Welcome

This is a place for my opinions on what I read, some movies or whatever else I find interesting. I love reading. I can find something positive about everything I read, at least I hope I can. I understand it takes a great deal of love and effort to write a book and to get it published. An author does not set out to write a crappy book, this is/was their baby. They got up at all hours of the night to feed it.

I don't see how you can give a true review of a book rushing through it. Don't you need to savor it a bit? I don't want my opinion to discourage anyone from reading. I hope you find something here you find interesting.

I buy most of my books, I get a few ARC, and I visit my library when my funds are low. I'm not trying to get you to buy anything by my opinions on the books I've read. I don't care if you buy it, borrow it, or check it out at the library. Just read. :)


Sunday, February 27, 2011

Silverweed


AUTHOR: Dorlana Vann
EDITION: Kindle eBook
WEBSITE: http://www.dorlanavann.com/ http://www.supernaturalfairytales.net/
TWITTER: @SNFairyTales
ACQUIRED: review copy
GENRE: YA

SUMMARY:
Once upon a time Granny was attacked by a werewolf. Eighteen years later her grandson, Aiden Young, arrives in Indiana for his aunt’s funeral, and his unfortunate discovery of the family secret leads to a fatal mistake. Before the weekend is over, he’s trapped by a blizzard along with his superstitious cousin, Diesel, and Scarlet, Diesel’s manipulative girlfriend. In his grandmother’s spooky, old house in the middle of the woods, the teen faces life and death decisions: who can be trusted, and who needs to be saved? However, he must first figure out what the true monster is… werewolf or fear. Because in this Little Red Riding Hood-inspired supernatural fairy tale, the roles of prey and predator become interchangeable.

OPINION:
Diesel, his girlfriend Scarlet, and his cousin Aiden are snowed in, trapped with a weregranny upstairs.
Great spin on Little Red Riding Hood. Would be completely terrifying having the big bad wolf trying to kill you from the inside out. The wolf is the beast trapped inside you once you have been bitten and the only hope you, and the people that surround you, of surviving is to try not to lose your mind to the beast. Silverweed is the only solution that has been found to help granny not lose herself completely. But what if granny didn't get her silverweed?
I loved all the characters. Scarlett was so annoying though, I just wanted her to hurry up and get killed off, but she did grow on me. She was selfish and controlling at first, but that just seemed to be because she had no control over her own life. Aiden was my absolute favorite and I hope he gets a full length book of his own one day.
I had no idea what was going to happen to who next. Great spins. Great characters.
It's a short, fast read. Too short, if you ask me. I wanted more. Loved it.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Crescendo


AUTHOR: Becca Fitzpatrick
EDITION: Kindle Edition (Hush,Hush #2)
WEBSITE: http://beccafitzpatrick.com/
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/becfitzpatrick
ACQUIRED: Purchased





SUMMARY:
Now that Patch is Nora's guardian angel you'd think the two of them would have less turmoil in their life. You'd be wrong.
The book centers on Nora trying to find her father's killer. Patch and Nora seem to be becoming more distant as Nora gets closer to the truth. The visions, a new friend, Scott, and a mysterious package lead Nora searching for the "Black Hand," whom she hopes will have all the answers she is searching for.
With the help of her best friend, Vee, Nora does some detective work and gets herself in enough trouble only Patch would be capable of getting her out of. The problem is, Patch becomes someone she can no longer reach out to.
The twists and turns leave Nora not even knowing who she is anymore and questioning just who can she trust?

OPINION:
Wow. I wasn't expecting this. I hated Patch well over half of this book. I was like, "Becca what have you done to my Patch?" Oh he was just such a jerk I couldn't stand it. Doing things I just couldn't understand. And I just wanted to yell at Nora half the time, "What are you doing?" I love these two characters and I couldn't believe they were constantly being torn apart by their own doing.
I love Vee, so glad she had such a huge part.
This book had me full of emotions. "NOOO. Aww that's sweet. What? Oh no he didn't. Oh no she didn't." A complete roller coaster.
For those of you who were hoping you'd finally learn Patch's real name, well you'll be happy to know it does get revealed. I'm not going to tell you what it is, though.(hehe now what would be the fun in me just telling you) I read the kindle edition and his name was revealed when I was 99% done. I was thinking I had overlooked it, or someone lied to me and Becca didn't tell us, but you'll get to know. Just be patient little ones.
Great read. Be prepared for a huge cliffhanger. Do we really have to wait until fall of 2011 for the next book? Nooooo. Now what was I saying about being patient?
Loved it.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

13 To Life


AUTHOR: Shannon Delany
PAGES: Kindle Edition
TWITTER: @Shannon_Delany
WEBSITE: http://13-to-life-a-werewolf-tale.blogspot.com/
ACQUIRED:Purchase
GENRE: YA

SUMMARY:
Everything about Jessie Gillmansen's life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she's about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent, he's a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie's small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can't avoid.

