Firstly, I loved the book "Naomi and Eli's No Kiss List" that these two also paired up for. So, I figured I'd love this one too...Not so much.I didn't LOVE it... But I really really liked it.When left to spend Christmas without her parents--who are in Fiji, the traditional foods & fun (oh, the horror), Lily's older brother, Langston, has decided he's had enough of Lily & her obsession with.. Weird things, he takes matters into his own hands. More like a red notebook. That he fills with clues for the poor lad who comes along & picks it up. Dash just happens to be the one who picks up the book. He too, spending Christmas parent free, gives in and begins the red notebooks shenanigans. And that's where the fun begins. I would love to have such an adventure leaving the notebook in the most random places for your "pen pal" to find, complete a task, and wait for the task you'll need to complete next task. The vocabulary used in this book is rather ridiculous. I just don't see teenagers speaking the way they do in the book. Sarcasm & quick-wit is one thing, but the actual vocabulary throws me off. I get that they're wanting to create this world where people, especially today's youth, actually read & just so happen to know and use a dictionary (ahem, OED--Oxford English Dictionary)! But... Come on!! I would like to see this on a screen, but it's no Nick & Norah!By the time it ended it felt too wrapped up. I honestly didn't see much connection with them. Not enough to appear as close as they'd become.I LOVED their friends (Dash) and family (Lily). Hilarious. This whole book was hilarious & I laughed out loud numerous times throughout. Great book for thinking... About possibilities, love, Christmas, friends, family & words. (have a dictionary handy!)
I didn't think that a book so simply written could have so much depth. By "simple" I mean that it was about 95% dialogue.Angelyn is a girl who represses and denies everything that happened to her as a young girl and begins searching for the respect and love she feels she deserves from her boyfriend who just doesn't quite live up to what she wants. Then there's Mr. Rossi, a teacher who seems to get too close to her and she takes his intentions and turns them into feelings she shouldn't have. Searching for that love. She pushes too far sometimes, and as a reader I wasn't sure how far she'd go and how far Mr. Rossi would let her go. I was constantly on edge.When a new girl, Jenni, arrives at her school, Angelyn doesn't want anything to do with her until she realizes the girls she thought were her friends begin to push her away. In Jenni, she learns what it means to have a real friend and someone who cares about you. I loved Jenni's character, she was there for Angelyn even when Angelyn wasn't there for herself.I felt anger and disappointment towards Angelyn's mother. She seemed like the kind of mom you see around the poorer parts of town who seem to have nothing but negativity in their vocabulary, rage in their eyes & hate in their eyes. But, believe me, she turned my views on her around.Angelyn's boyfriend, aggravated me, and even with his mild change of heart at the end, I still couldn't stand him and wished Angelyn would completely let him go. He seemed like the worst kind of person in her life.I'd rather she would get to know Nathan again--after his true telling of what he saw while they were 13.I'd recommend this to someone who wants to read something that has impact yet isn't 500 pages of words. It's a very very quick read that brought out every emotion possible. I may have shed a tear or two...!
Kate and her sister are basically forced (boo-hoo) to move to Paris with their grandmother and grandfather after a tragic accident takes the life of their mother and father. Though, Kate would enjoy a new look, she can't get out of her slump. I mean, how do you after losing both of your parents at the exact same time?When Kate decides to venture out into the great outdoors, she sits at a little café and catches the eye of a cute boy and his friend across the street.The strange attraction never leaves her mind and she can't seem to get away from, no matter how hard she tries.Vincent is a boy with a lot to hide and I loved finding everything out as I read. I've never really read a "zombie" book, and though Vincent and his pals are considered Revenants... it's really just a glorified name for zombie. This isn't your gore, blood & guts type of book... which I like. I'm not very into those types of books.This is a sweeter book that has the strength and depth of something worth remembering.I enjoyed Kate's character and how she fought for herself and the ones she loved. Never forgetting her parents but not putting the ones who are here for her now out of her mind.The relationship she develops with Vincent and his friends is amazing. And seems to be quite easy, enviable on any level. Real life, or in a book. I'd love that type of friendship with boys, girls, family, whoever.I can't wait for the next book and hope that we get more of Kate's relationship with her sister and Paris.I have a feeling about a little battle within the Revenant house, but I'm actually looking forward to it. If it were to happen!I'll probably purchase the second book as soon as it comes out. So far, this series is hardback worthy! :)
