Currently Reading

From the back of the book:
At the seaside resort of Blackpool, England, the Singleton family enjoys all the amenities of the Belvedere Hotel ("Hot and Cold Water in Every Room"). But in this fading realm of boardwalk, beach, and tourist traps, Ruth Singleton can't escape her lust for a bigger home and her need to make her youngest daughter's illness disappear. Her husband, Jack, hides a letter that stretches back to the horrors of the war and into his unbearable loneliness. Daughters Helen and Beth, sixteen and seven, will wade into a tide of longing and delusion: Helen falls under the spell of a wanton waitress; Beth fights a disease that has threatened her life and now her spirit. Full of secrets, passions, and fateful choices that will transform this family and their friends, the world of the Singletons will tilt precariously from a violent past toward a future bearing dangers and wonders of its own....

Anne of Green Gables - a review

Anne of Green Gables.L.M. Montgomery.1908
Signet.320 pages.
[Source: Purchased]


When I was in elementary school I was given a copy of Anne of Green Gables from a librarian who thought that I would really enjoy it. I fell in love. That was at least 19 years ago. Recently I found the collection of all of the books featuring Anne for sale on Amazon in ebook format. Finally, after so many years, I picked up Anne of Green Gables again.

I think that what attracts so many people to Anne and her world is that she is an insanely likable character, who finds where she belongs. The other characters in the book are just as rich: Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, Diana Barry, Gilbert Blythe, and even Mrs. Rachel Lynde. I also believe that people are attracted to the story because it's so timeless, and we can all relate a bit to Anne's passions, insecurities, and incredible imagination.

Anne of Green Gables is truly a wonderful read no matter your age.


I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Girl in the Spider's Web

Today I'm joining Breaking the Spine for "Waiting On" Wednesday

My selection for my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication book is: 

The Girl in the Spider's Web

by David Lagercrantz (continuing the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson)

Publication Date:  September 1st

From Barnes and Noble: 

This fall, Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist return in the highly anticipated follow-up to Stieg Larsson’s THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST

In this adrenaline-charged thriller, genius-hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist face a dangerous new threat and must again join forces. 

Late one night, Blomkvist receives a phone call from a trusted source claiming to have information vital to the United States. The source has been in contact with a young female super hacker–a hacker resembling someone Blomkvist knows all too well. The implications are staggering.

Blomkvist, in desperate need of a scoop for Millennium, turns to Lisbeth for help. She, as usual, has her own agenda. In The Girl in the Spider's Web, the duo who thrilled 80 million readers in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest meet again in an extraordinary and uniquely of-the-moment thriller.

I'm really excited about this book, but a little apprehensive since it's being written by a different author (the original author of the series passed away). I absolutely love the Millennium series. The characters are so complex, as well as the storyline. I'm really hoping that it lives up to Stieg Larsson's work.

If you want to participate each week then head over to  Breaking the Spine.

Currently Reading

My currently reading list:

From Goodreads:

Schuyler Van Alen is starting to get more comfortable with her newfound vampire powers, but she still has many unanswered questions. A trip to Italy in search of her grandfather only serves to make things more confusing. What secrets are the leaders of The Committee hiding? Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly underway for the famous Four Hundred Ball. In true Blue Blood fashion, the ball is totally fab, complete with masks-and hidden behind this masquerade is a revelation that will change the course of a young vampire's destiny.

The thrilling sequel in Melissa de la Cruz's vampire mythology has all the glamour, attitude, and vampire lore that made the first book a hit.

From Barnes and Noble:

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.  

From Barnes and Noble: 

How far would you go?

The Collapse has ransacked the economy, making work almost impossible to find and forcing Amy from college hopeful to sole provider for her terminally-ill grandmother and rebellious younger sister. To make ends meet, Amy auditions for a slot on a new reality TV show, which promises both a hefty salary and full medical benefits for her entire family. Somehow, she gets chosen, and she leaps to sign a contract despite her misgivings.

