Top 5 Thrilling Reads

Halloween is just around the corner and it's the perfect time to grab a spooky book to cuddle up with on a cool Fall evening.

Here are a few of my favorite scary books. These have all given me goosebumps and inspired a or two.

Top 5 Thrilling Reads:.

5. The Shining

The Overlook Hotel is more than just a home-away-from-home for the Torrance family. For Jack, Wendy, and their young son, Danny, it is a place where past horrors come to life. And where those gifted with the shining do battle with the darkest evils. Stephen King's classic thriller is one of the most powerfully imagined novels of our time.

4. Interview With the Vampire

In the now-classic novel Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice refreshed the archetypal vampire myth for a late-20th-century audience. The story is ostensibly a simple one: having suffered a tremendous personal loss, an 18th-century Louisiana plantation owner named Louis Pointe du Lac descends into an alcoholic stupor. At his emotional nadir, he is confronted by Lestat, a charismatic and powerful vampire who chooses Louis to be his fledgling. The two prey on innocents, give their "dark gift" to a young girl, and seek out others of their kind (notably the ancient vampire Armand) in Paris.

3. Odd Thomas

Odd Thomas, who narrates, is odd indeed: only 20, he works contentedly as a fry cook in a small fictional California town, despite a talent for writing. The reason for his lack of ambition? A much rarer talent: Odd sees and converses with ghosts, the lingering dead who have yet to pass on, a secret he has kept from nearly everyone but his girlfriend, an eccentric author friend and the local police chief, whom he occasionally helps solve terrible crimes. Odd also has the ability to see bodachs, malevolent spirits that feast on pain and whose presence signifies a likelihood of imminent violence.

2. Anything by Edgar Allan Poe

Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction.

1. The Ruins

Four American friends on vacation in Cancún, Mexico—Jeff, Amy, Eric and Stacy—meet a German tourist, Mathias, who persuades them to join his hunt for his younger brother, Henrich, last seen headed off with a new girlfriend toward some ruins. The four soon regret their impulsive decision after they find themselves lost in the jungle and freaked out by signs that they're headed for danger. Smith builds suspense through the slow accretion of telling details, until a deadly menace starts taking its toll, leaving the survivors increasingly at each other's throats.

Those are my top favorite thrilling reads. What are yours?


posted by The Bookworm.

Cover Attraction

I'm a sucker for a nice book cover, I always have been. The cover is what will initially draw me to a book. Then I will read the blurb on the back and make my decision as to whether I want to read the book or not.
What kind of book cover grabs your eye? What are some of your favorite covers?
Is there anything on a book cover that you find distasteful or that might even change your mind about reading the book?



















posted by The Bookworm.

Top Ten Guilty Pleasures

Hello ladies. I'm The Bookworm and I'm up at the lovely D.I.K. blog for the next three days.
Today I'd like to discuss Guilty Pleasures.
You know, those favorite things that make life oh so much sweeter.
Here are my Top Ten Guilty Pleasures:



10. Johnny Depp
My longest running Hollywood crush. He's talented, sexy and is aging like a fine wine.




9. Cosmopolitans
One of these on my girls night out with good friends, and I'm a happy lady.




8. Chocolate
I could live off chocolate.




7. Hugh Jackman
Another long time running Hollywood crush. He's tall, delicious and has a sexy Aussie accent.




6. Books
I do enjoy my books and cherish my reading time.



5. Yarn
Yes yarn. I crochet and always love going to the yarn shop and picking out something nice then creating something unique with it.



4. Romance
I'm a sucker for romantic books and movies.




3. Shoes
Oh, pretty shoes! One can never have too many.




2. Dunkin Donuts
There's always something at Dunkin that I like. Whether it's coffee, hot chocolate, muffins...donuts....ok, now I'm sounding greedy...lol.




1. Sleeping in late
One thing I always enjoy is sleeping in late. There's just something awesome about getting up out of bed at my own leisure.




Well, those are my Top Ten Guilty Pleasures. What are yours?

