Cute Knitting: April 2011

In My Mailbox (63)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, and is a way for everyone to show their new books for the week, including those bought, swapped, won, or received for review.

for review:

"Beneath a Starlet Sky" by Amanda Goldberg and Ruthanna Khalighi Hopper

"Ripe for Pleasure" by Isobell Carr

expect a contest for this one soon!

"Nowhere Near Respectable" by Mary Jo Putney

"Noah Barleywater Runs Away" by John Boyne

from the author of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"

"Dark Descendant" by Jenna Black

contest wins:

"Warped" by Maurissa Guibard

won from Alexis at Reflections of a Bookaholic

"Claude and Camille" by Stephanie Cowell

won from Darlene at Peeking Between the Pages

"Pretty Neat" by Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch

won from Confessions of an Overworked Mom

"What Would Mr. Darcy Do?" by Abigail Reynolds

won from Blodeuedd at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

What did you receive in your mailbox this week???

The Downside of Knitting

Don't you just hate this?

When you have to spend your precious knitting time untangling yarn?

Oh Madelinetosh Pashmina.. you are so beautiful.. yet so tangly...

"Dark Descendant" Mini-Review

"Dark Descendant"
by Jenna Black

Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: April 26, 2011

Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

From the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist books comes the gripping first novel in a new series about a private eye who discovers, to her surprise, that she’s an immortal huntress.
Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . . Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy. But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy....

My Mini-Review:

While I think fans of Urban Fantasy will enjoy this book, it was too dark for my tastes. I liked the idea of the characters being descendants of mythical gods. The gods were from the mythologies of different cultures, some well known, some lesser known. Even with this great starting point, the violence and cursing turned me off of this story. I suppose those aspects appeal to readers of the genre though because it seems to be common in Urban Fantasy books. I like the tone and voice in my reads to be a little softer and gentler, not so aggressive and in-your-face. I think I would like to try one of the author's YA fantasy books, because the grittiness might be toned down.

Main Characters: 3/5
Supporting Characters: 3/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 2/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 3/5
Writing: 3/5

Bottom Line:I would recommend this book to Urban Fantasy readers because of the twist on the mythological characters, but this book didn't quite fit my tastes.

Burda pattern

Burda patterns

Week 6: Book Review: Knitting Over the Edge

Hello! I'm back with another book review!

Congratulations to Juliana, last weeks giveaway winner!

This week I'll be reviewing Knitting Over the Edge by Nicky Epstein. This book has been around for awhile, but is a great one! I'm happy to share it with you!

Knitting over the edge is the second in Nicky's edging book collection. The first book was titled Knitting On the Edge and the third in the collection is Knitting Beyond the Edge. I love and own all three!

Nicky Epstein is probably the most inventive knitwear designer I can think of and I feel that these edging books just cannot be beat. The first 2 books contain 350 different knitted edges.. EACH! 700 total in the first 2 books. Who can even think up 700 edgings? Amazing, right?

All 3 of these books are excellent reference publications that every knitter should have in their library.

I refer to them all of the time. They provide me with constant inspiration.

Here is what you can expect to find in this particular book, Knitting Over the Edge.

This book contains edging designs broken up into 5 different categories.. Unique Ribs, Cords, Appliques, Colors and Nouveau.

Below are some pictures to give you an idea.

There are also some garment patterns included that utilize some of the edgings featured in the book.

It's jam packed with information. There is something for everyone inside.

If you would like to enter to win this brand new copy of Knitting Over the Edge, please leave a comment under this blog post. In your comment please include your contact information and please remember only one comment per person please.

I'll announce the winner next week with another book review, so be sure to check back!

Book Blog Follow and Book Blogger Hop April 29

Happy Friday, Everyone!!

It's time for Book Blog Follow Friday hosted by Parajunkee.com and The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Crazy for Books!

If you're visiting for the first time, I'd love to hear from you, so please leave a comment and say hi!! :)

Colette patterns

"Sweet Valley Confidential" Review

"Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later"
by Francine Pascal

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: Mar 29, 2011

Source: sent by publicist

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:

Now with this striking new adult novel from author and creator Francine Pascal, millions of devoted fans can finally return to the idyllic Sweet Valley, home of the phenomenally successful book series and franchise. Iconic and beloved identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are back and all grown up, dealing with the complicated adult world of love, careers, betrayal, and sisterhood.

My Review:

I didn't think this book was as awful as the other reviews are making it out to be. However, the author makes really bold choices about her beloved characters, and some of the choices are bound to make long time fans angry. While the book isn't rocket science, it's the equivalent of a juicy soap opera. Lots of fluff, and all the drama you need for a relaxing afternoon read.

It's hard to say that the Wakefield twins have "grown up" but it is ten years later. Elizabeth and Jessica are still caught up in the same type of fluffy, selfish story lines we saw them in during high school. Now the residents of Sweet Valley are cheating on spouses instead of boyfriends and girlfriends. Jessica is still wildly selfish and Elizabeth is still a goody two shoes martyr. As the book itself says "Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose," which means "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

I always had a soft spot for Bruce Patman, and he comes out as the 'most changed for the better' from Sweet Valley High. Lila Fowler fans, she barely makes an appearance, much to my dismay. As for the other characters, I won't give any spoilers, but I can see how huge fans of the series who remember every detail from the books would be disappointed and saddened by the direction of some of the characters (cough...Todd...cough).

I didn't care for the New York storyline at all. Elizabeth had moved to NYC, and all of the events and characters from that part of the story seemed so irrelevant to the soapy drama happening in Sweet Valley. Readers want to know about their old favorites not disposable new characters.

Another part of the book that I didn't like was the style of font for the flashback scenes. It literally made my eyes hurt. I don't think it was a proper font for reading such long passages.

Main Characters: 2/5
Supporting Characters: 3/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 2/5
Uniqueness: 3/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 3/5

Bottom Line: An angsty, drama-filled visit back to Sweet Valley. The author made bold choices for her beloved characters that may or may not please hard-core fans.