Adults Only!

LOL! I love saying "adult books" It makes it sound like books that belong behind a beaded curtain. ;) Anywho, as much as I love YA books, I've been spending a great deal of time looking at all the adult books I have on my shelves that keep getting ignored. So, for some time now, I've been planning on having a month where I only read adult books. After all, I have about 213 adult fiction books and there's 84 I haven't read yet. That's not horrible but that number is never going to get smaller unless I read some, right?

So, I'm deeming February adult books only month! Here's some of the books I've chosen for the month. Mind you these are subject to change depending on my mood.

I think my kitty approves. I hope to get Midnight in Austenland that just came out today (whoohoo!) and read it too.

I hope you guys out there usually stick with YA books will still read my reviews this month. I'd hate to lose your attention cause I'm a bit of an attention whore. ;)  And, hey, maybe you could join me. Don't you have some adult books that keep getting set aside for YA? Sure you do, how's about giving them some love.

Review: Everneath

Title Everneath
By Brodi Ashton
Pages 370
Recommended by Suey

First Sentence I was picturing his face-a boy with floppy brown hair and brown eyes-when the Feed ended.


Synopsis
Nikki has six months left. Six months to say good by to her friends and family and the love of her life, Jack. Six months before she goes to the Everneath...again.

What is has going for it
I've been waiting for this one forever. I knew my expectations were too high and I already knew I was going to like Cole over Jack, even when the author told us Cole didn't have a chance, but I got my hands on it and dove right in anyway. It had a very different unique story and the ending was very exciting and fast paced. I was impressed with the writing considering it's a debut novel and those can often leave a lot to be desired. And I really liked the underlying theme of redemption woven through the story. All in all the plot was what saved this one and earned three stars on Goodreads from me.

What is lacking
Sigh, I guess it's not really THIS book's fault that I'm getting a little tired of the poor guy that isn't morally perfect and isn't a big fat romantic sap that just NEVER gets the girl. It was like watching The Phantom of the Opera all over again. Don't get me wrong, I like Raul from TPOTO but I always did feel bad for the Phantom. Likewise, I felt bad for Cole, and I hate knowing he's going to be strung along for two more books before he DOESN'T win. :( Yeah, so it wasn't the book's fault that it had bad timing with my emotions. And it didn't help that I couldn't stand how unrealistically sweet and understanding Jack was, but then again, I've always struggled with the idea of a love like Jack and Nikkie's...well, at least a love like that occurring in high school. I was also bothered with the relationship between Nikki and her dad and brother. She did, after all, come to say goodbye to them too, not just Jack, but there wasn't enough interaction with them to make me believe she really cared. So, yeah the plot was great but the characters weren't, for me, anyways. Luckily I'm more of a plot girl. ;)

Yea or nay? 
Yeah, I think the characters will only bug me, and the plot is great so...yeah.

Hmmmm, Is It Just Me?

Review: Cinder

Title Cinder ( Lunar Chronicles 1)
By Marissa Meyer
For Fun
Pages 390
Recommended by Melissa 

First sentence The screw through Cinder's ankle has rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle.

Synopsis
A Cinderella retelling with a science fiction twist. Believe me...this isn't your mom's Cinderella and you'll be glad!

What it has going for it
Let me share a little secret. I'm not a huge fan of retellings, particularly fairy tale retellings, but when I saw the awesome cover to this lovely book and read the synopsis, I was very intrigued. The biggest problem with retellings, in my opinion, is the unoriginality. No matter what twist the author takes it's basically the same story you've read a million times. Not so with Cinder. Oh, sure, there's a prince and a girl who lives with her step mother and step sisters who's treated as a lower life form, but the whole science fiction twist and the melding of other fairy tales, that will come into play in the sequels, made for the most original and fun take on Cinderella I've ever read. In fact, the original pales in comparison to this one.  As you all know by now, I'm a bit of a picky negative reader and I go into books with a great deal of skepticism; my critical self on high alert, and I went into this book exactly the same, but no matter how hard I looked I couldn't find any faults. I really enjoyed this one and can't wait for the rest of the books to come out.

