Review: Something About Sophie by Mary Kay McComas

Title: Something About Sophie

Author: Mary Kay McComas

Rating:

Who Should Read It? Into romantic thrillers? Want a book that will keep you on edge and guessing till the end (just don't try too hard to figure things out, otherwise, you might)? This book is for you!

What I Have to Say:
Sophie is your typical small-town girl from your typical small-town. The only difference is, she's adopted. She's never really cared about her birth parents, though, so this doesn't really affect her. Until she is called to another small town by someone who claims to know something about her birth mother. But by the time she gets there, he's already dead. And that's when things get dirty...

This book was interesting in that all of the things that I liked about it were also things I didn't like. I find that often in books, characters are purposefully made to overreact to everything so that the drama can continue continue continue. And my reaction is often "NO ONE, not even a fake person, would EVER react that way." I don't like the overreactions, and I wish they would just react like a normal person. In Something About Sophie, it's almost as if the opposite is true - the drama is able to continue on in large part because the main character doesn't react. She seems perfectly at peace with herself about everything and yet bad things just keep happening. I liked this. But I also didn't like it. She was TOO at one with herself, TOO perfect, and it annoyed me sometime how she just didn't react or didn't care when it seemed like she should. It was SO the opposite of what I don't like that it ended up being equally bad.

Still, as a character, I liked her, along with all of the quirky people surrounding her. And even if SHE didn't care about her past and about why the things that were happening were happening, I cared for her.

I also enjoyed the way that the plot sometimes seemed to keep developing despite itself, if that makes sense. I had several ideas about who the culprit could be throughout (and in the end I was right), but I was never entirely sure and thus found myself dying to figure out what was going to happen! This thriller really had a thriller feel for me. Unfortunately, because of this, I was never really able to get in to the love story, which seemed totally forced and totally unreal (but then, I've never been one for books about love at first sight. I'm more into the love is a fight kind of books). It's fast and exciting with lots of twists and turns, but sometimes the twists and turns fell flat, because there seemed to be nothing provoking them.

Anyhow, all in all, I enjoyed the book, and if you're into romantic thrillers, I would definitely recommend this book. There are twists and turns all over the place, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Summary: Answering a call that summons her to a stranger's deathbed, a reluctant Sophie Shepard is too late to hear what he was so anxious to tell her. What was so important that a dying man would think of her in his final moments? With the help of Dr. Drew McCarren, Sophie begins to dig into her past, setting off a chain of events that chills the quiet town of Clearfield, Virginia to its roots. With part of her wanting nothing more than to put Clearfield behind her and run back home, Sophie knows she won't rest until she discovers the truth. But growing closer to the residents also means uncovering their dark secrets: about the woman who gave her up for adoption, the mysterious part these strangers played, and the life she never knew she nearly had. Something About Sophie is an unforgettable story about the power of love...and the things people will do, both right and wrong, to protect it

Cover Story: For a (granted very very short) little while, I was okay with books that had a headless person on the cover. Then, I became annoyed. While I do, overall, think this cover is quite lovely. . .I just wish the body had a head. I really do.

Review: Austenland by Shannon Hale

With Austenland recently having been turned into a movie, that was recently screened at Sundance, I figured it was a great time to write a review of a book I read last year in my unfortunate non-bloggy phase. I don't know about you, but I'll definitely be looking forward to an opportunity to check out this movie!

Title: Austenland

Author: Shannon Hale

Rating:

Who Should Read It? Are you a Jane Austen fan? Fan of sappy, sweet, forbidden romance? Especially those that occur for a girl who is just plain bad at love? Ever thought you were in love with Mr. Darcy but keep inevitably falling for the wrong Mr. Wickham? Then maybe this book is for you! If you answered yes to any of these questions, this book is for you!

What I Have to Say: I'll admit it. I'm a little bit in love with Mr. Darcy. I even have a necklace with an image of the fictional Mister Darcy, so that when I wear it, I can keep it close to my heart. Every time I read Pride and Prejudice, or every time I watch one of the MANY video versions, I sob like crazy, especially when Mr. Darcy tells Lizzie "I love you, most ardently." I'm about to start crying right now, just thinking about it.

So you would think that a book about a fellow Austen lover, who goes to an amazing land where everything is Austen, would totally do it for me. And in many ways, it did. The Austenland Hale has created - yeah, I totally want to go there. There were some really awful seeming things about it, and, in many ways, I'm sure I would react the way that Jane did (you'll just have to read about that when you read the book). But in those awful things, Austenland remains true to the spirit of Pride and Prejudice, the spirit of 1816.

Really, I quite sympathized with Jane, even if I did somewhat understand how her obsession with Darcy and perfection left her a single New York "spinster" at the age of 33. Sometimes I wanted to punch her in the face or yell at her that she should do things differently, but still, throughout the book, I found myself rooting for her, hoping that she managed to either get over her obsession with perfection or find the man that would be "Mister Perfect" for her.

And then there's Hale's writing style. I've been a big fan of her in the past - I love the simplistic yet fantastical way that she presents things, the easy way her text flows smoothly from one idea into the next. Austenland was no different and, as it was the first time I'd read Shannon Hale in a while, it kind of felt like "coming home."

Now, while the style and the characters and even the idea of the book were very "Hale" esque, I sort of felt like the actual way the story played out wasn't. The characters didn't seem to really develop, and, aside from Jane, we never really got to know them, anyway. And then there's fact that Jane's dead Aunt sends her to Austenland as "therapy." I wished it would have worked that way for Jane, but I don't really get the feeling that she actually learned anything. She had so much opportunity for growth, and I just felt like she never took it. This made reading "Austenland" somewhat frustrating.

All this said, I'm somewhat wishy washy as to my overall feelings about the book. I loved it. I want to be single and go to Austenland. I want my own Mister Darcy! It has me dreaming that maybe such a place could exist! But then, I'm somewhat disappointed with the way Hale dealt with the world of possibilities. I'll still be reading Midnight in Austenland. No doubt!

Summary: Jane is a young New York woman who can never seem to find the right man—perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own? Don't miss Shannon Hale's next book, Midnight in Austenland, a mystery set at Pemberly available in February, 2012.

Cover Story: Soooo cute! I love covers like this! Even if I didn't know this book were by Shannon Hale or Jane Austen themed, I would want to read it just for the cover!

Review: College of Magics by Caroline Stevermeyer

Title: A College of Magics

Author: Caroline Stevermer

Rating:

Who Should Read It? Lovers of cutesy fantasy!

What I Have to Say:
I liked this book. It was a super cute, super fast read involving everything from English tea to huge rifts in the balance of the world.

That said, let's start with the things I didn't like so much. While the characters very obviously developed throughout the course of the story, it was really hard to actually see that development happening, and I found myself wondering if they were actually like that all along, and I just didn't see it at the beginning. One characters in particular, Jane, changed so much that I actually started to dislike her, when she was supposed to be one of the ones I was rooting for. And if Farris, the main character, actually matured, I had trouble seeing it.