The show in which she’ll take part has an irresistible premise: audience members can win millions by predicting the behavior of each member of the cast in a crisis. But the producers are willing to do anything to maintain ratings, including using blatant setups, 24/7 surveillance, and even state-of-the-art holographic technology to simulate danger. But soon, the danger becomes all too real, and Amy—on and off the camera—must fight for her life….

"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Taming of the Queen

Today I'm joining Breaking the Spine for "Waiting On" Wednesday

My selection for my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication book is:

The Taming of the Queen

by Phillipa Gregory

Publication Date: August 25th

From Barnes and Noble: 

By the #1 New York Times bestselling author behind the Starz original series The White Queen, a riveting new Tudor tale featuring King Henry VIII's sixth wife Kateryn Parr, the first English queen to publish under her own name.

Why would a woman marry a serial killer?

Because she cannot refuse...

Kateryn Parr, a thirty-year-old widow in a secret affair with a new lover, has no choice when a man old enough to be her father who has buried four wives—King Henry VIII—commands her to marry him.

Kateryn has no doubt about the danger she faces: the previous queen lasted sixteen months, the one before barely half a year. But Henry adores his new bride and Kateryn's trust in him grows as she unites the royal family, creates a radical study circle at the heart of the court, and rules the kingdom as Regent.

But is this enough to keep her safe? A leader of religious reform and the first woman to publish in English, Kateryn stands out as an independent woman with a mind of her own. But she cannot save the Protestants, under threat for their faith, and Henry's dangerous gaze turns on her. The traditional churchmen and rivals for power accuse her of heresy—the punishment is death by fire and the king's name is on the warrant...

From an author who has described all of Henry's queens comes a deeply intimate portrayal of the last: a woman who longed for passion, power, and education at the court of a medieval killer.

I'm obsessed with European royal history, namely Tudor history, so I'm extremely excited to read this one. 

If you want to participate each week then head over to Breaking the Spine. 

The Two Princesses of Bamarre - a review

The Two Princesses of Bamarre.Gail Carson LeVine.2001.
Eos. 304 pages.
[Source: Library Loan]


This book was pure magic.

The Two Princesses of Bamarre tells the story of timid and fearful Princess Addie and her adventurous sister Princess Meryl. Both of their lives are changed when Princess Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death and Addie has to embark on a quest to find a cure.

If you want a vacation from reality for a while, then I suggest you pick up this book. It is juvenile fantasy, but it's such a wonderful read! It's so easy to get sucked into their world of ogres, gryphons, specters, and even a dragon. You really feel like you're going on an adventure.


I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

"Waiting on" Wednesday: Go Set a Watchman

Today I'm joining Breaking the Spine for "Waiting on" Wednesday

My selection for my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication book is:

Go Set a Watchman

by Harper Lee

Publication Date: July 14th

Yes, that Harper Lee, of To Kill a Mockingbird fame. I'm extremely excited to read this one.

From Barnes and Noble:

An historic literary event: the publication of a newly discovered novel, the earliest known work from Harper Lee, the beloved, bestselling author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Originally written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before To Kill a Mockingbird. Assumed to have been lost, the manuscript was discovered in late 2014.

Go Set a Watchman features many of the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird some twenty years later. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch—Scout—struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her.

Exploring how the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird are adjusting to the turbulent events transforming mid-1950s America, Go Set a Watchman casts a fascinating new light on Harper Lee’s enduring classic. Moving, funny and compelling, it stands as a magnificent novel in its own right.

If you want to participate each week then head over to Breaking the Spine. 

Blue Bloods - A book review

Blue Bloods. Melissia De La Cruz. 2007
Hyperion. 302 pages.
[Source: Purchased]



I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At first, I was a bit skeptical. I didn't really want to read another standard YA vampire series. However, this book really went above the idea of what vampires are and how they function.

The book is sat in Manhattan, New York, and is told through different character's perspectives. The story starts with Schuyler Van Alen  and her friend Oliver (Ollie) Hazard Perry attempting to get into a nightclub. It progresses and introduces the other characters: Jack and Mimi Force (twins), Bliss Llewellyn (I did have to do a quick check to make sure I had spelled that last name correctly), and Dylan (wait did he have a last name?  literary brain fart), and Cordelia Van Alen (grandmother to Schuyler), all rich mind you. The story line ties all of the characters together in an interesting way.

