Review: The Actor and the Housefwife

Title The Actor and the Housewife
By Shannon Hale
Genre Adult Contemporary
Pages 352
Recommended by Book Club

First sentence Becky was seven months pregnant when she met Felix Callahan.

Synopsis from Goodreads
Mormon housewife Becky Jack is seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she meets celebrity hearththrob Felix Callahan. Twelve hours, one elevator ride, and one alcohol-free dinner later, something has happened…though nothing has happened. It isn’t sexual. It isn’t even quite love. But a month later Felix shows up in Salt Lake City to visit and before they know what’s hit them, Felix and Becky are best friends. Really. Becky’s husband is pretty cool about it. Her children roll their eyes. Her neighbors gossip endlessly. But Felix and Becky have something special…something unusual, something completely impossible to sustain. Or is it? A magical story, The Actor and the Housewife explores what could happen when your not-so-secret celebrity crush walks right into real life and changes everything.

What it has going for it
Shannon Hale knows how to write a fun engaging book that keeps you glued to the story...even if it is a dumb one. Honestly, I don't have anything else nice to say.

What's lacking
Besides being way too long, this one just felt so ridiculously pointless. I had no idea why I read over 300 pages for nothing. I heard you either love or hate this one...I felt neither emotion. I just shrugged this one off as a boring story with a point I could care less about.

Favorite moment
Nothing really stands out. I do enjoy how Shannon can evoke some emotion with her writing, though.

Yea or Nay?
Meh, I'd pass on this one. It has a fake portrayal of Mormon's and was just boring and pointless. 

Review: Getting Over Garrett Delaney

Title Getting Over Garrett Delaney
By Abby Mcdonald
Genre YA contemporary
Pages 336
Recommended by Jessica

First sentence You have to understand: I've been madly, hopelessly, tragically in love with Garrett Delaney for two years now-ever since that fateful day when I looked from my list of the Top Ten Couples of All Time and saw him sauntering into the local coffee house.


Synopsis
Sadie has been in love with Garrett for far too long. When he gets into a writing camp and she doesn't and he goes away for the summer her heart is broken. Things get more and more out of hand as the summer progress but with the help of new friends and old Sadie is going to get over Garrett once and for all.

What it has going for it
I read this one several months ago and I remember liking it well enough but as I reflect on it now I realize how much I really did like it. The truths learned in this book are amazing! Yeah, it's a ridiculous fun story disguised as fluff but as I look at it now I can see how many deep thoughts there were. I won't go and list them all but I will name a few...the ones that made me love the book. First of all, I loved watching Sadie learn who she really was. Up until her friends point it out and help her out she never realized that much of who she was, was merely a shadow of what Garrett wanted her to be. She didn't even know who she was. I think...well I know that girls struggle with this no matter their age and I loved that Sadie was set free and learned who she was. Secondly, I loved the way a little distance and perspective made Sadie see things more clearly. This too is a truth that I'm learning myself. So, yeah, the book was fun and entertaining but if you like a little depth to your reading pick this one up!

What's lacking
Meh, slightly predictable and a rather neat ending but the journey was worth it.

Favorite moment
When Sadie has her full blown meltdown in the coffee shop and really realizes she has a problem.

Yea or Nay?
Yep, definitely would recommend this one.

Too Much Reading?!

 

Is it possible?! Can you really read TOO much?! No, no that can't be true...or can it?

OK. I know other people have written about this very subject but I notice they pointed things out that I could care less about. Sorry it's true. They pointed out that it can be bad for your eyesight and draw you away from studying (kids and teens) or make you shirk responsibilities. See? Those are pathetic reasons. ;) I tease, I tease. I just hadn't thought of those as being reasons not to read. 

Anywho, the whole reason I'm writing this post is because, as you are well aware, I have been completely out of the blogging world for most of this year. Not only has my blog reading and writing been nearly obsolete but I haven't been reading that much either. In fact, I've only read 8 books since March...that used to be my average per month! Eeesh! And I've come to realize something. The less I read the more I enjoy what I read. Now that's not completely true. I enjoy reading no matter how many books I put away per month but it seems like I become completely nit picky, anal and judgmental of books when I'm constantly reading. 

