Chocolate Bridal Bash

Title: The Chocolate Bridal Bash

Author: JoAnna Carl

Date Finished: June 30, 2009

Personal Book Count: 44 out of 100

Rating: 4 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: mystery

First Line: After I overcame all my misgivings and invited my mother to my wedding, it was a little disappointing to learn that she didn’t want to come.

Summary: from the back cover-

“Caught up in a whirl of champagne and china patterns, bride-to-be Lee McKinney has butted heads with her future mother-in-law over every detail of the wedding bash. The last thing she needs is trouble with her own mother. But this is bigger than the hot versus cold hors d’oeuvres debate: Sally McKinney doesn’t even want to be at the wedding if it takes place in Warner Pier, her hometown.

Irked that her mom might be MIA on the Big Day, Lee heads to her aunt’s chocolate shop, TenHuis Chocolade, for advice. There, the bride is shocked to learn that years earlier, her mother ran away on what would have been her own wedding day—hours before her fiancé was found dead, an apparent suicide. Now, to smooth things over with her mother—and ease her own way down the aisle—Lee must untangle a mystery older than she is....”

Why did I pick this book? : It was the next in the series.

Review:

The chocolate mysteries are always a fun, light, quick read (this one was just over 200 pages). I like that Lee is generally a smart, independent, heroine. Of course there have been times I shake my head at some of the decisions she makes, but in this one I understood her motivation. I like that we got to know her family a bit better in this one (in the form of her mother). And I like that the story progresses. They don’t necessarily pick up right when the last ends, but there is definitely continuity, and a smooth flow. I was hoping for a bit more of the wedding, like maybe a book to itself, with a mystery around it, but maybe that would have been too obvious. I did like the ‘surprise ending’, and am interested to see where they take it in the next book (luckily, I shouldn’t have to wait TOO long, as I have that one my shelf). I think I had actually figured out the “who” of the who- done- it pretty early in this one, but it was an enjoyable read anyway. Will I read the next one? Oh yeah. I’m seeing this series through to the end. =D

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D

Hunger Games *SPOILERS*

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Date Finished: June 28, 2009

Personal Book Count: 43 out of 100

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: Young Adult

First Line: When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.

Summary: taken from jacket-

“In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen- year- old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before- and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.”

Why did I pick this book? : Heard lots of positive reviews about this book.

Review: *SPOILERS*

What can I say? I went into this book with high expectations. I had heard so much good about it. And it did not disappoint. In the beginning. And even 2/3 through. It sucked me in at page one, and there were times this weekend I had trouble putting it down, even to sleep.

And then the rules changed. THE RULES CHANGED!!! *** And I thought, who does that? Is the author being lazy, or is this an evil plot device? That was the first time the book almost went across the room. So then I pouted. And I stomped around the house. And I grumbled to DH. And I debated walking away. But by supper, I was sucked back in by curiosity (although, I already suspected, how it was going to end, being as I heard there would be a sequel).

But then I got used to it, and thought, ok, it’s not what I would have done, but it’s working, and I think I like it more or less. And then the rules changed back. Then I felt very jerked around (although part of me did suspect it was coming). At that point I (briefly) considered book burning. DH pointed out it would probably be a bad idea, as it was a library book.

And then she broke his heart. I get the whole love triangle thing, but I felt like I had been on this journey with them, and like I was being kicked while I was down.

And then the ending… or should I say, what ending? It didn’t end so much, as the writing stopped…

I did make myself finish it before bed. On one hand, I would only have had to finish it today, and that way it was done and over. And on the other, I never would have slept. I would have tossed and turned out of frustration all night.

Don’t get me wrong. I really liked the characters. They were strong, diverse, and had clear motivations. And never did anything that made me wanna beat my head against something hard. There were enough characters to keep it interesting, but not so many that I felt confused at any point.

I don’t think I have ever had such strong feelings about a book. I was kind of amazed how angry a book could make me. I tend to be of the other spectrum. Either I love a book, or the most negative reaction it gets from me is boredom. Or apathy. Or maybe even sorrow. Let me tell you, it was not a feeling I liked. But it says something that the writing was that powerful.

I also want to add a note about the number. 2.5 feels very low and very high at the same time. How do you rate something that you liked and hated so completely at the same time? On one hand, it was can’t put down. On the other… well, I think I’ve already said enough about that.

Do I regret reading this book? Not at all. I learned. And I experienced. And it was quite a ride. But I can also say with 98% certainty, this is not one I will be reading the sequel. Or someone may have to come scrape me off the ceiling…. ;)

*** I wanna say that it isn’t only in this book that it got under my skin. Remember that season of Big Brother when they put them in to couples, only to say a few weeks later, “just kidding, it’s everyman for himself again.” What was the point? That was the premise of the whole season, and they gave up shortly in. who does that?

