Saturday, February 28, 2009

Countdown to Angels' Blood: Devon Monk - Magic in the Blood ARC

Winner: The random numbers chose Fatima as the winner! Fatima, please email me at nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com.

3 days to go till the release of ANGELS' BLOOD! Here's what Brie, one of the winners of the ARC contest, had to say about it:

For those who like their UF to have a little romance, this one fits the bill. Elena and Raphael have chemistry for days and their relationship has a slow, tantalizing build with a payoff that makes it worth the wait...Angel's Blood was an excellent first entry in the Guild Hunter series. All around satisfying. I'm eagerly anticipating Angel's Kiss.
Today's countdown prize is an ARC of Devon Monk's Magic in the Blood, the follow-up to her debut urban fantasy, Magic to the Bone.

Here's the blurb (from the author's website):
"Magic stirred in me, offering whatever I wanted. With little more than a thought and a gesture or two, I could make magic do anything. So long as I was willing to pay the price..."

Allison Beckstrom knows better than most that when magic's involved, nothing is free. She's had to pay its price of migraines and forgetfulness while working as a Hound, tracing illegal spells back to their casters. And even though magic has stolen her recent memory--including her history with the man she supposedly fell in love with--Allie isn't about to give up on Hounding or the city she cares about.

Then the police's magic enforcement division asks her to consult on what seems to be a straightforward missing-persons case. What begins as a way to make rent leads Allie into grave danger when the trail she's following draws her into the dark underworld of criminals, ghosts, and blood magic. There, Allie discovers it will take more than just magic to survive....
Doesn't it sound fantastic?! Magic in the Blood releases May 5, and you can read more about it on Devon Monk's website.

To enter to win, just leave a comment with your answer to this question:
Do you think breaking the spine of a book is part of reading or is it sacrilege?

80 comments :

Ashley said...

well, it is sometimes part of the reading but I hate to do it sooo much. I love my books to look hardly read at all, because they last longer lol

Chris said...

I am excellent at not breaking the spines. I didn't think I was anal until I realized that I didn't want to lend books to a particular spine-breaking friend anymore...

Marnie said...

I don't like the spine broken.

Anonymous said...

I don't break spines and have a fit when a book I've loaned is treated that way.

orannia said...

Sacre bleu! Breaking spines is complete sacriledge in my book (LOL) but then I'm rather...pedantic...about dog earing the corners. There are actually very few people I lend books too becauase I spend the whole time the book is 'out' worrying about the state it will come back in. The people I lend my books too know about my 'issue' and take extra special care :)

Anonymous said...

*SHUDDER* Breaking the spine is oh so very wrong. As is dog-earring a page as a bookmark.

MaryK said...

sacrilege!

azteclady said...

Part of reading.

I mean, really, I try *not* to, but sometimes there is no way to read the book unless you pull the sides apart and... well, the spine breaks.

To minimize these sad events, I never loan books.

*shrug* What? I'm protective of my babies.

FD said...

It may happen, but I don't do it on purpose. I like it when my books stay as pristine as possible, although I'm not obsessive about it.

Haylo said...

I try not to break the spines, but in the course of reading it usually happens. I hate having to try to read without pulling the pages wide and when you do that, well usually the spine does crack. I believe books are for reading and handling so it doesn't really bother me. I have about 500 keeper books and I just replace them when they get really bad.

Anonymous said...

Depends on the book. The super-special, antique, or autographed books generally don't get read and they're not loaned out. I usually have a second copy that can be read and re-read as much as I want. If the spine breaks on those, it's not the end of the world; I can always buy another copy.

Anonymous said...

Definately a scarilege!!!! I also never turn down the corners of the book or lay the book open, down. I would kill my kids if they ever did that to my books...hehe!!!

Valerie
valb0302@yahoo.com

VampFanGirl said...

Sacrilege. I always handle my books carefully.

Amy C said...

I'm not a spine-creaser! No can do :).

Anonymous said...

I really don't like when the spine is broken and I'm pretty good at reading without breaking it. But there are some books I've read so many times that it just happens.

Mandi said...

I don't like the spine broken. If friends borrow books, I used to not say anything if they come back broken, but now I mention to be gentle. Good thing they love me :)

Leslie said...

Sacrilege. :) I try very hard not to break the spine of a book since it might be a book that I want to add to my keeper shelf.

twalls said...

Totally sacrilege. That's the main reason I don't like anyone else to read my books. Creases on the spine drive me crazy!

Gail Leinweber said...

I try to avoid breaking spines, I don't want my beloved books hurt. On the other hand if you at the few books on my shelves that do have broken spines they're usually on the favorites shelf. It's the rereading that does them in.

Anonymous said...

Please please please don't break them! I only lend my books to certain people....only those I know who will not break them! Now, I do not that shit happens, and yes, I do have a few pbk's that have some creases.....
But boy does it pain me! lol

Christine M. said...