Hide-A-Cover

Hello ladies. It's me, The Bookworm, and today I'm bringing my Hide-A-Cover onto the island.

I received a Hide-A-Cover and really think it's a clever idea. How many times have you wanted to keep your book cover secret, especially if you're reading erotica? Or maybe you're just reading a romance novel, when you swear up and down you don't read that genre :)

Ladies, embarrassed by your naughty paperback book covers?

Well, no more! Order a Hide-a-Cover and carry your reading material everywhere you go - the doctor's office, the lunchroom, even to daycare!

No one will know about your secret guilty pleasure, unless you tell them of course!

Go ahead, read shamelessly!

My Hide-A-Cover fits the larger trade paperback and is about 8 inches high. These covers come with attached bookmarks, which also come in handy. How cool is that? These covers also come in a small size to fit the smaller paperbacks.

They come in a few different styles with text and a design on the front. Go here to see all the fun styles available. The prices are reasonable as well. $4.95 for the small and $5.95 for the larger cover.

My cover reads 'If you can read this...you are too close!'.





Underneath my Hide-A-Cover, is Trista Ann Michaels, Their One and Only. The cover is easy to slip on, and keeps my reading material private from prying eyes.




I think the Hide-A-Cover is a great idea! It's easy to use and stays firmly placed on your book, yet is flexible while you are reading. It's also plastic so you can wipe it clean if you spill coffee, tea...etc.


Special thanks to Jenni over at Hide-A-Cover and Tracy here at the D.I.K.

Bookworm Day 3: Favorite Erotica

Hello ladies. I've been blogging here at the D.I.K. blog for the past two days and it's been fun :)
Today I brought along Pina Coladas for everyone.

Day 1 we talked about Television Crushes. Day 2 we chatted about Heroes Who Cry.
And today, I'd like to discuss Favorite Erotica.

These are my top three favorites. Feel free to share yours too.


Wicked Ties by Shayla Black has everything that good Erotica should. There's a good plot, steamy dialogue, ménage & bondage, plus great sex scenes.

Have you ever wanted to put yourself in the hands of a man whose sole purpose is to give you pleasure?

Cable sex talk show host Morgan O'Malley, has a stalker after her. In fear of her safety, she moves from LA to New Orleans.
While in New Orleans she meets bodyguard Jack Cole..a.k.a. Master J. Jack is a self-proclaimed dominant. She plans on interviewing Jack for her show, but Morgan is attracted to him right away.

Jack winds up taking Morgan to his isolated cabin for a few days to keep her safe. Being a bodyguard, he is committed to protecting her and finding her stalker. But Jack has more than just finding Morgan's stalker on his mind.
Jack's best friend and business partner Deke, decides to help find Morgan's stalker and he winds up joining them in bed. The ménage scene in this one is HOT.

And if Jack was just using her for sex....well, why couldn't she use him too? A mad sex scientist in decadent bedroom experiment. He was absolutley no hardship to look at, and when he was buried inside her, the pleasure was intense enough to make her lose her mind.
-Wicked Ties by Shayla Black

Kathleen Dante's Entangled is erotica with a bit of the paranormal thrown in.
Kiera, the head of a toy making corporation, hires a security expert named John Atlantis a.k.a. Lantis, to find a leak in the security system. Lantis turns out to be tall, dark and handsome.

Kiera is a healer and Lantis can work magic through his thoughts, the two quickly become involved.
The sex scenes between these two were really steamy, especially since Lantis can work magic during sex, reaching all over Kiera's body with just his thoughts. Interesting concept! Here's an example:

He touched her all over. Incorporeal hands stoked her legs and belly, fondled her breasts, delved between her thighs-all at the same time. Unsubstantial mouths nibbled and sucked her nipples, trailed along her spine, swirled over her clit.
She tossed her head in a surfeit of pleasure, unable to bear the sensual overload for long. As she hung teetering on the pinnacle, another stinging caress shoved her over, straight into a powerful torrent of darkest rapture.
-Entangled by Kathleen Dante

In Nancy Madore's Enchanted Dreams Erotic Tales of the Supernatural, there are seven erotic supernatural stories that are sexy, raunchy and sometimes scary! There's vampires, aliens, ghosts and even fairies involved in the stories. My favorite in this collection was The Enchanted Forest where a woman on a hike trips and bumps her head then wanders upon a beautiful section of the forest where nothing is what it seems.

