Minggu, 30 Mei 2010

BEA Day 1

May 24

I got to New York May 24 and I went to the Teen Author Carnival thing on the Jefferson Library. Sad to say that my airplane was delayed and I got to New York an hour later than I was suppose to, so when I got to the TAC they were kicking people off. I stayed there for about half hour. I met Michelle Zink in person! Along with other authors. I hear Sandy The Penguin was there, but I didn't really talked to anybody there so I didn't see her... yet.

That same day around eleven I started receiving txt messages from Lexie from Poisoned Rationality about meeting up at BEA. You have no idea how happy I was I wasn't going to spend my BEA days alone! But then I had the idea to txt Sandy The Pirate Penguin, and Eleni from La Femme Readers. We talked and we decided to all meet up on Wednesday. But I met Eleni on Tuesday because we both went to BEA that day.

May 25

This are the stairs at the Javits Center. Nice uh?

BEA that day was all about preparation, booths were being put on place, everyone was running about doing their job, pretty uneventful. The good thing is that I got to meet Eleni...

(Eleni on Left, me on Right)

...and some other bloggers like
Jennifer from Reading With Tequila...

(Jennifer)

...and Emily from Red House Books.

(Eleni on Left, Emily on Right)

Also we got to make routes and get to know the area (oh, and we learned the routes to the closest bathrooms! Lifesaver really)

Anyways, we stayed there for a lil while just talking and hanging out, but at like 12 we were bored and decided to go to The Strand, a place I had never visited before but heard it was worth visiting. We took a taxi there (my first taxi ever!!! Eleni and Emily were kind of making fun of me, damn them!!!)

Jennifer couldn't go with us to Strand unfortunately, because she had to go home (she lives a little far away), so I went with Eleni and Emily.

And let me tell you...

It...Was...AWESOME!

If you have never gone to Strand the bookstore, OMG believe me you have to go! Miles and Miles of books in every direction. Books old and new all lingering together waiting for the right person to take them home. It's swoon worthy.

After I cleaned the drool off the floor, I wondered around the YA section, and Eleni showed me the ARC section. I don't know how they do it (sell ARC's, maybe they buy them from the publishers?) but I bought one ARC. Starlighter, Dragons of Starlight. It looked pretty good, and it was only 2 dollars O.o 2 fricking dollars! Somewhere deep inside I think I bought it because it has 2 dollars...

After Strand, we went and took the subway to our homes (or in my cause my Inn), and Eleni showed me which one to take and all that. Let me tell you, she is a sweet heart! She didn't want me to get lost, and she even told me to call her when I got home/Inn to know I wasn't eaten by zombies. Of course I forgot to call her till like 11 pm, but I did at the end!

What I am saying here? What is all this story telling Taschima? Well, what I am saying is that, the best part of my day was meeting bloggers. Meeting Eleni, Emily, and Jennifer. They are all awesome, and the best part is I can babble about books or anything and they got it. It was an experience way worth whatever I paid to get to NY.

And this was Day 1 at BEA/NY. After I left the girls I went out with my mom and my friend Chaz (a friend which I will be talking about a lil bit later on). With them I went to Books of Wonder (a bookstore)...



...and met the Class of 2k10. Which were...

(There are a lot of authors here, and for the life of my I can't remember name by order xD)

SWATI AVASHTI - Split
ALEXANDRA DIAZ - Of All the Stupid Things
JERI SMITH-READY - Shade
JENNIFER R. HUBBARD - The Secret Year
KITTY KESWICK - Freaksville
JUDITH GRAVES - Under My Skin
JANET FOX - Faithful
BONNIE J DOERR - Island Sting
JAME RICHARDS - Three Rivers Rising
SHARI MAURER - Change of Heart
LEAH CYPESS - Mistwood
IRENE LATHAM - Leaving Gee's Bend
RHONDA HAYTER - The Witchie Worries of Abbie Adams
SHANNON DELANY - 13 to Life
ERICA PERL - Vintage Veronica

(some of them weren't at the event, I think)

It was pretty cool to hear all the authors speak and stuff. But I left there quite early because I wanted to go out and experience NY!

Oh and...

I love New York.


Kamis, 27 Mei 2010

The One Question Interview! The Education of Bet

Hello guys, I know I haven't been much around. It's not BEA's fault, my hotel doesn't have wi fi (something I so didn't anticipate because they said they DID, only you have to fricking pay your first kid's college found for it and guess what? Not gonna happen!)

