Bloodlines --> Worth reading until the very last line

Game changer!  That's the only way I can describe the last four words of BLOODLINES.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it.  Sure the book is about Sydney and Jill trying to cope with all the changes in their lives at Amberwood Prep but it's the relationships outside of school that we want to know about.  How does Adrian fit in?  Is Eddie going to play a role?  Will Sydney and Jill break out of their shells?  How will this series play out?  If the last line is any indication, fabulously...

Here is my review, courteous of Romance Junkies...

Title: Bloodlines
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: August 23, 2011
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4

Sydney Sage’s life was turned upside down when she decided to help Rose Hathaway while she was stationed in Russia. Now she has a chance to redeem herself by protecting the Moroi queen’s sister, Jill Dragomir. However, keeping her alive is the least of Sydney’s problems. Who said high school would be easier the second time around?

Sydney Sage’s life as an Alchemist has completely changed since returning from Russia after “assisting” Rose Hathaway. Although she was absolved of any wrongdoing, some have labeled her a vampire lover. As an Alchemist, she is supposed to be a human observer who protects humans from the vampires. The Alchemists also have a deep dislike for vampires which test Sydney’s loyalties. Imagine her surprise when she is told her next assignment is not only to guard a Moroi but Jill Dragomir, the sister of the reigning Queen. They are sent to Palm Springs, the most unlikely place to find a Moroi and Alchemist in hopes of preventing any further assassination attempts and enrolled in Amberwood Prep. However, Sydney soon learns that fitting in can be just as deadly as surviving a stake to the heart.

BLOODLINES is the spin-off series to Ms. Mead’s popular VAMPIRE ACADEMY series. With a mixture of old and new characters, she brings back Sydney taking center stage. She has a lot of issues to work through and deal with. Even though she doesn’t regret her decision to help Rose, it has complicated her life by crippling her career and ostracizing her. Her spirit is crushed by her father, her sister and even by herself. It isn’t until she is at Amberwood and free from the Alchemists, her family and around people who aren’t linked to her past that she becomes alive. The mystery is a bit contrived but it does move the overall storyline for the book. However, there is an bigger picture that Ms. Mead always has for her books and BLOODLINES is no exceptions. If nothing else, the last four words will TOTALLY be worth it for any fan. Talk about a curve ball!!! I cannot wait for THE GOLDEN LILY.

Michele Bardsley Never Again

I've always had a soft spot for Michele Bardsley's books. I jumped at the chance to review her new NEVERMORE series with the first book NEVER AGAIN. I mean how was she going to get Lucinda "Lucy" Rackmore together with her ex-brother-in-law Gray Calhoun after her sister tried to kill him. However, I had faith in her writing skills after reading and devouring her BROKEN HEART series. I was not disappointed and am just sad because now I have TWO series that I'm having to wait for. :(

This is my complete review courtesy of Romance Junkies.

http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/paranormal/Wizards_of_Nevermore_Never_Again.shtml

Title:  Wizards of Nevermore: Never Again

Category:  Paranormal

Reviewer:  Ann

Reviewer Email:  ann@romancejunkies.com

Author: Michele Bardsley

Publisher:  Signet Eclipse

Release Date:  March 1, 2011

ISBN Number:  9780451232755

Author Homepage:  http://www.michelebardsley.com/

Blue Ribbon Rating:  4

Format:  PRINT  

Lucinda “Lucy” Rackmore is desperate.  Why else would she throw herself at the last man who would ever want her: her ex-brother-in-law, the man her sister tried to kill?

Lucinda “Lucy” Rackmore is in trouble.  Running away from a vengeful ex-lover, her only recourse is to seek protection from the last person who would ever help her, Gray Calhoun, her sister’s ex-husband, the Guardian and Protector of Nevermore.  Gray is stunned by Lucy’s proposition and throws her out without a second thought.  However, when he finds her suffering from a curse after trying to save a stranger, his heart starts to melt a little and he proposes a marriage of convenience in order to protect Lucy from harm.  As these two learn to live together, bodies start turning up dead and Lucy’s ex is coming for her.  Can Gray save her or will lightning strike twice with another sister to finish the job?

