Book 10 of 50

Hello Lovelies~

 Right now I am in the middle of a lot of changes, so I don't have access to the net as much as I like. Rather than freak out about it, at night I am reading. I have read five books in the last week. One while in the middle of another. I think I'll be able to review quite a few new books in the coming month if all of these changes persist.

For now, My next book!

I've had this book on my shelf since it came out and finally got around to reading it. I was less than impressed, but got though it anyways.

 'Insatiable' by Meg Cabot, is a typical vampire book with a typical Mary Sue, under the guise of a 'Vampire book with a Twist!'.

The first words on the back of the book are, 'Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.'.

 When I read that I was so excited! I thought, 'Finally! A non vampire, vampire book that won't take itself to seriously.'. The book is written by the woman who wrote 'The Princess Diaries', so I was all ready for an amazing book!

What I read was less than thrilling.

 Sure it started out alright. It turns out that 'Insatiable' is actually the name of the Soap Opera the main character, Meena, is a dialog writer for.

Now I have a not so secret love for Soap Operas, so this was an awesome premise to me. Sadly, her job, which is a Big thing in the beginning, gets put on the back burner and turns into an after thought after....eight chapters or so.


 The main character, Meena, is an honest to god Mary Sue. The Vampire prince fall in love with her practically at first sight, the vampire hunter fall in love with her after fighting with her and continues to show his affection by snipping at her and practically pulling her pig tails. She hates the vampire when she finds out what he is, but continues to sleep with him because she just can't resist him.....

This book was a Hot Mess. And then to top it off, there was a Dragon.

I'm not saying it's didn't have it's funny parts. I'm not saying it wasn't written alright, despite all of the WILD brand dropping, (Think Pretty Little Liars style), and I'm not saying that if you have a free afternoon and nothing better due like....weeding a garden, doesn't have to be yours, or washing you hair for the sixth time that day, then go ahead and give this book a try.

 That's as much as I'll say about it though.

I didn't like it, but others might.

Recommendation : Spend the money on something else, like a manicure or pancakes. Both options with give you more satisfaction with life than this book will. And they don't have sequels. 


























 

Book 9 of 50

Hello Lovelies~


  I just finished 'Flawless', the second book in the Pretty Little Liars series. It was a good book, but I was unsatisfied with it in general, But! It was a typical follow up book. Like a second movie in a three - peat. Good, but not great.

There was a lot less Brand Dropping in this book, which I liked. It seemed like Shepard smoothed out her writing style and I am looking forward to reading how it further evolves in 'Perfect', the third PLL book.

 I have come to find the BEST part about reading these books is that they are amazing for gossip! Even is the gossip is about made up characters. ^_~*

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SPOILERS FROM HERE ON!!
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 In this book we find Aria getting together with Sean, Hanna's ex boyfriend. She is also finds out that her father is once more cheating on her mother with the same girl, a once student turned teacher at the college he teaches at, that he was seeing before Alison's disappearance and the Montgomery family moved to Iceland.

Upon getting a message from A, Aria goes to confront the girl at her yoga studio only to find that Spencer is a student of hers. After running away from the confrontation, Aria gets tipsy enough to be brave and she has Sean take her to the girl's apartment, because that always goes SO well. After being told in no uncertain terms that the girl doesn't plan to stop seeing her father, because they are in love.

 Aria then gets another message from A informing her she has a deadline to tell her mother about the affair or A will.

Do you think Aria told her mother? Or did she miss her deadline?

 Spencer get's together with her sister's ex fiancé, Wren, who she is not supposed to be seeing at ALL, but still manages to sleep with him after finding out her parents have cut off her credit cards for kissing the guy! But after she excepts an invitation to 'Foxy', a local charity event, from a classmate of hers, her family forgives her and it seems all is well....or is it?

Spencer is over stressed from all of her class work, the stress of turning in her assignments early to impress her teachers, dating Wren, and the mess that in her home life, so to reduce a bit of that stress, she steals one of her sister's papers from the file sharing program her family has their computers linked too. Not a smart move for a paper that wasn't even due yet...(Just my opinion)

The night of 'Foxy', Spencer receives a message that give the indication that Wren is in danger. So being the typical stressed out mess that she is on the inside, she calls over and over and over. She get's him and manages to talk to him while at the dance, but her date over hears her and there are hurt feelings all around.

