Feature and Follow Friday–Best cover/Worst book

Hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read

Featured Blogs: Cheerful Reviews and Nette's Bookshelf

Q: Best Cover? What is the best cover of a book that you’ve read and didn’t like?

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Beautiful cover that accurately portrays the book. Unfortunately, I think this book is my most hated book ever read thanks to the way it ended. Won’t go on a rant now, but the cover really is gorgeous and intriguing.

Review–Lucretia and the Kroons

Lucretia and the Kroons

by Victor Lavalle

Summary: Lucretia’s best friend and upstairs neighbor Sunny—a sweet pitbull of a kid, even as she struggles with a mysterious illness—has gone missing. The only way to get her back is for Lucretia to climb the rickety fire escape of their Queens tenement and crawl through the window of apartment 6D, portal to a vast shadowland of missing kids ruled by a nightmarish family of mutants whose designs on the children are unknown. Her search for Sunny takes Lucretia through a dark fantasyland where she finds lush forests growing from concrete, pigeon-winged rodents, and haunted playgrounds. Her quest ultimately forces her to confront the most frightening specter of all: losing, forever, the thing you love the most.
Lucretia and the Kroons is a dazzlingly imaginative adventure story and a moving exploration of the power of friendship and the terror of loss. This all-new novella serves as the perfect companion piece to The Devil in Silver, a thrillingly suspenseful work of literary horror that continues the story of Lucretia.

Review:

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short novella, but full of adventure. I really enjoyed it.

Lucretia’s brother tells her a story about the people upstairs in apartment 6D that frightens and intrigues Lucretia. Her best friend Sunny is struggling with cancer and is supposed to hang out for 2 hours in Lucretia’s apartment. When she doesn’t show up, Lucretia discovers she may have been in apartment 6D and embarks on an adventure to find her.

While it reads like middle grade fiction, it was quite enjoyable for me. I realized the lesson learned here is how to cope with loss and Lucretia’s adventure helps her say goodbye to her friend. It was well written and descriptive. This story had a powerful message about loss and terror.

The book opens with the quote “I wrote these words for everyone who struggles in their youth".” by Lauryn Hill, ‘Everything is Everything’

This is the perfect quote to open this book, as it’s the true meaning of it.

“Louis turned out to be right about one thing, however: Being young didn’t protect anyone. Horrors came for kids, too. She understood that now.”

Booking Through Thursday–Books to Movies

hosted by Booking Through Thursday

This week’s question:

Do you find yourself thinking that the books you read would be good on film? Do you wish the things you watched on TV or in the movies were available as book?

Some really can’t be converted, of course, but some definitely can (and it’s not always the ones you think will work). There’s something to be said for different forms of media, but a good story is universal … or is it??

I frequently read books and think they’d make great movies. I feel that way a lot about fantasy, science fiction, and dystopian books because the setting is usually amazing and would translate really well (if done correctly) as a film. I get excited about books becoming movies, like this year’s Perks of Being a Wallflower, despite my reservations about how well it will adapt to the screen. I’m reminded by great adaptations, such as Speak or Harry Potter or the HBO show Game of Thrones that books can be made into movies or TV shows quite well.

With that being said, I also dread books becoming movies and almost wish none of them would become TV shows or movies. I’ve read somewhere about some screenwriter becoming a novelist and he was opened up to new ways of writing because he no longer had to be concerned about what was possible to do on screen. He didn’t have to fit a budget or try and keep his imagination contained. I think there tons of books that are simply hard to execute. I worry about it looking too fake or relying too much on CGI. I worry about everything from the actors to how the story plays out or what gets changed to fit a movie. There have been terrible adaptations of books and comic books on the screen and you just never know how it will turn out.

Also, a book becoming a movie creates a lot of hype. And if that movie doesn’t turn out quite well, people who haven’t read the book assume the book must be crap, too. I always think back to the Twilight series. It’s not the greatest book and I think that is obvious, but the movie made it a thousand times worse. Not only was it absolutely terrible, it made the story look stupid. Now, everyone knows what it’s about and thinks the story itself is useless, when there is something about the book that I love and can’t quite explain.

