It's been almost two months since I posted my last bookshelf book reviews.
Since then I have read 10 books. That is a little more than a book a week.
Some I read in a few days and others took much longer than a week.
I have been trying to diversify my picks a little.
Lighter, then heavier.
Young Adult Fiction, then a classic.
It's nice to read something different. I find that if I get stuck too much in a reading rut then I will never get out of it.
So here's what my mind(and my fingers, after all they have to turn the pages) has been up to the last few months:
1) Before I Fall
Synopsis(Taken from goodreads): What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
Instead, it turns out to be her last.
Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.
Rating(Out of 5): 5
Notes: This is really one of the best books I've ever read. So different. I NEVER got bored. I enjoyed every page and the story was always different so it kept me on my toes. It was such a beautiful message and very well written. Definitely one of those books that I stayed up until 2 in the morning because I really wanted to finish it. Then I was thinking about it for days afterword and didn't want to start another book because I didn't think anything could match it. It is more of a mature book. Has some swearing and adult themes. But really not too bad. It actually fits into this book and is important for the story line. PLEASE read this book!
2)Uglies, Pretties, Specials & Extras
Synopsis: Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that?
Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.
But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.
Rating: 3.5
Notes: This was a really entertaining story. The first two in the series were the best. The last two were ok. I definitely liked this series but it also isn't the first that would come to mind when giving a book recommendation. They were very easy to read though and were good, clean books. I bought them on a whim with a gift card to Barnes and Nobles and I'm not disappointed they are on my bookshelf. I am sure I will read them again in a year or so.
3) Water For Elephants
Synopsis: Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.
Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Rating: 4
Notes: The only reason I was dissapointed with this book and didn't give it a 5 was because of some swearing and sexual content. But it was definitely different from what I had been reading and it was a nice change of scenery(as far as books go). The characters were all great. There were a few oddballs, it is about the circus after all, but they just added to the story even more than the "normal" characters. It is definitely a page turned, especially at the end. This story helped keep me awake on the drive back from Utah :-)
4) My Cousin Rachel
Synopsis: My Cousin Rachel is the gripping story of a Victorian young man
whose placid life in the English countryside is turned inside-out by an
older woman. The young man is Philip Ashley, the novel's narrator.
Orphaned at an early age, he's been raised by his bachelor uncle
Ambrose, who falls in love and marries while traveling in Florence, then
dies there in suspicious circumstances. Shortly after her husband'1s
death, Ambrose's widow turns up in England, setting the stage for the
unfolding of a relationship between the callow Philip and the beautiful,
sophisticated, mysterious widow. And while Philip impetuously embraces
the role of the moth flapping full-tilt toward the flame, the widow
never puts a foot wrong. Is she designedly luring Philip to his doom?
Might she even have had a hand in Ambrose's death?
Rating: 2.5
Notes: I was laughing a little when the synopsis says a "gripping" story. Uh, no. Maybe a few times I was pretty into and mostly at the end. This story was dull. That's probably why it took me months of reading a few pages, maybe a chapter, and forgetting about it and then going back to it. I originally picked the book up because I love the author's more popular book Rebecca. I read that book in high school and again a few years later and loved it. So I figured I would love this book. But I just didn't. It is interesting at parts and mysterious in others but just not that gripping and in the end the storyline just was too plain. So I'm glad i read it but probably wouldn't read it again.
5) The Count of Monte Cristo
Synopsis: Falsely accused of treason, the young sailor Edmond Dantes is arrested on his wedding day and imprisoned in the island fortress of the Chateau d'If. Having endured years of incarceration, he stages a daring and dramatic escape and sets out to discover the fabulous treasure of Monte Cristo, and to catch up with his enemies. A novel of enormous tension and excitement, The Count of Monte Cristo is also a tale of obsession and revenge. Believing himself to be an 'Angel of Providence', Dantes pursues his vengeance to the bitter end, only then realizing that he himself is a victim of fate. One of the great thrillers of all time, The Count of Monte Cristo has been adapted for film and television many times
Rating: 4.5
Notes: This book really is a classic for a reason, it's great no matter when you read it. I have seen the most recent movie made many times and loved it so I picked this book up at Barnes and Nobles a while ago and it has been on my to read list for a long time. I was a little daunted by how long it was and never seemed to have the time to delve into this kind of book. But I finally did and actually got through it in a couple weeks. Which is still long for me so you will definitely have to devote some time to this book. But it is well worth it. I promise. I actually liked the first half of the book the best. It is more about hope for the future and has everything a good book should. And while I still liked the second half too it is a little depressing. The most recent movie definitely does not portray the book ending correctly. But overall this is a wonderful book and really a great literary feat.