Then I also found it really difficult to imagine where the story was taking place. There just wasn't enough information for my imagination to go into overdrive, and my overactive imagination is one of the reasons I love fantasy so much.

Lastly, the entire story felt somewhat emotionally detached. Death, for example, didn't seem to exact any emotion at all. Since the emotion was lacking within the story, it was also hard for me to get emotionally involved.

Despite all of this, I really enjoyed the book. I liked the subtle way in which the students at Greenlaw learned magic without ever actually being able to learn it hands on. I liked the way the good guys slowly separated themselves from the bad guys. I liked the dreamlike qualities of the plot and the way new plot lines just sort of presented themselves with no real explanation but were just understood (I didn't like, though, how some of them, including the most important, the functions of the wardens of the world) never got explained. I liked the way it progressed smoothly and easily, thus making it a book that I ultimately enjoyed despite all the problems I had with it.

So would I recommend it whole-heartedly? Probably not? But if you've got a little bit of free time and are looking for a quick, fun, cutesy fantasy, I say go for it! I'll be reading the second one only if I find myself in that situation.

Summary:Teenager Faris Nallaneen is the heir to the small northern dukedom of Galazon. Too young still to claim her title, her despotic Uncle Brinker has ruled in her place. Now he demands she be sent to Greenlaw College. For her benefit he insists. To keep me out of the way, more like it!

But Greenlaw is not just any school-as Faris and her new best friend Jane discover. At Greenlaw students major in . . . magic.

But it's not all fun and games. When Faris makes an enemy of classmate Menary of Aravill, life could get downright . . . deadly.

Cover Story: While I get the point of this cover, I'm just not a fan. It feels too 1960's for me - not enough magic.

Review: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Title:Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Author: Jeff Lindsay

Rating:

Who Should Read It?
People that still like the TV show despite Dexter's newfound anxiety. A good book, I think, for people that love a good but easy mystery, especially if it involves a little bit of gore. As this book does.

What I Have to Say:
I was a little bit disappointed with this book, and it's hard to say why. I watched the first two seasons of Dexter, and I liked them, but by the end of the second season, I was feeling so bored (and so annoyed with all of the characters) that I didn't keep watching for the third season.

What I had liked so much about Dexter was his calm stoicism, his lack of anxiety and stress, his lack of reaction in the face of possible discovery. And slowly, over the course of the first two seasons of the show, that started to change. Until I felt like Dexter was just one big ball of nerves. And that annoyed me. Enough to stop watching.

The book was even worse, when it came to that change. It was a short, somewhat fluffy, easy read, and as such, the change from calm, stoic Dexter to ball of anxiety Dexter seemed to happen immediately. In the first chapter, he was the Dexter I loved. And then, suddenly, he wasn't anymore.

It's hard to say if this would have annoyed me so much if it hadn't already annoyed me in the TV show, but the fact is - it did, and this made reading it very frustrating for me. Honestly, if it hadn't been so short and easy to read, I probably wouldn't have finished it. And that's saying a lot for me, because I finish EVERY book I start. Seriously.

So that's what I have to say. It wasn't actually a bad book. The story was funny and interesting, and if I hadn't had weird expectations and preconceptions from the TV show, I might have actually liked it.

So, if it seems like it might appeal to you, I definitely wouldn't let me change that for you.

Summary:Meet Dexter Morgan, a polite wolf in sheep's clothing. He's handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He's a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likeable: he only kills bad people. And his job as a blood splatter expert for the Miami police department puts him in the perfect position to identify his victims. But when a series of brutal murders bearing a striking similarity to his own style start turning up, Dexter is caught between being flattered and being frightened -- of himself or some other fiend.

Cover Story: Well, it's Dexter. I don't know if I've even seen the other cover. Just a typical TV novel cover; nothing special.

Review: Shadow of the Sun (Timeless #1) by Laura Kreitzer

Title: Shadow of the Sun (Timeless #1)

Author: Laura Kreitzer

Rating:

Who Should Read It?
This is a great book for those that love teen fantasy about angels. It's creatively written and filled with new, interesting ideas about well-known supernatural beings!

What I Have to Say:
I'm going to be totally honest - over 100 pages in, and I was STILL thinking that I wasn't going to like this book. The writing seemed wordy and unprofessional, the story seemed underdeveloped while at the same time seeming overly detailed, and the characters and plot held no interest for me. I didn't like the characters, and I especially didn't like the writing style. I genuinely believed that this book had no way of redeeming itself.

And then something clicked. I don't know what happened, but suddenly everything fell into place, and I just couldn't get enough of Shadow of the Sun. It took me nearly two weeks to read the first 100 pages, and then I polished off the last 300 in about 3 days. While, stylistically, the book never became something to rave about, the author did seem to finally fall into her groove. And the story of Gabriella, a lab technician researching the supernatural, and the angels she discovers, became fast-paced, exciting, and somewhat twisted. Gabriella is strong, strong-willed, extraordinarily intelligent, and fierce, and I couldn't help but get the feeling that the author put a lot of herself into her. The romance between her and Andrew was steamy and fabulous (and there were times when I was very thankful to Kreitzer for not going into more detail), even if Andrew did slightly frustrate me sometimes.

In Shadow of the Sun, Kreitzer has composed an extraordinarily creative, well-though out (although there was one thing that happened that seemed to slightly contradict itself about which I'd be interested in asking the author) work of teen fantasy. It's light and fun and twisted, and when I was finally able to get into it, I couldn't wait to figure out what would happen next.

So, while this book does start off somewhat slow, if you can stick it out, it does pick up and become absolutely worth it, if you're into teen fantasy involving angels.

Summary:Gabriella's past is a mystery, but that never stopped her from achieving her goals. As a supernatural specialist, and far more intelligent than anyone her age, she has always been ignored by her peers. Because of the isolation she has always felt, she put her life and soul into her job. Being a supernatural specialist hasn't given her the divine intervention she always longed for, until one day a shipment arrives from Italy containing three dead bodies with an uncanny ability to regenerate. Gabriella is frightened and intrigued, but not as scared as she becomes when a dark creature attacks her.
As the bodies come back to life, the plot takes an unexpected twist that you won't see coming. The supernatural world only begins to unfold before her as angels appear, her dreams start to haunt her, and the very past she has forgotten comes back with startling clarity. Romance blooms, escape plans are made, an assassin is out to kill her, and death is only around the corner. But what is more terrifying than all of it is the fact she is the chosen one, the Illuminator, the one who will save them all.

Cover Story: This cover is absolutely stunning and amazing. Everytime I look at it, I want to read the book again!

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review by the author. This in no way affected my review.

Review: Lucas Manson by Thomas Hauck

Title: Lucas Manson

Author: Thomas Hauck

Rating:

Who Should Read It? This is great for adults interested in a fresh new take on vampires that don't mind "this happened and then this happened" style novels.

