50th Post

I can't believe I've gotten to my fiftieth post on this blog. Really. My private journals each have like 800+ entries each, but that's just me talking out of my ass and complaining and what not.

The year is almost is over. I'm thinking about making a year in review post. At the beginning of this year, I made a list of reading goals that I wanted to accomplish. I did think I did pretty good, though I'm disappointed in myself with other aspects.

So this post is totally not redundant, I want to post about the latest book series that I've read.

Previously I had bought two books by Kelley Armstrong. One adult and one young adult. About a month ago, I picked up the young adult one and instantly fell in love it.

Cut to December 2, 2012. I read the last two books in the space of two days. Usually if I gobble a book up within a day that generally means I like it. Now I'm getting ready to read the next trilogy set in the same verse.

Here are two reviews from the first two books of the Darkest Powers trilogy.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So I bought this book sometime in mid 2011. Like always, it was awhile until I got to it. Try a year and half like, but I'm glad that I finally decided to pick it up.

I vaguely read the blurb on the pack and surprisingly I didn't look for spoilers until like 150 pages into the back.

The books is kind of slow paced and there's not much action. I think like most first books in a series the opening book kind of sets up the world.

The characters? I really enjoyed reading from Chloe's POV. She didn't seem shallow like some YA heroines I could mention, but I won't because I don't want to go another whole tirade. I liked that she seemed normal you know despite seeing ghosts.

I want to say that part way through the book, I started to really grow fond of Derek. I know he's described as ugly and Chloe mentions acne once near the end of the book. But I was really attracted to his personality, even though he sometimes did come off as a jerk. Typical girl eh? :p

I'm really looking forward to reading the next two books. I'll have to wait a bit, but soon I'll have them in my grasp!



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The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book...this damn book. Before getting into this series, I didn't really think I liked suspense enough. Maybe I'm on the bland side and I don't actually enjoy my heart speeding up and all that good stuff. Maybe.

But then I sit down and start reading this book. The entire book is intense. The first was slow, but this one moved at a fast pace. You've got four kids on the run and they could be caught at any time. Then you have the added bonus in that they're supernaturals. Pretty nifty huh?

I really enjoyed this book, it goes without saying. Now outside of GR, I tend to be a little...ship heavy. Every fandom I'm in, it's inevitable that I start to ship two characters (Sometimes three :P) and hell I even do that with real life. So of course I'm going to do it with this series as well.

The romance isn't BOOM IN YO FACE BOY! It's subtle. I can see it. I'm trained in this sort of thing. I think the two of them are cute and I like that their relationship isn't moving hella fast like in a lot of YA books. It's growing. I like how they open up to each other and gradually start to get more comfortable with each other.

Also I really hope in the last book that more about Derek's parentage is explained because that little interlude in the park? Yeah it got my interest peaked.



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Bleach Volume 37: Beauty Is So Solitary by Kubo Tite Review

A little shake up from the numerous romance novels, some YA novels and the occasional science fiction book. I bring you my review on the 37th volume of Bleach. Before I started this blog, I bought a lot of manga and me and Bleach go way back. Now that I know I can read digital manga I've bought from Viz Media online. There might be more of these posts, so look out for them. Without further ado: the review.

Bleach 37 by Tite Kubo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Alright my return to collecting the Bleach manga is back on. I bought the digital edition of this volume because A) I'm running out of room for books in my room, B) It was cheaper than physical copy and C) I quite like reading my manga on the computer.

The first three chapters of this volume are the rest of the TBTP gaiden and I really enjoyed it. Aizen. You despicable bastard. Even now some two hundred chapters away from this one, you are still trolling people. Bravo my friend.

The rest of the volume takes place partly in Hueco Mundo where Ichigo and Co reunite (And my OTP has some eye smex :P) and where Ulquiorra continues to try to mind fuck Orihime (Which is hot, I admit. Don't judge me.) The heart speech was really beautiful as always.

The other part takes place in Fake Karakura Town. I must have missed Gin talking about Kira, but that little moment just possibly made me ship Gin/Kira. Although Kira kind of gets on my nerves half the time.

There were funny moments all throughout the last few chapters. I like that and reminds me what initially attracted me to the series.

I give this volume four stars. I left a star off because besides the cover, pages that were supposed to have color did not in the Web Viewer. They might still be there in other versions. That kind of pissed me off because before I got my smartphone (And without knowing I could view on the Web) I couldn't download the manga on the BN website because I don't have a Nook Color or a Nook Tablet (I have a the 1st edition of the Nook, which I bought for my 21st birthday and it immediately went down in price before being discontinued.) If there are no color pages, then why can't the other devices handle them? For comics, I could see it, but manga without the color pages? I can't. So yeah that's my little beef with Viz Media and Barnes and Noble. Still an enjoyable volume though. I will continue to acquire my manga this way for the foreseeable future.



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The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong Review

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So I bought this book sometime in mid 2011. Like always, it was awhile until I got to it. Try a year and half like, but I'm glad that I finally decided to pick it up.

I vaguely read the blurb on the pack and surprisingly I didn't look for spoilers until like 150 pages into the back.

The books is kind of slow paced and there's not much action. I think like most first books in a series the opening book kind of sets up the world.

The characters? I really enjoyed reading from Chloe's POV. She didn't seem shallow like some YA heroines I could mention, but I won't because I don't want to go another whole tirade. I liked that she seemed normal you know despite seeing ghosts.

I want to say that part way through the book, I started to really grow fond of Derek. I know he's described as ugly and Chloe mentions acne once near the end of the book. But I was really attracted to his personality, even though he sometimes did come off as a jerk. Typical girl eh? :p

I'm really looking forward to reading the next two books. I'll have to wait a bit, but soon I'll have them in my grasp!



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The Modern Temper by Lynn Dumenil Mini Review

The Modern Temper: American Culture and Society in the 1920s by Lynn Dumenil

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I originally saw this book online, but since I didn't have the money right then to purchase it, I decided the next best thing was to go the library (Which was awesome. I'm definitely going more often.)

Compared to the lighthearted Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern, I liked that this book gave a more serious side to the Twenties. It also had more than a paragraph dedicated to minorities, so I was very happy for that.

I will definitely buy my own copy of this book when I get a chance. It'll be helpful for research for my series set in the 1920s.