6) Jellicoe Road
Synopsis: My father took one hundred and thirty two minutes to die.
I counted.
It happened on the Jellicoe Road. The prettiest road I’d ever seen, where trees made breezy canopies like a tunnel to Shangri-La. We were going to the ocean, hundreds of kilometres away, because I wanted to see the ocean and my father said that it was about time the four of us made that journey. I remember asking, “What’s the difference between a trip and a journey?” and my father said, “Narnie, my love, when we get there, you’ll understand,” and that was the last thing he ever said.
We heard her almost straight away. In the other car, wedged into ours so deep that you couldn’t tell where one began and the other ended. She told us her name was Tate and then she squeezed through the glass and the steel and climbed over her own dead – just to be with Webb and me; to give us her hand so we could clutch it with all our might. And then a kid called Fitz came riding by on a stolen bike and saved our lives.
Someone asked us later, “Didn’t you wonder why no one came across you sooner?”
Did I wonder?
When you see your parents zipped up in black body bags on the Jellicoe Road like they’re some kind of garbage, don’t you know?
‘Wonder dies.’
Rating:4
Notes: I liked this book because it kept me on my toes to the point of even being downright confusing sometimes. But it all works out in the end and comes together in one of those "aha" moments. I love mystery books because finally understanding everything is so satisfying. This book is also very well written and is different from most other books I've read lately. This was a new and refreshing point of view and way of writing. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a light read.
7) Passion (Fallen #3)
Synopsis: Luce would die for Daniel.
And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.
Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.
Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.
Rating: 3.5
Notes: I do like these books, I do. I read through all three of them. This one is the third in the series and just came out a few months ago. But...(you knew it was coming) sometimes the plot lines gets a little too far out there for me. It is about angels and fallen angels, and this book introduces a character who is meant to be Satan or the devil or whatever name you want to use. Now it isn't explicit or dark really but the story line still kind of bugs me a little. For one, the author never gives you the whole story. It's the third book and I am still not sure what the books are about completely. Yeah, annoying. A little suspense is great. A little, I said.
With that said, I do like the story line in other ways. The third was probably my favorite. It took you through different time periods and I think the author really hit the different era's head on. She did a great job making them seem authentic. The story is also very unique and definitely isn't another vampire story, which is nice for a change.
So there are things that annoy me and things I love. I'm really split but would definitely still recommend this series.
8)Daughter of Earth(Tales of the Guardian #2)
Synopsis: The second installment in the Tales of the Guardian Series
An impending war nears and little seems stable in Emily's life. Determined to fulfill her duties as the prophesied Daughter of Earth, Emily enters Eden and begins to find her place in a supernatural world. Alexander's disapproval of the course his elders have charted for Emily threatens to break his bond with them. Long-kept secrets of his kind prove to be destructive to his trust; but Alexander has a secret of his own. A dark secret that could not only destroy their love but could also destroy the hope that lies with them for the survival of mankind.
Rating:2
Notes: I bought the first one on my nook app on my phone because it was 99 cents and someone who's book taste is very similar to mine recommended it. Meh. That's what I thought about it. Sometimes I would see a glimmer of hope in the writing and then sometimes I felt like I was reading a really bad soap opera script. The writing was so simple and boring at times. But the plot was good at times and the ending kept me interested so I read the second one. It was about the same. Maybe the writing improved a little and plot was still interesting at times. But compared to many books I've read lately I just can't say this was very good.