Now when I read a book, some where in the back of my mind I know it might not be the best book in the world but I get to read so little these days that almost any book is a good book...a great book! You know what I mean? Is this just me? I don't think so. At book club every month we all take turns reporting what we read since the last meeting. Some of us read so many books that when we report, there are those who just stare at us with mouths gaping, admitting the only book they managed to read was the book for book club...and they consider that a good reading number. 

So, yeah, I often wondered if reading too many books was making me picky. Now, after taking a "forced" break I realize that for me... it was and there just might be such a thing as reading too much. Not that, that is going to stop me. Don't worry. ;)  

Maybe what it really comes down to is this: Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

Review: Agnes Grey

Title Agnes Grey
By Anne Bronte
Genre Adult classic
Pages 272
Recommended by Book Club

First sentence All true histories contain instruction; though, in some the treasure may be hard to find and when found, so trivial in quantity, that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut.

Synopsis
Agnes leaves home to be a governess and learns many lessons from two different families finally finding a happy ending of her own.



What it has going for it
A friend of mine and I have been talking about reading this one forever so when my book club decided to read it I was excited to finally get to it. I hated (LOATHED)  Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights is just ridiculous so I was curious what the other sister had to offer. I was pleasantly surprised. This one is so much more calm and down to earth. Sure, Agnes is rather boring and pretty self righteous but in comparison to Jane and Cathy...Oh, so much better. This one took me a whole month to read. Mind you, I was getting married and honeymooning but, still. I think it reflects how dull the book was. It was fine just not much happened. However, if you read the first sentence of the book again...we are warned. Maybe Anne Bronte just wanted to write something dull because her sisters ridiculous stories drover her as crazy as they drive me. The reason I liked this one, though, despite it's dryness and dull story, was because Agnes' little crush and her ponderings and feelings reminded me of *ahem* someone. *cough cough me cough cough*. I actually laughed out loud at those chapters.

What's lacking
As I mentioned, this one was rather dull. If it wasn't for the romance in it I seriously would have felt like the whole book was a complete waste. Sure, Agnes goes through some crazy families that make the reader think but I never felt like Agnes grew up. I felt like she assumed she was perfect and everyone else outside her family was horrible and has low morals. *shrugs* It wasjust a little demeaning. Thank goodness for the romance. That's all I can say.

Favorite moment
The entire chapter where Agnes muses about hope. I giggled the whole way through it.

Yea or Nay?
There's only a few classic books I'd warn you away from reading but most are usually worth a read. 

Review: If Only We

Title If Only We
By Jessica Sankiewicz
Genre YA contemporary
Pages ?
Recommended by Jessica 

First sentence I never imagined a day when I wouldn't want the sun to shine.

Synopsis From Goodreads
At the end of the summer after graduation, Adrienne wonders what happened to cause her life to be in ruins. She isn’t getting along with her mom, her stepsister isn’t talking to her, and, to top it off, the boy she’s been in love with doesn’t want anything to do with her. She believes the turning point was a choice she made at graduation. When she wakes up the next day, she has been transported back three months to that moment, the one where everything started to fall apart. Adrienne realizes she has been given a second chance—and this time she doesn’t want to mess anything up. Reliving the entire summer, though, turns out to be a lot harder than she thought. As the same days and weeks go by, she starts to see how simple decisions can make a huge impact on the world around her. Despite knowing some of what lies ahead, there are some things she didn’t anticipate. She thought she knew what mistake led her to where she ended up the first time. She was wrong. And by the time summer is over, she discovers what was really at stake.