What's lacking
Oh, it's a tiny bit predictable but, as I learned from the author, it was supposed to be, so no issues there, and it did have a massive cliffhanger.

Yea or Nay
I think the review speaks for its self but in case you missed it: YES, read this one!

The NOT Love Triangle

Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to whine about love triangles. The truth is I don't mind them...IF they're REAL love triangles. What I can't stand and want to whine about is the "NOT love triangle". You know what I'm talking about. We have our heroine, she meets a guy, usually the new guy, and is instantly in love with him. Then, of course there's the "other" guy. Either an old friend who's always been there for her, or another new guy who she finds attractive as well. The problem occurs when the heroine is drawn by some supernatural power to one of the guys. For example, Emerson and Michael from Hourglass by Myra McEntire. Or when our heroine is in WUV with one of the guys forever and ever no matter what. Bella and Edward from Twilight. See what I mean about the NOT love triangle. Oh, sure there's two guys but it's so freaking obvious who the heroine is going to end up with.  Why even bring in another character?! Does there have to be a freaking love triangle in every YA paranormal romance?

See, when I was a teenager I used to read this series of books.

Anyone ever heard of these? They're historical romance book and, as you can tell from the cover, there was always a love triangle. Anywho, maybe these books are the reason I'm so burned out on love triangles that are so freaking obvious and unnecessary.

Sheesh, I'm even staring to wonder if there is such thing as a real love triangle. Anyone know of any books with TRUE love triangles?

And now, after all that rambling, the real reason for my post. I went to the launch party of Brodi Ashton's Everneath the other night and had a blast but that's beyond the point. The point is, Brodi informed us, that in her book, there is no love triangle. What?! But there's a guy named Jack and a guy named Cole! Doesn't that mean there's a love triangle?! I was all ready to jump into the book on "Team Cole" only to be informed there is no "Team Cole", there's no way Nikki is ending up with Cole....according to the author.

Well, what the hell?! Now I'm wondering if all those NOT love triangles I've been so irritated with were even meant to be love triangles! Really makes you think, doesn't it?

I still don't know why the authors throws in another guy, though. Is it really necessary?

Review: Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side

Title Jessica's Guide To Dating on the Dark Side
By Beth Fantaskey
For Fun
Pages 351
Recommended by Natalie
First sentence The first time I saw him, a heavy, gray fog clung to the cornfields, tails of mist slithering between the dying stalks.

Synopsis
Jessica's senior year is turned on it's head when a handsome foreign exchange student sweeps into her small town and claims she's a vampire princess and has been betrothed to him since birth.

What it has going for it
Well, first off, it was free to download from Amazon. That's good, right? My favorite thing about this one was the letters Lucius wrote to his uncle. They were highly amusing.  I liked that there were absolutely none of the usual things we see in YA books. For example: absent parents, love at fist sight, skinny beautiful perfect heroines, and  immediate acceptance of the paranormal. All in all, it was a fun fast read...once I got into it, cause it took awhile. Oh, and the best part? It is a series but it stands on it's own beautifully. No need to read any sequels if you don't want to.

What's lacking
All those good things? Well, it was sort of like reading a check list of things the author set out to defy. I appreciated them, but they were a bit obvious. I also found the ending a little rushed and unbelievable. Both main characters changed so dramatically through out the book, as well. With Jessica it felt like she was maturing and progressing, so, no complaints there, but with Lucius it just felt like he had a split personality.

Yea or Nay?
Oh, sure for a quick light read and a good laugh at the dry witticism of Lucius' letters.

TBR Tuesday # 3

It's TBR Tuesday again! A meme dedicated to those books on our TBR list that need a little love. Head on over to Let's book it to join us.

