The Dark Divine (The Dark Divine #1) by Bree Despain

Description:

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood—but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry, glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boys' dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul (from Goodreads). 

My Thoughts:

Another book from the library, lucky for me they had the second book in this series as well. I finished reading this book and it was alright read. There was nothing original to this book, it like so many other YA book; boy loves girl, girl loves a boy but a boy is werewolf or vampire, etc. 

This book places a lot of emphasis on religion, so it goes on a lot about grace, divine, God, good, bad, and fogginess. Actually one of its main topic is forgiveness and how we have to forgive everything. Which I find ridiculous, some things can be forgiven and forgotten, but there are things that can not be forgiven (and Jude is perfect example). To tell you the truth I was getting bored with this part of the book, forgive this forgive that, God this and that. Grace’s family is very religious, and very much goody two shoes, they are very involved in community and help ones in need. But for some reason they take it to another level. I mean I am involved in my community, I volunteer and collect money for different charities, but I do not do it because it’s what God wants. I do it because I want to.

Daniel was an interesting character, well he started out interestingly but by the end of the book he was just boring. I feel that book jumps from the beginning to the end, with no middle ground. First we have mystery about why Daniel left in the first place and why her family never talks about him. This goes on for more than half of the book, but then all of sudden it jumps to the end where Grace know everything and she is trying to save him, get this because she is “grace”. Relationship between Daniel and Grace had no middle ground, we pretty much jump from them getting reacquainted to declaring undying love for each other.

Plot line was sound and alright, but there were some contradictions. First we find out what Daniel did to Jude (Grace’s brother) and at this point Grace stops talking to him. I really did not understand why. Anyways, later on in the book, towards the end, Grace says something like “I did not know you bit my brother.” Which I found to be contradictory to what happened previously when she found what Daniel did to Jude. There are several other contradiction in the book, but I do not want to list every single one.

Overall this was alright read, there was nothing new or amazing about; there was nothing that made it stand out from sea of other YA books with similar plot lines. There were lot of positive things in this book but they were undermined by the things that I did not like. I wish that religion didn’t play that big of a part in this book, or that Grace was not so whinny, but rather take charge of the situation kind of character. I found that Grace spend most of the book asking questions, why, how, where, who, what and so on. Book cover is another thing that I did not understand and how it fit with the story. It really did not fit with the book, it was more for aesthetic reason. Also book cover for book two in the series is exactly the same just different colour. Am I missing something?

I give this book 3/5 STARS and happy reading

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

Description:

Someone's been stealing from the three meanest farmers around, and they know the identity of the thief-it's Fantastic Mr. Fox! Working alone they could never catch hi; but now fat Boggis, squat Bunce, and skinny Bean have joined forces, and they have Mr. Fox and his family surrounded. What they don't know is that they're not dealing with just any fox-Mr. Fox would rather die than surrender. Only the most fantastic plan can save him now (from Goodreads). 

My Thoughts:

What a fantastic little story; I am a big fan of Roald Dahl and I think that have read all of his works, well except for this one. So I could not resist reading this when I saw it at the library. I actually finished reading this book at the library, I did not even have to check it out.

The story about Mr. Fox and how he outwits three mean farmers. It is a simple story about survival and taking care of your family. This was very well written children’s story, very entertaining and I just fell in love with it. It is playful and witty; there were number lovable characters. Mr. Fox and his family were lovable and I was cheering for them, and other animals. The three farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean, were mean and hateful and I loved how the farmers were outwitted by Mr. Fox. I loved the ending for this book, it was ironically appropriate, don’t you think so?

Overall this was an entertaining read, and if you are fan of Roald Dahl than you will like this book if you have not already read it. I would recommend this book to all children literature lovers, you can read or you can read to your kids. I give this book 5/5 STARS; after reading this book I think I might have to reread some other works by R. Dahl.

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters

Description:

As she begins a very tough last semester of high school, Holland finds herself puzzled about her future and intrigued by a transfer student who wants to start a lesbigay club at school.

My Thoughts:

When I got this book I did not realise that it was about homosexual romance, about two young adults. I thought it was just another romance. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that this is about homosexual relationship; I read this book in one sitting and it was a good book.