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Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin by Marion Meade Review

Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin Writers Running Wild in the Twenties by Marion Meade

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I became fascinated with the twenties when I happened to stumble on two different young adult series set in the 1920s. I loved those books and like with a lot of my interests, I immediately sought out books and other things that took place in the 1920s.

This book was one of the books I bought last year along with Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern. I read Flapper at the end of last year and was slightly disappointed in it.

I was in for a surprise when I started to read this book. The narration read like a novel. I found that a bit weird at first, but I got used to it. It made me feel like I was really there, instead of just a collection of facts. It felt more personal.

I had already been fascinated by Dorothy Parker so I was very excited to read about her. But the other women (Edna St. Vincent Millay, Edna Ferber, and Zelda Fitzgerald to name a few) was just as exciting. I'm now looking for individual biographies on each woman. I want to know more about them, I want to read their works. As a writer myself, I'm always fascinated to learn about women writers.

So I give this book 5 stars. It was an interesting look at the lives of different writers throughout the Roaring Twenties. I will also be reading Ms. Meade's bio on Dorothy Parker and Victoria Woodhall.



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Duchess by Night by Eloisa James review

Duchess By Night by Eloisa James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading the first book in the Desperate Duchesses series I was looking forward to reading the second book. Unlucky for me though I hadn't bought it, although I thought I did, it turns out I missed it.

But I didn't want to wait to read more of the series, so I thought "Why not go ahead and read the third book?" I felt terribly bad because I usually like to read my books in their order, but I just couldn't help it as the promise of reading about the hijinks of all the duchesses prevailed.

So I started reading. It took me a minute to get into the book. I remember loving Desperate Duchesses after the first fifty pages. It took me awhile to love this one. My first complaint was that it didn't seem as funny as the first book and I don't think it is. I think the humor in this book is more subtle.

After the first 120 pages I grew to love the characters. I waited eagerly for the moment when Jem would discover that Harry Cope aka Harriet was a woman. When he finally confronted her, I thought it was perfect. I love the way Ms. James sat that up.

The rest of the book was lovely and I knew the moment when Jem and Harriet would separate was coming up. I didn't dread it, I just wanted to know how they would find their way back to each other.

I thought the end was satisfying with both Jem and Harriet realizing their mistakes and what they each wanted.

The epilogue was sweet as well.

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Tatooine Ghost by Troy Denning Review

Star Wars: Tatooine Ghost by Troy Denning
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had heard about this book back in 2005 when I was in the first throes of my Star Wars obsession. After I tried and failed to read Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, I stayed away from the EU and other science fiction books.

Fast forward five years or so, I realized that the books that I just couldn't deal with at the tender age of fifteen now make more sense to me. So I figured why not try the EU again? The first book I read was Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia and while I enjoyed it. I felt that the portrayal of Leia was somewhat...off. She didn't seem to be the same woman from the movie series. I know that with different authors writing the EU, it's a possibility that the characters make act OOC.

But with Tatooine Ghost I felt that Denning had a better grip on Leia and not just Leia but her relationship with Han. The two of them really matched their movie versions. Their banter felt familiar.

I have to admit I was more interested in Leia's feeling about her father more than I was about the recovering the painting. It was very interesting to see Leia contemplate her father's turn to the darkside and all the atrocious things he did. It felt realistic.

I thought the story was wrapped up perfectly with the ending.

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The Housemaid's Scandalous Secret by Helen Dickson Review

Castonbury Park: Scandalous Whispers: The Wicked Lord Montague\The Housemaid's Scandalous Secret by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After I saw the ad of this series come up on my feed on Facebook, I knew it had to read them. Even though I've only watched a bit of the first series of Downton Abbey and I haven't seen the original Upstairs/Downstairs TV series, I was enthralled about reading about the lives of both the gentry and the servants.

All through this book, the author kept my attentions with Ross and Lisette's love story. I liked that even though Lisette was his servant, she spoke her mind even when he was being kind of an arse.

I thought the end was perfect.

Review for The Wicked Lord Montague can be found here

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The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt Review

The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is it possible to love a series as much do this one? I think this was a perfect end to the trilogy. Simon was the perfect hero for me. He was handsome and passionate, but he had a funny bone. I mean the letter to Lucy at the end of the book was so romantic, but then he added the little post script and I howled out loud. I think The Serpent Prince might overcome my love of the Raven Prince. I just found out that there is a novella to this series, so isn't completely over. Thank goodness for that.

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The Wicked Lord Montague by Carole Mortimer Review

The Wicked Lord Montague by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been looking forward to reading this series ever since I saw it show up on my Facebook feed. I've never watched the Upstairs Downstairs drama that popularized this type of books, but I've started Downton Abbey and after reading this book, I certainly want to watch both dramas.

Giles throughout the book seemed was pompous and arrogant and he eventually showed his softer side. I thought he seemed to embody what a man of his class would be like in that situation. I thought that added more realism to the story. I don't think I would have bought it if he weren't.

Lily was a great heroine, she stood up for herself, but she could always recognize her feelings for Giles, even though she didn't want them.

The only squabble I had with the book was even though there were good Romani, I thought the reveal with Mrs. Lovell's nephew was a bit...idk I thought it fell to a stereotype. Now I don't know much about the Romani people, but I didn't think it was needed.

I have the second book of the series and I am looking forward to reading it!

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Seduction & Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone Review

Seduction & Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book awhile ago. It wasn't until I went in search of a book on my crowded bookshelves and discovered this one hiding that I picked it up.

The main story is about Isabella and Black. I liked that Black could admit that he loved Isabella, since so many romance heroes seem to be love-phobes. Isabella was actually the more reluctant one in the relationship. She was afraid of going down her mother's path, which is understandable.

There was two other subplots. One was about the objects of the Templars which Black and his associates of the Brotherhood had been tasked to protect. I'm a sucker for stuff that has to do with religion (Which is strange since I'm kind of eh about religion in my personal life).

The other subplot was with Lucy, Isabella's cousin, dealing with the supernatural and trying (view spoiler)[ to reach her dead lover or so I think he's dead, but the end of this book left off with Sussex giving her some lace which she had gave her lover. It was kind of confusing to me, but it sets up the next book. I might have to go back and read that. (hide spoiler)]

I only give the book four stars because while interesting, I didn't really like the story within a story. Isabella was writing a novel. I was okay with it at first, but after awhile it got tedious, but that's how I feel personally. I did think it was fun to read though.