K, I seriously hoped this meme would help me pick up a few books of the shelf but so far I've only given myself some serious guilt issues. Still, I have a blast picking books and highlighting them. Maybe I'll even get excited enough to read them or one...hopefully.

 A monstrous waking nightmare is pursuing graduate student Hailey Maniates across San Francisco to Golden Gate Park where she is rescued by a towering homeless man. She seems able to read her rescuer’s mind, but is it just a delusion? Doctors diagnose her as a paranoid schizophrenic and attempt to prescribe away her alleged hallucinations. But too many questions remain around Hailey and the man who saved her. He appears to suffer from her same mental condition and is convinced that some type of Gypsy vampire is trying to kill them both.

Against reason, Hailey finds herself more and more attracted to this strange man. But what if he is a fantasy? What if he is the monster? (From Goodreads) 

Oh, you know you so want to add this one to your TBR shelf too! This one won't have to wait too long, though, as I intend to read it next month. 

Review: Looking For Alaska

Title Looking for Alaska
By John Green
For Fun
Pages 256
Recommended by Suey

First sentence The week before I left my family and Florida and the rest of my minor life to go to boarding school in Alabama, my mother insisted on throwing me a going-away party.

Synopsis
In search of  "a great perhaps" Miles decides to go to a boarding school in Alabama. There he makes some new friends and meets Alaska, the girl destined to change his life forever.

What its got going for it
Well, I don't mind John Green's writing style and his plots aren't full of holes. Both good things. This one had a fairly good message to it...if you can pick it out of all the alcohol fumes and cigarette smoke. And, yeah, that's about all I liked about it.

What's lacking
I wouldn't necessarily say there's anything lacking in this book but I found myself reading it with absolutely NO expression on my face, or emotion in my heart. I was bored for most of it. Usually, even if I hate a book, I'll at least FEEL hate. That's better than nothing right? Which is what I felt with this one, a big fat, who the heck cares! Anywho, half way through the book I'd figured out everything that was going to happen so I set it aside to go to bed. But I just sat there trying to figure out what exactly was bugging me about it. So, here's what bugged me about it. The only other John Green book I've read so far is Paper Towns. I don't really remember it it (never a good thing) but I remember liking it OK. The problem is, that these books are so similar. John Green is SOOOO writing about himself. Have you not noticed that his main mail characters are always average Joes with a streak of nerd in them? That his main girl characters are always "damaged" but just so dang "fun"  and "alluring"? (at least in these two books) I just felt like perhaps John Green might have been seeing a therapist at the beginning of his career and that these books were the result of some sort of self analysis exercise. I know your supposed to write what you know but nobody wants to hear about what a lame teenager you were and the damaged girl you were desperately "in love" with. At least not TWICE. I kept thinking he could have at least had the decency to write himself...er...his character right into a mental institution like J.D Salinger had the decency to do!

Yay or Nay?
Well, I'm quite sure most of you have read it already so this is a moot point, but, no, I'd say skip it.

Sunday Salon:

Welcome to the new Sunday Salon. A weekly update post about my boring life. ;)

Weather Small Talk: Well, we kept getting told it was going to snow but all we've gotten is rain. Actually, as I hate snow, I'm fine with this.

On The Idiot Box: Oh boy, lets see. I checked out the new show on FOX called Alcatraz. You heard of this one? I watched it and think it has serious potential. I'd say it's a mix between Lost and Prison Break but since I didn't watch those shows I can't say for sure. I also checked out The Finder on FOX and was way less impressed. I'm loving Revenge still, just in case you wondered. And I missed all my other shows and am still trying to catch up on those so no news there. 

Weekly Reads: I finished I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith for book club and enjoyed it. I also read Looking For Alaska by John Green and am very nervous about writing a review because, well, I didn't like it so much. :( Anywho, I started Cinder by Marissa Myer and am liking it so far.

Crazy Kitty: Not so crazy this last week. She's been sleeping and sleeping and...you guessed it sleeping! Depression maybe???

