Book Chick City: December 2011

2011 Remembered

Saturday, December 31, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

2011 Remembered

Many worldwide events happened in 2011 which had a profound effect on me, whether the event touched my heart, made me happy or had me in awe. I thought I would list these events in photographic form as I think the photographs say it all. I wanted to remember the people who were involved in these events; those who suffered, those who lost loved ones or homes, and those who are now gone.

My list is in order of date they occurred and are events that made an impact on me - your list may be very different, so feel free to leave a comment and let us know which events/people you would like to remember.

JAPAN EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI ~ 11th March
(Wikipedia)

WEDDING OF WILLIAM & KATE ~ 29th April

(Wikipedia)

FINAL SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH ~ 8th July

(Wikipedia)

NORWAY ATTACKS ~ 22 July

(Wikipedia)

9/11 - 10TH ANNIVERSARY ~ 11th September
(Wikipedia)

TRIAL OF CONRAD MURRAY ~ 27th September
(Wikipedia)

DEATH OF STEVE JOBS ~ 5th October
(Wikipedia)

Here's hoping 2012 brings many sweet memories, peaceful times, love and happiness.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year.

Labels: 2011 Remembered |

4 comments |

Carolyn's Top 10 'Must Have' Books 2012

Saturday, December 31, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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CAROLYN'S TOP 10 'MUST HAVE' BOOKS 2012

I have read some amazing books this year, many coming from a series, and it looks as though 2012 will be even better! I can't wait to get my hands on my top 10 'must have' books!

UNTITLED by Liani Taylor (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2)

(Sept 2012 - Hodder & Stroughton/Little Brown)
(GR)

No cover or synopsis available

DISCOUNT ARMAGEDDON by Seanan Mcguire (Incripted #1)

(March 2012 - DAW)
(UK | US | BD | GR)

Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night...

The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity-and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right?

It would be, if it weren't for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family's old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed. To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone's spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city...

THE TAKEN by Vicki Pettersson (Celestial Blues #1)

(June 2012 - Harper Voyager)
(UK | US | BD | GR)

He’s a fallen angel. She’s a rockabilly reporter. Together they must solve a deadly string of murders plaguing the mortal and the immortal worlds.

Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was over fifty years ago when gumshoes hoofed the streets... and he was still alive. Now he’s a Centurion, an angel who assists other murdered souls through their journey to the afterlife. But while Shaw might be an angel... he’s no saint. Haunted by the mysterious events surrounding his own death, he seizes a chance to wreak some vengeance when he witnesses a deadly attack on journalist Katherine “Kit” Craig.

Joining forces, the unlikely avengers take to the streets, hunting a killer whose trail of bodies stretches across Las Vegas and into an immortal netherworld. It is a dangerous trek that lead them into the darkest corners of Sin City and into the heart of an evil conspiracy extending beyond the lights of the Strip that could destory them both.

But destruction isn’t the only threat Griffin faces. The closer he gets to Kit, the more he finds himself bewitched by her mortal charms. Can he resist falling under her spell? And does he want to?

MESSENGER'S ANGEL by Heather Killough-Walden (The Lost Angels #2)

(June 2012 - Headline/Signet)
(UK | US | BD | GR)

As the former Messenger Archangel, Gabriel has had lifetimes to search for the one woman intended for him. So he's surprised to discover Juliette Anderson in the dark corner of his favorite pub in Scotland, the land he's called home for two thousand years- and the last place he expected to find her. The connection between them is strong, hot and instantaneous.

Juliette is in the town to gather research for her doctoral thesis. She doesn't need a tall, gorgeous man with silver eyes to distract her. Especially after he kisses her and calls her his archess. She figures he's crazy. Until she find herself pursued by dangerous men, led by a fallen archangel with vampiric tendencies.

Now Juliette must turn to Gabriel for help - and unravel the truth behind her existence.

BLUE-BLOODED VAMP by Jaye Wells (Sabina Kane #5)

(June 2012 - Orbit)
(UK | US | BD | GR)

No synopsis available.

SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT by Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson #2)

(Jan 2012 - Piatkus)
(UK | US | BD | GR)

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.

Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?

LETHAL RIDER by Larissa Ione (Lords of Deliverance #3)

(June 2012 - Piatkus/Grand Central Publishing)
(UK | US | BD | GR)

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, Regan Cooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he's about to become a father.

Demon-slayer Regan Cooper never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted-a family.

3

SADIE WALKER IS STRANDED by Madeleine Roux
(Jan 2012 - Headline/St Martin's Griffin)
(UK | US | BD | GR)

Sadie Walker fights for survival as the dead close in...In the months since The Outbreak, Seattle has become a walled citadel - the Infected are kept at bay but the city is rife with kidnappings, religious cults and black-market dealings. And things are about to get much, much worse. A group of frustrated religious fanatics, the 'Repopulationists', destroy part of the wall and zombies swarm the city.