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The Handmaiden's Necklace by Kat Martin Review

The Handmaiden's Necklace by Kat Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I greatly enjoyed this book. I had been wanting to read it for awhile, so I bought it one day on the Harlequin site along with a slew of other ebooks. It was few months before I actually read it though.

The premise is an interesting one. Rafe believes that his betrothed betrayed and he leaves her for five long years. When they meet again it's a function and they still have that undeniable attraction between them.

Unfortunately Dani has become engaged to an American business and she travels with her lady maid and her aunt to the country to marry him and of course Rafe follows her.

What I liked the most about this book was how realistic the characters seemed. Rafe and Dani shared a passion, but both were hesitant to fall in love with each other.

There were a few mysteries going on the book, if you can call them that. Maybe the correct word would be intrigues? There's a subplot with Dani's maid, Caro Loon and a man she originally meet in the Americas. I thought it was well done as well.

I wasn't aware that there were two previous books to this series. I usually try to start with the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed and I will be buying the other two books in the series. Look out for review of those.

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French Kiss by Dee Dawning Review

French Kiss by Dee Dawning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was officially my first erotica. I didn't want it to be Fifty Shades of Grey, even though everyone and their mother is reading that book.

I liked it, but I felt the story was rushed. I didn't know when I bought it, that the book had only 93 pages.

I didn't really connect to the characters and they seemed more stereotypical than I would have liked.

The change in POV from Rene and Cher was jarring. It wouldn't have been so bad if the author hadn't have done in it the same chapter. In a few instances, the POV changed from first to the third, so yeah.

Still I enjoyed the book and I might have a look at the rest of Ms. Dawning's works.

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Love and Louis XIV by Antonia Fraser Review

Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King by Antonia Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my first foray into biographies about the members of the French monarchy. I've long been a fan of Marie Antoinette, but it wasn't until I was searching for other books on different monarchy, that I chose to buy this one.

I want to start off by saying that before reading this book I didn't know a lot about Louis XIV. I was more familiar with Louis XVI and his wife, of course, but even then I didn't know as much as I should have.

The book starts off with Louis's miraculous birth. Anne of Austria was of course one of the most important women in the King's life as well she should be. From there the book focuses on the major women in the King's life such as his wife and his mistresses.

I was surprised that the author also talked about his daughters, granddaughters, and even great-granddaughters. She didn't got into a lot of detail, but she could tell that Louis was fond of his female relatives.

I liked how Fraser divided the book into the four seasons. That was an interesting way to do it, I admit. I might have to steal that for my writings one day :P

But in conclusion this was great look at the important women in the Sun King's life. I'll definitely be looking forward to reading more of Mrs. Fraser's works.

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The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives

Life & Death of Anne Boleyn: The Most Happy by Eric Ives
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since I first read The Six Wives of Henry VIII I have long held a fascination and admiration of Anne Boleyn. She represented everything I aspired to be and she still does.

I've had this book for awhile, but I've just gotten around to reading it now after several other readings of the Tudor era. Some of the things I had read before, but this volume managed to make the facts we know about Anne Boleyn jump off the page. I liked how Ives divided the book up by education, marriage, religion, and so on. I was expecting something different but this format was very helpful.

Even though I know how Anne's story ends, I couldn't but anticipate the ending to her story. I like the epilogue where it mentions is Anne vindicated by her daughter, Elizabeth's, accession? It's a personal feeling of mine but I always felt she was.

The only compliant I have about the book is the portrayal of Henry during Anne's fall. I don't know it just seems to make him seem more innocent or something. I don't think it was what the author was implying but by saying that Cromwell was more responsible for Anne's downfall is tricky. I think for it to have come to end the way it did even if Cromwell was the master mind behind Henry had to agree with it. I don't know that's just my personal feelings on the matter.


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The Life of Elizabeth I

The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After having some doubts with Weir's authorship with Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings, I was glad to be reassured with her biography of Elizabeth I of England.

I've always loved Elizabeth. Her story captivated me. The girl who had lost her mother at such a young age and lived in such a perilous age brought glory to her country once again. I had watched countless movies with her and the fascination grew from there.

I knew of the important facts of Elizabeth's reign, but with this book I got a better look at it. Weir made Elizabeth come alive again.

The book starts where The Children of Henry VIII left off with Elizabeth's ascension. There are twenty seven chapters and an epilogue and even that didn't seem like enough to me. Luckily Weir a listed a great bibliography, so I'll be checking out some of those.

This a great biography. Weir doesn't shy away from Elizabeth's faults, but also praises her achievements. I was truly sad when the end came.

There is an author's note in the back about Elizabeth in film. I was a little dismayed when she took the piss out of the Cate Blanchett films since I love her portrayal of her, but with reading this book I can see the flaws of the film. Still I am planning on watching a few of her approved Elizabeth roles.

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Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right by Kieran Kramer Review

Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right by Kieran Kramer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in the Impossible Bachelors series was charming. I didn't love it as much as I loved When Harry Met Molly, but I thought it was a good addition.

Poppy was a likable heroine. I thought the rules of the Spinster Club were understandable and I could totally get behind them. Nicholas was handsome and definitely roguish. He didn't have the boyish charm of Harry, but he seemed more adult if that makes any sense haha.

I did like hearing from Harry again. I wish we could have seen Molly other than the mention of her and Harry at the ball, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless. I will continue to read the rest of the series.

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Sex with the Queen by Eleanor Herman review

Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics by Eleanor Herman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I recently read Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge by the same author. I really enjoying looking at the various queens and I was introduced to a few I hadn't heard of before. I liked that Herman divided the chapters up by time instead of talking about a certain queen in every chapters like she did with the Kings book. The only thing that may have turned me off was the use of the N word. It just seemed jarring and kind of took my out of the experience.



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Mary Boleyn: Mistress of Kings by Alison Weir

Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings by Alison Weir
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What I knew of Mary Boleyn came from biographies on Anne Boleyn. I looked forward to reading this book seeing as it was written by Weir.

I enjoyed the book, but for some reason I couldn't really connect with Mary like I did with Anne. Maybe it's because of the lack of information on her, but the text felt like it was missing something. The parts I most enjoyed were the first index where it talked about Mary's children and their connection to their cousin Elizabeth.

