Some very dark tales

Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes by Multiple Authors

Rating: 2 out of 5 hearts

340 pages

Released: October 2012

Buy it @ book depository

In this anthology, 20 authors explore the dark and hidden meanings behind some of the most beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes through short story retellings. The dark twists on classic tales range from exploring whether Jack truly fell or if Jill pushed him instead to why Humpty Dumpty, fragile and alone, sat atop so high of a wall. The authors include Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Leigh Fallon, Gretchen McNeil, and Suzanne Young.

Review 

You've probably read, like me, many fairytale re-tellings of Hans Christian Anderson and The Brothers Grimm - well these are all Mother Goose nursery rhymes. At times with only a few lines to work with, these authors have weaved some haunting and truly imaginative re-tellings of these well known nursery rhymes.

With so many different writing styles it was hard to get absorbed in the story but at times the author was able to take me away and get totally wrapped up in their spine tingling tale of horror. It must be terribly hard to suck the reader in with such a short amount of time, but when the author got it right it was amazing.

While some of these stories were pretty amazing, some of them were a bit so so. I didn't end up finishing all the short stories, I only got through 12 of the 20. So below is a short write up of each of the stories that I read.

'As Blue as the sky and just as old' by Nina Berry: This one tells the nursery rhyme of Taffy was a welshman. It was ok but I'd never really heard of the rhyme before because it's a welsh tale.

'Sing a song of sixpence' by Sarwat Chadda: It must be hard to write a short story with interesting characters but I felt like this author achieved that with this story. It was interesting and had plenty of depth to it for something written in a short amount of pages.

'Clockwork' by Leah Cypess: This was an interesting spin on the Hickory Dickory Dock nursery rhyme.It was a great short story that didn't need a lot of back story, although it did seem a little cliche.

'Blue' by Sayantani DasGupta: Tale based on Little boy blue rhyme which was written in verse and very imaginative.

'Pieces of eight' by Shannon Delaney: I didn't know this rhyme either, some sleep baby sleep rhyme. I found it a bit boring but I did like the slight humor between two characters.

'Wee Willie Winkie' by Leigh Fallon: Such a haunting tale. In such a short period of time I was grabbed and taken along for the spooky tale of Wee Willie Winkie. A favourite so far and I want to read more by this author.

'Boys and girls come out to play' by Angie Frazer: Another really great story that was very imaginative about witches and witchcraft.

'I Come bearing souls' By Jessie Harrell: A creepy egyptian twist on the well known Hey Diddle Diddle rhyme.

'The Lion and the unicorn: part the first' by Nancy Holder: This one was really confusing and I didn't really get the meaning behind the story.

'Life in a shoe' by Heidi R. King: Very interesting and a little bit dystopian. Based on the rhyme there was an old lady who lived in a shoe. The idea behind this story would be the only reason why an old lady would have a reason to have so many children. This one whisked me away into it's world right away.

'Candlelight' by Suzanne Lazear: This was amazing! I would've loved reading a whole book about it. So much more of the background story could get fleshed out and I could read more about these characters in a full length book.

'One for sorrow' by Karen Mahoney: A little boring and felt very long for a short story. I've never heard this rhyme before either and I didn't really understand what the story had to do with the rhyme. The story was fairly predictable too.

Overall there were some fantastic stories and it made me want to read other books by those authors, but I gave this 2 stars mainly because I didn't finish it and because I was disappointed. Thank you to Month9Books and Netgalley for my copy.

On the cover

This cover is a bit creepy which I guess sums up a lot of the short stories in this anthology. I never really got to see this cover as this was a kindle edition.

What I'm reading next: The Dead and buried by Kim Harrington

Beauty or Beast

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
482 pages
Buy it @ book depository


Every year, the Scorpio Races are run on the beaches of Skarmouth. Every year, the sea washes blood from the sand. To race the savage water horses can mean death, but the danger is irresistible.
When Puck enters the races to save her family, she is drawn to the mysterious Sean, the only person on the island capable of taming the beasts.
Even if they stay together, can they stay alive?
A breathtaking ride that will make your heart race.

Review: My first thoughts of this book when I started reading were that the writing was so beautiful but I couldn't connect with the story.

I read "The Wolves of Mercy Falls" (also by Stiefvater) and was interested at the idea behind the story but I didn't really connect with the main characters. It was the same feeling I had when I was reading this, such a unique idea to write a story about sea horses that eat people but the people still go ahead and 'tame' them to ride them in the "Scorpio Races". It took me 300 pages before I started to love the book, it took an interesting turn and I started to feel for Puck & Sean.

We read the book from two characters points of view; Puck (aka Kate Connolly) & Sean. The book doesn't go backwards and forwards between characters, as in one chapter Puck the next Sean. At times you will read three consecutive chapters from Puck's point of view. This I found a little confusing at times when I didn't concentrate on which character I was reading, at times it was quite funny because I would think I'm reading Sean's part when in fact it was Puck. The times when I did this the most was at the end because I wanted to rush through to find out what happened next.