This Week: Well, I had book club which is always awesome and a definite highlight of my month. I did a new kickboxing routine that made me so sore I had to take a day off from exercising and I saw the awesome movie I've been waiting for...but more about that right....

Movie of the Week: ...Now! I've been waiting and waiting for the new Underworld movie to come out and so when it came out on Friday I was so there! I even saw it in 3D and it was pretty cool but  I was so worried that because they did it in 3D they'd forget that they were actually telling a story but no worries. It was AWESOME! I love these movies! 

Food Talk: Um, this is SOOO bad but I saw a commercial for Taco Time's 5 Alarm Burrito and I know it's fattening and totally against my diet but I had to try it. :( It was super yummy! I mean take a big fattening burrito with spicy sauce and add tater tots and I'm a goner! 

Soccer Sightings: Sheesh! I don't know what's up with me lately but I forgot another soccer game! Ahhh! And by the time I remembered it was over and...they'd lost. :( See? If I don't watch they lose.

Music Discoveries: I didn't actually discover anything new this week so I'd thought I'd share a secret. I happen to be obsessed with 50's 60's music and here's a favorite.

Plans For The Week: It seems like I've been waiting for this book forever! At long last Brodi Ashton's Everneath is coming out and I get to go to the launch party! YAY! 

A Personal Moment

Remember when I told you I had PCOS? Yeah, too much information, I know. Well, sometimes, if you lose weight, some of the annoying symptoms of it will go away. I was getting so sick of those annoying symptoms that I finally decided to put in the effort and change my eating and exercising lifestyle for good. I also was (was being the key word) insulin resistant which is a step away from being hypoglycemic which is a step away from being diabetic and I really didn't want to deal with that!

So, on the 1st of September 2010 I began my diet. With a lot of hard work and tons of determination I have since lost 85 pounds, am no longer insulin resistant and am still losing. So why am I telling you all this boring info? 

What? Can't I gloat a little? So, here's my before and after pics.

Before




After!

  HA HA! You thought this was a nice serious post! 

But seriously, I once had a bet with my sister that I could get into those little car shopping carts at the store. Needless to say I couldn't. Then after losing weight...I could! Whoohoo! My sister had to buy me dinner. 

Review: I Capture The Castle

Title I Capture The Castle
By Dodie Smith
For Book Club
Pages 343
Recommended by Suey and Kim
First sentence I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.

Synopsis
Written in diary form this book tells the story of Cassandra and her family and their life in a rundown English castle. With adventure and romance, this coming of age story will capture your heart. It certainly caught mine.

What its got going for it
I adored this book almost from page one! I've heard it compared to Pride and Prejudice but besides the fact that two brothers of a marriageable age move into the neighborhood, I found nothing else in common with P&P. So, don't go expecting it. But do expect a book worth investing your emotions in. And be prepared for those emotions to go on quite the roller coaster ride. I loved how quickly Cassandra makes you care about her and her family and how well she describes everyone in the book. The things in Cassandra's life that might not seem overly exciting become thoroughly adventurous and exciting in her words. And for you YA only lovers...um....Cassandra is 17. Sure it takes place in the 1940's but this will surely be enjoyable to YA lovers.

What's lacking? 
The only two things that slightly ruined this book for me was Cassandra's attitude after she realized she was 'in love" I was horribly disappointed in her overly dramatic actions. I can understand  it but it made this character I LOVED turn into someone I only mildly cared for. That's just a personal preference, though. It was also horribly predictable and convenient but tha was forgivable because of the great story.

Yea or Nay? 
Yes, definitely worth a read! Don't let the "classic" typecast that goes with this book scare you off. It's readable and entertaining and isn't that what we're all looking for?

How a Fun Book Event Pushed Me Over The Edge

So, there seems to be some amazing bookish events happening and about to happen at my local library. I had the opportunity to meet Marissa Myer and just two days later attended The Family Literacy Symposium at the same library.

