Yes Please

Yes Please - Amy Poehler 
Alphabet Challenge 
5 out of 5 Stars 

Oh Amy Poehler you're so funny! I loved this book, it was witty, humorous, sad and just all around wonderful. I've been telling everyone about it! I have found that I really enjoy reading comedians auto biographies. Some, like this one,  I listen to on audio book which I like because they narrate the book themselves and it adds little nuances you don't get when reading it yourself. Here is the blurb from goodreads.com: In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by. This was just a great, well written book by a super funny lady and seriously you should read it! 

The Lost Hero

The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan 
Eclectic Reader Challange 
Middle Grade/ YA Adventure 
5 out of 5 Stars

So I have a confession:  I am a grown woman and yet I love YA novels. I adore the stories, the innocent romance, and the coming of age drama, I just love it all and this one did not disappoint. This series is a sequel of sorts to the Percy Jackson series which is one of my absolute favorites. The main focus is on 3 new heroes but our old favorites are there as background players which is really cool. I also enjoyed the slightly new take on a world I have become very familiar with, I won't spoil it for you but it's a very neat twist. Here is the goodreads.com blurb as per normal... 

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly? 
Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out. 
Leo has a way with tools.When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and some camper who;s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god. Does this have anything to do with Jason's amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts?

I enjoyed the story and the characters and actually can't wait to read the sequels, you all should give this a try too... but start with The Lighting Thief, in the Percy Jackson series if you haven't read those first. Happy reading everyone! 

Safe Haven

Safe Haven - Nicolas Sparks 
Eclectic Reader Challenge
Contemporary Romance
4 out of 5 Stars

So this is your basic Nicholas Sparks novel, it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me realize there are really weird people in the world etc...but overall I really enjoyed it. It had just the right balance of happy, funny, and sad moments to keep me hooked. Katie was a sweet character and I found myself rooting for her. I had seen the movie a while back but as is usual the book is so much better there are just so many more details that make it a more vibrant and compelling story. Here is the goodreads.com blurb:  

Love hurts. There is nothing as painful as heartbreak. But in order to learn to love again, you must learn to trust again.When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

 You have to hand it to Nicholas Sparks the man knows what he's doing with a romance novel and I am sure I will continue to read his novels even though they always make me cry. Hope you all enjoy!

The Magician's Nephew

The Magician's Nephew - C.S. Lewis 
To Be Read Pile
3 out of 5 Stars

This was a fun, quick read. I loved all the movies about Narnia and very much wanted to know how it all got started,  so I started from the beginning although technically this is the 6th book in the series. Digory and Polly were fun characters and I enjoyed their story. Here is the good reads blurb: When Digory and Polly are tricked by Digory's peculiar Uncle Andrew into becoming part of an experiment, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime. What happens to the children when they touch Uncle Andrew's magic rings is far beyond anything even the old magician could have imagined. Hurtled into the Wood between the Worlds, the children soon find that they can enter many worlds through the mysterious pools there. In one world they encounter the evil Queen Jadis, who wreaks havoc in the streets of London when she is accidentally brought back with them. When they finally manage to pull her out of London, unintentionally taking along Uncle Andrew and a coachman with his horse, they find themselves in what will come to be known as the land of Narnia. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky 
Eclectic Reader - Epistolary Fiction 
To Be Read Pile 
3 out of 5 stars 

This was a quick little read that was very enjoyable. Charlie is a quirky straight forward guy and I found myself rooting for him and at times relating to him in a nostalgic way. Here is blurb from goodreads.com: Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. Overall I enjoyed this book, the characters were easy to relate to and fun to watch develop. I think I ask the same questions everyone else does, such as, who is Charlie writing to and why did Chbosky chose to write the book as letters but these are questions that will most likely never be answered and I am ok with that, it adds to the mystery of the book. 