NEVER AGAIN is a story that brings the ordinary and magical together in the small town of Nevermore.  Lucy is a battered soul but she has plenty of grit.  She pulls herself by the bootstraps and continues to barrel on no matter what people think about her.  Her tears of frustration hide a backbone of steel that would break a lesser man.  Gray comes off as selfish but I think he is hurt from Lucy’s sister’s betrayal.  He is afraid of opening up because that means he can get hurt again.  With Lucy it’s different which spooks the heck out of him.  The secondary characters are a mixture of mundane and magical will be expanded upon as the series progresses.  Although many readers may want to draw comparisons to Ms. Bardsley’s BROKEN HEARTS series, I would say it’s completely different.  WIZARDS OF NEVERMORE is layered with darker undertones.  I expect great things and can’t wait for the next book.

Nirvana Grille - Laguna Beach

Thank goodness Restaurant Week is FINALLY OVER!! I don't think my arteries could take it anymore. :)

An, Vini, Jeannette and I decided to go to the Nirvana Grille in Laguna Beach over the one in Mission Viejo. Originally we wanted to go early at 5 pm and do the community tables since all of the reservations were booked and these tables were "supposedly" open to the public. However, they was a private party that booked the tables. That should have been a warning sign but they called and told us they could squeeze us in but the reservation block was only for a 1:15 hr block. Uhmm. Really? who can eat a 3 course in that much time on a Saturday night? Well if they can get food service out then okay we went ahead and booked it but we should have seen the bad karma to come. :(

We made it in plenty of time and had to wait a little for our table. The restaurant was quite busy and was actually promoting a play nearby. When we ordered the waiter was quite pushy about getting our order from the menu that we didn't really have time to ponder our choices figuring we would get our 1 hr 15 min limit. We got our bread and butter (not as good as the other 2 reviewed restaurants). AK tried to order Ginger Beer and the waiter said they didn't have it. (she later got it at WF) I mean really couldn't they have restocked? I tried to order the strawberry lemonade. I got regular lemonade and didn't once get offered a refill. it was very bad service. Each drink they asked for winded up being a canned product.: Promegranate Green Tea Soda turned out to be a Hansen Green Tea and White Green Tea was a Ikko White Green Tea.

My appetizer (left) was the Chilean Mussels with Thyme Fries. It was stringed fries and almost looked exactly like Jeannette's (right) Portuguese Clams except hers had bread instead of fries. My sauce was creamy without the wine with shallots.

For my entree I ordered the Blackened Jumbo Prawns. After all of the protein from the previous restaurants, I figured seafood would be okay. The wait time between the appetizer and the entree did seem a bit long and we did remark that we wouldn't make the 1:15 mark that they gave us. I wasn't facing the manager so I didn't notice much of what was happening. When the entree arrived, the polenta did taste creamy. The girls said the starches were overwhelmingly rich and the protein was salty and I had to agreed. The carbs had a lot of butter and cream, not that I mind but it was a bit heavy. The salt was heavy handed for our taste buds and even in combination, it just didn't work well. Maybe the cooks were overwhelmed with the orders, I don't know but it was just too much.

Jumbo Blackened Prawns Jumbo Sea Scallop Butternut Squash & Portobello Mushroom

For dessert I got the Darken Molten Cake and it came fresh and hot out of the oven. The cream melted and formed a pool in the middle of the bundt. Vini and AK got the ice cream trio of Vanilla Bean, Goat Cheese Maple and Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet and Jeanette had the Grand Marnier Seasonal Fruit (Pineapple) Served over the Goat Cheese Maple Ice Cream.

