Monday, January 31, 2011

#8. Awakened by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

Awe! That's more like it! In true form I read a book today. That's right....an ENTIRE book. I've been looking forward to the newest book in the House of Night series and it did NOT disappoint me. I love these stories. Yes, it's yet another vampire saga. No, it's not like any other I've read before. I like how young and fresh and honest these books are. It might be cheesy to have modern romance authors, popular tv shows like Glee and movie blockbusters like Avatar referred to in a book but it's part of the charm of this series. The characters are easy to relate to because they're dealing with familiar things. I, also, love that I might predict one thing that might happen in the book but I'm blind sided by two. The mother/daughter writing team of these books are great. Awakened is book 8 in this series and I've enjoyed each and every one of them. I have trouble waiting to see what our hero, Zoey Redbird, is going to have to deal with next. I have to wait all the way until November for the next part of this series. I hate waiting! It's always worth it though. :)

Sunday, January 30, 2011

#7. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Oh wow! It took me a couple of weeks to read this book but WHAT A BOOK! I laughed, I cried, I bragged, I ignored...It was a truly a roller coaster ride of a story. I had never watched any of the movie (and I still have no intention to) and this was my first time to read the story. I was blissfully ignorant about much of the story. I knew of Scarlett, of course, and Rhett, and I had heard that the plantation's name was Tara. I had no idea all of the tremendous twists and turns and misery and triumph that would happen in this book. I hate Scarlett. I love Rhett. I'm livid at the ending....yet it's so perfect!
Ultimately I don't believe I will ever read this again but I am so very happy that I did. What an excellent book and story teller!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

#6 The Fledgling Handbook 101 by PC Cast

In the same popular method of selling MORE books in a series such as "Beetle the Bard" a Harry Potter textbook and "The Ultimate Guide" a Percy Jackson supplement, PC Cast has given us this book.
I love The House of Night series. I think Cast is great at continuing and evolving a story with plenty of twists that constantly surprise me. I shouldn't have bothered with this book, though. I'm not really fond of the idea of "between the books" books but I've been trying to wait patiently for the next book in the HON series and it's difficult to do so! This book is told in textbook format. It is the published proof, of a book referred to in the series, to help the newly marked (changed) vampires to understand what is happening to them. Basically, it's everything you've already put together from reading the series or didn't need to know at all. Thankfully it was only 156 pages, much of which were pictures and drawings. I'm not sure I would have read more than that.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

#5 Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

...aka...an ORAL BIOGRAPHY of BUSTER CASEY
This book took me waaaay too long to read. Under normal circumstances I would have had all 319 pages done in 2 days. 3 tops.
I did like this book. I LOVE this author. It is, however, one of my least favorite of his novels.
The story is about a man called Rant Casey who becomes THE "superspreader" of a strain of rabies that threatens humanity. Patient #1. It doesn't sound funny but in true "Chuck" form...it is. The most mundane sentences had me laughing aloud and reading to my husband. He didn't get it, of course, but he puts up with me. :)
Sometimes there is no easy way to describe a "Chuck" story so I don't even want to attempt. Even the cover flap doesn't really describe what the story is about. It's easy to say that it's dramatic, it's frightening, it's disgusting and disturbing, it's funny and it's twisted. It's "Chuck".

Friday, January 7, 2011

#4 Real Vampires hate their thighs; by Gerry Bartlett

Adorable. Fairly generic. Amusing. My husband actually found this book while perusing the book shelves at the library. He saw the word "vampires" in the title and called me over to look. ;)
It's at least the 3rd in a series but was easy to pick it up as it was. Fun story about a world where Vampires DO exist, still privately however. Gloriana, or Glory, is a 400 year old vampire who is in a nice little triangle between her ancient sire and her new turned rock star protege. It's a fun contemporary romance with the vampire twist plus some. Glory was a healthy, attractive weight when she was turned into a vampire but over the centuries the preferred image has changed...as we all know. Now her soft belly and round hips (don't forget the big butt) are no longer considered sexy. The men in her life LOVE her as she is but she just wants to fit into the societal standard. Which is difficult considering vampires can't change. You know there's more.
I enjoyed it....but, again, I'm sure I won't reread it.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

#3 Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters; by Natalie Standiford

This was a cute book. I found it on top of the shelves in the "young readers" section as I was passing through to the fiction.
The story is told in 3 major parts (1 each for the sisters). The girls EXTREMELY wealthy grandma has threatened to disinherit the entire family if she does not get an apology she feels she deserves. The 3 girls (of 6 grandkids) are the obvious choice for who would need to apologize; so each girl goes about her own way to apologize and explain her actions...for whatever they feel their big crime may have been.
The book is good. I got a bit emotional (as I do) but nothing was truly involving. No regrets reading it but I'm pretty sure it won't go back into rotation.

Monday, January 3, 2011

#2 Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I LOVED this book! Honestly, I purchased the book a few months ago after hearing that Robert Pattinson was going to be starring in the movie. I'm, since, over my obsession with R. but was still interested in the story.
The novel is about a young man in the Depression Era America. He's a veterinarian student at an Ivy league school and upon learning that his parents have just been killed in a car accident he leaves school without taking his final exams. He's alone, educated yet without his degree and penniless in a wrecked country. Naturally, He joins the circus. The author, as described in my copy of this book, accidentally fell upon some real stories and anecdotes about circus life and it prompted this novel. Many of the plot lines and characters are taken directly from real stories she heard or read.
I love how the author jumps back and forth between today, as experienced by the 90 something year old storyteller, and his memories with a traveling circus. There are so many twists and turns to this story that they even start from the prologue and go right until the very last page. I.LOVE.IT!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

#1 The Penalty Box by Deirdre Martin

I'm a little embarrassed. Considering how much I read I thought maybe the 1st book of this new year and therefore the 1st book of this blog would be something a bit...more. Instead, I read a contemporary romance. Don't get me wrong. I liked the book. It's the 5th in a series (and the 4th I've read) but it's no Jane Austen. It's not even Stephenie Meyer.
The series revolves around a fictional NHL team. It's amusing. The romance is touching, the sex is blatant without being "throbbing" and the drama is only mildly emotional. I really don't think I'll get teary in any of these books. It's entertaining. The writer has enough talent to make each of her books unique and fun. THAT I like. I'm sure there will be more from this author, and this series, on my blog list.