Outlander

Outlaner - Diana Dabaldon 
4 out of 5 Stars

Whew, this book is huge! It does not fit into any of my challenges but I had been really wanting to read it as I have seen some of the Starz TV show and it did not disappoint. Here is the goodreads.com blurb: The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient 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 is catapulted 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 love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. So basically I loved this book it has everything I enjoy, a little romance, a little adventure and a little magic. This book is not for everyone and is a little daunting at 850ish pages but was worth powering through. Since it is such a big book there is a ton of information which can be a little overwhelming and I found the beginning a little slow. The history involved with the story was fascinating for me and I enjoyed getting lost in the Scottish Highlands.  Overall a great read and I will eventually get to the rest of the series. 

Black Dawn

Black Dawn,  Rachel Caine 
To Be Read Pile Challenge 
3 out of 5 Stars 

I'm Baaacckkkk! :-) ..... so I haven't posted in about 2 months but that doesn't mean I have not been reading! I finished this book and the next in the Morganville Vampires series and I am almost done with Outlander, which is a huge book! But here I will review Black Dawn. 

This is the 12th book in the Morganville Vampires series which is about a small town in Texas run by ruthless vampires in which Claire Danvers and her friends try to live peacefully. Here is the premise for this book from goodreads.com: With its eclectic mix of vampire and human citizens, Morganville, Texas, has always been a risky place to call home. But with the invasion of the vampire’s deadliest enemy, Morganville isn’t just in danger—it’s dying… Ever since the draug—mysterious creatures that prey on vampires—took over Morganville, the lives of student Claire Danvers and her friends have been thrown into turmoil. Most of the town’s residents have evacuated, but Claire, Shane, Eve and Michael have chosen to stay and fight.Using the city’s water system to spread, the draug have rapidly multiplied. Things in Morganville look grim, especially since vampire Amelie—the town founder—has been infected by the master draug’s bite. Now, if Claire and her friends don’t figure out how to cure Amelie and defeat the draug, it looks like Morganville will become little more than a ghost town…
So this book series is not for everyone but I started it long ago and I must finish! I love vampire books and I am not ashamed of that. I have read many series in that genre. The Morganville Vampire series has been one of my favorite series because the vampires are evil and not good. This book, however; was slow in many places and I feel that is because it's the 12th book in the series and Caine usually puts out 2 books a year. I was curious about the draug and  how everything was going to play out with Amelie but honestly it was by no means my favorite in the series. Alas,  I will keep reading until the Claire & Co. stories are done. 

Cinder

Cinder, Marissa Meyer

Eclectic Reader Challenge: Retelling of a fairy tale

Cinder, as you can imagine is a retelling of Cinderella, but with Cyborgs! I probably never would have picked this up on my own but a friend recommended it and it fit my challenge criteria. I am really glad I read it because I loved it and am already working on the sequel. This story has been told a thousand times and in a thousand different ways but this was a refreshing new take on a classic. Here is the goodreads.com blurb:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future

Like I said I really enjoyed this book, the story flowed nicely and I never felt like there was a lull. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how this played out and wondering how long it would take Cinder to piece together who she really is and then what she would do with that information. Meyer's story is brilliant and you should all read it! 

The Elite & The One

The Elite & The One

Alphabet Challenge 

I thought I'd do a quick review of these books since I finished up the series and I am going to use them for my Alphabet Challenge. The story is a continuation of The Selection process with America still competing for Maxon while trying to decide if she still loves Aspen. They also both get into deeper topics such as the Caste system and the trouble within it. America and Maxon form and alliance with the Northern rebels and believe it or not I started liking Celeste. Overall they were good books and quick reads. My only issue was that I thought it took way too long for America to make her final choice. Hope you all read them and enjoy! 

PS: Aren't these book covers just gorgeous!?!?!