That cover is a sure-fire way to pull you in and hold you until the very last word. The world that Kai Meyer creates in Sicily for Rosa and everyone she's involved with is a magical and suspenseful one.When Rosa first meets Alessandro on the plane, it's obvious that they'll be crossing paths again, and you can't wait for every second they were together.They live a dangerous life filled with--I can only describe as--a cross between the mafia and Romeo & Juliet with a hint of Twilight. Rosa seemed like a cold, distant girl with a knack for stealing. Though the things she seemed to steal were insignificant, replaceable objects, she seemed to do it when she was under the most stress.Rosa goes to Sicily to live with her aunt Florinda and sister Zoe after she suffers a devastating lost. And ironically enough she spends very very little time with them. I honestly didn't know much about them as people, other than their relationship to Rosa. Her time was most spent with Alessandro, despite the fact that their families are mortal enemies. Which made their relationship fun and enticing.Though I felt that somethings were lost in the translation of the book because certain things happened and I didn't know how or when it did. I hope that in the final book that is fixed. But even with that, I still enjoyed the ride. It was a fast paced, action book full of mystery, romance, and intrigue, that keeps you guessing until the end.I hope a lot is answered in the second book, and I can't wait to read it. (Kind of wish I could read German so I could read it now!)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No.You're serious.This is a New York Times number one best seller?Why? Why are people STILL claiming how "good" it is how much they "loved" it. Have you never read a decent piece of literature in your life? Not to say this is literature, but come onOkay, I'm abusing italics.I was excited to read this book because I like a little romance & erotica every now and then, but I didn't expect this. This wasn't erotic nor was it romantic.When Ana first meets Christian it's more than obvious that this is a fanfic of Twilight; Ana's clumsy, continuously bites her lip, doesn't understand why a guy--any guy--would be attracted to her and ridiculously naive. (Bella looks like f***ing Wonder Woman compared to Anna.)There was a moment in the book where I put it down, and laughed. A good hearty laugh. I'm not exactly sure where it was, the whole thing is purely comedic. I wasn't going to continue reading it, but I kind of wanted to know how it ended so, I basically skimmed through. I mainly read their e-mails, though idiotic were still cute.The actual writing in this book was poor at best. The repeating of sentences, phrases, thoughts, over and over and over again. I believe she mentioned her subconscious about 80 times (this is not an exaggeration but fact) and I wanted nothing more than for her "subconscious" to shut the hell up. And her inner goddess (mentioned about 60 times)? Ha. HA. HA! What a slut.BDSM. I'm not one who is a fan of this. I don't want to be "controlled" and I don't want to "control" someone. So that whole aspect was bad enough in and of itself. And the fact that she was actually scared that if she did something wrong he'd hurt her wasn't a red flag to her? There's a difference between love and obsession.For anyone who wants to read a romance or even erotica you can buy a $3 or $4 book from Blaze or Harlequin on a WalMart shelf. Why the f*ck would you want to pay ANYTHING more than $.01 for this book!? Seriously. WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE THIS!?Christian was no where near sexy for me. No matter who I tried to picture playing him. It was completely pathetic.And now they're making it a movie. That's completely unfair. And how will they even do it!?I say Jack Black plays Christian and Busy Philips plays Ana. Heh. Now THAT would be interesting.Please please please please stop buying this book & reading it. Just stop. Read books that deserve this attention.
My thoughts:From the very first sentence, I knew this book would be more than just words on a page. In a lot of ways, it was almost a painting the way the author was able to create such a magical world. A place I had never visited and definitely a time i would never be able to see. Yet, I felt like I was there in Venice along with Laura.The characters in this book each had a very short part, yet they were all important in their own way and I was able to feel the same emotions Laura felt at the time. (Seriously, Sasha Gould has a way with words!)There is something about historical fiction that seems so grounding, it shows you how simple life can be yet the characters seem happy (when they're not trying to solve their sisters murder or get out of a marriage to a very creepy, very old man.)When Laura goes to a dinner to meet her arranged husband, she meets a boy, Vicenzo who she can't seem to forget. He's not rich and now that her father is rapidly losing money, he most definitely wouldn't be allowed in their family. But she learns of the Segreta and through them and her strong will she fights to get what she wants.There were a lot of twists and events that I wasn't expecting in this book, so it kept me on my toes the entire time. I loved the scenery, the gorgeous world of Venice, the heartbreak and strength of Laura, the romance of it. Everything. I can't wait to read more of historical fictions and more from Sasha Gould. If you love historical fiction, mystery, romance, or all of the above. You'll love this one!