The next day, she calls Wren again and finds out that he's seeing someone else and he doesn't think she's mature enough to handle an 'Adult Relationship'.

 After confessing to still seeing Wren to her sister, Spencer finds out that Melissa already knew and is the 'Someone Else' he was seeing, two days after sleeping with Spender, which just happened to be a week after he'd broken up with Melissa for kissing Spencer to begin with....And it turns out that Melissa is done with him as well.

Talk about an 'If I can't have him no one can' type mentality.

As for Hanna, well poor Hanna doesn't have as much drama as the other girls. Sure she has to work at Sean's family's burn clinic to pay off the damage for the car she wrecked and she steals drugs from an open cabinet which gets her in trouble latter. Then at one point she thinks her and Sean might get back together, but chooses to go to the city with her father on the night of 'Foxy', a dance she and Sean were going to go to together.

 What she thought was going to be just her and her father turns out to be Her, her father, her father's fiancé, Isobel, and Isobel's daughter Kate, who hates Hanna and doesn't want her in her perfect little families life at all.

Hanna receives a message from A telling her that Sean is at 'Foxy' with another girl and she better hurry if she wants to catch him in the act and Kate tells her to go, she has her covered and while she's at it, can Kate have a few of the drugs she sees in Hanna's purse.

 Hanna leaves the restaurant with her dad to rush back to Rosewood to confront Sean and his date who just happens to be......Aria! There is yelling, screaming, name calling, and all that before the big A drama of the book can go down!

 Emily is still having feelings for Mia St. Germaine, but doesn't want to deal with them, so when Toby Cavanagh, an old not friend who went to Juvie for aiming a firework at his sister and blinding her, turns up at the Rosewood Day vs. Tate swim meet as the Tate's team captain, she develops a bit of a mild, 'I should like boys and he likes me' crush on him. She asks him to go to 'Foxy' with her after she receives free tickets for being the swim team captain for Rosewood Day.

At the dance, Emily is confronted with Mia, who says she'll wait for Emily as long as it takes, and with her ex boyfriend, Ben, who tries to get her to 'prove' that she's not gay by grabbing at her and kissing her and trying to assault her, but Toby stops him and they leave to party, neither one feeling that comfortable with the company.

 While driving her home, Toby tells Emily that he hated Alison and he's glad she's dead. Emily get's scared that he might be A, after she tells him she knows what he did, accusing him of killing Ali, but Toby thinks she is accusing him of something else.

Emily manages to get out of the car and runs all the way home, through a corn field and the forest that happen to border her back yard, where she locks all of her doors and refuses to open her patio doors when Toby tries to get her to open them, even if just to give her purse back, or so he claims.

Well, while Emily and Toby have left the party, Spencer has rounded up the other girls and is convinced that Toby is A and he is trying to get back at them for their involvement with what happened to his sister Jenna. (Seems Toby wasn't the one that shot at Jenna after all).

 The girls run all over and call Emily a ton, but seeing as Emily left her phone in her purse, which got left in Toby's car when she jumped out, she doesn't get the calls which scare the girls even more.

Spencer goes to check for Emily at her house, Aria heads home to talk to her mom, and Hanna travels all the way back to the city to get back to her family.

 More drama happens, just a bit, but key stuff, and someone is dies.

 O.O....yeah, you read right.

Want to know who? Read the book! I left out a lot of good information that makes the book well worth reading.

It's a slow read, but sets up the next book well. I am really looking forward to getting it.

 

Book 8 of 50

Hello Lovelies~


     I've been sick for about a week, as my last post indicated, so I've been able to have some down time to catch up on my reading. Last night I finished reading 'Warm Bodies', a zombie book which has recently been turned into a movie. I'm not one for zombies, but after seeing the movie trailer, I knew I had to read the book before I bought my tickets.