I have to mention Corr. Corr is Sean's waterhorse that he has ridden in the last 4 'Scorpio Races'. Sean has created a close bond with this beast and I couldn't help but fall for Corr by the end. I think it's because we see Corr through Sean's eyes and see the love that's there.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned in previous reviews before but I'm not a crier. I rarely cry in movies or books and if either of these achieve tears then they must be good! Well I didn't cry at the end but my eyes did well up. I don't want to give too much away but it felt like losing a pet and them finding their way back to you.

I have taken a star off mainly because I didn't have that connection to begin with but it got there in the end. On a side note, I liked how the book threw you in the deep end when it came to the story behind the waterhorses or 'capill usice', as you read you learn bits and pieces of background mythology.

Read my other Maggie Stiefvater reviews: 'Shiver', 'Linger', 'Forever'

On the cover: I LOVE this cover! It's so pretty and the swirls continue onto the back cover as well.

What I'm reading next: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Have you read a Maggie Stiefvater book before?

Handle with care...because you'll be disappointed

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
477 Pages
Buy it @ book depository

Things break all the time.

Day breaks, waves break, voices break.

Promises break.

Hearts break.



Every expectant parent will tell you that they don't want a perfect baby, just a healthy one. Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe would have asked for a healthy baby, too, if they'd been given the choice. Instead, their lives are made up of sleepless nights, mounting bills, the pitying stares of "luckier" parents, and maybe worst of all, the what-ifs. What if their child had been born healthy? But it's all worth it because Willow is, well, funny as it seems, perfect. She's smart as a whip, on her way to being as pretty as her mother, kind, brave, and for a five-year-old an unexpectedly deep source of wisdom. Willow is Willow, in sickness and in health.

Everything changes, though, after a series of events forces Charlotte and her husband to confront the most serious what-ifs of all. What if Charlotte should have known earlier of Willow's illness? What if things could have been different? What if their beloved Willow had never been born? To do Willow justice, Charlotte must ask herself these questions and one more. What constitutes a valuable life?

Emotionally riveting and profoundly moving, Handle with Care brings us into the heart of a family bound by an incredible burden, a desperate will to keep their ties from breaking, and, ultimately, a powerful capacity for love. Written with the grace and wisdom she's become famous for, beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult offers us an unforgettable novel about the fragility of life and the lengths we will go to protect it.

Review: Firstly I need to say I didn't actually finish this book. My initial reason for not finishing this is because I was bored and one of the characters frustrated me. But that wasn't my final reason for not finishing.

I've read many Picoult books before so I know what to expect from them but this one felt like she simply used her formula of 'Mum', 'Dad', 'Child with issue', 'Sibling', 'Lawyer' & 'Extra' as her characters and picking something wrong with the child that is confronting and completely devastating.

You find out that Willow (the Child with issue) has Osteogenesis Imperfecta also known as OI or what I liked to call it, brittle bones. She is born with it and will have hundreds of breaks over a period of her life. I wanted to know what someone with OI would look like so I googled it and I was deeply disturbed. The pictures I found on the internet were so horrific I had to stop looking.

Basically, Willow's mother decides that she can sue her obstetrician (which happens to be her best friend) for not picking up Willow's disability in an early ultrasound.

There were 15 discs in this Audiobook and I had gotten to the 6th Disc and was so bored! Willow's sister really irritated me too. I was sick of her always complaining about living in 'the sticks', not being able to go to the mall and many other teenage selfishness because of her sister's disability. While Willow was the one not complaining even if she had a bad break! I just wished that for once Picoult had written about a sibling that was supportive of not only her disabled brother/sister but also her parents. I know a lot of teenagers think of only themselves but it would've made at least one character interesting in the story.

There was a side story with the lawyer being adopted and trying to find her birth mother. So I'm assuming Picoult put that in there to flesh out the story because there wasn't enough in the main story to keep people interested.

So because of these two things (boring & sister was annoying) I decided to skip to the 13th Disc to see how the story was going and found that it was up to the court case and was still boring! I then went onto Wikipedia to read the plot and found out what happens in the end and I was angry! I was so glad I didn't invest my time listening to this just to have THAT happen in the end, I would've felt like throwing the audiobook out the window of the car! People who have read this will know what I'm talking about.

That's when I made the decision to not continue listening, I could've put up with boring and the annoying sister but not that happening in the end. I have read other reviews about this book and some people think the same as me.

On the Cover: The little girl on this cover is really adorable and her eyelashes are awesome! I wish I had eyelashes like that.

What I'm listening on Audio to next: Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Have you read a book that you were glad you didn't finish?

What's all the fuss about?

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1) by Stieg Larsson
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
465 pages
Buy it @ book depository

A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue.

It’s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden . . . and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder.

It’s about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired to get to the bottom of Harriet’s disappearance . . . and about Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old pierced and tattooed genius hacker possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age—and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness to go with it—who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialism—and an unexpected connection between themselves.

It’s a contagiously exciting, stunningly intelligent novel about society at its most hidden, and about the intimate lives of a brilliantly realized cast of characters, all of them forced to face the darker aspects of their world and of their own lives.