When we first get into the book, it immediately jumps into the funeral for Harper's sister, June. And there we get a feel of Harper, her mother, her best friend, her [toxic] aunt, and Mr. Jacob Tolan.From the beginning of the book until the three kids set off for California was a little slow for me, but as soon as they leave, I did not want to put this book down!It's no surprise that contemporary novels are my favorite, and this book is a prime example why.They're real.The pain and anguish Harper felt about losing her sister is depicted the exact way I would handle it. Blocking it out. Pretending it wasn't real.When Harper first meets Jacob, the cliché what is with this weirdo, I can't stand him etc. etc. etc is there, but I like that. A lot.I thought that this book was going to be dark and kind of depressing, but it really wasn't. It had it's moments where my eyes began to sting with tears over her turmoil, but for the most part I found it fun and rather funny. Sarcasm ALWAYS wins with me! And Harper enjoys her sarcasm. It's a defense mechanism. (I can totally relate).Jake was the kind of guy who sat quietly listening (read: obsessing) over his music while the world goes on around him. Only putting in his input when he felt it necessary, which wasn't too often. And with that, you get a feel of who he is as a person. When he let's you in, he doesn't have to say much, but you still completely understand what he's talking about. And the strength he (silently) gives Harper is amazing and beautiful.Laney is the kind of friend you want, but don't want at the same time. She's there for you, loves you, gives you a reason to believe in all types of love. But who she is a person to herself makes you want to run. You feel like there's no way you can console her the same way she does for you. When Laney is given her own devastating news, I love the shift, still sad--but at least the focus, for awhile--is no longer on Harper. I love that Harper drops everything to help her, support her.Harper. I relate to her so much it physically hurts. Yet, I relate to her sister even more. (Yes, the one who committed suicide.) I can't really begin to say exactly how amazing, honest, real, just (ugh) Harper is as a person. It actually kind of makes me emotional. Too many flashbacks and present emotions she brings out.There is a journey they go through that obviously shifts and shapes their views towards their lives. It kind of reminded me of Amy and Roger's journey in Amy & Roger's Epic Detour.... But...not.Please, read this book. I cannot wait for more from Harper Harrington!!
When I first learned about Cinder, I can say that it did not even register... I just didn't care. But when I came back to it, something changed and it seemed interesting.Interesting is an understatement.I loved this book!It has been a long time since I've read a book in two days, especially considering how hectic my past weekend has been. I did not want to stop reading this book. Every chance I had I picked it up and verbally cursed myself if I forgot to bring it with me.Cinder is a girl who puts all of her drive into helping others, seldom thinking about herself which reminded me of another girl like that... Cinderella. And upon realizing this I completely understood the whole premise of the book. With the evil step-mother, father who died and two step-sisters. The fact that it is set in the distant future in New Beijing and that she's half cyborg, I was able to differentiate the two and fall in love with a whole new story.When Cinder first meets Kai, I was a little worried, expecting him to be a jerk and the chemistry wouldn't be there... like every other book... but it was there and it was beautiful. They seemed to genuinely care for each other before they even knew one another. And with that, there was no where near enough Kai!The twists in the book were somewhat unexpected though I wasn't completely shocked with what happened, I loved how Meyer threw them in there.There was a lot left open, but yet it felt complete so you are yearning for more, yet you're not dying to know what's going to happen next. Which I love. I cannot wait to read the next three books in the Lunar Chronicles. This is definitely a series I will be purchasing. I may wait for paperback however because I love the feel of the book. But it is hardback worthy.There are a lot of different ratings and reviews, but this one is for you to judge. So when this one hits shelves, run to your book store or library and pick it up!!(Aliens [I couldn't talk about without spoiling], cyborgs, Asians, a cute prince, strong protagonist... Can't go wrong!!)
Unforsaken (Hailey Tarbell Series #2)
Though I've read that this is a companion to the first book, Banished, it directly follows the first story, so I would not read them out of place. And because of that, this review may have a few spoilers to the first book if you have not read it.After Hailey has begun her life with her aunt Prairie and brother Chub, away from Gypsum, Missouri and all of the Banished, she begins to get too comfortable with her life, and soon her past begins to catch up with her.Hailey keeps the contact with her boyfriend a secret for fear of not only his safety, but her aunt and Chub's as well, but it doesn't really work well when some very dangerous and evil men finally figure out where Hailey is and know just how to capture her and Prairie to use their healing abilities.Going in, I knew what to expect in terms of what the book would be about and who it would involve, and for that, I wasn't as enthralled with Unforsaken as I was with Banished but that isn't to say I was no less entertained. I loved Hailey's voice and her passion and love for the people in her life. Especially knowing she grew up without the love that she gives.When she finally meets up with Kaz, this book is a constant ride, and it doesn't stop. I won't lie and say it's completely unpredictable, but there are a few things that I wasn't expecting. And I will say one part I was frustrated and irritated with, but it ended wrapped up nicely.So, if there is a third book, I am not dying to read it, but I would love to know more about Hailey and the people in her world. Especially Kaz!Overall, this was a great book and a good follow up to Banished and I can't wait to read the other books Sophie Littlefield has written. It seems she's very into the zombies.
