Friday Finds (08.14.09)

It's been awhile since I participated in Friday Finds (hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading), but I thought I would share a couple of books I added to my wish list this week...

The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski. Synopsis:

In 1890, a man collapses near the Piazza della Santa Carita in Naples, Italy. Strangers manage to revive him, but he is unable to speak. Police carry him to the nearest hospital, where he is not admitted because he has no money or identification. Frantically trying to communicate, he scribbles notes in ancient Greek and German that would have told the world about a discovery of immense importance - if anyone had read them...

Reaching from the wonders of ancient Greece to a harrowing quest in modern-day Europe, The Lost Throne features Jonathon Payne and D. J. Jones former members of a top secret, very special unit of the armed forces. Now as private citizens they still get recruited from time to time for the most delicate - and dangerous - missions. Payne and Jones must race to recover the lost treasure that could rewrite history, before it is destroyed by a group of men who will stop at nothing to conceal the secret.

The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall. Synopsis:

Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Completely opposite of the hard, untrusting Cara, Ephraim’s sister Deborah also finds her dreams crumbling when the man she has pledged to build a life with begins withdrawing from Deborah and his community, including his mother, Ada Stoltzfus. Can the run-down house that Ada envisions transforming unite them toward a common purpose–or push Mahlon away forever? While Ephraim is trying to do what he believes is right, will he be shunned and lose everything–including the guarded single mother who simply longs for a better life?

Did you find any good books this week?

Friday Finds (07.10.09)

Friday finds is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. This week my finds came from a couple of different stores--one bargain book, and two used books. So first off we have the bargain book:

Echo Park by Michael Connelly. I sincerely hope it doesn't matter if you read these books in order, but if anyone thinks it does please let me know and I'll look for the first book in the series! (This is book #12). Here's the synopsis:

In 1995, Marie Gesto disappeared after walking out of a supermarket in Hollywood. Harry Bosch worked the case but couldn't crack it, and the 22-year-old woman never turned up, dead or alive. Now Bosch is in the Open-Unsolved Unit, where he still keeps the Gesto file on his desk, when he gets a call from the DA. A man accused of two heinous killings is willing to come clean about several other murders, including the killing of Marie Gesto. Bosch must now take Raynard Waits's confession and get close to the man he has sought - and hated - for eleven years. But when Bosch learns that he and his partner missed a clue back in 1995 that could have led them to Gesto's killer - and that would have stopped nine murders that followed - he begins to crack.

And from a local used bookstore...

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Last week I had their book, Dragons of a Fallen Sun on my Friday Finds list, and Okbolover was kind enough to point out that I should start with Dragons of Autumn Twilight so now I can do that! Here's the synopsis:

Life-long friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world.

Dragons of Winter Night by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. And since I saw this one at the same used bookstore I figured I should pick it up, too! I'm taking a chance that I'm going to love these books, I guess :-) Here's the synopsis:

Now the people know that the dragon minions of Takhisis, Queen of Darkness, have returned. The people of all nations prepare to fight to save their homes, their lives and their freedom. But the races have long been divided by hatred and prejudice. Elven warriors and human knights fight among themselves. It seems the battle has been lost before it begins.

The companions are separated, torn apart by war. A full season will pass before they meet again - if they meet again. As the darkness deepens, a disgraced knight, a pampered elfmaiden, and a rattlebrained kender stand alone in the pale winter sunlight.

Not much in the way of heroes.

What books did you find this week?

Friday Finds (07.03.09)

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. This week I have so many books (4 discovered in the blogosphere and 4 discovered at the local used bookstore) that I am not going to post synopses for each title but will include links so that you can check the books out for yourself! So let's get started!

Books discovered in the blogosphere (click on the links below the pictures to take you to my Amazon.com store for more information--don't worry, you don't have to purchase, but I like the way the information is laid out on those pages :-D):

Loves first Light by Jamie Carie
The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner


The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink (due out in August)
Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham (sent to me for review)

And now for the books I discovered while browsing our local bookstore:

Dragons of a Fallen Sun by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
The Ages of Chaos (Stormqueen! and Hawkmistress) by Marion Zimmer Bradley


Beyond The Summerland by L. B. Graham
Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz

What great books did you find this week?