Review: So I have finally got around to reading, well listening to this. Way before the hype, a staff member I work with at the library told me I have to read this book because it's so good! So of course I gave it a go, only to have read about 50 pages and not understood a single thing. I found that the names confused me and it wasn't easy to read so I gave up. So now, I decided to get the Audiobook version to see if it was any better than reading. The first disc was boring and it didn't really make much sense to me but now that I've finished the book I can understand why that was part of the story.  And I'm so glad I did get it on Audio because I didn't have to worry too much about name pronunciation. One thing that annoyed me was how characters weren't always called by the first names - Larsson would swap from calling them their first name, then their last name. For example one minute he is calling Henrik Vangar - Henkrik and then later he's called Vangar. It got very confusing because it happened with most of the characters and I feel it's even more confusing because the names are Swedish, I think it would be different if they were common English names. I  know that sounds really terrible of me to say but it's the truth! The only character I really liked was Henrik Vangar, I thought he seemed like a cool old dude - I didn't feel anything for the other characters.

There are 17 discs for this Audiobook and the tenth disc didn't work! So I had to skip about 30 pages of the story, this was so frustrating because the story was just starting to get interesting. (Just so you're aware that was the tenth disc, so that's more than halfway when the book JUST starts to get interesting)

I don't feel the need to read or listen to the other books, instead I read the plots on wikipedia and I'm quite satisfied with that. In the end this book was OK. I don't know why it got so much hype, the mystery was interesting enough but I've read better mystery novels. Oh and a little side note, the main character Mikael Blomkvist has too much coffee and too much sex, he is anybodies! I can totally see why they picked Daniel Craig to play him in the American version of the movie. I am looking forward to seeing the movie version so I can compare them.

A huge warning for people who haven't read this and are thinking of giving it a go - there is a very graphic scene in it which I didn't think was all that necessary to the story but it was explained at the beginning that a high amount of women in Sweden get sexually assaulted so maybe it's common to have that sort of things in Swedish books...

On the cover: Wow what an awesome tattoo! I thought the story was all about a girl with a tattoo but it was more about an excessive coffee drinking journalist who likes women a little bit too much. Oh and What's that about over 1.5 million copies sold? Don't know why?

What I'm listening on Audio to next: Handle with care by Jodi Picoult

Have you read this and did you continue reading the others?

Yummy Lolly Nails ~ Whimsical by Revlon

I love Revlon nail Polish and I've been wanting this one for ages but have never been able to find it in the shops. So I went to trusty eBay and found a fairly cheap one for sale.

Whimsical #430 is a very light blue jelly like nail polish which it is extremely sheer. It would be perfect for layering over nail polishes to give them that something extra. It has baby blue and pink hex glitter as well as smaller pink hex glitter pieces and even tinier iridescent blue glitter spread throughout.

I decided to put three coats over a white nail polish & pink nailpolish as you can see in the above picture.
I think this would look really pretty over a baby blue nail polish which I might try another time.
The amount of glitter you get each coat is quite good and it's easy to move around the glitter with the brush.

I named these my Lolly nails because they look so edible and sweet don't they? Overall I do like this polish and I think it will be a favorite of mine.

Do you have a favorite Revlon color?

Michael Cera as Nick, I don't think so!

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
183 pages
But it @ book depository

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be—and where the next great band is playing.

Told in alternating chapters, teeming with music references, humor, angst, and endearing side characters, this is a love story you’ll wish were your very own. Working together for the first time, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have combined forces to create a book that is sure to grab readers of all ages and never let them go.

Review: I love David & Rachel together. I have read another of their books they wrote together 'Dash & Lily's book of dares' which was amazing and so was this. They know what teenagers sound like, they bring their characters to life in such a short story. Nick is a bit of a hopeless romantic, he makes mix tapes and is sexy without knowing it. While Norah is a bit wild, she's willing to hang out with a guy she barely knows. 

I watched the movie a long time ago so I couldn't really decide whether the movie was like the book or not. I just hopped onto Nick & Norah's exciting ride and let everything go. Nick & Norah feel like life is there's for the taking and they feel invincible because they're at that perfect teen age. 

The story moved along at a quick pace with a back and forth between Nick & Norah's point of views. One chapter will be from Nick's and the next will be from Norah's and so on. I love these sorts of novels because I love to get inside the other character's head to find out what they were thinking during a certain situation. David & Rachel due this so well!

I did notice that there was a lot of swearing, and when I mean a lot, I mean A LOT! And it was the bad 'f' word so this might not be a good one for the younger teen readers.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait to watch the movie again to see what differences there are. I recommend this for anyone who loves music and reminiscing about what it was like to be a reckless teenager.

On the cover: This is the movie cover, which I seem to always get instead of the normal cover. After reading this I did not picture Michael Cera playing Nick. Nick sounds sexy, while Michael Cera is not!

What I'm reading next: Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins 

Have you seen the movie or read the book? Which one do you like better?

 

Last adventure with Rose and the rest of the gang

Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6) by Richelle Mead
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
594 pages
Buy it @ book depository

They come first.

