Teaser Tuesday: Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I kinda have a thing for zombies. And when I hear about a cool book about the undead, I'm gonna give it a look. So when I heard about an anthology featuring zombie animals, I hunted that book down like it was the last Twinkie. (Zombie fans know what I mean.) The fact that it featured stories from two of my favorite authors (Anton Strout and Carrie Vaughn) was just more cream filling.

So far, there've been zombie raccoons out for revenge, murderous bunnies preparing for the killing season, a real book wyrm (yes, with a "y"), an otter-like god for animals, a seriously creepy one about a dying man and a groundhog, a tale about pigeons that will have me avoiding all eye-contact with the winged rodents, and poisonous snakes doing the bidding of a serial killer. And I'm only half-way through the book. Not everything is about zombies or bunnies (which has me really wanting to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail).  

Here's the Teaser:

"'Godfrey…?' Chloe's voice was full of doubt and panic. The creature was almost upon her.The idea that she was an actual damsel in distress caused something deep inside to snap, and he dug his feet back in and met the sway of the bookshelf with all his strength."

- pg. 55, "for lizzie" by Anton Strout, Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Kerrie Hughes 

What are you reading?

Teaser Tuesday: Princess of the Midnight Ball

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Another myth re-telling! Love these! And Jessica Day George is pretty good at getting the romance worked into an actual plot, something that's rare. (And the cover is really pretty.) Got this book from the fabulous D from Born to Fly in a recent book swap. Been dying to read it and now's my chance.

Here's a synopsis from GoodReads ('cuz I'm lazy): Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love.

Here's the Teaser: 

"Tell him that the girls sneak out to go dancing every night, as though it were a lark," Kelling said. "No mention of witchcraft and monsters in the garden. If he can find out where they go, he proves himself to be a resourceful candidate for the throne."

- pg. 68, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George.

What are you reading?

Teaser Tuesday: Soulless

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

As much as I love the look of Steampunk, I haven't been around it enough to see it "in action." Still, love the concept of brass and contraptions infused with Victorian era dress and manners. So when I heard about a Steampunk novel, I was intrigued. But when the same book also features the supernatural? Well, I am all over that!


Here's a portion of the info from Goodreads: "First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette." Alexia Tarabotti was born without a soul, which, luckily for her, means that supernatural creatures cannot use their powers on her. This ability also pushes her into a precarious position once a shift occurs in the previously contained vampire hives.


Here's the Teaser:

"'And'--she paused dramatically, lowered her voice, and in sepulchral* tones--'he had a fang lisp.'Professor Lyall looked shocked and blinked largely at her through the asymmetrical lenses; among vampires, lisping was the height of vulgarity."

-pg 19, Soulless by Gail Carriger

What are you reading?

* Because I had to go and look it up, thought I'd tell you, also. "Sepulchral" means "hollow and deep." Now you know! And knowing is half the battle.**

** If you caught that reference, then you are as awesome as me! Which is to say that you are also a big dork.

Music Monday: Titanium

Maybe I'm behind the trend (big surprise there, right?), but the first I'd heard of David Guetta was from my brother showing me some teenybopper chick singing his song "Titanium." I thought the lyrics were great but her video was pretty lame. Then I noticed it was a cover. One more click and I found the original. With a much cooler video.

Gives a whole new meaning to throwing a fit. 

[Sia:]
You shout it out,
But I can't hear a word you say
I'm talking loud not saying much
I'm criticized but all your bullets ricochet
You shoot me down, but I get up

[Chorus:]
I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose
Fire away, fire away
Ricochet, you take your aim
Fire away, fire away
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium

[Sia:]
Cut me down
But it's you who have further to fall
Ghost town and haunted love
Raise your voice, sticks and stones may break my bones
I'm talking loud not saying much

[Chorus:]
I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose
Fire away, fire away
Ricochet, you take your aim
Fire away, fire away
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
I am titanium
I am titanium

[Sia:]
Stone-hard, machine gun
Firing at the ones who run
Stone-hard those bulletproof glass

[Chorus:]
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
You shoot me down but I won't fall
I am titanium
I am titanium

Of Books and Swaps

Sooooo…I signed up for a book swap and was really excited about getting new books. Forget illegal drugs -- I just crave a good read!

Then Life decided to drop a bomb in my lap and it was all I could do to keep things normal for my kids. (Not gonna talk about it so don't ask, please.)

It wasn't until I got the email from co-hostess Beth that I remembered. I swear I am not a slacker when it comes to swaps so I was completely horrified that I forgot this one. In an effort to smooth over things with my partner, I made sure to include a little something special with her books.

But enough about my slacking! I had a really great partner is D from Born to Fly. Check out the lovelies she sent me:

Book #1 A Book My Partner Loves - The Nightspinners by Lucretia Grindle
This one is looks good! Not my usual genre but I am looking forward to this one. Go check it out on Goodreads. And I'm pretty sure the author is using a pen name.






Book #2 A Book My Partner Hasn't Read - House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
I remembered this movie coming out with Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly. This one is also on a lot of book group lists.






Book #3 A Book From My Wishlist - Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
I've been waiting for this one for ages! It's a re-telling of the twelve dancing princesses. And just in case you're wondering, Grimms' version is nothing like the Barbie one.

Thanks, D! You are a gem!
And thank you, Beth and Miss Angie, for not giving up on me!

The Declaration of Independence

Teaser Tuesday: A Princess of Mars

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The movie John Carter is based on a book. Not many people know that. It's a really old book written by the same guy who created the Tarzan series, Edgar  Rice Burroughs. I haven't seen the movie but I've heard others bemoan the awfulness of the screenplay. Well, the book is pretty weird so I can't say that I'm surprised to hear that the film version is awkward, too. And still…I'm finding myself really enjoying it!

John Carter is a veteran of the Civil War, who attempts a new life as a gold miner only to be inexplicably transported to Mars, where he is then captured by the green-skinned, six-legged, gigantic Tharkians. He is treated more as a treasured pet than a prisoner and manages to survive…until the day the Tharkians capture another: a woman who is as desperate for help as she is beautiful. How is a southern gentleman to resist?

Here's the Teaser:

"On regaining the plaza I had my third glimpse of the captive girl. She was standing with her guards before the entrance to the audience chamber, and as I approached she gave me one haughty glance and turned her back full upon me. The act was so womanly, so earthly womanly, that though it stung my pride it also warmed my heart with a feeling of companionship; it was good to know that someone else on Mars beside myself had human instincts of a civilized order, even though the manifestation of them was so painful and mortifying."

- 28% on the Kindle, A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

What are you reading?