Friday Finds (06.19.09)

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

This week's post is actually inclusive of my finds from both this week and last week. I think I've discovered some good ones, and hopefully someday soon I'll get around to reading them! My apologies for not keeping track of where I stumbled across these books and finally decided to add them to my wish list, but know that all of you are awesome bloggers who give great recommendations!!

Gone by Michael Grant. Synopsis from BN.com:

In the blink of an eye.

Everyone disappears.

Gone.

Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen and war is imminent.

Hunger by Michael Grant. Synopsis from BN.com:

IT'S BEEN THERE MONTHS SINCE EVERYONE UNDER THE AGE OF FIFTEEN BECAME TRAPPED IN THE BUBBLE KNOWN AS THE FAYZ.

THREE MONTHS SINCE ALL THE ADULTS DISAPPEARED.

GONE.

Food ran out weeks. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers.
Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender. Synopsis from BN.com:

Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.

When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.

Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening—to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey — but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

A Bride in the Bargain by Deanne Gist. Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Mr. Asa Mercer placed his pen back in its holder and looked at Anna. "A cook, you say?" "Yes. I prepared the menu and all courses for the morning, noon, and evening meals, having only Sundays off." Mercer leaned back in his chair. "Well. We aren't taking any passengers on credit, but there is one man who wanted a br--, err, a woman who could feed the men who work for him." She straightened. "Well, I daresay he'd be very pleased with me." Mercer gave her a quick appraisal. "I daresay he would." "How many men does he employ?" "He's a lumberjack. I'm not sure how many men are involved in his operation. No more than a dozen, I'd say, if that." A lumberjack. The word conjured up visions of pine forests, fresh air and wilderness--something far removed from the bustling city, the aftermath of the war. "Goodness," she said, a flicker of anticipation whisking through her. "I could feed a dozen men with one hand tied behind my back." He rubbed his hands against his legs. "Well, he was very specific that he would pay for the fare. You would then have to work off your debt for him." "I'm agreeable to those terms, if he is." Mercer said nothing. She could see his inner struggle. Was he worried she wouldn't measure up to her new employer? Sitting a little straighter, she forced herself to not squirm. Finally, he turned again to his desk and retrieved his pen. "Very well, Miss Ivey. I will draw up your papers and award you passage to the Washington Territory on the S.S. Continental."

Never the Bride by Cheryl McKay & Rene Gutteridge. Synopsis from BN.com:

Since she was just a little girl, Jessie Stone dreamed up hundreds of marriage proposals, doodled the romantic ideas in her journal with her treasured purple pen, and fantasized about wedding dresses and falling in love. She’s been a bridesmaid nearly a dozen times, waved numerous couples off to sunny honeymoons, and shopped in more department stores for half-price fondue pots than she cares to remember.

But shopping for one key component of these countless proposals hasn't been quite as productive–a future husband. The man she thought she would marry cheated on her. The crush she has on her best friend Blake is at very best…well, crushing. And speed dating has only churned out memorable horror stories.

So when God shows up one day, in the flesh, and becomes a walking, talking part of her life, Jessie is skeptical. What will it take to convince her that the Almighty has a better plan than one she’s already cooked up in her journals? Can she turn over her pen and trust someone else to craft a love story beyond herwildest dreams?

Friday Finds (05.22.09)

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

I added a few books to my reading list this week thanks to all you fabulous bloggers out there who keep reviewing books that sound like they'd be right up my alley. I also stumbled across a "last call" Fantasy bargain book for $3 that sounded too interesting to pass up... First up, my picks from reading reviews this week:

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly. This one is actually due out next week on Tuesday, May 26th. Synopsis from BN.com:

Forced out of the Los Angeles Times amid the latest budget cuts, newspaperman Jack McEvoy decides to go out with a bang, using his final days at the paperto write the definitive murder story of his career.

He focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer in jail after confessing to a brutal murder. But as he delves into the story, Jack realizes that Winslow's so-called confession is bogus. The kid might actually be innocent.

