Hello all!
Thank you for being so patient with us! Our new site will be up and running by January 1, with more great reviews and book deals.
In the mean time, our list of upcoming reviews and round tables will include the Dresdin Files, Beautiful Creatures, and the Lost Wife. Check out these great titles and keep your eyes peeled for new reviews coming soon!
Thank you!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Deal of the day!
Hello all!
Thank you for your patience as we work on our new website. In the near future we will have a new home at Bookobsessedreader.com and we will be posting reviews for more genres including Sci-Fi, graphic novels, classics, romance, inspirational, and of course young adult.
In the meantime, please enjoy this deal on My Emily by Matt Patterson. Here is the description (taken directly from Amazon):
This book tells the story of a hurting family, an amazing little girl and a mysteriously faithful God.
Emily wasn't born perfect - so one might think.
She was born with Down Syndrome and many would jump to the conclusion that she would have very little hope for a life with any significance. Two years later came the diagnosis of leukemia. What little hope remaining turned to no hope whatsoever - or so one might think.
The life of this little girl, with all its perceived imperfections, had great meaning. Her loving nature and courage touched the hearts of everyone she met. She also taught them how to value their own lives - even with their many "imperfections."
Note: A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will help families with special needs children, those who are battling pediatric cancers, as well as parents grieving the loss of a little one.
Click here to view My Emily for Kindle
Enjoy!
Thank you for your patience as we work on our new website. In the near future we will have a new home at Bookobsessedreader.com and we will be posting reviews for more genres including Sci-Fi, graphic novels, classics, romance, inspirational, and of course young adult.
In the meantime, please enjoy this deal on My Emily by Matt Patterson. Here is the description (taken directly from Amazon):
This book tells the story of a hurting family, an amazing little girl and a mysteriously faithful God.
Emily wasn't born perfect - so one might think.
She was born with Down Syndrome and many would jump to the conclusion that she would have very little hope for a life with any significance. Two years later came the diagnosis of leukemia. What little hope remaining turned to no hope whatsoever - or so one might think.
The life of this little girl, with all its perceived imperfections, had great meaning. Her loving nature and courage touched the hearts of everyone she met. She also taught them how to value their own lives - even with their many "imperfections."
Note: A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will help families with special needs children, those who are battling pediatric cancers, as well as parents grieving the loss of a little one.
Click here to view My Emily for Kindle
Enjoy!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Beautiful Creatures
Book Title: Beautiful Creatures (Book One of the Caster Chronicles)
Author(s): Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
4.97 Out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Krista
Plot Background:
Ethan Wate has lived in Gatlin, South Carolina his whole life. Nothing has ever changed except for the fact that his mother died in a tragic car accident. His father, engulfed in writing a new book has become a recluse, and he has been left to be taken care of by the families housekeeper, Amma. Together, he and his best friend Link (who's mother is a crazy member of the DAR) start the school year, and everything starts to change once he meets a girl. Lena Duchannes is new in town, niece of the other town recluse, Macon Ravenwood. Suddenly, the whole world Ethan thought he knew, the town of Gatlin, has become a totally different world. Lena is a caster (in other words, she is a 'witch') who will be claimed for Light or Dark on her 16th birthday. As they try to run out the clock, and Lena fears what she will be claimed as, Lena and Ethan begin to uncover the past and try to figure out where the future will take them, all the while Lena's Dark cousin Ridley (a Siren) is keeping Link occupied. Nothing is as it seems in Gatlin, right down to the Library...
My review:
I would like to start off by saying this : WOW! When I saw this book was being made into a movie, I became interested in the plot, and decided to read the book. I will admit that I still have not seen the movie, but the book was fantastic! I am currently finishing book three, and have not been able to put them down.
The first thing I loved, was just the writing style in general. The editing of the book was amazing, it was so polished and error free that it really made the book easier to enjoy. It is a quality that I have found less and less, not only in self-published books but in fully edited and published ones as well-- so many editors skip or rush but nothing about this book felt rushed. I was also worried when I started out that having two authors would make one of their voices be lost, or that it might seem like chapters didn't match in the voice, but it was very consistent and just overall one of the most well written books I have read in a long time. This book (editing and writing style and even just overall diction) is what I aspire the books that I write to be like.
I also loved the characters. Link was such a good honest person, that even though he falls for a Siren (which makes Ethan nervous to no end), he is still just somebody you root for. I also felt that even though Ridley was bad, and annoying at times, I could see that being Dark wasn't her nature to begin with. Macon was an interesting character to me, because he is so protective but hes also Dark by nature (he is an Incubus), so he is very complex. Lena is a very interesting character as well. She is so afraid of going Dark that she almost cant even think clearly. I will admit, at times I found Lena to be a little bit annoying, but overall I liked her.
My two very favorite characters, though, were Ethan and Amma. Everyone knows an Amma, whether it is your mother, your grandmother, an aunt (which reminds me, the sisters were hilarious!), or just a family friend- Amma is somebody that is easy to picture and easy to understand. She is a seer, which explains how she knows everything (makes me wonder if my mom was a Seer also...). She does her crosswords (which appear throughout all four books), and she has a spoon called the "One Eyed Menace" that she will swat Ethan with if he is bad. I just loved her, I appreciate her and her place in the story as well.
Then, there is Ethan. I loved him. I loved that the book was in his point of view, I loved his attitude, I loved his dream connection with Lena. I just loved him. He is honest, and he is real and I just fell in love with him and how he treats everyone in his world, and I could really relate to the feeling he has of being "one of them" from the town of Gatlin, but not feeling like "one of them" and wanting to get out. The setting of Gatlin is perfect, and the Civil War reenactments and denial of losing said war made the book feel more genuine to me.
Another thing I loved was the use of flashbacks, and how easy it was to understand when they happened abruptly. Without the flashbacks, nothing would have been figured out, and it all just made perfect sense with them. I loved the order in which things were revealed and I loved the story of Genevieve and Ethan Carter Wate. I will not give away the story, but the dream sequences and the flashbacks are important, so pay attention to them.
The last thing I will mention, and this is something I noticed now that I am on book three, is the ease and the "wading in" that book one does for the reader. For example, I am nearing the end of book three, and there have been creatures and rules and people and places that have been introduced that, were they introduced in book one or two, would have felt like overload and made it hard to read-- but since they introduce new things with each book, it works perfectly. I also have to say, the ending of this book PERFECTLY sets you up for book two.
I could keep going about this book, but I will stop here.
So you may be asking yourself why, after 7 paragraphs of doting didn't I give it a 5 out of 5 Stars? Because the books get better and better with each one, so I had to leave some wiggle room. :-)
Even if you aren't a fan of "supernatural" plot lines or magic, I would recommend this one for everyone. It has the greatness of The Hunger Games, and the intrigue of an unknown world.
Click here for a Link to the Kindle edition, which is only $5.80 USD!
Happy Reading!!!
P.S. I will be posting reviews for book 2, Beautiful Darkness in the next few days, as well as a review for Dream Dark, the Novella that follows Beautiful Darkness.
Author(s): Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
4.97 Out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Krista
Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com
Plot Background:
Ethan Wate has lived in Gatlin, South Carolina his whole life. Nothing has ever changed except for the fact that his mother died in a tragic car accident. His father, engulfed in writing a new book has become a recluse, and he has been left to be taken care of by the families housekeeper, Amma. Together, he and his best friend Link (who's mother is a crazy member of the DAR) start the school year, and everything starts to change once he meets a girl. Lena Duchannes is new in town, niece of the other town recluse, Macon Ravenwood. Suddenly, the whole world Ethan thought he knew, the town of Gatlin, has become a totally different world. Lena is a caster (in other words, she is a 'witch') who will be claimed for Light or Dark on her 16th birthday. As they try to run out the clock, and Lena fears what she will be claimed as, Lena and Ethan begin to uncover the past and try to figure out where the future will take them, all the while Lena's Dark cousin Ridley (a Siren) is keeping Link occupied. Nothing is as it seems in Gatlin, right down to the Library...
My review:
I would like to start off by saying this : WOW! When I saw this book was being made into a movie, I became interested in the plot, and decided to read the book. I will admit that I still have not seen the movie, but the book was fantastic! I am currently finishing book three, and have not been able to put them down.
The first thing I loved, was just the writing style in general. The editing of the book was amazing, it was so polished and error free that it really made the book easier to enjoy. It is a quality that I have found less and less, not only in self-published books but in fully edited and published ones as well-- so many editors skip or rush but nothing about this book felt rushed. I was also worried when I started out that having two authors would make one of their voices be lost, or that it might seem like chapters didn't match in the voice, but it was very consistent and just overall one of the most well written books I have read in a long time. This book (editing and writing style and even just overall diction) is what I aspire the books that I write to be like.
I also loved the characters. Link was such a good honest person, that even though he falls for a Siren (which makes Ethan nervous to no end), he is still just somebody you root for. I also felt that even though Ridley was bad, and annoying at times, I could see that being Dark wasn't her nature to begin with. Macon was an interesting character to me, because he is so protective but hes also Dark by nature (he is an Incubus), so he is very complex. Lena is a very interesting character as well. She is so afraid of going Dark that she almost cant even think clearly. I will admit, at times I found Lena to be a little bit annoying, but overall I liked her.
My two very favorite characters, though, were Ethan and Amma. Everyone knows an Amma, whether it is your mother, your grandmother, an aunt (which reminds me, the sisters were hilarious!), or just a family friend- Amma is somebody that is easy to picture and easy to understand. She is a seer, which explains how she knows everything (makes me wonder if my mom was a Seer also...). She does her crosswords (which appear throughout all four books), and she has a spoon called the "One Eyed Menace" that she will swat Ethan with if he is bad. I just loved her, I appreciate her and her place in the story as well.
Then, there is Ethan. I loved him. I loved that the book was in his point of view, I loved his attitude, I loved his dream connection with Lena. I just loved him. He is honest, and he is real and I just fell in love with him and how he treats everyone in his world, and I could really relate to the feeling he has of being "one of them" from the town of Gatlin, but not feeling like "one of them" and wanting to get out. The setting of Gatlin is perfect, and the Civil War reenactments and denial of losing said war made the book feel more genuine to me.
Another thing I loved was the use of flashbacks, and how easy it was to understand when they happened abruptly. Without the flashbacks, nothing would have been figured out, and it all just made perfect sense with them. I loved the order in which things were revealed and I loved the story of Genevieve and Ethan Carter Wate. I will not give away the story, but the dream sequences and the flashbacks are important, so pay attention to them.
The last thing I will mention, and this is something I noticed now that I am on book three, is the ease and the "wading in" that book one does for the reader. For example, I am nearing the end of book three, and there have been creatures and rules and people and places that have been introduced that, were they introduced in book one or two, would have felt like overload and made it hard to read-- but since they introduce new things with each book, it works perfectly. I also have to say, the ending of this book PERFECTLY sets you up for book two.
I could keep going about this book, but I will stop here.