'Warm Bodies' is a wonderful new take on the classic story of 'R'omeo and 'Julie'tte. R is a zombie of a different sort and Julie is the daughter of a bohemian free spirit who passed her love of life onto her daughter. The two star crossed lovers meet at a party of sorts that is filled with screams and gunshots rather than laughter and music.

 You'll have to read the book, but it is the general plot of Romeo and Juliette. It's hidden in a smear of blood, but this book is funny in all the right places and grips you from the first page.

While reading this book, I saw a few Shakespearean connections, but I was more interesting in the under lying theme of Nature vs. Nurture.

 The question, 'If we wake up and remember nothing about who we are, would we still be us.' So we know what we know because it's taught to us, instilled in us, over and over and over, or is there a higher plan? A greater design?

 Whatever the answers are, I'd like to share with ya'll a quote from the book that stuck with me, made me think about it for more than it was, but what it could be saying....


    "I have begun to wonder where I came from. The person I am now, this fumbling, stumbling, supplicant... Was I built on the foundations of my old life, or did I rise from the grave a bank slate? How much of me is inherited, and how much is my own creation? Questions that were once just idle musings have begun to feel strangely urgent. Am I firmly rooted to what came before? Or can I choose to deviate?" --- R. Paragraph 1, page 59.


For a book aimed at young adults, with it's roots in the Shakespearean past and it's hands stretching out to the apocalyptic future, it is has layers, like a lotus flower.


  This book might have a small opening for a sequel. But it's a solid read. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Romance, Zombies, and Searching for a deeper meaning.
 

Book 7 of 50

Hello Lovelies~

 By now we all know I am not going to make 50 books by the new year, but I figure 'why stress?'. I'm going to continue my challenge for me, reading new interesting books when I get the time. And before 2013 is here, I wanted to share the latest of my interesting reads.

 I am a big fan of the show 'Pretty Little Liars', In fact, it's safe to say it's one of my favorites! and after two seasons of loving it so so much, I finally decided to get the first book to see if my love would translate.

The first book in this long running series is 'Pretty Little Liars' by Sara Shepard.

I was surprised how different the book is from the show...It's not just a little separated...it's like a whole different universe, but that's ok. I think the main glaring difference is the time that has lapsed since the character Alison's disappearance. Instead of a single year, it has been a long stretch of three years!

 Three....

A lot can happen in three years, so the the fact that for the whole book the girls rarely if ever interact is quite understandable. The book immerse you in the Liar's worlds and allows you to come to know each character deeply before mixing them all together. Aria is still caught between who she was, who she is, and who she might become tomorrow. Spencer is a high functioning obsessive compulsive when stressed and wants to be more than what her family wants her to be, but is pressured into becoming just like them with all of their faults. Hanna is a bulimic stress eater who thinks she has it under control but doesn't. And Emily is in the middle of an identity crisis revolving around swimming and the pretty new black girl she's falling for. It doesn't help that he mother is racist and her siblings are perfect swimmers on scholarship to fantastic schools.

I liked getting to know my favorite characters better. For instance! Aria is a knitter. She is very Bohemian and Eclectic. Spencer Likes Interior Design and wants a kitten. Hanna was thin until her parents started having problems, she then ate to escape the fighting and make the pain stop. Emily has two older siblings and a younger sister whom she shares a room with.

 These are little details that are different from the show, but can be seen in the on screen character development. I am currently re-watching seasons 1 and 2 to see how what I know now adds to the story...

 What I didn't like was the fact that the whole book was all about Brand Dropping. The coke wasn't a coke, it was a 'Vanillia Coke', The purse just wasn't a purse, it was a 'Kate Spade'. The whole book was like that and it was hard to loose myself in the words when the sentence flow was constantly interrupted for Brand Names.

I am looking forward to reading the second book, but I only recommend this series for those who have seen the show and want a bit more background and insight into the story lines.


 

Book 6 of 50

Hello Lovelies~

 Today's post as been moved around a bit. I was going to do a post about the mystery make up bag I got in the mail, but I actually finished another book last night, so I shifted things about and what was once todays post will now be scheduled for tomorrow ^_^

The book I read is call, 'The Selection' by Keira Cass.