Anyways, I had something planned for today! I was invited to be part of this awesome one question interview tour and I said game on!

My interview is with...


Lauren Saratz Logted, author of The Education of Bet.

Summary:

When Will and Bet were four, tragic circumstances brought them to the same house, to be raised by a wealthy gentleman as brother and sister. Now sixteen, they’ve both enjoyed a privileged upbringing thus far. But not all is well in their household. Because she’s a girl, Bet’s world is contained within the walls of their grand home, her education limited to the rudiments of reading, writing, arithmetic, and sewing. Will’s world is much larger. He is allowed—forced, in his case—to go to school. Neither is happy.
So Bet comes up with a plan and persuades Will to give it a try: They’ll switch places. She’ll go to school as Will. Will can live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined.

Now, my questions was...
  • I am a fan of the visuals. And for that my question is, if you were to cast your characters with current actors and/or actresses which would you cast and why?
Assuming we're talking about The Education of Bet, that's not the easiest question in the world. If we were talking about the adult novel, Vertigo, now that I could cast no problem: the Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd as Chance Wood and me as Emma Smith - la! And of course for The Sisters 8 series for young readers, my 10-year-old daughter and cocreator of the series, Jackie, would just love to play the parts of all the octuplets; really, if it's animated or Pixar, she'll be happy to do all the voices. But with a YA novel like The Education of Bet? Casting becomes a lot harder.
Naturally while I've been typing this out I've come up with some ideas. I think I'll cast Emma Watson in the title role. After years of playing Harmione in the Harry Potter movies, I'd think she'd welcome the chance to play a Victorian girl who cross-dresses to get what she wants. And since by casting Emma Watson we've clearly shown that money is no object, for the part of Will, the boy Bet is raised with, I think let's take Robert Pattinson. In the book, it's Will that Bet impersonates in order to get an education, and I think Emma and Robert look enough alike for this to be credible. Finally, for the role of James Tyler, Bet's roommate once she gets to school, like Daniel Radcliffe was a fresh face when HP started, so would I Iike to cast James with someone relatively new to audiences. I've therefore taken it upon myself to go through the New Faces Models & Actors website, coming up with this guy, Adam Barnes: http://www.newfaces.com/adambarnes. What do you think? "Oh, Mr. Spielberg! We're ready to start shooting here!"

So what do you think? Good character? Bad characters? I think they are pretty cool =] And the idea of putting Harmoine in the combo doesn't sound bad (she is a very pretty girl).

Other stops in the interview are/were...

May 27: Chelsea: In The Education of Bet, Victorian England is your setting. What made you want to set your book in that time period? http://thepageflipper.blogspot.com/
June 1: Hope http://www.princess2293.blogspot.com/

And there you have it! I have to go cause this i not my house lol So I gotta go back to the hotel from hell, but please if you find this book of any interest to you, well, give it a try!

I will be posting about BEA and such Saturday or Sunday. I will be posting winners to my contest either Monday or Tuesday.

Happy reading,

Selasa, 25 Mei 2010

BEA is Here, Time for Updates!

Throught the day I will be giving little updates of what I see and stuff at BEA.
  • I got here at 7:00 a.m. Early? Kinda. There is not a lot of people here. The exhibit hall opens up tomorrow, but there are a couple of conferences I got my eyes on. For example, The Author Stage and BEA Editors Buzz.
  • I brought a book with me... I know...
  • My badge is pweetty! Though it has my real name on it O.o (It says PRESS!! IM PRESS!!!)
  • Im meeting Eleni from La Femme Readers! We txted last night and this morning, and she is on her way here!
  • Im also meeting Sandy, The Pirate Penguin, and Lexie from Poisoned Rationality. Though I think I don't meet them till tomorrow...
  • More people are getting here. Better go and see what I can do about buying tickets for author's signings.

More updates later. Love you guys!

-Taschima

Minggu, 23 Mei 2010

BEA Time Wreck


So, I have a lil problem. Can you guys help me?

This authors are going to be there:

Bree Despain
Anna Godbersen
Kate Lauren

And guess what? Here is their schedule...

Wednesday, May 26, @4:00-5:00 pm

Oh and look at this...

Rick Riordan
Richelle Mead
Melissa Marr

All at...

Wednesday, May 26, @3:00-4:00 pm

I LOVE Richelle Mead, and I LOVE Rick Riordan...