All of this was a mere fleeting thought in the back of her mind as she excitedly took off her clothes. Uppermost in her thoughts, overruling everything else, was her desire, pure and raw and true. She was unabashedly grateful that the root protruded so far out of the ground as she carefully moved herself over it. The angle, too, could not have been more suitable. All she had to do was ease herself back, little by little, opening herself to the object of her desire in small, slow increments as she inched backward onto it. The clear, sappy fluid that was released by the root not only made the entry smoother, but it seemed to heighten her pleasure as well, increasing the friction as she slid back and forth.
-Nancy Madore, Enchanted Dreams Erotic Tales of the Supernatural

So, there you have it. Those are my top three favorite Erotic reads. Have you read any of these? What are your favorites?


It's been fun posting here at the D.I.K blog these past three days. Thank you ladies! You rock!

I've got to go now.....Hugh is calling me. Doesn't he look fantastic in the water?
"What was that Hugh? You'd like me to go skinny dipping with you? Sure...."

Bookworm Day 2: Heroes Cry Too

Today I wanted to discuss a topic of conversation that has come up a few times between myself and my girlfriends. Men who cry.

We've seen it in films and on television shows, even in books, heroes who cry. Men who are not afraid to show their sensitive sides.



Is this a turn off? Personally, I think not. Don't get me mistaken, I don't want a man crying at the drop of a hat, but I do think it's fine for a grown man to cry.
It shows he has feelings and is comfortable with showing them.


What do you think? Heroes Cry Too: A Turn off? Or Not?

Bookworm Day 1: Discussing Television Crushes

Hello ladies....My name is Naida a.k.a. The Bookworm and I'll be posting here on the island blog for the next three days. Today I would like to discuss television crushes. I know we all have them!

Here are my top 5 favorite television hunks. The men that keep me tuning in week after week, season after season.

5. Jack Shepard, LOST
Oh Jack! He is gorgeous, a doctor and is an all around good guy. I know alot of the ladies prefer bad boy Sawyer, but Jack stole my heart from day one.

I didn't... write any vows, I've been trying to for a month but I couldn't so I started to wonder why that was and as time went on it only got worse went on because I'm not good at letting go or maybe im afraid of what'll happen if I fail, but I know one thing. I would have never been able to write anything as beautiful as what you just said and last night Sarah, when you were talking about the accident, you got it all wrong. I didnt fix you, you fixed me. I love you Sarah and I always will.

4. House, House MD
He's a genuis, he's cranky, he enjoys his whiskey and will never admit to being wrong. You gotta luv him.

I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are.

3. Don Draper, Mad Men
Don is debonair, he has style and he's a bad ass. After all the naughty things he does (ie. screwing pretty much anyone who will say yes), you can't help but be fascinated by him and root for him anyway.

The reason you haven't felt it is because it doesn't exist. What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons. You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts. But I never forget. I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one.

2. Mark Sloan a.k.a. Dr. McSteamy, Greys Anatomy
Hello handsome! Badboy attitude...check. Piercing blue eyes...check. Hot body...check. Mark and his antics are the top reason I watch this show.
And underneath that playboy charm and bad boy exterior, Mark does have a heart and is able to fall in love.

Mark: Lex - I'm still in love with you. I tried not be, but it didn't work. And Sloane's gone, there is no baby, and I don't want to sleep around. I want another chance. I'm in love with you.
Lexie: Karev, he's...Mark, I have a boyfriend.
Mark: I know. All I'm saying is that you could have a husband.

1. Luke Danes, Gilmore Girls

I always wanted Luke and Lorelai to end up together...and they did! *squeal* How cute are they?
Luke has a rough exterior, but underneath all that is a heart of gold.