Now a lot of these events are directed towards YA books and YA book readers but this one, while having a few YA things, was more directed to adults; a nice change of pace.  The keynote speech was by Haven Kimmel  author of these amazing memoirs and even has some other books I've yet to read. I must rectify that.

I loved these memoirs and highly recommend them! The keynote speech was unlike any I've ever been to. We had Haven start a discussion on Ereaders. We heard all sorts of opposing opinions and it was fascinating to me, though, some people were disappointed she didn't talk more about her past. Well, I say, read the books if you want to know more about her past!  Anywho, it was a blast.

We then went to a session where the library director and some library workers talked about the best books they'd read in 2011. Sigh! You can imagine the list of books I walked away with. No? Well let me enlighten you. I've been trying really hard for the past six months to not break the 600 mark of books on my TBR list. Well, it's all over now! 

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser

Nerve by Taylor Clark

Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos

11/22/63 by Stephan King

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The Mozart Conspiracy by Scott Mariani

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Eight books people! Ahhh! No, I'm excited for them but it sure didn't help the poor TBR list. Plus, as you may have noticed, these are all adult books. Some are even nonfiction.  I mean, I love YA books but every once and a while you need a change, you know? 

So, yeah, that's how a fun event pushed me over the 600 mark on my TBR list. 

TBR Tuesday # 2

It's Tuesday again! I''m loving this meme of Dana's because it gets me thinking about those books that have been waiting to be read for far too long! So head on over and link up and join us. What books have been waiting for you?

My book today is yet another book by an author I love and that I'm terrified to read because I really, really, REALLY don't want to be disappointed. Plus, if I read and love it, then it's done. Read. Finished. No longer new to me. You know? Ah well.

The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb

Calder is a Fetch, a death escort, the first of his kind to step from Heaven back to Earth.The first to fall in love with a mortal girl. But when he climbs backwards out of that Death Scene, into the chaos of the Russian Revolution, he tears a wound in the ghost realm, where the spirits begin a revolution of their own. (from Goodreads) 

Review: Don't Stop Now

Title Don't Stop Now
By Julie Halpern
For Fun
Pages 240
Recommended by Me

First sentence "I did it" Penny's voice whispers on my voicemail.


Synopsis
"I did it."  Three little words from the quiet over dramatic Penny sends Lillian and her best friend Josh on a road trip where they might find out if they're more than just friends.   

So I'm trying out a new review format as part of my new years resolution to try to find the good in things. Enjoy.


What its got going for it
Well, do I really need to say more than those two little words, "road trip"? K, I know, just because I like road trip books doesn't mean you do but still. So, yeah, I love a good road trip book and so I was perfectly willing to read this book and enjoy the road tripiness. And I did! It had all the fun elements of a road trip. Stops at wacky landmarks of the mid west and some fun metaphors for the landmarks and the characters. It has some romance and humor and a touch of mystery all combining for a fun read. Plus the end was so realistic and honest, I have to say it saved the book for me.

What's lacking
I'm all about good writing, both the technical aspect of writing and the plot and development and this one left nothing to be desired in those areas but the characters, especially Lillian, were a little selfish and single minded. I mean, here you have poor Penny who had a pretty awful life and problems, with things so bad she actually fakes her own kidnapping, and all Lillian can think about is whether Josh likes her or not. Really? How selfish can you be?! Meanwhile Josh was so lackadaisical and aimless and even though it was supposed to be cute I wasn't really impressed. And what was with him never wearing a shirt?! Nice abs or nor please leave something to be desired!

Yea or nay? 
I'd say yes, it was a road trip book, after all. Just don't expect to adore the characters.

A Night With Marissa Myer

I can never do these fun bookish things I attend justice but I shall try. I had the fun opportunity to go meet Marissa Myer the other night, author of this not so little book.