My vision was growing dimmer, the blackness and ghosts closing in. I swore it was like I could hear Robert whispering in my ear: The world of the dead won't give you up a second time. Just before the light completely vanished, I saw Dimitri's face join Lissa's. I wanted to smile. I decided then that if the two people I loved most were safe, I could leave this world.

The dead could finally have me.


Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose - for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back...and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you?

Review: Richelle Mead was saving the best for last! This series has been a roller coaster of all sorts of emotions: surprise, excitement, annoyance & lots of laughs. After the huge cliff hanger at the end of the previous book I was looking forward to seeing how this might have ended. Mead did a fantastic job of wrapping up the series with everything tied up in a nice little bow. There was a moment there that I was a bit worried that she was going to go down THAT road (for all people who have read this you may know what I'm talking about) but she didn't, thankfully! 

I listened to this one on Audiobook, unlike all the others which I read. I thought I'd give it a go on Audio to see whether I enjoyed it. Well, I enjoyed the story but not the narrator. She did a terrible job of the male voices. Dimitri & Adrian did not sound very good at all, it was very off putting! 

I took a star off only because of the slight predictability of the story and because of poor Adrian. I really like Adrian and thought he was hard done by, even though I knew Dimitri was always the one for Rose.

This series has been so enjoyable and I like that Mead was able to finish it before it got boring. After finishing this I feel content and happy with how everything panned out. I'm looking forward to reading the follow on series 'Bloodlines'. (Mainly because I've been told Adrian is a main character in it)


On the cover: This will be the last Vampire Academy book cover I will look at and wonder who the person on the cover is meant to be portraying... Whoever this chick is she needs to pluck her eyebrows!

What I'm listening to next: The girl with the dragon tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Have you read this series? What did you think of the ending? 

 

A Tempestuous let down

Temestuous by Lesley Livingston
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Buy it @ bookdepository

"I don't love Sonny Flannery."
That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.
But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.
The intrigue and romance that began with Wondrous Strange and Darklight come to a stormy head in Tempestuous, the breathtaking conclusion to Lesley Livingston's ravishing urban Faerie trilogy.

Review: I'm unsure how to start this review... It's been so long since I read 'Darklight', almost 8 months, and I've read a lot of other books in between so I've kind of forgotten what had happened at the end of the previous book. It didn't take me long to get back in to the swing of Lelsey Livingston's beautiful writing, but I felt like something was missing. I think that spark between Kelley & Sonny wasn't there for me or maybe I've read other books since where the connections between lovers is stronger than this. The magic and adventure wasn't there either. I would pick this up, read a chapter then put it down again because the story wasn't sucking me in. It took me nearly two weeks to finish this because of that reason.

I felt like there was so much build up during the first two books in to figuring out who the evil was behind it all that when I did find out, it was a let down. The reason I was let down was because I felt like everything was sorted out too quickly and was wrapped up too easily. Small thing to complain about, but it got to me. To give away the ending, it was happy (thankfully) and I will still think very highly of 'Wondrous Strange' and continue to read Lesley Livingston's books even though I didn't enjoy this as much.

To sum up, I don't know if it was the mood I was in when reading this or simply I had lost the connection to the series. Whatever the reason, I felt like it was a chore to read 'Tempestuous' which is very, very sad. (Still 3 stars because of my past love for these characters.)

Click here to read my review of 'Wondrous Strange' or here for my review of 'Darklight'.

On the cover: Such a pretty cover! Only it's a little bit too dark for me and I would've liked to see her ears so that I could see the slight pointyness of them.

What I'm reading next: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Have you read the last book in a series that disappointed you?

It's Coraline not Caroline!

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
162 pages
Buy it @ bookdepository


When Coraline explores her new home, she steps through a door and into another house just like her own... except that it's different. It's a marvelous adventure until Coraline discovers that there's also another mother and another father in the house. They want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to keep her forever!

Coraline must use all of her wits and every ounce of courage in order to save herself and return home.







Review: I saw this movie when it was released and thought it was really awesome. The whole idea of having a world where there is another mother and another father with buttons as eyes is a creepy, but unique idea. I found the book was slightly different to the movie, although it has been a long time since I saw the movie so I could've forgotten certain aspects. Coraline is so cool and quirky, It would be awesome to spend time with her. She's such an interesting girl that you can't help but get connected to her right away. Every thing her parents suggest her to do in the holidays is BORING, she wants excitement and adventure, little does she know that is exactly what she gets. The mysterious part of the story in which Coraline has to find a way to get out of the other house is interesting enough, it keeps you intrigued but is fairly simple to figure out what is going on. So in saying that I think the story is suitable for readers of all ages although some younger children may be scared of some of the themes in this book.

To sum up I gave it four stars because I was left wanting a little more. I felt like the other mother didn't get a good comeuppance for her terrible deeds. On a side note, Neil Gaman was the one narrating the audiobook and it was great! I love when an author does the narrating of their own book because you think they would know how the characters should sound.


On the cover: Obviously this is the movie cover, which funny enough I prefer to any other cover. Usually I hate the movie covers on books because most of the time they get actors to play the characters and they look nothing like how they're described in the book. I love the button for the 'O' in Coraline and the cat as the 'L'. Also, the moon is a button and the tree is a hand creeping to snatch up Coraline. This cover is creepy and interesting at the same time. Love it!

What I'm listening on Audio to next: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Have you seen the movie? Which did you like better?

I've had better

House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

When your son can't look you in the eye...does that mean he's guilty?
Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject - forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he's always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he's usually right.
But when Jacob's small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob's behaviors are hallmark Asperger's, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob's mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.
And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?


Review: This started off so well, but by the end I was thinking "Just get on with it already!". I've read a couple of fiction books on Aspergers and when I saw that Picoult (a favourite author of mine) had written a book on it too, I had to read it. I was very let down I'm afraid (it seems my favourite authors are doing that to me lately). So as always with Picoult's books we have different characters telling their story. In this we have 5 characters: Emma (the mother), Jacob (the son with Asperger's), Theo (the younger brother of Jacob), Rich (the policeofficer) and Oliver (the lawyer). What I found very frustrating (that I haven't found with her other books) was that sometimes one of the characters would repeat something that has already been said by another character. I don't think it's necessary for another character to mention something again, it just bogged down the story for me. Another thing that got frustrating was Jacob. I don't know anyone personally with Asperger's but I didn't find it believable that someone who had Asperger's would be speaking the way he did. I've read "Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time" by Mark Haddon which is from a young boy's point of view who has Asperger's Syndrome, for me that felt very believable while this didn't. Another rant moment that I got so angry with was when the lawyer and the mother never wanted to ask Jacob what he actually did! I thought to myself "Come on people, he told you he tells the truth", fair enough the lawyer didn't want to know how he commited the crime but as a mother wouldn't you want to know what your son did. But, I guess if Jacob told them what happened truthfully then the book would've been a lot shorter and everything would've been wrapped up quicker (still annoyed me though). I hope you've been able to follow this review because I wrote it still fuming....

Overall I think this book went far too long and it could've been finished in less pages. On a side note Jacob reminded me so much of 'Sheldon' from the "Big Bang Theory", I swear Sheldon has Asperger's!

On the cover: I assume that's the mother wrapped in her son's patchwork blanket. She's looking off in the distance probably wishing her life had turned out differently...

What I'm listening on Audio to next: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Have you read any books my Jodi Picoult? Which is your favourite?

Wickedly boring

Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars




 When Harvard University English professor and dyed-in-the-wool romantic Gilbert Reedy is mysteriously murdered and thrown off his fourth-floor balcony, Lizzy and Diesel take up his twenty-year quest for the Luxuria Stone, an ancient relic believed by some to be infused with the power of lust. Following clues contained in a cryptic nineteenth-century book of sonnets, Lizzy and Diesel tear through Boston catacombs, government buildings, and multimillion-dollar residences, leaving a trail of robbed graves, public disturbances, and spontaneous seduction.







Review: Firstly, let me say the first book in this new series released by Janet Evanovich was really enjoyable. I don't know what went wrong with this one. Was I in a different mood when reading the first one or have I simply read better books since then and this just doesn't make the cut?

It's been two years since Evanovich released the first book and I read it around that time and I can't really remember much of the quality of the book. I did notice I gave the first book 4 out of 5 stars, then why was this one so bad for me? Don't get me wrong it was fun at times and made me laugh but the story was lacking in excitement. I'm used to a book building up the suspense and giving you tastes of what is to come. This on the other hand moved quickly but it all felt too easy for the characters. There weren't any bumps in the road or anything getting in the way of our heroes from achieving their goals. Ok, there were two evil people trying to find the treasure but it never felt like they were in the way and they could be overcome quite easily. See what I mean about it being easy. This book is all about finding clues and figuring them out to move onto the next step in finding your treasure but each clue was figured quickly and simply and then everything was wrapped up nicely at the end of the book - too easy!

Will I keep reading this series or just stick to Stephanie Plum books? I don't know, Evanovich has always delivered a quick book with lots of laughs and a good old mystery but I'm a little let down by this one. So if you're looking for an exciting thrill ride brimming with romance and huge cliffhangers, look elsewhere because for me it wasn't in this book.

If you would like to read my review for the first book "Wicked Appetite" click here

On the cover: I love the font and the cover does stand out with it's bright blue and green but why didn't the book feel as magical as it looks.

What I'm reading next: Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston

Have you read the Stephanie Plum series? What do you think about this new series?

Dimitri or Adrian?

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5)
by Richelle Mead
Rating: 4 out 5 stars

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong...

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's-and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives beyond the Academy's iron gates to begin. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him... forever.




Review: Rose has graduated from St Vladimir's and has finally become a guardian, but will she become her best friend Lissa's guardian. In the previous book Rose was in Russia hunting down her beloved Dimitri after he had been turned Strigoi and while she was there she found out that it may be possible to turn someone from Strigoi back to their normal state. In this book Rose is continuing on her quest to find a way to make Dimitri himself again.