So you may be asking yourself why, after 7 paragraphs of doting didn't I give it a 5 out of 5 Stars? Because the books get better and better with each one, so I had to leave some wiggle room. :-)
Even if you aren't a fan of "supernatural" plot lines or magic, I would recommend this one for everyone. It has the greatness of The Hunger Games, and the intrigue of an unknown world.
Click here for a Link to the Kindle edition, which is only $5.80 USD!
Happy Reading!!!
P.S. I will be posting reviews for book 2, Beautiful Darkness in the next few days, as well as a review for Dream Dark, the Novella that follows Beautiful Darkness.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Emma
Hello all!
Thank you for your patience getting new reviews up, we have been hard at work here at the Book Obsessed Reader, making our new website.
Here is a review on the novel Emma. The review was done by our reviewer, Jenny Wilson.
Enjoy!
Book Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen
4 out of 5 stars
Plot Background:
This is one of Jane Austen’s less
famous novels. This is the story of a highly privileged girl named Emma
Woodhouse. The novel opens with her and her father just returning from a
wedding between her old governess and a neighbor of the family. Emma credits
herself with making the match, and is decided to find a match for the rest of
her single friends and neighbors. Mr. Knightley, a neighbor and her
brother-in-law advises against it, but Emma is determined. She fails horribly
in several attempts. Her friend Harriet loves a man whom Emma believes is
beneath her, and keeps them apart by using the local clergyman to distract her.
She convinces her friend he loves her, only to end with bitter disappointment
for more than one person. She tries to make matches among other friends; Jane
Fairfax and her friend’s husband Mr. Dixon and Harriet and Frank Churchill.
Much to her dismay, none of her matches work out. When Harriet shows an
inclination towards Mr. Knightley, Emma jealousy ends their intimacy and
realizes the depths of her own heart. When Emma is enlightened as to where
Frank Churchill’s heart really lies, she is slightly humbled. Without Emma in
the way, couples form amongst her friends that she had never seen herself.
My Thoughts:
I am a big Jane Austen fan and I
generally fall in love with the characters. However, Emma Woodhouse leaves much
to be desired in a heroine. Sure, she’s pretty and rich and everybody thinks
her pleasant, but from a readers perspective she’s meddlesome and a bit
arrogant of her own station in life. She looks down on others, and even goes so
far as to use the beloved Miss Bates as the butt of a cruel joke. Along with Emma, her father is also a very
hard character to like. I give him credit. He is a kind old man who loves his
neighbors, but he is the biggest hypochondriac I’ve ever seen or read about. He
consults his doctor on everything and advises everyone in how they should keep
their own health. He is always convinced he or a friend will be getting sick by
some minor action.
Other than some of the characters,
the novel itself is very good. There can be some moments of tediousness and it
seems like there isn’t a lot actually happening. But reading about the inner
workings of an impertinent girl is entertaining, and seeing how horrible wrong
she can be is even more so. The novel builds up suspense at the end when Frank
Churchill’s secret comes out, and from there it is a very interesting downhill
resolution. Jane Austen leaves her reader with a sense of comfort and knowledge
that everything worked out well, despite Emma. Overall I give this book a 4 out
of 5.
As always, the classics are free on Kindle:
Or the paperback copy I’ve owned for years is $4.95
Enjoy!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Deal of the Day
Hello everyone!
Todays deal of the day is for the Beautiful Creatures series of books. Each book is marked down to $2.99 per book (Kindle edition).
I have not read these books yet, but will be reading them very soon. Many of you may have seen the trailer for the movie made from this book, but here is the plot summary of book one in case you are unfamiliar(taken directly from Amazon.com):
There were no surprises inGatlin County
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town ofGatlin
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. WhenLena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.
Click here for the Kindle edition of the book, only $2.99.
HAPPY READING!
Todays deal of the day is for the Beautiful Creatures series of books. Each book is marked down to $2.99 per book (Kindle edition).
I have not read these books yet, but will be reading them very soon. Many of you may have seen the trailer for the movie made from this book, but here is the plot summary of book one in case you are unfamiliar(taken directly from Amazon.com):
There were no surprises in
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.
Click here for the Kindle edition of the book, only $2.99.
HAPPY READING!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Relatively Famous
Book Title: Relatively Famous
Author: Jessica Park
1.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Dani McKinley is your typical Michigan teen. She loves sleepovers and boys and swoons over movie stars. Her mother, Leila, is in love with her longtime boyfriend, Alan, and although Dani doesn't know her father, she feels that her life is complete without him. She never thought she would meet her father, and she never thought that when she found out who he is, she would bombarded by paparazzi Dani soon learns that her father is famed action star Mark Ocean, and after much deliberation with a high strung agent, she is swept off to stay for the summer with him in his LA home. Dani is pampered and meets new friends, while learning the truth about old friends, and the LA lifestyle threatens to change Dani forever. She learns the hard truth about her father, just as her father is learning his true feelings about her. Dani also falls in love with a few boys while in LA, but the real love she discovers is her fathers.
My Thoughts:
When I started this book, I knew it would be light and fun, which is just what I needed, but it surprised me in a few ways (not always good). As always, I will start with the good aspects of the book.
The first thing I enjoyed, was just the voice of the writer. I felt this way about Flat Out Love, but the authors voice is clear and it reminds me of my own writing voice. It is light and funny and just in general enjoyable for the reader.
I also liked the title of the book (I know this isn't really a literary aspect, but it was clever!).
One surprise for me, was character development: there wasn't much. In Flat Out Love I remember feeling like the characters were so lovable and developed, so I was expecting that in this book. Unfortunately, the development just wasn't there. Dani is sweet as candy one minute and then the next minute she is an LA diva, and it was like the transition was missing there. I found as well, that the reactions of some characters weren't realistic, but that is just a side note. I also felt like the romance between Dani and Nathan or even Dani and Jason was just missing. We, as readers, really don't get to know either boy, we can tell that Jason is a player, but we don't really see him doing much of that until the end. We know Nathan is cute and nerdy, but there aren't enough interactions between he and Dani to make a love connection. I also felt the same way about Mark and his romances. The characters showed promise, but it seemed like without the right editing they just fell flat.
As a side note: I also felt that it was strange that Renna (the agent) never comes back into the story, I thought maybe she would be in the climax in some way, but she just kind of disappears.
Another surprise for me when reading this book, that was negative for me but might be good to someone else, was the plot predictability. When I began reading the book, I called it. I said to myself "This is what will happen I would bet money." and it did. In other work by Park, the plots are less predictable, but this one was just very happy ending clean cut type of thing. No twists, no turns. I also felt that within the plot, some things turned out just a little too well. I wont give away the end, but I will say that you are a little bit like "Okay nobodys life is that perfect." There weren't even any LA mean girls, which I think could have spiced things up a lot! It was just a little too cutesy for me.
I felt like this book had a lot of potential and promise. I like Jessica Park, I want her books to do well, but I think that she needs an editor to get her work to where it needs to be to really fly. I found spelling errors throughout the book and plot errors or mistakes that would have been caught with a good editor, which is something I find a lot of when reading Kindle self-published books.
In general, this would be a good read for the beach or if you need a light quick and cutesy book to read at the airport. It is only $2.99, so if you are still on the fence it wont break the bank. Click Here for the Kindle edition of this book.
Happy Reading!!!
P.S. Dont forget to like us on Facebook!
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Posted by Krista Byrd
Author: Jessica Park
1.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Dani McKinley is your typical Michigan teen. She loves sleepovers and boys and swoons over movie stars. Her mother, Leila, is in love with her longtime boyfriend, Alan, and although Dani doesn't know her father, she feels that her life is complete without him. She never thought she would meet her father, and she never thought that when she found out who he is, she would bombarded by paparazzi Dani soon learns that her father is famed action star Mark Ocean, and after much deliberation with a high strung agent, she is swept off to stay for the summer with him in his LA home. Dani is pampered and meets new friends, while learning the truth about old friends, and the LA lifestyle threatens to change Dani forever. She learns the hard truth about her father, just as her father is learning his true feelings about her. Dani also falls in love with a few boys while in LA, but the real love she discovers is her fathers.
My Thoughts:
When I started this book, I knew it would be light and fun, which is just what I needed, but it surprised me in a few ways (not always good). As always, I will start with the good aspects of the book.
The first thing I enjoyed, was just the voice of the writer. I felt this way about Flat Out Love, but the authors voice is clear and it reminds me of my own writing voice. It is light and funny and just in general enjoyable for the reader.
I also liked the title of the book (I know this isn't really a literary aspect, but it was clever!).
One surprise for me, was character development: there wasn't much. In Flat Out Love I remember feeling like the characters were so lovable and developed, so I was expecting that in this book. Unfortunately, the development just wasn't there. Dani is sweet as candy one minute and then the next minute she is an LA diva, and it was like the transition was missing there. I found as well, that the reactions of some characters weren't realistic, but that is just a side note. I also felt like the romance between Dani and Nathan or even Dani and Jason was just missing. We, as readers, really don't get to know either boy, we can tell that Jason is a player, but we don't really see him doing much of that until the end. We know Nathan is cute and nerdy, but there aren't enough interactions between he and Dani to make a love connection. I also felt the same way about Mark and his romances. The characters showed promise, but it seemed like without the right editing they just fell flat.
As a side note: I also felt that it was strange that Renna (the agent) never comes back into the story, I thought maybe she would be in the climax in some way, but she just kind of disappears.
Another surprise for me when reading this book, that was negative for me but might be good to someone else, was the plot predictability. When I began reading the book, I called it. I said to myself "This is what will happen I would bet money." and it did. In other work by Park, the plots are less predictable, but this one was just very happy ending clean cut type of thing. No twists, no turns. I also felt that within the plot, some things turned out just a little too well. I wont give away the end, but I will say that you are a little bit like "Okay nobodys life is that perfect." There weren't even any LA mean girls, which I think could have spiced things up a lot! It was just a little too cutesy for me.
I felt like this book had a lot of potential and promise. I like Jessica Park, I want her books to do well, but I think that she needs an editor to get her work to where it needs to be to really fly. I found spelling errors throughout the book and plot errors or mistakes that would have been caught with a good editor, which is something I find a lot of when reading Kindle self-published books.
In general, this would be a good read for the beach or if you need a light quick and cutesy book to read at the airport. It is only $2.99, so if you are still on the fence it wont break the bank. Click Here for the Kindle edition of this book.
Happy Reading!!!
P.S. Dont forget to like us on Facebook!
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Posted by Krista Byrd
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The Motel Life
Book Title: The Motel Life
Author: Willy Vlautin
3 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Two brothers living in Nevada, Jerry Lee and Frank Flannigan, are on the run after Jerry Lee was involved in a hit and run accident that killed a boy. They have been down on their luck for some time, and have been utterly forgotten by the world since their mother died. They have bounced around, living in hotels and gambling or drinking beer. They have dreams, but no idea how to get there.
