Month: May 2014

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Giveaway, Book Review, Fiction, G, RATING, Read in 2014, READING CHALLENGES 2014, Review Book

2014.21 REVIEW – The Blonde by Anna Godbersen {GIVEAWAY}

Tara

The Blonde
by Anna Godbersen

Copyright: 2014
Pages: 390
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 5 – May 11, 2014
Challenge: Eclectic Reader Challenge
Yearly count: 21
Format:  Print
Source: Publicist for review
Series: None


The BlondeBlurb: In 1947, a young, unknown Norma Jean meets a mysterious man in Los Angeles who transforms her into Marilyn the worldwide star. Twelve years later, he comes back for his repayment, and Marilyn is given her first assignment from the KGB: Uncover something about JFK that no one else knows.

But what begins as a simple job turns complicated when Marilyn falls in love with the bright young President, and learns of plans to assassinate Kennedy. Now the most famous woman on the planet will do anything to save her man, the leader of the free world. Part biography, part love story and part thriller, The Blonde is a vivid tableau of American celebrity, sex, love, violence, power, and paranoia.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from a publicist for review purposes, all opinions expressed below are my own.

Faithful readers, you know I’m obsessed with JFK. Add Marilyn Monroe and I’m even more intrigued. So you can imagine that I never even hesitated when I was pitched this book for review! I couldn’t wait to dig into this one and figure out how Ms. Godbersen was going to present Marilyn Monroe as a spy!

And I must tell you, the gloves are off in the way the characters were portrayed. It’s obviously well known that JFK was quite the ladies man, which is quite evident in this portrayal. But I will admit that I didn’t like who Marilyn became in this story. Without giving away too much of the storyline, Marilyn is promised something very important to her in return for whatever information she can get out of JFK. Seducing him is the obvious way to get what she needs. I have typed out a sentence four times trying to word it the way I need to for you to understand my dilemma with Marilyn in this book. Maybe I should just keep it to the fact that I wanted to like Marilyn but I just didn’t. I couldn’t like her.

Can I just state the obvious here? The whole idea of Marilyn Monroe as a spy?! Oh. My. Gosh. I simply cannot get over that concept! It might seem like a total stretch, but the way it plays out in this novel… well, it really works! There’s a lot of twists and turns that you don’t really expect. There are characters who might seem out of character from what you know of history. There are revelations that make you wonder… and that, in my opinion, is the heart and soul of this book. Could it be true? You really never know anyone else, do you? Like I said, it’s a concept that is a lot of fun to see how it unfolds in this book!

Overall though it’s definitely a good read in my opinion. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next while reading it. The writing was very well done. The characters were well-developed. The only thing to be aware of is the fact that there is a lot of sex in this book (but it is Marilyn Monroe and JFK after all…)

I would definitely recommend this book! Another great read in my opinion!

So now that you’ve patiently read through all my ramblings about this book, let’s get down to the nitty gritty here. I have a giveaway opportunity! Somehow I ended up with a hardcover, finished copy of this book (it arrived mysteriously a couple of weeks after I received the ARC). So I would like to extend the offer of a giveaway to my readers.

Fine print: If you want to win and you live in the United States (sorry, international friends :() just leave me a comment here with your email address to be entered. You have until 7pm central standard time on Sunday, May 18th to enter. At that point I will take the number of comments I have and use random.org to decide a winner. Your comment will decide your entry number. At that point I will make an announcement and contact the winner by email. You will have 24 hours to respond, or I will have to choose another winner. Good luck!!

Anna Godbersen_creditedAbout the author: Anna Godbersen was born in Berkeley, California and moved to New York to attend Barnard College. After graduating she worked in the literary department of Esquire magazine, where she also wrote book reviews. Her debut novel was the first installment of the bestselling LUXE series for young adults, which she followed with the BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS series. THE BLONDE, to be published by Weinstein in May 2014, is her first book for grownups. She lives in Brooklyn. 

AUTHOR WEBSITE

Bout of Books

Bout of Books … AGAIN!

Tara
Bout of Books

so I participated in this in January … and I’m ready to go again! (And once again, I’m “late” to the sign-up party, ha!)

Anyway what is Bout of Books?

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

And what are my goals? Well I’m going to keep them pretty low-key.

  • Read
  • Participate in at least one challenge

That’s it. I’m keeping it very low-key this time since I’m now working 4 days a week and don’t have as much time like I did in January when I only worked 1 or 2 days a week.

I am confident I can finish the book that I’m currently reading (Critical Damage by Robert K. Lewis) and I hope I can get a good start on my next book … maybe even finish it 🙂

Here’s where I’ll be keeping my progress:

Monday May 12 

  • Time read: 42 minutes
  • Pages read: 36
  • Challenges: 0

Tuesday May 13

  • Time read: 56 minutes
  • Pages read: 51
  • Challenges: 0

Wednesday May 14

  • Time read: 40 minutes
  • Pages read: 39
  • Challenges: 0

Thursday May 15

  • Time read: 83 minutes
  • Pages read: 90
  • Challenges: 0

Fininshed Critical Damage by Robert K. Lewis!