The book had all the facts, but I felt it was missing something that I can't quite put my finger on. It didn't feel very personal. But I can understand what with the lack of information on Mary Boleyn, how this may have had something to do with it. I'm still looking forward to reading The Life of Elizabeth I by Weir though!

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After the Abduction by Sabrina Jefferies (Slight Spoilers)

After the Abduction by Sabrina Jeffries
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book as I so often do because of the cover. The updated cover not the same one as this edition. I know it is a horrible habit of mine, but it hasn't come back to bite me in the ass just yet. I vaguely recall reading the blurb and finding it interesting, I bought the book along.

Once I started reading it, I thought the the whole twin escapade and the whole secret identity was interesting, but I got bored of it pretty quick. I was more interested to find out what would happen when Juliet found out that Sebastian did parade as Morgan and he was the one that actually kidnapped her. I thought Jefferies did a good job it.

I also thought Sebastian was written very well. I could understand his reasons for not wanting to come out and say the l-word. Some many heroes are written to be love-phobic, but I could never understand a lot of their reasons other than the default: men don't want to commit. Sebastian did actually want to marry Juliet rather earlier on. But (view spoiler)[ he just didn't want to come and say he loved her and Juliet didn't want a marriage of convenience. They argued frequently over the whole trust issues, which I found to be realistically done. (hide spoiler)]

I give it 4 star. Really enjoyable, but the whole twin act sort of got on my nerves. I didn't know that this book was apart of a series, so I'll be going reading the rest of them sometime in the near future!

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The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt review

The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my second Elizabeth Hoyt novel and as soon I settled into, I remembered why I loved The Raven Prince so much. Hoyt is adapting making the hero and heroine jump off the page. I was really rooting for George and Harry and I was really invested in their love story. The story felt raw and all too real.

I also liked how Hoyt weaved in the story of the Leopard Prince with George and Harry's. The mystery was so-so, but I don't think it detracted from the story at all.

I will be checking out the rest of Ms. Hoyt's back catalog. I just cannot get enough!

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By Grace Possessed by Jennifer Blake Review

By Grace Possessed by Jennifer Blake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my second Jennifer Blake novel and I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first Three Graces novel.

The love story between Cate and Ross was done really well I thought. It didn't seem to be too rushed, which really irks me in all types of genres, not just romance.

The only thing that I could possibly complain about is that Blake would start explaining things about certain people like Elizabeth Woodville or someone else. I can understand why she did since not everyone might not be familiar with this time period and hell even I found myself learning something. But I felt it could have been done in a better way rather than just an info dump. But other than that I really enjoyed the story.

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The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir Review

The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have previously started this book, but I only got forty pages into it before something else caught my attention. After I finished The Six Wives of Henry VIII I wanted more Tudor stuff, so what better to read than this? After I've always been fascinated by those three royal children.

This book gave me more insight into Edward VI. Although it didn't delve too deeply into his reign. Edward seems to me to have been a puppet through most of his reign. But he did set the groundwork for the Protestant religion in England and he desperately tried to prevent his sister from undoing that by naming Lady Jane Grey as his successor. Although that was technically illegal.

Mary undid Edward's work and return England to the Church of Rome. She married the foreign Phillip II of Spain, which wasn't received well. I really did feel sorry for Mary when her pregnancy turned out to be a phantom. She really wanted that and with all the drama in her life, I think it would have made her happier.

Of course after Mary died, Elizabeth came to the throne and this is very the books ends with Elizabeth receiving news of her ascension and her uttering that famous line from the Bible. I'm ordering Weir's biography of Elizabeth, which I don't know why I haven't done this already since I acquired two of her books before 2009 and not one on my beloved Elizabeth? For shame. But I will devour that biography as soon as it's in my hands.

Oh and I've forgotten Lady Jane Grey. I knew her fate before going into the book, but I felt for her because she never wanted to be Queen and was pressured into by her parents. Her story is a sad one.

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The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had originally read this book way back in 2002 when I was twelve and it spawned a fascination with the Tudor era that has continued to this day.

On rereading this book again, I rediscovered little details, although I remembered most of the book, which is surprising as I hadn't really read the full thing in ten years and my memory has been affected by my medicine. I think it's a testament to how good of an historian Alison Weir is. She makes Henry and each wife seem alive and she doesn't condemn them for their actions. You have no idea how it feels to sympathize with Henry of all people haha, but I did during his early years with Anne Boleyn.

Next on the list to read will be The Children of Henry VIII by the same author, after that probably her biography of Elizabeth I. It seems as though my love of the Tudor era is still going strong!

View all my reviews Along with reading this book, lately I've been watching my DVDs that are about the Tudors. I've watched the 2003 TV serial starring Ray Winstone as Henry VIII, which is my personal favorite since as far as I know it's the only one with a redheaded Henry. That's a small quibble I know, but the man was a redhead and he had two redheaded children! After that I watched The Other Boleyn Girl with Eric Bana as Henry VIII and Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn. This one isn't my favorite, but I stan for Natalie Portman...hard and so I watch this one often. I've just finished Season 3 of the Tudors. For the longest time I couldn't get into the series because of some of the changes and whatnot. But after I stopped comparing to the direct history and took for enjoyment purposes, I really liked it and I've just watch like fourteen episodes in a matter of a week. The costumes are to die for of course!

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Elizabeth: Virgin Queen? by Phillipa Jones

Elizabeth: Virgin Queen? by Philippa Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was officially my first bio on Elizabeth I, though I've read a lot about her father's reign and I own a biography on her mother, Anne Boleyn.

This particular one focused on whether or not Elizabeth had any children and the possibilities when they could have born as well as commenting on other things of Elizabeth's reign. I really enjoyed and I thought the author didn't have any bias on who might have possibly been Elizabeth's child. But like her previous book The Other Tudors: Henry VIII's Mistresses and Bastards I did notice a few mistakes. Just on birth date and years, but it was easily overlooked.

I give this book 4 stars. Very interesting, but it was a little light on other important aspects of Elizabeth's life, though I suppose if you're looking for a general biography of Elizabeth, you might look elsewhere.

