Amazon's Newest Feature: The Kindle Cloud Reader

Okay so today is the first day I've not only found this on Amazon, but the first day I'm testing it out.

Okay so first thing I notice is that they intergraded the Home ebooks with the Archived. Another thing is that you can seamlessly increase and decrease the size of the view for books, which I found very helpful (ie - less scrolling!).

You can also either have it as cover or a list for the way you view it at the home page.

Here is an example of what a book opened and being read looks like in the web page Kindle Cloud format:

Overall, this is a nice touch from Amazon in the way Kindle is use, so I may use it in the near future.

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'Every Wrong Road' by Liese Pfeuffer Semans

“You asked me not to judge you by your past. The truth is I judge you more by my own.”

After Katie witnesses her mother's tragic murder, she is uprooted from her life in upstate New York and forced to live with an estranged aunt. When she arrives in Seaside Heights, NewJersey, she meets Joseph Bruglia, a boy whose sordid past leaves him uncomfortably wedged between the mistakes that haunt him and his new-found religion. When they first meet it isn't necessarily love at first sight. Through trial and error, they learn to see the beauty in each other. However, it will take harsh reality and divine intervention before they can see the beauty within themselves. - inkpop.com
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This novel in progress looks promising. The writer has surely set herself up to write a beautiful story. I have yet to read it but I figured since it looks so good, I had to share it with the rest of my blog readers.

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The Other Corner

This post is here to take a time out from books and discuss other things. This week I'll be discussing a really cool new add-on for The Sims 3.

The new add-on is called "Hidden Springs". It's entirely new world that the company had made for the simmers!

There you can explore new places, meet new sims, even find a supply of water located mysteriously that when your sims drinks, they will be forever young!

• A Whole New World Awaits - Meet new Sims, explore new locations, and become forever young when you discover the mysterious healing powers of Hidden Springs. 

• Become Forever Young - Will your Sims uncover the curious magical properties of Hidden Springs? Explore the World and you might discover rejuvenating waters, drink from the Fountain of Youth and your Sims wishes just might come true.

• Explore New Locations - Hidden Springs is full of all-new locations, lots, and venues. Where will your adventures take you?
  • Mingle with the social elites at the Redwood Heights Luxury Lodge.
  • Experience true balance and well being as you bask in the ambiance of the Crystal Solarium Rejuvenating Waters.
  • Take imagination to another dimension of fun and fairy mischief at Fairyfolk Park.
  • Or, head to the Silver Zephyr Health Spa to discover world renowned techniques in the fields of health and beauty. 

• Exclusive New Items - Customize your game with dozens of all-new exclusive objects, clothing and hair that are only available with Hidden Springs. 

• All-New Sims and Stories - An exclusive retreat for the rich and the famous? Or a mysterious World with curious healing powers? Whatever the answer, one thing is certain: the Sims you meet in Hidden Springs will have all-new stories that are out of this World. 

• The Sims 3 Hidden Springs will be available August 25th at The Sims 3 Store.

- EA: Hidden Springs

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Wish List #2: Books I Want for 2012

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all? - Goodreads.com

Cate Cahill and her sisters are considered eccentric bluestockings—a little odd, a little unfashionable, and far too educated for their own good. The truth is more complicated; they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it could mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave. Before their mother died, she entrusted Cate with keeping them safe and keeping everyone, including their father, in the dark about their powers. When her father employs a governess and Cate begins to receive notes from her missing, presumed-mad godmother, her task becomes much more difficult. As Cate searches for answers in banned books and rebellious new friends, she must juggle unwanted proposals, tea parties, and an illicit attraction to the new gardener. Cate will do anything to protect her sisters, but at what cost to herself? - Goodreads.com

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's... - Goodreads.com

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'Cinder' by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling. - Goodreads.com

Release Date: January 3rd, 2012
Publishers: Feiwel & Friends
Hardcover: 400 Pages
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Aftre the cover caught my attention, I knew I had to see what this was about. I'm a nursing student so the  fact alone about the bone structure of this woman's leg reeled me in. But WOW! This looks so cool! The idea of cyborgs and a future that resembles nothing like our current world really is inviting.

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'Compeer' by edellune

I was born for him. He was born to kill.

Everybody was different for a reason, but I never would have guessed that my reason was him.

As the princess of Lumaria I was always expected to act as such, but not even the heavy fabric of the fancy gowns and the excessive sparkle of the expensive jewels could hide the fact that I looked nothing like a Lumarian. Where people of the kingdom normally had light hair, light eyes, and light skin, I had dark everything. With hair blacker than night, eyes the color of mud, and cinnamon-tinted skin, I was labeled an abomination—a freak—and for that reason, I had always been a prisoner in my own castle, kept behind indestructible walls.

Or so they seemed.

One day my walls came crashing down—literally. Our castle was attacked by an army from Vittoris, a kingdom known for its prowess in war, and I knew that we could not win. Led by its vampire prince and his friends, the Vittorialites infiltrated our city. I was sure that death was the only option, so when they demanded only one thing in return for their mercy, I was all-too willing to hear what it was.

