Tag: Books I like

Fairytale Smairytale: Swoon-Worthy Reads

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SOMEONE ELSE’S FAIRYTALE by E.M. Tippetts was a surprise of a story. I thought I’d be getting something fluffy by judging the cover, but looks were mildly deceiving on this one. This book has depth in a far-fetched plot, and I like that kind of combination.

Someone Else's Fairytale
I’m seeing a trend in the books I pick by cover lately. There’s lots of teal and fun graphics that hint of adventure. I don’t know what this says about my life, but–let’s be honest–I don’t really care. Just gimme all the books! 
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Five sizzling lightning bolts!
 
Are you reading something worth sharing? I’d love to put a few of your tried-and-true stories on my TBR! 😍

Gaming Love: Swoon-Worthy Reads

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The Hating Game by Sally Thorne has ALL my attention this week.
The Hating Game
When I first chose this book, I loved the title and cartoonish characters in gorgeous colors. (I WISH I could wear yellow.)
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And then… I can remember it like it was yesterday… then I read the teaser and my head exploded.
Then I read the book and my heart exploded.
I’ve now read this book 4 times in the last year and a half.
I adore Lucy and Josh sooo sooo much. Thorne’s prose is poignant and funny and you experience the emotional revelations along with Lucy (narrator). It’s so. well. done.
It’s just been released that this story will be a movie in the (hopefully) near future. I immediately had to pick up the book again. Yup. It’s still such a satisfying read.
All the sizzling lightning bolts for Lucy, Josh, and games they play!
Are you reading something worth sharing? I’d love to put a few of your tried-and-true stories on my TBR! 😍

The Vespas Have it: Swoon-Worthy Read

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Confession: Roman Holiday is one of my all-time favorite movies. I adore everything about it right down to ending even though it makes me weepy. If you seen it… YOU KNOW. If you haven’t, get working on that. Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, and Eddie Albert will charm you in ways you didn’t know existed.

Roman Holiday

Anyway, when I saw the Vespa on the cover of ALEX, APPROXIMATELY by Jenn Bennett, I had to read it. It was a compulsion. I thought, “This may potentially give you similar feels as your Fav, Mea.”

Alex Approximately

It started with the Vespa, sure, but then the whole mistaken identity, movie references, vintage style, and witty Katharine Hepburn/Cary Grant back-and-forth kept me engrossed the rest of the way. Who says contemporary YA can’t be classic? No one writing this post. That’s who’s…not…saying it…

(I. Writer. Good. Words.)

This book made me lol, so it gets all the sizzling lightning bolts. ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡

Are you reading something worth sharing? I’d love to put a few of your tried-and-true stories on my TBR! 

Wild Hair and Water Horses: Swoon-Worthy Reads

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Cover Crush

Confession: In real life, I’ve always wanted to be more carefree than I actually am. This urge stirred when I saw the cover for Tarryn Fisher’s ATHEISTS WHO KNEEL AND PRAY. (This book is not about atheism.) I immediately wanted to be the girl on the cover. She’s so wild and beautiful and free-looking, and she might just be in the middle of a ritualistic dance. Just put a bonfire in the background…You see it?

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I want in on it all. Come to find out, the book is about a must. And let’s just be honest, if we haven’t already been someone’s muse, don’t we want to? For me, that’s a big YES. 

True Love

I accidentally started reading SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater  last week. There was this giveaway (I didn’t win.), see, and it included a quote that you liked from the book, so I started looking for my favorite one, and here I am 3/4 the way through the story again. This book captures me. It gets all the sizzling lightning bolts. ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡

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Are you reading something worth sharing? I’d love to put a few of your tried-and-true stories on my TBR! 😍

Mustache and Mayhem: Swoon-Worthy Reads

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I ‘d never heard of PENNY REID until this book came into view. If you know me, you know how much I adore all things vintage. This cover caught my eye in all its cross-stitched, past-honoring glory. It even made up for the strange title, which eventually I understood because I read the book. The story was as glorious as the cover. Since then, I’ve read quite a few of Penny Reid’s books, but this one has a special place in my heart cockles. So, not only is this my cover crush today but also a book rec! 

Beauty and the Mustache

 

I ‘m reading CHASING FIRE by AVERY KINGSTON. (You may recall the lovely sunburst and pensive stare cover.) It’s Avery’s debut and there are many kudos to be given. First, the cover/inner matter is gorgeous. Second, the writing and structure is super well done. She mixed up the structure a little and that small tidbit gave the story urgency pre and post EVENT. *No spoilers* Third, she covers some hard topics, y’all. And she does it based upon her characters needs and motivations so far as I’ve read. I’m on page 198 out of 355 and I had to take a break. I will continue, but it’s intense and I needed a breather.

