Monday, October 29, 2012

Review: The Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Publication Date: February 10, 2009
Genre: Adult Fiction
Pages: 522



 
 
 
Summary
 
 
Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.
Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.
Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.
Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.
Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.
 
 
 
I believe there is no perfect book. There will always be something wrong, no matter how little that thing is, it still is something wrong. But this is the closest a book I've read got.
 
 
Then I type Hilly's initiative. I place it on the second page, opposite the photo ops. This is where everyone will be sure to see it, after they look at themselves at the Summer Fun Jamboree. All I can think while I'm typing is, What would Constantine think of me? 
 
 
 
I don't read this kind of book that often. But I heard so many good things about it, that I just had to read it. And I'm really glad I did.
 
 
So, let's start with the writing. It was really well written. Each character had they're own voice. You could easily tell who was talking. The only thing I really wasn't thrilled with was some of the conversations. They didn't always feel completely right, but that's just a small thing. And I might just be a little picky.
 
 
 
The characters were great. They had completely different personalities, but they just seemed to fit together. Aibileen is the voice of reason. She's calm, cool, and collected. Minny is the hot head with a big mouth. She doesn't want to get to involved at first, but she does want things to change.  And Skeeter is the college graduate that doesn't want to do exactly what her mom wants. She doesn't just want to get married and have kids. She wants to be a writer. She wants to write something important.
 
 
 
The other characters are just what I imagined them to be. Hilly is the snobby rich girl. Elizabeth is the follower who just wants to be popular. She doesn't have all the smarts and she just really doesn't care about much other then what Hilly thinks of her. Celia is the new girl who just wants some friends. She doesn't get that the other girls don't like her.
 
 
The book is gets you pretty hooked. The ending is one of the best parts. And no, it's not because I wanted it to end. The ending isn't one of those that everything ended about perfect. There isn't anything wrong with those endings, but one probably wouldn't fit this book. So you an ending where you just get the feeling that everything end just the way it was meant to. And that after awhile it would be perfect.
 
 
I know I just listed one thing I didn't like, but there wasn't that many to list. I did wish, however, that the author would've focused more on a few other plot points. I just didn't feel every one of those were wrapped up well, and I just want a little more.
 
 
It's not get five hearts. It's getting 4.5. I really enjoyed it. I completely recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading. And to anyone who hesitated to read this because of the hype, just read it. I doubt you will regret it.
 
 
 
.5
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Teaser Tuesday(47)

 
 
 
 
 
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Open to a random page.
  • Share (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.--BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS. Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don't want to ruin the book for others.
  • Share the title & author, so others can add to their TBR list if they like your teasers.



Our Teasers This Week. . .
 
 
 
 
Across the way, Miss Skeeter look  back at me. Everbody around us is sunning and laughing and squinting, not a soul guessing that the colored woman and the white women with the tennis racquet is wondering the same thing: is we fools to feel some relief?
 
 
 
-from page 242, The Help
 
 
 






Thursday, October 18, 2012

Review: The Truth of the Matter

The Truth of the Matter (The Homelanders #3) by Andrew Klavan
Publication Date: November 2, 2010
Genre: YA Adventure/Thriller
Pages: 346





 
 
 
Summary
 

Ever since he woke up in a terrorist torture chamber--with a year of his life erased from his mind--Charlie West has been on the run. He has one desperate hope of getting his life back: track down the mysterious agent named Waterman. But in fact, reaching Waterman--and recovering the secrets lost in his own memory--will only increase his danger. Because a team of ruthless killers is rapidly closing in on him, determined to stop him from finding the answers. And the truth of the matter is more incredible...and more deadly...than he could ever imagine.

 
Slight Spoilers. Don't say I didn't warn you. 


 
 Okay, so, this had the feeling of being a filler. Does that mean I didn't like it? No, but I wish it was more than it was.


I put my hands behind my back. I kept looking at Rose. And Rose kept looking at me, his eyes cold. But still, somehow, I thought I saw something in them.


Not much actually happens in this one. Yeah, he does find Waterman. And he does get a lot of his memory back. But there was a lot of flash backs and strange dreams and not a lot of moving forward. Plot really didn't progress much. It felt like the author just wanted to get through some plot points and not really spend too much time on them. Sure, the flashbacks were fun and nice to have but they weren't really relivent. One covered something that was covered in the second book and the other ones really didn't help anything.


It's really just Charlie for most of the book. He really doesn't change. And you really don't get to dig any ddeeper into his personality. There wasn't any new characters that really mattered. There was Margaret but she wasn't that deep and I doubt we're ever going to see her again.


The writimg was fine, but it still was, mostly, a filler book. But I did liked it. Maybe it was just that I wanted to see if the story progressed and it actually became a part of the series, but it kept me reading. would I recommend it? Only if you read the other two books. And with all it's flaws and filler qualities, I still give it a 3.5.



 
 

   

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Teaser Tuesday (46)

 
 
 
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Open to a random page.
  • Share (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.--BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS. Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don't want to ruin the book for others.
  • Share the title & author, so others can add to their TBR list if they like your teasers.