Devastated by the brutal kidnapping of her nephew, illustrator Sadie Walker flees Seattle with her best friend Andrea and secures passage on a boat with no destination. The ragtag bunch aboard the ship are thrown ashore by a storm and stumble across what appears to be a thriving survivors camp. The shipwrecked group, relived to find food, shelter and friendship, relax into the rhythm of the community's existence. But then people start to disappear...

2

SIEGE by Rhiannon Frater (As the World Dies #3)
(April 2012 - Tor Books)
(UK | US | BD | GR)

The zombie illness has shattered civilization. The survivors who have found tenuous safety in Texas defend their fort against the walking dead and living bandits.

Katie has made peace with the death of her wife and is pregnant and married to Travis, who has been elected Mayor. Jenni, her stepson, Jason; and Juan—Travis’s righthand man—are a happy family, though Jenni suffers from PTSD. Both women are deadly zombie killers.

In Siege, the people of Ashley Oaks are stunned to discover that the vice president of the United States is alive and commanding the remnants of the US military. What’s left of the US government has plans for this group of determined survivors.

1

SACRIFICIAL MAGIC by Stacia Kane (Chess Putnam #4)

(March 2012 - DelRey/HarperVoyager)
(UK | US | BD | GR)

Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks.

As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.

So what are your most anticipated reads for 2012?

5 comments |

Over 60 Fantastic UK & US Amazon Paperback Deals! (30th Dec ~ 12th Jan)

Friday, December 30, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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AMAZON PAPERBACK DEALS

There's nothing better than a great deal, so we have decided that as well as our Amazing Kindle Deals posts, we will also be looking out for great deals on regular physical books too - we'll do all the searching for you, so you don't have to, and bring you the best paperback deals we can find in one handy post. We will also rollover any continuing deals into the following week as well as bringing you new deals, so you don't miss a thing! We hope you enjoy!

*Deals were available at the time I wrote this post*

UK DEALS

Horror, Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance

Mystery & Thriller

Contemporary/Historical Romance

US DEALS

Horror, Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance

Mystery & Thriller

Contemporary Romance

HOPE YOU FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE!
HAPPY READING!

Labels: Amazon Paperback Deals |

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Laura's Top 10 'Must Have' Books 2012

Thursday, December 29, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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LAURA'S TOP 10 'MUST HAVE' BOOKS 2012

UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi (Under The Never Sky #1)

February 2012

(UK | US | BD | GR)*

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers abarbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

The first book in a captivating trilogy, Veronica Rossi’s enthralling debut sweeps you into an unforgettable adventure.

DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN by J. A. London

May 2012

(UK | US | BD | GR)

This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

Darkness Before Dawn is a fresh new story with captivating characters, unexpected plot twists, a fascinating setting, and a compelling voice. Written under the name J. A. London by a talented mother-son team, the trilogy is perfect for fans of True Blood and the House of Night and Morganville Vampires series.

FAIR GAME by Patricia Briggs (Alpha & Omega #3)

March 2012

(UK | US | BD | GR)

When the FBI request a pack consultant on a serial killer case they're following in Boston, Anna and Charles are sent in. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves – all of them were.

Someone is targeting their kind. And if Charles and Anna can't get to the bottom of this mystery, they may be next...

THIRTEEN by Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld #13)

July 2012

(UK | US | BD | GR)

Summary not yet available.

SHADOW BOUND by Rachel by Rachel Vincent (Unbound #2)

June 2012

(UK | US | BD | GR)

If you live in the dark long enough, you begin to forget the light…

KORI DANIELS is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she’s ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, Kenley, even if that means taking it from someone else…

The job? Recruit Ian Holt—or kill him.

Ian’s ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he’s on a mission of his own. Ian has come to kill Tower’s top Binder: Kori’s little sister.

Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they’ll have to choose between love and liberty…

LUCKY PENNY by Catherine Anderson

January 2012

(UK | US | BD | GR)

To support her orphaned niece, impoverished Brianna O'Keefe accepts work with a Colorado rancher. To guard herself from unwanted attention, she resorts to a harmless little lie: that she's married to a Denver gold miner named David Paxton. But when her "husband" shows up, Brianna is stunned-not the least by her desire...

SACRIFICIAL MAGIC by Stacia Kane (Downside Ghosts #4)

March 2012

(UK | US | BD | GR)

When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess.

Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks.

As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.

ONCE BURNED by Jeaniene Frost (Night Prince #1)

June 2012

(UK | US | BD | GR)

Cover not yet released

She’s a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person’s darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude... until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world’s most infamous vampire...