The Selection

The Selection 
To Be Read Pile Challenge

Oh my this book,  I devoured it in less than 24 hours! I needed a book that was fun and easy like this one after the blah I felt for Interview with the Vampire. America Singer is a fun character and I found myself sucked into her world quickly. I was pulled into the love triangle and couldn't decide for a long time who I was rooting for. America is an easy to relate to character, a girl next door type, and seeing her struggle to become princess material is interesting, I could just imagine myself being the same way and making the same mistakes. The premise was a new take on what could be a tired genre, For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined. I would recommend this book to anyone who would listen and insist you pick it up ASAP!!! I am already half way through the second book in this series and it was not even on my to read list :-)

Interview with the Vampire

Interview with the Vampire 
Eclectic Reader: Published before you born
To Be Read Pile

Meh, that's about all I have to say for this book. I really didn't care for it at all. I know this opinion upsets throngs of people and I will most likely be burned at the stake as a heretic but alas here we are. I found the writing style had too much flourish for my taste. I imagine Rice was trying for the novel to read more like Dracula and I did not care for that one either. I am certain I am a product of my generation on this matter. Also, I found that I did not care for any of the characters I couldn't find a redeeming quality in any of them. Here the little blurb from goodreads.com : Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force—a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses. It is a novel only Anne Rice could write. Nothing more to say on this really, maybe watching the movie first ruined me, maybe I'm just weird but I am glad to be moving on to another book. 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Categories:
Originally written in a language not your own.
Set in a country starting with S 
To Be Read Pile 
4 out of 5 Stars

   This was the last book in my winter book challenge!! WHOOP WHOOP! I did pretty good for my first challenge, I finished 2 weeks ahead of schedule! It also fit into my other 2 challenges nicely so that rocks!  Now on to the book, it was originally written in Swedish and translated to English which is lucky for me because I don't know Swedish. I really enjoyed this book. The overall plot was really well done, although there were some dull moments including a whole page dedicated to a cheese sandwich. I had seen and enjoyed the movie, the one with Daniel Craig, so I was excited to start reading this. I knew there would be several differences as is custom with books and movies but I was surprised at just how much the movie had changed. To me the details they changed with the plot were pretty significant. Here is the blurb from goodreads.com 

   A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue.

.. It’s about the disappearance 40 years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden... and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder.... It’s about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired to get to the bottom of Harriet’s disappearance... and about Lisbeth Salander, a 24-year-old pierced and tattooed genius hacker possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age — and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness to go with it — who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialism, and an unexpected connection between themselves.

The mystery is very intriguing and even though I had seen the movie the book's ending plays out quite differently and I was pleasantly surprised. Overall a really good book, I will be reading the the rest of the series! 

Angels & Demons

Angels & Demons
Category: A genre you don't usually read
5 out of 5 Stars

 

 This was a really cool book! I read The Da Vinci Code several years ago and enjoyed it, not sure why I waited so long to read this one. I was fascinated with the lore of the Illuminati and the Church and couldn't wait to see how the story unfolded. Dan Brown's ability to weave fiction and fact together is remarkable. I was constantly looking things up to see what was actually true and what was myth.Here is the blurb from goodreads.com:
    World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization--- the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on the earth... the long-forgotten Illuminati lair. 
     I also really enjoy this movie and although there are some notable differences the grand scheme and most of the plot points are the same, and hey who doesn't love Tom Hanks. I can't wait to read the rest of Dan Brown's books!!! Hope you'll check this one out too! 

PS : Just one book left in my Winter Book Challenge!! WHOO HOOO!!!

I Got You, Babe

I Got You, Babe 

Category: Song Lyric in the title 

2 out of 5 Stars 

Ok, I know its been a long while since I posted but I started a new job, and took a break to binge watch some Netflix. Also I had a really hard time getting into this book. It wasn't terrible it was just slow. Here is the blurb from goodreads.com 

She picked the wrong man . . . 

On the run for a robbery she didn’t commit, Renee Esterhaus is stuck in the middle of Texas with a broken car and a sadistic bounty hunter hot on her trail. Desperate for a way out, Renee decides to make a promise she never intends to keep–offer the first man she meets a night of unforgettable pleasure in return for a ride. A night to remember, all right, since the handsome guy turns out to be a cop with a pair of handcuffs and zero tolerance for sweet-talking criminals.
. . . only to find Mr. Right.
John DeMarco was supposed to be on vacation, far away from the lowlifes he endured on a daily basis. Even with his guard down, he doesn’t expect to be duped–especially by a beautiful blonde con artist whose claims of innocence and tempting curves are nearly impossible to resist. Renee is not a woman he can trust . . . so why does he feel himself falling in love? 