What it has going for it
I've been following Jessica's blog since I first started blogging. She's one of those bloggers you feel like you know even though you've never met. I've been reading her posts about writing and self publishing for a long time and when she sent me a copy of her book I was so excited...I even bought the book from Amazon just so I could have the pretty cover. I never doubted her ability to write and now I'm being proven right. Jessica writes a fun story with funny and heat breaking moments all in one. I enjoyed watching the MC Adrienne learn and grow from her second chance. Heaven knows I wouldn't learn that fast. I was very impressed with the editing too. You never know what you're going to get in a self published book but there was no need to worry. Oh, and I just love that cover!

What's lacking
So, I'm sure you're all thinking, "yeah but you're her friend so of course you're going to give her a good review". Not true. I'll be honest. There were phrases and sentencing here and there that pulled me out of the story and about two thirds of the way through the story I remember feeling like something had changed in the quality. Not really for the bad, though. It was just different and it threw me. The other things I wasn't fond of (and this is just personal) was Chevy. I know! I'm so picky about guys. I'm sure none of you are surprised. Anywho, he just didn't do it for me.

Favorite moment
The big reveal of the paint job. I was actually flinching in anticipation of Adrienne's mom's reaction.

Yea or Nay?
Yes, give this one a go for sure! 

Review: Between Shades of Gray

Title Between Shades of Gray
By Ruta Sepetys
Genre YA historical
Pages 344
Recommended by Book Club

First Sentence They took me in my nightgown.

Synopsis
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions. From Goodreads

What is has going for it
Once again I'm reviewing a book I read quite awhile ago so I'll do my best to remember what I thought. I remember liking it. I thought the history was fascinating. Everyone knows about Hitler and Germany's role in WWII but no one really know...or I should say I  didn't know what was going in Russia at the same time. Learning about it was so interesting. I thought the authors idea of using a young adult girl to tell the tale was a great idea too. I have a hard time hearing about the awful things that happened to people in those types of situations and hearing it from a younger perspective kept it a little more toned down. Not so graphic, if you know what I mean. The characters actually stuck with me. I do remember them even if I don't remember the details of the story. So if you love characters, I think you'll like this one.

What's lacking
Despite enjoying the book and reading it pretty quickly I wasn't riveted. I could easily put the book down and wasn't dying to pick it back up. I also thought the ending was a bit too open ended. I wanted a little more closure.

Favorite moment
I loved Nikolai. When he cried near the end I just about lost it!

Yea or Nay?
Yeah, I'd say give it a go. 

Awwww!

Get your tissues out! So, when I was a kid there was a older couple in my neighborhood who had this beautiful bird-bath statue in their yard. I used to admire this statue...admire isn't a strong enough word. I adored it! I used to walk by it at least once a week and gaze lovingly at it. It brought a little bit of Europe home to my little suburban Utahn neighborhood. So you can imagine my utter despair when I drove by my beloved statue one day only to see it had been knocked over and no one was taking care of it! Don't think I didn't consider trespassing into their yard and fixing it, cause I did. I even considered stealing it in the night. I found out later that the older couple had passed away and that the new owners of the house didn't seem to care about the beautiful statue. Every time I drove by the statue (now disassembled and leaning against the side of the house) I died a little inside. Now for the beautiful part. You ready? Can you see where this is going? I got home from work yesterday to my husband sitting out side the house with a big grin on his face. I stopped the car in confusion and suddenly my eyes saw it!!! My beloved statue sitting in my garden. 

My hot fella had been working in my old neighborhood and happened to notice the lady who lived in the house outside in her yard. He stopped and told her the long sappy story about how much his wife loved that statue. He offered to buy it so he could surprise me. My beloved statue is now MY beloved statue! I know, I know sappiness cliche, but I can't help it. My husband is the greatest! I love him soooooo much!

A Quick Hello!

Hey! I'm back....for a minute anyway. Not that anyone is still following me anymore, but I just thought I'd let you all know I'm thinking of trying to get back into this blogging world.  I miss reading! The wedding's over and things are settling back down for a minute. I hope I can get some reading done and blogging going again. Anywho, here's a my favorite pic of my wedding day. Captured, not by the professional photographer, but by my nephew's cell phone. Isn't that the way it always goes?