I do need to send out a disclaimer: If you don’t like to read books with detailed sex scenes, this book is not for you. Sex is a coping mechanism for these characters and long scenes are dedicated to it. I wasn’t aware when I began, and it’s to the point now where I just flip past them, but if that’s not your jam or something you can overlook, you won’t be happy with this book.

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I’ll hold off on my adorable grading scale of lighting bolts and rain clouds  until I’m done reading, so it gets a fair shake.

Are you reading something worth sharing? I’d love to put a few of your tried-and-true stories on my TBR! 

Breaking the Mold and Eating it: Swoon-Worthy Reads

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Some years ago, I saw this blue-toned gem and had to have it. Never had I seen a book with such a lovely cover, so SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi changed the landscape of YA covers from dainty girls in ball gowns to a dressed up eye. (All of her novels’ covers in this series are just as gorgeous, btw.)

Shatter me
Not only was Mafi’s cover gorgeous, her prose felt fresh and real even in the post apocalyptic setting. Her first-person portrayal of Juliette coming into her own with censored sentences scratched out of paragraphs and replaced with more “appropriate” statements was something I’d never seen before. The novelty was well done, and combined with good story and gorgeous prose, I can’t be anything but a fan!

I read THE OPPOSITE OF YOU by Rachel Higginson. (You may recall the lovely beard on the cover.) Here. I will remind you.

The Opposite of You

The story was good. The meals described in the book sounded DIVINE. The backstory was revealed at just the right time. It ended conveniently (as a lot of romances do, I’m finding), but here was the BIG thing for me.

There was so much repetition in it.

It was like there was a list of, like, 4 key things the author wanted to make sure the reader knew, and then I (the reader) was pummeled by those things. It got to the point where it felt like filler.

I’m going to start rating scale, I think. (This is seriously off the cuff)
Story ⚡
Character depth⚡
Dialogue ⚡
Freshness ⚡
Writing ☁️

Overall, four sizzling lightning bolts and one rainy-type cloud! So, if you’re looking for a feisty story with culinary appeal, here’s a rec for you!

Are you reading something worth sharing? I’d love to put a few of your tried-and-true stories on my TBR! 😍

Why I Liked THE REST OF US JUST LIVE HERE.

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Hello! It’s been awhile since I’ve done a book review. I have a few to do, but if you don’t mind, I’m going to start with THE REST OF US JUST LIVE HERE by Patrick Ness. **Spoiler free.**

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This book captured my granite heart for a few reasons:

  1. Structure: There are two stories going on here. One story is told in the actual book and the other is told IN THE CHAPTER TITLES. At first I was confused until I got to chapter two which was the same moment that I realized that Patrick Ness was a genius.
  2. Characters: The story revolves around four friends and is told from the perspective of Mikey. He’s the younger brother of Mel (another of the friends). His best friend Jared and his crush Henna are also in the group. Each of them has his or her own worries outside of saving the world, and the friends can deal with them because they are not the Chosen Ones. Mickey battles OCD, Mel struggles with an eating disorder, Henna grieves the loss of her brother, and Jared works through identity issues. We get to watch the inner trauma of Mickey’s situation, including a therapist meeting that had me wanting to cry on someone’s shoulder. The other characters reactions to their circumstances are subtly yet clearly shown to us as the story progresses. You grow to love each character and see how this group of friends, with all the vices and what some would call “faults”, work together and love each other as friends turned family members. (Especially since some of the families they were born into suuuuuck.)
  3. Prose: The story is just told well. The prose is engaging with just the right amount of “pretty”, and you feel Mickey’s struggle and relief within the arrangement of words. Wonderful.
  4. Ending: I really liked how the chapter titles story and the actual story pulled together in the end. It had a hopeful feel to it and hinted that the characters were all going to continue to grow and turn into even cooler adults. And dang it if I don’t like a happy ending. (I do. Happy Endings are my Thang.)
  5. Movie?: Yes! I think this would make a really neat anti-Chosen One movie. There are neat visuals that could be done, and it’s a fresh take I personally have never seen on film. Ya here me, Hollywood?! Make it so!

Until next time!

Sig

Things I Loved about Blood Magic

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1)The magic itself—Tessa Gratton’s magic was dirty, chaotic.  It demanded sacrifice and pain.  There was nothing “pretty” about it.  If the character(s) wanted to have something out-of-this-natural-world done, it wasn’t going to be accomplished with a magic wand and sparkles.  It was done with blood and herbs and, occasionally, death.  This created a stark line between the magical world and the mundane world.  Its darkness made the reader see that magic in this world as abnormal and scary and all-consuming if the characters let it be.   Super metaphorical.  I reveled in it.