My Thoughts:
This book left me with very mixed feelings. It had good and bad qualities, and was very very derivative of "Of Mice and Men" (but I will not go into that story, because it will leave me ranting). I will start with the good qualities.
The best thing about this book, and the thing I enjoyed most, were Frank's mini-stories. He would tell his brother stories, made up stories, to try to get their minds off of things. One story that I loved was about a pirate ship with a cross dressing captain who gets eaten by sharks, for example. The little stories that Frank tells are so vivid and so beautifully written, that it really takes you miles away from the real story that is happening outside his little tales, which I am sure was the point of putting them in. The author really does have a talent for writing, you can see it in those little stories, in the little moments.
I also liked Frank, he was a character that I think a lot of people can really relate to. He has been down on his luck, and even though he is a smart kid he makes stupid choices. I didn't care for Jerry Lee as much, but he was not a terrible guy.
The one thing I would have liked more of, though, were Frank's emotions. He was so detached, (again I will reference Mersault from The Stranger, but he really fits the bill). Jerry Lee is always saying how he feels, he is constantly talking and saying nothing, but Frank really doesn't show his emotions much. Part of me wants to attribute this to lack of character development, but Frank was developed more in other areas of the story. I also felt like, when certain big things happened in the plot (no spoilers this time don't worry), Frank should have reacted differently, like he lacked a human reaction. When something big happens toward the end, there was no build up and there was no great epiphany, it just happened and he leaves. I felt that this was somewhat out of character for him.
Another thing I didn't like about the story, was the mundane. The pacing seemed slow sometimes because every single step or breath that Frank took was being described. "I walked down to the store and bought four beers and three pieces of bacon. I sat down on the ground and ate the bacon with the dog. I got up and looked around." (that is an example-- NOT a direct quote). It made the story feel a little slow sometimes.
This leads me to the last thing I did not care for: climax. There was none. I kept waiting and waiting, but nothing really was building-- nothing big anyway. I love my novels to have a climax that changes the people in the story, some big moment or even small moments that make up a big moment, but none ever came. If he had maybe made the police investigation bigger, or even made the ending with Jerry Lee bigger, it might have felt more like the plot was improved.
In general, this was not an awful book, but it was not my favorite. It is only $1.99, so it is a purchase I would make soon, even if you aren't sure it is a good one to have on the back burner in case you are bored in a waiting room or something.
Click here for the Kindle Edition of the Book
Happy Reading!!!
Reviewed by Krista Byrd
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Author: Willy Vlautin
3 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Two brothers living in Nevada, Jerry Lee and Frank Flannigan, are on the run after Jerry Lee was involved in a hit and run accident that killed a boy. They have been down on their luck for some time, and have been utterly forgotten by the world since their mother died. They have bounced around, living in hotels and gambling or drinking beer. They have dreams, but no idea how to get there.
My Thoughts:
This book left me with very mixed feelings. It had good and bad qualities, and was very very derivative of "Of Mice and Men" (but I will not go into that story, because it will leave me ranting). I will start with the good qualities.
The best thing about this book, and the thing I enjoyed most, were Frank's mini-stories. He would tell his brother stories, made up stories, to try to get their minds off of things. One story that I loved was about a pirate ship with a cross dressing captain who gets eaten by sharks, for example. The little stories that Frank tells are so vivid and so beautifully written, that it really takes you miles away from the real story that is happening outside his little tales, which I am sure was the point of putting them in. The author really does have a talent for writing, you can see it in those little stories, in the little moments.
I also liked Frank, he was a character that I think a lot of people can really relate to. He has been down on his luck, and even though he is a smart kid he makes stupid choices. I didn't care for Jerry Lee as much, but he was not a terrible guy.
The one thing I would have liked more of, though, were Frank's emotions. He was so detached, (again I will reference Mersault from The Stranger, but he really fits the bill). Jerry Lee is always saying how he feels, he is constantly talking and saying nothing, but Frank really doesn't show his emotions much. Part of me wants to attribute this to lack of character development, but Frank was developed more in other areas of the story. I also felt like, when certain big things happened in the plot (no spoilers this time don't worry), Frank should have reacted differently, like he lacked a human reaction. When something big happens toward the end, there was no build up and there was no great epiphany, it just happened and he leaves. I felt that this was somewhat out of character for him.
Another thing I didn't like about the story, was the mundane. The pacing seemed slow sometimes because every single step or breath that Frank took was being described. "I walked down to the store and bought four beers and three pieces of bacon. I sat down on the ground and ate the bacon with the dog. I got up and looked around." (that is an example-- NOT a direct quote). It made the story feel a little slow sometimes.
This leads me to the last thing I did not care for: climax. There was none. I kept waiting and waiting, but nothing really was building-- nothing big anyway. I love my novels to have a climax that changes the people in the story, some big moment or even small moments that make up a big moment, but none ever came. If he had maybe made the police investigation bigger, or even made the ending with Jerry Lee bigger, it might have felt more like the plot was improved.
In general, this was not an awful book, but it was not my favorite. It is only $1.99, so it is a purchase I would make soon, even if you aren't sure it is a good one to have on the back burner in case you are bored in a waiting room or something.
Click here for the Kindle Edition of the Book
Happy Reading!!!
Reviewed by Krista Byrd
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Monday, January 28, 2013
Fifty Shades Darker
Hello all!
This review was written by Jenny Wilson, the writer who reviewed Fifty Shades of Grey. She will be joining the writing team here at The Book Obsessed Reader. She will be reviewing the classics (pre-1900s) on a regular basis. We will also be having a few additional writers join our team in the very near future as well. Our new reviewers will be working on romance and fantasy/sci-fi. We will give more information for that later on in the week!
Enjoy her review, and give her a nice warm book obsessed welcome!
-Krista
Book Title: Fifty Shades Darker
Author: E.L. James
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Sigh… for those of you who read my review of the first book,
I had low hopes for the idiot Anastasia. And with good reason. She mopes around
for maybe three days before running back to the sociopath, Christian Grey. So
then things get real. Christian has some kind of life altering realization, and
decides he wants a “normal” relationship. And then he gets entirely too intense
about Anastasia. You get some more information on Christian dark and horrible
past. It’s like insider knowledge on what makes a lunatic. At some point, he
goes missing. Then he comes back. I don’t know, who cares? No one is reading
this dribble for the plot anyways.
My Thoughts:
This book is annoying. There was so many times where I just
wanted to throw it away and never turn back. But I persevered! To be fair
though, there are a lot a life lessons in this book. And by life lessons, I
really mean “what not to do”. For example, don’t move in with someone that owns
an S&M room if that makes you uncomfortable. Don’t get engaged to a man
you’ve known maybe three weeks. Don’t let your boss sexually harass you; we’ve
come a long way since women entered the workplace. It’s called HR.
I still don’t like the characters. They’re as annoying as
they were in the first book. Only Anastasia is maybe more clingy than before,
if that was even possible. I feel bad for the author for having to work with
such unlikeable characters. Truly, E.L., I am sorry. I more or less pity the two
main characters, because their relationship is based solely on sex. I don’t
care what anyone else says, it is. And although that’s an important aspect of a
relationship, that’s not what you build the entire thing on.
But as you can see, I gave this book a half a star more than
the last one. Why, you ask? Because obviously we now have an editor! And I give
credit where credit is due. By no means is this book perfect. There is still a
lot of redundancy when it comes to explicit scenes, but not so bad as to use
the same adjective or verb twice within a few sentences. The author used to use the phrase “fifty
shades of…” way too often, but now it’s a nickname for Christian Grey. I
haven’t decided if that’s an improvement yet.
Overall, the book is mediocre. By the end of it, I came to
the conclusion that I needed fifty shades of sabbatical. I will not be
reviewing the third book anytime soon. I need to read something that doesn’t
make me feel dead inside. Honestly, I’m afraid if I start the third book I’ll
kill my remaining brain cells and forget how to read altogether.
But if you’re still feeling interested, here’s a link to the
book. It’s a whopping $9.99 for the Kindle.
$9 for a new paperback copy, if you’re not too embarrassed to have your
friends see it on your bookshelf.
Happy reading?
Monday, January 14, 2013
Deal of the Day
Hello all!
Today's deal of the day is for In Search of Lucy by Lia Fairchild, and it's only $2.99 (USD)!
Here is a little plot (taken from Amazon.com):
Lucy Lang's life is spiraling out of control. For years she sacrificed her own needs to care for her half sister and alcoholic mother, only to be abandoned by both. Now, at age 30, Lucy finds herself held back by memories and regret as she struggles to find her own purpose in life. But when her sister needs a kidney transplant, Lucy is the only one who can save her life.
With the help of new friends and a man who won't give up on her, Lucy sets out on a journey to reunite with her sister and find the answers she so desperately needs. Can she get past her emotions and have a chance at happiness? With its colorful and endearing cast of characters, In Search of Lucy takes readers on a rollercoaster of emotions from sadness and heartache to happiness and hope.
This book will be reviewed in the coming weeks!
Click here to see the Kindle Edition of the book -----> InSearchofLucy
Enjoy!
Today's deal of the day is for In Search of Lucy by Lia Fairchild, and it's only $2.99 (USD)!
Here is a little plot (taken from Amazon.com):
Lucy Lang's life is spiraling out of control. For years she sacrificed her own needs to care for her half sister and alcoholic mother, only to be abandoned by both. Now, at age 30, Lucy finds herself held back by memories and regret as she struggles to find her own purpose in life. But when her sister needs a kidney transplant, Lucy is the only one who can save her life.
With the help of new friends and a man who won't give up on her, Lucy sets out on a journey to reunite with her sister and find the answers she so desperately needs. Can she get past her emotions and have a chance at happiness? With its colorful and endearing cast of characters, In Search of Lucy takes readers on a rollercoaster of emotions from sadness and heartache to happiness and hope.
This book will be reviewed in the coming weeks!
Click here to see the Kindle Edition of the book -----> InSearchofLucy
Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Book Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Following the suicide of his best friend, Charlie, a high school freshman, decides to write letters to an unnamed person, keeping his identity and the identity of the reader a secret. Through his letters, Charlie tells the intimate details of growing up as he works through haunting issues. Charlie is a little bit different from other teenage boys, and becomes friends with Patrick and Sam (who are brother and sister). Swept up in a world of music, drugs, and sex, Charlie has to discover who he is, and how to deal with his anxieties and issues.
My Thoughts:
First off, this book was not at all what I expected. I had seen commercials for the movie made from this book, and when it was at such a discounted price I figured I would read the book as a quick light read since it was following a string of heavier novels-- the commercials made it look so light and fun. This book really took me by surprise, in a good way.
The first thing I loved, was just Charlie's voice. I loved that it was written through letters, because it really was more personal than a journal. I loved that I felt like Charlie was writing his letters to me, too. It added such a strange and exciting feeling to the book.