 And here's a better one just for those not amused by the above.

See you around! 

Just When I Thought I Was Back

Good grief! I thought things were calming down a bit and I'd be able to get back to blogging and reading all of your blogs...and then my hot fella proposed! Yep, I'm getting married. Really fast too so now all my time is consumed with working wedding planning and spending time with said hot fella. Sorry Guys. I'll be back when things calm down. As a treat I'd like to offer you special followers a first glimpse of the wedding invite picture. You lucky ducks.

See you on the other side of the wedding.

Review: Edenbrooke

Title Edenbrooke
By Julianne Donaldson
Genre Romance
Pages 264
Recommended by Jessica

First sentence It was the oak tree that distracted me.




Synopsis
Marianne has been exiled to live with her grandmother in Bath while her sister get to live in London. Never one for flirting and socializing, Marianne is content enough, but when a invitation to stay at the estate Edenbrooke comes, Marianne is excited. When she meets the dashing Phillip things only look better, until she discovers that he's already spoken for...by her sister.


What it has going for it
Truthfully, I thought it was more reminiscent of a Regency Romance than an Austen, but, hey, I loved those books when I was a teenager. Marianne was a little unbelievably ridiculous but while I couldn't relate to her now I definitely could have as a teen. While the ending had me raising a "yeah, right" eyebrow, I still enjoyed the book. It's light and fluffy and just plain fun.

What's lacking
I mentioned the ridiculousness and there was plenty of it but that hardly gets in the way. There were a few overused words that started to get on my nerves as well but all in all it was a fun read.

Favorite moment
For some reason I adored Marianne's maid. Any scene with her in it, especially with the gun, amused me.

Yea or Nay?
Yes. For a good clean fun read I'd highly recommend it.

Review: Frostbite (Vampire Academy 2)

Title Frostbite (Vampire Academy 2)
By Richelle Mead
Genre YA paranormal/supernatural
Pages 327
Recommended by Natalie

First sentence I didn't think my day could get any worse until my best friend told me she might be going crazy.

Synopsis
Rose and company are back. With new characters and higher risks the adventure continues.



What it has going for it
I'm going to be completely honest with you...I read this book way back in March and have forgotten a good deal of it. :( I have not, however, forgotten that I liked it. Liked it even better than the first one. With the introduction of Adrian...Sigh! I'd been warned about his sexiness but not about his mystery. I think the mystery was better then how sexy he was...or added to it, anyway. The story was more exciting too. I liked that it jumped right into the action this time. I think what really gets me about these books is that they always have a crazy fun plot, (I'm a plot girl) AND awesome characters. I can't wait to read the rest of the series...I better hurry before I forget what's going on, huh?

What's lacking
Honestly I don't remember anything bugging me. I will admit that they're rather silly books with no real depth in them...so far, anyway, but I like them all the same.

Favorite moment
The whole scene in the pool was pretty fun.

Yea or Nay?
Yep, read and enjoy.    

And Then I Left The Country

Yes, mainly my distraction from blogging and reading has been by a very hot fella but I also took a Mediterranean cruise in June. I was gone for two weeks. (boy was that hard with my hot fella left at home) I visited Barcelona, Sicily, France and tons of stops in Italy. But rather then go on and on I'll just let you see a few pictures. If you friend me on Facebook, there's more pics there. 

I've Been Missing You Say?

I've been missing in action have I? Well, yes, I have. Why you ask? Cast your eyes on this...



Enough said. Am I right? ;)

Yes, I finally got myself a man...a mighty hot one too, right? So, yeah, I'm just slightly distracted but don't worry. I'm slowly starting to pry him off me (yeah, I'm that hot) so I can read again and I expect to get a few reviews up soon.

In the mean time, I thought I'd list a few things I learned about myself from being in a relationship. (sad but true, it is my first relationship, after all) See, I'm constantly gagging at romance in books unless I happen to like the love interest, which really doesn't happen that often. I even wrote a post about how I just didn't get why YA books were always going on about the way a guy smelled to the heroine. Yes, I was quite the skeptic. Here's what I've learned... so far.