I think a good story is not necessarily universal. Sometimes, a book transports you in a way that a movie just doesn’t do for me. I think there is some sort of magic in books and even if you read the synopsis and don’t think it’s quite right for you, sometimes reading the story changes that opinion. After all, it’s not just a plot that makes us love books, it’s how it is written and narrated and the small moments in books that just open up our minds. I think back to all the times some stranger has noticed me reading and asks me what the book is about. 9 times out of 10, I think I’m not doing it justice by summarizing it. It sounds stupid most of the time and I trip all over myself trying to explain it. I think even if you were describing a well known classic that is well written and awesome to someone completely clueless, you’d run into the same issue.

At the end of the day, I think you just have to read the book to make a decision. I’ve read so many books I didn’t think I’d like and I’ve fallen in love with some element of the story that I can’t quite put my finger on and sometimes a movie or show adaptation isn’t able to capture it.

What about you?

WWW Wednesdays

Hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Right now, I’m reading Pledged by Gwynneth White.

I recently finished reading The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (review here) and Sovereign Hope by Frankie Rose (review here).

Next, I’m going to read Lucretia and the Kroons by Victor LaValle from Netgalley and Zombie Candy by Frederick Lee Brooke.

Review - The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

 

The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2)

 

by Pittacus Lore

 

Summary: I’ve seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he’s a mystery. But to me . . . he’s one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We’re hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we’ll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I’ve been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

 

 

Review:

 

 

This was a great book! The story continues from where it left off in I Am Number Four, but with the addition of Number Seven's point of view from Spain. If I was intrigued by the entire story in the first book, this installment was even more engrossing and action packed.

 

The narration switches from John/Four to Seven. The author did this flawlessly. I was never confused about who was narrating. The great part is that just when the action starts really happening to Four, Seven's narration is equally action packed so the reader gets to switch from one to the other with the same kind of tone and fast pace. I was afraid as the story progressed that I'd be engrossed in all this action from one of the characters and then when it switched, it would be slow and I'd have to adjust, but the timing was perfect and I really think this strategy worked well. I cannot stress how much I loved this technique. I didn't know how well it would work when I first started reading and I realized by the end that it was the perfect way to write this book. It was flawless.

 

I felt like I really got to know John, Sam, and Six much better in this book, especially Six. She kind of jumped in near the end of the first book and I liked being able to find out more about her and her history. I also enjoyed hearing Seven's story. Each of these characters have been put through so much in their time on Earth, but in the first book, we only got John's story, so I was definitely happy to be able to find more out about the other numbers.

 

I thought this book wouldn't hold many surprises concerning the characters I already knew, but I was wrong. Surprising revelations were made and new discoveries... I dropped my jaw so many times reading this!

 

I didn't like how it ended, though. It left me with absolutely no closure and a thousand questions. I'm certainly glad that I waited until the release of The Rise of Nine recently to begin reading the series for my book club or I would be very mad about waiting. The book was so fast paced and action packed, but I wished it would have slowed down a little in some areas and explained a little bit more after adding huge surprises and elements to it. I suppose this is why I was so shocked that it was just over.

 

Wonderful addition to the series and I'm looking forward to reading more.

 

 

 



 





 



Top Ten Tuesday–Bookish Confessions

hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Bookish Confessions

1. I cannot read slow. I try to do this all the time so I’m not flying through books, but I can’t. As soon as I slow my pace, the world of the book starts to unravel and the only way to get it back together is to read faster. People always think because I read fast and read so many books that I’m skimming or not taking in the detail, but I’m not. I won’t take in the detail if I read slow.

2. I’m hooked on e-books. I fought against the e-reader trend for the longest time. I bought my Kindle for author requests and books that were e-book only, but I find myself buying books in Kindle form and browsing books on Amazon more often than I would have believed. I actually prefer reading on my Kindle now because it is always with me.

3. I find myself most drawn to male characters that remind me of my husband in some ways. I just noticed this recently. If a male character is nothing at all like my husband, I tend to dislike him. I think it’s kind of funny. I suppose it’s a reflection of how much I love his qualities.

4. I think I have a problem with amazon freebies. I check different sites everyday for freebies and download anything that sounds interesting. I’ve become an e-book hoarder and it’s so not like me.

5. I used to think there was a formula for me liking a book, but the more I read, the more I realize how unpredictably my own tastes and thoughts are. Sometimes, a certain thing will irk me to no end in a book, but something similar in another will be what I rave about. I think this is why it bothers me when people get the gist of a story and judge it without reading it. You never know until you read something if you’ll love it.

6. I can’t read if I’m mad. I usually pick up a book whenever I have a moment to read a little bit. I can be just about any emotion, but if I’m mad about something, I can’t read at all. Fortunately, I don’t get mad often.

