Sharing Beyond Books #118 Comment Giveaway 9/21/13

Hello again on Saturday night and Welcome to SBB, Sharing Beyond Books.

Now we are truly into fall and I am enjoying watching leaves drift down.  Of course I'm not the one who has to clean up the yard!
I had a long week fighting the flu and cold. I am feeling better but still not 100% yet.

Our group of commenters are pretty evenly split with 10 who take advantage of libraries and 11 who do not. Several don't use the libraries as they are not in English or have a very limited selection. Others have plenty of books already. :-)

Only five of 22 have visited modern jails for projects or tours. Three others have visited historical jails, including Alcatraz - which is pretty awesome. And Scottsgal likes the show Lock Up. :-)

Thank you to all who shared last week.

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #117 comments is: #2 Sarah M who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the ARC/Review titles, Christmas titles or Love titles - all linked near the end of the post.  Please let me know your choice by completing the (new) WINNER FORM.

WEEK #118

Q1. Margaret asks: Which is better dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate??

A: I love milk chocolate and white chocolate but I am not a big fan of dark chocolate -- too bitter.

Image found at eofdreams.

Q2. My bookish Question: I know we have had a couple of questions about series but I think this one is a little different. When you read a series do you like to read them right in a row (one after another) or do you prefer reading them with a month or two, or more, between??

A: It varies for me as I have several series that I am okay with picking up a book every few months (or longer), including, but not limited to: Eve Dallas, the Woman's Murder Club, Mercy Thompson, Destroyermen and several more.  This question came to mind as I just started a new series, Charley Davidson, and I liked the first book so much I picked up the second right away. Now I am trying to decide if I should use my current two Audible credits for two more Charley Davidson or wait. Right now I am leaning toward waiting... just in case something else catches my attention before the middle of October.:-)

Image found at Quirk Books.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! We are getting low on questions so hopefully you will send more in -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify to use. 

Your turn to share:

Q1. Margaret asks: Which is better dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate??

Q2.My bookish Question: I know we have had a couple of questions about series but I think this one is a little different. When you read a series do you like to read them right in a row or do you prefer reading them with a month or two, or more, between??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Valentine and "Love" books , the Christmas Giveaway Books, or the June 2012 Newly Updated ARC/Review List.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on either of the two questions above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.

I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made by Friday, September 27, 2013 at 10 PM central.

Winners: Guilty as Sin, Ruthless and Scattered Petals

CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNERS!
(So Sorry - I have been failing to post winners weekly.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway Ended September 6, 2013

ARC Giveaway: Guilty as Sin

Winner: bn100





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway Ended September 13, 2013



ARC Giveaway: Ruthless: Faces of Evil, Book 6

Winner: Linda K


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Giveaway Ended September 20, 2013

ARC Giveaway: Scattered Petals 

Winner: Natasha

bn100, Linda K and Natasha please fill in the (NEW) Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and I'll get the book mailed.  Please reply within 72 hours.

Book Review: Color Me Bad, a Novella, by Sharon Sala

This quick, fun novella sets the stage for sassy, feminine mischief in a small town setting.
Color Me Bad: A Novella
by Sharon Sala/Dinah McCall

• File Size: 226 KB
• Print Length: 59 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (September 3, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• ASIN: B00DDWIT14

Genre: Contemporary, Women's Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: September 3, 2013
An original short story by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala links to her full-length contemporary women's fiction novel, The Curl Up and Dye.
The novella centers around the four women who run the Curl Up and Dye hair salon and their relationships with the quirky customers of small-town Blessings, Georgia. Their meddlesome efforts at match-making run awry, but there's always another makeover just around the corner.

Review:
Ruby Dye moved to small-town Blessings, Georgia after the trauma of a divorce. She needed to use her hair stylist skills to support herself and was pleased to discover that the town welcomed the opening of her shop, the Curl Up and Dye hair salon. She works with feisty twin sisters, Vesta and Vera, and manicurist Mabel Jean. As style shops sometimes are, the little shop has become the gossip center of the town. Not only does all the news end up passing along through the shop but one particular day it becomes the scene of quite a spectacle.

Patty June Clymer, a local preacher’s wife, has reached the end of her rope with her cheating husband. When his ‘girlfriend’ comes into the shop for nail repair Patty June attacks her with stylist sheers! The news quickly spreads through town as Patty June goes home and tosses her husband’s belongings on their lawn as she ousts him from her life. Patty June takes a stand against unfaithful men even as the townspeople initially ostracize her for being too pushy, independent and a feminist. Patty June holds her ground, changes her hair color and style with the help of Ruby, and plans a lengthy travel exploration of Italy. 

Soon other women, particularly travel agent, Willa Dean, begin to question the relationships with their spouses. Realizing that many women are not being treated as they should be, Willa gathers  the town women and springs a surprise for Patty June.

