Book Review: Love Story, Jennifer Echols

Reading Level:      Young Adult 

Hardcover:           256 Pages 

Publisher:             S&S, July 19, 2011

Parasols:              4

I have been reading so much paranormal, dystopian and vampire books that I just wanted a simple, well written love story.  I read Not That Kind of Girl, and it left me wanting something different, something epic!  I went to the library and asked about an epic love story for young adult.  Nothing!  I didn't want any paranormal aspect to my love story.  I took it to Twitter.  Where people started recommending  all sorts of stories and authors.  My favorite was Mel, from He Followed Me Home, recommending Nicholas Sparks.  Um, yeah, NO!

Anyway, I'd heard people talking about the newest Jennifer Echols book, and I was interested in the premise.  Two people writing stories about each other.  What an interesting concept! I'd read Going Too Far and well, I liked it, I thought the writing was okay.  She could have taken the story further, but she held back.  Sometimes I think YA authors don't take enough chances with their story because they're afraid of the backlash, but we have some savvy teens and really, some young adults are in their twenties!

So back to the story.  Erin is going to school in NYC and she is taking a creative writing class because her goal is to become a romance novelist.  Her back story is this:  She comes from a very wealthy family in Kentucky that specializes in race horses.  She should be heiress to the farm, but when she decides that she does not want to specialize in business as her grandmother wants her to, she is left penniless and at the mercy of scholarships and a part-time job at a shabby coffee shop.

Hunter, Erin's stable boy from Kentucky, is also attending the same college, but he's been gifted with the horse farm, and all the money that comes with it.  In Erin's eyes, he stole her inheritance.  Hunter walks into her creative writing class looking to add it to his classes.  But you see, that day he walks in, the class is discussing Erin's story, which is about a heiress who is love with her stable boy.

Back and forth the stories fly and the classmates are reading deeper into the stories, but Hunter and Erin refuse to acknowledge their love for each other.  She's wounded and he's bitter.

I loved this story and could not get enough of it.  My only problem was that it was only 265 pages long!  So not exactly epic, but it was exactly what I was looking for.  I loved the stories and they are included in the book too, so you get an understanding of Hunter and Erin.  I really liked Hunter, because he was down-to-earth and charming, but not overly flirtatious with everyone.  He basically did everything he could to be with Erin.  There is a blip in the road that is kind of rushed over and didn't exactly make much sense, but I was still able to enjoy the story.  I highly recommend this light and breezy read!

Laziness (and contest at end of post!)

I really should review these books, but with the heat and the dieting, for some reason my brain is just not working.  So I'm just going to grade them.  I know, it's cheating, but I just don't have the energy at all.

Chime, Franny Billingsley
DNF-  I struggled with this book and just couldn't get into it.  The main character drove me crazy.

Glass Houses, Rachel Caine

The Ghost and the Goth, Stacey Kade

Queen of the Dead, Stacey Kade

Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi

Goliath, Scott Westerfeld

Ingenue, Jillian Larkin

Beauty Queens, Libba Bray

The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Rae Carson

The Iron Knight, Julie Kagawa

Bunheads, Sophie Flack

All These Things I've Done, Gabrielle Zevin

Not that kind of Girl, Siobhan Vivian

Well this is it so far.  As you can tell I've read quite a bit since coming back from BEA.  Even read a few books I got from BEA.  There have been a few DNF's for me and those are so hard.  You start reading a book that has great buzz and you just don't feel it.  It sucks honestly.  Because you might adore the author, but the book just doesn't work for you.

I hope everyone is getting some great summer reading done.  Have you read anything that has completely blown you away? For me, Shatter Me and The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Has anything you read not lived up to your expectation?  For those of you who comment with the answer the question, you will be entered to win a copy of Mark Peter Hughes' dystopian novel, A Crack in the Sky. I have yet to read it, but it sounds fantastic!

Shelf Awareness Widget

I've added a cool aspect to my blog.  The Shelf Awareness widget that will help you to win books!

This is from SA:


The publication booksellers turn to for news on the book industry is now publishing a version for book lovers! Shelf Awareness: Enlightenment for Readers is a FREE emailed newsletter with reviews on the 25 best books publishing each week along with author interviews, book excerpts, giveaways and more. Right now they’re running a contest for new subscribers. Check out the widget on our website to sign up for the new publication and to be entered for a chance to win a great book!