1 I finally get the smell thing! Oh boy, do I get it!

2 Guy's really are kinda as sappy as they are in books

3 Sorry but I still don't believe in insta love. It just doesn't work that way...for me, anyway, and if any guy is worthy of falling instantly in love with it's my guy.

4 I'm not sentimental. That just may be why I'm always eyebrow raising and eye rolling at romance in books...however, my guy is super sentimental, so he evens us out.

5 Last but now least, I think I'll have a little more patience and understanding for romance in books now...maybe. ;)

Blog Tour Review: The Queen's Vow

Title The Queen's Vow By C.W Gortner Genre Adult Historical Fiction Pages 370 Recommended by: Blog Tour

First Sentence "Hold the reigns, Isabella."

Synopsis
A historical fiction based on the life of Queen Isabella of Spain.

 What it has going for it
Obviously I haven't been around for awhile. There are reason for that and I'll tell you about them soon but for now; a review. I couldn't pass down reading this book despite the fact that I haven't read a book the entire way through since March. I love historical fiction IF it's about a part of history that I love...and this one was. I've always been interested in Isabella of Spain and it was interesting to learn more about her. I learned things I had no idea about and isn't it great to read and enjoy a book AND learn something? Until, a few moments ago I had no idea that the author was a guy. Wow! That kind of shocked me...and explained a few things. The writing was good. It evoked emotions in me. The yell-at-the-characters-like they're-real-people kind. All in all it was a good read.

What's lacking
I sometimes found my eyes glazing over when it got too historical. I like my historical fiction to be enough about the characters that I hardly notice the history. This one sometimes felt a bit too much like a history book. Other than that, I enjoyed it.

Favorite moment
I loved when Isabella talked to Colon (Christopher Columbus). It was just too fun to see that moment take place.   

Yea or Nay?
If you like historical fiction then, yes, give this one a shot.

And The Winner Is...

Kathy from Read This Instead! Congrats, Kathy. Maybe you'll like it better than I did.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Mini Movie Reviews # 4

Warm Bodies. It may have been my freakishly low expectations, but this little movie blew me away. Laugh if you will, but I really liked it. Nicholas Hoult made the whole move, his comedic timing and good looks (even zombified) were awesome!  I also was surprised to see it had a sweet little message to it.


Jack The Giant Slayer. Yep, another Nicholas Holt movie. But I suggest seeing it for Ewan McGregor's  hotness.  This one was just plain entertaining. It wasn't anything special or mind blowing but if you want to be entertained go see it.





Life of Pi. I enjoyed actually getting to see this one after reading the book and seeing the characters and incredible story come to life. It was absolutely beautiful...but...I preferred the book. *shrugs* It happens.

Top Ten Tuesday

Today the Broke and Bookish ask: What are theTop Ten Books I HAD To Buy...But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread?

I think we all do this...unfortunately. So here's mine. But what I'd like you to do with my list is tell me which ones I must read right this minute! 

       

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Blood Red Road by Moria Young 

Body and Soul by Stacey Kade

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor  

Grave Mercy by Robin Lefevers 

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins 

Hounded by Kevin Hearne 

Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Pegasus by Robin Mckinley 

Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready

So? Which books from my list made your jaw drop? Which one do I need to pick up right this minute?!

In My Thoughts This Fine Day # 8

                                         ~~

1 That, my dear friends, up there, is a tilde. That little symbol on your keyboard up near the number 1. I sometimes accidentally hit it when trying to hit the exclamation point. I LOVE it. I think it's such a sexy symbol. My sister and I use it all the time while texting. Like this: ~~ to symbolize this:

You should all totally start using it too! ~~ We'll make it a thing.

2 Work has been so psychotic lately! Not work itself but the drama that's going on there. Let's just say it's "graduating" from this:

 
To this:

Seriously going to gouge my eyes out!