So, please, HELP ME!

Kamis, 20 Mei 2010

Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa


Title: The Iron King
Series: Iron Fey
Book #: 1
Author: Julie Kagawa
Pages: 368
Publisher: Harlequin
Reading Level:
Young Adult
Rating: .7


"I Shivered as my stomach twisted into a tight little ball. This still felt like something out of a nightmare. But Ethan was gone, and faeries were real. I had to accept that now." -Meghan



Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Taschima's POV:

Why is it that every time I pick up a faerie book there is always some kind of reference to A Midsummer's Night Dream?

Ash is... Wait a minute, the book is about Meghan is it not? Let's start there then. Meghan is at the beginning a sort of normal teenager. Though not popular by any means, she manages to capture your attention since the first few pages because Meghan is her own person. She doesn't pretend or wants to be anyone else, a quality I most like. In the day of her 16 birthday Meghan starts seeing weird stuff like shadows in the corner of her eye, or deadly strangers in black horses who seem to be there a minute but not the next... That is the day her brother is kidnapped by the Fey; that is the day she discovers a whole new world; that is the day her life begins. Meghan swears she will find her brother, and with the help of a few frenemies she ventures into the dangerous yet enchanting world of The Fey.

This book was surprising to say the least. All consuming to say the most. With every page that you turn danger encounters the characters. The battles in this book will leave you breathless, and the fierce cold romance will make you want more. I read this book with no expectations, I am not a fan of fairies by any means, but by the end I was left with my mouth open and I swear that this book has set the bar VERY high for The Iron Daughter; scratch that, for ANY fairy book I read from now on.

Meghan is a normal teenage girl who kind of knows who she is but that is unaware of her darker side. Or at least that is how she starts... As you continue reading the book you will be glad to know that character development shows it's ugly head, and Meghan the timid little farm girl blossoms into something much more beautiful and fierce. Mind you, Meghan still has a heck of a lot to learn. I really liked how the author didn't just made the character learn a lot of stuff from one day to the other. Like, Meghan didn't become powerful over night, it certainly took it's time. I find this realistic and highly likable (though at times I wanted to either kick Meghan or help her because Hey she don't know how to fight).

The Fey are pretty much not a new story. As I said before I believe that in every book about fairies you are going to encounter the same main kings and Queens, the only thing that really varies is their personality. I didn't like any of The Fey Royalty. Wait, that is a lie, I did like one of them...

Ash... I whisper his name and it makes me swoon. I picture him in my head and I can't imagine why did I ever loved Edward Cullen. Ash is like, wow. He is seriuosly the ultimate bad boy. He could tell you he is destined to kill you and kiss you in the same whisper. And you know what? YOU WOULDN'T MIND! That is the scary part. I kept repeting to myself, hey he is a bad guy, he is going to kill Meghan, but, he's just so... tantalizing. This right here is one of my favorite quotes of the book...

"War?" Something cold touched my cheek, and I glanced up to see snowflakes swirling in a lighting-riddled sky. It was eerily beautiful, and I shivered. "What will happen then?"

Ash stepped closer. His fingers came up to brush the hair from my face, sending an electric shock through me from my spine to my toes. His cool breath ticked my ear as he leaned in.

"I'll kill you," he whispered, and walked away...

... freaky, yet swoon worthy.

I believe that Robbie doesn't stand a chance against Ash -FYI Robbie is Meghan's best friend and the second guy on the LT (love triangle)- but well see how things play out. I will only warn you, the best friend always has a very little window of opportunity before the BB (Bad Boy) steals the girl, and I am afraid Robbie's window has long expired.

What else, what else... The truth is I could discussed this book and every single detail about it, but, I can't because it would take the surprise away of you reading it and finding the asnwers on your own. Just know this. Ethan is kidnapped, Meghan is trying to save him, she encounters frenemies on the path and bargains with them so she can have some kind of defense in the quest to finding Ethan, oh and of course, Ash is hot, even though he is from the Winter Court.

PS For those who HAVE read the book; The cat? Alice in Wonderland much?

Other stories I thought of when reading this book: has some Blue Bloods elements (looove triangle), Alice in Wonderland (THE CAT! And the wacky-what-the-hell path!), The Mortal Instruments (Action, action, action), and A Midsummer's Night Dream (duh).

Should you read it? HECK YEAH! This is one of my favorite reads this year! I never believed faeries could be so much fun!