At first I thought that this was going to be a meaningful book, but it turned out to be a romance book that touches on sensitive topic of homosexuality. Book deal with self realisation, coming out and dealing with being homosexual in a heterosexual society. This was not deep book that changed my life or anything like that but it did have entertainment value which was alright

Holland was an likeable character, but I did find her irritating and somewhat weak. She never stood up to her mother on being gay or college issue, but rather she just said nothing. No that is an excuse for her mother to be a bitch. I did not like Holland’s mother, she is homophobe who thinks that being gay is a phase that you can grow out of. She started to pick colleges that her daughter should go to. She was trying to live through Holland the life and opportunities she did not have because she got pregnant and was kicked out by her parents. It is ironic that she turned out to be just like her parents in the end I bet she never counted on that.

Relationship between Cece and Holland, was ok but it was too much romance and not enough dealing with the issue of being homosexual and hate that you face for being different. I find that Holland was almost obsessed about Cece and she completely dropped her best friend ( I think her name was Lisa, can’t remember now). I always find it strange that people care so much with whom other people sleep with. Who the hell am I or you to judge another person based on their sexual orientation. Who are we to say that being heterosexual is the right way. Homosexuality has always been around and it will always be around and more power to them. What makes me mad is not that someone does not accept homosexuality. What makes me mad are the hate crimes and disrespect; we all deserve to be respected and loved regardless of our sexual orientation or colour of our skin.

Overall this was great book, it was entertaining and on surface deals with some issues that young people face (well people at any age). I wish that this book was more unique, more serious, but it was not. It was like any other YA book it only skims the surface of some serious issue and rest is romance. I give this book 3/5 STARS.

Dreaming Anastasia (Dreaming Anastasia #1) by Joy Preble

Description:

What really happened to Anastasia Romanov?

Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.

In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college—until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams… (from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

This is another book that I got from my local library. The reason I picked up this book is because of the title, I love Russian history and one of my favourite time periods are the Romanov’s. I was always interested in Anastasia and her family. I also read a lot of non-fiction books, which I do not review, but this time I though it would be interesting to read some fiction about Romanov’s.

This book was not that good, first this it was written in first person and it just did not work in this case. I can not put my finger on it but it was just annoying, always reading I did this, I did that and so on. I am not sure why but majority of YA authors write in first person and from what I remember from my literature classes at he university that is a big no no. But than again this is not literature, not what we usually consider literature. I guess it is some form of literature in its own form.

Anne was a annoying character, at least in the first part of the book but in second part of the book she does get better. It was annoying that one minute she believes in what is happening to her, but than next minute she no longer believes. This kept going on throughout the first half of the book. The story about Anastasia and Baba Yaga was not well developed, for example if you are reader who is not familiar with Baba Yaga and who she is you will be lost. It would have been nice if the author told us the folk tale behind the Baba Yaga, but no author just assumes that the reader knows the story. The magic that Anne and Ethan posses was not explained how it works. There was no learning curve for Anne to learn how to use her powers. She just tries once and voila she knows how to use them.

Overall this was not that great of a read for me, it was just not working for me. Plot was poor, character development was non existent, characters were very one dimensional and folk tale of Baba Yaga was not explained. Also writing was not that great, some sentences were poorly constructed and several times I had to reread a passage to get the meaning. Also ending was very rushed and not that well constructed. Romance between Anne and Ethan also was unbelievable at the end, I think it would have been better if the book ended with them as friends and leave the romance for the next book in the series. This book had a lot of potential but it did not live up to it. I give this book 1/5 STARS.

Love in the Afternoon (The Hathaways #5) by Lisa Kleypas

Description:

As a lover of animals and nature, Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. Even though she participated in the London season in the past, the classic beauty and free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted...and she has resigned herself to the fate of never finding love. Has the time come for the most unconventional of the Hathaway sisters to settle for an ordinary man--just to avoid spinsterhood?

Captain Christopher Phelan is a handsome, daring soldier who plans to marry Beatrix's friend, the vivacious flirt Prudence Mercer, when he returns from fighting abroad. But, as he explains in his letters to Pru, life on the battlefield has darkened his soul--and it's becoming clear that Christopher won't come back as the same man. When Beatrix learns of Pru's disappointment, she decides to help by concocting Pru's letters to Christopher for her. Soon the correspondence between Beatrix and Christopher develops into something fulfilling and deep...and when Christopher comes home, he's determined to claim the woman he loves. What began as Beatrix's innocent deception has resulted in the agony of unfulfilled love--and a passion that can't be denied...