So while we were finishing up our meal, the waiter brings us the check and we start to figure out the check. We are in the middle of everything and have to wait for change when the manager goes: we need your table. WTF? We go, we need change. Hello, if you MANAGED OR LOOKED AT YOUR STAFF better you would realize that you have a full house and that they are working to try and get change. Instead this guy is giving us the evil eye like we are holding his " precious table" hostage like the ring in LOTR. I mean really guy, if he was a true manager, he would be helping his staff with the register instead of working the podium like a dictator. I think his comment was the straw that broke the camel's back. I was excited to go to LB to try new foods but I guess $ can't buy class. That's sad because the people do seem nice but they were really overworked for Restaurant Week. It would have been nice to try it in a not so busy setting but I doubt I'll come again.

Ruth's Chris Steak House

Lauren and I decided to go to Ruth's Chris for Restaurant Week after looking at the menu. Having never been to it before I was like 'What the heck' even though I was still having nightmares of my death harrowing adventures from the Island Hotel. After much consternation, we made our reservation for 7:30 pm and our adventure began.

We actually arrived at Ruth's Chris at the same time. However, the one in Anaheim has NO PARKING. We had to valet ($4 not including tip) but sadly they don't validate unlike The Island Hotel. We actually arrived at 7:10 and thought we would actually be seated early but instead we had to wait almost 1/2 an hr to be seated. WTH!! What irritated us the most was that people who arrived later got to go in before us. I wonder if their reservation was earlier and they just arrived late?

By the time we got in, we had a very nice hostess by the name of Ailee who really helped us through the menu and guided us. She explained all the options and helped us choose what we wanted. The bread came out so warm that the steam was still rising from the bread and the butter was so soft but not melted. It was a close 2nd to the Palm Terrace Sourdough Ciabatta.

The Ruth's Jumbo Chopped Salad was probably the largest salad I've ever had for a fixed menu. It was even larger than an appetizer salad. It wasn't too creamy although I could have probably done away with the olives. I did ask them not to put the raw onions but the crispy onions on top were a nice touch.

I ordered the 6 oz. Filet and the Shrimp (3 of them) and along with the Garlic Mashed Potatoes. It was supposed to come out Medium Rare but since it is cooked at "1000" and put on a 500 degree plate, it cooked longer than I prefered. Lauren got the Sauteed Mushrooms thinking they would be the sliced.

We jokingly called them the Mounds of Hell or the Fungus among us. You be the judge:



Sauteed Mushrooms



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally we had the dessert of Chocolate cake with Haagan Daz Vanilla Ice Cream and Rasberry Coulis Glaze. Essentially it tasted like a stale Chocolate cupcake or a Ding Dong. :)

Would I go again? Probably but not during Restaurant Week. The menu we chose is available regularly and is comparable to what was available during RW. The parking is terrible and the wait was long considering we had reservations. However, I did like our hostess so I would try it again.







Palm Terrace and Chocolate Bar

On Friday, I went to the Park Terrace Restaurant for dinner with my friends: Linda, Sam and Lauren. The ONLY reason we went was to try their Chocolate Bar. Now we could have paid the $18 for the bar but well, why when the appetizer and entree would give us the free bar.

In hindsight, I'm glad we didn't pay for the Chocolate Bar. It wasn't worth the $18 b/c it was only one table. Even though it was the "all-you-can-eat" buffet, honestly I wouldn't have paid $18 for it. I think it was because I was full from dinner.

Let me go a step back and go from the beginning:
I must say their version of sourdough bread and mushroom spread was wonderful. Their bread was warm but not too tangy and really good. The spread was tangy but light and a great alternative to the butter. It was probably the first time I didn't even think about the butter.

My first course was the Macaroni and Cheese made with elbow macaroni, Talaggio cheese, crushed truffles and a Parmesan Tuile. It came in a dish that reminded me of the Large Egg from Mork and Mindy. (It has since been pointed out that the dish looks quite unusual. Can you guess what it is? LOL :oP) Just a hint more cheese would have been perfect but it was still good although I didn't taste the truffles. I'm glad I didn't get the tartare though b/c it was the amount of soda can lid which isn't much or filling.