I also loved Sam and Patrick, the rest of their group wasn't described in huge detail, but I just loved how they took in this awkward kid and made him part of their family. Even though I felt like sometimes they did things that were out of character-- like doing drugs a lot-- I liked them. They reminded me so much of characters from really any F. Scott Fitzgerald book, more specifically though they reminded me of the couple from The Beautiful and the Damned. They were good people that I never thought would be so worldly, but just like so many Fitzgerald characters, they were easily taken into the world of drinking and partying.
Charlie reminded me so much of Meursault from The Stranger by Albert Camus. He was detached, but not so far that you couldn't relate to him. He cried at odd times and he was really socially awkward, which added to the complexity in him. The best way to describe Charlie is if Mersault, and Nick (from The Great Gatsby) had a love child, who married Holden Caulfield (from The Catcher in the Rye), and they had a baby, that baby would be Charlie. That might have been a little hard to follow, but the point was that I saw all of my favorite characters in Charlie, and it made me feel like I knew him, and it made me care for him more.
I also wanted to make a quick mention of how much I loved Bill's story with Charlie, and how much I loved all of the books he made him read. It was nice to see a special friendship and bond forming that was truly just honest and pure.
Another thing I loved about the book, was the mystery. The whole book I was wondering what was wrong with Charlie. I diagnosed him several times, in true Dr. Phil fashion, saying "Oh he must be Autistic" or "Oh he has PTSD", it kept me guessing. I will not give away the ending, but I will say it was definitely a curve-ball.
The one thing I wasn't 100% in love with, was Charlie and Patrick's friendship. This may sound weird, because so much good came of their friendship, but there is one part in particular where it didn't make much sense to me. Charlie is trying to help Patrick with his breakup, and he ends up letting Patrick kiss him. He doesn't like boys, but he lets him kiss him anyway so that he can "be there for him", but it seemed to me that Charlie would have not done that, or that Patrick wouldn't have done that. It just really seemed out of character for them, especially considering Charlie's love for Sam (WHICH IS NOT A SPOILER I PROMISE).
I also was left feeling a little strange after the ending. I will not give it away, but it was very unexpected. It left me feeling almost sick to my stomach. The writing was so good that you could really understand the complexity of the emotions of what happened, which was good, but it left me feeling like my mind was being messed with.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book. It left me feeling infinite (read it and you will get this reference...). It is heavier than expected, but worth the weight. It is also only $3.99!
Here is a link to the Kindle edition:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Perks-Being-Wallflower-ebook/dp/B003TSEEDY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357688118&sr=8-2&keywords=the+perks+of+being+a+wallflower
Happy Reading!
(Dont forget about our contest! Check out the contest page for details!)
Author: Stephen Chbosky
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Following the suicide of his best friend, Charlie, a high school freshman, decides to write letters to an unnamed person, keeping his identity and the identity of the reader a secret. Through his letters, Charlie tells the intimate details of growing up as he works through haunting issues. Charlie is a little bit different from other teenage boys, and becomes friends with Patrick and Sam (who are brother and sister). Swept up in a world of music, drugs, and sex, Charlie has to discover who he is, and how to deal with his anxieties and issues.
My Thoughts:
First off, this book was not at all what I expected. I had seen commercials for the movie made from this book, and when it was at such a discounted price I figured I would read the book as a quick light read since it was following a string of heavier novels-- the commercials made it look so light and fun. This book really took me by surprise, in a good way.
The first thing I loved, was just Charlie's voice. I loved that it was written through letters, because it really was more personal than a journal. I loved that I felt like Charlie was writing his letters to me, too. It added such a strange and exciting feeling to the book.
I also loved Sam and Patrick, the rest of their group wasn't described in huge detail, but I just loved how they took in this awkward kid and made him part of their family. Even though I felt like sometimes they did things that were out of character-- like doing drugs a lot-- I liked them. They reminded me so much of characters from really any F. Scott Fitzgerald book, more specifically though they reminded me of the couple from The Beautiful and the Damned. They were good people that I never thought would be so worldly, but just like so many Fitzgerald characters, they were easily taken into the world of drinking and partying.
Charlie reminded me so much of Meursault from The Stranger by Albert Camus. He was detached, but not so far that you couldn't relate to him. He cried at odd times and he was really socially awkward, which added to the complexity in him. The best way to describe Charlie is if Mersault, and Nick (from The Great Gatsby) had a love child, who married Holden Caulfield (from The Catcher in the Rye), and they had a baby, that baby would be Charlie. That might have been a little hard to follow, but the point was that I saw all of my favorite characters in Charlie, and it made me feel like I knew him, and it made me care for him more.
I also wanted to make a quick mention of how much I loved Bill's story with Charlie, and how much I loved all of the books he made him read. It was nice to see a special friendship and bond forming that was truly just honest and pure.
Another thing I loved about the book, was the mystery. The whole book I was wondering what was wrong with Charlie. I diagnosed him several times, in true Dr. Phil fashion, saying "Oh he must be Autistic" or "Oh he has PTSD", it kept me guessing. I will not give away the ending, but I will say it was definitely a curve-ball.
The one thing I wasn't 100% in love with, was Charlie and Patrick's friendship. This may sound weird, because so much good came of their friendship, but there is one part in particular where it didn't make much sense to me. Charlie is trying to help Patrick with his breakup, and he ends up letting Patrick kiss him. He doesn't like boys, but he lets him kiss him anyway so that he can "be there for him", but it seemed to me that Charlie would have not done that, or that Patrick wouldn't have done that. It just really seemed out of character for them, especially considering Charlie's love for Sam (WHICH IS NOT A SPOILER I PROMISE).
I also was left feeling a little strange after the ending. I will not give it away, but it was very unexpected. It left me feeling almost sick to my stomach. The writing was so good that you could really understand the complexity of the emotions of what happened, which was good, but it left me feeling like my mind was being messed with.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book. It left me feeling infinite (read it and you will get this reference...). It is heavier than expected, but worth the weight. It is also only $3.99!
Here is a link to the Kindle edition:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Perks-Being-Wallflower-ebook/dp/B003TSEEDY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357688118&sr=8-2&keywords=the+perks+of+being+a+wallflower
Happy Reading!
(Dont forget about our contest! Check out the contest page for details!)
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Deal of the Day!
Hello everyone!
I hope you all are having a great weekend!
Today's deal of the day is for a book that was recently made into a movie, and is also a NY Times Bestseller. Today's deal is (drumroll please...) THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky, and it is only $3.99 (USD)!
I started this book last night, and have not been able to put it down, so you can expect a review on it very soon. Here is a little slice of plot pie:
Charlie is a freshman boy who is a little different. Following the suicide of his best friend, Charlie is taken in by a brother and sister (who are seniors) named Sam and Patrick. The story is told through Charlie's letters to an unnamed friend. Simply put, it is the story of what its like to grow up in high school.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Perks-Being-Wallflower-ebook/dp/B003TSEEDY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357443859&sr=1-1&keywords=the+perks+of+being+a+wallflower
ENJOY!
And dont forget to like us and share this post on Facebook to be entered into our contest!
I hope you all are having a great weekend!
Today's deal of the day is for a book that was recently made into a movie, and is also a NY Times Bestseller. Today's deal is (drumroll please...) THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky, and it is only $3.99 (USD)!
I started this book last night, and have not been able to put it down, so you can expect a review on it very soon. Here is a little slice of plot pie:
Charlie is a freshman boy who is a little different. Following the suicide of his best friend, Charlie is taken in by a brother and sister (who are seniors) named Sam and Patrick. The story is told through Charlie's letters to an unnamed friend. Simply put, it is the story of what its like to grow up in high school.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Perks-Being-Wallflower-ebook/dp/B003TSEEDY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357443859&sr=1-1&keywords=the+perks+of+being+a+wallflower
ENJOY!
And dont forget to like us and share this post on Facebook to be entered into our contest!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Guest Blogger reviews Fifty Shades of Grey
Jenny reviewed a book that has been in the news a lot lately, Fifty Shades of Grey. She is no holds barred with her review.
Enjoy!
Book Title: Fifty Shades of Grey
Author: E.L. James
2 out of 5 stars
Most people probably have a pretty decent idea of what the plot of this book is. But for those of you who absolutely no access to television, internet, or women, I'll give you a brief summary. This book is about a gorgeous billionaire entrepreneur who inexplicably falls for the ordinary girl next door type when she goes to interview him for her school newspaper. Anastasia soon finds herself transported into a world of S&M that confuses and frightens her, while trying to sort out her feelings for the illustrious Christian Grey.
My thoughts:
Where to start? First, let me say that this is not my ordinary literature. It was recommended to me by just about everyone I know, including my own father (Creepy, right?). It's called peer pressure, so sue me.
Now that's out of the way, I didn't entirely dislike it despite my rating. I found the writing overly simplistic, which I could overlook if it weren't for the authors limited vocabulary. Ms. James is obviously in need of an editor, and I hope the next two novels prove she's found one. A store shouldn't be “besieged” by customers, and then in the next sentence the employees are then “besieged” by customers. Might I offer you a thesaurus? And I know everyone loves to hear the name of the movie during said movie, but the phrase “fifty shades of…” was used way too often. Color me fifty shades of unimpressed. The erotic scenes in the book were erotic the first two times, but then it becomes redundant. It's obvious the author had some sort of formula she plugged different details into, all ending in the same way. Christian says “oh baby, come for me” and Anastasia has an earth shattering orgasm from the sound of his voice pushing her over the edge. Clearly the author is really a man, because only a man could write such unbelievable, unrealistic crap. I can only suppose it's to flatter their own egos.
Aside from the writing, the character of Christian Grey is entirely unlikeable. Sorry women of the world, the brooding sex god you all thought saved your love life is one of the most obnoxious characters I've ever read. I get it: dark past, dark man. Yeah, yeah. Way to feel deal with your past in one of those most unhealthy ways imaginable. And that brings me to Anastasia. She tried to come off as this strong and independent woman, but she's not. She completely tries to change everything about herself to fit around a man, who is trying to control everything about her. I can only say that in the end, she redeems herself… but then I have a feeling that doesn't last in book two.
All these things considered I enjoyed reading the book. E.L. James has a way of making you hang on every word. Nearly every chapter ends with some kind of small cliff hanger, leaving you with the “just one more chapter” need that keeps you awake all night. I also loved the ending, the biggest cliff hanger of all, in my opinion. It ensures the author that you will purchase the next book.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
War Brides
Book Title: War Brides
Author: Helen Bryan
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
(Taken directly from Amazon.com. Their description fits every plot point in perfectly. Also I apologize that it is a bit lengthy, but all points made here were crucial to the story and to understanding the review.)
With war threatening to spread from Europe to England, the sleepy village of Crowmarsh Priors settles into a new sort of normal: Evacuees from London are billeted in local homes. Nightly air raids become grimly mundane. The tightening vice of rationing curtails every comfort. Men leave to fight and die. And five women forge an unlikely bond of friendship that will change their lives forever.