He’s the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all — but whatever you do, don’t call him Dracula. Vlad’s ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him – a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

THE DAYLIGHT WAR by Peter V. Brett (Demon Cycle #3)

September 2012

(UK | BD | GR)

Cover not yet released

Summary not yet available.

ICED by Karen Marie Moning (Fever World #1)

October 2012

(GR)

Cover not yet released

"I'm currently working on a trilogy that features Dani, Christian MacKeltar, Ryodan, and the mysterious 'Dancer,' set primarily in Fever-Dublin. Each installment in the trilogy is a stand-alone mystery, however there are larger plot arcs unfolding in the background...

..For those of you who have been worrying—the trilogy is not YA. If I had to categorize it, I would say it straddles the line between YA and adult uneasily. ...Many of the questions I left unanswered in the FEVER series are addressed in this new series.

Exciting news: I’ve agreed to write two more books after that. Once the new trilogy is complete, I’m returning to the core story begun in the FEVER series, and will resume writing about Mac, Barrons, V’lane, Cruce, the Unseelie king, the concubine, the Song of Making.

All in all, there are five more books coming about the Fever World!" ~ Karen Marie Moning.

* Key to Links: UK & US = Amazon, BD = Book Depository, GR = Goodreads

What books are you eagerly awaiting for in 2012?

Labels: BCC's Top Ten's, BCC's Top Ten's 2011 |

7 comments |

BCC's Top 10 Best & Worst Book Covers 2011

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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We have put together our Top 10 lists of best and worst covers for 2011. It was a tough one as there's been a huge number or gorgeous covers, but also terrible ones! We decided to choose five each and then come up with our top 10 as a joint venture.

If you're wondering where the links direct you, here's the key: UK & US = Amazon, BD = Book Depository, GR = Goodreads.

BCC's TOP 10 BEST COVERS 2011

CAROLYN ~ 'Wander Dust' reminds me of a balmy day in summertime, and I love the use of the lighting and bubbles. The two other covers which I love were also angel themed. Both very different but also gorgeous.'Everneath' is just beautiful, I love the flowing fabric of her dress and how it mingles with smoke, or is it clouds? Either way it's just a stunning cover. I'm not sure what it is about my number one cover, but I love this dark looking cover. It's gritty, and the male angel has a coolness to him as well as a sexiness. I love the quiff and the grainy image. I just love it.

LAURA ~ Nothing makes me buy a book more than a gorgeous cover! I've got a real thing for the use of red and so love the 'Everneath', 'Shattered Souls' and 'Dearly Departed' covers. I also much prefer the use of illustration to photographs as it gives your imagination space to fill in the gaps. I think the 'Entwined' illustration is just beautiful. Then there's the gorgeous use of angel wings on 'Avenger's Angel', 'Angel's Flight' and 'Hades'. Well, quite frankly I think all these covers are stunning and would want them all on my bookshelf. I haven't read all of them, so I would hope the stories are just as good!

SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi
(Chosen by Laura)

WANDER DUST by Michelle Warren
(Chosen by Carolyn)

HADES by Alexandra Adornetto
(Chosen by Laura)

7

DEARLY DEPARTED by Lia Habel
(Chosen by Laura)

6

ENTWINED by Heather Dixon
(Chosen by Laura)

5

ANGEL'S FLIGHT by Nalini Singh
(Chosen by Carolyn)

4

SHATTERED SOULS by Mary Lindsey
(Chosen by Laura)

3

AVENGER'S ANGEL by Heather Killough-Walden
(Chosen by Carolyn)

2

EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton
(Chosen by both Carolyn & Laura)

1

DARK KISS by Michelle Rowen
(Chosen by Carolyn)

BCC's TOP 10 WORST COVERS 2011

CAROLYN ~ There have been some awful covers this year, and sadly for some of my favourite authors (Nalini Singh comes to mind), I mean 'Archangel's Blade' was just terrible and the cover for 'Tangle of Need' went from bad to worse with a quick model change. 'Alien Diplomacy' made our top 10 because I just hate her stance - what an awful, awkward looking pose, could that leg be any higher, and the women's expression is just so ugly. I chose the cover for 'Delirium' as I really dislike the close up of the child's face and as for 'The Radleys', well this book is all about a family of vampires...would you get that by this very boring scene of an ordinary house?

LAURA ~ I felt like such a meanie choosing some of the worst covers, but honestly is there any excuse for some of these? I think we've got a real mix. As you know from my 'The Problem With Romance Covers' article, I do dislike a lot of romance covers, but really what is going on with 'Navarro's Promise'? Do you think he's practising Madonna's 'Vogue' dance routine? Then we've got 'Blood Royal', from the book summary it's about vampires, but the creative is just well... odd! We've also got 'Tangled Tides' eek glitter Barbie fest! ;-)

WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE by Julie Anne Long

(Chosen by Laura)