Monthly Archives: January 2011

Surprising myself

World of Perfume January 8, 2011 Comments: 25

I love surprises. So I don’t mind when I manage to surprise myself. 🙂

I know I love white flowers, especially tuberose and orange blossoms. What I wasn’t aware of is that I obviously adore tuberose as it seems I have quite many perfumes featuring that note. I wouldn’t even be aware of that if I weren’t preparing a tuberose package for a fellow blogger and stuff seemed to pop out of everywhere. Which also means I’m walking around in a tuberose cloud (making me feel happy and smiling) and as some of the tuberoses I handled are only in sample sizes, I’m considering which one I need in a bigger size (probably bottle). 🙂

And I have it! I knew the instant I smelled it, it was the first tuberose I plan on buying once I recover from my recent splurge. *

Histoires de Parfums – Tubereuse Animale! When I received their sample package some months ago, the 3 tuberoses were in it but at that time I didn’t talk about them because they were discussed on many blogs previous to that. I do plan on doing reviews on them, esepcially because I think all 3 are really good but Animale is in my opinion perfect for me.

So, basic line is, I’m a tuberose freak and I’m proud of it. Not to mention I’ll be smelling it all day long as decanting can be a messy business and I have some all over my clothes. 😀

* I have the best of friends. 🙂 My friend Branka was in Paris for only a few days and I’m incredibly grateful that she found the time to look for the bottles I wanted and now am the proud owner of – SL Boxeuses and Shalimar Ode a la Vanille.

Pic by: http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com

Stephanie Laurens: The Reckless Bride (Black Cobra Quartet)

World of Books January 6, 2011 Comments: 2

With this book ends the Black Cobra Quartet.

Before I go on, I should warn you there are going to be some major spoilers ahead because I just cannot talk about the finish of this series without it. I really thought about that and I need to get that off my chest.

Anyway, we follow the path from India of the last of the 4 couriers and this one (unfortunately for him) had the original of the letter that is supposed to reach Wolverstone. I say unfortunately because his nickname is Reckless (as is his bride obviously 😉 ) and he now can’t do anything that would be reckless and jeopardize his mission so when asked by a nice old lady (travelling with her great niece) to act as their escort, he accepts as that will of course aid him in camouflaging his mission.
So they set off by European rivers to reach Rotterdam and the English shores. Here is where you know how the love story develops. Which is in S. Laurens’ vein very well done.

Here is where I get to spoilers. As the story progresses through the books, you get the idea that 3 brothers are behind the Black Cobra criminal organization. So, imagine my surprise  when along you find out that two of them are also having a love affair. I thought, oh well, I guess that’s appropriate these days to incorporate in a romance novel as a side story.
Until this book where, what I thought by the half of the book when realization hit is, I’m so stupid for not seeing this before. 🙂 The men employed by the cult never see who is running it, only the upper echelons know and there are like 5 of them. And the name of a cobra?! I really felt stupid for not realizing sooner that the third brother is actually a sister (and btw, they are all half-siblings, sharing only a father).
It seems that only the courageous gentlemen of S. Laurens’ novels are aware of the dangers the intelligent women posess, everybody else underestimates them enormously (me included obviously). 🙂

Basic line is, it’s a typical Laurens novel (romance, intrigue, crime story, thrills…) I enjoy immensely. 🙂

Pic by: www. stephanielaurens.com

Unclaimed Christmas present

Uncategorized January 3, 2011 Comments: 4

FragrantWitch9 can you please get in touch with me so I can send you Ambre Gris, some chocolate and Melem? 🙂

100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge 2011.

Reading challenge January 1, 2011 Comments: 20

Well, the title says it all. 🙂
I don’t think I’ll be able to reach it, but if I exceed 76 from last year, I’ll be satisfied. This one is again hosted by Book Chick City and here is the sign-up page if anyone is interested in participating.

Challenge Details

•Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 – 31 Dec 2011

•Rules – Read 100 or more books in 2011

•All books can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

•Only print books and ebooks count (no audiobooks).

•You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

•You can also follow the progress others are making and chat about the VC books you read on twitter too – just use #100BooksInAYear

P.S. Turns out I read 77 books last year (I misnumbered 2 titles and ended up a book short). 🙂
Books in 2011:

1. Rachel Vincent: Stray
2. Linda Howard: Blood Bound
3. Lee Child: The Killing Floor
4. Steven Brust: Jhereg
5. Steven Brust: Yendi
6. Sean Slater: The Survivor
7. Steven Brust:: Teckla
8. Sabrina Jeffries: How to Woo a Reluctant Lady
9. Kristin Cashore: Graceling
10. Kresley Cole: Dreams of a Dark Warrior
11. Steven Brust: Taltos
12. Steven Brust: Athyra
13. Steven Brust: Phoenix
14. Steven Brust: Orca
15. Mary Balogh: A Secret Affair
16. Kelley Armstrong: The Gathering
17. Rachel Hawkins: Hex Hall
18. Lois McMaster Bujold: Shards of Honour
19. Lois McMaster Bujold: Barrayar
20. Lois McMaster Bujold: The Warrior’s Apprentice
21. Lois McMaster Bujold: The Mountains of Mourning
22. Lois McMaster Bujold: The Vor Game
23. Lois McMaster Bujold: Cetaganda
24. Lois McMaster Bujold: Labyrinth
25. Lois McMaster Bujold: The Borders of Infinity
26. Lois McMaster Bujold: Brothers in Arms
27. Lois McMaster Bujold: Mirror Dance
28. Lois McMaster Bujold: Memory
29. Rachel Hawkins: Demonglass
30. J.D Robb: Treachery in Death
31. Shelly Laurenston: Hunting season (The Gathering)
32. Mary Balogh: A Secret Affair
33. Lois McMaster Bujold: Komarr
34. William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
35. Lois McMaster Bujold: A Civil Campaign
36. Lois McMaster Bujold: Winterfair Gifts
37. Lois McMaster Bujold: Diplomatic Immunity
38. Sabrina Jeffries: Forbidden Lord
39. James Rollins: The Devil colony
40. Charlaine Harris: Dead Reckoning
41. Sabrina Jeffries: The Dangerous Lord
42. Lee Child: Die Trying
43. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone
44. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
45. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
46. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire
47. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix
48. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Half-blood Prince
49. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
50. Stephanie Laurens: Four in Hand
51. Sabrina Jeffries: A Hellion in Her Bed
52. Stephanie Laurens: The Reasons for Marriage
53. James Rollins: The Skeleton Key (novella)
54. JD Robb: Indulgence in Death
55. Tess Gerritsen: The Silent Girl
56. Suzanne Enoch: Stolen Kisses
57.Stephanie Laurens: Rose in Bloom (a novella)
58. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone
59. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
60. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
61. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire
62. MJ Rose: In Session
63. J. Quinn: Just Like Heaven
64. Melissa Darnell: Crave
65. Nalini Singh: Lord of the Abyss
66. Kasey Michaels: A Midsummer Night’s Sin
67. Tom Knox: The Lost Goddess
68. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and The Order of Phoenix
69. John W. Dean: Worse than Watergate : The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush
70. Ines de la Fressange: Parisian Chic
71. Mark A. Noll, ed.: Religion and American Politics
72. J. Butler, G. Wacker; R. Balmer: Religion in American Life
73. Timothy J. Lynch : After Bush: The Case for Continuity in American Foreign Policy
74. Scott McLellan: What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
75.  J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
76. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
77.  J.R.R. Tolkien: The Hobbit
78. STEPHEN MANSFIELD: The Faith Of George Bush
79. Deborah Harkness: A Discovery of Witches
80. John W. Dean: Broken Government
81. PC and Kristen Cast: Awakened (House of Night)

Reading challenges of 2010.

Reading challenge January 1, 2011 Comments: 2

Last year was the first one where I actually took stock of what and how much I read, all due to the fact that I participated in several reading challenges, as I will this year as well.

I honestly believed I’d read  a 100 books a year which proved to be wrong as I only got as far as 76. I probably could hit a bigger number next year if I could force myself not to abandon some books in the middle of reading them (as then, they never count, you need to start and finish the book in the same year if you want it to count in a challenge).
I don’t think I’ll hit 100 this year but I will give it my best. 🙂

As I have a pretty good idea of the books I read, I knew that participating in the Speculative fiction challenge wouldn’t be a problem and it wasn’t. I participated as obsessed and read more than the necessary 24 books. 🙂 So, I’ll repeat that this year as well.

The Thriller and Suspense challenge I almost finished, I only needed one more book but that’s not so bad.

There were some other challenges throughout the year that lasted a season (Hogwarts, Summer reading challenge and Summer Romance challenge) of which I only finished the Hogwarts one (how surprising). 😉
Which I will probably finish this year as well what with the final movie hitting the cinemas and being addicted to those books as well. 🙂

Anyway, I hope you all have a good year in reading and I wonder how will I do by the end of this one.

The Vampire Chronicles Reading Challenge 2011.

Reading challenge January 1, 2011 Leave a comment

I know many of  my readers actually read only posts reagrding perfume  and not so much about books, but reading is such a big part of my life and what makes me deal with stress that I just feel it will never go away.
So, this year I decided again to participate in several reading challenges and one of them is this one. 🙂

I already read The Vampire Chronicles (and the Mayfair witches as well) but as it’s been a while and prompted by my re-reading of Anita Blake, I figured it was time to re-read this as well.

So, I’m happily participating in this one hosted by Book Chick City and here are the rules and the link to the sign-up page:

•Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 – 31 Dec 2011

•Rules – Read all TEN (10) books in the Vampire Chronicles series (books titles below).

•The reading challenge can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

•You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

•You can also follow the progress other people made and chat about the VC books you read on twitter too – just use #VampireChronicles2011 🙂

Books in Series Order:

1.Interview with the Vampire

2.The Vampire Lestat

3.The Queen of the Damned

4.The Tale of the Body Thief

5.Memnoch the Devil

6.The Vampire Armand

7.Merrick

8.Blood and Gold

9.Blackwood Farm

10.Blood Canticle

 
Btw, I just have to say if anyone saw the movie Interview with the Vampire with Tom Cruise playing Lestat, you probably have the wrong idea of what Lestat is like and I urge you to read the book (or even better several of them). 🙂