I loved the first three books in this series but found the fourth left me wanting. So I gave it a big break in between the fourth and this one. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed this. I had also started to read the graphic novels for this series so it got me back in the mood to start it up again. At the end of the fourth book Rose decides that she should give a relationship with Adrian a go, which I couldn't wait to read about because I liked Adrian as a character. I do really love Dimitri but I didn't think that there was any coming back from being a Strigoi so, I thought it was good that Rose was moving on to Adrian. But that wasn't to be, through the whole book Rose can't seem to decide who she wants to be with. I really felt for Adrian because he is super sweet and so forgiving of Rose. Lissa has become a more likable character for me because she has become a stronger person since she's been using her spirit powers more. It's a bit sad that she only became likable in the second last book, she has always seemed a bit of a weak character to me.

A very unique thing that I really like about these books is the way you read the book in first person from Rose's point of view BUT she can also look through Lissa's eyes at any time (because of their bond) which gives you a third person point of view too. I found this to be a good way to develop the story when Rose may not be there at the time. As your reading the last few chapters and thinking to yourself that it's wrapping up nicely you're thrown a huge curve ball! I was like "WHAAAAA....!!" It left the book with a massive cliffhanger so I'm dying to see how the author is going to wrap up the series. The next book is the last one in the series so it will be very interesting.

In regards to my title of this blog post I won't tell you who Rose does or doesn't choose between hunky Dimitri or sweet Adrian, you will have to read it to find out......

On the cover: Ok, so one thing that really bugs me about these covers is that the people on the covers always look different. The people never look like any of the characters or they're always mixed, So I'm not really sure which character they're representing. I think this is meant to be Lissa & Christian??? But the dude doesn't look anything like Christian to me, so then I think maybe it's Rose & Adrian but then the chick looks nothing like I imagine Rose to look? Confused. Also, this kind of looks like a Mills & Boon novel - luckily it's too thick for people to think it's a Mills & Boon....

What I'm reading next: Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich

Have you read this series before? What do you think of the books?

The end to a series or is it??

Now by Morris Gleitzman

Rating: 3 out of 5

Set in the current day, this is the final book in the series that began with Once, continued with Then and is... Now. Felix is a grandfather. He has achieved much in his life and is widely admired. He has mostly buried the painful memories of his childhood, but they resurface when his granddaughter Zelda comes to stay with him. Together they face a cataclysmic event armed only with their gusto and love – an event that helps them achieve salvation from the past, but also brings the possibility of destruction.

Review: This isn't the end of this series, there is a fourth book which has just been released called "After" which I'm really looking forward to reading as it continues Felix's story when he defeats the Nazis. So instead of the final book being voiced through Felix, it's all from Felix's grand-daughter Zelda's point of view. I liked this book but not as much as the other two, mainly because I liked Felix as a character and didn't have that same feeling for Zelda. I also think it's because there was so much more I wanted to read about Felix's story and I didn't feel like it was over yet (but now I know there's more, that makes me happy). Zelda is living with her grandfather because her parents are doctors working overseas and during her stay with her grandfather we get glimpses of how Felix (which is what she calls him in the book, not pop or grand-father etc) has changed since the war and how he moved to Australia. The "event" that happens in this is also based on truth, it really did happen in Australia and that's what makes these books feel so real. The ending was really sweet and a little bit sad, but in a good way if there can be...

On the cover: The cover depicts a scene that happens in the book. Other than that I think this cover isn't all that exciting. I would probably walk straight past it if I hadn't already read the first two in the series.

What I'm listening on Audio to next: House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Graphic Novel did it for me

Witch & Wizard (Graphic Novel)

by James Patterson

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Imagine waking up to find that the world around you - life as you know it - has changed in an instant. That's what happens to Whit Allgood and his sister, Wisty. They thought that they were just a couple of normal teenagers, until their rude awakening at the hands of a dozen armed police! Charged with being a wizard and a witch, accused of having incredible powers they never dreamed possible, the siblings find themselves the targets of an upstart political regime, The New Order, which has swept the country and vowed to wipe "their kind" from existence. Now Whit and Wisty must fight for both their freedom and their lives as they unlock the powers burning inside of them!





Review: I'm a fan of James Patterson's young adult series "Maximum Ride" so I thought I'd love this new series when he released it. But, I tried to read the book and the Audiobook but couldn't seem to enjoy the story. So when I saw that there was a graphic novel I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did because it was much better. I still felt the same way I did when I was reading the book, which was that it all started so quickly and we (as readers) are expected to just "get" what is happening. I like a book that gets right into the story but I don't like when things aren't really explained properly. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this - I loved the illustrations and the humor. So I will continue reading the graphic novels

On the cover: I looove the cover, It makes me feel like kicking butt! The fire looks awesome.

Reading Next: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Have you ever tried a graphic novel after not enjoying the book?

They just keep getting better and better!

Purity in Death (In Death series #15)

By J. D. Robb

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purity in Death finds our heroine on an assignment that leaves her even more tormented by the past. When a deadly computer virus is unleashed on society's undesirables (namely, child abusers), it's up to Eve -- along with her astonishingly handsome husband, Roarke; her feisty aide, Peabody; e-geek McNab; and her mentor, Captain Feeny -- to discover the origins of the virus and shut down the clandestine vigilante group that created it before the next target is marked for execution.