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Much Ado About Rogue by Kasey Michaels Mini Review

Much Ado About Rogues by Kasey Michaels
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my first book by Kasey Michaels and I don't think it will be the last. I thought she did a good job of making the characters realistic and the action was written believably.

I picked up this book unaware that it was part of a series. Now that I know that it is a series, I'm planning on reading the rest of the Blackthorn trilogy because I became very attached to Jack. I'm hoping I'll love his brothers just as much.

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The Ballerina Bride by Fiona Harper Mini Review

The Ballerina Bride by Fiona Harper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was really a perfect little book. I thought the author did a good job of making the characters seem real and the romance didn't seem rushed despite the fact that it took place over the course of a week tops. I liked the reality TV premise as reality television is a guilty pleasure of mine, I will not lie. I've always been interested in ballerinas, but I don't know much about the art, so I can't say if it was a valid interpretation of it.

I'm giving it five stars, it was very satisfying and I'm glad that I was so adamant in buying this ebook. It looks like I got my money's worth!

View all my reviews A little quickie after finishing the massive A Storm of Swords. I don't have a lot of words for the third book in the ASOIAF series, except wow. I'm becoming way to addictive to these books and hey tomorrow a new episode comes on! Double dose of goodness!

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Jane by April Lindner Mini Review

Jane by April Lindner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I bought this book because I loved the original Jane Eyre novel and I love young adult literature. I didn't expect myself to love the book as much as I did.

I could see the instant parallels between Jane Eyre and this book. But the author made the characters come alive. I felt like they were more than just a copy and paste from the original book. I also loved how the author updated things for a modern setting. It all seemed to fit perfectly.

I really connected with Jane Moore when she left Thornfield Park was recently I've come close to being homeless and I could empathize with her not knowing where to turn and feeling helpless. It just made it seem so much more real.

I give this modern retelling 5 stars. It does the original Jane Eyre novel justice and it reignited my love for the book. I'm looking forward to listening to the audiobook and watching the countless adaptation so I can relive this wonderful story!



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Protected by the Prince Mini Review

Protected by the Prince: The Weight of the Crown by Annie West

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I started this while I was waiting in the doctor's office. I quite ignored the fact that I already had a book I was supposed to be reading. But then that's how I roll.

I liked the premise of the book. Plus the I quite liked the name Tasmin. Tasmin herself was pretty interesting and I found myself wanting to know more about her childhood because of a line. I liked Alaric, but his name though. Maybe it's because of recent events online, but the name just wasn't doing it for me. I liked him fine, but his name though. I cringed everytime I read it, but that's not the author's fault. Just personal taste on my part.

Some of the lines were a bit cheesy. Normally I can ignore this and if I'm being honest, I like certain cheesy lines. But these seemed like a bit much for me.

All in all I give the book 3 stars. I enjoyed it, but I thought it could have been better.



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The Other Tudors Mini Review

The Other Tudors: Henry VIII's Mistresses and Bastards by Philippa Jones

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I picked up this book when I went out to the Barnes and Noble for the first time since August 2011. I don't regret buying this book at all and the fact that I got it on a sale made it even better.

I've been fascinated with Henry VIII's reign since 2002 when I was twelve years old. Over the years I've collected books (non fiction and fiction), DVDs, and anything related to the Tudor reign. But surprisingly I hadn't heard of some of the women and children in this book.

I liked how each section spotlighted a different woman. I wish the author would have went into more detail about the ladies, but she gives the basics on each woman and the start of her affair with Henry.

I did find some mistakes in the book. Small mistakes, but seriously listing Elizabeth I's death year as 1605? Really editors, you didn't catch that?

All in all I give the book four stars! Good, but could have been better.



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The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt Review

I have been wanting to read this book for the longest time and I finally sat down and did just that.

The first fifty pages of the book went by and a little slowly. I think the overall tone of the book is rather slow paced one in the first place. But after I passed the first a hundred page of it I really got into the book.

Anna Wren and Edward de Raaf remind me respectively of Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester. I wonder if the author was as inspired by their love story as I was. Since I enjoyed Jane Eyre very much, I enjoyed this book as well. I also liked that Anna and Edward weren't classically beautiful. It made the book seem much more realistic.

I give the book five stars. It hit on all points for me and I'm looking forward to reading more from Ms. Hoyt!

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When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Krammer review

Before I write my thoughts on this lovely book, I have to admit something. I have never seen When Harry Met Sally beside the clip of the infamous fake orgasm scene by Meg Ryan. But I will try to watch in the future.

When I started reading the prologue and it introduced 13 year old Molly with her love poem, I knew I was going to love this book. It had already gotten off to a good start with the humor.

The first chapter begins in 1816 ten years after the prologue. The reader is reintroduced to Harry. I have to say that I like him right away. He was charming and funny and completely lovable.

The heroine Molly was my kind of heroine. She was so funny and she knew what she wanted. I especially loved when she told Harry to pull his breeches down. You go girl!

Harry does eventually realize he loves Molly after they've parted. He proposes to her and they get their happy ending. The end with the gifts from the other Impossible Bachelors was sweet as well.

I give it five stars because I thought it was perfect. Lovable hero and heroine. Funny and good storytelling!

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By His Majesty's Grace by Jennifer Blake review

I feel the title of the book describes perfectly what happens in the end of the story.

When I first bought this book, I had originally thought it was going to take place in Henry VIII's court, but instead it takes place before he's even born. It's my fault really because I automatically assumed the blurb meant King Henry as in the eighth one. I was pleasantly surprised to see his father in that position.

I have been wanting to read more medieval fiction though and I think this book was a good introduction to it. The piece really does feel like it takes place in the 1480s.

I did the heroine Isabel was rather cold at first, but she eventually came around to Rand. But I suppose since she was forced into the marriage, she had reason to be cold. I liked that the romance between Rand and Isabel just didn't happen right away. I did get the feeling that Rand was feeling Isabel way more than she did him initially, but she came around near the end of the book. I thought the mystery was resolved in a pleasant way as well.

I'm giving this book four stars. I liked it, but the only thing that kind of turned me off was the author note at the end. No one knows if Richard III actually killed the Princes in the Tower and I thought it was a bit unprofessional of the author to say that he did. The answer to that mystery is lost to us.