If you're a fan of YA supernatural, or even the television show Gossip Girl, you're really going to love this book!



I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. 

what i'm reading

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” 

Kurt Vonnegut - Mother Night

***

Snippet from Goodreads: Mother Night is a daring challenge to our moral sense. American Howard W. Campbell, Jr., a spy during World War II, is now on trial in Israel as a Nazi war criminal. But is he really guilty? In this brilliant book rife with true gallows humor, Vonnegut turns black and white into a chilling shade of gray with a verdict that will haunt us all.

***

Yesterday I started to read Mother Night. I'm such a fan of Vonnegut's work. His novels never fail to interest me. I've made it my own personal goal to read everything the man has written.

Bookish Questions

1. What is your favourite book? I have three: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and Persuasion by Jane Austen (although it's so tough to pick my favorite J.A. book).
2. Who is your favourite author? Very difficult question. I'm going to have to go with Jane Austen. 
3. What genre do you prefer? Classics and YA.
4. What is your favourite book series? The Harry Potter series, the Infernal Devices, the Mortal Instruments, and The Lord of the Rings. 
5. What books did you hate reading in school? I honestly don't remember having to read any that I disliked. 
6. What is the first book you remember reading as a child? A book with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
7. Bookstores or libraries? I love both. 
8. How many books do you own? I have no idea. I haven't kept count.
9. Do you read before bed? Yes.
10. What is your most comfortable reading position? Sitting curled up.
11. What is the most recent book you read? Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut. 
12. What quote from any book will you never forget? "I wish I were a girl again, half savage and hardy, and free." from Wuthering Heights. 
13. Science Fiction or Fantasy? Fantasy
14. What books do you regret reading? None.
15. How large is your bookshelf? I don't have a traditional bookshelf, so I have books everywhere. 
16. On average, how many books do you read per year? It depends, but I've read anywhere from 50 to 100. 
17. What book can you read hundreds of times and never get tired of? Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Northanger Abbey. 
18. Do you like to read outside? I love it. It's one of my most favorite places to read.
19. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from a book? I think that when you're an avid reader you're constantly learning important lessons from the books that you read. It's difficult to pick just one.
20. Of the past year, what is the greatest book you’ve read? The Fault in Our Stars, The Book Thief, and Rebecca. 

new kindle! & what i'm reading

I finally got a new Kindle Paperwhite. I had wanted one since they had came out, and it was well worth the purchase price. It's so great to read books on at night. Much easier and cozier than leaving the lamp on the nightstand on while I'm reading in bed. I absolutely love it!

Last night I started The Lightning Thief, the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. 

It's such a fun and difficult to put down read. I love that it's very YA. It sort of reminds me of how I felt when I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It has that youthful intrigue. I have the first three books in the series, so I'm looking forward to those. 

What are you reading?

what i'm reading

It's been extremely windy and cold today. It keeps changing from rain to ice to snow and back again.
Aiden and I went for coffee, and I took my Kindle to read. I decided to start Curtsies and Conspiracies, as well as The Prince and the Pauper. Both are relatively quick reads. I'm enjoying them thoroughly.

I've always been a fan of Mark Twain. At the age of ten I read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in elementary school and loved them. I was always partial to Huck Finn, even more so when Brad Renfro portrayed him in the 1995 movie Tom and Huck. My young heart swooned.

Curtsies and Conspiracies is the second book in the Finishing School series. It's very steampunk, which I absolutely love and is one of my favorite genres. I love the main character Sophronia. It's such a fun, inventive series. 

what i'm reading

I'm reading quite a few (& very different from one another) books at the moment. Instead of talking about all of them, I want to mention the classic.

Semi-recently I decided that I really want to read more classical literature, so I've been delving into that again.

I'm introducing myself to Kafka with his book The Metamorphosis.

I'm also planning to read two Jane Austen novels that I hadn't, The Hounds of Baskerville by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Prince and the Pauper by Dickens, and to reread Oliver Twist as well as the Complete Works of Shakespeare. 

francesca woodman

I sort of fell in love with Francesca Woodman's photography when I watched the documentary The Woodmans on Netflix.