*END SPOILERS*

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D

sTori Telling

Title: sTori Telling

Author: Tori Spelling

Date Finished: June 23, 2009

Personal Book Count: 42 out of 100

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: Autobiography

First Line: Here is the part of the book where I’m supposed to say, Sure, my family had lots of money, but I had a normal childhood just like anyone else.

Summery: from the dust jacket-

“She was television's most famous virgin -- and, as Aaron Spelling's daughter, arguably its most famous case of nepotism. Portraying Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210, Tori Spelling became one of the most recognizable young actresses of her generation, with a not-so-private personal life every bit as fascinating as her character's exploits. Yet years later the name Tori Spelling too often closed -- and sometimes slammed -- the same doors it had opened.

sTORI telling is Tori's chance to finally tell her side of the tabloid-worthy life she's led, and she talks about it all: her decadent childhood birthday parties, her nose job, her fairy-tale wedding to the wrong man, her so-called feud with her mother. Tori has already revealed her flair for brilliant, self-effacing satire on her VH1 show So NoTORIous and Oxygen's Tori & Dean: Inn Love, but her memoir goes deeper, into the real life behind the rumors: her complicated relationship with her parents; her struggles as an actress after 90210; her accident-prone love life; and, ultimately, her quest to define herself on her own terms.

From her over-the-top first wedding to finding new love to her much-publicized -- and misunderstood -- "disinheritance," sTORI telling is a juicy, eye-opening, enthralling look at what it really means to be Tori Spelling.”

Why did I pick this book? : I have been reading quite a few “famous peoples” auto/ biographies lately, and this one caught my eye, I think it was on a talk show.

Review: I enjoyed this book. Tori Spelling is intelligent, and witty, and can tell a great story. I found myself frequently laughing out loud, or bookmarking sections to read to DH when he was around. In conversations I would hear myself saying “Did you know that Tori Spelling…..?” or “had you heard that Aaron Spelling….?” I really enjoyed the behind the scenes peak into her life. My one complaint, it that Tori isn’t exactly….linear. She would start telling a story, and I would think, “Are we back to 90210? I thought she was married to Charlie? How old is she?” A couple times I would be lost, but in the end, it didn’t really matter, it was an entertaining story none the less. I will definitely be picking up the sequel Mommywood.

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D

2009 Support Your Local Library Reading Challeng Completed

I finished a challenge. It was The 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge (links to original post) hosted by J. Kaye (links to challenge).

The 25 books I read are:

1. Names My Sisters Call Me- Megan Crane
2. Thirteen Reasons Why- Jay Asher
3. Plum Spooky- Janet Evanovich
4. New Moon- Stephenie Meyer
5. The Chocolate War- Robert Cormier
6. The Last Chance Cafe- Linda Lael Miller
7. Wake- Lisa McMann
8. Lost and Found- Carolyn Parkhurst
9. For Money and Love- Todd Strasser
10. Sister Wife- Shelley Hrdlitschka
11. Talk Me Down- Victoria Dahl
12. Hold Tight- Harlan Coben
13. The Writing Class- Jincy Willett
14. I Shall Not Want- Julia Spencer-Fleming
15. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks- E. Lockhart
16. Eclipse- Stephenie Meyer
17. Vampire Academy- Richelle Mead
18. Fire and Ice- Julie Garwood
19. Breaking Dawn- Stephenie Meyer
20. Never Tell a Lie- Hallie Ephron
21. The Graveyard Book- Neil Gaiman
22. Knit Two- Kate Jacobs
23. Read My Lips- Teri Brown
24. Wicked Lovely- Melissa Marr
25. Fade- Lisa McMann


It was a fun challenge. I think I read more library books this year already, than I did all last year. I blame reading so many more blogs, and finding so many new authors I want to try, but am not ready to commit to. But now I have decided I’m going to take a bit of a break and read a few more of my own books again. I have so many that I have been wanting to get to. =D

Thank you for hosting J. Kaye. I am now a renewed library addict. ;)

May Wrap Up

It’s time for the May wrap-up. I got 5 read this month. I also finished 1 challenge. Not as great as April, but I will take what I can get, especially at this time of year. Too much time spent outside and training the dog lately, and not enough reading. That may change though as hubby is going back to school this month for 3, so that should free a big chunk of my time. Hopefully I can still make 100 books this year…

Anyhow, the summery for May is:

Books read-

Knit Two- Kate Jacobs 3.5/5

Read My Lips- Teri Brown 3/5

How I Write- Janet Evanovich 3.5/5

Wicked Lovely- Melissa Marr 4/5

Fade- Lisa McMann 4.5/5

If you are interested in seeing my thoughts or reviews on any of these books, please click on the link on the left side bar. =D

Challenges Complete-

The 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge (no links, I haven’t blogged the wrap up yet, should be done in a couple days...)