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Someone To Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas (Spoilers)

I first came across Kleypas's books when I was shopping at Barnes and Noble. The cover of the book (Mine at Midnight) looked pretty and despite the known fact that you should never judge a book by it's cover, I bought. I haven't actually read that particular book yet, but I'm glad that I have tried Ms. Kleypas's work.

I picked up Someone to Watch over me on Monday. I've been in a romance mood lately and I was craving some a bit longer than the last Harlequin I read. I read the blurb on the book and decided to go with this.

The book open with the hero called on to the scene for an attempted drowning. It turns out that he was acquainted with the woman. He takes her home with him. He believe her to be the woman he was once knew. But the woman known to him as Vivien doesn't act the way he once knew her to be. On top of this she's lost her memory from the murder attempt.

Grant(the hero) finds him intrigue with Vivien and as a way to pay her back he decides to his way with her. But over time she softens him and once they become intimate he realizes she can't possibly be the same woman.

I remember when I was about 100 pages into this book I had already figured out the twists. I'm not a master at unraveling memories, but I'm not dim either. A light blub went off in my head and I had figured the woman with Grant was a twin and I even had suspicions about how had tried to kill her. Turns out I was right. Yay me!

I want to applaud the author for not slut shaming the real Vivien. Considering when the book takes place, I think it would be easy for her to shame Vivien. On another note, I loved the fact that Grant said that women always afraid of strangers, when it's the men closet to them that cause them the most harm. That seemed really progressive of a 19th century man to say.

All in all I really enjoyed Someone to Watch Over Me. I give it four stars. It was a good book, but the mystery was kind of meh. But I'm really looking forward to reading more of Ms. Kleypas's works.

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Thoughts on Caitlyn's Prize by Linda Warren

First thing that I want to mention about the book is the cover. It depicts a scene in the book. What I'm about to say isn't important to the story, it's just a minor detail. The dress that Caitlyn wears is described as strapless. The dress the model is wearing has a strap. A thin strap, but it's a strap.

Now that's off my chest. I can't remember when I picked up this book, but I probably picked it up because of the cover or the blurb on the back. Most likely the cover because I'm shallow like that. :P

I haven't read many stories about cowboys, so I would consider this book to my introduction to the whole cowboy genre. I liked the fact that Caitlyn was a strong heroine and she never gave up even when Judd pressured her or some his ranch hands tried to bring her down. She was also caring without being too sentimental. I thought Warren fleshed her out fully.

Judd on the other hand was more mysterious. When he's introduced he seemed to be good person, but slightly misogynistic. It's revealed to be a result of his upbringing. I liked how the author explained it all and didn't have Jude try to explain it out. He took responsibility for his actions.

I give it four stars. It was very enjoyable and I loved the heroine and I warmed up to the hero. I'm really interested in learning more about Caitlyn's two sisters as well.

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Thoughts on Trouble at the Wedding

With this book finished, I have read fourteen books toward my goal of a hundred books and I have six more books to read for the month of February.

I picked up this book at the beginning of the month. I lusting after it for at least two weeks and when I saw it at the bookstore, I just had to have it. I settled down to read and I have to say it didn't disappoint me.

I immediately connected with the heroine Annabel. She comes from the South and she's new money. While I'm not particularly rich, I am Southern girl. I also felt the same way about certain situations in my life as Annabel did. The feeling of being an outsider and just wanting to fit in. I also liked that Annabel had some fire to her.

Christian was a perfect hero for me. He didn't get on my nerves and he just seemed lovable. He also seemed to genuinely care about Annabel. I really believed in Annabel and Christian's love story, which is important to me because I haven't felt that way about other books where romance is a prominent theme.

I give it four stars only because I would have like to see an epilogue. I've obviously gotten to use to the use of epilogues from other authors and I've come to expect it. But the ending did leave me feeling satisfied. I plan to check out the other books in the series!

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An Obsession with Flappers

I don't know when I exactly became obsessed with the Flappers and the Roaring Twenties. All I know is I read two books that were set in the Twenties and it went from there. Now I'm rapidly consuming information about this period in American history and one of the books I've read on that journey is Flapper by Joshua Zeitz.



I started reading this maybe a month ago, but I put it down for some reason, although it was interesting and on a subject that I enjoy.

But on this past Saturday I picked it back and rapidly got consumed in the book again. It starts off focusing on the Fitzgeralds. Theirs is a fascinating story. From there each chapter mentions some of the major players in the 1920s. Of course it's more of general book, but I liked the glimpses of Clara Bow, Coco Chanel, etc. I'll definitely be looking into more definite biographies of some of the women that helped make America modern.

In two chapters Zeitz mentions non-white flappers, which is really interesting to me as I'm women of color. But it was more like a paragraph. That was my only qualm with this book. It would have been great to learn about WOC flappers as well. But I got the general idea.

The book introduced me to people I'd never heard of before and it touched on one of my favorite people from the Jazz Age: Dorothy Parker. I felt like the book served as an introduction to some of the most important people from the Twenties.

I thought the ending was nice. In previous chapters Zeitz talked about how Americans became consumers. The Stock Market crash of 1929 changed things a bit of course. I thought it was great that Zeitz showed how the flappers influenced even today's generation. That really hit a chord for me.

I give Flapper a solid four stars!

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In The Past Week...

I finished my eleventh book and my first classic of the new year.

I chose Persuasion by Jane Austen as my book for January. I initially took reading it slower than I usually do. I usually read classics slower than I do contemporary books because of the language but this doesn't bother me as much as it used to. But on to the story.

I had originally watched the 1995 adaptation and fell in love with that. I wanted to see if the makers of the film translated the book onto the screen well. I think they did it justice. One thing that I did notice was when Louisa (I believe that's her name. I kept getting her mixed up with her sister.) fell from the steps. It was lot more dramatic on the screen than in the book. I actually had to backtrack for a minute to realize that she had actually fell.

I've only read one other Austen work and that's Pride and Prejudice which I just adore (Darcy owns my heart!), but I've noticed that she tells more than she shows. I felt that there were moments in the book where she could have let the characters speak for themselves instead of telling the reader what happened. It was for this that I rated the book four stars.

Today I finished a short little romance called By Royal Demand by Robyn Donald that has been sitting on my shelf for months waiting to be read. I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I hadn't been cleaning my shelves. But I read the blurb on the back and I decided why not?