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by Lisa Kleypas and I have to say that I love this book. I usually do not read to many historical romance novels, hell I can count on my fingers how many historical romances I have read. For me to read a historical romance it has have specific thing. I hate historical novel where whole novel our heroin spend fighting or denying her feeling for the man. For some reason this happens in pretty much every novel and it’s not just for the first hundred pages but rather throughout the whole book. It just gets boring and old. 

Beatrix Hathaway is one interesting woman, I just loved her. So far I think she is one of my favourite characters, she interesting, smart, kind, eccentric, funny and independent. I liked that she does not conform to the society that she lives in in every way. I loved the letters exchanged between her and Captain Christopher Phelan, I wished that there were more letters to read. I liked the process of the relationship between them developed, it was so romantic. Beatrix understands Christopher, and she knows what he is going through after he came back from the war.

This book was very well written and there was a lot of character development; characters grow and change thought the book. Hathaways are very interesting family, they are eccentric and loving. They care for each other and would do anything for each other. Overall this was a very fun, entertaining and fast read; I will have to check out some other book by this author. I would recommend this book to all historical romance lovers. It us fluff, but it is good fluff. I give this book 5/5 STARS.

Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter #0.5) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Description:

Dear Reader,

Being trapped in a bedroom with a woman is a grand thing. Being trapped in hundreds of bedrooms over two thousand years isn't. And being cursed into a book as a love-slave for eternity can ruin even a Spartan warrior's day.

As a love-slave, I know everything about women. How to touch them, how to savor them, and most of all, how to pleasure them. But when I was summoned to fulfill Grace Alexander's sexual fantasies, I found the first woman in history who saw me as a man with a tormented past. She alone bothered to take me out of the bedroom and onto the world. She taught me to love again.

But I was not born to love. I was cursed to walk eternity alone. As a general, I had long ago accepted my sentence. Yet now I have found Grace--the one thing my wounded heart cannot survive without. Sure, love can heal all wounds, but can it break a two-thousand-year-old curse?

Julian of Macedon (from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

I had this book for a while but I never got around to reading it. For some reason I kept time never seemed right to read it. so the other night I just started reading it and I could not stop. Well I had to stop and go to sleep and then to work. It took me maybe five hours max to finish reading it but when I finished I had a smile on my face.

Fantasy Lover is a prequel to Dark Hunter Series and I’m so glad I read this book I just hope that rest of the books are this good and entertaining. Grace is main female protagonist who summons Julian of Macedon. Grace is a sex therapist which I found to be quite ironic. Here is a woman who is a sex herapist and she has not had sex in like four years or more. Grace shy’s away from intimacy and men because of bad experience in collage with Paul (who is a jerk by the way). Even though she says that she is over with what happened with Paul and about death of her parents, well she is really not. So when Julian comes into the picture they are perfect for each other, they are like two wounded souls needing each other (poetic right). I liked Julian, he was very intriguing character and I felt so bad for him. The things that he had to go through and happy for him that he finally found someone who could love him.

 

The story line was cute and cheesy, but that did not bother me. I wondered how they were going to brake he curse that was placed on Julian because it seemed unbreakable. Even thought the ending was somewhat rushed I did not mind it. The ending worked for this book, I really do not think that heavy ending would’ve worked for this book. I enjoyed the chemistry between Juliana and Grace, they were perfect for each other. There were a lot of steamy scenes between them that did not involve sex, but they were just as steamy.

Overall this was a very enjoyable and entertaining read. This is my fist book by Sherrilyn Kenyon and I just loved it. Now I’ll have to check out rest of the books in the series. One complaint that I have is the cover, that picture does not do justice to Julian and how he looks. I give this book 4/5 STARS.

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey

Description:

This is an intriguing YA urban fantasy in the tradition of Holly Black and Wicked Lovely. Set in New Zealand, Ellie's main concerns at her boarding school are hanging out with her best friend Kevin, her crush on the mysterious Mark, and her paper deadline. That is, until a mysterious older woman seems to set her sights on Kevin, who is Maori, and has more than just romantic plans for him. In an effort to save him, Ellie is thrown into the world of Maori lore, and eventually finds herself in an all-out war with mist dwelling Maori fairy people called the patupaiarehe who need human lives to gain immortality.