Jack is soon running with his biggest story since The Poetmade his career years ago. He is tracking a killer who operates completely below police radar--and with perfect knowledge of any move against him. Including Jack's.

What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown. Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Surely Jane Austen would know how to handle such a rake...

From the author of Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake, a new time travel romance featuring a modern day career woman swept back in time to Regency England, where she thwarts a Napoleonic spy, chats with Jane Austen, and falls in love with a notorious rake.

Eleanor is a costume designer in England for the Jane Austen festival, where her room at the inn is haunted. In the middle of the night she encounters two ghost sisters whose brother was killed in a duel over 200 years ago. They persuade her to travel back in time with them to prevent the duel. Eleanor is swept into a country house party, presided over by the charming Lord Shermont, where she encounters and befriends Jane Austen. But there's much more to Lord Shermont than the ghosts knew, and as Eleanor dances and flirts with him, she begins to lose her heart.

And my bargain book: Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland. Synopsis from BN.com:

From the USA Today bestselling author comes the first in a magical romantic fantasy trilogy.

Darkness covers the north, since the black mage has begun his assault on the kingdom of Neroche. Legend has it that only the two magical swords held by Neroche's king can defeat the mage. Now the fate of the Nine Kingdoms rests in the hands of a woman destined to wield one of those blades...

In this land of dragons and mages, warrior maids and magical swords, nothing is as it seems. And Morgan will find that the magic in her blood brings her troubles she cannot face with a sword-and a love more powerful than she has ever imagined.

Friday Finds (05.15.09)

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Ah, the joys of being able to schedule a blog post. As you read this, I'm at Callaway Gardens, probably not even thinking about writing a blog post right now. But I still wanted to share with you a couple of books I decided to add to my wish list this week...

Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl. My mom has actually been after me to read this one, as well, and after reading a few reviews I decided to add it to my list. Synopsis from BN.com:

While home on Christmas break, a seventeen-year-old Senate page takes her dog out for a walk and never returns. Reporter Cassidy Shaw is the first to break the story. The resulting media firestorm quickly ensnares Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce and FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges. The three unique women are life-long friends who call themselves The Triple Threat—a nickname derived from their favorite dessert and their uncanny ability to crack cases via their three positions of power.

Though authorities think Katie might have been kidnapped or run away, those theories shatter when Nicole uncovers Katie's blog. They reveal a girl troubled by a mysterious relationship with an older man. Possibly a U.S. Senator.

As the three women race against time to find Katie alive, their increasing emotional involvement brings out their own inner demons and external enemies. There are many faces of betrayal, but they must find the one face in a crowd of growing suspects before they become the next victims.

In Face of Betrayal, Lis Wiehl's expertise in law, politics, and criminal investigation merges with April Henry's narrative genius to create a gripping mystery filled with rich characters, real danger, and a shocking yet satisfying final twist.

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog. This should also be a "Waiting On" Wednesday item, as it isn't due out until June 23rd. Synopsis from BN.com:

Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Even as Cam physically changes, becoming more miserable each day, he and Morgan pledge to fool the fairies and stay together forever. But by the time Cam has to decide once and for all what to do, Morgan’s no longer sure what’s best for everyone, or whether her and Cam’s love can weather an uncertain future.

Friday Finds (04.24.09)

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here are four books that I added to my wishlist this week thanks to great reviews from great bloggers!! :-)

First off, Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. I saw this one on a couple of different blogs this week and decided it would be an intriguing read... Here's the synopsis from BN.com:

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooma in the palace--and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust--and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

The next book on I added was City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I know I'm woefully behind the times on that one, but hopefully I'll get around to reading it soon. Here's the synopsis from BN.com:

Their hidden world is about to be revealed.... When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into thin air and the murderers are invisible to everyone but Clary.

Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours, Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a grotesque demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Next up we continue the bones theme with Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner. Apparently I'm on a real faery/fairy kick these days. Here's the synopsis from BN.com:

The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see—into the past, into the future—and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

Janni Lee Simner’s first novel for young adults is a dark fairy-tale twist on apocalyptic fiction—as familiar as a nightmare, yet altogether unique.