Eve's task is complicated further as she grapples with her demons (as a child-abuse victim, it was a matter of survival that led Eve to kill her father) and squares off with Roarke, who does not regard the group's intentions as inherently bad. Once again, she must muddle through those gray areas of right and wrong as she seeks to "stand for the dead," and answer the question of whether the group is justified in its actions, or whether they simply represent a new breed of terrorist.


Review: Oh my gosh, this was pretty amazing.  I can’t believe J. D. Robb still has fresh material, after 15 books she’s still got! Eve is back to stand up for crime. Although this time is she standing up for the wrong guys? A terrorist type group is killing off people who are truly evil but does that give them the right to choose who gets to live or die? This is the dilemma that Eve is faced with when some people agree with the group. I love this series so much and this one reminds me so much of one of the other books in the series that I enjoyed, it was called Rapture in Death. That book also focuses on technology being responsible for the deaths. These books are set in the future but that is never the main part of the story, it’s just something that is there in the background. So I love when technology is involved in the crime because it’s always really interesting and Robb does a good job of making it seem real – like some time in the near future this could really happen. What I also really like about these books are the characters. Every single one of them feel so real to me and I love learning more and more about them. To wrap it up I can’t get enough of these books and I hope they are still this good by the time i get to the 30^th.

On the cover: Ok ok so there's no way I would pick up this book by it's cover. It's truly hideous and boring but if you take a look at this cover at least it's a little more appealing. Neither of the covers tell me anything about what's going to be inside, so please do not judge this book by it's cover.

What I'm listening on Audio to next: Now by Morris Gleitzman

Have you read this series before? What do you like about it?

Why hello there pretty book

City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments #5)

By Cassandra Clare

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Jace is now a servant of evil, bound for all eternity to Sebastian. Only a small band of Shadowhunters believe he can be saved. To do this they must defy the Clave. And they must act without Clary. For Calry is playing a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace's soul. Clary is willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?






Review: What can I say about City of Lost Souls. I really wish it hadn’t taken me soooo long to read this because it was really awesome! At the time I was reading this I had lots of nights out and weekends away so I couldn’t snuggle down and enjoy this in a long stint. It didn’t help when each chapter of the book were on average 30 pages! So once I finished one chapter I would get distracted and not pick up the book for another few days. I really enjoy the Mortal Instruments series and this one didn’t let me down. It picks up right where we left off in book Four and takes you on a swoony ride. My My there was so much swoon in this book, we don’t have only one couple to swoon along with but four! There was so much going on (which was a good thing) with so many storylines to follow. They all intertwine with each other so well and keep the fast pace of the story exciting. I think the more and more I read this series the more and more I like Clary as a female character. I haven’t always had such a strong connection to her from the other books but something happened for me in this. I think all the moments she had with Sebastian, and what she was standing up for really pushed her into “Awesome character” for me. I also like Simon a lot more in this one compared to four, I kind of hated when he was turned into a Vampire and now he’s gotten to terms with what he is, not a monster and I like that. Oh and I love all the references to her Infernal Devices series, If you are planning on reading book 4 & 5 of The Mortal Instruments seres without first reading her Infernal Devices series – don’t! There’s some things that you will get better if you read the Infernal Devices first. I can’t go past saying “damn that’s a cliffhanger of an ending”! Cassandra Clare has done a fantastic job with this book, I can not wait to see what adventure I’m taken on next.

On the cover: Awesome is an understatement for this cover. It's truly beautiful! Unfortunetly you cant see how pretty it looks with the above picture. The parts on their bodies that look like they are shiny, they really are shiny! If I hadn't read the first few books, I would still pick this up because its looks really interesting. Also, Clary actually does wear a red dress similar to that in the story so it does show what to expect inside. Oh how I wish this guy on the cover was playing Jace in the movie instead of the actor who is. This is guy is dreamy....

What I'm reading next: Witch & Wizard {Graphic Novel} by James Patterson

What do you think of the cover? Would you read this book based on it's cover?

What's happened to a great series?

The Full Cupboard of Life (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency #5) 

By Alexander McCall Smith

Rating: 2 out of 5

Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni are still engaged, but with no immediate plans to get married. Mma Ramotswe wonders when a wedding date will be named, but she is anxious to avoid putting pressure on her fiancé. For indeed he has other things on his mind -- particularly a frightening request (involving a parachute jump) made by Mma Potokwani, the persuasive matron of the orphan farm.

Mma Ramotswe herself has weighty matters on her mind. She has been approached by a wealthy lady to check up on several suitors. Are these men interested in her or just her money? This may be difficult to find out, but it’s just the kind of case Mma Ramotswe likes and she is, as we know, a very intuitive lady.

Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi -- plucky assistant detective and deputy manager of the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors garage -- is moving. Her entrepreneurial venture, the Kalahari Typing School for Men, is thriving and with this new income she has rented two rooms in a house. Her spare time is occupied with planning the move, the décor and her new life in a house with running water all to herself.