What pulled me to this book was the cover. I won't lie. A book with a fancy ball own and a tiara will get my attention every time. I read the synopsis and didn't hesitate to buy it, putting it on my 'to read' table until I was finished with 'Storm Front', a book which I put on pause until it interested me again. It sat on my table for a month, taunting me with it's beautiful cover and as yet undiscovered words, but last night, when I found myself with hours to pass and nothing pressing to do, this book was the first thing I reached for.


 "For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined." -- Synopsis by Keira Cass.

 The book is in first person, told by America, and it reads like a strange season of 'The Bachlor' or 'America's Next Top Model'. I have a weakness for those shows, but hate watching them until the end so I know who to cheer on. This book was like already knowing who to cheer for and just waiting to see all of the twists and turns the Male and Female lead go through to be together.

 This book has everything from Heartbreak to Political Intrigue, but I think what I like most about this book is that America Singer doesn't just meet the prince and fall in love. This book shows how hard it is to get over someone and how no matter how hard you try, they are always still with you in small ways and those feelings can throw wrenches in plans when least expected.

I can't promise you'll love the book as much as I did. But I can promise that it is worth the read. The writing was smooth, it didn't jump from First Person to Third Person as some books do. It had it's flaws, sure, but they were easy to over look and just as easy to forget because right now I can't think of any!

I am really looking forward to the second book.

Book 5 of 50

Hello Lovelies~

 I have a few days off this week after working two jobs back to back all month. So to relax I thought I'd catch up on my reading. I know the last book I was on, book 4 for those of you keeping track like me ^_~, I should've finished ages ago but....I still haven't finished it.  O.O....What?!

Lol It's true.

 I am halfway through it, but for some reason I just can't get back to it. Not that it isn't a wonderful story! It's great and the writing is amazing, but if after two months of trying to force my way through a book that should be a page turner I finally said enough was enough and moved on. I'll come back to 'Storm Front' at a later date, but until then....

This book is 'Let love Find You' by Johanna Lindsey. It's a great book about over coming your fears and sticking to your principles, no matter the situation!

 The story is all about Amanda Locke who is the daughter of a Duke who has encouraged his children to marry for love as he himself did. In her third season, Amanda is still looking for her one true love and getting a bit desperate. The male lead is filled by Devin Baldwin who is a well know horse breeder, but is getting more and more acclaim as a matchmaker by the moniker of 'Cupid'.

Amanda's big issue in the story isn't her quick temper, nor is it her ability to get bored with her suitors easily. Her big thing is she is afraid to ride horses after a nasty spill when she was a child. She happens to become interested in a man who loves horses and starts taking riding lessons with Devin to over come her fear. The two fall in love and end the end are happy.

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 Lovelies.......I was not happy with this book. Don't get me wrong!!! It was a great book.... but I've been reading romances since I was 11 and was raised on Johanna Lindsey novels because my mother read them and often explained the plot while not going into the more intimate scenes.

Instead of leading her readers to the conclusions gradually and allowing them to make their own connections, it felt as if I was following giant neon signs from one line to the next with a tour guide giving me a blow by blow of everything I was reading, who then waved a white flag vigorously and pointed saying, 'Do you see it? Do you see where this is going? Do you???!'...and then waited a moment to explain it all again as if I, the reader, was a particularly slow child.

 This book did not allow you to make any logical leaps, nor did it have any hidden depth. What you saw was what you got. Sure, Ms.Lindsey attempted to add some intrigue with a chapter with no names about an illegitimate son who wanted to take out his as of yet unknown father's other illegitimate son so he could gain the title and money upon the man's death...but it was as if that sub plot were actually an after thought.

All in all the book had a strong plot that I wanted to finish because it was just that good, but weak writing. I hate to say that, because Johanna Lindsey is a Historical Romance icon... but this was by no means her best work.