When I began Lightbringer I was confused and I honestly wasn't sure I would be able to finish the book, but I'm glad I did because it ended up being really good, and quite entertaining.I enjoyed the world that K.D. McEntire created with the Never and back to the living world. I understood Wendy's pain completely throughout with having to reap the dead, deal with her best friend's love, falling for a ghost all while trying to find her mother's soul.When reading the summary I expected more of Piotr (pronounced Peter) and the rest of the ghosts, but there wasn't enough. I felt like we could have got to know the rest of the ghosts, but because the story focuses on Piotr and Wendy, it was enough.Now on to Piotr and Wendy, though their ghost/human relationship kind of weirded me out, I loved them. And I wanted more intimate time between them that wasn't about the Never or Wendy's dilemmas in the living world. Then there's Wendy's best friend, Eddie, from the very beginning he told Wendy how he felt about her and I felt like she shrugged it off, as if she didn't really care. It actually annoyed me. I understood that she was going through a tough time with everything that has been happening, but he was there for her every step of the way.The way K.D. McEntire writes draws you into the book, and forces you to keep reading about these characters. Taking you into a world we all have heard of--and may actually believe in--and shows you that there is life after death. And it's not always pleasant. No rainbows, butterflies and hot pink unicorns. It's scary and you still need someone to help you, whether they're dead like you... or living. And if you happen to fall in love along the way, why not?This will either be a hit or miss with people. I see it going either way, but I feel this book will be talked about a lot through out the blogging community about 2 or more weeks after it is released. So read it now! (Or when it comes out November 15th!)
You Are My Only is told from the two perspectives of Emmy and Sophie. Emmy's story takes place within the time she loses Baby up to the more recent years of Sophie's story (2004). It took me a few pages to understand the writing style and what the author was trying to convey in her book, but once I was able to pick it up, I knew that this book would stay with me for quite some time after I've finished. I'll be completely honest, I preferred Sophie's story over Emmy's, because it's where the YA factor lies. And though I preferred Sophie's chapter's over Emmy's I was no less emotionally touched by Emmy. The way she felt when she learned she had lost Baby and the physical and emotional struggles she suffered through to find her child had an impact on me. Though I'm not a mother, I've taken care of my brother as if he were my own and to try to imagine losing him like that, physically hurt to think about. I felt that there was something more to Emmy, that she may have had a mental disability that hindered her thinking in a normal manner that only made her story that much more heartbreaking. Emmy's chapters were short, but (for me) they were enough to understand her and follow her along.Sophie is a fourteen year old girl who has been kept sheltered from the world, hiding from what her mother calls "The No-Good", but when she meets Joey she begins to come into her self and starts to break rules. Every time a Sophie chapter started, I was immediately engrossed, I wanted to know everything about her. With Sophie, I wanted to scream at the book for letting her mother control her life in such a way that she had to sneak out to visit with the neighbor and his aunts. But when she finally started to search in her past when some things didn't add up, I was cheering her along the way. There just wasn't enough Sophie. At all. I would have loved to see how she spent her time when she wasn't with Joey, or trying to please her mother. I kind of felt like Emmy's story overshadowed Sophie's a little. When their timelines began to line up is where the climax begins and you just can't put it down. I read a majority of this book at my brother's football practice and I made my mom stay about 10 minutes after so I could finish the book. I can't wait to read more from Beth Kephart, she knows how to tell a story.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)
Because I've seen the movie(s) (and even watched part of it today) I knew what to expect. I didn't expect the book to be so spot on with the movie. Every person's voice and face was in my head as I read, there was not one person I felt was wrong for the character. I did, however imagine the second Dumbledore (Michael Gambon instead of Richard Harris--RIP). And yes, I did read aloud in an English accent. Sue me.(Read the rest of my review at: Camisado Mind on Blogspot.)
