The Ice Princess By Camilla Lackberg

The droplets of water had turned to ice crystals in her hair. Her lower body was frozen, forever in the bathtub of ice. Her wrists were slashed and her body had turned the bluish color of frozen death. Erica Falck, returns to her hometown of Fjallbacka, Sweden after her parents death only to be thrust into the chaotic drama of the alleged suicide of her childhood best friend Alex. Dark secrets lie beneath the little snow covered town of Fjallbacka and some people will go to great lengths, maybe even as far as murder, to protect their reputation and make sure those secrets stay that way, secret.

Camilla Lackberg is the 7th bestselling novelist in Europe and today March 29, 2011 is the American paperback debut of her crime novel The Ice Princess. The Ice Princess is the first in a three-part series with the follow up, The Preacher, to be published by Pegasus Books on April 27, 2011.

I give the Ice Princess three out of five stars. Sure the action started in chapter one and reeled me in like an unsuspecting fish but the extremely long chapters made me lose interest right away. I kept hoping the end would make for all the irrelevant situations in the book. And I am sad to say it did not. The ending was no where near strong enough for my liking. I also didn't like how police officer, Patrick Hedstrom, couldn't find any rock solid evidence and could almost only go by what his gut told him.

Many times while I was reading, it felt as if Camilla Lackberg was trying to hard to impress me the reader. However, I do not put the entire blame on her. I know much of the original quality got lost in translation and I am sure this book would've been way better if read in its original language, Swedish. To bad I can't read or speak one word of Swedish. So yeah, I wouldn't force any of my friends to read it. The Ice Princess certainly wasn't the worst crime novel I've ever read but definitely not the best either! Like always this is just my opinion, the book could turn out completely different for you if you decide to read it.

I received a copy of this book from Free Press an imprint of Simon & Schuster Inc.

Read Chapter One Here.

Jessie D

Thrift Store Finds!

For some reason these past two weeks my aunt was visiting some thrift stores in our area and I tagged along! Now I don't know if I'm the only person who buys books from the thrift store LOL but I was proud of my finds and I wanted to share them with you! I hate buying books brand new hardcover, especially a series. The price definitely adds up! I hear many people who find good deals call themselves frugal and I hear other people calling frugal people cheap..... well call me what you will I'm still in love with my thrift store finds! :D So please feel free to let me know what you think about them. I would love to hear about any good finds you might have had too! :)







.99 cents Each

• No Country For Old Men, Cormac McCarthy, Soft Cover


• Under The Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes, Soft Cover


• Percy Jackson & The Olympians The Battle of The Labyrinth, Rick Riordan, Hard Cover


• The Help, Kathryn Stockett, Hard Cover

.49 cents Each

• A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'engle, Soft Cover


• The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson, Soft Cover

2.oo dollars Each

• Eldest, Christopher Paolini, Hard Cover


• Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, Hard Cover


• Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, Hard Cover

I also have the Deathly Hallows in hard cover but a friend gave me that one. I want to collect them all because I am a Harry Potter addict! lol But I am trying to see if I can find them all in thrift stores!

All these books that I purchased are in pretty GREAT condition and some even look brand new, no wear and tear on the spines! I am a happy camper....... whatever that means! lol Don't forget to let me know what you think, I love comments!! :)

Jessie D

Follow my Book Blog Friday!

Hello and Welcome! It's time for the weekly blog hop Follow my Book Blog Friday hosted by parajunkee.com.
If you let me know that you're a new follower I will gladly return the love and follow right back! :)

Question of the week is:
How did you come up with your blog name?

Well this blog started because I wanted to review for booksneeze.comso I asked a friend to help me think of a blog name since I'm not good with names at all. But when neither one of us could come up with anything I just went with what I do best, reading between the covers of a good book all from the comfort between the covers of my bed! And of course with me being the reader that is how Reader Between The Covers came about! :) Nothing really exciting lol

Extremely Long Chapters = Extremely Annoying

So I was sitting in the doctors office getting an iron infusion and they told me it was going to take three hours! I figured I might as well let you guys know about the new book I'm currently reading. I had planned on posting this right then and there but once the benadryl kicked in I was out! And that is why this is late! lol

Anywho I am reading Camilla Lackberg's Scandinavian crime novel, The Ice Princess, which is set to debut in paperback in America March 29, 2011.

The Ice Princess introduces us to Erica as she returns to her childhood home in the isolated fishing town of Fjallbacka, after her parents' deaths. She is unprepared for what she finds when she arrives, though- her childhood best friend Alex, dead, her wrists slashed, and her body in a tub of frozen water in her family home.
- Free Press News

I'm really excited for this book, I love crime novels! The action starts off from the very beginning but I don't want to giveaway too much! The only problem I have with this book so far is the extremely loooooooong chapters! It annoys me to the core! I like to read chapters in a book varied in length but I don't know it could just be me having a little OCD moment. I would certainly like to know how do you feel about really long chapters? Annoying or not?

Keep an eye out for my review of The Ice Princess, which I should be posting March 29th.

Jessie D

Grandma Liz

James (my brother), Grandma, and Me

Rest In Peace Grandma
July 2, 1928 - February 14, 2011



Today is the one month anniversary of my grandmothers death. She passed away on Valentine's Day February 14, 2011. This is just a post to honor her memory. She was a beautiful woman. Words cannot even describe how wonderful she was. Once someone got to know her they couldn't help falling in love because she had such a great personality. Always laughing and dancing and encouraging her grandchildren to be the best that they can be. I miss her so much but I know I will see her again, when God decides its time for me to go home. Its still hard to let go though. I remember how every Christmas the only thing I wanted were books and nobody would buy me books except for Grandma. And every birthday she would always be the first one to call me, early in the morning, to tell me happy birthday and sing to me De Colores or Las Mananitas or Que Bonitos Ojos Tienes. These memories bring tears to my eyes because I am going to miss that call so much. The world seems a little less bright now that Grandma is no longer here. She was such a strong beautiful woman who made such a huge impact on my life and is part of who I am today. I love her with all my heart and wrote a little poem for her. If it doesn't make sense to you its ok my grandma understands what I'm trying to say.