The strong, fresh voice of the narrator will pull readers in, along with all the deliciously scary details: the serial killer who removes victim's eyes; the mysterious crazy bum who forces a Bible on Ellie telling her she needs it; handsome, mysterious Mark who steals the Bible from her and then casts a forgetting charm on her. All of this culminates in a unique, incredible adventure steeped with mythology, Maori fairies, monsters, betrayal, and an epic battle (from Goodreads). 

My Thoughts:

I’ve seen this book around and it’s been on my to-be-read list for a while now. When I found out that my local library had this book I signed it out.

So what do I think of this book. When I first read the description it sounded very interesting, but as I was reading it I found it confusing. Book is set in New Zealand and there is a lot of mythology and faeries talk in this book. There were a lot of terms used that were not explained or were included in the glossary at the end of the book. This book utilises a lot of local mythology that I am not familiar with, even though I was not familiar with it there were some resemblance to ancient Greek mythology. It took me over hundred pages to get into this book, but even them my interest was not fully on the story. Aside from confusion, story was all over the place; it jumped from event to event, there was no smooth transition. Characters were also all over the place and very one dimensional. World build up was ok, but nothing to amazing. It actually lacked explanation of mythology and its workings. I found that the present day New Zealand and mythology were just jumbled together and confusing.

Ellie, I am not sure what to think of her, on one hand I liked her and on other I did not really care about her. I found her to be lacking confidence. She is smart and I am pretty sure that she is no ugly duckling, but to hear her describe herself you would think she beyond ugly. She compares herself to the prettiest girl in the school and envy’s her. She is conscious about her weight and always says things like no boy would ever be interested in me because I am not pretty as so and so. Ellie’s part in the story was not very clear to me, her power origins were not very well explained or how they worker, nothing in this book was explained very well. Ellie’s and Mark’s relationship was boring, there was no tension and really did not keep my interest.

Over all this was an ok read, nothing groundbreaking. Even though the idea for the story sounded very interesting and entertaining, this read was not. I found myself confused, bored and irritated at this book. I just kept reading it because I wanted to be done with it. I give this book 2/5 STARTS.

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Description:

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites--like fire and ice--Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move--only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine (from goodreads). 

My Thoughts:

I requested this book from NetGalley for review, so thanks for letting me review this book. When I first read the description of this book it sounded interesting, something I would like to read.

I have to say I am not sure if I like this book, I do not dislike or hate it, but rather I did not care much about it. For the first half of the book nothing happens, there are maybe two strange occurrences that happen to Skye and they are dismissed quickly and we are left with the love triangle. For a while there were was a third guy too. Second half of the book was better, things pick up and the story starts unravel. But still there is that wow factor missing from the story. Story is not original, there is nothing new that I have not read before. To tell you the truth I’m becoming somewhat bored with love triangles.

Skye was alright character, she smart, pretty, caring, indecisive, likes to run away from problems but she does face them eventually. I felt bad for her and the position she was placed in, it can not be easy to choose sides especially when neither side was perfect. Asher and Devin were interesting characters. You can tell from the beginning of the story which side Asher and Devin are on; there was quite a bit of rivalry between the two but nothing major. I wish that there was more to it, to make the book more interesting.

Book was well written but at times it was trying to be poetic. For example there was a scene in the book between Asher and Skye where they kiss “…he is kissing me and I am kissing him, we are kissing each other, in my little bedroom, in my little house, in my little town...” I get the feeling that author is almost trying to rhyme. I was not sure what to think of a sentence or statement like that, other than I found it ridiculously funny.

Overall this was alright read, it was a fast and entertaining read. There is nothing new in this book that I have not read in some other YA book, but still find myself wondering what will happen next. One think that I do not like is when first book in the series end with a major cliff hanger. It shouldn’t be allowed. For book two, or three, or four, yes have as many cliff hangers as you want but not book one. Anyways, I give this book 3/5 STARS.

The Sweetness of Salt by Cecilia Galante

Description:

Julia just graduated as her high school valedictorian, has a full ride to college in the fall and a coveted summer internship clerking for a federal judge. But when her older sister, Sophie, shows up at the graduation determined to reveal some long buried secrets, Julia's carefully constructed plans come to a halt. Instead of the summer she had painstakingly laid out, Julia follows Sophie back to Vermont, where Sophie is opening a bakery—and struggling with some secrets of her own. What follows is a summer of revelations—some heartwarming, some heartbreaking, and all slowly pointing Julia toward a new understanding of both herself and of the sister she never really knew.