In the background of all this is Botswana, a country of empty spaces and echoing skies, a country so beautiful and entrancing that it breaks your heart. Mma Ramotswe has prepared the bush tea and is waiting for us to join her.

Review: I was really disappointed with this installment because I felt like it wasn’t about the mystery as much as being about boring daily Botswana stuff. Now I know these books are a light detective story and I usually like learning all about life in Botswana but this time it wasn’t doing anything for me and I got bored. I loved the other four because they had a really interesting mystery intertwined with the daily story of Mma Ramotswe but this one took quite a few chapters before we came across our mystery. In the end, I hate to say this, I didn’t finish the audiobook. Instead I looked online to find out what happened in the end and I kinda wished I had finished the book because something really important happened. Oh well! I think i’ll wait a while before I read the next one.

On the cover: It's not a very exciting cover and I don't see how it speaks specifically about the story because there wasn't really much to the story. I suppose the book is called "Full Cupboard of Life" and this a full cupboard?? 

Listening on Audio to next: Purity in Death by J. D. Robb

Have you read this series? What did you think?

War = Sadness

Then by Morris Gleitzman
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Felix and Zelda have escaped the train to the death camp, but where do they go now? They're two runaway kids in Nazi-occupied Poland. Danger lies at every turn of the road.

With the help of a woman named Genia and their active imaginations, Felix and Zelda find a new home and begin to heal, forming a new family together. But can it last?

Morris Gleitzman's winning characters will tug at readers' hearts as they struggle to survive in the harsh political climate of Poland in 1942. Their lives are difficult, but they always remember what matters: family, love, and hope.





Review: *Sniff Sniff* Why?! Why did Morris Gleitzman write such a sad story!! This is the follow on to his first book on the holocaust called “Once”. It continues the story of the young Jewsish boy Felix and his little 6 year old friend Zelda. I can’t really say that I enjoyed the first book or this book because it’s such an emotional topic, but I can say that I liked it because Felix felt very real and his voice was very strong throughout the book. It felt exactly like I was hearing the story straight from a 10 year old boys mouth. I don’t want to give away why it’s so sad but something really horrible happens at the end of the book and it left me stunned, I thought to myself ‘How can this be a book aimed at junior aged children? It’s very graphic and devastating at times’. I know, I know, it’s set in World War two and there wasn’t any happy times during the war until people found out it was over but.... I wasn’t expecting that!! This book is only 182 pages (which translates to only 3 and a half hours of listening) so it’s a very short, so when it ended I was craving to know what happened next, I needed to find out the ending to Felix’s story. So I am interested to see what happens in the next book and whether it will be the end to Felix's story.

On the cover: As always there's many covers and this is the cover that I had for the Audiobook. What I find interesting is the brightness of the green and blue, If I had picked this up without knowing anything about it I would think it's not a really sad book about World War two. It seems like it's a coming of age story (which it kind of is but through experience of war not just normal everyday things). The silhouette of the children meant something to me after I finished, It seems a bit like disappearing (but that's all I'll say as it will give away too much).

Listening to next: "Full cupboard of life" by Alexander Mccall Smith

Have you read this series before? What did you think?

Bye for now ~ Sami X

The Skeleton Detective has done it again!

Playing with fire (Skulduggery Pleasant #2) by Derek Landy
Rating 4 out of 5 stars

"Skulduggery and Valkyrie are facing a new enemy: Baron Vengeous, who is determined to bring back the terrifying Faceless Ones and is crafting an army of evil to help him. Added to that, Vengeous is about to enlist a new ally (if he can raise it from the dead): the horrible Grotesquery, a very unlikable monster of legend.

Once Vengeous is on the loose, dead bodies and vampires start showing up all over Ireland. Now pretty much everybody is out to kill Valkyrie, and the daring detective duo faces its biggest challenge yet.

But what if the greatest threat to Valkyrie is just a little closer to home?"




Review: After listening on Audio to the first book in the ‘Skulduggery Pleasant’ series I couldn’t wait to read the second. The first book was funny, magical and full of adventure, and this one also delivers all of those things. I love the soundtrack and special effect sounds on the audio book, it really sets the scene and makes the story more exciting! In the first book there were so many laugh out loud moments but I didn’t feel like there were as many in this one. I still really love the banter between main characters, Skulduggery & Valkyrie, at times I was amazed at what kind of comebacks a 13 year old could come up with (some were hilarious!) My favourite Skulduggery quote in this book would have to be “We aren’t retreating... we’re advancing in reverse”. These books are quick and easy to read and fill the time quite easily, So if you’re looking for a book full of fun then this series is what you’re looking for. Even though it wasn’t as funny as the first I still had a great time listening to it and I look forward to continuing the adventures with Skulduggery & Valkyrie. Keep up the good work of saving the world!!

On the cover: I LOVE these covers! They are so cool, the colors are very eye-catching against the black & whites and the catch phrase at the bottom is the perfect explanation of what is to come. Doesn't Skulduggery look fly in his suit :)


To see my review of the first book in the series click here

*Picture & blurb taken from goodreads


Listening to next: Then by Morris Gleitzman

Bye for now ~ Sami X