7. I get really excited when books I read are becoming movies, but I’m almost always disappointed. I also get extremely annoyed when a book or series becomes extremely popular, especially if it becomes a movie or a show. I feel like a story is somehow different when a person reads it. If a person watches the movie or the show, even if it’s done well, I don’t think it’s quite the same.

8. If I read something that I truly love and have the urge to gush about it, I hold it back as much as I can. I’ve never been much of a FAN of things and crazed fans annoy me and I can’t take them seriously. For this reason, I hold back my own urges to gush about stuff so that people take my opinions more seriously. Sometimes, I’ll type OMG THIS WAS AMAZING!!!!! in a review and then I’ll erase it, breathe, and start over. I don’t trust people that gush too much about something, I guess. It’s weird. Hearing someone just rave about how awesome something is without really saying WHY makes me wonder if it’s really all that awesome at all.

9. I have to finish a book. If I don’t, it haunts me. I will read books that I cannot stand or books that bore me to tears just to get to the end. I feel like unless I reach the end, I can’t write a review about the book. Maybe I’m just optimistic that something will happen and I’ll end up loving it. I always have to give it a chance.

10. I can’t listen to audiobooks. I’ve tried and I space out. I’d love to be able to listen to audiobooks when I’m doing stuff around the house, but my brain won’t absorb anything.

What about you? What are your top bookish confessions?

Review - Sovereign Hope by Frankie Rose

 

Sovereign Hope (The Hope Series #1)

 

by Frankie Rose

 

 

 

Summary: Everyone has a soul

Some are just worth more than others

Farley Hope was seventeen when her mother disappeared. In the last six months not much has changed, except that her eighteenth birthday came and went and still no sign of Moira. Her life is just as complicated as it always was. Since her father died in a car crash before she was even born, she’s officially parentless, and to top it all off she’s still suffering from the hallucinations. Mind-splitting, vivid hallucinations- the kind prone to induce night terrors and leave you whimpering under your covers like a baby.

The last thing on her mind is boys. Farley is on break from St. Judes’ when she meets Daniel. It’s not some casual run in at a party, or even a blind date with friends, though. Daniel is the guy following her in his 1970′s Dodge Charger; the guy standing at her window in the LA lunch hour traffic, trying to persuade her to leave everything behind and follow him. And he's hot as all hell.

The moment Farley lays eyes on Daniel, everything changes. He is cold and withdrawn, but there are cracks in his harsh veneer- cracks that betray the secrets he is trying so hard to hide. Farley is drawn into a world that will shake apart everything she thought she ever knew. There are truths out there that she must learn: that a person’s soul is their only real currency, and there are people who would do anything to take hers; that loving someone can hurt so much more than hating them; but, most importantly, when your future is predestined, there is little you can do to change it.

Farley Hope is prophesied.

Her coming has been awaited for hundreds of years.

She is destined to end the tyranny of the Soul Reavers.

To do so she must die.

 

Book Trailer:

 

Review:

 

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

I absolutely loved this book!

 

I wasn't sure what I expected from this book, but the plot turned out to be incredibly interesting and unique. I've never encounter paranormal or supernatural aspects quite like the ones presented in the book and it really kept me guessing all the way through.

 

The author managed to create a lot of tension between Farley and Daniel without it feeling like it was the main focus of the book. She balanced the action, danger, and slight romance perfectly. My biggest problem in a lot of books these days is that the plot and the ideas are so awesome, but the main focus is on the main character and her love interest and I thought it was refreshing that the author managed to convey so much tension between Farley and Daniel while still keeping the rest of the plot moving.

 

Without giving anything away, the plot is one that I've never encountered before. There was action and danger and drama and fantasy/paranormal things going on. I didn't encounter a single creature/element that I've seen before. It was tied together flawlessly to create a believable story.

 

All of the characters were well developed and believable to me. I loved Daniel, but Farley was also a wonderful character. She didn't play the "woe is me" card throughout the book, even when she was starting to feel as if things just kept getting worse. She was placed in this incredible odd situation that she knew nothing about, but I didn't feel like anything was over-explained or that Farley was bombarded by this new thing and then magically adjusted to it all. Farley was full of questions and had a difficult time adjusting to the new events in her life. She was also extremely brave and not afraid to put herself in danger.

