Today's books on sale include a YA title that's been made into a somewhat-poorly-reviewed movie, and a romance by Beverly Jenkins, who is more-than-somewhat awesome.
This book was made into a movie starring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer, and it received some not-stupendous reviews. I admit to being curious, mostly because Mary-Kate Olsen plays the witch who curses the douchebag popular guy into becoming a beast.
This book is currently $1.99 digitally, and likely that price will go back up very soon.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright — a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever — ruined — unless I can break the spell. Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me.
Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | iBooks
This book is currently $2.99 digitally, and I think the price will go up soon. Beverly Jenkins, if you've never read her books, is a superb historical romance writer. (And I also want you to know that this is one of the very few man titty covers that worked on me. I did a double take when I saw this one.)
Outlaw. Preacher. Night Hawk.
He's had many names, but he can't escape the past. Since Ian Vance's beloved wife was murdered years ago, the hardened bounty hunter know she'll never feel love or tenderness again, so he's made it his mission to ensure others get their justice. But when he's charged with delivering a sharp-eyed beauty to the law, Ian can't help but feel he may still have something left to lose.
Orphaned at twelve, Maggie Freeman has always found her way out of trouble. But now there's a vigilante mob at her back who would like nothing more than to see her hang for a crime she didn't commit. Maggie may have to accept help for the first time in her life . . .even if it's from the one man standing between her and freedom.
As the past closes in, the sassy prisoner and toughened lawman may just find a passion between them that could bring blinding happiness . . . if they'll let it.
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | iBooks
I've featured this deal before, but I noticed it was still valid so I thought I'd remind y'all – it's $2.99 digitally. I liked this book, though I struggled with some of the magical realism. The next book in the series, Crystal Cove, comes out 3 February 2013.
Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington. She is stunned and blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal: her fiancé Kevin has left her. His new lover is Lucy’s own sister. Lucy's bitterness over being dumped is multiplied by the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life.
Facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's parents, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on San Juan Island, to “romance” Lucy and hopefully loosen her up and get her over her anger. Complications ensue when Sam and Lucy begin to fall in love, Kevin has second thoughts, and Lucy discovers that the new relationship in her life began under false pretenses.
Questions about love, loyalty, old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings are explored as Lucy learns that some things in life—even after being broken—can be made into something new and beautiful.
I read Beastly about a million years ago, and it is much better than the movie. I will say that Mary Kate as the witch was the best part of the entire movie.
I’ve not read Beastly (or watched the movie despite it popping up on my On Demand all the time) but I did read Flinn’s A Kiss In Time which is based on Sleeping Beauty. I usually don’t read many YA but needed a book to read for a children’s lit class. It was pretty good, but not great. I didn’t make a strong connection to it but I could lay the blame for that with the fact that I was reading several books at a time, with some of them being titles like The History of Elementary Mathematics and Zero: A Biography of a Dangerous Idea. For $1.99 I will probably buy it just so I can read it to know if it would be worth reccommending to students. Maybe this one will do more for me since I’m not so distracted now.
I watched Beastly. My one-line review was “Only circumstances under which one should watch this movie are when 1. kidnapped and locked in a room, or 2. locked on an intercontinental plane flight.”
For those who were worried, I was in situation 2, which is marginally better. And this was before I had a kindle, so I was out of reading material and desperate to distract myself (can’t sleep on planes). Watching Beastly was probably slightly better than staring at the headrest in front of me for two hours.
The book does sound better. In particular, it sounds like he was actually turned into a monster, instead of just a dude with some face tattoos.
Hurray for man titty! (And yes, I loved the inside of the Night Hawk book as well. LOL)
I bought Beastly last week and just finished reading it! I hate Alex Pettyfer so I’ll probably never see the movie, but I thought the book was good. I’ve read some of Flinn’s other work and liked it.
Beastly was pretty good! I didn’t even know there was a movie, but I think I’ll pass it up.
Oof, I didn’t like Beastly or anything else Flinn has written. I always like her concepts and approach towards fairy tales but then I read the books and end up disappointed (often hurling the book against a wall) so now I don’t even try. The movie was atrocious.
I AM excited for Jane Nickerson’s Strands of Bronze and Gold which is coming out in March. Its a retelling of the Bluebeard tale and man, is it good.
Dear cover model of Night Hawk, whomever you may be:
Young man, you are making me rethink my disdain for beefcake covers and, er, waxed chests. Come tell me all about your handcuffs (and explain to me how your shirt is both tucked in and unbuttoned).
Bahaha! The Night Hawk cover made me think of Harry Dresden. All the man in the cover needs are silver pentacle and staff.