Alice Osbourne, the stolid daughter of the late vicar, is reeling from the news that Richard Fairfax broke their engagement to marry Evangeline Fontaine, an American girl from the Deep South. Evangeline’s arrival causes a stir in the village—but not the chaos that would ensue if they knew her motives for being there. Scrappy Elsie Pigeon is among the poor of London who see the evacuations as a chance to escape a life of destitution. Another new arrival is Tanni Zayman, a young Jewish girl who fled the horrors of Europe and now waits with her newborn son, certain that the rest of her family is safe and bound to show up any day. And then there’s Frances Falconleigh, a madcap, fearless debutante whose father is determined to keep her in the countryside and out of the papers.
As the war and its relentless hardships intensify around them, the same struggles that threaten to rip apart their lives also bring the five closer together. They draw strength from one another to defeat formidable enemies—hunger, falling bombs, the looming threat of a Nazi invasion, and a traitor in their midst—and find remarkable strength within themselves to help their friends. Theirs is a war-forged loyalty that will outlast the fiercest battle and endure years and distance.
When four of the women return to Crowmarsh Priors for a VE Day celebration fifty years later, television cameras focus on the heartwarming story of these old women as war brides of a bygone age, but miss the more newsworthy angle. The women’s mission is not to commemorate or remember—they’ve returned to settle a score and avenge one of their own.
Author: Helen Bryan
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
(Taken directly from Amazon.com. Their description fits every plot point in perfectly. Also I apologize that it is a bit lengthy, but all points made here were crucial to the story and to understanding the review.)
Alice Osbourne, the stolid daughter of the late vicar, is reeling from the news that Richard Fairfax broke their engagement to marry Evangeline Fontaine, an American girl from the Deep South. Evangeline’s arrival causes a stir in the village—but not the chaos that would ensue if they knew her motives for being there. Scrappy Elsie Pigeon is among the poor of London who see the evacuations as a chance to escape a life of destitution. Another new arrival is Tanni Zayman, a young Jewish girl who fled the horrors of Europe and now waits with her newborn son, certain that the rest of her family is safe and bound to show up any day. And then there’s Frances Falconleigh, a madcap, fearless debutante whose father is determined to keep her in the countryside and out of the papers.
As the war and its relentless hardships intensify around them, the same struggles that threaten to rip apart their lives also bring the five closer together. They draw strength from one another to defeat formidable enemies—hunger, falling bombs, the looming threat of a Nazi invasion, and a traitor in their midst—and find remarkable strength within themselves to help their friends. Theirs is a war-forged loyalty that will outlast the fiercest battle and endure years and distance.
When four of the women return to Crowmarsh Priors for a VE Day celebration fifty years later, television cameras focus on the heartwarming story of these old women as war brides of a bygone age, but miss the more newsworthy angle. The women’s mission is not to commemorate or remember—they’ve returned to settle a score and avenge one of their own.
My thoughts:
This is a book that really packed an unexpected punch. I am not saying this because I am a fan of books about war (yes, I have an odd fascination with learning about times that the whole world went crazy), but this book really took me by surprise. There were quite a few positives, and although it goes against my normal format, I will name the one negative thing first.
The thing I had trouble with about this book, is the sheer magnitude of characters. There were times that I would become a little confused about who was speaking, or what relationship certain people were to one another. There were five main characters: Tanni, Elsie, Frances, Alice, and Evangeline. With those five main characters were maybe ten more characters in each individual woman's life. Lili, Klara, Frau Zayman, Bruno, Laurent, Richard, Mrs. Osborne, the Vicar, Albert, Hugo de Balfort and his father, Mr. Falconleigh, members of the Home Guard--- the list could go on. They were all characters that enhanced the story, but there were so many it was easy to get mixed up.
Having gotten my one negative point out of the way I will dive into the sea of positives about this book. The first thing I loved about the book, was really just the spirit of the women. In a time where they had so little to be happy about, they still were able to bond and even though the bulk of the story takes place in wartime, I felt a sense of calm in the ladies friendships. Frances always made me a little nervous with her ambitions to help the Auxis but in general, the women helped keep the story at a level where they maintained some normalcy.
That leads me to my next positive, which may sound like it counteracts my one negative but hear me out. I loved the characters. I loved Elsie and her crude accent (I found myself reading it aloud for the full effect). I felt complex emotions toward Evangeline, because at first I felt she was selfish and how dare she steal Richard from Alice, but by the end I truly respected and understood her decisions. I loved Tanni, and even though she broke down, she was still a strong person. I loved Alice, her rule-following and by the book mannerisms kept the rest of the girls down to earth. And I loved Frances in all her wild frivolity. The characters were all so well written and they all changed so much through the course of the book-- even the de Balforts whom I loved to hate.
Another thing I loved about the book, was just the writing style. The point of views easily shifted from one character to another, almost like a camera in a movie slides from one conversation to the next. The way that the author wrote different dialects of language were fun to read as well, when Elsie and Bernie spoke, their voices were clear and different from when Tanni or Alice spoke. I just felt that the author really added a lot of minor details that, left out of the book, would not have majorly effected the story, but that enhanced it so much by being in there.
The last good thing I would like to mention, and I promise not to give a spoiler, is the ending. I thought that the book was winding down, I was at the 96% mark on my Kindle and thinking, 'Okay, this is nice but everything was resolved so why are we still here?'. At 97%, my jaw hit the floor. At 99% (the epilogue) my eyes were brimming with tears. This is one that you should not stop reading until the very last word on the very last page (or screen, which for some of you who are like me means reading to the 'tweet/share that you read this book' screen).
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone. If you want something light, there are some very heartwarming funny moments, if you want a more serious read-- its about war, you cant get more serious than that.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book:
Happy Reading and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Plain Truth
Book Title: Plain Truth
Author: Jodi Picoult
3 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Katie Fisher is an unwed, teenage, Amish girl, who lives on her families farm-- part of an Amish community. Katie is your typical Amish teenager, being courted by a strong man who is in line to take over the farm. Everything looks picturesque. Until one morning, Katie gives birth to a baby, whom she is then accused of smothering to death. Nobody has known that Katie was pregnant, and the odds were stacked against her, her memory of the night failing and her stories so seldom matching up. Against the Amish way, Katie hires an attorney, Ellie Hathaway, who is struggling with her own personal relationships and love life. Ellie moves in with Katie at the Amish farm, and both women have to learn a new way of life.
My Thoughts:
I am normally a huge Jodi Picoult fan, so when I picked up this novel, I was very excited to start reading it. Usually Picoult has a set cast of characters, which I almost feel familiar with as though they are old friends, but this novel didn't have any of them, so I was a little sad to start off with. Having gotten that out of the way though, there were some good things, as well as some bad things about the book.
I will start with the positives. The writing and editing style of Jodi Picoult has always been fantastic. She is a NY Times Best Seller, so it is no surprise that her editor is very good at their job, and that her writing is very fantastic as well. She has a way of easily changing point of views between characters so that it is not confusing, and she also has a way of building her characters so that you truly feel like you know them and you want the best for them. Which leads me to another major plus about the book- the character development. At first, Katie annoyed me. I could not understand how someone could be so detached when their own baby was dead, but as I got to know her, all of the pieces began to fit and I really liked Katie. I also really liked Ellie, although I didn't like her at first either. In a nutshell, her characters were written and developed in a really convincing and easy way.
I also really enjoyed learning about the Amish culture. This is a culture that is seldom seen in a really truthful light. So many times I have seen shows about the Amish (like Breaking Amish on TLC), I have found them to be depicted in such a negative light. I always wondered why anyone would choose to be Amish if they are always shown as oppressive. This book really opened my eyes to the gentle and peaceful nature of the Amish lifestyle, that I don't think is shown very often.
There were a few things about the novel that I didn't like so much. The first thing that bugged me a little bit was the court case itself. Realistically, (and this is coming from someone who is not an attorney but a big fan of CourtTV and crime novels), I do not think that the state-- ANY state-- would pursue first degree murder charges on a neonaticide. In most cases, I beleive manslaughter would have been pursued, given the set of circumstances in the book. This may not bug many people, but in all of the other novels by Picoult that I have read, the charges have made a lot more sense. It got in the way for me, for some reason I couldn't shake that it was a little ridiculous.
Another thing I disliked about the book, is that at times, Ellie's relationship status with her boyfriend and ex boyfriend detracted from the main story line a bit. To spend almost 50 pages on a less interesting story like Ellie's dating situation detracted from how interesting the other things in the book were. It made me forget what was going on with the court case and with Katie's flashbacks (which I found very interesting).
The last thing that took away from the book is simply pacing. It was so slow in some parts that I found myself skipping ahead to count the pages to the next chapter. Usually when I read the pages go by so quickly, but this novel just felt so slow at times. It was not weighed down by the legal jargon, which I like reading about as it is an insight into a world I hope to never know, but it was weighed down by wordiness and slow afternoons explained for long periods of time.
Overall, this was not a terrible book. I would recommend it if you enjoy crime dramas or legal mysteries, but if you are looking for a quick read you should probably stay away. I would suggest reading a different Picoult novel if you are looking to get into her books, start with the Love Pact-- that is one that will suck you in (expect a review on that one soon).
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the novel, when I purchased it, it was a little bit cheaper so I apologize that it isn't a bargain book:
http://www.amazon.com/Plain-Truth-ebook/dp/B000FC0STQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1356236276&sr=1-1&keywords=plain+truth
Happy Reading!!!
Author: Jodi Picoult
3 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Katie Fisher is an unwed, teenage, Amish girl, who lives on her families farm-- part of an Amish community. Katie is your typical Amish teenager, being courted by a strong man who is in line to take over the farm. Everything looks picturesque. Until one morning, Katie gives birth to a baby, whom she is then accused of smothering to death. Nobody has known that Katie was pregnant, and the odds were stacked against her, her memory of the night failing and her stories so seldom matching up. Against the Amish way, Katie hires an attorney, Ellie Hathaway, who is struggling with her own personal relationships and love life. Ellie moves in with Katie at the Amish farm, and both women have to learn a new way of life.
My Thoughts:
I am normally a huge Jodi Picoult fan, so when I picked up this novel, I was very excited to start reading it. Usually Picoult has a set cast of characters, which I almost feel familiar with as though they are old friends, but this novel didn't have any of them, so I was a little sad to start off with. Having gotten that out of the way though, there were some good things, as well as some bad things about the book.
I will start with the positives. The writing and editing style of Jodi Picoult has always been fantastic. She is a NY Times Best Seller, so it is no surprise that her editor is very good at their job, and that her writing is very fantastic as well. She has a way of easily changing point of views between characters so that it is not confusing, and she also has a way of building her characters so that you truly feel like you know them and you want the best for them. Which leads me to another major plus about the book- the character development. At first, Katie annoyed me. I could not understand how someone could be so detached when their own baby was dead, but as I got to know her, all of the pieces began to fit and I really liked Katie. I also really liked Ellie, although I didn't like her at first either. In a nutshell, her characters were written and developed in a really convincing and easy way.