It was enjoyable and quick read. I did think the hero Gabe, was just a much a jerk for my taste. The mystery with the Queen's Blood was resolved a little too quick for my taste, but the author is confined to see limit, so I could understand that. I did like the glimpses of Illriya and Sara's home island. I wish that I could have heard what Illriyan sounded like, but maybe that will be in the future books. I gave it three stars.

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Until There Was You Mini-Review

Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I got this book on Wednesday. I had been seeing it everywhere and then I saw that one of my friends had read it and she spoke highly of it, so I decided why not give it a go?

The first thing that I noticed was that it was hilarious. Posey was a great narrator and I didn't roll my eyes at her like I may have done with other heroines. It took me awhile to warm up to Liam. He just seemed really cold to me and maybe it's my experience with that type of guy, but I wasn't really feeling that.

I loved all the secondary characters as well. I thought Nicole was precious and I could understand how she felt with Liam being overbearing. I thought they were all fleshed out very well.

The romance was sweet and I really loved the ending. I thought it was so sweet and it harkened back to when they were teenagers. And I'm glad the reason for Liam breaking Posey's heart was explained. It made much more sense.

I'm looking forward to reading more of Higgins' work.



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Ninth Book Down!

Yass! I have read my ninth book for the month of January! Now I'm clear to spend my time reading Persuasion. I loved the 1995 movie and I'm hoping I love the book. I usually love the books more, but I can appreciate a good adaptation.

Here are my thoughts on another Clique novella.

Dylan by Lisi Harrison

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I think I enjoyed this one slightly better than I did Alicia's. Maybe it's because I have gotten used to the language, but it was really fun.



I am a bit WTF at the fact that Dylan considers herself fat even though she's just a size 6. Seriously? But other than that I liked the mentions of Winsome, Svetlana's designer.



Dylan did a little blackmailing to get her way and it all came back to her of course, but she ended up getting the perfect guy. Everyone, except Svetlana, got their happy ending. Just what I like :)



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I believe the girls are thirteen? Since they're in the eighth grade right? I have a hard time classifying the series because technically the girls are children, but the books can also be read by older teens and enjoyed as well.

I've been wanting to read more children's literature actually. I'm 21, so I'm well out of the age range. But there are a lot of cute ones I want to check out. Plus six year old niece can read them.

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Two Book Reviews

I come armed with two reviews of the young adult variety. I'm eight books down for my ten book a month challenge. The ninth book has yet to be decided, but the tenth book which I have saved for the last week of January will be one of my classics for the year. I've chosen Persuasion as I simply fell in love with Austen's work after struggling to finish a rather flat copy of Pride and Prejudice. After a simple change in edition (to the Penguin Classics which I now adore!) I finished P&P in a day after it had taken me a year to get through the first 200 pages. Lesson is that an edition changes everything.

I've also signed up for Library of Clean Reads Italy Challenge. I'm not sure which level I'm going for yet, but I have four books I'm eying for use in the challenge. I've set so many challenges for myself. Let's hope I can make them.

Anyway on to the reviews. First up is the Private Prequel, The Book of Spells.

The Book of Spells by Kate Brian

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Reading this book was kind of bittersweet. It's the last of the Private books that I haven't read yet. Having read the other books, I had heard about the Billings Literary Society. I was really excited to learn more about them. When I started reading the books I kind of got deja vu. From reading the Private novels, I know that Reed and Noelle are descendents of Eliza. But Eliza's introduction to the school seemed just like Reed's.

I initially thought Theresa was more like Noelle in the first few Private books, but it turns out she's an ancestor of Paige and Dylan. I think the books said something about that. My memory is vague. Of course I knew that Catherine was a great-great-great aunt of Ariana. I didn't get the killer vibes from Catherine.

Catherine ends up dying and the coven tries to bring her back to life. They do the spell and they do. I have to say it was anti-climatic. The creature just tried to choke Eliza. Is that all? Maybe it was my impression in reading the Private novels, but I expected some worse or more gruesome. Apparently the creature looked and sounded just like Catherine, but obviously it wasn't her.

All in all though I enjoyed the book and it was a quick read.



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I was really expecting more out of this book. The end of the Private series was kind of anti-climatic and from the way things were explained in the main series, I was expecting the creature to be more gruesome or something. That's the way they made it sound, but all it did was choke Eliza before they used a spell against it. Seriously? I kind of wished there were an epilogue though. I want to know if Eliza ended up with Harrison. I know she had children because of Noelle and Reed, but who did she marry? Questions, I have them Kate Brian.

Next up was Alicia's part of the Clique Summer Collection. It was a quick read at 112 pages and I finished it in an hour. Beyond some minor complaints about word usage. I generally enjoyed it. It was fun and very chick lit for teens. Also as someone that likes to invent words, I kind giggled at some the Clique-isms. True story, I checked out the Clictionary at my local library and I regret that I didn't pursue it closer because then I would know what some of the acronyms mean.


Alicia by Lisi Harrison

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


So I read the first two Clique novels and I enjoyed them and thus I bought the subsequent books. While shopping I saw four of the five summer collections going for $0.97 each. Now while I spend a lot of money on books, I loves me a good bargain! So of course I bought them.



I picked up Alicia's book this evening. Keep in mind that I haven't read the series since late 2011. It took me a minute to get back into the flow.I immediately knew I had missed some things, but that didn't bother me too much. What did bother me were the words used. Some of the stuff I could let slip by and I have to admit I liked some of the terminology. But spelling hot hawt and not nawt? That was just too much for me. It's minor, but I can get really picky about using proper language.



I did feel for Alicia for being thrown over by her cousins, but she bonded with Nina and I thought that was sweet. In the end she won the day when Nigel turned out to be the Spanish pop star. That did kind of surprise and I admit my inner thirteen year old cheered. Everything turned out okay.



So in conclusion I will be reading the other Summer Collections, maybe sooner than later and I'll get back to reading the main novels.



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And Only To Deceive Review

Six books down and four to go for the month of January. I've made it a goal to read 10 books a month including a classic of my choice. And Only Deceive is my sixth book.



When I first started reading the book, it took me awhile to get into it. Usually I intend to read a full 100 pages, but I only got into the thirties at first. But after I took some time off and I started to read again, I found myself becoming engrossed in the book.