OPINION:
A great YA book about werewolves. Very likable characters. The whole story was really a build up to the next book. You don't even get to really read anything about the werewolves until the very end. I still thought it was a great read. The chemistry between Pietr and Jessie was great. They struggle to try to stay apart through most of the book, which is almost impossible. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I'm sure their will be more of the werewolves throughout the book, since we really got to understand what is going on at the end of this book. I also look forward to Jessie and Pietr developing a more intense relationship. I don't think they will be able to fight their feelings for one another in the next one.
I thought the book gave way to great promise of a fantastic series.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Need


AUTOR: Carrie Jones
PAGES: 306
GENRE: YA
WEBSITE: http://www.carriejonesbooks.com/
ACQUIRED: Purchased

SUMMARY:(from book jacket)
Zara White suspects a freaky guy is semi-stalking her. She memorizes phobias and chants them when she's nervous. And, okay, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But moving to a shivery Maine town to stay with her grandmother is supposed to be the perfect fix-so her mom says.
Except, this new plan of getting away to help Zara stay sane? Yeah, not working. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's imagination. He's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right-not human-in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs are pointing to Zara.

OPINION:
I just really didn't get into this book. I tried, but the writing was just too simple. There was no rhythm to it. I did love the fact it had werewolves and pixies in it-love that combination.
So, we've got this crazy pixie king with his "need" stalking poor Zara and her mother. Zara is shipped off to a remote town that is full of shifters. But even with the protection of her new friends the pixie king will not stop until he gets what he wants, and that is Zara.
Zara not only discovers no one is exactly what they seem, but maybe she isn't either.
I don't understand Zara's mothers action at all, past and present, when it comes to this pixie king and his great need. I thought Nick was a great character and loved Zara's small circle of friends.
The book cover is beautiful. Captivate is book two in this series and I think I will read it eventually, but I'll probably get it at my library.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Linger




AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater
PAGES: 360
WEBSITE: www.maggiestiefvater.com/
TWITTER: @mstiefvater
ACQUIRED: Purchase
SUMMARY:

"This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one."

Sam is having a hard time not shivering every time the wind blows in the anticipation that he will shift into a wolf again. He is a boy, a real boy, with a future ahead of him. He slowly starts to accept the cure may have actually stuck and learns to try to look past tomorrow and into a real future with Grace.

While Grace's parents have always been absent to a degree, they suddenly have an opinion on every aspect of her life. The main one being their opinion of Sam. Sam is becoming less and less welcomed in Grace's parents house. They feel her life is basically revolving around him.

Sam can't run from the wolf he was. He has to start taking responsibility for the pack, because he is the only one who can. He will always be tied to them, and with Beck gone, it's Sam role to play as guardian now.

Grace and Sam finally start planning a future, but within one night everything changes. It becomes a constant struggle just to be together. Everything seems to be trying to tear them apart. Whether it be her parents refusing to let her ever see Sam again, or the thing that is inside of Grace trying to claw its way out.

"Because you know that's not how you want it to end. You know I'd love to have you with me, and it will be that way, one day. But this isn't the way it ought to happen."

OPINION:
The book of the summer. Excellent, touching, sad and so romantic. Maggie's writing is so beautiful, lyrical and poetic.

The story is told in four POV's this time. Besides Sam and Grace, we get to hear the story from Isabel and Cole.

Cole is one of the new wolves. I found him intriguing. He is complex and I just wanted to know more and more about him. I hope he has a big role in book 3.

I didn't really care for Isabel. I started to like her, but that didn't last very long. I know deep down she's good and all, but I don't like the way she talks to Sam. I did like her with Cole, though.

I finally got to learn Sam's middle name. That has been driving me crazy. It's on page 131.

The whole book was a superb read. I just loved it. I found it hard not to just sit down and devour it, but I made myself slow down and just enjoy it. We have to wait a whole year to get book 3 anyway.

If you haven't read Shiver I think Linger still could be picked right up because the love between Grace and Sam just flows off the pages. But read Shiver if you haven't. Now go read it, listen to it on audio book, request it from your library!!! I think I might have to get the audio book also because Maggie said the person who narrates for Cole sounds like "sex- on- a- stick" and I think I'd like to know what that sounds like.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES FROM LINGER:

"It was something that made the I love yous real." page 96

"To Grace, these were the things that mattered: my hand on her cheeks, my lips on
her mouth. The fleeting touches that meant I loved her." page 98

"Without turning on the light, I went to my bed and lay down, my arm thrown across the mattress, my hand aching because Grace wasn't underneath it." page 165

"I couldn't imagine anyone ever reading a book enough to make it look like that. It looked like it had been driven over by a school bus after someone had taken a bath with it." page 192-193

"Not dead-dying. Funny how two things could be so similar and yet so far apart." page 215

"There was something awful about terror trapped behind silence." page 216

"....she made her home in between the pages of books." page 338

Sleeping Beauty Fairies

SHIVER

hush, hush

FAIRY AT WORK

FAIRY AT WORK

TIPS

Book Odor Removal:

I bought a book at a library book sale, it had a strange odor. Someone gave me this suggestion to remove the smell, and it worked, so I thought I'd share.
Put the book in a ziploc bag along with 1/3 cup(more or less) of Arm & Hammer baking soda and seal shut. Leave the book alone for 2 or 3 days. It worked for me, hope it helps you too.

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