And lastly we have The King's Rose by Alisa Libby. I have a personal interest in this one, as on my grandmother's side (my mother's mother) we are related to Catherine Howard. Again, here's the synopsis courtesy of BN.com:

Life in the court of King Henry VIII is a complex game. When fifteen-year-old Catherine Howard catches the king's eye, she quickly transforms from pawn to queen. But even luxury beyond imagination loses its luster as young Catherine finds her life-and her heart-threatened by the needs of an aging king and a family hungry for power. Will their agendas deliver Catherine to the same fate as her infamous cousin, Anne Boleyn-sacrificed at the altar of family ambition?

Engaging historical fiction with a throbbing YA heartbeat, this thrilling novel will draw readers into the intrigues and dangers of the Tudor court.

I hope all of you found some good reads this week, too!

Friday Finds (04.10.09)

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at Should be Reading.

This week I found a few more interesting titles thanks to all you other book-bloggers out there. This time around I've got 5 picks for the week--thanks to everyone who is helping to make my wish list a mountain! :-D

First up is Strange Angels, by Lili St. Crow. This would

 have been on a Waiting On Wednesday post if I'd done one this week :-) Here's the synopsis from Amazon.com:

Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)

Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let

 the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

Next up is The Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker. Here's the synopsis from BN.com:

They call him BoneMan, a serial killer who's abducted six young women. He's the perfect father looking for the perfect daughter, and when his victims fail to meet his lofty expectations, he kills them by breaking their bones and leaving them to die.
Intelligence officer Ryan Evans, on the other hand, has lost all hope of ever being the perfect father. His daughter and wife have written him out of their lives.

Everything changes when BoneMan takes Ryan's estranged daughter, Bethany, as his seventh victim. Ryan goes after BoneMan on his own.

But the FBI sees it differently. New evidence points to the suspicion that Ryan is BoneMan. Now the hunter is the hunted, and in the end, only one father will stand.

I also came across Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith this week. Here's the synopsis from Amazon.com:

Young Countess Meliara swears to her dying father that she and her brother will defend their people from the growing greed of the king. That promise leads them into a war for which they are ill-prepared, which threatens the very people they are trying to protect. But war is simple compared to what follows, in peacetime. Meliara is summoned to live at the royal palace,

 where friends and enemies look alike, and intrigue fills the dance halls and the drawing rooms. If she is to survive, Meliara must learn a whole new way of fighting-with wits and words and secret alliances.

In war, at least, she knew in whom she could trust. Now she can trust no one.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman - Reviews of this one have been floating around for awhile now, but I finally added it to my list this week. Here's the synopsis from BN.com:

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeenyear- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she fi nds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make-and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

I've also seen several reviews of The Real Enemy by Kathy Herman, but only just got around to adding it to my wish list this week. Here's the synopsis from Amazon.com:

Brill Jessup would rather work than deal with the bitterness she feels about her husband Kurt's infidelity. They've made a fresh start with Brill taking a job as the new police chief in a small East Tennessee town. Kurt is genuinely contrite and making every effort to show his commitment to Brill. Meanwhile Emily, their nine-year-old, is being the perfect little girl, as if she can make everything okay again. So why can't Brill get over this anger? Work presents the perfect distraction as rumors and superstition are running rampant in the wake of the disappearances of seven people in seven days. As fear rises in the community, Brill works desperately to solve the mystery... until it threatens her family and she is forced to confront the real enemy.

So what books did YOU find this week?

Friday Finds (4.03.09)

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

I added several books to my TBR/Wishlist pile this week. Here are three that I discovered thanks to fabulous reviews from many people in the book blogging community...

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. The synopsis:

It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?


Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson. The synopsis:

Lady Anne Addison is a rational and courageous woman. So when she's summoned by a frightened friend to Yorkshire to prove or disprove the presence in their woods of a menacing wolf - or werewolf - she takes up the challenge.

Grim, dank and shadowed Darkefell Castle is an ancient keep with a scabrous history. And now it appears that a preternatural menace is behind the events terrorizing the country folk.

Lady Anne finds the Marquess of Darkefell to be an infuriatingly unyielding man. Rumors swirl and suspects abound. When she finally solves the mystery, the Marquess is indeed at the middle of it, but not at all in the way that Lady Anne had suspected... and now he's firmly determined to win her in spite of everything.