What I Have to Say:
Lucas Manson is a solid, extraordinarily creative story. It's engaging and refreshing in a totally unexpected way. It's a totally fresh and unique take on the idea of vampires and vampirism (though really, vampire is the wrong word here), and I was thrilled to finally have a book that doesn't look on vampires in a completely positive light. I loved his explanation for what "vampires" are and how they came to be. The idea of two different "homo" species diverging in such a way, creating homo sapiens and homo cruentus, who are addicted to blood, came across as absolutely brilliant to me.

This book revolves around Mark Dylan, an FBI agent, and the Kingdom Seven Family Temple. The Kingdom Seven Family Temple was basically a cult, but because of all of their good deeds, they are world-renowned and respected. In a way, this seemed ridiculous and unbelievable to me. Some of their beliefs were just so ridiculous that the fact that so many people were following them was also ridiculous. At the same time, looking at it from a satirical point of view, it was quite funny. Almost as if Hauck was taking a stab at religions and cults of the world and just how ludicrous they can sometimes get. And in a sense, the way that Hauck played up this aspect of the book was brilliant.

With so many great things about this book, you would think that I loved it. I liked it, but I definitely didn't love it. Reading this book really got me to thinking about what it is about certain writing styles that just doesn't jive for me. And I think I might have finally figured it out. A book NEEDS introspection. Readers need to be able to understand and feel what the characters are thinking. It doesn't matter if the book is written in first person or third person, a book can't just be "and then this happened and then this happened and then this happened." There has to be emotion, introspection.

And unfortunately, "Lucas Manson" was lacking in introspection. One thing happened after another. Even when Mark Dylan was thinking about things, it seemed more like his thoughts were happening, if that makes sense. "He thought this, he thought that." It seemed, in a way, forced and unreal and lacking in depth. Mark Dylan, as a character, wasn't very well developed, and the majority of distinct personality traits that he was given (like his pseudo fantasizing about the other woman in his life and then remembering his wife) once again seemed forced and unreal and sometimes just plain annoying.

Still, despite this, I enjoyed the book. The idea behind it was fabulous, and I'm sure there are some people that actually enjoy this writing style. I think those people will actually love this book for its uniqueness and creativity. I think the fact that I enjoyed it despite not enjoying the style is definitely saying something.

Summary:
When Special Agent Mark Dylan investigates a homicide, he uncovers the terrifying world of the Kingdom Seven Family Temple and its leader, Minister Lu...more When Special Agent Mark Dylan investigates a homicide, he uncovers the terrifying world of the Kingdom Seven Family Temple and its leader, Minister Lucas Manson. As Dylan penetrates the temple, he learns secrets that will change his life forever

Cover Story: Honestly, I find this cover horrifying. It's so ugly that sometimes I would want to read and then pick up the book and not be able to read because I had no desire to read a book with that cover. I really feel like they could have done a better job.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review by the author. This in no way affected my review.

Blog Tour Review: Captain Bonny Morgan, The Cassandra Prophecy by Robert "Doc" Gowdy

Title: Captain Bonny Morgan: The Cassandra Prophecy

Author: Robert "Doc" Gowdy

Rating:

Who Should Read It? ONLY if you are prepared for X-rated sci-fi should you read this.

What I Have to Say:
I really wish that I had liked this book, that I had better things to say about it. Because the fact is, it was a well-written, action-packed, exciting story. And I think that, for the right audience, it could be great.

I, however, was unfortunately not the right audience. And everything I say should therefore be taken with a grain of salt, as I am an impartial judge.

I'll start with the good. The Cassandra Prophecy takes place in an intriguing, exciting future world full of space pirates and inter-galactic disputes; feisty, ballsy women that are part of ancient organizations and that carry around exciting secrets. The characters were fun and exciting and well-developed, and more than that, they were likable and engaging. As was the story.

The plot was well-developed, and I wasn't ENTIRELY sure what was going to happen until the very end, though I did have quite a few ideas and did guess most of it. I was intrigued and excited and actually found it hard to put the book down. It was stylistically solid and extraordinarily creative.

Sounds like I loved it, right? Unfortunately, it was also hard for me to keep reading without cringing every two seconds. I wish that I had taken more care to notice the word "erotic" in the summary, because that's what it was. Every two seconds women were having hot lesbian sex (in front of everyone, and the men would just laugh) - either to fulfill contracts or because they had suddenly fallen in love or, well, just because. It seemed like every possible thing that could happen in the book had to in some way involve descriptions of naked women and naughtiness.

And that's just not for me. It almost felt like the author had decided to fulfill some weird male fantasy by populating the world with lesbians owning lesbian sex slaves (that loved being slaves, of course) that all just had sex in front of all of the men (who never seemed to get any action). I couldn't help but feel annoyed at having to filter out all the lude, crude sex scenes to get to the good stuff.

And so, in the end, it's hard for me to say that I liked it. Maybe you will, if you're into that kind of thing. But it unfortunately just wasn't a book for me.

Summary:Called to action by a mysterious ancient Order-an ancient Order in cahoots with the Empress Flaccilla of the First Galactic Empire of Emperor Tulla-to help bring about the fulfillment of a long forgotten prophesy, the beautiful galactic pirate, Captain Bonny Morgan, sets out on her mission to successfully bring the prophesy to reality. By kidnapping the Empress's daughter, Princess Cosette, Captain Morgan sets into motion an adventure awash in political intrigues, hidden agendas, unexpected revelations, and bold, daring gambits by those involved at every level of the conspiracy. Setting out to find her kidnapped sister, Princess Lysette, joined by her beautiful, mischievous, and extraordinary slavegirl, Tink, crisscrosses the galaxy in a bawdy, erotic, and often hilarious attempt to find Cosette. Along the way, Lysette and Tink fall in with a variety of extraordinary allies in their attempt to find Cosette, meeting the Lady Brit, Jon Black, Pirate Queen Colleen O'Malley, Gunns Mannigan, Buster O'Malley, the beautiful pirates Kana and Blaze, and Bully, the roguish owner of the pirate tavern, the Pretty Red.

Cover Story: I actually really love this cover. I just wish I would have paid more attention to the attire of the female before choosing to read this book.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review via a third party source; this in no way affected my review.

Review: The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt

Title: The Children's Book

Author: A.S. Byatt

Rating:

Who Should Read It? If you're a patient reader and you like beautiful language, this book could be for you! It's a long book that will make you think, and you need to treat it as such, taking the time to really understand what's underneath the surface of the families involved.

What I Have to Say:
Those of you that have been following my reviews for a long time know that I have a very interesting relationship with the Man Booker Prize. Occasionally I read something TOTALLY awesome that won this award, but in general, I find I'm just disappointed. Man Booker and I don't get along.