Some I read in a few days and others took much longer than a week.
I have been trying to diversify my picks a little.
Lighter, then heavier.
Young Adult Fiction, then a classic.
It's nice to read something different. I find that if I get stuck too much in a reading rut then I will never get out of it.
So here's what my mind(and my fingers, after all they have to turn the pages) has been up to the last few months:
1) Before I Fall
Synopsis(Taken from goodreads): What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
Instead, it turns out to be her last.
Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.
Rating(Out of 5): 5
Notes: This is really one of the best books I've ever read. So different. I NEVER got bored. I enjoyed every page and the story was always different so it kept me on my toes. It was such a beautiful message and very well written. Definitely one of those books that I stayed up until 2 in the morning because I really wanted to finish it. Then I was thinking about it for days afterword and didn't want to start another book because I didn't think anything could match it. It is more of a mature book. Has some swearing and adult themes. But really not too bad. It actually fits into this book and is important for the story line. PLEASE read this book!
2)Uglies, Pretties, Specials & Extras
Synopsis: Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that?
Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.
But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.
Rating: 3.5
Notes: This was a really entertaining story. The first two in the series were the best. The last two were ok. I definitely liked this series but it also isn't the first that would come to mind when giving a book recommendation. They were very easy to read though and were good, clean books. I bought them on a whim with a gift card to Barnes and Nobles and I'm not disappointed they are on my bookshelf. I am sure I will read them again in a year or so.
3) Water For Elephants
Synopsis: Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.
Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Rating: 4
Notes: The only reason I was dissapointed with this book and didn't give it a 5 was because of some swearing and sexual content. But it was definitely different from what I had been reading and it was a nice change of scenery(as far as books go). The characters were all great. There were a few oddballs, it is about the circus after all, but they just added to the story even more than the "normal" characters. It is definitely a page turned, especially at the end. This story helped keep me awake on the drive back from Utah :-)
4) My Cousin Rachel
Synopsis: My Cousin Rachel is the gripping story of a Victorian young man
whose placid life in the English countryside is turned inside-out by an
older woman. The young man is Philip Ashley, the novel's narrator.
Orphaned at an early age, he's been raised by his bachelor uncle
Ambrose, who falls in love and marries while traveling in Florence, then
dies there in suspicious circumstances. Shortly after her husband'1s
death, Ambrose's widow turns up in England, setting the stage for the
unfolding of a relationship between the callow Philip and the beautiful,
sophisticated, mysterious widow. And while Philip impetuously embraces
the role of the moth flapping full-tilt toward the flame, the widow
never puts a foot wrong. Is she designedly luring Philip to his doom?
Might she even have had a hand in Ambrose's death?
Rating: 2.5
Notes: I was laughing a little when the synopsis says a "gripping" story. Uh, no. Maybe a few times I was pretty into and mostly at the end. This story was dull. That's probably why it took me months of reading a few pages, maybe a chapter, and forgetting about it and then going back to it. I originally picked the book up because I love the author's more popular book Rebecca. I read that book in high school and again a few years later and loved it. So I figured I would love this book. But I just didn't. It is interesting at parts and mysterious in others but just not that gripping and in the end the storyline just was too plain. So I'm glad i read it but probably wouldn't read it again.
5) The Count of Monte Cristo
Synopsis: Falsely accused of treason, the young sailor Edmond Dantes is arrested on his wedding day and imprisoned in the island fortress of the Chateau d'If. Having endured years of incarceration, he stages a daring and dramatic escape and sets out to discover the fabulous treasure of Monte Cristo, and to catch up with his enemies. A novel of enormous tension and excitement, The Count of Monte Cristo is also a tale of obsession and revenge. Believing himself to be an 'Angel of Providence', Dantes pursues his vengeance to the bitter end, only then realizing that he himself is a victim of fate. One of the great thrillers of all time, The Count of Monte Cristo has been adapted for film and television many times
Rating: 4.5
Notes: This book really is a classic for a reason, it's great no matter when you read it. I have seen the most recent movie made many times and loved it so I picked this book up at Barnes and Nobles a while ago and it has been on my to read list for a long time. I was a little daunted by how long it was and never seemed to have the time to delve into this kind of book. But I finally did and actually got through it in a couple weeks. Which is still long for me so you will definitely have to devote some time to this book. But it is well worth it. I promise. I actually liked the first half of the book the best. It is more about hope for the future and has everything a good book should. And while I still liked the second half too it is a little depressing. The most recent movie definitely does not portray the book ending correctly. But overall this is a wonderful book and really a great literary feat.