Luke: Hey, Kirk, what's with the...?
Kirk: It's not a purse!
Luke: I wasn't going to say "purse". What's with the gay bag?

Those are my top 5 television crushes, what are yours?

Sweet Literary Couples

Hello ladies, today is my third and final day of posting here at the wonderful DIK blog for now. Today I'd like to discuss Sweet Literary Couples. Who are your favorites? Here's a few of mine:





Westley and Buttercup, The Princess Bride

Westley: Hear this now: I will always come for you.

Buttercup: But how can you be sure?

Westley: This is true love - you think this happens every day?

Rhett & Scarlett, Gone With the Wind

"And you do look gorgeous when you are mad. I'll squeeze you again-there-just to see if you will really get mad. You have no idea how charming you were that day at Twelve Oaks when you were mad and throwing things."
"Oh please, won't you forget that?"
"No, it is one of my most priceless memories-a delicately nurtured Southern belle with her Irish up-You are very Irish, you know."

Darcy and Elizabeth, Pride & Prejudice

"If you will thank me," he replied, "let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you."

Good Guy vs Bad Boy

I mentioned in my previous post that I was re-reading Bridget Jones's Diary. In this book 30 something Bridget is involved with her playboy boss Daniel Cleaver, however the sweet Mark Darcy is waiting in the sidelines to mend her broken heart.


I have a few questions for you ladies today:

1. Who are your favorite literary Good Guys/Bad Boys?

2. Do you prefer a Good Guy or a Bad Boy? Why?

What Hero are you currently involved with?

Good morning ladies! I'm the Bookworm and I'll be posting for the next three days at the fabulous DIK.

I brought along some yummy chocolate covered strawberries:




For today, I thought we could discuss current Hero involvement.

I'm currently re-reading a favorite book of mine when it comes to chic-lit, Bridget Jones's Diary. Loosely based on Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, this book is a great dose of romance and humor.



The hero of this story is the rich and handsome lawyer, Mark Darcy. He is shy and reserved but a romantic at heart. Darcy is definitely the type of hero you bring home to mom. He's your all around good guy and at the end of the story, he saves the day.





My question for you today is, what Hero are you currently involved with? What are you reading?

Bookworm's Top 7 Hero Requirements

Hello ladies, for my third day on the island i'd like to chat about Hero Requirements . I think we all love our heroes for different reasons. So today, let's discuss some of those reasons.



Bookworm's Top 7 Hero Requirements

1. Tall, Dark and Handsome and has a great smile with good teeth. (okay, I know I really stuck alot in there, but read on)

This is a no brainer, the hero must look good. This means he's got good oral hygiene, takes care of himself and is an all around hottie. Hugh is 6 ft. 2, 'nuff said. Look at those pearly whites!





2. Bad Boy attitude, good guy heart.


I like my hero to have an edge, but I don't want him to be a jerk. I like a man who's not afraid to get into a bar fight, but who will also give me a foot rub later that night. He's got to be a sweetheart and treat his lady right!






3. Intelligent


He has got to be smart, I want to be able to hold an intelligent conversation with him. He's got to be able to talk books, politics and current affairs.




4. Good in Bed/Fabulous Kisser

This is self-explanatory. And a must for any hero. He's got to be able to make his lady swoon! Yeah baby!








5. Facial Hair

I like my heroes to have a bit of stubble. Take a look at Hugh here, he has perfected this look.





6. Sense of Humor

My hero has got to be able to make me laugh. He's got to be able to loosen up and not take himself too seriously. Laughing is great foreplay :)






7. Smells Good

Okay, my hero must smell good. I'm not a fan of stinky men. Look at Matthew here, you know he smells divine!








Those are my Top 7 Hero Requirements,what are yours?

Thanks everyone, it's been a fun three days here on the island...Hugh and I are off for now, he wants to take me for a midnight stroll on the beach, afterwards we can drink wine and snuggle while I admire his facial hair :)

-The Bookworm