Our Teasers This Week. . .
 
 
 
 
And then, I was in the dark again, looking through a sort of keyhole of light, looking in at my own body where it lay writhing in agony on the floor of the Panic Room.
 
 
 
-from page 195, The Truth of the Matter
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Sunday, October 14, 2012

Review: Fearless







Fearless (Elemental #1.5) by Brigid Kemmerer
Publication Date: July 31st 2012
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 59
 
 
 
Summary
 
 

Being a force of nature doesn’t keep you safe.

Hunter Garrity is used to watching his back. The kids at school sense something different about him. And they’re right.

Hunter has powers that have nothing to do with how hard he can throw a punch.

Maybe that’s what Clare Kasten is picking up. She’s shy, quiet, and intense, but she’s sought him out. There’s no telling what she wants from him.

But Hunter knows enough to sense a secret when it’s close. And getting close to Clare is a danger he’s ready to face…
 
 
 
Honestly, I still don't see what the big fuss is about, about Hunter *shrugs*. I'm still head over heels for Mrs. Kemmerer and her story telling. And over the four brothers however over Hunter, I just don't see it. He's just, ah, okay *shrugs*.
 
I still don't feel much towards him. Even when his father was being a hard ass on him, even when he's being bullied, or even when he thinks he has a little romance going for him. 
 
I just don't feel his awesome personality everyone is talking about. He's just an okay character and I really wish this short story changed my mind on him but it didn't.
 
But overall, I still love the author! The story was great and you learn more about him, which I loved. He wants to go on assignments with his dad but his dad just sees a child, not a man who can get the job done right.
 
The writing flows however you'll see somewhat of the motive behind the young girl, in no time. This was just a like but I can't wait to read Spark! So excited for that one, woohoo! haha ^_^
 
I recommend for whoever is into this series and is into Hunter.   
 
If I was rating this character I would have to give him a 3 heart. Sorry, he's just okay.
 
 
Anyways, I give this story a
 
 
 
 
 


Thursday, October 11, 2012

Daring You To Read (23)...... The Homelanders

 
 
 Daring You To Read is a brand new meme by Tynga's Reviews. Is where you choose a book you’ve read, loved and would dare your readers to read! The book you choose must be an older release (at least 6 months ago), because let’s be honest, we’re all quite aware of the latest releases
 
 
 
The Homelanders by Andrew Klavan 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I've only read the first two books. I'm currently reading the third. I got the complete series in one book. So I was betting on liking it the first time I got it. And I won that bet.
 
 
Charlie West was accused of murdering his best friend and working with terrorists. The only problem? He can't remember any of it. He wakes up tied to a chair in a terrorist hideout not remembering the last year of his life. So he escapes from the terrorist and starts a search to find the truth.
 
 
 
The books are paced well. So you get action throughout the chapters. The mystery is there. Charlie isn't the best main character, but he got better in the second one. And I'm sure he will be better in the third one. And the writing is great. You don't get confused and you don't get lost.
 
 
So, there you have it. I'm daring you to read this series. 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Review: Dead Is A Battlefield







 
Dead Is A Battlefield (Dead Is #6) by Marlene Perez
Publication Date: March 1st 2012
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 240
 
 
Summary
 
 

Jessica Walsh is starting her freshman year at Nightshade High and trying to forget
about the tragic events surrounding her brother’s graduation. She wants to have a normal
high school experience. But that’s easier said than done in Nightshade.
There’s a new guy at school who seems to be turning the girls into lovesick zombies.

And Jessica has other worries—like her crush on a cute but moody lead singer,
and the mysterious tattoo that appeared on her arm one day that lets her know whenever
there is trouble brewing. Jessica learns she’s a Virago, a woman warrior chosen to
fight evil whenever it threatens her hometown. But does a lowly freshman really have
what it takes to keep Nightshade safe?
 
 
 
Okay, this is a spinoff of the first five books, meaning new characters in the same town. People seem to not get that as I see a lot of complaining about that. Oh, and if you haven't read Dead Is Not An Option then I may end up spoiling a little bit for you. So just forewarning and if you want, just go check out other things of this blog, cause I really don't want to spoil anything! ^_^
 
 From what I read from the summary I was expecting something completely different. Yes, the summary is true to the story I just thought it would have been told in a different way. I thought since this is a new character and what not I thought Mrs. Perez was going to develop Jessica's story a little bit more. However, instead we're pretty much dropped into her virago self. So, that just kinda messed me up a little and because of that, I couldn't fully fall in love with this installment.
 
The characters are great and I enjoy how Mrs. Perez mixes the new ones with the old ones. The story line was terrific and I so totally didn't see where it was going! Mrs. Perez totally thought out of the box on this one and I can't wait to see where she takes this new series.
 
As the further I got into the book Jessica started to grow on me some more. I loved how Mrs. Perez did the replacing of "the living jute box" theme with Dominic and when that scene came into play I got really excited! The tale about the zombies and how they came to be, and why they were needed. I enjoyed it immensely.
 