My Thoughts:

Another book from my local library; I’ve never read anything by this author so did not know what to expect. When I read the description of this book it sounded interesting. Also for some reason I thought that magic played a role in this book. But as I kept reading I thought to myself when was magic going to happen. I think it took me half a book to realise that this was not about magic or anything like that. I being little bit slow, oh well. But even though there was no magic involved, this was an interesting and enjoyable read.

I liked this book, it was sweet, sad, funny, romantic, deals with family issues and drama. Julia is smart, pretty, and caring. She is not sure if she wants to be lawyer, like her father. She is not sure if that is her dream or what her parents want her to be. Book is mostly about Julia and her older sister Sophie. Their relationship is strained but they love each other. Julia’s relationship with her parents is also strained because her parents tell her a secret that they have been hiding all her life. Julia goes to see her sister and she discovers even more secrets about her sister and her parents. Even with all the secrets around, this was not very intense read; it was light and easy to read.

There was some romance as well, which was kind of sweet. I liked the fact that Julia’s whole life did not revolve around the guy she was in love with. Milo, Julia’s romantic interest seems like a nice guy and I would have liked to learn more about him. To see more of the two of them together, because you really do not see them interact in person much, all the romance is done over the phone.

Overall this was a likable read, it was fast and easy read. if you like book about family, sister relationships and parents relationship than you might like this book. I give this book 4/5 STARS.

Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

Description:

What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her: She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet!

Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who says he's her guard. That's weird. But things get seriously strange when a gargoyle talks to her. He tells her that there are two Princetons—the ordinary one and a magical one—and the Key opens the gate between them. But there are more secrets that surround Lily. Worse secrets.

When Lily enters the magical Princeton, she uncovers old betrayals and new dangers, and a chance at her dream becomes a fight for her life. Soon Lily is caught in a power struggle between two worlds, with her family at its center. In a place where Knights slay monsters, boys are were-tigers, and dragons might be out for blood, Lily will need all of her ingenuity and courage—and a little magic—to unite the worlds and unlock the secrets of her past and her future (from goodreads). 

My Thoughts:

I’ve had this book on my to-be-read list for a while, well since the day I discovered it on Goodreads. I just never got around to buying it, I think I checked my local book store to see if they had it. They didn’t and since then I forgot about it. So week or so ago I was at the library and I saw the book, I started to read it right there at the library.

This book was alright, there was nothing wow about it. It was decant read, I enjoyed it, but I found that there is that something missing. I really liked the story line and the setting, I liked the idea of two Princetons. I liked Lily, she was very well thought out character, she is smart, ambitious, sarcastic, mature and caring. I liked how she worried about her mother and her health. It can’t be easy being a teenager and taking care of your mother, when it should be the other way around. The fact that she is not resentful or angry about it is what makes her such a lovable character.

I liked the set up of the magical world, all the different magical creatures that you get to meet, very entertaining. Writing was good, concise and clean, nothing astounding. Characters are very one dimensional, no growth and development. They are the same at the end of the book as they were at the beginning. Which bit disappointing because you want to see them change, especially Lily. Book also lacks anticipation build up; there is some action but nothing to big. I found that Lily was your typical YA character, who is eager to go out and save the world or fight injustice. But rather Lily shies away from conflicts, she only goes into them because she has no other choice.

Overall this was an alright book, it had all the things lot of YA readers are looking for. It has romance, magical world, family, and bad guy. I give this book 3/5 STARS.

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Description:

This beautifully crafted, eloquent novel transforms what at first seems a depressing topic (a teenager dying from leukemia) into a life-affirming, uplifting portrait of a young woman determined to live her life as fully as she can in the short time that she has left. As the heroine, 16-year-old Tessa, sets out to complete a list of things she yearns to experience before dying, her actions are genuine, her emotions raw and powerful. She's a character teens can relate to, though her situation is one most of us can't fathom. This novel brilliantly addresses the subject of death with love, anger, humor, and honesty, and, through the experiences of its brave heroine, relates a powerful message that will resonate with readers (from Goodreads). 