I honestly had never heard of her before watching the film. Afterwards I Googled everything that I could possibly find about her.

You can read a bit of her story here.

I find her work so intriguing. It has an eerie quality, so human while conveying a spontaneous emotion. 

If you're interested in photography, or the biography of a girl who created incredibly thought-provoking art, check out the documentary. 

city of fallen angels review

Book Four in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

 ***

From Goodreads: 

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

The stakes are higher than ever in the #1 New York Times bestselling fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments series. 

***

I've fallen in love with this series from Cassandra Clare.  

City of Fallen Angels continues with Clary, Jace, Simon, Isabelle, Alec, Magnus, and the others. It primarily focuses on the relationship between Clary and Jace, as well as Simon and his tangled love life. There are new plot twists, and added drama to all involved.

Simon has been a favorite of mine from the beginning. I love how his character has evolved, and the new changes that he's dealing with. He's nerdy and witty, which is a perfect combination.

I really like Jace, however, I feel that none of Clare's male characters will quite live up to her Will Herondale from the Infernal Devices trilogy. He is in my top three favorite male literary characters. Utter perfection. Jace is sort of a watered down version of Will. He lacks the wit, the sarcasm, the spark that Will had. 

Isabelle is probably my favorite female character from this series. She's reminiscent of Jessamine from the Infernal Devices trilogy, but I think that she's much more grounded and less self-absorbed. 

Clary, is generally likable but I think that it's those around her and the situations that she faces that makes her so. I love her abilities and how she is still discovering new things about her true self and her new world.

All in all this was a really great book that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

snow day

th1rteen r3asons why review

Taken from Goodreads: 

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

***

I liked this book, but I wanted to love it. It lacked serious reason behind the plot.

Hannah Baker commits suicide, and leaves cassette tapes behind for those she felt had added to her reasons for deciding to take her own life.

I never felt an extreme emotional attachment to Hannah. I felt that we needed to 'see' more of her, in order to understand why she did what she did. The entire book is listing her reasons and feelings, but I just feel like they were cold and not portraying a psychological issue as well as they should have.

It's easy relate to the pressure, the rumors, and the negative aspects of her life but it wasn't easy to understand why she decided to ultimately take that final step.

I would have like to have seen more mental illness/suicide awareness in this book.

I did like the fact that we see how our actions can affect someone else. We don't realize what someone may be going through sometimes. 

All in all, I enjoyed this read. It didn't quite live up to what I thought it would be, but it was thought provoking nonetheless.


I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads

the bane chronicles

When I realized that there were short ebooks written from the perspective of Magnus Bane (from the Infernal Devices & Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare) I was more than a little excited.

Magnus Bane is one of my favorite characters from either series (the first being Will Herondale, of course). He's interesting, sarcastic, witty, and fabulous. I was so glad to see that his character resumed in the Mortal Instruments series.

I finished What Really Happened in Peru a couple of days ago, and today I started The Runaway Queen. These short ebooks are so fun to read! You're never quite sure what you're going to get with Magnus.

I've purchased 8 of the 10 ebooks so far (yes, obsessed much). 

If you loved Cassandra Clare's other series, I'm sure you'll love these!

You can find out more about them here: The Bane Chronicles

gone girl review

Gone Girl wasn't at all what I expected. Gillian Flynn wove an intense, on edge story of a wife who disappears and a husband who quickly becomes a suspect.

A mystery novel, quickly turned into quite the psychological thriller. 

Brief summary taken from Goodreads: 
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

***

I finished this book within two days. It was a pretty constant topic in my mind. I wanted to find out what happened to Amy Dunne. Did Nick do it? Did an intruder kill her? Had she been kidnapped? On and on and on. This is one of those reads that completely suck  you in.

When the plot twist came, I honestly wasn't expecting it at all. I don't want to fully go into it, as I like to keep this blog as spoiler free as possible...but wow. 

If you're interested in a mystery/psychological thriller I would highly recommend this book.

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads