Morbid Romantic

Book Review & Personal Blog

Since “Inspiration” is (or should) the theme this week … what is your reading inspired by?

This is actually quite difficult a question to answer. I’ve never really had to reflect on why I read, I just assumed I read because I like to read. But honestly, it goes deeper than that. It has to; you can’t love something so passionately without it becoming something complex. It is just that I’ve never had to determine these things for myself or ponder them enough to come to a conclusion. Why do I read? What inspires me? I can’t give an answer that is definitive, that applies to every case, or that is clear cut. Why? Because there are many things that inspire me on and off.

First, there’s need. Reading is my hobby and it keeps me from being bored. The internet can’t entertain me forever, I don’t always have the money to go out and do something, and television kills the spirit more than it washes it. So, I read because it keeps me from dying of idleness, but it doesn’t make me exert strength and energy that I don’t have.

Second, I read because it relaxes me. After a long day or when I am filled with stress, I love to sit down and absorb myself in a book. For those minutes or hours I am reading, nothing can bother me. The stress and the tension and worries are gone. I need that way to escape or else I would be driven slowly and steadily insane.

Third, I read because I want to learn. A goodly portion of my books are historical non-fiction. It is to be expected from a former (because I graduated) history major. History is my life and love and I endeavor to learn continually. Since I can no longer sit through wonderful lectures, I read books.

Angelica had this up on her blog and tagged everyone, so I am here to take up the challenge… and, okay, to have something to do for the next ten minutes. I tag everyone, so feel free to put this up on your blog.

The rules:
1. List five of your favorite bands/artists.
2. Choose three songs from each band/artist.
3. If you can find a link to listen to the song at Last.fm, YouTube, etc. post it!
4. Tag five people. <— Or everyone!

Depeche Mode
Nothing
Personal Jesus
It’s No Good

The Birthday Massacre
Weekend
Science
Shiver

Oasis
Morning Glory
Supersonic
Live Forever

Mission UK (The Mission)
Deliverance
And the Dances Goes On
Wasteland

The Smiths
Big Mouth Strikes Again
Stop Me if You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before
Handsome Devil

On a side note, guess what I did?

I spent ALL morning going through and replying to the 100+ ‘To Be Replied to’ comments left here for the past month. Unreal, isn’t it? I set the goal, though, and I followed through. I’m actually quite impressed with my own stamina. I truly did love being able to reread all of the lovely comments left to address them properly. I even visited a few sites and left comments of my own.

Does anyone want to exchange Blogroll links with me?

Now, back to that To-Do list. I am going to finish my email box, condense some sites, do a little writing, and finish a book. Then, if I have time, I will sleep and eat.

And I got my copy of Matrimony in the mail today, which I had won earlier this month.

It went right on my immediately to read pile! I look forward to it. There’s nothing better than flipping the pages of a new book. I was so happy when I pulled the book from its mailing envelope and caressed the cover.

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I won Sunday At Tiffany’s by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet over at At Home With Books.

From what I’ve read, it’s a book about a girl who has an imaginary friend that returns when she becomes an adult… probably in a totally non-Drop Dead Fred kind of way. No, this is a serious book. Probably something super emotional, which is good. I can’t wait to read it.

On a side note, I got Kirk Curnutt’s Breathing Out the Ghost today in the mail, so that has gone right to the top of my TBR pile.

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

When Brian moved down to her throat, Debra watched, mesmerized by the play of Jacob’s paler hands against the firm dark skin, the deep brown nipples. The raspberry sauce slid down over them, giving the appearance of blood to hungry, nonhuman eyes.

- The Vampire Queen’s Servant (Joey W. Hill)

Author(s): Charlaine Harris
Genre: Fiction – Paranormal
Tags: vampire, new orleans, telepathy, shape shifting, louisiana, romance, horror, mystery, murder, blood, sookie stackhouse, bill compton, true blood, witches, wicca
Finished: January 19, 2009
Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

I had to dive into this one right after finishing book three. After how much I enjoyed Club Dead, I couldn’t wait to read Dead to the World. In this part four of the Southern Vampire Mysteries, Sookie ends up in a whole new mess despite her New Year’s Resolution to stay out of trouble. But trouble follows Sookie and is to be expected and enjoyed by now, at least for us the reader.

First Sookie’s brother Jason goes missing. Then she finds an amnesiac Eric running down the road (shirtless) and discovers out that he has been cursed by a lustful witch/werewolf. Defeated and fearing for her resolution, Sookie is charged to take care of Eric for an ample fee until the vampires find the witch and make her lift the curse. Due to events in Club Dead, Sookie and Bill are still on the outs and he spends most of the book collecting for his vampire directory in Peru.

This book was great. I won’t give away any more spoilers than my vague summary already has, but I will cheer and say that the moment I’ve been waiting for DID happen in chapter 6. Now, if only it could have stayed that way. In the end, as a reader, I know that Sookie and Bill will make up and get back together and continue their great love affair.

The grand bulk of this story was spent working out the relationship between Sookie and Eric, investigating Jason’s disappearance, and searching for the very dangerous coven of witches that cursed Eric. The final battle scene is very tense and well played out, though not in clear drawn out detail since it is from the perspective of Sookie who is understandably out of it.

We have new creatures and supernatural elements, too! As I said above, witches are introduced along with fairies. Now those can be added to the growing catalog of creatures and things Sookie has to interact with on a daily (and nightly) basis.

I am almost disappointed that Eric’s time may be over. I feel that he certainly shines brighter and with more character than Bill. After spending an entire book with Eric, Bill’s entrance at the end was… bland, at best. He just seems monotonous next to the personality that Eric exudes. If Eric could just get over himself, he would be perfect. Still, I cling to hope because surely the Eric that he was when he didn’t have a memory is still in him… somewhere.

I am completely addicted to this series. Anne Rice might have defined the vampire in my eyes, but Charlaine Harris makes them fun. Gratuitous sex? Give me more of that, please. Some more violence and humor, too. This series is just one big ball of excitement for me.

- More can be found in my Reviews section.
- If you would like me to review your book, send an email to me at morbidromantic@gmail.com. Read my Book Review Policy for more information.

Here are the latest book giveaways I have come across in my travels through the world wide web. Whenever I see a book up for giveaway that I think sounds like a good read, I will post a link to the giveaway so that all of you, my readers, can go to the website and snag a chance to win for yourself. Below you will find cover images (clickable to their Amazon.com page), the name of the author, the name of the book, the link to the giveaway, and the date the contest ends. If you need any help or have any questions, feel free to comment.

If you are hosting a book giveaway and would like me to list it here, leave me a comment with the contest URL or send me an email at morbidromantic@gmail.com.

Win a Watcher’s prize package from Bitten by Books
Contest ends January 20th

Win Brigid Knight’s The Cloister and the Citadel at Reading the Past
Contest ends January 23rd

Win Michelle Moran’s The Heretic Queen or Nefertiti at Becky’s Book Reviews
Contest ends January 23rd

Win Rachel Vincent’s Pride at Bitten By Books
Contest ends January 23rd

Win James Grippando’s Born to Run: A Novel of Suspense at Lori’s Reading Corner
Contest ends January 24rd

Win one of Yasmine Galenorn’s Sisters of the Moon series at Amberkatze’s Book Blog
Contest ends January 25th

Win one of three books at Sarah’s Random Musing
Contest ends January 25th

Win Katherine Howell’s Frantic at Diary of an Eccentric
Contest ends January 27th

Win Wendy Nelson Tokunaga’s Midori By Moonlight at Brenda’s Blog
Contest ends January 28th

Win Gitty Daneshvari’s The Makedown at A Novel Menagerie
Contest ends January 30th

Win Lauria Faria Stolarz’s Deadly Little Secret at Harmony Book Reviews
Contest ends January 30th

Win Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls at Harmony Book Reviews
Contest ends January 30th

Win Jennifer Banash’s In Too Deep at Harmony Book Reviews
Contest ends January 30th

Win Melissa Walker’s Violet in Private at Harmony Book Reviews
Contest ends January 30th

Win Brenda Janowitz’s Scot on the Rocks at Shaunie’s Happy Place
Contest ends January 31st

Win Leann Sweeney’s Pushing Up Bluebonnets (Yellow Rose Mysteries) at Lori’s Reading Corner
Contest ends February 1st

Win Ingrid Law’s Savvy at Book Dads
Contest ends February 1st

Win Maria V. Snyder’s Storm Glass at Amberkatze’s Book Blog
Contest ends February 1st

Win Tara Bray Smith’s Betwixt at Blood of the Muse
Contest ends February 5th

Win Brenda Youngerman’s Hidden Truths at Book Reviews by Bobbie
Contest ends February 6th

Win Diana Palmer’s Heart of Stone at J. Kaye’s Book Blog
Contest ends February 7th

Win Jane Kennedy Sutton’s The Ride at J. Kaye’s Book Blog
Contest ends February 7th

Win James Patterson’s Run For Your Life at Fiction to Fruition
Contest ends February 8th

Win one of 8 books at Presenting Lenore
Contest ends February 8th

Win Jordan Dane’s Evil Without a Face at Wendy’s Minding Spot
Contest ends February 8th

Win John Flanagan’s The Siege of Macindaw at:
Simply Stacie – Contest ends February 8th
In Bed With Books – Contest ends February 15th
Worducopia – Contest ends January 27th

Win Alphie McCourt’s A Long Stone’s Throw (audiobook) at A Bookworm’s World
Contest ends February 9th

Win Josh Bazell’s Beat the Reaper at Tara’s View on Books
Contest ends February 9th

Win Kitty Sewell’s Bloodprint at You’re History
Contest ends February 19th

Win David Baldacci’s The Camel Club, The Collectors, Stone Cold, and Divine Justice in audiobook at J. Kaye’s Book Blog
Contest ends February 21st

Win TL Higley’s Shadow of Colossus at Cornhusker Academy

Win Sharon Hinck’s The Restorer’s Son at Cornhusker Academy