Undead

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Eragon

Civil War

eBooks won:

Charlinder's Walk

Gods in the Machine

The Fisherman's Son

Outdo Yourself Challenge:

1. Before I Go To Sleep

2. 1Q84 Book 1

3. Pretties

(4. A Game of Thrones - currently reading.)

Total: 13 / 36

Coffee & Books GR Book Club BotM:

1Q84 Book 1 and Book 2

The Lit Wits GR Book Club BotM:

1Q84 Book 1 and Book 2

Fiction Fantatics GR Book Club BoTM:

Shades of Grey - read last year

Fiction Fanatics GR Book Club "The Big Read":

A Game of Thrones

College Book Club BotM:

The Man Who Disappeared

Books bought:

1Q84 Book 1 and Book 2

Pretties

Specials

Extras

Books won:

The Girl who Played with Fire

eBooks won:

Danger Zone

Total Blueprint for World Domination

eBooks bought:

Dangerous Race