3 I am absolutely in love, LOVE, with this band! I, like, love all of their songs and what's more, I love their music videos. You should seriously check them out.  Like seriously! Don't just ignore the posted video. I dare you to try not to smile while watching it!

I Hated It So You Can Win It # 2

                                           Giveaway!!!!

Welcome to a themed giveaway you'll be seeing around here from now on. See, I have a nasty habit of buying books before reading them and I really shouldn't because I'm such a picky reader. So, it often happens that I buy a book and read it and hate it. That's where you come in. ;) I'll be giving away books I hated from now on.

It's probably no surprise to you all that I hated this one but just remember, if you haven't read this one yet, which is highly unlikely, you can't take my word for it. I always hate books people love so maybe you'll like it. It's a hardback copy, by the way. 

To win, you don't have to be a follower or anything but unfortunately you do have to be here in the US or Canada. Sorry to all my international friends. I'm not that rich.  


a Rafflecopter giveaway


 I'll email the winner and announce it on my blog on Friday March 22nd. Feel free to Tweet about this giveaway to anyone you think might be interested in winning. 

Review: Incarnate

Title Incarnate (Newsoul 1)
By Jodi Meadows
Genre YA fantasy
Pages 374
Recommended by Me

First sentence I wasn't reborn

Synopsis
Ana is unique, and it's not a good thing. In Range everyone has been reincarnated thousands of times, keeping the memories from all their previous lives. Not Ana. She's a newsoul, or as her mother calls her a nosoul. Leaving home and setting out into the world, Ana is determined to discover why she is the way she is but in a world as dangerous as Range, will she survive?


What it has going for it
K, I'm so confused. I kept reading horrible reviews for this one and I almost took it off my TBR list because of them but then the Kindle version popped up for cheap so I downloaded it and began reading on a whim. I gobbled this one up. I loved that it had this mixture of fantasy and dystopian feel to it but was neither. I loved the world too. It was beautiful but creepy and ominous and keeps you turning pages out of morbid fascination. Ana was a sympathetic, relatable character. The childhood she was forced to endure...oh my gosh, guys, I would have been a whimpering pile of mush. Not Ana. She comes through it remarkably well. That's not to say she didn't have some deep issues to sort through. I loved watching her grow throughout the book and I loved that despite those issues she was strong, determined and loyal. So, yeah, I'm a bit confused as to why people didn't like this one. I see that my Goodreads friends liked it so I can't even remember where I saw the bad reviews but they're out there...just don't listen to them.

What's lacking
Most books aren't perfect and this one wasn't either. It had a few things that bothered me. There was a lot of set up and questions that arose in this one so that you're left feeling a bit confused. Ana's mother was evil just for the sake of being evil...as far as I could see. I don't like when there's no reason behind things or characters. It comes off as lazy writing. I'm not entirely sure that we won't learn more in the next books, though, so I'm willing to wait and see. My other problem with the book is purely my own opinion so don't pay too much attention. Sam, the love interest, meh. Just didn't do it for me. I liked him well enough and his kindness and gentleness were perfect for Ana, but, I don't know. He just fell sort of flat. Almost makes me wish for a love triangle just so I have another option. Oh dear, I'm just never satisfied, am I?

Favorite moment
The dance between Ana and Sam. Very passionate and beautiful.

Yea or Nay?
Yeah, I'd highly recommend it. I'm not sure why people didn't like it.

Review: Vampire Academy

Title Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy 1)
By Richelle Mead
Genre YA supernatural/paranormal
Pages 319
Recommended by Um, Everyone

First sentence I felt her fear before I heard her screams.

Synopsis
Rose and Lissa are best friends. They also just happen to be supernatural creatures. Lissa is a Moroi, a vampire and Rose, her bodyguard is a Dhampir, half human half vampire. Life at St Vladimir's Academy is complicated but it's about to get even more so.