The novella introduces the perky, primary characters and some good quirky secondary characters too. Many of the women are wary of men, for good reasons. But it is clear that there is room, and desire, for finding the elusive, faithful and dedicated mate. The writing is straight forward and full of sass as one might expect from a Southern woman.

I have read and enjoyed many Sharon Sala/Dinah McCall romantic suspense novels. She has a strong, easy writing flow that moves well with good combination of action, tension and romance. I was curious to see how this contemporary fiction series would go. Although I probably will steer toward the suspense novels, this series should appeal to many readers who like strong female characters and a well developed writing style that is easy and fun reading.

A statement regarding the strength of Southern women:

Southern women had been feminists a long time before that tag had become a buzzword. They’d hidden the iron in their backbones with a smile and a “bless your heart,” and not a man was the wiser. Location 514.

I received this title from Sourcebooks through NetGalley.

Saturday Snapshot September 21, 2013 Bahamas Cruising - Nassau

Our Cruise stop on Day 4 was at Nassau. We have been there many times and love to go in town. We visit the rum cake shop to sample the cakes and sometimes buy some special Bahamian Rum.  Then we take a bus to the old part of the harbor where we visit a small restaurant and have yummy conch fritters with the locals. :-)

The day we stopped it was raining and we decided to just sit it out. I know it sounds like we missed all the stops but we really enjoyed a leisurely time on the ship!

This is the view as we came into the Nassau Port.

I liked how these images came out a little eerie looking with the rain clouds. :-)

I was pleased to visit and see other Saturday sharings last week.
Thanks to all who stop by and visit. Hopefully I will get to visit back this week!

A big Thank You to Alyce of At Home With Books who has hosted this meme for a number of years. She is taking a summer hiatus at her blog and the new host will be Melissa at West Metro Mommy. Thank you to Melissa for picking up the responsibility.

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky being hosted this summer by West Metro Mommy. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Audible Book Review: Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia

This is a really fun listen -- action packed adventure, danger and a little romance too!

Monster Hunter International

UNABRIDGED

by Larry Correia

Narrated by Oliver Wyman

Series: Monster Hunter, Book 1

    LENGTH    23 hrs and 34 mins
    RELEASE DATE    03-15-11
    PUBLISHER    Audible Frontiers

Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a 14th story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer.
It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Officially secret, some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. On the other side are the people who kill monsters for a living. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.
It's actually a pretty sweet gig, except for one little problem. An ancient entity known as the Cursed One has returned to settle a centuries-old vendetta. Should the Cursed One succeed, it means the end of the world, and MHI is the only thing standing in his way.
With the clock ticking towards Armageddon, Owen finds himself trapped between legions of undead minions, belligerent federal agents, a cryptic ghost who has taken up residence inside his head, and the cursed family of the woman he loves. Business is good.... Welcome to Monster Hunter International.
©2009 Larry Correia (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Review:
Owen Zastava Pitt is a big young man with a fascination with guns. His father was a military hero who pushed him hard. Owen worked as a bouncer to help put himself through college. When his temper got him into trouble Owen decided to find the most unexciting career he could so he became a boring accountant. One night he discovered that his boss was not only insufferably mean but a monster - literally! Somehow, with the help of his brawn, smarts and hidden gun, Owen was able to survive a vicious attack by pushing his boss, now werewolf, out of the 14th story window.

Thus Owen learned there were monsters in the world and he caught the attention of a special division of the FBI and Monster Hunters International. Both organizations were impressed with his natural abilities and they offered him a job. Not wanting to work with the government, Owen accepts the job at Monster Hunters International. In truth, he is more drawn to that job because one of the recruiters is a young woman, Julie, with whom he is immediately smitten.  She is beautiful and the granddaughter of the CEO of the business.  Owen knows, with his scarred face and bulky physique, he doesn’t stand a chance with her. Besides, she has a rich, handsome, arrogant, hunter boyfriend, who immediately becomes Owen’s rival.

Owen goes through training making friends of other recruits and some of the teachers. Many will fail the training process but when they are done there is a hard core group of “newbies” ready to face the hidden monsters in the world. A major threat arises and the newbie team is brought along with the experienced crew to face the threat.

As though it’s not bad enough facing the monsters in battle,  Owen is dreaming about them and getting dream visits from an old man who tells Owen he has to prepare to face the Cursed One who seeks to control time and open the portals of evil. Owen even gets to see past memories of the Cursed One in all their evil goriness. The team races to locate and stop a band of master vampires and the strongest of monsters.

There are many strange hunter alliances, strong action, a little romance and plenty of snarkiness that makes this great fun. The author builds a good rapport with the characters so that I really liked the various team members. There were a few twists and moments when I laughed and others when I gasped.

Audio Notes: The narrator does a great job projecting the personalities of the characters, both good and evil. The reading definitely enhanced the fun of the book for me.

I had this one on my MP3 from my Audible Library. It is my Just For Fun reading for September.