Two Endings

So the ending of Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series has been released in advance copy form and the end of the big screen adaptation of Harry Potter has been released, this week has been extremely hard.  In 2007, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book) was released, I felt a sense of loss.  What the hell was I going to read to read next?  I was desolate and at a loss.  For some strange reason, I'd heard of this book called Twilight.  It had been number one on the NY Times list and I was curious.  So I went to my library and took it out.  Yep, I was hooked.

However, nothing can and will replace Harry Potter. I will forever miss the interactions between Snape and Harry.  Ron and Hermione.  The twins.  How I love the twins.  I never thought my allegiance to a series could change so fast.  Even now that the last HP movie has been released and I've watched, I feel like a piece of my younger self is over.  It's time to grow up and be an adult like Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny.  Even Draco Malfoy has grown up and sired an offspring.

Don't you hate when you're favorite series comes to an end?  It is just the worst feeling in the world.  I feel like I've lost friends that I've invested time and hours with.  Like they have been wrenched away from me.  Obviously there are books that should end.  But well written stories make you a part of their world and invite you into their lives and personal space.

How do you deal with endings?  Are you happy? Sad? Depressed?

Shatter Me Cover!

For those of you who didn't see this on the Hollywood Crush website, here it is in her full glory.  It's an intriguing cover, but already having read the book, I'm just wondering if my description of Juliette was kinda off to begin with.  Some people don't think it's dystopian enough.  What are your thoughts?

The Golden Lily, Richelle Mead

I am positively in love with this cover.  Love the yellow!  It is so different from any of the other books in the VA universe.  As Richelle has stated the girl on left is Jill with Sydney looking over her.  Book doesn't come out until May 2012!

Book Review: Bloodlines, Richelle Mead

Reading Level:      Young Adult 

Hardcover:           421 Pages 

Publisher:             Razorbill, August 23, 2011

Parasols:              3

The Vampire Academy series is over and Rose is happily with the love of her life Dimitri.  However, Rose left one broken heart and now we are to find out his story, albeit it is being told by Sydney Sage, the alchemist who helped Rose in the last couple of books.

After helping the Dhampir, Sydney was sent home as punishment for her involvement with the vampires.  But our story opens with Sydney being woken up by her father to meet with the alchemist that have come to ask his favor.  But they don't want Sydney, they want her sister and that is just not acceptable to Sydney.  She's not ready, too young, etc...  Sydney, being the good protag that she is says that she will take on the job.

And what a job it is...

Sydney Sage finds herself guarding Jillian Mastrano, Lissa's half sister.  Who has left St. Vladimir's and has been enrolled into a normal California high school.  There are people out there who would like her dead to remove Lissa as Queen.  Oh, and with Jill (aka jailbait), comes Adrian Ivashkov.  His connection to Jill is a surprise, so I will not spoil.

I didn't love this installment.  Mead is setting up for future books so you get a lot of back

story and not a lot of story or anything interesting.  I found myself bored with Sydney; she's definitely not as dynamic as Rose.  I find her quite pithy.  Adrian seemed a bit weaker in this book.  We know that he's a drinker and a ladies man and can sweet talk just about anyone, but to me, he's been dumbed down a bit.  I think we'll really get the guts of the story with the next book which we'll have to wait until next year.  But first we have to get through Mead's pregnancy and birth of her first child. 

Jill seemed much stronger in the VA series and was also a shell of herself.  I really hope these characters develop some backbones and spines.  The cast of characters are pretty stock and nothing to really mention.  If you're a fan of the series, it's definitely required reading, but only because you'll want the second book ASAP.

*rcvd copy from BEA 2011

Book Review: Forever, Maggie Stiefvater

Reading Level:      Young Adult 

Hardcover:           386 Pages 

Publisher:             Scholastic July 12, 2011

Parasols:              2

This is Maggie's last Wolves of Mercy Falls book and for me it fell flat.  I wasn't a huge fan of the series preferring her Faery books over the wolves.  However, I enjoyed Linger much more than Shiver and Forever.  

The writing is flowery and prosey.  Sam annoyed me.  Grace Annoyed me.  Cole and Isabel annoyed me and Cole and Isabel are probably the only redeeming characters in this book.  I think people will be upset with the tying up of things.  Which to me they were very loosely knotted and is bound to fall apart with second or third readings.  I think Maggie is a very, very talented writer and will definitely read more of her works.  This book just did not work for me on various levels.

At times I feel like she is talking down the reader.  Or she goes off on tangents of trees and water and air and, well you get it.  The crux of the story is Sam and Grace and I felt as though she lost that in her writing.

I know that people will be annoyed at me for writing such a negative review for a fan favorite series.  But that's how these things work.  This book just did not work for me.