What it has going for it
Let's face it, my track record for liking books everyone else likes isn't so great, but, still, when everyone told me I HAD to read this series, I went out and bought all of them. Yeah, I'm not so bright. ;) Or am I? See, the reason I read books everyone suggests even though the chances of me liking them are slim is because of books like this. Sometimes you guys actually know what you're talking about. I tease, I tease. Seriously, though, this book really was amazing. After a streak of not so great books this one restored my faith in reading. Good books do exist, they do! First off, you guys were right, Rose really is kick ass awesome. She's a bit reckless but just in the first book she already is learning and growing and learning to think before she acts...sort of. ;) I'm actually more of a plot girl than a character girl but I do love when characters actually progress. I like to see them change. And it doesn't hurt when there's such awesome characters. Lissa was a well rounded character. Sure, she's rather needy and pathetic but her power and fierce loyalty balanced her out. Christian.Oh boy! I adore a bad boy but this one...yes please! I'm still on the fence about Dimitri. Just in case you were wondering. Speaking of plot, though...Holy crap! I love, love, LOVE this world. It's unique and fun but the best part is that it's actually a well thought out world. Everything makes sense. Everything has a reason for existing. Thank you, Richelle. Needless to say, I'm ecstatic that I have the rest of the series now. Sometimes my reckless book buying pays off. Now I can jump right into the second book. Whoohoo!

What's lacking
Well, sure it's ANOTHER vampire book and though it is unique it isn't. Make sense? No? Yeah, well it doesn't really matter because despite it's "faults" I loved it!

Favorite moment
Actually it was horrible moment but it evoked such a reaction out of me that I yelled at the book. When Rose told Christian that Lissa thought he was a freak. Thank goodness she took it back.

Yea or Nay?
Well, if there's anyone out there that hasn't read it yet, yes. Pick it up!

February Wrapup 2013

Well, February seemed to drag and you'd think I would have managed to read more but, no. Sigh!
Here's the two measly books I manged to read.

The Scarlet Pimpernel
Marguerite, you useless character, you! Ruined the book for me!

Last Regress
Potential but alas, it couldn't quite get there.




And that's it. *rolls eyes* I usually give a favorite and least favorite but as neither of these books really impressed me I'll just leave it be.

Review: Last Regress

Title Last Regress
By Rachel J. Thorne
Genre Adult supernatural/paranormal
Pages 219
Recommended by Rachel J. Thorne

First sentence Five o'clock on a Friday evening is a time that fills most people with a sense of joy, expectation  and excitement.

Synopsis
Alyssa is a skeptical paranormal investigator. She's never had proof that ghosts exist until a dark shadow appears in her room and she's attacked by frightening creatures. And when a handsome stranger appears to save her she begins to question her sanity. Either ghosts really do exist or Alyssa is going crazy.


What it has going for it
Any time an author contacts me to read and review their book I always download a sample first to see if I'm really interested. The first chapters of this book had some fun set up, a snarky character, and some clever writing so I accepted. This book had potential. It really did. It's not as if there was anything we haven't seen before but I love a good romantic ghost story and I was hoping this one would be just that. It started out promising and had an urban fantasy feel to it. I adore urban fantasy. I also liked how sacrificing the characters were. Unfortunately, besides it's potential, this one just didn't do it for me.

What's lacking
This one was lacking a lot and I feel terrible saying anything negative on these independently published books. I know I usually just bash a book to death if I didn't like it but that's because I hold traditionally published books on a higher standard. Anywho, here's what bothered me about this one.

• Omniscient viewpoint. Not a huge fan. Jumping from one characters head to another without any breaks to show that we're changing heads is just hard to get used to. 
• For the first half of the book nothing really happened. It was just a repetitive play by play of whether Alyssa was crazy or not. 
• Insta-love. Not a fan. This one wasn't completely instant but pretty dang quick.
• Cain. No not the character; the name. What a horrible name to give a character. I guess if you're not a bible reader you might not get that but, yeah. 
• The sex chapter. Yep, that's right, this one got not just a scene but a chapter. What bothered me wasn't the sex scene it was actually pretty sad and understandable but it felt like it came out of nowhere! 
• I really would have liked to see more of the city and Alyssa's work. There just wasn't enough world building.
• Telling not showing. I can easily overlook this fault but it got a little tiresome in this one.