My Thougths:

I got this book from the library, it sounded so interesting. I have seen this book before in the library, but I was never in the mood to read it, well I wasn’t in the mood to read something sad or depressing. Anyways, I got this book and I read in like four hours, it was raining outside all day and I had nothing to do (that does not happen very often).

I new that this book was about a teenage girl dyeing from cancer, I expected it to be sad and I expected myself to cry (I am a big crier). I am not sure how I feel about this book, I kind of on a fence, I liked it but I did not love it. It was aright. I expected it to be more emotional, but surprisingly it was not. I think that the attempt at playing with emotions was not very well done. Book lacked the emotional intensity, which is too bad because this is suppose to be a sad book.

Tessa was an interesting character, I felt bad for her and I wanted her to live. But than again I did not want her to suffer either. Tessa and her relationship with her parents was alright, although at times I could not understand her actions. Wouldn’t you want to spend more time with your family if you new you were dying. Her inner monolog was interesting, although sometimes I wondered what she was trying to say, because it was not clear. She would say things like “I am me, you re you and they are them” (something along those lines). What the hell does that mean? There were a lot of similar passages like this throughout the book and they made no sense to me. It seems that the author was attempting to give a deeper meaning to this book, attempting to write some passages as stream of consciousness which did not work well.

Overall this was an alright read; it was not very emotional even though it does deal with death and cancer. Words did not translate into emotions and sadly I found the book lacking. I wanted the book to be sad and I wanted to cry, but I could not because my emotions were not provoked enough. Please before you thing that I am cold hearted, that’s not it. I cry a lot - all I need is to see someone cry and I am done. But in this book I just was not felling it. I give this book 3/5 STARS.

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

Description:

Mimi Shapiro needs to get away. From New York City, from NYU. And from the professor who let things go too far. So when her artist father, Marc, offers his cottage in a remote part of Canada, she gladly hops in her Mini Cooper and drives up north. Way up north.

The little house is fairy-tale quaint, and the key is hidden right where her dad said it would be, so she's shocked to find someone already living there — Jay, a young musician, who is equally startled to meet Mimi and immediately accuses her of being the one who's been leaving strange and threatening tokens for him: a dead bird, a snake skin, a cricket soundtrack imbedded in his latest composition. But Mimi has just arrived, so who is responsible? And more alarmingly, what does the intruder want? (from Goodreads).

My Thoughts:

I’ve seen this book around the bookstores, but for some reason I thought it was an adult book. I was quite surprised that it was shelved in YA section. To tell you the truth I was not sure what to think of this book, I did not hate it but I did not love it either. I think I just liked it.

After reading first two chapters, I was not sure if I should continue reading it, because I was getting bored. But I stuck it through and the story picked up. Book was well written and it was filled with mystery. There were some twists to the story, but otherwise it was a straight forward mystery. Maybe not even ten chapters into the book, I though to myself, I bet that Cramer’s is somehow connected to Jay and Mimi (can not say how that would just ruin the story for the rest of you).

I liked Mimi, she is spunky, smart, outgoing, funny, brave and kind. I was not impressed with her having an affair with a married man, but than who am I to judge her. He is the one who has a wife and has a responsibility to another person, whereas Mini does not. Jay is also enjoyable character, he is smart, intelligent, musically talented and overall nice guy. I liked how Mimi and Jay bond after they find out that they are half- brother and sister. They accepted each other and enjoyed getting to know each other.

Cramer, at the beginning of the book I found him creepy, actually even at towards the end of the book. Him creeping around the cottage where Mimi is staying, even before Mimi showed up him leaving stuff (line snake skin etc) for Jay to find. It was just creepy, he had this unhealthy obsession about Mimi. However, towards the end of the book in a way I felt sorry for Cramer, but still I could not get over how creepy he was in the first half of the book.

Overall, this was good read, it was well written and decent attempt at mystery. I give this book 3/5 STARS.

Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison‏

Description:

A modern retelling of the German fairyales "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie, is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school (from Goodreads). 

My Thoughts:

I requested this book from NetGalley for a review; I was intrigued by its title and I thought that it would be something I would like to read. It took me several days to read this book, I usually read it during my lunch hour. However I could not read more than couple of chapters at a time. I did not enjoy this book, I kept reading, hoping that it would get better but it did not, it got worse. 