I had heard, though, that the books that are short-listed for the Man Booker prize have a tendency to be awesome, almost as if they choose the worst of the bunch to win. I was therefore able to overlook the words "Man Booker Shortlisted" on the cover of the Children's Book when I started it. It looked awesome, and that was enough for me.

Well, let's just say, I can see why it was nominated. It was full of quite a few of the things I have come to associate with winners of the Man Booker prize: flowery language that is sometimes beautiful but sometimes seems as if it is there just to confuse you, so many redundancies and repetitions that you often feel as if you must be having deja vu, and an incredible lack of any semblance of a plot.

That said, if those are things that indicate a Man Booker WINNER, I can also see why this book didn't win. The language is incredibly complicated and flowery, but it's also so beautifully written that, if ever you feel confused, it doesn't really matter. It's just so nice to be reading her fluid, gorgeous prose. And then there is the fact that, coupled with this is the occasional portion of a children's story, written in a completely different but equally magnificent style. I think it is a testimony to Byatt's talent as a writer that she is able to write skillfully in two completely different ways and have them mesh together so seamlessly and fluidly.

As for the lack of a plot, while it sometimes made the book a bit difficult to read, as I didn't always care about what was going to be happening, it wasn't important. Because "the Children's Book" wasn't so much the telling of a story, but the telling of a family, an intricate look at their relationships, their lives, and children growing up. Their story itself is the plot, and it spans over almost a lifetime. Following the characters, especially the children, as they grow up and react to the things that happen in their lives and the lies and truths that their parents tell them, can be intriguing and engaging for any reader. I think there is at least one story line for everyone.

But then there are too many story lines. I feel like Byatt tried to do more with this book than was possible in just one book. There were so many characters and so many subplots, and it left me feeling overwhelmed. Especially because, while most of these subplots were interesting, there were some that left me completely indifferent. They weren't well-developed, they were slightly uninteresting, and I often forgot about them when they weren't being told, which made it hard for me to follow. In the end, some of my favorite story lines weren't concluded, loose strings were left untied, and it was almost as if Byatt herself forgot about some of the story lines.

Because of this, the redundancies and repetitions were, in a way, actually a good thing. Because SO MUCH was going on that it was sometimes hard to remember what had happened or who was who, that having it occasionally repeated was helpful. But the redundancies also occurred on a smaller level. Sometimes I felt like there were three sentences in a row saying the same thing, and it just seemed totally unnecessary.

Then there were the setups. First, politics. I feel like maybe I was missing out on something, like there was something I should be getting that I just didn't because of some sort of political ignorance. I mean, in the 1800s, did anarchists and socialists get along? I tend to think of anarchy and socialism as being on two totally opposite ends of the political spectrum, and I feel like Byatt referred to them so easily and nonchalantly in the same sentence that it made it seem as if they're almost the same thing. Other than that, I feel like she spent SO MUCH time setting up background information, giving us an idea of what was happening at the time so that we could understand the characters and how they were and their reactions to things. It was good in that it did help me to have a better understanding of WHO all of the characters were and why they were that way, but it was also too much. So much of the story got lost in the endless backstory that had very little to do with the actual story, and it was hard to filter out what was necessary and what was only there to seem interesting. Her detailed summaries of British history were fascinating and well-written, but they did sometimes seem out of place.

Overall, this was a beautifully well-written book, but I wouldn't say it is for your average reader. It's a challenge to read, and it will make you sit up and think just when you were thinking you could stop thinking. In the end, I would say that I did enjoy this book (though I would have liked for more things to be tied up and for the overwhelming sadness I felt at the end to have SOME compensation), and I'm glad that I took the time to really savour it as opposed to trying to rush through it. If you're planning on reading it, I advise you to do the same.

Summary: A spellbinding novel, at once sweeping and intimate, from the Booker Prize–winning author of Possession, that spans the Victorian era through the World War I years, and centers around a famous children’s book author and the passions, betrayals, and secrets that tear apart the people she loves.

When Olive Wellwood’s oldest son discovers a runaway named Philip sketching in the basement of the new Victoria and Albert Museum—a talented working-class boy who could be a character out of one of Olive’s magical tales—she takes him into the storybook world of her family and friends.

But the joyful bacchanals Olive hosts at her rambling country house—and the separate, private books she writes for each of her seven children—conceal more treachery and darkness than Philip has ever imagined. As these lives—of adults and children alike—unfold, lies are revealed, hearts are broken, and the damaging truth about the Wellwoods slowly emerges. But their personal struggles, their hidden desires, will soon be eclipsed by far greater forces, as the tides turn across Europe and a golden era comes to an end.

Taking us from the cliff-lined shores of England to Paris, Munich, and the trenches of the Somme, The Children’s Book is a deeply affecting story of a singular family, played out against the great, rippling tides of the day. It is a masterly literary achievement by one of our most essential writers.

Cover Story: This cover is one of the most beautiful covers that I have seen in a long while, and if the aspect of the book from which the cover was taken has been more of a major plot line, I think I would have ADORED this book.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review by the publisher, which in no way affected my review.

Review: Tokyo Fiancee by Amelie Nothomb

Title: Tokyo Fiancee

Author: Amelie Nothomb

Rating:

Who Should Read It? People interested in French or Japanese culture that are able to get past ridiculously horrible protagonists. Or those that have read and enjoyed Amelie Nothomb's other works.

What I Have to Say:
Amelie Nothomb is some weird mixture of French and Belgian and Japanese that I still don't quite understand. And my attempts at understanding left me occasionally confused. Despite each of her works being separated memoirs, each of which can supposedly be read not in conjunction with the others, I feel like, if I wanted to better understand this book, I should have read some of her other works, which she constantly referenced, first. She seemed to just assume, in any case, that I knew all of these things about her that I didn't know.

This would have been okay, except that her simplistic writing style was, in a weird way, captivating, and it left me feeling exceedingly curious. I WANTED to know more about her. Her story of living in Japan and her relationship with a somewhat eccentric Japanese man (well, eccentric, from what I know, for a Japanese man) was fascinating. I loved Amelie and Rinri together; I loved the way their relationship advanced in what she described as a "typical Japanese fashion." I really felt like I understood what it would be like for a westerner to date a Japanese man in Japan. I also loved the brief glimpse I got of what it must be like for a Westerner to live in Japan, and I can only hope that my stay here will be as full of exciting things as hers was.

Unfortunately, my love of all of these things left me absolutely HATING her by the end of the book. Hating her for the type of person she is and some of the things she did. Funny story: the day after I finished this book, I met up with a friend at a cafe in Paris, and I just do happened to end up at a table RIGHT NEXT TO Amelie Nothomb. And it was very difficult to me to conceal my disgust with her. I literally had to stop myself from getting up and asking her "HOW DARE YOU!" or telling her how disgusted I felt with her after reading her book. She was so egotistical, spoiled, ridiculous, and self-centered that it was a wonder anyone could manage to fall in love with her.