I also really enjoyed learning about the Amish culture. This is a culture that is seldom seen in a really truthful light. So many times I have seen shows about the Amish (like Breaking Amish on TLC), I have found them to be depicted in such a negative light. I always wondered why anyone would choose to be Amish if they are always shown as oppressive. This book really opened my eyes to the gentle and peaceful nature of the Amish lifestyle, that I don't think is shown very often.
There were a few things about the novel that I didn't like so much. The first thing that bugged me a little bit was the court case itself. Realistically, (and this is coming from someone who is not an attorney but a big fan of CourtTV and crime novels), I do not think that the state-- ANY state-- would pursue first degree murder charges on a neonaticide. In most cases, I beleive manslaughter would have been pursued, given the set of circumstances in the book. This may not bug many people, but in all of the other novels by Picoult that I have read, the charges have made a lot more sense. It got in the way for me, for some reason I couldn't shake that it was a little ridiculous.
Another thing I disliked about the book, is that at times, Ellie's relationship status with her boyfriend and ex boyfriend detracted from the main story line a bit. To spend almost 50 pages on a less interesting story like Ellie's dating situation detracted from how interesting the other things in the book were. It made me forget what was going on with the court case and with Katie's flashbacks (which I found very interesting).
The last thing that took away from the book is simply pacing. It was so slow in some parts that I found myself skipping ahead to count the pages to the next chapter. Usually when I read the pages go by so quickly, but this novel just felt so slow at times. It was not weighed down by the legal jargon, which I like reading about as it is an insight into a world I hope to never know, but it was weighed down by wordiness and slow afternoons explained for long periods of time.
Overall, this was not a terrible book. I would recommend it if you enjoy crime dramas or legal mysteries, but if you are looking for a quick read you should probably stay away. I would suggest reading a different Picoult novel if you are looking to get into her books, start with the Love Pact-- that is one that will suck you in (expect a review on that one soon).
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the novel, when I purchased it, it was a little bit cheaper so I apologize that it isn't a bargain book:
http://www.amazon.com/Plain-Truth-ebook/dp/B000FC0STQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1356236276&sr=1-1&keywords=plain+truth
Happy Reading!!!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Deal of the Day!
Hello all!
Today's deal of the day is a book I recently started reading, and can't put down. Best of all, it is only $1.99 (part of this months 100 books $3.99 or less). The book is called "Carry Yourself Back to Me" by Deborah Reed.
Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com
Here is a little plot (taken directly from Amazon):
Famed alt-country artist Annie Walsh has more than enough reason to sing her version of the blues, including a broken heart, a stalled career, and a troubled family. Annie seeks refuge from an upended love affair with her producer, Owen Pettybone, by sequestering herself at home with her old dog Detour, surrounded by a lush Florida tangelo grove. There, she spends her days furiously sanding down the house’s every veneer in a vain attempt at erasing the painful memory of the love she lost. Soon, however, this quiet, small town existence—far from recording studios, ardent fans, and affairs of the heart—comes crashing down around her. A violent murder connected to her brother Calder threatens to tear her family apart and forces Annie to shore up her loyalties and uproot profound disappointments from her distant past. The evidence stacks against Calder, compounded by his lifelong affliction with Tourette syndrome that causes some in the community to cast aspersions on the soundness of his mind.
As the circumstances converge to challenge lifetime ties and forge unexpected new bonds, this soulful, stirring novel shifts its narrative from an imperiled and ever-changing present, where each hour brings an unforeseen and unwelcome piece of news, to the poignant childhood days of first allegiances and life-altering loss. Like a fine and forlorn love ballad, the gifted, conflicted Annie lulls the reader into a journey through love and loss that mines the mysterious, and, at times, paradoxical rhythms of the human heart.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition:
http://www.amazon.com/Carry-Yourself-Back-Me-ebook/dp/B004FPZ27C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354840783&sr=8-1&keywords=carry+yourself+back+to+me
Enjoy!
Today's deal of the day is a book I recently started reading, and can't put down. Best of all, it is only $1.99 (part of this months 100 books $3.99 or less). The book is called "Carry Yourself Back to Me" by Deborah Reed.
Here is a little plot (taken directly from Amazon):
Famed alt-country artist Annie Walsh has more than enough reason to sing her version of the blues, including a broken heart, a stalled career, and a troubled family. Annie seeks refuge from an upended love affair with her producer, Owen Pettybone, by sequestering herself at home with her old dog Detour, surrounded by a lush Florida tangelo grove. There, she spends her days furiously sanding down the house’s every veneer in a vain attempt at erasing the painful memory of the love she lost. Soon, however, this quiet, small town existence—far from recording studios, ardent fans, and affairs of the heart—comes crashing down around her. A violent murder connected to her brother Calder threatens to tear her family apart and forces Annie to shore up her loyalties and uproot profound disappointments from her distant past. The evidence stacks against Calder, compounded by his lifelong affliction with Tourette syndrome that causes some in the community to cast aspersions on the soundness of his mind.
As the circumstances converge to challenge lifetime ties and forge unexpected new bonds, this soulful, stirring novel shifts its narrative from an imperiled and ever-changing present, where each hour brings an unforeseen and unwelcome piece of news, to the poignant childhood days of first allegiances and life-altering loss. Like a fine and forlorn love ballad, the gifted, conflicted Annie lulls the reader into a journey through love and loss that mines the mysterious, and, at times, paradoxical rhythms of the human heart.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition:
http://www.amazon.com/Carry-Yourself-Back-Me-ebook/dp/B004FPZ27C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354840783&sr=8-1&keywords=carry+yourself+back+to+me
Enjoy!
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Ferris Beach
Book Title: Ferris Beach
Author: Jill McCorkle
1.5 out of 5 Stars
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Plot Background:
Mary Katherine Burns, AKA Katie, is a young woman growing up in the 70's. Her father and mother are and odd pairing, and her quiet family and simple life differs greatly from her new neighbors. The Rhodes family moves in across the street, and Katie quickly becomes best friends with Misty and Misty's mother Mo. Katie has a cousin, Angela, who lives in Ferris Beach, and she spends a lot of time thinking about Angela and her mysterious life. One fourth of July, everything changes and the girls' world is turned upside down.
My Thoughts:
This book, while it had its good points, was overall very weird to me. I will start with the good points.
The first good point, is the way that McCorkle writes. She paints a very solid and beautiful word pictures in a way that many authors struggle with. At first, I loved the novel. It reminded me so much of my own time growing up. The way that Mrs. Poole reminded me of my own parents friends is something that I found hilarious, and every time she said "lord forgive me while I whine" I couldn't help but laugh, because I used to think the same way.
I also really loved the characters. I loved Katie, Misty reminded me of my own best friend/ next door neighbor growing up (coincidentally Misty and my best friend growing up both had red/orange hair). I loved Mo also, she was so free and her spirit really shined in the book.
This book had all the right ingredients, it just seemed a bit half baked. I felt like I was reading a rough draft. I came across many grammatical/spelling errors (things that should have been caught in editing, like spme instead of some for example-- which occurred more than once, or constant confusing use of italics). I also noticed many places where the author must have forgotten that she already had told a place, but then in the next paragraph said they were at a different place (for example "The heat had just come on in the car when my mother blurted out.......... she held my hand as we sat on the ground in front of the grave."). I felt that, where McCorkle did a great job painting the pictures, the editor really slacked on their job finishing the masterpiece. An editor can sometimes make all the difference in a book.
Another half-baked thing in the book, which again made me feel that I was reading a rough draft was the plot. There were way too many plots over way too long an amount of time. I thought the main plot would be about Mo, but then once the big thing happened with Mo it was 20 pages before the story moved on. Then I thought it would be about Katie and her boyfriend, but it, again moved on quickly. I also thought that the main plot would be about Katie and Angela, the mystery of their relationship and their family, but again, the story skipped it. It had at least 5 story lines that, had the author picked just one, would have made an amazing novel. Then out of nowhere something happens to Katie's father. It almost seemed like the author was adding in sadness just for sadness sake.
I also felt that, where I liked the characters, I found their conversations to be unrealistic. A lot of things went unexplained, and their conversations were oftentimes confusing. I also found that the author would pose a question in the beginning of a paragraph, have an inner monologue, and then answer the question two pages later, so that I had to go back and see what they were talking about before she noodled away.
In general, this was a novel in DESPERATE need of an editor. If I were the author, I would either go back and fix it, reread it, or find a much better editor. It started off really strong but at about 30% (100 pages or so) in, I was over it.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition, when I purchased it I only paid $3, but now it is up to $9.39, and for some reason is cheaper in paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/Ferris-Beach-ebook/dp/B003VWC1GU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354406848&sr=8-2&keywords=ferris+beach
Happy Reading!
Author: Jill McCorkle
1.5 out of 5 Stars
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Plot Background:
Mary Katherine Burns, AKA Katie, is a young woman growing up in the 70's. Her father and mother are and odd pairing, and her quiet family and simple life differs greatly from her new neighbors. The Rhodes family moves in across the street, and Katie quickly becomes best friends with Misty and Misty's mother Mo. Katie has a cousin, Angela, who lives in Ferris Beach, and she spends a lot of time thinking about Angela and her mysterious life. One fourth of July, everything changes and the girls' world is turned upside down.
My Thoughts:
This book, while it had its good points, was overall very weird to me. I will start with the good points.
The first good point, is the way that McCorkle writes. She paints a very solid and beautiful word pictures in a way that many authors struggle with. At first, I loved the novel. It reminded me so much of my own time growing up. The way that Mrs. Poole reminded me of my own parents friends is something that I found hilarious, and every time she said "lord forgive me while I whine" I couldn't help but laugh, because I used to think the same way.
I also really loved the characters. I loved Katie, Misty reminded me of my own best friend/ next door neighbor growing up (coincidentally Misty and my best friend growing up both had red/orange hair). I loved Mo also, she was so free and her spirit really shined in the book.
This book had all the right ingredients, it just seemed a bit half baked. I felt like I was reading a rough draft. I came across many grammatical/spelling errors (things that should have been caught in editing, like spme instead of some for example-- which occurred more than once, or constant confusing use of italics). I also noticed many places where the author must have forgotten that she already had told a place, but then in the next paragraph said they were at a different place (for example "The heat had just come on in the car when my mother blurted out.......... she held my hand as we sat on the ground in front of the grave."). I felt that, where McCorkle did a great job painting the pictures, the editor really slacked on their job finishing the masterpiece. An editor can sometimes make all the difference in a book.