There were so many things wrong with this book that I do not know where to start this review. Let’s Start with Izzie and her friend Brenna. Izzie tries to give Brenna love potion without her knowledge, and even knowing what the consequences are. Love potion makes you fall with another person for the rest of your life, even when that person is dead you are still in love with them, no chance of moving on. She did not even know which guy her friend like, but rather Izzie took it onto herself to find her a boyfriend by giving him love potion. Make the story short Izzie ends up giving the potion to the new guy in school, Tristan, and she herself ends up drinking it. So now for almost half the book Izzie is complaining and saying “I couldn’t be in love with someone I didn’t want to be in love with for the rest of life. That wasn’t fair.” But not once did she think of this when she was going to give potion to Brenna. This was just too much for me, I rolled my eyes so much while reading this book that I thought I was getting dizzy.

 

 

Than we have the magic, by the time I finished reading this book I was so fed up with the word “magic” or “magical”. Than we have sentences like this used throughout the book “Than he came for you and your magic...”, Izzie speaks like her magic is a separate identity from her. The magical system was never explained or well defined in this book. It is not very clear how the magic works and makes no sense. Izzie discovers that she has magic as well and that she is very powerful, powerful enough to defeat The Serpent. All of sudden Izzie can use magic and she knows how to use it, she has no guidance or someone to show her how to use. Not even much time goes by between the time she learns she is “magical” and the time she learns how to use it. you see whew I am going with this – everything was so plot convenient that there was no effort of Izzie’s part to defeat this Serpent, who is very powerful.

 

 

Now the relationship between Izzie and Tristan – it was annoying, actually Izzie was very annoying and whiny. First she was denying her “love” for Tristan and then all of sudden she realised that she can be with Tristan, she just did not want to see what was staring her in the face (this was the result from the scene in cafeteria between Mark, Brenna, Mel and Izzie, which I still do not know what to think of). What’s up with her slapping Mark and then later on she slaps Tristan – let me tell you both times she did not have a good reason to slap them. I did not like Izzie and Tristan together, there was no attraction or chemistry between them Izzie only talks about love but there was no feelings involved.

 

 

Overall this was not a good red for me. It lacked everything, magical system was undeveloped and there was no premises as how it worked. Relationships and friendship were all over the place, there was lack of attraction between Izzie and Tristan. All the story-lines in book were very plot convenient, there was no anticipation build up and it was all over the place.  Plus it is a very poor retelling of Tristan and Isolde, there is no similarities other than the main character names.  I give this book 1/5 STARS, and I think I am being generous. I feel bad giving bad reviews because I want the books to be good and awesome reads, I guess I can not like all the books I read.

The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper‏

Description:

Italy . . . Shakespeare . . . but no romance?
Kate Sanderson inherited her good sense from her mother, a disciplined law professor, and her admiration for the Bard from her father, a passionate Shakespeare scholar. When she gets dumped, out of the blue, for the Practically Perfect Ashley Lawson, she vows never to fall in love again. From now on she will control her own destiny, and every decision she makes will be highly reasoned and rational. She thinks Shakespeare would have approved.

So when she is accepted to a summer Shakespeare symposium in Verona, Italy, Kate sees it as the ideal way to get over her heartbreak once and for all. She'll lose herself in her studies, explore ancient architecture, and eat plenty of pasta and gelato. (Plus, she'll be getting college credit for it—another goal accomplished!) But can even completely logical Kate resist the romance of living in a beautiful villa in the city where those star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet met and died for each other? Especially when the other Shakespeare Scholars—in particular Giacomo, with his tousled brown hair, expressive dark eyes, and charming ways—try hard to break her protective shell?

"In fair Verona, where we lay our scene . . . " (from Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

This was another one of my library finds; I really did not know what to expect from this book. I’ve never read anything by this author before and I thoughtwhy not I'll give it a try. It sounded cute and interesting. I was right this was a cute book, it was easy read, I just flew through the pages.

This book was comedy/romance type book, even though personally I did not find funny or overly romantic. Story takes place in Verona, Italy and Kate (main female protagonist) attending Shakespeare seminar. Story is told from different points of views , Kate, Bene, Giacomo, Sylvie, and Lucy. Each character tells the story from their point of view. Writing was good and it was constrictive; there were a lot of quotes from Shakespeare’s plays flying around, but then that was not surprising since the students were attending Shakespeare seminar. Some of the plays mentioned and quoted, of course Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado about Nothing and Midsummer’s night Dream.