 

The novel was descriptive and fast paced. Most of it was from Farley's point of view, but occasionally it would switch to Daniel's, so the reader was able to piece together a bit more of the story than Farley herself. It was well written and executed well. I thought it would be more predictable than it was, but I was pleasantly surprised.

 

This book is the first book in the Hope series. It ended leaving me wanting more, but it also left me satisfied in other ways.

 

I would definitely recommend this book to others and cannot wait to continue the series.  

 

 



Musing Mondays–Weird and Crazy

hosted by Should Be Reading

This week’s musing — courtesy of http://lustforstories.blogspot.com– asks…

What is the weirdest/strangest/craziest book you’ve read?

Tough question.

I suppose Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk is one of the weirdest books I’ve read. I love his writing style, but it was different from any other book I’ve ever read.

I’m sure there are more books that I’ve read that are crazy or weird, but I just can’t think of anything else right now!

Review–The Burning Star by Jessie Lane

The Burning Star

by Jessie Lane

Summary: Can she reach her destiny before tragedy strikes?
The doctors have told Kay that she will die before she reaches her eighteenth birthday. Her mother’s determination to save her life leads them to a move outside of Asheville, NC to a new set of cancer specialists in the hopes to help her. But it’s not what Kay and her Mom find in the doctor’s offices in Asheville that lead them on the journey to save her before time runs out. It’s what Kay finds in the woods outside of Asheville, and an inhumanly gorgeous guy named Ryan, instead.
Myths and fairy tales come to life before Kay’s eyes, bringing her closer to the ultimate cure if she can stay alive long enough to get there. And if the cancer doesn’t kill her before she finds the cure the secrets her mother has hidden from her may be the beginning of the end.

Review:

I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book a couple of months ago, but before I could post a review, the authors contacted me to notify me they were editing the original copy. This is a review for the newly edited copy, which was much much better and I’m happy to have been able to review the second version. The first book was riddled with errors, such as switching from third person to first person and a lot of spelling errors that were hard to ignore over time. Aside from one sentence and a couple of words, these errors were completely fixed. This version was much easier to read and enjoy and I’m glad I got a chance to read it!

This was a great story. It was fast paced, action packed, and full of interesting twists and turns. The book begins from Kay’s point of view, but occasionally switches to other characters. Kay, who is dealing with cancer, moves to Asheville, NC with her mom and meets Ryan, a handsome stranger, in the woods. She patches him up before her mom gets home after an encounter with a dog. The next morning, she meets Nick, a handsome satellite installer. I have to say, I’ve never once had a satellite dish installer be as nice, good looking, and compelling as Nick, but I suppose this IS fiction. =) When Ryan picks her up for a date, things take a dramatic turn. The story switches points of view from Kay, Ryan, and Nick.

Then, we meet Kira. I don’t want to give any of her story away, but it’s incredibly interesting and I enjoyed this part of the book. Kira isn’t introduced to Kay at all in the book, but I suspect there will be a introduction in the next book of the series. Kira gives her story from her point of view.

The entire premise of the book is completely original to me and it captivated me at once. I loved Kay’s character. She was charming and funny. I liked the slight competition for Kay’s attention by Nick and Ryan, who were both completely different. I liked them a lot. Kira might be my favorite character because I found her so intriguing. She was incredibly perceptive and I hope she is a major part of book 2.

This book has fairies, angels, werewolves, sickness, destiny, fate, drama, love, and mysteries. Such an incredible premise and all these elements were woven together quite well.

The reason I didn’t rate this higher is due to the writing. I thought the dialogue was incredibly weak and unnatural sometimes. It irked me how often the characters called each other by name. I didn’t expect this to change in the newly edited version and it didn’t, but it’s something I’ve thought about ever since I read this book the first time. I didn’t want to be too harsh, so I started paying attention to dialogue in other books and my own dialogue in life and I realized that we don’t typically call people by their names frequently in conversation. The characters in The Burning Star did this so much, it was ridiculous. Much of a dialogue began with “Well to be honest” or “Well, (insert name here)” and things to that effect. The writing overall felt really raw. While it’s certainly not terrible writing by any means, I think there is tons of room for improvement. If the dialogue flowed more naturally, I don’t know that I would have any complaints about the writing.

Also, while I liked that the story switched points of view, sometimes it made me stumble while reading. Certain parts didn’t seem to flow as well as others and I had to start chapters over again and really get back into the character who was narrating. Other times, this effect was kind of cool, though.