2)Characterization—I loved the tragic backstories of these characters.  I loved the macho/nerdiness of Reese.  (I might be biased because I married someone macho/nerdy.)  I loved Silla’s strength and willingness to do whatever it took, no matter how it would affect her personally.  I loved Nick’s perseverance and care.  I loved the way Gratton handled Lilith.  The characters were people who the reader might have met already—with a Magical Crazy going after them.

3)The Story—The actual read was pleasant.  The story had a unique plot.  It never dragged or felt tiresome.  The conflict was dire, and the resolution was fitting and creative.  I enjoyed it.  I didn’t devour it, but I like that I wanted to take my time to understand and wade in the pretty language the author used. When I did put it down, though, it crept into my thoughts, and that constitutes a good book to me.

4)The Journal—The use of the journal entries as part of the story drew me in completely.  Should I have moral issues for saying I really enjoyed a villainous character?  Well, I did.  Enjoy the character, that is.  I’ll worry about what that says about me later.

Surprised. Inspired.

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Long ago, I purchased a book on Kindle that was on sale for 99 cents.  I have to admit, I was skeptical.  Very, skeptical.  I mean, how can you suspend reality to the point where you can imagine a world without love? But since I am such a sucker for a sale, I bought it anyway.  And then it sat there on my Kindle for months.  My writing has been at a standstill lately as I have had some medical issues with Baby, so all I can do really is think.  Moving is too strenuous.  I finished Mockingjay, which was my favorite of the three Hunger Games Trilogy books, and I really was digging the dystopian genre.  monetarily poor and in need of something to read, I pulled out my Kindle and pressed GO on Delirium.  When I was through with it, I pressed GO on the sample for Pandemonium, and when I was through with that, I went in search for the third book, which I found out is not coming out until March 2013.  I pouted to Husband.  I’m glad I didn’t know before hand, though.  I probably wouldn’t have read it until the third book was accessible, because that’s how I roll, and I would have missed out on these two books at a time when I really needed a pick-me-up.  Here are a few reasons why I like these books and the literary prowess of Lauren Oliver:

1)  The writing is gorgeous.  There were times when I would get to an analogy about something as simple as entering a room and would be blown away be the originality and exactness of the description.  I literally would just put down the Kindle and wallow in the analogy for a while before continuing on.

2)  Though the idea of a loveless world was far-fetched to me, I realized as I read that it was not necessarily the removal of love, but of strong emotions, such as passion, that’s removed.  (Though, I will say that some of the characters exhibit rage and large amounts of joy in persecuting others which, to me, are strong emotions, so maybe I have some more thinking to do on this analysis.)  In spite of this, the world engaged me.  Suspending my belief was not as big of an issue as I originally thought because…

3)  The characters were so believable.  Each action and reaction were character driven rather than plot driven.  You BELIEVED the change in the main character.  The situations may be super different from ones we as readers can relate to, but the reactions were true to human kind and, more specifically, to the personalities of the characters.  So much so, when you get to the end, though you are crying your eyes out (You are not human if you don’t cry at the end of the first book.  Or, maybe, you are not pregnant. Hmm.), you think, “Of course, he did that.  I know why I’m sad, but why am I surprised?”

4)  The relationship is believable.  Lena and Alex’s relationship (Delirium) and Lena and Julian’s relationship (Pandemonium) are born out of circumstance and time, rather than the unexplainable “lust at first sight within a millisecond of spying relationship counterpart” scenario. Pet peeve.  This works rarely, in my opinion.  I get initial attraction, believe me.  I noticed Husband’s sexy, mountain-man appearance before I loved his rapier wit, perseverance, and steadfastness.  It’s when an author doesn’t show that the character is worthy of the other’s unconditional love and dedication after the “Wow, he’s cute!” moment that I feel I’ve wasted my time.  Thanks for the time well spent, Ms. Oliver.

5)  In Delirium, the reader makes lots of black and white decisions.  Removing the disease is right or wrong.  The Invalids are good or bad.  The government is righteous or corrupt.  I love that Oliver solidifies these things in book 1, and then in book 2, tears these “facts” apart, revealing where black and white mix together to producing.  And isn’t that life?  Once we say, “Taco Bell has the best Mexican pizza!”,  we end up on the toilet with food poisoning, wondering if eating it was the right thing to do.  Life has a way of making you constantly guess if you have made the right choice, formed the right opinion.  It makes you continuously reevaluate yourself.  It makes you become better and better, even though it hurts.  I bet that if a diamond could talk, it would tell us how painful it was for someone to scrape away the rough, but it sure does like being so shiny.

I look forward to seeing how Oliver will resolve the issue at the end of book 2 and how Lena’s character is developed by the end of the trilogy.