It was therefore hard for me to enjoy the book as a whole, even though the writing style was quite lovely and some of the content was brilliant and extraordinarily honest. Because I sort of hated her, the protagonist. And yet it was at the same time compelling enough that I want to go back and read her previous works. To give her the opportunity to redeem herself in my eyes.

Summary: A darling of the French literary scene, Nothomb delivers a complex story of first love set in late 1980s and early 90s Tokyo. Amélie is a 21-year-old Belgian student studying Japanese in Tokyo when she begins tutoring Rinri, a sweet, shy and wealthy 20-year-old, in French. The relationship quickly evolves into a friendship and, soon after that, into romance. Rinri is a young soul who is easily swept up in his love for Amélie, and his charm is undeniable as he courts her, but Amélie wrestles with the classic situation: she loves spending time with Rinri, but she doesnt love him, and she cannot deny her need for independence. Nothomb thankfully forgoes the standard approach to passion and unrequited love, leading the reader to hope the adorable couple dont get married and instead find their own separate happiness. Nicely told, intimate and honest, the book depicts perfectly a nontraditional romance.

Cover Story: I've put the French cover here because I actually read this book in French. The French title, Ni d'Adam, Ni d'Eve, translated From neither Adam nor Eve, does not, in my opinion, fit this book at all. The American title suits it much better. As does the American cover. I absolutely adore the French cover, but it has nothing to do with the book. There is nothing in this book that even remotely lives up to the coolness of the cover.

Blog Tour Review: Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky

Title: Firefly Rain

Author: Richard Dansky

Rating:

Who Should Read It? This is for people that like books that present things slowly and subtly. I think if you like Richard Dansky's other books, you'll enjoy this one. Also, if you enjoy some of Stephen King's more subtle stories, this could absolutely be for you! Even though I didn't LOVE it, I can see how some people might.

What I Have to Say:
Firefly Rain was an exciting, suspenseful ghost story that, for some reason, didn't sit well with me. I enjoyed reading it, but I didn't find it riveting or horrifying or spine-chilling or any of the other things I was expecting it to be.

Richard Dansky starts off by introducing us to Jacob Logan, who has just returned home to small-town Maryfield, North Carolina after a business failure in Boston. His parents have been dead for some time. And then he spends the entire first half of the book introducing us to Maryfield and letting us see that it really is a small-town. There were times when I actually thought "Okay, I get it, Maryfield's a small, closed town. Now what's going to happen?" Weirdish things occasionally happened, but nothing that couldn't be explained by the ordinary, nothing that I would have thought of as "paranormal."

The most interesting and intriguing thing about the first half of the book was Jacob's transformation. I think that, ultimately, Jacob was a very 2 dimensional character, never doing anything unexpected and never saying or doing things that really gave you the impression that you got to know him (until the very end that is). And yet, still, it was amazing to see how living in a small-town really did change what we knew of him. His actions and way of speaking slowly transformed from city man to country boy so subtly that the reader almost didn't even notice what was happening. That in and of itself made me realize that Dansky really does have some amazing writing talent.

In the second half of the book, things did pick up, and paranormal "ghost story" aspect became more and more evident. Dansky, over time, slowly gave the reader (and Jacob Logan) clues that would allow him to see the ghosts for what they were and to understand what was going on. It was fairly easy to figure out the identity of the ghosts, but I for one didn't REALLY understand what was going on until the very end. It wasn't frightening, and it didn't have me on the edge of my seat with bated breath, but I did find myself interested in knowing how all of the little clues were going to fit together. I tend to like it when things build up slowly, but I think the problem with this book was that things built up a little bit too slowly, and there wasn't enough imagery or character detail to keep me distracted.

My absolute LEAST favorite part of the book was Jacob's friend from Boston, Jenna. She was hard-headed, loud, over-bearing, and obnoxious, and it seemed like Jacob often thought so, too. This would have been okay, except that it was clear we were supposed to like her, and I just didn't. For this and several other reasons, I really didn't like the ending. And I think that a great ending is the only thing that could have made this book take a step up for me.

Luckily, the quality of writing was there to redeem this book. If it weren't for Dansky's beautiful descriptions of the southern town and its inhabitants, I don't think I would have enjoyed this in the end. It was just so right on, so southern, and, the people inhabiting the town were, for me, the creepiest part of the book. I also enjoyed the first person narration by Jacob Logan. As a small-towner moved to a big city, it was interesting to see things from the point of view of someone who did the exact same thing.

I'm therefore ultimately exactly in the middle of the fence about this book. I enjoyed reading it, and I read it quickly, but there were quite a few things about it I didn't like, and it didn't seem to be like the type of book it was supposed to be. I was expecting things from it and wanting things from it that it was just incapable of giving me, and I found it lacking in originality. Small town with scary secrets. I can see, though, how there are some that might absolutely ADORE this kind of book. It's, in a sense, a subtle paranormal mystery that you really do have the opportunity to solve for yourself.

Summary: A riveting supernatural mystery like you've never read before.

The prodigal son leaves the big city to return to his dearly departed parent's house in North Carolina only to find, now that he's home, that something is trying to make damn sure he stays there--even if it means burying him out back.

In a small town with dark secrets, one man struggles to find a way out before the spirit of the town can find a way in.

Marking the debut of our brand-new imprint dedicated to showcasing the best new voices in speculative fiction, Firefly Rain is one of the most chilling, unique ghost stories ever penned. Mystery lovers will devour the clues. Fantasy readers will be sucked in by the magical atmosphere. No one will be able to put it down--until the very last twist comes to light.

Cover Story: I'm not the hugest fan of this cover. I like the pretty covers, but there's something that seems childish about it, as opposed to creepy. The other cover, which I can't find an image of, which has a sort of twisty house, I think is amazing, and it fits the book perfectly!

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review by Pocket Books.

(Pseudo) Review: The Vampire Diaries 5: the Return: Nightfall

Title: the Vampire Diaries 5: the Return: Nightfall

Author: L.J. Smith

Rating:

Who Should Read It? This book is really only for those that REALLY love the Vampire Diaries and feel like they HAVE to read it, and even then they might be disappointed. It seems, unfortunately, that L.J. Smith just threw something together as quickly as possible, without really looking over it.

What I Have to Say:
This book was utterly ludicrous and ridiculous, and it is for that that I enjoyed it. In her previous Vampire Diaries books, L.J. Smith had created stories with substance, 3-dimensional and somewhat annoying characters, and story lines that were easy to follow.

But oh no, not here. We have Elena, a floating angel ball of energy who is back from the dead, no longer a vampire. She floats around mostly naked and kissing everyone on the lips in order to get to know them. There was something sort of fantastic about it.

And then, when she came back to herself, she was a MUCH more likable character than she was in the first 4 books. I actually enjoyed her, which was a big change for me. I loved the first four books, but I never once felt, during them, that I loved Elena.