I was actually quite excited for this one. Firstly because this is not a local author and for some reason it's just fun to meet an author from somewhere else. Don't get me wrong, Utah has some great local authors who are always having some event or other but sometimes, because of all those events, I tend to start taking it for granted and getting a little bored. I long to see other authors. I know, I know. Very selfish of me. :(
Anywho, the other reason this event was exciting was because us Utah bloggers were invited to a sit down with Marissa before the actual event. So, we got to sit and listen to her talk about her book and chat with her. It was quite fun and much more personable.

After that fun little sit down there was the "normal" event where we got to hear Marissa talk about how a writing contest to win a walk on roll on Star Trek was the beginning of this four book series.

The whole thing was a blast and of course I got my book signed, as well.....Now if I could just hurry and read it. ;)

Review: Infinity

Title Infinity (Chronicles of Nick 1)
By Sherrilyn Kenyon
For Fun
Pages 480
Recommended by  Me

First sentence "I'm a socially awkward mandork."

Synopsis 
I don't even know! It was THAT all over the place.


General thoughts
Look at the cover! Look at the hot kid! Read this much better synopsis! Sounds and looks great huh? I bought it way back in 2010 when it first came out and, knowing my expectations were way too high, I just kept putting it off. Well, I finally picked it up and for some reason assumed it was about an older kid. More like 16 17. Alas, he was only 14 and though this is classified as YA it reads way more like a middle grade. Still, I just readjusted my perceptions and tried, really tried, to enjoy it! It was just all over the place! There were way too many characters, all with crazy weird names and the writing, while sometimes witty, was just not that impressive. I seriously all most gave up on it but at that point I was on page 350 and I didn't want to be beat by a stupid book! So, yeah, it had potential but it just wasn't written well enough for me. I like my stories a little better crafted.

Characters
Nick was a wisecrack and some of the things he said were funny but I just could never get a hold on his personality.  The rest? Well, I think a quote from the book would be best.

"Must be some mutant form of maternal bipolar disorder." 

Would I recommend it? 
I might have for a really young boy because there's so much ridiculous action but it's too long and needlessly complicated.

Don't Let Their Smiles Fool You

Remember when I confessed that I thought this soccer player was a vampire?

Well, it looks like he's turning the whole team. Look.

Look at those freaky eyes! Don't let their smiles fool you, if they get you alone they might just nibble on you...wait, wouldn't that be a good thing? ;)

TBR Tuesday # 1

Well, my friend Dana, has decided to start a little meme called TBR Tuesday where we can take the opportunity to talk about a book or two that's on our TBR shelf. So, I thought, for a change, I'd join her today. You can head on over there link up too.

So, as you know may know, I'm constantly talking about a little series that's technically called Urban Magic but is referred to, by Goodreads and me, as the Matthew Swift series. I LOVE these books and this book, Mirror Dreams and its sequel, Mirrow Wakes are actually by the same author. Different name, same author. So, why then, have both these books been sitting my shelf for years?! I know I'm nervous they won't be as good as I'm hoping and that my expectations are too high, but what if they are as amazing as I'm hoping and I've stupidly been putting them off?! Sigh. I need to pick these dang books up and read them, agreed?

Here's a synopsis so you can be tempted too. ;)

Every dream you've ever had, and every dream yet to come, exists in the Kingdoms of the Void. Every nightmare, too. Because there has to be balance;it's the rules. But the Lords of Nightkeep aren't big on rules;only Conquest, Fear, and Eternal Darkness for All. It takes a powerful wizard like Laenan Kite to keep them in check. But Kite has other worries, and Nightkeep is growing strong. Its Lords hunger for power. And they've turned their gaze towards earth. (from Goodreads)

Sunday Salon

Welcome to the new Sunday Salon. A weekly update post about my boring life. ;)

Weather Small Talk: It was a surprisingly warm and sunny and beautiful all week and then, yesterday, it snowed. Just a skiff but at least it was feeling a little like winter.

On The Idiot Box: The Vampire Diaries was new this week and I was so excited...and then I watched the episode! There getting rid of Jeremy! NO!!!!! He's too cute to be written off. 