My entree was the the Prime Beef Short Ribs. I was pondering the fish but I thought meat b/c I can always take it home if I wanted to. It was described as sous vide for 48 hrs in rum and pepper for 48 hrs and put on a potato puree and Irvine Ranch Vegetables. Sous Vide is a method of cooking food in a water bath at a low temp while still maintaining the ingredients integrity like a slow braise. The meat was very tender and hearty though sweet. I did take some home because I wanted the dessert. LOL

And then my adventure home. Although I did have my navigator on, I missed the turn on Jamboree and wound up on the access road on East Bluff road. It was so tight, I could not make a U-turn so I just had to take the windy, rainy road cliff side until I made my way back to Jamboree. It was the longest 3 miles ever and I thought I was never going to make it. I kept thinking one wrong turn and I would fall go off the cliff into the ocean and no one would know. Thankfully I made it home in one piece.

Ipad, Xoom, Atrix 4G or laptop???

So another year, another month of OT.

I've decided I'm going to splurge but instead of clothes or purses, I am thinking of electronics. Wierdo that I am, any clothes or girly thing will just wind up in my closet.

An Ipad2 (price TBA) looks sexy to me... The Xoom may be too expensive though. They say it may be $799 but I'm thinking it's the 3G version. The Atrix 4G looks intriguing but it's an Android phone. hhhmmm...

Finally, I could settle for a laptop. It has all of the function but none of the pizazz or sexiness. I want to be fiscally responsible BUT at the same time why can't I be able to buy something for me for a change. I don't ever enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Decisions, decisions....

Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy

I actually have to say that I have been so lucky to read and review pretty much every book by Ms. Mead except for the anthologies. I remember picking up Succubus Blues on a whim from our book list and being instantly transported by Ms. Mead's storytelling. I never once thought of Georgina as a succubus but really as a person with problems. Hers were just a "wee" bit different than ours.

When I started the Vampire Academy series, it was very different than the other "young adult" books out there. Rose wasn't this needy teenager waiting to be saved. She could probably kick most of our butts with her hands tied behind her back. Yet she still had this wish to be a normal teenager and eventually a young woman with someone to love her. However, she knows that duty and real life would never let her have that. In a way, her self sacrifice is all she will ever do. One of the few people who understood that was Dmitri almost all to well....

Through the years, I've been continually amazed how Ms. Mead has built and expanded the VA storyline without compromise. She gave Lissa and Rose this steadfast bond where they are always there for each other through thick and thin. Friends like that are difficult to come by and they are even more precious to find after reading SPIRIT BOUND. I'm kind of sad to see it all end in LAST SACRIFICE but I'm curious to see what the spin-off will be about.

Here's my review courtesy of ROMANCE JUNKIES. (wow this is my longest post yet) :):)



Title: Vampire Academy 5: Spirit Bound
Category: Paranormal
Reviewer: Ann
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4.5


Rose and Lissa are preparing for graduation but their real lives are about to begin. Dmitri is still out there and waiting for Rose. Will love conquer all or will he succeed in killing her?

Rose is back at St. Vladimir's and ready to take the final test to become a Guardian before graduation. She should be happy but all she can think about is that Dmitri is still out there and gunning for her. But Rose has plans of her own for him which includes Lissa and possible help from her enemy, Victor Dashkov. Will she succeed in turning Dmitri back into a dhampir or will he kill her first before she has a chance?

SPIRIT BOUND continues Rose and Lissa's adventures into adulthood. Rose is mature beyond her years but her weakness are still Lissa and Dmitri. Yet she can act childish and brash when it comes to them because she often jumps into situations without thinking through the consequences and how it will affect other people. Lissa becomes quite a force while remaining Rose's staunchest supporter and confidant. Oh Dmitri is a bad, bad man but delicious as always but Adrian is no slouch either. I have my personal preference of who she should be with but Rose's feeling for each man are very heartfelt yet different. It will be intriguing to see who she will wind up with. There are plenty of twists and turns in SPIRIT BOUND that are unexpected that I think I dropped the book a couple of times because I couldn't believe some of the twists that were unfolding. The finale is set and I cannot wait for the LAST SACRIFICE.