To Know What Love Is

I don't know why
it happened.
I don't know when
it happened.

But it did.

So here I am:
     Bereft.
           Void.
                Confused.
                      Broken.

Wondering
what now?

Remembering
the way you used to look at me,
a look I haven't seen in weeks.

The way you used to hold me at night:
possessive,tender, connected.
Now we lie as two separate entities
confined to one space.

Crying.
Tears streaming down my face.
Knowing I can't change the present
but still wanting to relive the past,
the happy days.

So where is my best friend now?

He does not exist.

Somewhere along the progression of time
he died.
Reborn, this infant a complete stranger to me.

To know what love is
is also to know what love is not

And this,
this is not love.
Not anymore.

RAK Thank You Post

Two people sent me books last month through the Random Acts of Kindness program hosted by Book Soulmates, so this post is my thank you to them :)













 
Emily from Red House Books sent me a copy of Born at Midnight by C. C. Hunter. (up there ^) That's a picture of it keeping me company at work!

Laura from All of Everything also told me she was sending me a book, but she decided to keep it a surprise therefore I don't know which book it is since it hasn't arrived yet. I can't wait to find out; I love surprises! :)

To both Emily and Laura, once again: Thank You!!!

In My Mailbox & Giveaway Winner!

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren

Hi guys! I got a few books this week, thanks to the sale rack at Strand and the library :)

• Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
• The Drowning City by Amanda Downum
• The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
• La Nostra Guerra 1940-1945 by Arrigo Petacco

And the Winner of Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent is...

Entry #112: Mariee

The winner had been contacted via Twitter and email. If she does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

I loved Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent so much that I decided to gift a copy to one lucky reader!!

Here's the blurb:

By blood, by word, by magic…

     Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special— a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

     But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

     Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.

And more blood will be spilled before it's over…

Read my review: HERE

Also just a quick question (for my curiosity): To those of you who have read the book already, which Skill would you most like to have? [Traveler, Seer, Jammer, Blinder, Binder, Tracker, Reader, etc...]

Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

Title: Blood Bound (Unbound #1)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Source: Purchased; Ebook 329 pages

By blood, by word, by magic…

     Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special— a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

     But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

     Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.

And more blood will be spilled before it's over…

My Rating: 5 stars ★★★★★

My Thoughts: 

-->Yet another fabulous novel by Rachel Vincent, as well as an extremely promising start to a new series! The "Skilled" world Vincent creates in her new series, Unbound, is completely different than anything else I've ever read. In this fresh addition to the urban fantasy genre, some people have the ability to see the future, travel through shadows, track someone based on only a name or blood sample, or always know whether or not someone is lying to them. These are just a few of the dozen or so Skills a person may be lucky (or unlucky) enough to have. In a addition to that, all it takes is an oath and a drop of blood to create a bond so strong that one could die trying to break it – tattoos are no longer just aesthetic, but instead are the grim markings of a person’s pledge to another.
How does Vincent come up with stuff like this? It’s brilliant, and once again I must commend the ever-astonishing creativity of authors. I was instantly wrapped up in the story, which besides being totally unique, was jam packed with twists, turns, action, and suspense (as per usual with Vincent’s adult novels). This was one of those gripping stories that keeps you awake until four or five in the morning until you finish the book because you simply cannot put it down [I’m speaking from experience here, hehe *sly smile*]. I give Blood Bound an A+ for originality and plotline.

I also give Blood Bound an A+ for characters and character development. Liv Warren is a total kick-butt chick (very reminiscent of Faythe Sanders, for those of you who have read Vincent’s other adult series, Shifters), Cam Caballero is an adorably sexy drool-worthy dreamboat, Ruben Cavazos is one of those villains that you just loveee to hate, as well as many other interesting less prominent characters – the list goes on and on.

The only aspect of Blood Bound that wasn’t a home run was the alternating POV narration. While it was definitely necessary to have both Liv and Cam as narrators –many details were contingent upon the fact that one character knew something that the other one didn’t- the writing just didn’t flow seamlessly. I often found myself reading the first paragraph or two of a new chapter, getting confused, and then reading the same paragraphs over again realizing that the POV had switched to the other character. Hopefully this is something that will be smoother in Shadow Bound, the next installment of the series.

-->

 *Check back tomorrow for a giveaway - 

a chance to win your own copy of Blood Bound!*

Cover Musings: I really like this cover, especially the interlocking rings in the title (which ties into the story). However, I think I prefer the UK Cover

Warnings: adult (not YA); lots of violence & profanity; some sex

Next in Series: Shadow Bound

Books Like This: Stray by Rachel Vincent; Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Also just a quick question (for my curiosity): To those of you who have read the book already, which Skill would you most like to have? [Traveler, Seer, Jammer, Blinder, Binder, Tracker, Reader, etc...]

Teaser Tuesday #10

Teaser Tuesday 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!

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦

Title: The Poison Eaters and Other Stories
Author: Holly Black

"It took eighty-eight days for the venom to sweat out a person's pores. She had only thirty-seven to go. Thirty-seven days to stay so drunk that she could ignore the buzz in her head that made her want to bite, rend, devour."

-from The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

In My Mailbox - Sick Edition

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren

Hi guys!! I totally recorded a vlog yesterday this week's IMM, but I'm running a fever and too tired to edit/upload it. So I'm gonna do this the old fashioned way! I got three books this week, all borrowed from the library (since all my TBR books are at home and I'm at my dorm and I haven't had a chance to bring any here yet).

 

• The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black
• Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
• Torment by Lauren Kate