Favorite moment
When Nathaniel comforted Cain. Very sweet

Yea or Nay?
With a little bit of work this one would have been quite good. Without it, I just don't know if I can  make a recommendation.

Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel

Title The Scarlet Pimpernel
By Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Genre Adult Classic
Pages 204
Recommended by Book club

First sentence A surging, seething, murmuring crowd of beings that are human only in name, for to the eye and ear they seem naught but savage creatures, animated by vile passions and by the lust of vengeance and hate.

Synopsis 
Armed with only his wits and his cunning, one man recklessly defies the French revolutionaries and rescues scores of innocent men, women, and children from the deadly guillotine. His friends and foes know him only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. But the ruthless French agent Chauvelin is sworn to discover his identity and to hunt him down. (From Goodreads)

What it has going for it
You can always tell how much I "liked"  a book when I just copy and paste the Goodreads synopsis on my reviews instead of taking the time to write one out myself...Well, that's now entirely true. Sometimes I just can't put a book's synopsis into words. But with this book, the former is the culprit. While that first LONG sentence may turn you off, this one was actually a very easy read. The plot moved along quickly which made the story...tolerable. 

What's lacking
As I told my book club: The three things wrong with this books were 1) Marguerite. What a useless character! She was used as a plot device. There was all this set up like she might actually be of some help but she never was. So freaking infuriating. Plus, she was just whiny and over emotional. 2) The writing. The above mentioned plot device trick is just plain annoying. Sure the story moved along and there was a lovely passage about the ocean I enjoyed, but it just seemed amateurish for a classic book. 3) The author used the word literally when she did not mean literally...twice. Ugh!  

Favorite moment 
When Percy kissed the ground where Marguerite had been...NOT! Yuck! 

Yea or Nay?
Meh. No, but if you wanted to don't let me deter you. It was an easy read and everyone else at my book club seemed to like it.

Predictability: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

I've been whining about books that are predictable lately and so, in an effort to defend myself, and to blog more, I offer this post.

Predictability in a book. Yes, it happens and usually depends on the reader. Some people are great at seeing that shocking twist long before it happens and others...not so much. Why some people are great at this and what type of person is better is not the subject of my post so let's not go there. I just want to talk about when predictability is good and when it's bad...and when it's just plain ugly.

(All these opinions are simply my own and should not be taken too seriously)

The Good

Yep, I have examples and everything. ;) Some books aren't kidding themselves. They don't try to pretend they are so dang mysterious that you'll never see that twist ending coming. If it's obvious??? Who cares. Your're usually so invested in the characters that you really don't care. And speaking of characters: When predictability is done right, the characters aren't complete morons. Meaning you're not screaming at them for being so dang stupid! Rather than ramble on and on, I suggest you read this lovely book here for a better understanding on what I'm saying. If you haven't already.

The Bad

 Uh, yeah, remember that yelling at the characters thing? I can't tell you how many times I rolled my eyes, slapped my forehead, and screamed at these characters. Well, mainly I screamed at the author. The characters were so badly written I didn't have the heart to yell at them. It's not their fault they're so freaking stupid. Books that flounce around pretending they're so complex and suspenseful and that you, the reader, will never guess what's going to happen next...Well, they're about as obvious as they claim NOT to be.

The Ugly

Yeah, and then there's the books where absolutely nothing happens! It gets so bad you start making up all this crap in your head where the story COULD go just to spice things up. But does it ever happen? No! You read hundreds of pages and then just sit there staring at the book thinking, what the hell? Where's the story?! Nothing happened! There was nothing TO predict!






So, what's your opinion? Have you ever noticed the difference between the good and bad of predictability in book, or do you actually have a life? ;)