Anyhow, throughout this book, ludicrous, ridiculous, unreal things happen non-stop, and some of them are just so out there that the reader will without a doubt find themselves confused for pages at a time. I think that this would bother most readers, but for the most part, it just had me laughing hysterically on the inside. And then Stefan, calling Elena his "little lovey love." It so made me want to vomit, but at the same time it was utterly hilarious and ridiculous.

You may notice that I have used the word ridiculous about a million times in this pseudo review. I also probably should have used the word ludicrous that many times. And maybe confusing. Because I can't stress enough how ludicrous, ridiculous, and confusing this was.

The thing I liked most about this book was the tie-in to Japanese fox myth, which absolutely fascinates me. Unfortunately, even this part of the book was ludicrous and ridiculous. There was very little of the myth that was actually explained, and we just knew that the bad guy was some weird fox creature referred to as kitsune. I really would have liked for her to go into more detail about this.

While *I* really enjoyed this book and found it utterly hilarious, I don't think I would recommend it to anyone. I think if you loved the Vampire Diaries, you will be thoroughly disappointed, unless you are capable of thinking of it as fan fiction written by someone other than L.J. Smith herself. Or unless you are like me and able to see the humour in how bad it is. I think if you didn't like the other books, well, there is just no way you'll like this.

Summary: Elena Gilbert is alive—again.
When Elena sacrificed herself to save the two vampire brothers who love her—the handsome, brooding Stefan and the sleek and dangerous Damon—she was consigned to a fate beyond death. Until a powerful supernatural force pulled her back.
Now Elena is not just human. She has powers and gifts that were bestowed on her in the afterlife. What's more, her blood pulses with an overwhelming and unique force that makes her irresistible to any vampire.
Stefan wants to find a way to keep Elena safe so that they can make a life together. Damon, however, is driven by an insatiable desire for power, and wants Elena to rule as his princess. When Stefan is lured away from Fell's Church, Damon seizes his chance to convince her that he is the brother she is meant to be with. . . .
But a darkness is infiltrating the town, and Damon, always the hunter, is now the hunted; he becomes the prey of a malevolent creature that can possess him at will, and who desires not just Elena's blood but her death

Cover Story: I like these covers, actually, though I'm sad they created new covers with this release instead of sticking with the awesome 80's old ones.

Review: Vampireville by Ellen Schreiber

Title: Vampire Kisses 3: Vampireville

Author: Ellen Schreiber

Rating:

Who Should Read It? This book is for middle grade vampire lovers! Also, if you enjoyed the first two, you will like this one even more. If you were only so-so about the first two, I'd say still give this one a try!

What I Have to Say: This series is FINALLY starting to get to me! I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than I enjoyed the first two. In a way, I feel like Ellen Schreiber is finally starting to find her groove.

Raven is finally starting to act her age, and in the process, she's turned into a cool, understanding, likeable character - no longer the annoying brat I found her to be in the first two installments. There were still cliches, but they were immensely downplayed. I think the term "gothic mate" was used only twice (maybe more, but not much more) throughout the entire book. What a relief! In my head, this is a major improvement.

The story itself also finally took off. While I wouldn't go so far as to say it was action-packed, there was definitely some major good-guy/bad-guy action going on. The bad guys are evil, but understandably so, and through their interactions with Raven, Alexander, and Trevor, we really begin to feel the loneliness and solitude that comes from being an outcast, something I thought was missing in the first two books.

Thanks to the new-found action and the new characters introduced, I actually enjoyed reading this book the entire way through (not so for the first two). While I was once again glad that it was short, I was also shocked to never once find myself bored.

I wouldn't go os far as to say this book was excellent, as it still had its fair share of problems, but it definitely opened me up to the possiblity of reading the 4th book. It's good, and I think most middle grade readers will thoroughly enjoy it and finally begin to relate to Raven.

Summary: For goth-girl Raven, dating her dream boyfriend is complicated, especially because Alexander's secret means that they can see each other only at night.

And now the pair must be extra wary in the dark with Alexander's archrival, Jagger, appearing around town. As if Jagger isn't enough cause for worry, Luna, his strikingly pale sister, has also surfaced and seems to have her sights set on Raven's longtime nemesis, Trevor. Together, Raven and Alexander must begin a terrifying search for Jagger and Luna's hideout to drive them away -- that is, if it's not already too late to save Dullsville from becoming Vampireville.

In the latest installment of her popular Vampire Kisses books, Ellen Schreiber continues the startling story of two teen outsiders -- she from the mortal world and he from the Underworld -- who share a thrilling, extraordinary romance

Cover Story: I really like Raven's outfit, but after that, this cover leaves me slightly indifferent.

Review: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben Winters

Title:Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Author: Jane Austen and Ben Winters

Rating:

Who Should Read It? People that enjoy mash-ups and don't mind changes to already great literature will most likely find this laugh-out-loud funny. This is a great intro to Jane Austen for those that might find her stories lacking in action.

What I Have to Say: I'm a HUGE Jane Austen fan. I've read and loved everything she ever wrote. I'm also a huge fan of monsters. I love reading books that are, in a sense, rendered ludicrous by their total lack of believability and by the overwhelming amount of monsters they contain. I was therefore sure that Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters was going to be a winner. Sense and Sensibility is a beautifully written masterpiece - add some sea monsters and that can do nothing but augment the awesomeness, right?

Unfortunately, wrong. It stayed just the same amount of awesome. I should have remembered that I don't normally like parodies. The sea monsters did absolutely NOTHING, in my opinion, to add to the story. Luckily, the story stuck pretty closely to the original, so I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience, as if I was reading Sense and Sensibility all over again. The monsters, I found, just got in the way of the actual story. The biggest change for me was that I was disgusted throughout the entire thing by Colonel Brandon, whereas in Sense and Sensibility I was just slightly annoyed by him.

I also found myself getting bored with the bits that were devoted to the monsters, wishing they would hurry along so that I could get back to the actual story line of Sense and Sensibility. The added stories about Margaret and Lucy Steele were also both totally uninteresting to me, and it just seemed too obvious that they had been someone's attempt to add something unnecessary to an already fantastic story.

Still, I'm one of those crazy people that has been known to get bored from too much action, and I am sure that those that find Austen's original stories lacking in action will love these added changes and find that they help speed up the pace of the story while adding humor. I will say this for Ben Winter's added sea monsters - they did make me laugh. I enjoyed his lack of boundaries with the sea monsters he added. It seemed like anything and everything, as long as it involved water, was fair game, and this added spirit.

So, if you enjoy Jane Austen, chances are, you'll enjoy this, as I did. Whether or not you will appreciate the added sea monsters, I think, totally depends on your enjoyment of superfluous action and your sense of humor.

Summary: From the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes a new tale of romance, heartbreak, and tentacled mayhem. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters expands the original text of the beloved Jane Austen novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, and other biological monstrosities. As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels? This masterful portrait of Regency England blends Jane Austen’s biting social commentary with ultraviolent depictions of sea monsters biting. It’s survival of the fittest—and only the swiftest swimmers will find true love!