Percent on track-

5/12ths of the year done (42%)

40/100 books read (40%)

Oops! Falling a little behind, but I have high hopes of catching up…

Goal for next month-

I have a couple more challenges I’m on the brink of finishing, and I would like to make a dent some of my Red Dress books, and get the chick lit challenge going.

I also have a few book that are taking me longer to read then I would like, that seem to have been on my side bar forever. I would like to see if I can get a couple more of those knocked off.

Same as last month, although I DID make a dent in the challenges and finishing some older ones… and I’m going to add in a couple more mysteries, as I realize that the end of the Themed reading challenge will be looming closer faster then I thought if I don’t get on it…

What are your goals for May?

Die For You

Title: Die For You

Author: Lisa Unger

Date Finished: June 5, 2009

Personal Book Count: 41 out of 100

Rating: 4 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: Fiction/ Thriller

First Line: A light snow falls, slowly coating the deep-red rooftops of Prague.

Summery: from the jacket-

“Isabel Raine thought she had everything–a successful career, a supportive family, and a happy marriage to the man she loved. Then one ordinary morning, her husband, Marcus, picks up his briefcase, kisses her good-bye, and simply vanishes.

That day, all her calls to him go straight to voice mail; the messages she leaves at his office go unreturned, too. Panicking after finally receiving a call from his cell phone in which all she can hear is a man’s terrified cry, Isabel calls the police. But they aren’t interested. Men leave, they tell her. They leave all the time. Desperate to find her husband, Isabel races to his office. But instead of finding him, she finds herself in the middle of an FBI raid. Hours later, she awakens in the hospital with a severe concussion and a homicide detective by her bedside waiting to question her about Marcus Raine–the real Marcus Raine.

Now the only thing Isabel knows for sure is that her husband of five years is gone. Where is he and who is he are questions no one seems able to answer. But Isabel will not rest until she discovers the truth about the man she loves, even if it means risking everything–including her own life.

Bestselling author Lisa Unger takes us on a nightmarish journey from bustling, glamorous New York City to the murky, twisted streets of Prague, seeking the answer to one bone-chilling question: What if the man you love, the one sleeping beside you, is a stranger?”

Why did I pick this book? : I am a long time Lisa Unger Fan.

Review: *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Lisa Unger is one of my favorites, and this time she did not disappoint. This one took me a little longer to get into, but once I did, it was a rollercoaster ride right through. This one was a little different from her other books, as we knew who the bad guy was all the way through, and the bad guy was her husband. I found I had trouble reconciling myself to this at some points through the book. Unger has a cast of interesting, on the most part well developed characters. There are so many stories to follow (and yet, I didn’t get lost, much, except for a minute in the beginning. Was she TRYING to throw us with Erik and Rick?), sometimes I got so into a side story, I forgot about the main plot. My one criticism, would be that it is a little formulaic, in the way that I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but I knew how it would happen. I have read all of Unger’s novels, so I knew we were going to start with a chunk of climax. Then we go back to the beginning, tell the story from there, with jumps to the characters pasts, build up to the climax, play it through, and end with some wrap up and closure of any lose ends. In a way it is comforting. Knowing before you start the style that an author is going to use. And in another, it felt a little repetitive. I did like that this one we knew who the bad guy was, and so to some extent had the opportunity to follow him through as well. There were still enough plots and twists to keep it exciting, I didn’t feel like it was missing the ‘mystery’ aspect. I think I did prefer Black Out over all, but that did not detract from this one at all. I am just as eagerly awaiting her 5 novel as I was this one. =D

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D

Fade

Title: Fade

Author: Lisa McMann

Date Finished: May 26, 2009

Personal Book Count: 40 out of 100

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: Young Adult

First Line: Janie sprints through the snowy yards from two streets away and slips quietly through the front door of her house.

Summery: from the dust jacket-

“SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END.

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....”

Why did I pick this book? : Is the sequel to Wake.

Review: Did I like this book? LOVED it! It was as good as the first but better! Instead of just taking what was established in book one, and changing the setting, they picked up where the first left up. But then they took it further. All the story lines were advanced (the personal and professional) and the single book and the series. I like that there is a lot going on, but with only a few main characters, it not hard to follow.

I would say as a caution, it is a lot darker then the first. (I think due to subject matter.) As a parent, I would be careful about what age range reads this, and would consider screening it myself first.

I think I would read the first book (Wake) before tackling the second. They are mostly self-contained, although they do have characters and plots that carry forward. I think you have more back ground and it could be clearer to read them both. I am definitely awaiting the third with great anticipation. =D

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D