Author: Ambrosia

Sunday Salon 12/29/13

- Ambrosia Leave a comment

The last Sunday of 2013 and what a year it has been. Sadly I am still very sick and just ready for the whole of it to be over with. I am probably one of the worst sick people there is because I hate being sick and I keep pushing myself to try to get more stuff done around the house instead of resting. That said yesterday and today thus far I have behaved myself. I even got another book finished for the year, which I did not think I would do. Bringing my total to where I think it will stay for 2013 at 109. That is a pretty big amount for me especially since I started my goal for the year at 50 or 60 and had to up it twice and even surpassed that.

This is the first time I have taken on challenges and completed every single one and I am really rather proud of that. I will be doing a wrap up post before Jan 1st with all the titles and challenges that I finished and of course I am also now looking for what challenges I am going to do for 2014. I am likely going to do a TBR and Historical one again but from there I am not sure what else I will do. We will see! Happy end of 2013 everyone.

 

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Quoteable Sunday 12/29/13

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It is the familiar that usually eludes us in life. What is before our noses is what we see last.
William Barrett

The grand essentials of life are something to do, something to love, something to hope for.
Thomas Chalmers

The great blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach; but we shut our eyes, and like people in the dark, we fall foul upon the very thing we search for, without finding it.
Seneca
(7 B.C. – 65 A.D.)

Govern thy life and thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one, and read the other.
Thomas Fuller

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

We must be willing to relinquish the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
Joseph Campbell

Life, in all ranks and situations, is an outward occupation, an actual and active work.
W. Humboldt

Everything that happens to us leaves some trace behind; everything contributes imperceptibly to make us what we are.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Unrest of spirit is a mark of life; one problem after another presents itself and in the solving of them we can find our greatest pleasure.
Kal Menninger

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
Nelson Henderson

Change is not merely necessary to life, it is life.
Alvin Toffler

Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgment difficult.
Hypocrites

After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.
Italian Proverb

Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.
La Bruyere

There is only one thing that remains to us, that cannot be taken away: to act with courage and dignity and to stick to the ideals that have given meaning to life.
Jawaharlal Nehru

We become happier, much happier, when we realize life is an opportunity rather than an obligation.
Mary Augustine

Life is like a library owned by the author.
In it are a few books which he wrote himself, but most of them were written for him.
Harry Emerson Fosdick

We make our fortunes, and we call them fate.
Earl of Beaconsfield

Life is a child playing around your feet, a tool you hold firmly in your grip, a bench you sit down upon in the evening, in your garden.
Jean Anouilh

The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.
Elbert Hubbard

Life’s a voyage that’s homeward bound.
Herman Melville

That state of life is most happy where superfluities are not required and necessities are not wanting.
Plutarch

Clever people master life; the wise illuminate it and create fresh difficulties.
Emil Nolde

The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it.
Plutarch

Life is a rich strain of music, suggesting a realm too fair to be.
George William Curtis

I made my life my monument.
Ben Johnson

The boundaries which divide life from death are at best shadowy and vague.
Who shall say where one ends,
and the other begins?
Edgar Alan Poe

Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.
Rose Kennedy

One way to get the most out of life is
to look upon it as an adventure.
William Feather

Life without endeavor is like entering a jewel mine and coming out with empty hands.
Japanese Proverb

Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are no classes in life for beginners: right away you are always asked to deal with what is most difficult.
Rainer Maria Rilke

To live is like to love–all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it.
Samuel Butler

One life – a little gleam of time between two eternities.
Thomas Carlyle

Life is a pure flame,
and we live by an invisible sun within us.
Sir Thomas Brown

As I grow to understand life less and less,
I learn to love it more and more.
Jules Renard

Book Review: Obsidian Butterfly (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #9) by Laurell K. Hamilton

- Ambrosia Leave a comment

Anita Blake, the tough, sexy vampire executioner, zombie animator, and police consultant for preternatural crimes in St. Louis, hunts monsters in New Mexico in the ninth book of Laurell K. Hamilton’s excellent series. Edward, Anita’s mentor in slaying, asks Anita to return the favor that she has owed him since she killed a backup he brought in to protect her. He needs Anita’s preternatural expertise as well as her firepower. Something is skinning and mutilating a few of its chosen victims, and dismembering others. Edward has no idea what creature could be responsible for such heinous crimes.

Summoning Anita has its downside for Edward, since it means letting her onto his turf. Anita is surprised to find that this normally aggressive man has a personal life, and shocked by his ability to be entirely different from the stone cold killer she’s known. She also has problems with the cop in charge in Albuquerque, who believes her powers must be evil, and with the other backups Edward has brought in. Most of all, she has to deal with her own vulnerability–she’s tried to shut down her ties to her vampire and werewolf lovers and go it alone, but it turns out to be harder than she thought.

Anita’s usual supporting cast is missing, and she’s taking time out from her complex love life, but there’s plenty of bloody action, vampires, werewolves, and Aztec ritual. Plus a lot more about Edward. Fans will find this installment similar to the earlier books in the series, particularly The Laughing Corpse. –Nona Vero

Anita never can just take a casual trip anywhere can she? Well no of course not because she is Anita Blake and while I admit I missed Jean Claude in this one, I did not miss some of the boyfriend drama that crops up when him and Richard are involved. Without that secondary boy drama around Anita was able to get down to the business of being ass deep in alligators. Yes she still has moments when she thinks of them and complains about what a Monster she is becoming but that is Anita you just accept it after a while, it does not keep her from kicking some butt and taking names.

Personally I also love the fact that we get to know Edward more. The mysterious assassin for hire has always been a curious note for me and one that I enjoyed. So Anita getting to spend some quality time with a man who didn’t want to get into her pants and letting us the reader get to know him better gets a thumbs up from me. Overall this was a solid installment in the series and I would recommend it to fans in a heart beat.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Booking through Thursday

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This one is Hosted at the Booking through Thursday Blog.

This week my friend asked: What is your favorite memory in your library.

 

For me it depends on which library that might be but in the interest of answering without going down to many paths I will say with my home library. My favorite memory right now with it is simply getting it, being able to put up the shelves and know that I am going to have this library all mine to enjoy. Great memory.

WWW Wednesday 12/25/13

- Ambrosia Leave a comment

This is another one hosted over at Should be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What are you reading next?

 

Happy Christmas to everyone who is celebrating that today. Here is the WWW..

What I am currently reading:

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In Obsidian Butterfly, Anita Blake travels to New Mexico to repay the favor that she promised Edward at the end of The Killing Dance. Edward wants Anita to assist in a set of apparently supernatural attacks that have left numerous victims dead, and has skinned alive many survivors.

In the course of the investigation, Anita learns more about Edward’s personal life than she ever has before. She meets Donna, Edward’s fiancee (in his civilian identity of legal bounty hunter “Ted Forrester”) and Donna’s children, Peter and Becca. She and Edward also come into conflict with a number of mercenaries who work for Edward’s former boss, “Van Cleef,” allowing Anita to learn a few clues about Edward’s former life.

 

What I just finished:

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Schuyler Van Alen is running out of time. The Dark Prince of Hell is storming the Gates of Paradise, intent on winning the heavenly throne for good. This time he has his greatest angels by his side, Abbadon and Azrael—Jack and Mimi Force, as they are known in the Coven.

Or so he thinks. Even as Lucifer assigns Jack and Mimi the tasks of killing their true loves, the Force twins secretly vow to defeat the Dark Prince once and for all. But how far will Mimi and Jack go to conceal their real loyalties?

Meanwhile, former vampire Bliss Llewellyn has joined forces with Lawson, the greatest wolf of the underworld, to free his people from their imprisonment in Hell. As they struggle against impossible odds, an ancient message, woven into the very fabric of time, reveals just how much depends on the success of their mission.

 

What’s next:

Honestly I have no idea at all..but possibly…

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The irresistible heroine of Confessions of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Takes Manhattan is back!-in a hilarious tale of mothers and daughters, mothers and sons, and one blushing bride who just can’t say no to saying “I do.”

Life has been good for Becky Bloomwood: She’s become the best personal shopper at Barneys, she and her successful entrepreneurial boyfriend, Luke, are living happily in Manhattan’s West Village, and her new next door neighbor is a fashion designer! But with her best friend, Suze, engaged, how can Becky fail to notice that her own ring finger is bare? Not that she’s been thinking of marriage (or diamonds) or anything…

Then Luke proposes! Bridal registries dance in Becky’s head. Problem is, two other people are planning her wedding: Becky’s overjoyed mother has been waiting forever to host a backyard wedding, with the bride resplendent in Mum’s frilly old gown. While Luke’s high-society mother is insisting on a glamorous, all-expenses-paid affair at the Plaza. Both weddings for the same day. And Becky can’t seem to turn down either one. Can everyone’s favorite shopaholic tie the knot before everything unravels?

Posted in WWW

Teaser Tuesday 12/24/13

- Ambrosia Leave a comment

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 two (2) “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 High Priest has been powerful in life, a charismatic leader. Now centuries of practice had turned charisma into a kind of magic. pg. 173 Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton

Product Review: Naturally flavored Eggnog Matcha by Red Leaf Tea + Giveaway

- Ambrosia 1 Comment

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

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Product Description:

Despite its name, eggnog is a delicious and sweet drink which can be combined with other beverages to make it truly delicious and unforgettable. Combined with exotic Matcha, Eggnog Matcha can easily become a favorite especially at many social occasions where people want to appear trendy and adventurous at the same time. This interesting and sweetish vanilla-like drink is perfectly blended to suit many audiences both young and old and because of its lingering taste, can be very sumptuous on the palate. It can be taken both night or day depending on the audience and occasion.

Eggnog Matcha, despite its name, does not taste at all like eggs but borders more on the taste of vanilla or even custard. This taste is refined by the balancing effect of Matcha to make a mellow treat that is very pleasurable for the palate. Its thick creamy feel in the mouth makes it an easy favorite for those wanting to treat their palates to pure leisure and unforgettable pleasure. It can be an excellent companion to many snack alternatives because of its sweet base and sumptuous feel on the palate. Eggnog Matcha is a heavenly snack for those occasions where guests deserve to relax and enjoy a full bodied sensation on their palates.

Where to Purchase: Red Leaf Tea

My Review:

Tis the season to be jolly, at least that is what I think of when I think of eggnog. However the eggnog that you make yourself or find in the stores is so laden with sugars and fats I tend to avoid it. So when I was given the chance to try out the Eggnog Matcha I jumped at the chance for something that would nip my holiday spirit in the bud and be healthier for me and my family.

The package comes with a nice easy to read set of instructions which guide you step by step in how to perfectly make the Red Leaf Tea eggnog Matcha. I am good at following  directions so mine came out perfect, but they are simple enough to follow I think anyone could have the same result. The results were a nice frothy drink that was not too thick but not thin either. The taste was just as the product description said it aimed for, vanilla custard like taste and I personally loved it. Some eggnogs have over powering sweetness that cloy at you if you do not like overly sweet but this nice all natural matcha version hits the right notes without being too sweet.

I have not tried mixing this blend yet but I think tomorrow I will be trying it out in a vanilla smoothie that I have in the morning and see how that goes, I bet it will be delicious with just the right punch to the taste buds. If you like trying flavored teas and are interested in matcha you will like this one it gets two thumbs up from me.

And here is your chance to win some for yourself to try:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Book Review: Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods #7) by Melissa de la Cruz

- Ambrosia Leave a comment

Schuyler Van Alen is running out of time. The Dark Prince of Hell is storming the Gates of Paradise, intent on winning the heavenly throne for good. This time he has his greatest angels by his side, Abbadon and Azrael—Jack and Mimi Force, as they are known in the Coven.

Or so he thinks. Even as Lucifer assigns Jack and Mimi the tasks of killing their true loves, the Force twins secretly vow to defeat the Dark Prince once and for all. But how far will Mimi and Jack go to conceal their real loyalties?

Meanwhile, former vampire Bliss Llewellyn has joined forces with Lawson, the greatest wolf of the underworld, to free his people from their imprisonment in Hell. As they struggle against impossible odds, an ancient message, woven into the very fabric of time, reveals just how much depends on the success of their mission.

Lucifer seeks the key to the Gate of Promise, and when Schuyler is taken captive and delivered straight to Hell, she must make an unthinkable choice—the same one the archangel Michael was forced to make during the Crisis in Rome. Will Schuyler find the strength to do what he could not?

The epic, heartbreaking Blue Bloods series comes to a close with this final novel about staggering courage, unbearable sacrifice, and the immortality of true love.

I have been up and down with this series, from moments of pure love to moments of “why the heck am I reading this?” and I have to say while this last installment of it did not help me fully find the love again it was a solid ending, mostly anyways. Those who want Mimi with Kingsley and Schuyler with Jack will be happy campers, won’t say how they get there but enjoy.

So what about the rest of the book, well while we get some answers and a big last battle, there is so much that is not well thought out or plotted out that you are left kind of going, what? I won’t go into the full details to stay away from spoilers to much but seriously there are plot holes bigger then a bus that you could drive a lot of stuff through and it just kinda leaves you feeling, Meh.

I am glad that I stuck with it long enough to finish the series. However if there is any spin offs I do not see myself investing much in them either. Bit of a mixed bag for me in the end.

My Gemstone Rating:

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Musing Monday 12/23/13

- Ambrosia 1 Comment

Musing Monday is hosted over at Should Be Reading.

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

 

While our lovely hostess is taking the week off for the holidays (and well deserved I might add) I am going to keep posting. Handy thing scheduling posts for me :0). My muse this week is about a reading habit and of being sick. When you are sick and laid up in bed do you read? I do and in fact I often tend to read even more then I usually do because my brain and body just are not up to doing any of my other usual work. It also craves the get away of enjoying a good book. I have since I came down with the icky sick blown through several books and I am enjoying doing so.

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