Cover Story: It mixes the two aspects of the book quite well, although I have to admit that it also slightly disgusts me when I look at it too closely.

Disclosure: Thanks to Anna at FSB Media for sending me a copy of this book to give an honest review.

Review: the Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler

Title: the Cupcake Queen

Author: Heather Hepler

Rating:

Who Should Read It? Despite Penny's age, I would recommend this more for a middle grade audience than a YA audience.

What I Have to Say: When her parents separate, Penny moves with her mother to the small town in which her mother grew up. Her mother opens a cupcake bakery, and Penny works in the bakery, mostly decorating cupcakes. It SOUNDS like a book that I should have absolutely loved. My parents are divorced, I ADORE small towns (and wish fervently that I lived in one), cupcakes are one of my favorite desserts, and I would LOVE to be able to decorate cupcakes anywhere nearly as awesome as Penny. Oh, and I love the Beatles, and Penny Lane was, of course, named after the Beatles song. So yes, all this said, I SHOULD have loved this book.

And yet, I didn't. Don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy reading it, and I smiled quite a few times throughout the book, maybe even laughing once or twice. And the story itself is definitely solid. And yet there was absolutely nothing special about it, nothing whatsoever to make me sit back and say "wow, that was great." It attempts to deal with issues such as loneliness, grief, separation, death and bullying, but really it mostly just ends up brushing over them. Penny is supposed to suffer, and she does, but I found her running back and forth from one issue another to another so much that I never really got a feeling as to what she was actually feeling and how she was dealing.

There's also the small issue of description. Even at the end of the book, I never had a clear idea as to what Penny and Tally and Blake and Marcus looked like. I spent the majority of the book wondering if Tally and Blake were actually dating, as it was never said explicitly, and there were minimal clues. And at the end, I did manage to understand why Penny and Marcus might fall for each other, but none of those reasons were actually there in the beginning when they knew nothing about each other, and I am still confused as to how they fell for each other (and why Marcus acted the way he did) when there was nothing evident about their attraction.

Already this review is getting slightly long, and I have done nothing but complain about this book, but I must give credit where credit is due. There were quite a few enjoyable scenes throughout the book, and as such, it was a very easy and enjoyable read. Also, her descriptions of the cupcakes and of Penny at the beach were vivid and beautiful.

If you've got some free time, and this book happens to be lying around, I say pick it up. You'll probably enjoy it. At the same time, I wouldn't go out of my way to try to obtain a copy. :-) I can also see, though, how this might more easily appeal to a middle grade reader than an older YA or "adult that loves YA" reader.

Summary: A confection of a novel, combining big city sophistication with small town charm.

When her mother moves them from the city to a small town to open up a cupcake bakery, Penny’s life isn’t what she expected. Her father has stayed behind, and Mom isn’t talking about what the future holds for their family. And then there’s Charity, the girl who plays mean pranks almost daily. There are also bright spots in Hog’s Hollow—like Tally, an expert in Rock Paper Scissors, and Marcus, the boy who is always running on the beach. But just when it looks as though Penny is settling in, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again. A sweet novel about love, creativity, and accepting life’s unexpected turns.

Cover Story: I love this cover! It's the reason I read the book. It makes me want to eat delicious princessy cupcakes! Yum! And the fact that they look like they are about to fall into a disaster - well, it's perfect for the book.

Blog Tour Review: A Highlander's Destiry by Melissa Mayhue

Title: A Highlander's Destiny

Author: Melissa Mayhue

Rating:

Who Should Read It: This book is definitely for people who thoroughly enjoy formulaic paranormal romance.

What I Have to Say: It's hard to explain why, but this book really just didn't do it for me. I enjoyed reading it, for the most part, and there was suspense and plot twists galore, but in the end it mostly left me indifferent. I know it was a formula romance, but even keeping that in mind, everything just seemed so. . .contrived. This could be because I've just read too many formula romances lately, but putting that aside, I still had quite a few problems with this book.

There were faeries, which I thought I would love, but really, the faeries might as well have been human for all the fairy action going on in the book. I haven't read many books about faeries, though, so maybe this is always the case?

Destiny, the heroine, seemed like a cool girl, except that her actions seemed to contradict all of the things she thought about herself. She was always saying or thinking one thing and then actually DOING something completely different.

Then there was the love story between Destiny and Jesse, which would have been sweet, except that it was totally unbelievable. These two people, both completely weary of love, both supposedly with these huge iron cases around their hearts, suddenly miraculously falling in love. . .after just spending a few days together and barely even getting to know each other. I just didn't buy it. Which made it especially hard for me to "buy" the rest of the story. Of course, Destiny and Jesse were fun together, and the way their interactions definitely got a laugh out of me on more than one basis.

I guess I should say now that this is the fifth book in the series. And that I haven't read any of the other ones. One of the things I liked about it was that I didn't feel lost at all; I never once felt like I might have missed something in one of the previous books. The story definitely stood on its own, and the story itself was quite exciting and intriguing. Some of the twists Mayhue weaved into the mix were unexpected and delightful.

In the end, I think this will definitely appeal to the people towards whom it is geared: those that love paranormal romance. And I'm guessing if you enjoyed the other books in this series, you'll probably also thoroughly enjoy this one.
Yet I'll warn you - don't be expecting anything TOO special.

Summary:The Nuadian Fae have discovered a long-forgotten path to dark powers and all that stands between them and the helpless Mortal world is Jesse Coryell. Another failed romance and Jesse's disillusioned. Even spending time in the Realm of Faerie and training as a member of the Elite Guard hasn't made him happy. Something he can't identify is missing in his life and according to his magically gifted niece, Rosie MacKiernan, that something is his destiny. When Jesse intercepts a letter from Destiny Noble, a young woman desperately searching for her missing younger sister, life and destiny collide. Not even Destiny's Faerie heritage and her ability to see glimpses of the future can protect the pair from the unknown evils they'll face. But, if they're lucky, the magic of True Love just might save them both before it's too late...

Disclosure: This book was sent to me by Pocket Books to give an honest review.

Review: Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradury

Title:The Martian Chronicles

Author:Ray Bradbury

Rating:

Recommended?I guess, but not heartily. Especially for avid science fiction lovers that also love short stories.