     Sounds promising but it just took me a while to get into it. I think because there were too many details about things I thought didn't matter. The story finally got interesting in the middle and by the end I was wanting these two to end up together and hoping things would work out. I think if the author cut the book in half it would have been better but over all a cute little read, maybe good for the beach or something but not really my cup of tea. 

Progress Update

Winter Book Challenge Progress Update

 5 points: Freebie! - The Revenge of Seven,  Pittacus Lore  
10 points: an author who has published at least 10 books. - The Wedding- Nicholas Sparks 

10 points: Read a book of short stories. - Smoke and Mirrors , Neil Gaiman 
10 points: Read a book with a food in the title. -The Peach Keeper, Sarah Addison Allen  
15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you. - The Surgeon - Tess Gerritsen 
15 points: Read a book written by a local author. - Hourglass - Myra McEntire 
20 points: Read a "bookish book." - The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title. - Witches of East End, Melissa de la Cruz 
30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title. - The Dinner, Herman Koch & 

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman -  Sam Wasson

Total Points: 135

I am only 3 books away from finishing this challenge! Some of my favorites so far are: 

1. The Revenge of Seven - because I just love this series. 
2. Hourglass - just a cool premise and fun little read!
3. Witches of East End - I love this author and this world is so cool! 
4. The Peach Keeper - this book surprised me and I love it for that! 

The Peach Kepper

The Peach Keeper, Sarah Addison Allen
Category: Book with food in the title
4 out of 5 stars

This was a delightful little read! I thought this was going to be just a chick lit fru fru kind of book but I was definitely surprised when some elements of fantasy and magic started to show up! It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots. But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood—of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it. I loved all the characters and being witness to their growth throughout the book was wonderful. I also really enjoyed the way Allen laid out the story I was kept guessing on more than a few things! I gave this book 4 stars because I found some areas a little slow with too much detail on non important things but overall a great read! Would be good for the beach!!

The Surgeon

The Surgeon - Tess Gerritsen
Category: First book in a series new to you
4 out of 5 Stars

I picked this book because I love the TV show Rizzoli & Isles, and as is usually the case the book was very different. Never the less I enjoyed it and finished it in only a few days. Here is the premise from goodreads:  In Boston, there's a killer on the loose. A killer who targets lone women, who breaks into their apartments and performs terrifying ritualistic acts of torture on them before finishing them off. His surgical skills lead police to suspect he is a physician - a physician who, instead of saving lives, takes them. But as homicide detective Thomas Moore and his partner Jane Rizzoli begin their investigation, they make a startling discovery. Closely linked to these killings is Catherine Cordell, a beautiful medic with a mysterious past. Two years ago she was subjected to a horrifying rape and attempted murder but she shot her attacker dead. Now she is being targeted by the new killer who seems to know all about her past, her work, and where she lives. The man she believes she killed seems to be stalking her once again, and this time he knows exactly where to find her.  I tried to figure out who the killer was but I was really surprised when they were finally revealed. I found this book an enjoyable, quick and easy read. A few notable differences from the TV show for all who are interested. 

1. Maura Isles is not in this book at all (she does not show up until the second book)
2. The story is mainly told from Thomas Moore's point of view with Jane and Catherine's thrown in a little. 
3. Jane is not quite as cool in the book as Angie Harmon makes her on the show. 

Hourglass

Hourglass - Myra McEntire
Category: Local Author (Myra McEntire lives in Nashville, TN)
4 out of 5 Stars

   I really enjoyed this book!!  It was a little slow in some places but I find that usually the first book in a series is because of all the information and background the author must give. The primise to this book drew me in: For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past. I couldn't wait to find out why Emerson was seeing the visions and how it related to the Hourglass. Also there were some twists and turns I did not see coming! I love Emerson and Michael together, and I can't wait to get to the next book unfortunately its at the bottom of my to read pile.