IMO, books are made to be read and read and re-read, to be dog-eared, etc. In other words, I love when my books show that they've been loved and read dozens of time. I don't purposefully break the spine but if it does break, it usually means that it's been enjoyed a lot. I see these 'flaws' a bit like love bites or nail scratches down one's back--love marks!

donnas said...

sacrilege

I do everything I can not to break the spine and get really upset when it happens. Its a huge part of the reason I am very picky about who I lend books to or what books I lend out.

kim said...

Yes, it's sacrilege. I don't even like paperbacks to look a little rounded after reading, forget creasing the spine.

Anonymous said...

I'm one of those people that likes to keep my books in good shape. To me, when the spine is broken, it makes me think that the book has been mistreated. But that's just me.

Anonymous said...

I take a sometimes neurotic care not to break the spine too much--although it usually ends up being inevitable, given how much I read them--but I've never been bothered by other people breaking the spine of my books

Lisa F. said...

I do not break the spines. I've stopped lending books out because of that.

Lizzielvr said...

It's like putting your mark on the book. I hate doing it, but when I get into the story, sometimes I forget...

Anonymous said...

I try not to do it, but sometimes it happens while reading.

Heather B. said...

Sometimes it can't be helped. I try to be gentle with my books but there are just some of my books that are "well loved" and you can tell by the spine.

Heather

Jess (The Cozy Reader) said...

Breaking the spine is all about reading a book!

Anonymous said...

I take great care not to break the spine or damage my books in any way whatsoever, but alas, sometimes it's inevitable. Especially when you let your best friend borrow your paperback copy of Twilight for the tenth time and she doesn't give it back in the same condition you handed it to her.

Anonymous said...

I tend leave only small crease marks on my spines. I don't want to snap or crack any of my books spines too deeply or I risk loosing pages and having to buy a new book, so I think to purposely bend it extremely is sacrilege. But if it is normal wear over time, no problem.

Shaymless Aymless said...

Ooh! If it's autographed - its a sacrilege. Otherwise its a part of the experience but only with my own books. I try to return loaned books in the same condition they were given.

Maigan Silverstein Rarick said...

Maybe not so much part of reading, but part of REreadng. It's pretty easy to keep the spine intact when you read it the first time. Bending the front cover of a paperback is more appropriate for the first reading. ;P

But either way, spine bending is sacrilege! D: I hate bending the spine. DX Then again, I've always been the type to try and keep my books in the best condition I can.

Shari C said...

I do not like to break the spine of a book as I want my books to remain in great condition like when I purchased them. If I should pass it on to a friend to read I want them to feel they are reading and enjoying a brand new book.

Anonymous said...

It's a sacrilege to me, but I'm one of those obsessive-compulsive book fanatics whose books always look brand new when I'm finished reading them. :)

Unknown said...

I have some old paperbacks that have totally gone to hell, but I generally tend to keep my favorite books under the best conditions possible.

I think it all depends on the person. Some people like to reread their books a lot and, because of that, the spines of their books often break.

Donna said...

I don't like it when the spine of the book breaks. I actually cringed when I read the question for this round.

Danni T said...

Sometimes it happens but I don't do it purposely. I most get library books, so they're usually already broken.

Unknown said...

I hate it when I break the spines on books, so it generally only happens if I reread a book quite a few times.

The Brunette Librarian said...

I HATE A BROKEN SPINE!!! :( It makes it look sad and it always feels like I'm hurting the book in some way. Bookmarks...that's the way to go!! :)

Erika Powell said...

i mean i try not too just because I want them to look pretty on my shelf but i don't think its a crime against humanity

Lisa said...

I think if it's done on purpose or because of not using bookmarks it's a crime. If it happens because of multiple use then it just shows a well loved book.

Anonymous said...

Ahhh man, I haven't read Devon Monk yet! I want to, but have you seen my TBR list? There are so many authors out there, how does anyone get the time to try them all?

I'm still going to enter though. Hell yeah.

Do you think breaking the spine of a book is part of reading or is it sacrilege?
I think it depends on why the spine broke in the first place. If it broke because it's been lovingly read numerous times, well, that's to be expected. It's an honorable sacrifice then. However, if the spine was broken because of an accident, well, that's sacrilege. :)

Unknown said...

I've honestly never even thought of this..but I think its an indication of a fantastic book, because it would probably take several re-reads to crease the spine.

Angela said...

I hate to break the spines on my books. But after reading them so many times, it's bound to happen. So I don't get too upset about it ;)

Pamk said...

I try not to but sometimes it is unavoidable

Kerry said...

Sacrilege, definitely and totally sacrilege. I absolutely hate it when the spine of a book breaks. Like other posters, I won't lend a book to anyone I know is likely to send it back with a broken spine. I mean, would you do that with your children?

jeanette8042 said...

I think it's sacrilege b/c the binding then looks really horrible and I sometimes freak out if others break the spine.

Pam P said...