This YA book is somewhat instructive on Shakespeare; even though there was a lot of talk about love and quotes from Romeo and Juliet it was not very romantic. I mean there was romance, Lucy was looking for summer romance in Italy, Giocomo and Kate are falling for each other, Bene falling for Lucy while Lucy is too preoccupied to even notice him. And then there is was Sylvie and Tom, Tom falls for Sylvie but he is afraid to tell her. Sylvie is scary at least that is what Bene says.

Kate was an interesting character and she was not my favourite. I found her too series and rigid; she takes everything seriously, does not know how to have fun. There is time to be serious and there is time to have fun and enjoy herself; Shakespeare seminar in Italy should have been fun, but she plunges in being too serious. Towards the end she does relax and allow herself to have some fun, but not too much fun because that is just not Kate. Giacomo was also interesting character, he is handsome, rich, smart, can quote Shakespeare, flirty, he is irresistible to woman (teenage girls in this case since he is teenage boy himself). I liked the interaction between Kate and Giacomo, I liked it because it was not love at first sight, but rather it took time for them to fall for each other.

Overall this was cute and fluffy read; there was no deep meaning to it and did not require much brain power to process. It was simple, fun and fast read. If you like reading books that are loosely based on Shakespeare’s plays than you might enjoy this book. I give this book 3/5 STARS.

Halo (Halo #1) by Alexandra Adornetto‏

Description:

Three angels- Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human- are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They must work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.

The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her? (from Goodreads). 

My Thoughts:

I got this book from library at work, in kitchen at work, there is a big bookshelf with all kinds of books. Most of these books are older and harlequins, but on rare occasion you can find something decant. I just happened to be there when I noticed this book, I took it with me and started to read it right away.

I was iffy about this book because it deals with God, and saving grace, and going to church and saying grace before every meal and so on. Not that there is anything wrong with that (if that is your cup of tea) but I prefer to stay away from books like that. I usually find them preachy. Hundred pages into the book I still was not sure if I liked the book, but I did like it enough to continue reading it. I have to say that half way through I was enjoying the book and I wanted to find out what happens at the end of it. However I did have to overlook the talk about Creator and being good and so forth (surprisingly there was not much of that going on in this book, which I liked).

Bethany is an interesting character, she is an angel who recently acquired a human body. She’s the most human of all three and you can tell by her personality; she is the most sociable of the three. I liked Bethany, she is very innocent, funny, clueless about most human social situations. Which I found bit contradictory, because at the beginning of the book Bethany says that they possess ALL human knowledge they needed to fit in. However here we have Bethany who has no clue about human social life, all she possessed was academic knowledge. I mean if you want to fit in somewhere because you are on some kind of mission, you would think that you would know how to behave in company of others so that you do not stick out.

Xavier, is a sweet guy, too good to be true almost but then aren’t all the romantic interests in YA and adult books. He is smart, handsome, plays sports, thoughtful, religious, can stand his own ground and open minded. Xavier’s parents are very religious and type of parents that say “no sex before marriage”. That is just wrong, can you image marrying someone and then you find out that you are not sexually compatible. What then? You are stuck in that marriage and last time I checked sex is a big part of marriage whether you are religious or not. Also another think that I found interesting how a lot of people talk about teenage boys having “urges” but you rarely hear about girls having “urges” too (I am mentioning this because Bethany asks Xavier about his “urges”) which is sexist I might add.

I am not sure if I liked Bethany and Xavier’s relationship, it was too easy going, too mild, there was no excitement (but then he is dating an angel). Towards the end of the book I started to like Bethany less and less, she became more whinny and her always pondering why did Xavier like her, why did he chose her and so on. She seemed very needy and constantly needing assurance.

Overall this was a good read, it was well written and it flowed nicely. Book was entertaining and fun, but I had to look over the religious parts; angels in this book are very black and white, there is no shades of gray; also one dimensional. I think that I prefer angels from Fallen series or Hush Hush. If you are fan of Fallen and Hush Hush series than this series might appeal to you as well, if you do not mind the religious aspect of it. I give this book 3/5 STARS.

And the winner is....

And the winner is:

Ashley Holt, congratulations.  Email has been sent to you, you have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.