Another half-baked thing in the book, which again made me feel that I was reading a rough draft was the plot. There were way too many plots over way too long an amount of time. I thought the main plot would be about Mo, but then once the big thing happened with Mo it was 20 pages before the story moved on. Then I thought it would be about Katie and her boyfriend, but it, again moved on quickly. I also thought that the main plot would be about Katie and Angela, the mystery of their relationship and their family, but again, the story skipped it. It had at least 5 story lines that, had the author picked just one, would have made an amazing novel. Then out of nowhere something happens to Katie's father. It almost seemed like the author was adding in sadness just for sadness sake.
I also felt that, where I liked the characters, I found their conversations to be unrealistic. A lot of things went unexplained, and their conversations were oftentimes confusing. I also found that the author would pose a question in the beginning of a paragraph, have an inner monologue, and then answer the question two pages later, so that I had to go back and see what they were talking about before she noodled away.
In general, this was a novel in DESPERATE need of an editor. If I were the author, I would either go back and fix it, reread it, or find a much better editor. It started off really strong but at about 30% (100 pages or so) in, I was over it.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition, when I purchased it I only paid $3, but now it is up to $9.39, and for some reason is cheaper in paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/Ferris-Beach-ebook/dp/B003VWC1GU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354406848&sr=8-2&keywords=ferris+beach
Happy Reading!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Age Before Beauty(Sister-to-Sister Book 2)
Book Title: Age Before Beauty(Sister-to-Sister Book 2)
Author: Virginia Smith
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Allie Harrod has just had her first baby, a little girl named after her sister Joan (from book one), and Allie is desperate to stay home with her baby. She finds a way to cover her portion of the bills by selling "Varie Cose" (which is sort of like selling Avon). During this time of transition, her mother in law decides to come to town and stay with Allie and her husband Eric, which sends Allie over the edge of insanity. She is losing money, losing patience, losing everything but baby weight. Her sister, Joan, insists that God will be the answer to her problems, and Allie and Eric have to face these big decisions together.
My Thoughts:
There were some good elements to this story, but to me, overall it was not as good as the first book.
One thing I liked about the book was Allie herself. I think the timing of when I read this was sort of hilarious, my sister had a baby on the same birthday of Allie's baby, and Allie and my sister have very similar personalities. So for me, I felt like I have known Allie my whole life. I also really enjoyed how differently her point of view and Eric's point of view were on the same things. For example, Eric might see fixing a co-workers toilet as helpful and gentlemanly, and Allie sees him fixing that same co-workers toilet as shady and she immediately thinks the co-worker has a crush on her husband, where as Eric just thinks the co-worker is just needing someone to fix her toilet so she can use it!
Another thing I liked, that I enjoyed in the first book as well was the use of Point of View. The POV is never first person, but it shifts focus. What I mean by that, is that one chapter you will be mainly following Allie, and although it isnt first person, you get an insight into her thoughts, then the next chapter will be Eric's POV, and so on. I really enjoyed the subtle shift in the tone with each character too.
The things I didn't like as much about this book were similar to book one. The pacing was a bit off and the book felt slow to me. The plot seemed to not really have a big climax and it wasn't a "cant put it down" type of novel, I could put it down, and did a lot. The plot was good, and it was something I know a lot of people will be able to relate to, but the delivery was a little slow. That slowness really took away a lot of the enjoyment for me.
I also had mixed feelings on the delivery of the religious aspect of the story. I liked Joan and Ken from book one, and I know that Allie and Eric were needing to find God, so that would be addressed in this book. I liked that she turns to God like her sister did in book one, but it all felt a little rushed on Eric's end. He really didn't need much persuading even though he had a terrible experience that had previously kept him out of church for years. I was glad he also came to God, but it just felt like someone who went through what Eric went though might need a little more coaxing.
Overall it was not a bad book, but it wasn't as good as book one. This book would be a good standalone book, so if you don't want to read books one or three it would be good still. I also noticed a lot of set up for book three, so you all can expect a review coming on that soon!
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book-- and its only $5.38!:
http://www.amazon.com/before-Beauty-Sister---Sister-ebook/dp/B001OW5ZOO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1351866982&sr=8-2&keywords=age+before+beauty
Happy Reading!
Author: Virginia Smith
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Allie Harrod has just had her first baby, a little girl named after her sister Joan (from book one), and Allie is desperate to stay home with her baby. She finds a way to cover her portion of the bills by selling "Varie Cose" (which is sort of like selling Avon). During this time of transition, her mother in law decides to come to town and stay with Allie and her husband Eric, which sends Allie over the edge of insanity. She is losing money, losing patience, losing everything but baby weight. Her sister, Joan, insists that God will be the answer to her problems, and Allie and Eric have to face these big decisions together.
My Thoughts:
There were some good elements to this story, but to me, overall it was not as good as the first book.
One thing I liked about the book was Allie herself. I think the timing of when I read this was sort of hilarious, my sister had a baby on the same birthday of Allie's baby, and Allie and my sister have very similar personalities. So for me, I felt like I have known Allie my whole life. I also really enjoyed how differently her point of view and Eric's point of view were on the same things. For example, Eric might see fixing a co-workers toilet as helpful and gentlemanly, and Allie sees him fixing that same co-workers toilet as shady and she immediately thinks the co-worker has a crush on her husband, where as Eric just thinks the co-worker is just needing someone to fix her toilet so she can use it!
Another thing I liked, that I enjoyed in the first book as well was the use of Point of View. The POV is never first person, but it shifts focus. What I mean by that, is that one chapter you will be mainly following Allie, and although it isnt first person, you get an insight into her thoughts, then the next chapter will be Eric's POV, and so on. I really enjoyed the subtle shift in the tone with each character too.
The things I didn't like as much about this book were similar to book one. The pacing was a bit off and the book felt slow to me. The plot seemed to not really have a big climax and it wasn't a "cant put it down" type of novel, I could put it down, and did a lot. The plot was good, and it was something I know a lot of people will be able to relate to, but the delivery was a little slow. That slowness really took away a lot of the enjoyment for me.
I also had mixed feelings on the delivery of the religious aspect of the story. I liked Joan and Ken from book one, and I know that Allie and Eric were needing to find God, so that would be addressed in this book. I liked that she turns to God like her sister did in book one, but it all felt a little rushed on Eric's end. He really didn't need much persuading even though he had a terrible experience that had previously kept him out of church for years. I was glad he also came to God, but it just felt like someone who went through what Eric went though might need a little more coaxing.
Overall it was not a bad book, but it wasn't as good as book one. This book would be a good standalone book, so if you don't want to read books one or three it would be good still. I also noticed a lot of set up for book three, so you all can expect a review coming on that soon!
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book-- and its only $5.38!:
http://www.amazon.com/before-Beauty-Sister---Sister-ebook/dp/B001OW5ZOO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1351866982&sr=8-2&keywords=age+before+beauty
Happy Reading!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Deal of the Day!
Hi everyone and Happy Halloween!
Today's deal was provided by a fan on our Facebook page, and I wanted to make sure that everyone got a chance to see it!
It is called Knowing God by EDOJA SANA (Author) and ARMSTRONG SHARI (Editor). It is a book that will be a source of encouragement and enlightenment to those seeking God. I will not post a plot synopsis on this one because it is pretty self explanatory.
AND its FREE! Here is a link to the Kindle edition:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HYHJMW
Thank you for sharing this with us Sana from Facebook! I look forward to reading it!
Happy Reading!
Today's deal was provided by a fan on our Facebook page, and I wanted to make sure that everyone got a chance to see it!
It is called Knowing God by EDOJA SANA (Author) and ARMSTRONG SHARI (Editor). It is a book that will be a source of encouragement and enlightenment to those seeking God. I will not post a plot synopsis on this one because it is pretty self explanatory.
AND its FREE! Here is a link to the Kindle edition:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HYHJMW
Thank you for sharing this with us Sana from Facebook! I look forward to reading it!
Happy Reading!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Hurricane
Book Title: The Hurricane
Author: Hugh Howey
4.75 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Daniel Stillman is a teenager living in the digital era of today. He doesn't have many friends on Facebook, his cell phone (a basic older model) is never buzzing with constant text messages, and everyone around him is extremely plugged-in to their many devices. As a category 5 storm comes and silences the constantly buzzing world around him, Daniel is left to discover a great silence, a girl down the street, and the people that have been in his life the whole time.
My Thoughts:
Wow. That's my first reaction to this book. I literally could not put it down. It was fantastic. There were so many amazing things about it, and if the author of the book is reading this, I just want to say GREAT JOB! There was only one thing I didn't love about it, but I will get to that in a moment.
The first thing I really loved about the book is just the atmosphere. When I read this, the first part, during the party and up to the storm, I felt such a strong feeling of anticipation and nervousness. I felt like everything was, for lack of better words, buzzing-- it was like waiting for a rubber band that is being pulled and pulled to just snap. This was not only because of the impending storm coming, but just the state of unrest everyone was constantly in by being so hooked in to technology. His classmates are always walking around with their faces glued to various screens- from cell phones to Ipads. His brother, Hunter, is always playing a video game while his sister, Zola, is constantly texting. His mother is always on her Blackberry working and his step-father, Carlton, is constantly using his Ipad. When Daniel was spending "family time" eating dinner around the TV, I could feel the strained setting and the author really painted such a clear picture of what happens in so many homes today-- everyone is so "connected" to everyone else (the people in their phones or computers) that they don't build the most important bonds with the people who are actually IN the room. In general, this all added to this anticipation feeling, and the author really did a fantastic job putting you IN the room as an uncomfortable observer.
Along the same lines, I absolutely loved the shift in atmosphere as the hurricane passed through, and the shift in all of the characters. I felt like I was in the bathroom hunkering down with the family. As I read, I could hear the creaking and shifting of the house. The author really put you right in the action, and his words painted a fantastic picture. Perhaps it is because I live in Florida and have been through my fair share of hurricanes, but I felt that strange wonder of not knowing what the outside world is going to look like once the storm passes.
Aside from the feeling of being in the storm, I was in love with the juxtaposition between the calm occurring INSIDE the storm and the chaos that preceded the hurricane. Daniel's life was in such turmoil before Hurricane Anna, where the calm usually comes before the storm, his calm occurred during the eye of the storm. The shift in all of the characters was also very well written as well during this time of waiting. Each character began to develop, the family unit grew closer and it in turn further developed the story. It almost seemed like a commentary on our current state of living in the modern American family.
I also really enjoyed Daniel's character. He reminded me so much of another Daniel I recently read ( from Catcher, Caught), perhaps its just the name. He was so, normal. Had he been born even five years earlier, he might have had a better shake at life, but being someone disinterested in trying to change himself for others and disinterested in spending all his time with technology, he really had a rough time. I won't give away what happens at the party before the storm, but it made me so mad at those mean kids and it made me truly glad that I graduated high school before the digital age really kicked into high gear. I also loved the character of Anna. She was so much like Daniel, it was perfect. She wasn't perfect-- it wasn't unbelievable that he would get a girl like her but she was perfect for him. She too was not a technology addict, and I just loved how clever she was and how imperfect her life was. She was really well written, especially for a character that wasn't introduced until halfway through the book.