Weekly Reads: I finished Inheritance! It was awesome once it got going and I'm kinda sad to be done with the series. I'm reading Infinity and it's a little more middle grade than YA but it's OK. I also had the weirdest dream about The Scorpio Races so I had to download it to my phone and hopefully I'll be getting to it soon.

Crazy Kitty: I swear my kitty has a personality overhaul every week! She used to sit in the windowsill for hours and now I can't get her to,  to save her life. Seriously! She changes all the time.

This Week: It's been a quiet week. Not much to report. I did admit to myself I have a bit of a shopping when I'm depressed problem.  Sigh.  I did get the cutest dress for just 20 bucks, though! 

Movie of the Week: I saw We Bought A Zoo and, yes, it's super warm and fuzzy but it was cute and worth a see. 

Food Talk: I made a super yummy corn and black bean salad for a family thing and had the hardest time sharing it. I wanted to just eat it all myself!

Soccer Sightings: Yep, it's official I'm their good luck charm. ;) I missed the first half of their game yesterday but when I came in and watched the second half they scored three more times making the final score an impressive 5-1!

Music Discoveries: K, I tweeted about this already, but I'm loving this song by the Airborne Toxic event. 

Plans For The Week: Marissa Meyer, author of THIS little book will be coming to my local library on Thursday and i'll definitely be there! 

Review: Inheritance

Title Inheritance (Inheritance book 4)
By Christopher Paolini
For Fun
Pages 880
Recommended by Me

First sentence The dragon Saphira roared, and the soldiers before her quailed.

Synopsis
The battle between Eragon, Sahpira, the Varden and the evil King Galbatorix comes to a head in the conclusion of this epic series.

General thoughts
Whew! I finally finished it! I'll admit after my re-reads of the first books in the series it was a bit of an overload, so I took a little break. Alright, the book sat on my nightstand taunting me everyday! I finally picked it up and waded through the first two hundred pages and then...holy crap, things took off! It was so exciting and heart wrenching that I kept talking out loud to the book. I couldn't put it down. Then  all that excitement builds to this huge climatic scene and ends, and I'm sitting there looking at the book and there's one hundred plus pages left and I'm thinking, WTH? But it all made sense. There was so much to wrap up that it just took that many pages. I ended up being glad for those pages so I could take a deep breath and see the good that came from all the fighting and trials and say goodbye to all the wonderful characters! Paolini wrapped up every little thing, all the intricate details, and whether you like the way he did it or not (and I'll admit there was one thing that bothered me) you have to admit he did, in fact, do so. (unlike some authors...ahem)  He did leave a few stories hanging but, as he's going to be writing more about Alagaesia in the future, it's fine by me. I thoroughly enjoy this series and all the naysayers can go wallow in their bitterness. They couldn't do any better no matter how hard they tried.

Characters
I'm sure I've said it before but one of my favorite things about this series are the characters and more importantly the relationships between them.

Would I recommend it?
Yes, despite all the naysayers, I would!

Lucky Charm Or Dumb Luck?

I am SOOOO taking credit for this! K, so yesterday I totally forgot that Real Madrid was playing. I know, and I call myself a fan, for shame! I was out running errands and talking on the phone with my sister when I realized my mistake. I instructed her husband to quickly look up the score for me, figuring it was about half time, only to discover they were two goals down. Depression was setting in and getting worse as my sister "jokingly" suggested I was their lucky charm and they were losing because I wasn't watching.

No, I didn't rush right home, taking my sisters words as truth, I went to Walmart and finished my shopping. THEN, I rushed home and, the minute I walked in the door, turned on the game. There were twenty five minutes left and they were still down two goals. Sigh. Then, and I kid you not, within five minutes of me turning on the TV they had scored twice and within twelve minutes they had scored three times to take the win!

I guess I AM their lucky charm. ;)

Oh, and here's a hot pic. I did talk soccer, after all.

What?! How else are we supposed to see their awesome thighs? ;)