I've always loved to learn and reading about Emily's thoughts on the Illaid and Greek art. There were some lovely snippets from the epic poem and it made me want to pull out my copy and try again. But the copy I have is a different edition of the classics I usually use. I prefer the Penguin Classics editions because I find them more readable.

I thought the mystery was solved in a very nice way for the era. I didn't get the vibe of being a detective or anything though. The villain turned out to be the Palmer brothers specifically Andrew. I have to admit I thought Colin would be the perpetrator, but he was actually investigating the case. I guess that shows that things are not always as they seem.

Now that I've read the first book, I will be order the next one as soon as I can. Although it may took a little while for me to read it because I try not to get overwhelmed by the characters by reading books back to back!

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Thoughts on The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I kinda of sorta love this book. I did think the name Belly was kind of silly, but when I learned it was sort for Isabel suddenly I thought it was cute. Weird of me huh? I liked how some chapters were flashbacks to previous ages. I kind of felt sorry for Cam and Jeremiah getting the short end of the stick. But I was pretty happy with the end. I have the second book on my shelf. Now all I need to do is get the third and then everything will be right in my world!



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In other entertainment news, I've been buying music since three this morning. Music is such a big part of my life. I've just got into Tori Amos' stuff and I just love it!

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Several Reviews and an Explanation

On the day after my last post here, my internet was turned off. It's a long story, but they claimed we didn't pay them. So for almost two weeks I was without internet. I almost went insane. But what did I do with the time, you ask? I read of course. I think I finished eight books. I also wrote up my thoughts on the books.

I have a new laptop (yay!) that I love and I'm hoping to be posting more regularly here. There is something to be said about updating your blog from your bed, am I right?

There are some spoilers for Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen.

Thoughts on Matched by Ally Condie


I had heard good things about Matched, but I was hesitant to pick it up because of my own bias. But I finally started reading it. I’ve recently become fascinated with dystopias which I have to give credit to my first one, The Giver. While The Giver and Matched aren’t particularly violent, the means that the government suppresses their respective people made me think about my government. I’ll be the first to admit that the government here isn’t perfect, but it does seem to me that things could go along that way. But without going on a political rant, Matched was very interesting and I’m looking forward to reading the second one.

Thoughts on Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James


A few months ago, I bought a lot of romance novels. This isn’t out of the norm for me as I tend to buy a lot of books in short spans of time. But anyway, around the 21st of this month, I was looking at my bookshelf and I saw this book. The blurb on the book piqued my interest, so I started reading. Immediately I knew why people raved about Eloisa’s writing. It was so funny! I mean I laughed out loud so many times. Damon and Roberta had perfect chemistry and Teddy was so cute. Also I thought it was great that even though Teddy was illegitimate Damon still cherished him. I’m also really interested in Elijah and Jemma. I hope their story is expanded upon in future books. I am definitely looking forward to more of Eloisa’s books.

Thoughts on The Bride’s Bodyguard by Beth Cornelison


I decided to pick up this book because I was looking for some action and if you know me, you know I love romance. So it seemed like a perfect combo. Within the first few pages, the action started, which was a plus for me as I have a very short attention span. So after Paige’s wedding got fucked up (Excuse my language, I couldn’t think of a better word). She and Jake, the bodyguard, take off. While they’re running from the terrorists the two start to fall in love. I thought it was believable enough. But on point, the story was good and I thought the author did a good job with it. Also she’s from Louisiana and I think she might be from around my area and that simple fact made me way too excited. So go, Louisiana!

Thoughts on Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins


I read The Hunger Games a little while ago. But it wasn’t until Christmas that I picked up Catching Fire. I don’t know if it was because my Christmas wasn’t so great, but I was without internet, so I decided to read. I wasn’t disappointed. The whole book was a ride and I finished it in a day. For Katniss and the other victors to have to go into the Games again was just terrible. I also noticed that there were little signs of rebellion. What with the mockingjay symbol and all. At the end of the book, I wasn’t too surprised at what happened, as it’s rare that I don’t look up spoilers for things. But still, I loved it. Now I’m contemplating should I go ahead and read the last book? It’s a tempting prospect.


Thoughts on the Dark Divine by Bree Despain


I bought this book way back on May 20, 2011. I had already wanted the book and when I saw it in the store, I immediately picked it up. It wasn’t until the last week of December that I actually started reading. The font of the book kind of threw me off, but I got used to around page 100. The story is really interesting. I already knew it would involve werewolves somehow, but I wasn’t sure how. I actually quite liked the heroine, Grace Divine and despite her name, she didn’t seem to be holier than thou. That sort of behavior really annoys me as I know a few people who are so like that. I didn’t see the end coming, but I like to be surprised. I also found Grace and Daniel’s relationship to be believable. That’s really important to me in books. But I’m looking forward to reading the next book as soon as I can!

Thoughts on Fallen by Lauren Kate


I started on this back in August or September or something. I don’t know what made me put it down but I did. During the last week of December, I picked it up again. I do really enjoy it. I wouldn’t quite say Luce is a stalker, but she does give off the vibes of it. I like Daniel, but he’s so hard to read sometimes. I think it’s rather strange that while I am completely fascinated by religion and all that. I’m currently in dispute with my own religion, whatever that means haha. But I really liked this book despite a few qualms I had with a few minor details. I will be reading the next book soon.


Thoughts on Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen


After reading Bright Young Things, I was eager to read the sequel. I remember counting down the days until the book came out. In October after it had been released, I ordered it and waited for the book to arrive at my door. I had intended to read the book as soon as I could, but for some reason I never got around to it. It wasn’t until the last day of December during my exile from the net that I actually picked it up.


It took me about fifty pages to get back into the story, but after that hurdle. I remember why I had liked the first book. I still find Astrid to be dreadfully boring though. I don’t know what it is about her, but when I read a chapter about her, I find my eyes glazing over. Right now, Letty is my favorite girl.


I really wasn’t expecting Astrid to get kidnapped. I honestly thought it would be Cordelia. From the way Astrid was acting about being engaged to Charlie. I didn’t expect them to get married in the end. I REALLY wasn’t expecting Max’s mother to be black. But he did seem to be guarded and that was why. My girl Letty is finally living her dreams, but I can’t help feeling something is iffy about Valetine O’Dell. It just sounds suspicious. I’m hoping it works out for her though.

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