Friday May 16

  • Time read:
  • Pages read:
  • Challenges:

Saturday May 17

  • Time read:
  • Pages read:
  • Challenges:

Sunday May 18

  • Time read:
  • Pages read:
  • Challenges:
3.5/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Cotton Malone, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2014, READING CHALLENGES 2014, SERIES

2014.20 REVIEW – The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry

Tara

The Paris Vendetta
by Steve Berry

Copyright: 2009
Pages: 472
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: April 25 – May 4, 2014
Challenge: The Official TBR Challenge
Yearly count: 20
Format:  Print
Source: Personal Copy (Bookmooch)
Series: Cotton Malone #5

The Paris VendettaBlurb: Former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone wakes to find an intruder in his Copenhagen bookshop: an American Secret Service agent with assassins on his heels. Narrowly surviving a ferocious firefight, the two journey to the secluded estate of Malone’s friend Henrik Thorvaldsen. The wily Danish tycoon has uncovered the insidious plans of the Paris Club, a cabal of multimillionaires bent on manipulating the global economy. But Thorvaldsen also harbors a hidden agenda – a vendetta – that will force Malone to choose between friend and country, past and present. Starting in Denmark, moving to England, and ending up in the storied streets and cathedrals of Paris, Malone is forced to match wits with a terrorist for hire and to plunge into a desperate hunt for Napoleon’s legendary treasure, lost for two hundred years. It’s a breathless game of duplicity and death, all to claim a prize of untold value. But at what cost?

Review: This book is the fifth installment in the Cotton Malone series. I have slowly worked my way through these books the last few years. They always pique my interest, with all the history involved, but I find them to be somewhat slow reads (which is why I probably only read one a year).

In this particular installment, there was a lot of things going on. I found myself not as interested in the actual storyline as I was in the character development. There is a lot of growth, betrayal, and devastation within the characters of this book. Because of this I would not recommend reading this book without having read the previous books in the series. I don’t think you would appreciate some of the characters’ decisions without some background information.

As always with Mr. Berry’s work, the book appears to have been meticulously researched. The writing was extremely good, the storyline interesting. Overall a great book that I did indeed enjoy. It’s just that I have hit a slump in my reading and unfortunately, I think this was the book that started that slump. But I was determined to read it because I knew it would be worth it in the end, it was just a long journey to get there.

Overall, definitely a book and series I would highly recommend to those of you who love a good adventure with lots of history involved.

First chapter, Meme

First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros #20

Tara

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Diane over at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts this meme.

The Blonde

Today I’m featuring a book that I am currently reading for review. 

She was a beautiful child.

There was no one else left to remember, and yet her memory of the little girl she used to be wasn’t sentimental. A woman like that puts about ten thousand miles between herself and the little girl she used to be if she has any chance of getting up in the morning. “Detached,” her shrink had said on occasion, except that they never did so much of that kind of talk. (Mostly they both liked the sound of her voice, and of course he wasn’t shy about prescriptions.) She wasn’t beautiful the way the world wants children to be beautiful – pink cheeks, blonde curls. Her hair wasn’t blonde yet, and she had learned to control a blush before she learned to talk. She was beautiful the way grown women are beautiful, all slim limbs and knowing eyes, which is perhaps why men were inspired to treat her like a woman early.

I was so excited when I was contacted about this book for review and I am so intrigued by it now that I’m into it. I’m only about 50 pages into it, but I can’t hardly wait to really get into it and see what happens! I hope you’ll return in the next week or two to see my final thoughts on it!

Mailbox Monday, Meme

Mailbox Monday, May 5, 2014

Tara

Mailbox Monday has returned home to Mailbox Monday’s site this year.

Two books this week. One is a review book:

Eyes on YouAfter losing her on-air job two years ago, the television host Robin Trainer has fought her way back and is now hotter than ever. With her new show climbing in the ratings and her first book a bestseller, she’s being dubbed a media double threat.

But things begin to go wrong. Small incidents at first: a nasty note left in her purse; her photo shredded. But the obnoxious quickly becomes threatening when the foundation used by her makeup artist burns Robin’s face. It wasn’t an accident – someone deliberately doctored the product.

An adversary with a dark agenda wants to hurt Robin, and the clues point to someone she works with every day. While she frantically tries to put the pieces together and unmask this hidden foe, it becomes terrifyingly clear that the person responsible isn’t going to stop until Robin loses everything that matters to her … including her life.

And one book from a Paperbackswap box of books trade:

Black ListSomewhere … deep inside the United States government is a closely guarded list. Once your name is on the list, it doesn’t come off … until you’re dead.

Someone … has just added counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath’s name.

Somehow … Harvath must evade assassination long enough to untangle who has targeted him and why.

Somewhere, someone, somehow … can put all the pieces together. But Harvath must get to that person before the United States suffers the most withering terrorist attack ever conceived.

Recipes

RECIPE: Cheesy Turkey Nachos

Tara

Cheesy Turkey Nachos

  • 1 package corn tortillas, each cut in 6 wedges
  • 1/2 tablespoon oil
  • 4 ounces ground turkey
  • 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 ounce taco seasoning
  • 1/2 can black beans, drained
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 425. Spread tortilla wedges on two baking sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Flip over. Spray with Pam, bake 5 minutes, until crispy.
  2. Heat oil in skillet. Add turkey and bell pepper. Cook until browned. Stir in tomato sauce and 1/3 cup water. Add taco seasoning. Cook 4 minutes.
  3. Reduce oven to 350. Line bottom and sides of a 9×13″ pan with tortilla chips.
  4. Spoon turkey mixture, beans and salsa over chips. Top with green onions and cheese.
  5. Bake 15 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

Recipe Source: SimpleMeals Yahoo Group

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Personal Review: I love nachos in almost any shape and form. Love them. So I was excited when I first came across this recipe in a Yahoo recipe group I belong to. Not going to lie, I was a little nervous about the ground turkey. However, I definitely recommend sticking with that (ground beef could easily be used in its place though).

Another thing … I totally cheated and used packaged tortilla chips. Why? Well, let’s just say that it involved a lot of smoke in my house (should have taken a picture of the burned beyond recognition tortilla chips I “made” … would have been a “nailed it” picture!)

Either way, this recipe was really good. So, so easy! And the best thing … it was toddler approved in my house!