Cover Comments: Wow... Though she is too pretty, I imagine Meghan to be tough around the edges, then again this could be Meghan without the glamour... Meghan is true faerie form I believe. I just love everything about it.


Rabu, 19 Mei 2010

US VS UK, Round Fourteen...

There are always two version's to a cover, but in this post we are putting the
US and the UK head to head to see who comes with the best cover.
Our contestants are...

Round 1
Misguided Angel by Melissa De La Cruz

US-UK

What happened to the UK cover!? I gotta say, I don't like it. It's just, it holds no competition again't the US one. I mean, LOOK AT THE US ONE! So gorgeous! The girl in the UK one is pretty, but I like how we can't really see much of the face of the US girl. Not to mention that the US cover holds more allure.

Round 2
Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink


The same, yet not the same. Same girl, same pose, but different editing. Personally, I like the US one better because it seems more clean in a sense. Usually I am all for having a pretty border, but, on this cover it just doesn't do it for me. And on the UK cover it just looks like it needs a boost of color. I also like how in the US one they kind of cut the girl's face.

This week it was a LAND SLIDE!!!!!!!! US won them all, now, am I right? Or am I terribly wrong?

Selasa, 18 Mei 2010

Contest Finito!!!


Well, rather WE did it! The end of the contest is here. I will spend the next few days going to countless entries, so give me a lil time before I announce a winner, k? Thank you, you are so awesome.

... About 412 entries, and endless extra entries, I have some huge homework to do...

Also I received an award from The Bookoholic Zone, thank you Robsad79.


So cool! Ok ok the rules...

"If you are given this award you must first accept it by leaving a comment on the post you were nominated on. Then copy and paste the post and add it to your own blog. Make a list of the last 5 books you read and pass the award on to 5 other bloggers (no backsies!). Please also identify the blog from which you got the award and don't forget to tell them they have a blog award!"

Last 5 books Ive read uh?










(Click on the titles and read my reviews)

Teens Read and Write

Reason to choose them? I love these girls! (*cough* and guys...)

Happy Reading,

Senin, 17 Mei 2010

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris


Title: Dead in the Family
Series:
Sookie Stackhouse
Book #: 10 (woah)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Pages: 320
Publisher: Ace Hardcover
Reading Level:
Adult
Rating:

"Probably that should have made me long for peace above all else. but instead of turning into the Bon Temps Gandhy, in my heart I held the knowledge that there was plenty of people I wanted dead."
-Sookie

After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she's angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he's under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship.

And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry...

**SPOILER ALERT** If you haven't read the last few books, you will learn a lot you might not want to learn from this review.

Taschima:

So we start a couple of weeks after the Faery War and Sook is all messed up, both physically and mentally. The only good thing going for her right now is that she doesn't have to go through this alone, she has oh gorgeous Eric on her demand and call. But life goes on, no matter how hard it seems at times. Amelia, Sookie's witch friend and roommate, is moving back to her old place, but Sookie isn't left alone for long. New and old people are coming around Sookie's world, for better or worse.

So this book didn't have a very good, solid, plot. It was like, a lot of subplots together. Some of them are:
  • Sookie and Eric's relationship.
At times I thought Sookie wasn't going to decide if to be happy with Eric or to sabotage the relationship. A very cold and hurt (physically) Bill is roaming around, and if you have read the last book you can understand how that would worry me- remember the last feeling Sookie felt towards Bill? I don't want Sookie with Bill, I want her with Eric. So this kept me glued to the pages of course. Though I still think Charlaine should have taken more juice out of this sub plot...
  • The fairies that were left behind on the human world.
This little plot didn't either worry or entertain me a whole lot. Maybe because the issue wasn't so obvious as Eric's maker coming to town (yeah, seriously). And I never considered whatever faerie was left as such a big threat. All in all, I sort of ignored this part of the book till the very end.
  • The werewolve's serious problems.
Is this any news? These guys are always fighting! Sometimes they are worse than the vamps!! I still don't get why Sookie gets involved with them. It's like Alcide comes around so many months at a time just to bring trouble. Alcide, if you are reading this, just go away once and for all.
  • Eric's maker comes to town.
Well this was a more obvious and entertaining part of the book. It makes you wonder and worry about how Sookie will takes this, some of you may remember how she took her ex vamp boyfriend's maker... Yeah... Lol.

Yeah, that's basically the book. And, though entertaining, I was expecting more. I was certainly expecting more of Hunter (Sookie's little cousin) but we didn't see much of him. This book doesn't seem complete.

Oh, and we get to see more of Sookie's multiple personalities! In one page she wants to kill every single last vampire on Earth, and the next she is like, 'what the hell am I thinking about! ?Bad Christian, bad!'. Yeeeaaah... But actually this is what makes Sookie, Sookie. She had her bad and good all in one place, and she knows both parts of her exist. She tries to balance it out and be the best person she can possibly be, while trying to mayyybe stay alive. It may seem weird, but it works for her, and for me.

This book has it's ups, and it definitely had it's downs, but it was a good sequel to the Sookie Stackhouse series. Not great, but good enough. I hope next book is better, I really do. As of now I don't know what the next book will be about. Kind of exciting.
**EDIT** I forgot to mention the ending. It was my faovirte part of the book. Not because it ended, but because it had a lot of action and it went pretty fast. By the time you actually were up to speed with what was going on, ZAP! Something else happened! Pretty good ending.

Read the books in order, this is book number 10, so imagine all that you would be missing if you start on this book, or any other book that isn't the first one!!

Happy reading,

If you wish to read the first chapter, click here.

Episode (3) Books and...


Your Brain O.o

The brain is one of the most interesting things ever for sooo many reasons. The main reason for me is because that mushy thing you have up there can create so much, and everything is in an abstract form. Sure science could explain the why's, but it can only try to explain the how's. How do you see? Well light does this and that and that goes through there and blah blah blah... You can talk about the progress all you want, still mere sight is amazing. It's so abstract how you can see colors, but you can't touch sight for crying out loud (well, you can certainly touch your eyes, but you get what I mean; your eyes are only the vessel.) It's like air, or thinking; that little voice inside your head that is there since the day you were born, but, uuugh it's so hard to understand how it can BE there.


But how does this pertain to books you ask? Well, lately Ive been thinking of how when you read something, if the author is very good, you get transported to the scene and you can basically 'see' what is happening, but you are till able to read the lines! It's so cool, and maybe it's only me that thinks this sort of wacky stuff, but for me it's so interesting. You are here, reading my post and you are probably imagining some wacko girl with round glasses, with crazy hair, who from time to time likes to laugh hysterically like a mad genius (and if you weren't, well, you are now!) and that is a picture I just put in your head!!! I didn't really do anything but write what the crazy voice inside my head is telling me to write, and still I hold the power of creating images in your brain. Makes you feel kind of powerful.

Sometimes, when I am reading a book, I start thinking about this, and let me tell you that once you realize what you are doing, how you are creating this image from words, its kind of hard to get back on the horse because you then can't stop seeing the letters.

Do any of you think about this sort of stuff? Read something and then think of what I am saying. Preferably not right after reading this post, but very soon, and let me know how it goes.

PS; I am a very weird girl.

Minggu, 16 Mei 2010

Swooning Saturday #3 (On Sunday)

**Swooning Saturdays Meme; inspired by Waiting on Wednesday which is hosted by Breaking The Spine. Swooning Saturdays however is not only for the upcoming books you wish to read, but for old and new books you wish to read that have beautiful covers. Swooning Saturdays is hosted by Bloody Bookaholic**

Welcome back to another Swooning Saturday!

Swooning definition:
To be overwhelmed by ecstatic joy.

Yeah, Saturday was yesterday right? Well, one day late won't kill anyone xD


Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publish Date: May 25, 2010

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Another guy in YA. Though in this book they are trying to KILL the vampires, I will still give it a try. I mean, I liked Buffy, and we know how that goes. So what do you think? In, out? Will you give Nick a try? I believe the book has potential, if they use the elements well enough =]

And I love that cover, I like how the guy is in the middle, in the spotlight.

Sabtu, 15 Mei 2010

AHH! What to do?!?! BEA PANIC!

BEA is in 10 DAYS! You hear me? 10 DAYS!?

I don't know whats to do. Every post Ive read till now it's like, "oh I know what I'm gonna do in/for BEA!", but I am a BEA virgin. I am so completely lost. I will go to NY, and be like, okay, what now?

I was thinking of going to TAC -Teen Author Carnival- which is on May 24th from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Jefferson Market Branch Library. They have a website if you wanna check it out. Sounds like fun, and I hope I don't miss it.

And, how do you meet new bloggers?! How do you know they are bloggers? I mean, do I have to take a sign with me that says "Hey, I don't know if you know me, but, I am Taschima Cullen from Bloody Bookaholic! I just thought to let you know." Kind of weird, and just MIGHT scare the kids away...

Well, something good that has happened that is related to BEA. I got my business cards yesterday and they are to die for. Just so pweetty!! So if I do get to meet you at BEA (whoever you are) you will get one =]

So, yeah, I am lost. When I get to The Javitz Center, well, it's not going to be pwetty. I will try my best to not get completely lost in the sea of people, but guys, if I never post again, you know were I'm still at O.o.

So, are any of you going to BEA? Want to exchange phone numbers? I know it's useless to call someone at BEA, but what about texting?

Well, BEA here I come... I will keep you guys posted every single day! May do my first Vlog that week =]

Kamis, 13 Mei 2010

Lover Mine by J. R. Ward


Title: Lover Mine
Series: The Black Dagger Brotherhood
Book #: 9 (I count the Guide)
Author: J. R. Ward
Pages: 528
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
Reading Level: Adult
Rating:

The hot new novel in the Black Dagger Brotherhood by the #1 New York Times bestselling author

John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown. Taken in by The Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was-or his true identity.

Xhex has long steeled herself against the attraction to John Matthew. Until fate intervenes and she discovers that love, like destiny, is inevitable.

Taschima:

I don't know how to approach this review since this is book #9 of The Black Dagger Brotherhood, but I guess I can start by saying that Lover Mine was awesome.

Welcome back to the worl of The Black Dagger Brotherhood. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is the only official group of warriors that defend the vampire race against the Lesser society; Lessers are normal humans who The Omega (The Lesser's God) kills so they can become part of his undead army; this lucky army is sterile, have super human strength, smell like baby powder, and almost of of them have the muscle but not the brains. This unique brand of vampires have an unique culture, religion and history. Not to mention the male and female population could make you drool.

This book concentrates on JM -John Matthew- the only character we have known since the very beginning of the story. John Matthew has a cloudy past, and his present plus future is not looking so bright either. The woman he loves has been abducted by his nemesis, and everyones' hope for her survival is minute, even Johns'. But even though this book concentrates on John we have a lot of other sub plots to concentrate on, like for example Payne (which I loooves), The Lesser Society's future (include Lash here), Thorment (another brother), and a few other things.

Lover Mine was, in a nutshell, not complete. I was expecting some things to happen that never did. The key to John's past never found a lock, it never opened the door, it never saw the light. There was so much tension, and I was so looking forward to it, but it never happened. It was a huge let down. This was John's turn to shine, and even though he did, sort of, it could have been much more.

But even though that certainly was a let down, the rest of the book was AWESOME. The basics for all the books are there (a male, a female, they fall in love and then have to overcome their circumstances to end up together) but J R Ward always has something new for us to not get bored with the same basics.

Xhex gets abducted, but even though the path of abduction has been used before (Lover Awakened) this time it was so much worse. Not going to tell you how, you read the book, but trust me, it was worse. So it's not repetitive and it won't annoy you.

Romance... Xhex and John are perfect for each other really. Though Xhex tries to deny their bond, and John tries to let go, well, who were they fooling really? Certainly not me! They both have inner and external demons they have to overcome, and they manage to help each other without going nuts. Not to mention just how hot they are together (there is EXPLICIT sexual content in these books, so you better watch out).

Subplots were present, and one of my favorites was Paynes'. At the beginning I didn't think much on her story because being on The Fade can certainly be boring, but she is worth giving The Fade a visit or two.

But there is yet another sub plot that was even MORE interesting than Payne's, that one is Blay's and Quinn's sub plot. Man, I love them both! They are just adorable and intriguing. I cannot wait till they have a book together, because if Lover Mine did something is making me believe that they are going to end up together.

I can't say much because this review could be such a spoiler to people who haven't started the series, but if you haven't pick this series up, for the scribe virgin's sake do it! I don't know what you've been waiting for, there is no other series I love more than this one. It has everything; it has action, it has romance, it has a powerful world, a magnificent plot, and amazing characters. I could talk about this book for days, but that would contain spoilers which I am trying so hard to avoid!

Bottom line is, I love the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and if you give it a try I bet you would love it too.

PS; If you haven't read this series I got some advice for you. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FIRST, start with Dark Lover and move your way up.

PSS; Wrath and JM are taken. They are mine; you don't wanna mess with a bonded female ;)