Moonlight (Book one of Dark Guardian series) by Rachel Hawthorne. The synopsis:

Kayla is the nature lover, the all-American beauty who can't understand why she's so drawn to distant, brooding Lucas. Adopted as a young child, she has no way of knowing that she's inherited a terrifying—and thrilling—gene that will change her life forever.
lucas is dangerous, gorgeous . . . and a werewolf. As leader of the Dark Guardians, shape-shifters who gather deep within the state park, he has sworn to protect his pack. But when Lucas finds his true soul mate, his love could put them all in harm's way.

As Lucas and Kayla struggle with their feelings for each other, a greater danger lurks: Humans have discovered the Dark Guardians and are planning their destruction. Kayla must choose between the life she knows and the love she feels certain is her destiny.

Friday Finds

Friday Finds is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Speaking of which, you really should be reading her blog. Check it out! I've got three books that I added to my wish list this week...

The first addition is The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry. I have read so many good reviews of this book that I finally had to add it to my list earlier this week. Here's the synopsis:

When Lucinda Chapdelaine was a small child, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned. Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt’s jewelry store. Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda’s path. In this magical story filled with delightful surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch’s spell, avenge her parents’ death, and maybe—just maybe—capture the heart of a prince.

My second find this week is The Makedown by Gitty Daneshvari. I read a review today by Luanne at A Bookworm's World and decided I had to read this. Who doesn't like a good laugh? Here's the synopsis:

Anna Norton used to be fat. Correction: Anna Norton used to be a fat, nerdy, overeater with low self esteem. When she moves from suburban Ohio to Manhattan at age 23, her life does a total 180. With guidance from her boss, an unlikely Fairy Godmother in the form of a chic caterer and excellent cook, Anna loses all the weight and--though still not quite Kate Moss--finally drops her inferiority complex, brushes the crumbs off her skirt, and enters the world of feeling good, looking good, and...finally having sex.

When Anna meets Ben, the man of her dreams (and of every other person's dreams who isn't blind) she almost can't believe she is dating the Ken Doll. Deep down, she is still the chubby nerd who wrote in a diary called Hello Fatty. But not everything is perfect; her hot boyfriend is a huge flirt, and every leggy blond who crosses his path is a threat to Anna. She just can't escape the feeling that Ben is way out of her league and that everyone thinks she is dating up and he's dating down. It gets so bad, she decides she will do anything to make these women go away.

Enter the Makedown. The reverse makeover. As Anna was made up, so will Ben be made down. Where she went from shabby to chic, he will go from prince to frog. Anna will sabotage his hotness for the sake of her own sanity, and to bring this man into more of what she considers her own league. Enter Nair to induce premature balding, Sears catalogs to inspire bad dressing, and secret additions of cream to her cooking and SKOR bars in granola bar wrappers to induce weight gain. Hilarity ensues, but in the end, Anna must find out if Ben's makedown will save their relationship, or end it.

My last find for the week is A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. Somehow, I never really heard much about this book until I read a review at Paperback Frenzy today. It really sounds like a book I'd enjoy (particularly thanks to Julie's review)! Here's the synopsis:

Rural Wisconsin, 1909. In the bitter cold, Ralph Truitt, a successful businessman, stands alone on a train platform waiting for the woman who answered his newspaper advertisement for "a reliable wife." But when Catherine Land steps off the train from Chicago, she's not the "simple, honest woman" that Ralph is expecting. She is both complex and devious, haunted by a terrible past and motivated by greed. Her plan is simple: she will win this man's devotion, and then, ever so slowly, she will poison him and leave Wisconsin a wealthy widow. What she has not counted on, though, is that Truitt — a passionate man with his own dark secrets —has plans of his own for his new wife. Isolated on a remote estate and imprisoned by relentless snow, the story of Ralph and Catherine unfolds in unimaginable ways.

With echoes of Wuthering Heights and Rebecca, Robert Goolrick's intoxicating debut novel delivers a classic tale of suspenseful seduction, set in a world that seems to have gone temporarily off its axis.

So what are your finds this Friday??