I never would have guessed that the answer would be me.

So, by some cruel twist of Fate, my captor became my liberator, and by the same cruel twist of Fate, my liberator became my captor. Obviously, Fate had an odd sense of humor.

And that is where this story begins.

Inkpop.com: edellune

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It is currently one of the top YA fiction pieces at inkpop.com and is all about fantasy and intrigue of a world that is set in royal times. It surely is one to check out this August. And since it is an inkpop.com piece, it is regularly updated with new chapters by the writer. So check back in to their page every so often to get more of the story and what happens to our leading lady.

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Book Review: 'The Walking Dead, Vol. 1'

An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months, society has crumbled: There is no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. Rick Grimes finds himself one of the few survivors in this terrifying future. A couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never fired a shot and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family, he must now sort through all the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally begin living. - Goodreads

Title: Days Gone By (Vol. #1)
Series: The Walking Dead
Author: Robert Kirkman
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: September 26th 2006
Format: Paperback
Pages: 144 pages
Genre: Graphic Novel
Sub-Genre: Horror
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

I finished reading this back around April of this year. It is not exactly like the television version with the same name. Though it starts out like it does in the show, it goes a completely different way by the 2nd volume.

However, this is an amazing graphic novel series! Kirkman did a fascinating job with the way he spent time focusing on the characters rather than the undead. It's not the type of read for just anyone, but it really is worth a read, once.

I feel if you already have seen the show or haven't yet and wish to, then you should pick up a copy because it'll help fill in those gaps or answer questions that the show hasn't yet. It surely helped make sense as to HOW everything played out; where as in the show they kind of went a different route that from what I've read in articles and seen on the preview for the new season, they are going back to the comic series story line.

So now is a good time to jump on the bandwagon for the graphic novel series.

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Wish List #1

 As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too. Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion. Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past-- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone-- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen it's next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is. Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry. - Amazon.com

Lena Haloway is content in her safe, government-managed society. She feels (mostly) relaxed about the future in which her husband and career will be decided, and looks forward to turning 18, when she’ll be cured of deliria, a.k.a. love. She tries not to think about her mother’s suicide (her last words to Lena were a forbidden “I love you”) or the supposed “Invalid” community made up of the uncured just beyond her Portland, Maine, border. There’s no real point—she believes her government knows how to best protect its people, and should do so at any cost. But 95 days before her cure, Lena meets Alex, a confident and mysterious young man who makes her heart flutter and her skin turn red-hot. As their romance blossoms, Lena begins to doubt the intentions of those in power, and fears that her world will turn gray should she submit to the procedure. In this powerful and beautifully written novel, Lauren Oliver, the bestselling author of Before I Fall, throws readers into a tightly controlled society where options don’t exist, and shows not only the lengths one will go for a chance at freedom, but also the true meaning of sacrifice. - Amazon.com

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams. As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear. And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul. - Amazon.com

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“Haunting the Night" (Free ebook!)

Charlotte Silver has been through hell. Her mom’ s in a coma. She may have caused the death of a young man. And now her friend Avery wants her to tackle going to Prom? Not going to happen, even if she is dying to spend some alone time with her boyfriend, Noah. Instead, Charlotte needs to find some answers to a few nagging questions—why was her family attacked? Will her mother survive? And is there a creature from the Other Side coming for her? Soon enough, Charlotte's search for the truth becomes a race against time. But she may just find the sign she's been looking for all along....

An ebook exclusive Past Midnight series novella.
FREE Novella! Mara Purnhagen

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Free eBooks

Rae Wilder Novels: Book One. Rae Wilder has problems. Supernatural creatures swarm the earth, and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Stalked by a handsome fairy who claims she is like him, demonkind, Rae thinks maybe it was a mistake breaking the rules by going over the Wall into demon territory. Plunged into a world of dark magics, fierce creatures, and ritual sacrifice, she is charged with a guarding a magical amulet. The changes to her mind and body are startling, but rather than accept her purpose she struggles against who she is destined to be. Throw in a big lust for a vampire who can't keep his hands off her, and life starts to get complicated. Rae is forced to make the ultimate choice: to live and die human, or embrace her birth-right and wield magics that could turn her into something wicked, a force of nature nothing can control.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/26282

Lauren Holbrook has found her life's calling: matchmaking for the romantically challenged. And with the eclectic cast of characters in her world, there's tons of potential to play "connect the friends." Inspired by the recent success of matching her sister and new husband, Lauren sets out to introduce Nick, her carefree singles' pastor, to Ruby, her neurotic coworker who plans every second of every day. What could possibly go wrong? Just about everything. When Lauren's foolproof plan begins to unravel, she learns that a simple introduction between friends can bring about complicated results. And as she reconsiders her new role as Cupid (as well as her vow to stay single forever), will Lauren finally decide that God's plan is always good enough?

http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Match-Lauren-Holbrook-ebook/dp/B001E5C7S8/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004XDYXN0/kindleo-20

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