  I'm giving this book a three out of five stars. If you were new to the Romance world, this would be a good book for you to dip your toes in with, but if you're an avid reader like I am, Stick with her earlier works. Anything written past 2002 has been disappointing.

For my next book, I think I'll read 'The Selection' by Kiera Cass.

Catching up on the past few weeks

Hello Lovelies~

 I've been a bad blogger for the past few weeks. I'll be honest, I've felt very bland lately, I don't know why. The ability to write has eluded me! But I figured it happens to everyone and if I didn't get over this small bump in the road I would forever be stalled. So here I am working though this terrible blogging block!

Currently, I am watching the first season of 'Pretty Little Liars' again, a show I have fallen in love with and completely blame on my Francis when I had been avoiding it so well ^_~*. I am debating on getting the books. Unsure if my love of the show will be corrupted when I find things that don't match up as is inevitable ^^;

 Speaking of books, I finished 'Cinder', the book I was reading for my 50 book challenge. It was a great book. I finished it in like...a week! It was so hard to put down and I enjoyed every moment of it. The only issue I had with it is that it basically completed the story of Cinderella and now it has gone in a strange direction. Not a bad one mind you, but a strange one.

So! 'Cinder' is done and I am now reading something completely out of my usual realm of reading material. But I am currently reading, 'Storm Front', which is part of 'The Dresden Files' series written by Jim Butcher. When I am done with the book I plan on getting the audio book.

 O.o? I bet some of you are asking yourselves why have both, right? Lol

'Storm Front' is read by James Marsters! ... I have a mild obsession with him and have since he was Spike in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.

 Other than reading new books and watching much loved shows, I have been doing Deco! Lol I finished me friend's cell phone...

Here is a picture of it half done...

From here I decided I didn't like the blue kitty or the gold pearl in the upper left hand corner, so here is the finished product~!

I replaced the blue kitty with a small Hello Kitty charm and the gold pearl with a small yellow bow. I really like how this turned out. ^_^

 I was so pleased with how this turned out, I wanted to redo my phone, so this is the fist picture of my newly started design....it's not done, but in a week or so it'll look rockin'!!!

Cute, right? It'll be all pink when I'm done.

 So, that's it ^_^ That's what I've been up to lately. I hope to get back to a regular posting schedule in the next week.

Book 3 of 50

Hello Lovelies~

 I finally finished 'The Son of Neptune'! It took me so much longer than I thought it would. And I wasn't busy or anything, I just had the hardest time picking the book back up once I put it down, but putting it down was just as hard. This book was a great read. So funny!! The jokes worked well on two levels. One level was the blatant in your face joke and the second tied into the first but hit you later making you remember the scene it came from to laugh all over. There were so many good parts that I can't choose just one to tell you about.....so I won't! I'll just tell you to go read it for yourself ^_^!!

 Rick Riordan's next book, "The Mark of Athena" does not come out until the fall, so I have a while to wait yet ^^; I am unsure if I will read 'The Demigod Diaries', which comes out in August. It is just a collection of short stories and art, but doesn't actually integrate with the 'Heros of Olympes' story line....

 On the other hand, I am now starting my third book. I bought quite a few the other day and it was a toss up between another romance or an action adventure...so in the end I went with a Fairytale with a twist ^_^

My newest book to read is called......

'Cinder' By Marissa Meyer, is a wonderful futuristic twist on an old classic. It is set in New Beijing at some point in the future and as you can see from the picture above, Cinder is a cyborg.

 " Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future." --- Marissa Meyer. 
 
Doesn't that sound good?
 
 If you are like me and like new twists for old favorites, give this book a try. You won't be sorry~
 
Please note, that so far I am only at the fifth chapter, so my opinion my change, but I love it so far. That has to stand for something ^_^

Book 2 of 50

Hello Lovelies~

 I finished the first book of 50! It was a very good book and well worth the read! Now, for my next book, I'm going with....

I liked the Percy Jackson series well enough, so I thought I'd try out his new book focusing on the Roman Gods in the same verse as Percy Jackson. I fell in love with the first book, 'The Lost Hero', and I am so excited to read the newest book in the series!