I thought the story was full of potential and it really interested me. I loved how it ended and it made me want more immediately. I will definitely read the second book. I would also recommend this book to others.

Review - Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

 

Beautiful Disaster

by Jamie McGuire

 

Summary: The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

 

Review:

 

I received this book courtesy of NetGalley

 

This book was a train wreck. And much like a train wreck, I couldn't tear myself away. I read this so quickly, absorbed in each scene. The title is quite perfect if you emphasize Disaster.

 

Abby and Travis meet and enter into a relationship relatively quickly - much more quickly than I would have expected based on the synopsis. And they are the perfect example of a dysfunctional couple. This book is not good girl meets bad boy, at least not to me. The synopsis was incredibly misleading for me. This book is more immature, slightly intelligent girl meets crazy, messed up, emotionally wrecked guy and disaster ensues.

 

Had this book ended differently, I would have given it 5 stars. I've never seen such a wonderful portrayal of a train wreck couple except in Eminem songs and videos. The author captured the incredibly emotional highs and lows, the terrible passion of two people in love, and the dysfunction caused by a man who is abusively codependent. It was amazing, but I felt a slight disappointment that there was no moral to the story. I hate to spoil this aspect for other readers, but it largely impacted my review.

 

I have no idea what the actual purpose of the book was, so I'm just guessing and figuring out what I took from it. To me, I thought the author titled the book wonderfully and captured a disastrous relationship flawlessly. But because there is no moral to the story, I wonder if perhaps more emphasis is placed on the Beautiful rather than the Disaster. I don't know. Is this book supposed to be a romance? I hope not one we aspire to have. Are readers supposed to find Travis an irresistible hero? I hope not. And if the answer to those questions is yes, than I guess I missed something. This is not a book I would ever EVER recommend to young people, unless it is given with a warning: This is not a book about love. This is a book about a train wreck. This captures a dysfunctional couple and highlights the good and bad aspects to an abusive relationship. Without knowing the author's real intention, it's hard for me to really figure this book out and decide if I loved it or hated it.

 

While the writing isn't amazing, it's one of those books that I just jumped into immediately, instantly captivated by the characters. It's rare that mediocrity goes unnoticed by me, but the characters were so developed and the book was so fast paced, I found myself ignoring the flaws and turning each page! (I'm not saying this book is badly written, it's just not anything to rave about in terms of eloquence.)

 

The characters were incredibly believable except for one problem: they ALL have one track minds. They are complex about one thing and that is each other. It's a strange thing to encounter. All other aspects of life are relatively minor and ignored, but the relationship between Abby and Travis and even some of the other secondary characters is so incredibly dynamic and complex. And I cannot stress enough how well the author presented such a train wreck relationship and the emotional roller coaster Abby and Travis rode. While their relationship is largely presented in a positive light, the negative things aren't ignored. There are some scary parts of this book. Travis is completely insane and violent when Abby is not around and he's worried about her. He's crazy jealous, beyond a small amount of healthy jealousy. While Abby's best friend bounces back and forth between "you should leave him" or "please just get back together" sides, Abby's roommate in her dorm room doesn't hold back her opinion. This book is from Abby's point of view and I got the sense that she thought her roommate was rude or bitchy, Kara had the best insight into Travis and Abby's relationship with: " Do you know was codependency is, Abby? Your boyfriend is a prime example, which is creepy considering he went from having no respect for women at all to thinking he needs you to breathe."

 

And this quote is also eye opening:

 

“I’m sorry, Shepley,” I called after him.
He froze and wheeled around, with the face of a man that had reached his limit. “I wish you and Travis would just get your shit together! You’re a goddamn tornado! When you’re happy, it’s love and peace and butterflies. When you’re pissed, you take the whole fucking world down with you!” 

 

This book was believable to me. I know a few people in relationships like this. It happens. Like I said before, Eminem's been singing about it for years. (The book actually reminds me of the video for 'Love the way you lie' )

 

There is no doubt that Abby and Travis are madly in love. I felt that throughout the entire book. But what they have is unhealthy and Travis needs much more help than just someone to put up with him. It doesn't bother me that this book features an unhealthy relationship, it bothers me that I can't figure out if it's supposed to be portrayed as unhealthy or not.