Well I try not to do it, but in recent years you just can't help it happending with some books, the quality has gone down, some with words so into the inner binding you can't read them all unless you bend it open a lot.

Bridget Locke said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bridget Locke said...

Oy, I'm so not the person to ask this question. Not only do I break spines, I also fold over corners instead of using a bookmark. *ducks* I KNOW! I'm so bad. LOL!

However, I do have to say I treat books that are lended to me like they're precious jewels. I guess I figure if a book is mine, it doesn't matter.

And some books you honestly can't read without breaking the spine because they're bound so badly. That's happened to me a couple of times! Argh!

M. said...

absolutely sacriledge. I can't do it.

and: I'm in the final pages of 'magic to the bone' and it's really good. Really impressed with the worldbuilding descriptions. And a wonderful hero.

Anonymous said...

I try not to, but it's hard sometimes... especially those favorites! Darn falling asleep with the books

Lori T said...

I do not think that it is sacrilege, but I definitely try to avoid it. I really do try to keep my books in excellent shape because I love them so much.

LighthouseSandy said...

It's nice to have pristine books on the keeper shelf, but I'm just not able to do that. I have a book with me wherever I go, especially work. So when I read at lunch when working, I use a weighted bookmark and that only works when I end up creasing the spine. Sigh. Guess that's the least of my problems in life right now, so I can live with it!

Kytaira said...

sacrilege

I don't lend out books to people that will do that. I lent out a hardback copy of Harry Potter to my niece. I nearly cried when it was returned cracked in half.

Easier to handle was the time a friend returned an autographed self published Dara Joy book. Her husband had trashed it. Wasn't her fault and she felt terrible. She is like me and doesn't make even a dent in the spine.

I even look for the new book on the shelf with the least wear. Very few of my thousands of books look like they've even been opened once. And that's how it should be!

Anonymous said...

It's part of the reading and actually I like it a little bit. That's because when I look in my bookcase it looks so much better with a broken spine. It shows that I'm really reading the books, not just putting them in the bookcase because it looks so nice to have a bookcase in your room.

Dannyfiredragon said...

For me it's absolutely a sacrileg to do this. Guess that is the problem why I don't like to lend books.

Anonymous said...

I really try not to break the spine of the book because it damages it, but sometimes it does happen but I do take care not to. I've also recently stopped marking the pages by turning a corner- I now use the bookmark! LOL

May said...

NO NO NO NO NO.

If I happened to break the spine, I'd be very guilty and ending up of buying that book again.

Brooke Reviews said...

I hate it. I try not to break any of mine. I've lent books out, and they have come back broken and a mess, and that's upsetting.

gawain said...

Oh I hate doing that! Sometimes it can't be helped because it will happen even if you read it very carefully. But I try to keep them intact.

Blodeuedd said...

My friend always looks at me with big eyes when I do it, it's just easier so yes I break that spine at once.

Cathy M said...

I am pretty careful not to break the spine, plus I used to dog ear the pages for years, and finally broke myself of that habit. Trained myself to use bookmarks instead.

Spari said...

I try very hard not to break the spines of the book I'm reading.

Rebecca Chastain said...

I definitely do not break the book's spine! I don't want to damage the book, and "breaking" the spine qualifies as damage to me.

Una said...

Depends, I don't like breaking the spine...but you do need to stretch it a bit in order to read comfortably. I am VERY careful with my books because I want them to last so if at all possible, I avoid breaking the spine.

I agree with Jacqueline about dog-eared pages...it is NO-NO!! That is what bookmarks are for!!

Missy said...

I do not care one way or the other, I try not to but it is not the end of world.

Unknown said...

I don't like having the spine broken, but I know that it is inevitable. However, once they get past a certain point, I figure that I don't have to be careful with them, and buy another copy - so that I end up with a "reading copy" and one that sits all perfect on my shelves!

CrystalGB said...

I try not to break the spine but sometimes it happens when I am reading.

Darcy Jo said...

It is absolutely sacrilege! My books are obviously read a lot, but I try to keep them looking decent for as long as I can :-)

Karin said...

Breaking the spine of a book is definitely sacrilege. I try very hard not to have any creases in the spine of any book that I read, though I haven't always been able to prevent it when I'm reading the book for literature class and needed to take notes.

Unknown said...

Sacrilege, no doubt about it!

tetewa said...

I try not to break the spine when I read them. In fact I think I'm rather good at it!

Anonymous said...

Well, as much as like to keep the book in mint condition. But sometimes there are no way to keep the spine unbroken when reading.

Sue
okibi_insanity

Unknown said...

I try my best not to but sometimes it can't be helped.

Wendy said...

I'm pretty good at not breaking the spines, although the more I read a certainly book, the more broken it'll be and I think that only means I've enjoy reading that story very much.

Anonymous said...

I try my hardest not to bend the spines. This is difficult with books which are re-reads. I guess you can tell how often I've read a book by how bent the spine is.

Anonymous said...

part of reading. Theres nothing like a broken-in favourite to reread.