What I Have to Say: Well, first off, I wish that I had known before I started that this was actually going to be a series of short stories with very little link between them all. I might have saved myself the trouble of reading it, since in the end, I really didn't enjoy it.
I'll admit that it was very well written and imaginative, nothing short of what one would expect from Ray Bradbury. The Mars of the future that he creates is one that is easy to believe in (or would be if we didn't already know it wasn't like that), and the changes it goes through over time are almost what is to be expected, sometimes a daring leap away from the expected.
So it wasn't bad. It was just boring. Most of the time. The occasional story that was an exciting, thought provoking, and adventuresome escape from reaility. For eight whole pages, it was easy to forget that I am living today, in 2010, in a world in which Mars is uninhabited by human or other. I would get so into that Mars, not wanting it to end. . .
And then the next story would start, and I would have to force myself to read, to not fall asleep, for a good 70 or 80 pages until the next 8 pages of joy would sneak up on me.
The prose was lyrical and beautiful, and Ray Bradbury's ideas are fresh and different (especially, I imagine, back in the 1940's when it was written). It's really just such a pity that it had to go off and be boring. Because it could have been great. It had potential.

Summary (from Goodreads):Leaving behind a world on the brink of destruction, man came to the Red Planet and found the Martians waiting, dreamlike. Seeking the promise of a new beginning, man brought with him his oldest fears and his deepest desires. Man conquered Mars—and in that instant, Mars conquered him. The strange new world with its ancient, dying race and vast, red-gold deserts cast a spell on him, settled into his dreams, and changed him forever. Here are the captivating chronicles of man and Mars—the modern classic by the peerless Ray Bradbury.

Sundays at Tiffanys by James Patterson doesn't go far enough

Title:Sundays at Tiffany's

Author:James Patterson

Rating:

Who Should Read It?For anyone interested in reading a good, sweet love story with a twist

What I Have to Say:What a great IDEA! Unfortunately, I wish that someone else had gotten to it first. I mean, seriously, how cool would it be to have an imaginary friend when you are little. And then to run into him later in life and fall in love. SO many amazing things could have been done with this idea, and I just feel like James Patterson didn't go nearly as far as he should have and didn't do nearly as much as he could have. He didn't take the idea and run with it, so to speak. The imaginary friend wasn't well enough explained, the love story was so under developed that it was basically not developed, and the mother of the main character was stereotypical and seen a thousand times before.
That said, it was still pleasant enough to read, and the idea was good enough that the book had no choice but to be exciting. I was never once bored, and I never felt like it lagged.
All in all, an okay book.

Summary (brought to you direct from Amazon):America's #1 bestselling author, James Patterson, brings us a magical story about a love that transcends boundaries . . .

AN IMAGINARY FRIEND

Jane Margaux is a lonely little girl. Her mother, a powerful Broadway producer, makes time for her only once a week, for their Sunday trip to admire jewelry at Tiffany's. Jane has only one friend: a handsome, comforting, funny man named Michael. He's perfect. But only she can see him. Michael can't stay forever, though. On Jane's ninth birthday he leaves, promising her that she'll soon forget him.

AN UNEXPECTED LOVE

Years later, in her thirties, Jane is just as alone as she was as a child. And despite her own success as a playwright, she is even more trapped by her overbearing mother. Then she meets someone-a handsome, comforting, funny man. He's perfect. His name is Michael . . .

AND AN UNFORGETTABLE TWIST


This is a heartrending story that surpasses all expectations of why these people have been brought together. With the breathtaking momentum and gripping emotional twists that have made James Patterson a bestselling author all over the world, SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY'S takes an altogether fresh look at the timeless and transforming power of love.

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Title:Ink Exchange

Author:Melissa Marr

Rating:

Who Should Read It?ADULTS who like paranormal teen fiction and don't mind the occasional annoying character

What I Have to Say:This is rated as a young adult book, but really - I'm just not so sure about that. I mean, it's about Leslie, a girl who is raped and drugged by her brother and then CONTINUES LIVING WITH HIM!!!! As if it's just the most normal thing in the world. Sure, she doesn't like her brother, and she tries to avoid him, but still, what is up with that?!? As opposed to actually getting out of the bad situation and retaking control of her life for real, she dreams of getting (and eventually does get) a tattoo. As if this will solve all of her problems in the world. That is NOT a good example for any book to be setting for easily influenced adolescents.
It also made Leslie, for me, a rather unlikable character. That, combined with the fact that Aislinn (the main character of the first book, Wicked Lovely) was whiny and controlling and that pretty much all of the other characters were excruciatingly underdeveloped, made this a fairly annoying book for me to read.
I should also mention that there was also a love triangle involved, and unfortunately Marr spent far too much time focusing on this and not enough time focusing on the intricacies and complexities of the wicked plot she had created.
That said, this was a good, dark book about very dark, sad, treacherous things. And Melissa Marr takes those dark, sad, treacherous things and tries to get the reader to understand them and feel sympathetic towards them, and there, she succeeds. The world of dark faerie that she creates is mystical and magical and terrifying. Her descriptions are beautiful enough that I can't help but wonder if these invisible faeries are flitting around my world.
I liked it enough that I'll be picking up the third book in the series.

Summary (from School Library Journal):Leslie lives with a father who has given up on life, a drug-abusing brother who allowed his dealer to rape Leslie in lieu of payment, and a burning desire to banish pain and fear from her life. Unable to confide in her best friend, Aislinn, she devotes herself to working to pay the family bills and to get the tattoo she believes will help her reclaim her body. What she doesn't know is that the art she has selected will bind her to Irial, the king of the Dark Court of Fairy. He removes her emotions like fear, panic, or anger, and uses them to nourish the fairies of his court. What Irial doesn't expect is his growing love for Leslie and her desire to make her own choices. In Leslie, Marr has created a damaged, wounded character who still comes across as being incredibly strong. Irial needs to care for his court, knowing them too weak to win a war, but his feelings for Leslie make him unwilling to do what needs to be done.

Bad Kitty

Title:Bad Kitty

Author:Michelle Jaffe

Rating:

Who Should Read It?If you're interested in quirky YA mysteries, this book might be for you. Even if you like YA novels in general, I think you might actually have to be a teen to really love this book.

What I Have To Say:Okay, so I didn't love this book. The characters had too many weird quirks, and, while I am totally into unbelievable characters (hey, if I read a book like this, it's not to read about reality), but these characters were just annoyingly unbelieveable. And sometimes I wanted to hurt them.
That's not to say that I didn't like the book, though. The story was fun and interesting (and totally predictable, which, again, is totally a-okay with me) with plot twists galore.
The beginning of the book was quite fun, but towards the end, it lagged a bit, and, while I wanted to know if what I thought was going to happen would actually happen (it did), I was ready for it to be over.
At the same time, I did like it enough that I'm thinking about reading Jas Callihan's next adventure.

Summary:Jasmine Callihan, her father, and stepmother are vacationing in Las Vegas at the posh Venetian Hotel. All the 17-year-old really wants to do is sunbathe by the pool, write in her journal, and attempt to be a Model Hallmark Card daughter, all the while avoiding her perfect cousin Alyson and her Evil Hench Twin, Veronique. Her plans go awry, however, when a small boy and his cat make Jas a central character in a murder investigation. Soon Jass best friends come from LA to join her adventure and all attempt to solve the murder of Len Phillips, business manager of world-famous photographer Red Early.