 

What troubles me about this book and how to review it is that I don't know what this book is supposed to stand for. I don't know what the author's intentions were and I don't know what readers who loved this book love it for. And it worries me terribly if this is supposed to be a glimpse of a healthy passionate relationship. Based on the quotes like the ones I used above that are peppered throughout the book, I'd like to think the author was very clever and talented and was able to write this book to display an unhealthy relationship in it's pure form. But based on the TONS of quotes about passion and love and belonged to one another and putting up with each other and marrying each other, part of me wonders if that's the thing I'm supposed to focus on: true love conquers all and this is what real passion is like and this is what people should strive for. Because I really don't know, I was in between 1 star and 5 stars and I went for the middle with 3 stars.

 

 

TGIF - Back to School Reading

 

hosted by: GReads

This Friday's Question:

 

Back to School Reading: Which books would you like to see

in today's high school Literature classrooms?

 

 

The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Oscar Wilde

 

I actually got to read this in AP English senior year and fell in love with this story and the elements of identity in it.

 

Atlas Shrugged

by Ayn Rand

 

I know most people hate this book for philosophical and political reasons, but I don't think enough people read it objectively. I think this book is one that people pretend they've read and go on bashing rants, much like Twilight. I'm all about not liking a book if you've read it, but I just don't agree with bashing a book that you haven't read and have only heard about and googled. And I don't think teenagers in high school really know anything about it, so it's probably the perfect time to be introduced to it.

 

Looking for Alaska

by John Green

 

This book is so well written. John Green can really write YA. I suppose instead of reading books that teenagers find hard to identify with these days (like Catcher in the Rye), perhaps it's time to incorporate more modern YA books with heavy themes.

 

If I continued, I'd have about 100 books on this post. There are so many books I feel people should read, especially in high school. I also feel like I should list all the ones I read and loved in high school. But these are some great picks that I definitely recommend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feature and Follow Friday - Book Cover

 

Hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read

Featured Blogs: Awesomesauce Book Club and Book Me

 

Q: Worst cover? What is the worst cover of a book that you’ve read and loved?

 

This is a tough question to answer. While I don't always read books with awesome covers, there's always something I like about it. The only books I could think of off the top of my head were my Barnes and Noble Classics, but most of those have awesome original covers.

But I found one...

 

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

 

 

There are tons of covers for this book, but the paperback version I got was published in 1970. While I don't believe it's the original cover, I scrolled through some of the earlier covers and I don't really like any of them, either. I suppose this is my least favorite cover because of how much I LOVE Fahrenheit 451's cover (and pretty much every other Ray Bradbury book I've read). This one just screams out science fiction in a way that doesn't usually appeal to me. I do love science fiction, there are just books that do not appeal to me in the genre and they usually have covers like these.

 

Fortunately, the inside of this book is amazing and I can overlook the cover all day long. Especially when his other books have awesome covers. Looking at the newer cover for this book, I think it's a huge improvement. =)

 

 

 

Review–Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

 

Outlander (Outlander #1)

 

by Diana Gabaldon

 

Summary: Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another...
In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon—when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an "outlander"—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord...1743.
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire's destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life ...and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Review:



Surprisingly, I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
It was recommended to me by a friend who has read the entire series and raved about it. When I first discovered I was able to borrow books via Kindle from my local library, this was the first book I requested. There was a long waiting list and I didn’t mind, because I honestly didn’t really want to read this book. When the waiting time was over and it was available to borrow, I still really didn’t want to read this book. As an avid reader, when a friend asks me to read a book and I don’t, I feel terrible about it. So I read this reluctantly, expecting not to like it. Historical romance is just not my thing and the whole time travel element just didn’t really appeal to me at all.
The good news is that this book ended up being pretty awesome and I’m certainly glad I read it and even happier that I enjoyed it and can share that joy with the person who recommended it to me.
Both the setting and the characters were extremely well developed and I fell in love with all the aspects of this story. I loved Claire as a character and enjoyed being able to experience things through her point of view. Jamie’s character was absolutely amazing and I loved him! The characters in this novel, especially Claire and Jamie, are so complex, which is something I absolutely love to come across in books. They were so real and engaging and believable.
The action and danger in this novel is also well developed and complex and completely believable. I was shocked at how violent so many events were and how the characters do not escape from situations unscathed. They are brutally affected by each situation and it shapes them, much like the real world. I appreciate this so much in books and I imagine it is quite hard to achieve as an author and it never fails to captivate me. This book just felt so real in so many ways. This is what makes this book so incredible to me.
The first 20% of the book was not my favorite at all. I was reluctant to read the book in the first place and the first 20% of it made me feel as if I would never get through it. I kept reading and reading and asking my friends when this story was supposed to get better. Once I got past this lull, I found myself flying through the pages, devouring the story. From that point, everything was interesting and I couldn’t put it down.
Length is never an issue for me in books. I find that I actually prefer longer books most of the time. Up until about halfway through Outlander, I kept thinking I’ve finally met the long book that I feel is too long. I thought I could finally understand reviewers that complain about the length of a book. I thought I met my match with this one. Fortunately, I don’t feel that way now that I’m done. The last half of the book was so action packed and interesting and awesome and I don’t feel that this book should have been any shorter. Also, a few lingering questions in my head seemed to be addressed at the book progressed, which helped a lot. I liked Claire more and more as the story went on and I realized that the questions in the back of my head were in the back of hers, too, and she was able to vocalize them towards the end. I suppose had she ignored them, I would have been a disappointed.
While I’m not really a sucker for romance, I could not get enough of Jamie and Claire. I mentioned that I loved his character, but I don’t think I can say it enough. He was such a great person and made me laugh out loud and roll my eyes and want to smack him half the time. One of the most well rounded, believable, entertaining, and wonderful love interests in a book! I always love a character as charming and sarcastic and funny as my own husband and I really enjoyed seeing such a character. It was great.
I feel like any other remark I make about the events in this book will spoil it for some. In the beginning, I was faced with a bunch of questions and wondering what Claire was going to do and then decisions are made and then I was faced with a different set of questions and curiosity and they evolve through this entire book. Each Part, each Chapter, left me wondering about more and more things and I realize that I can’t really address any of these without spoiling it for those who haven’t read it.
Overall, this is a great book. If you have the patience, even if it’s not your typical genre, it’s definitely worth reading. It was so well written and believable and detailed and well executed, I can appreciate multiple aspects of it and I think it would appeal to different kinds of readers in different ways.
I don’t know that I’m going to continue reading the series, though. I liked the way Outlander ended and I feel as if it could have been (or possibly was at one time) a stand alone novel. While I’m curious as to what happens, I feel like I need to set aside a block of time to really devour the rest of the series and I just don’t want to commit to it right now. I’m left satisfied, which is rare in the first book of the series, and that’s enough for me for now.

Booking Through Thursday–Talking Books

hosted by Booking Through Thursday

This week’s question:

Do you like to talk about what you read? Do you have somebody to talk WITH?

I love to talk about books with people. It’s better when someone has read the book I’ve read, but sometimes I enjoy hearing about a book I haven’t read or telling someone else about a book they haven’t read.

I do have people to talk to about books. I participate in a few online book clubs and started a small one of my own with friends on facebook. Sometimes, I’ll talk to my husband about really great books I’ve read and tell him the story. He isn’t a big reader, so I don’t have to worry about spoilers when I talk. He knows the whole story of the series A Song of Ice and Fire (otherwise known as Game of Thrones) by George R.R. Martin just from me talking about it.

My friend Keri is a great example of someone I love to talk books with. We’ve read a lot of the same books, so we have so much to discuss. She’s a lot more detail oriented, so she’ll pick up on things I may have missed or forgot about. It’s great.

In the same way that most people talk about movies or TV shows, I like to talk about books. I think it’s a great way to gain new perspective. There have been many times where I’ve expressed my thoughts about a book and someone else has expressed their thoughts and they’ve been completely different and I realized they’ve picked up on this whole element that I missed completely.

I even enjoy talking about books I hated with people who loved it because I get to find out why it appealed to them and not to me. It’s just a wonderful experience to me to be able to share literature.

WWW Wednesdays

Hosted by Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

Right now, I’m reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and enjoying it.

I recently finished reading Fallen by Lauren Kate. Here’s my review.

Next, I’m going to read Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire.

Top Ten Tuesday–Top Ten Faves Since Blogging

hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Favorite Books You've Read During The Lifespan Of Your Blog

This was a tough list to make, so to try my best not to be biased, I just took the books I rated 5 stars and tried to pick between those, even though some 4 star books were eyeing me.

1. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

2. The Taker and The Reckoning by Alma Katsu

3. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

4. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

5. Looking for Alaska by John Green

6. World War Z by Max Brooks

 

7. The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier

8. The Radleys by Matt Haig

9. We Bury The Landscape by Kristine Ong Muslim

10. Intangible by J. Meyers