Overall, it has the same feel as the other books. Though sometimes I felt like this was forced written and Mrs. Perez was trying too hard. Really, you don't need to try. Your writing is fun, smooth, and we all just love the world you built for us to read! ^_^ And that feeling for this awesome supernatural world inspired a story plot for me!
 
Anyways, I most recommand to fans who loved Daisy's story and fans of supernatural fun!
 




 
 

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Teaser Tuesday (45)







Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Open to a random page.
  • Share (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.--BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS. Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don't want to ruin the book for others.
  • Share the title & author, so others can add to their TBR list if they like your teasers.



Our Teasers This Week. . .
 
 
A small figure snaked through my vision. Bones crunched and flesh slapped as the Dead crumpled around me. The corpses continued to grab and claw, but they couldn't reach me. Their legs were shattered, and they could gain no ground.
 
-from page 68, Something Strange & Deadly by Susan Dennard
 
 
 
 
 
Happy Reading Everybody!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The blazing symbol of the owl faded. The garrison door burst open. Annabeth stood stunned in the middle of the room, unsure whether she'd seen something real, or just a vision.
 
 
-from page 249, The Mark Of Athena (Herroes of Olympus #3)
 
 
 








Monday, October 8, 2012

Reviews to come (week 6) 10/8-10/14





Reviews from last week-


The Way Life Was Forever by Carey Corp
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead








Upcoming Reviews-


Dead is a Battlefield (Dead Is #6) by Marlene Perez
Fearless (Elemental #1.5) by Brigid Kemmerer
Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton








Currently Reading-

Something Strange & Deadly by Susan Dennard
Death's Avatar (Descent #0.5) by S.M. Reine

















 
Happy Reading Everyone!
 
 
 


Sunday, October 7, 2012

I am a Book Hoarder (10)




 
 
Where we talk about the lastest books we have gotten. Which is presented every sunday!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
These may not be free anymore and I am sorry if they are not!
 
 
Inhale (Just Breathe #1) by Kendall Grey
 
Death Whispers (Death #1) by Tamara Rose Blodgett
 
Dirty Blood (Dirty Blood #1) by Heather Hildenbrand
 
 
 


 




 
 
 
Borrowed from the library-
 
 



Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
 
&
 
Something Strange & Deadly by Susan Dennard- Will be starting this real soon! ^_^
 
 
Happy Reading Everybody!
 
 
 
 
 
Bought-
 
 



 
 
 
Okay, so I'm slightly addicted to this book.
 
 
 
 

Review: Vampire Academy







Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead
Publication Date: August 16th 2007
Genre: YA Paranormal
Pages: 332
 
 
Summary
 
 

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.
 
 
 
Cheesy Words: Page turner
 
This book I couldn't let go but I just can't find the words to explain how amazing it is. It felt fresh and I can't wait to dive into the next one. If you have yet to read this one, well go and get yourself a copy cause this will help you fall for vampires once again!
 
Pro's
 
- A breath of fresh air on the vampire lure
- Amazing story telling that'll hook you in just the first few pages
- A steamy romance and a cute couple to be
- Fun interesting characters
- A world you'll just fall into and not want to let go
- Some twist and turns
- Action
- Humor
- Very addicting
 
 
Con's
 
- It was kinda easy seeing who was the person behind the sick pranks against Lissa but the reasoning behind it, that was a twist
 
 
I most Recommend!
 
 
Quotes:
 
 
“If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.”
 
“But I couldn't help myself, couldn't help the way I felt as I recalled the bliss and rush of a vampire's bite.”  
 


 
Happy Reading Everybody!
 
 





Saturday, October 6, 2012

On My Wishlist (30)









Is a weekly book meme hosted by Workaday Reads Where we talk about the books that are currently on top of our wishlists. Old, new or yet to be released titles are all welcome.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Ascend (Trylle Series #3) by Amanda Hocking
Publication Date: April 24th 2012
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 326
 
 
Summary
 
 
Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn’t surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind…even if it’s the only way to save them?

The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn’t the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice…who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life—and now all their lives might be coming to an end.

Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands—if she’s ready to fight for it.
 
 
 
I have yet to finish Torn but I know I'll be reading this one. I don't know what it is, but I just love Amanda Hocking. She's very addicting, haha! ^_^
 
 
Happy Reading Everybody!
 
 
 
 
 
The Doomsday Code (TimeRiders #3) by Alex Scarrow
Publication Date: February 3, 2011
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Pages: 448
 
 

 
 
 
Summary
 
 

 In 1993 British computer hacker Adam Lewis finds his name in a coded manuscript that is almost one thousand years old. How did Adam’s name get in there... and why?

Confronted by Adam in 2001, the TimeRiders travel back to Sherwood Forest in 1193 to discover the origins of the ancient message. But when a strange hooded man appears interested in the same thing, they begin to wonder what terrible threat this cryptic link from the past holds for the future...
 
 
 
I fell in love with the first two and I can't wait to fall in love with this one, too.