6) Jellicoe Road
Synopsis: My father took one hundred and thirty two minutes to die.
I counted.
It happened on the Jellicoe Road. The prettiest road I’d ever seen, where trees made breezy canopies like a tunnel to Shangri-La. We were going to the ocean, hundreds of kilometres away, because I wanted to see the ocean and my father said that it was about time the four of us made that journey. I remember asking, “What’s the difference between a trip and a journey?” and my father said, “Narnie, my love, when we get there, you’ll understand,” and that was the last thing he ever said.
We heard her almost straight away. In the other car, wedged into ours so deep that you couldn’t tell where one began and the other ended. She told us her name was Tate and then she squeezed through the glass and the steel and climbed over her own dead – just to be with Webb and me; to give us her hand so we could clutch it with all our might. And then a kid called Fitz came riding by on a stolen bike and saved our lives.
Someone asked us later, “Didn’t you wonder why no one came across you sooner?”
Did I wonder?
When you see your parents zipped up in black body bags on the Jellicoe Road like they’re some kind of garbage, don’t you know?
‘Wonder dies.’
Rating:4
Notes: I liked this book because it kept me on my toes to the point of even being downright confusing sometimes. But it all works out in the end and comes together in one of those "aha" moments. I love mystery books because finally understanding everything is so satisfying. This book is also very well written and is different from most other books I've read lately. This was a new and refreshing point of view and way of writing. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a light read.
7) Passion (Fallen #3)
Synopsis: Luce would die for Daniel.
And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.
Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.
Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.
Rating: 3.5
Notes: I do like these books, I do. I read through all three of them. This one is the third in the series and just came out a few months ago. But...(you knew it was coming) sometimes the plot lines gets a little too far out there for me. It is about angels and fallen angels, and this book introduces a character who is meant to be Satan or the devil or whatever name you want to use. Now it isn't explicit or dark really but the story line still kind of bugs me a little. For one, the author never gives you the whole story. It's the third book and I am still not sure what the books are about completely. Yeah, annoying. A little suspense is great. A little, I said.
With that said, I do like the story line in other ways. The third was probably my favorite. It took you through different time periods and I think the author really hit the different era's head on. She did a great job making them seem authentic. The story is also very unique and definitely isn't another vampire story, which is nice for a change.
So there are things that annoy me and things I love. I'm really split but would definitely still recommend this series.
8)Daughter of Earth(Tales of the Guardian #2)
Synopsis: The second installment in the Tales of the Guardian Series
An impending war nears and little seems stable in Emily's life. Determined to fulfill her duties as the prophesied Daughter of Earth, Emily enters Eden and begins to find her place in a supernatural world. Alexander's disapproval of the course his elders have charted for Emily threatens to break his bond with them. Long-kept secrets of his kind prove to be destructive to his trust; but Alexander has a secret of his own. A dark secret that could not only destroy their love but could also destroy the hope that lies with them for the survival of mankind.
Rating:2
Notes: I bought the first one on my nook app on my phone because it was 99 cents and someone who's book taste is very similar to mine recommended it. Meh. That's what I thought about it. Sometimes I would see a glimmer of hope in the writing and then sometimes I felt like I was reading a really bad soap opera script. The writing was so simple and boring at times. But the plot was good at times and the ending kept me interested so I read the second one. It was about the same. Maybe the writing improved a little and plot was still interesting at times. But compared to many books I've read lately I just can't say this was very good.
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