Forever In My Heart

Grandma I never thought you’d go
You were our rock
So loving, caring, and nurturing
What will we do without you
The pain today hurts just as much
As the day I saw you take your last breath
I jumped out of my seat
And ran to your side
It wasn’t real
It couldn’t be real
The Lord called you home
I knew you were ready
But I wasn’t
Crying was the only thing I could do
I knew my tears could not bring you back
Screams and sleepless nights will not either
My heart aches and I remind myself
No more pain
No more worries
No more suffering
So I can’t be selfish
You’re in heaven now
Eternal life with God
Reunited with Grandpa
My guardian angels
So now I wait
For the day when I get to see you again!



When I was little she used to make me sing to her Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". She later told me that she loved the way my eyes looked when I would sing it.

I love you grandma and you will forever be in my heart!

Jessie D

A Giveaway Definitely Worth The Effort!!

A giveaway so awesome I had to share with you!

All 5 books. All hardback copies. All signed.
Click Here for your chance to win signed copies of them all!

Jessie D

A Rush of Wings By Kristen Heitzmann

Noelle St. Claire is running away. From what? She doesn't know; her life has always been a wealthy sheltered one. But the fear she feels is so strong she knows its real and she has to get away. Winding up in the small town of Juniper Falls, Colorado feels like time travel to Noelle. A stark contrast to New York. Can she escape her unknown torment by hiding out at the Rocky Mountain horse ranch with common folk?

I think the idea Kristen had for this book was good but the execution poor. The time and relationships Noelle shared with Rick and Morgan do not seem real. I did, however, enjoy the details of the snowy scenery during Christmas time, at the Spencer house. Beautiful. The mystery of Noelle's memory loss didn't capture my attention the way it could've. And, the time Noelle spent at the horse ranch was dull and dragged on. I would give A Rush of Wings 2 out of 5 stars just for its attempt at entertaining me.

I was given a free copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Jessie D

Follow My Book Blog Friday

What embarrassing thing have you done on cold medicine?

I don't really think I've done anything embarrassing on cold medicine. If I'm sick and on meds I usually stay home so not much opportunity for embarrassment there... lol

Jessie D

Tandem By Tracey Bateman

Brutal murders consumed the quiet little town of Abbey Hills six months ago. Shaking the community to its core. After a fire allegedly claimed the life of the murderer the killings stopped and things slowly began to return to normal once again. Today Abbey Hills is almost completely healed except for the memories.
Lauryn McBride is in charge of auctioning off Mark Chisom's, one of the victims, estate. With her father under the debilitating clamp of Alzheimer's, Lauryn must sort through the mysterious old house alone. She soon realizes an evil still threatens her small town and she might just be in over her head.
Amede Dastillion had just about given up searching for her long lost sister. That is until she received an unexpected package from Abbey Hills, giving her a new lead.

I didn't completely fall in love with Tandem but it definitely wasn't the worst book I've ever read. The romantic part wasn't the most unique idea anyone has ever come up with. Just another guy certain of his faith in God, falling for the girl who has none. Can he help her find God? I was, however, pleasantly surprised at the combination of the Christian theme and vampire characters. Believe me I know how that sounds but Tracey Bateman made it work. So I say, if you're lookin for a vampire novel with a little more substance than Twilight's sparkly ones give Tandem a try you won't be disappointed.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Jessie D

Please rank my review here

Hatteras Girl By Alice J. Wisler

Living in a small coastal town Jackie Donovan is content with life. She only has two major goals: to find a good man to marry and to open up The Bailey House Bed and Breakfast. From the looks of things, however, Jackie isn't anywhere near achieving neither one of her goals. Unable to find a realtor with the Bailey House listings and another failed blind date set up by her well meaning family, Jackie is just about ready to give up. That is until she meets gorgeous Davis Erickson, who seems to be the answer to all her prayers. But is he?

Usually if a book doesn't catch my attention within the first few sentences I put it right back down and refuse to read it. So I have to admit, this was definitely the case with Hatteras Girl. The first chapter didn't lure me in and keep me up into the deep hours of the night in a one man race to try and finish it but I couldn't just throw it aside and never look at it again. Bethany House Publishers sent it to me in exchange for an honest review. So I was obligated to finish it in order to hold up my end of the deal since Bethany House did a lovely job on their end. I pushed past the uncomfortably boring beginning and forced myself to keep reading. Here's the funny thing, I ended up actually enjoying Hatteras Girl. It might have started off rocky but it grew on me and I had a good time reading it. Jackie Donovan was so naive, I found myself many times wishing I could yell at her! LOL And don't even get me started on Davis Erickson! Even his name screams pompous jerk. The love in Jackie's close knit community is heart warming. The story line and characters are so realistic in my minds eye. It felt like I was watching a movie. Come to think of it I know some people with the same personality traits as Jackie, Davis, and Buck. I would recommend this book to my girlfriends, with four out of five stars, for a day when the weather is ugly, keeping you trapped indoors and all you want to do is escape to the beach.

I was given a free copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review, without the expectation of a positive one.

Jessie D