The only one thing I can say I didn't enjoy about the book, was how quickly it ended. It almost felt like you are in this storm with them, you are an observer but you are part of it, and then suddenly the story almost zooms out and you are taken from living every minute with them to skipping ahead a few days. It felt like, were it a movie, someone zoomed out and hit fast forward. However, I do think the ending was a good one since the characters had come so incredibly far from where they started.
I will stop my raving about this book and let you all see for yourself. I highly recommend this for anyone. This author is amazing, the story flows so well and the characters are amazing. If you are looking for a "cant-put-it -down-just-one-more-paragraph-okay-just-one-more-well-might-as-well-finish-the-page,-well-almost-done-with-the-book-lets-just-finish-it-now-since-I-cant-stop" book this is one for you.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book-- and its only $0.99!:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Hurricane-ebook/dp/B0052VU9G2/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1351445284&sr=1-2&keywords=hurricane
Happy Reading!!!
Author: Hugh Howey
4.75 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Daniel Stillman is a teenager living in the digital era of today. He doesn't have many friends on Facebook, his cell phone (a basic older model) is never buzzing with constant text messages, and everyone around him is extremely plugged-in to their many devices. As a category 5 storm comes and silences the constantly buzzing world around him, Daniel is left to discover a great silence, a girl down the street, and the people that have been in his life the whole time.
My Thoughts:
Wow. That's my first reaction to this book. I literally could not put it down. It was fantastic. There were so many amazing things about it, and if the author of the book is reading this, I just want to say GREAT JOB! There was only one thing I didn't love about it, but I will get to that in a moment.
The first thing I really loved about the book is just the atmosphere. When I read this, the first part, during the party and up to the storm, I felt such a strong feeling of anticipation and nervousness. I felt like everything was, for lack of better words, buzzing-- it was like waiting for a rubber band that is being pulled and pulled to just snap. This was not only because of the impending storm coming, but just the state of unrest everyone was constantly in by being so hooked in to technology. His classmates are always walking around with their faces glued to various screens- from cell phones to Ipads. His brother, Hunter, is always playing a video game while his sister, Zola, is constantly texting. His mother is always on her Blackberry working and his step-father, Carlton, is constantly using his Ipad. When Daniel was spending "family time" eating dinner around the TV, I could feel the strained setting and the author really painted such a clear picture of what happens in so many homes today-- everyone is so "connected" to everyone else (the people in their phones or computers) that they don't build the most important bonds with the people who are actually IN the room. In general, this all added to this anticipation feeling, and the author really did a fantastic job putting you IN the room as an uncomfortable observer.
Along the same lines, I absolutely loved the shift in atmosphere as the hurricane passed through, and the shift in all of the characters. I felt like I was in the bathroom hunkering down with the family. As I read, I could hear the creaking and shifting of the house. The author really put you right in the action, and his words painted a fantastic picture. Perhaps it is because I live in Florida and have been through my fair share of hurricanes, but I felt that strange wonder of not knowing what the outside world is going to look like once the storm passes.
Aside from the feeling of being in the storm, I was in love with the juxtaposition between the calm occurring INSIDE the storm and the chaos that preceded the hurricane. Daniel's life was in such turmoil before Hurricane Anna, where the calm usually comes before the storm, his calm occurred during the eye of the storm. The shift in all of the characters was also very well written as well during this time of waiting. Each character began to develop, the family unit grew closer and it in turn further developed the story. It almost seemed like a commentary on our current state of living in the modern American family.
I also really enjoyed Daniel's character. He reminded me so much of another Daniel I recently read ( from Catcher, Caught), perhaps its just the name. He was so, normal. Had he been born even five years earlier, he might have had a better shake at life, but being someone disinterested in trying to change himself for others and disinterested in spending all his time with technology, he really had a rough time. I won't give away what happens at the party before the storm, but it made me so mad at those mean kids and it made me truly glad that I graduated high school before the digital age really kicked into high gear. I also loved the character of Anna. She was so much like Daniel, it was perfect. She wasn't perfect-- it wasn't unbelievable that he would get a girl like her but she was perfect for him. She too was not a technology addict, and I just loved how clever she was and how imperfect her life was. She was really well written, especially for a character that wasn't introduced until halfway through the book.
The only one thing I can say I didn't enjoy about the book, was how quickly it ended. It almost felt like you are in this storm with them, you are an observer but you are part of it, and then suddenly the story almost zooms out and you are taken from living every minute with them to skipping ahead a few days. It felt like, were it a movie, someone zoomed out and hit fast forward. However, I do think the ending was a good one since the characters had come so incredibly far from where they started.
I will stop my raving about this book and let you all see for yourself. I highly recommend this for anyone. This author is amazing, the story flows so well and the characters are amazing. If you are looking for a "cant-put-it -down-just-one-more-paragraph-okay-just-one-more-well-might-as-well-finish-the-page,-well-almost-done-with-the-book-lets-just-finish-it-now-since-I-cant-stop" book this is one for you.
Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book-- and its only $0.99!:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Hurricane-ebook/dp/B0052VU9G2/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1351445284&sr=1-2&keywords=hurricane
Happy Reading!!!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Stuck In the Middle (Sister-to-Sister Book 1)
Book Title: Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister Book 1)
Author: Virginia Smith
3.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Joan Sanderson is stuck in a rutt. The middle child of three sisters, she feels her life is at a stand-still as her older sister Allie is starting a family and her younger sister Tori is starting a career. Joan lives at home with her mother and grandmother and has no prospects in her love life. Everything begins to change however as a handsome young doctor and his dog move in next door to her. Suddenly, she feels her life shifting and tilting on its axis- everything she thought she had moved past begins bubbling to the surface. Faced with a bit of rivalry from her younger sister Tori, Joan must learn who she is and who God is in order to get to know Ken(the hunky doctor).
My Thoughts:
This book was a really funny one to me. I love books about sisters (big surprise, I have sisters myself), and this book drew me in because I too am a middle child.
I'll start with the things I loved about the book. Joan is such an honest and relatable character. I feel like I know her, and I felt like I have experienced so many of the things that she is going through in the novel. It was funny because as I was reading this book, I felt like the author must have written it about my life. It struck me how similar our situations were growing up, how much our relationships with our sisters compared, and how much our relationships with God have been. A huge part of the novel was Joan, who was raised in church but who had struggled to keep her faith, trying to get back to a place of trusting and believing God, even when her earthly father had let her down so much. It really spoke to me in a way that I needed to hear, and I very much enjoyed spending time inside Joan's head.
Another strength in the book was just the humor It wasn't all melancholy and praise and worship songs, the novel had some really funny elements. I wont give anything away, but certain parts made me chuckle. The whole book had a lightness to it, which is something I needed greatly after coming off of a string of serious and dark novels.
There were a few flaws I saw in the book. The first major flaw I found was pacing. I felt like the book took a while to really get going, and then once it got going there were parts where it seemed like the steam was starting to run out, and then suddenly it was ending. A lot of the slower parts were parts with quiet reflection, which may have been the intent of the author, but there were quite a few parts that just felt like walking through sand.
Another flaw I found was Ken. He was just too, perfect? I am not sure that's the right word, but I kept trying to find flaws in him where there were none, which made him seem unhuman and therefore unrelatable. Aside from the fact that he almost doesn't like Joan because she isn't religious enough, he has nothing wrong with him-- he has abs and he jogs and he has a great dog and he is a doctor and he volunteers in third world countries. I have never in my life met someone as perfect as Ken, and the idea that this perfect person would randomly move in next door and fall in love with you was hard to wrap my head around.
Aside from that though, this was an enjoyable book. It was light and fun. If you are not a fan of religion this may not be the novel for you, but if you are okay reading about someone's spiritual journey with Christ and reading a little romance mixed with sister bonding, then you will love it.
Here is a link to the book on Kindle, best of all it is FREE!:
http://www.amazon.com/Stuck-Middle-Sister---Sister-ebook/dp/B001GMANO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351199889&sr=8-1&keywords=stuck+in+the+middle
Happy Reading!
Author: Virginia Smith
3.5 out of 5 Stars
Plot Background:
Joan Sanderson is stuck in a rutt. The middle child of three sisters, she feels her life is at a stand-still as her older sister Allie is starting a family and her younger sister Tori is starting a career. Joan lives at home with her mother and grandmother and has no prospects in her love life. Everything begins to change however as a handsome young doctor and his dog move in next door to her. Suddenly, she feels her life shifting and tilting on its axis- everything she thought she had moved past begins bubbling to the surface. Faced with a bit of rivalry from her younger sister Tori, Joan must learn who she is and who God is in order to get to know Ken(the hunky doctor).
My Thoughts:
This book was a really funny one to me. I love books about sisters (big surprise, I have sisters myself), and this book drew me in because I too am a middle child.
I'll start with the things I loved about the book. Joan is such an honest and relatable character. I feel like I know her, and I felt like I have experienced so many of the things that she is going through in the novel. It was funny because as I was reading this book, I felt like the author must have written it about my life. It struck me how similar our situations were growing up, how much our relationships with our sisters compared, and how much our relationships with God have been. A huge part of the novel was Joan, who was raised in church but who had struggled to keep her faith, trying to get back to a place of trusting and believing God, even when her earthly father had let her down so much. It really spoke to me in a way that I needed to hear, and I very much enjoyed spending time inside Joan's head.
Another strength in the book was just the humor It wasn't all melancholy and praise and worship songs, the novel had some really funny elements. I wont give anything away, but certain parts made me chuckle. The whole book had a lightness to it, which is something I needed greatly after coming off of a string of serious and dark novels.
There were a few flaws I saw in the book. The first major flaw I found was pacing. I felt like the book took a while to really get going, and then once it got going there were parts where it seemed like the steam was starting to run out, and then suddenly it was ending. A lot of the slower parts were parts with quiet reflection, which may have been the intent of the author, but there were quite a few parts that just felt like walking through sand.
Another flaw I found was Ken. He was just too, perfect? I am not sure that's the right word, but I kept trying to find flaws in him where there were none, which made him seem unhuman and therefore unrelatable. Aside from the fact that he almost doesn't like Joan because she isn't religious enough, he has nothing wrong with him-- he has abs and he jogs and he has a great dog and he is a doctor and he volunteers in third world countries. I have never in my life met someone as perfect as Ken, and the idea that this perfect person would randomly move in next door and fall in love with you was hard to wrap my head around.
Aside from that though, this was an enjoyable book. It was light and fun. If you are not a fan of religion this may not be the novel for you, but if you are okay reading about someone's spiritual journey with Christ and reading a little romance mixed with sister bonding, then you will love it.
Here is a link to the book on Kindle, best of all it is FREE!:
http://www.amazon.com/Stuck-Middle-Sister---Sister-ebook/dp/B001GMANO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351199889&sr=8-1&keywords=stuck+in+the+middle
Happy Reading!
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