Title: Dear John
Author: Nicholas Sparks
ISBN: 0446567337
Pages: 352
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)
An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life–until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything.

John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. “Dear John,” the letter read…and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love–and face the hardest decision of his life.

Review:

After too many pages about collecting coins — I had enough of the book. The whole coin collecting thing — was it necessary to open up an entire novel boring me about such a collection? I want to say “no”.

Well, to be fair — I got all the way up until he met this chick and then thought, “boring”. It’s not as if this book was written horribly, as it wasn’t. It just simply wasn’t engaging enough that I had to know what happened with these characters. They were boring and lacked dimension or personality (at least in my opinion). But, that’s just me. I rated it as a two indicating that it just “wasn’t for me”. I am sure others would disagree with the rating, but then again — *shrug*. I just didn’t consider this a romance to remember.

It may be one of those cases where the movie is (in fact) better than the book. I sure hope so.

Title: Remember Me?
Author: Sophie Kinsella
ISBN: 0440242401
Pages: 448
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: (Taken From Amazon.com) When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident—in a Mercedes no less—Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and she’s about to find out just how much things have changed. Somehow Lexi went from a twenty-five-year-old working girl to a corporate big shot with a sleek new loft, a personal assistant, a carb-free diet, and a set of glamorous new friends. And who is this gorgeous husband—who also happens to be a multimillionaire? With her mind still stuck three years in reverse, Lexi greets this brave new world determined to be the person she…well, seems to be. That is, until an adorably disheveled architect drops the biggest bombshell of all. Suddenly Lexi is scrambling to catch her balance. Her new life, it turns out, comes complete with secrets, schemes, and intrigue. How on earth did all this happen? Will she ever remember? And what will happen when she does?

Review:
On the surface, it’s another superficial Sophie Kinsella novel. But whose to say it’s not enjoyable? Sure Kinsella is unable to write about any “normal” person not in the upper class, able to spend a lot of money — but I still enjoyed the book and read it in about a day.

The novel also had some British slang inconsistencies. I realize that it was written first in the UK and then “translated” to the US (because, you know — us Americans are unable to catch on to slang other than our own..) but other than that (and the superficiality thing) it was an enjoyable read.

Remember Me?is the sort of read that would be perfect for the beach, or on a vacation of some sort. Nothing that requires a lot of thought and if you’re in the mood for a light, fluffy read. I found the concept of losing a big chunk of memory pretty interesting. One minute Lexi’s in a bad relationship, broke, partying with her friends — and the next, she’s married, a successful professional, and with money to spare! Watching the protagonist piece her life back together was quite interesting! I recommend it to anyone who wants something easy to read.

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that’s what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Review:

After hearing about this book all over the blogosphere — I had to read it. Plus the cover was just awesome looking to me. It was so dramatic and eerie. It looked like a must read.  But , you know how people can be wrong — right? I found Beautiful Creatures to be just another over-hyped Twilight-esque disaster (minus the sparkly vampire). Except with Beautiful Creatures, I couldn’t even get past page 100.

In just 100 pages I had the following issues:

• Ethan Waite? For a name? Something about this name just struck me as phony. As if it’s something two teenagers (eer… older ladies) picked a name out of a hat. What tops the gun is when Ethan finds a locket belonging to his great-great-great Grandfather (or something along that line). His name was Ethan too. *gag* Can you imagine the name Ethan being used in the mid 1800′s? I can’t. It just doesn’t seem like a good fit.(But I guess it’s not as bad as “Bella Swan” (Beautiful Swan? *Gag*) or “Renesme”) Even so, I felt it a bad choice. If you want memorable characters — create memorable names. Random name generators are not useful tools, people. Use your heads. Put some thought into the names.
• The way Ethan acted, thought. He is supposed to be a teenager but his character was written as if the authors have never met a teenage male in their entire life. He spent way too much time observing nailpolish, tans, purses, clothing (and anything else in a teenage female mindframe). On top of this, this basketball store secretly enjoyed reading Tolstoy and other hardcore literary geniuses. So much so that he hid them under his bed. (And because the authors are big into stereotypes, it seemed it would be more fitting in their belief system, based on powerful stereotypes that Ethan would be gay.) Are they writing him to make him appear as if he is “Mr. Perfect??!” Well news flash — he’s , what? 16? 17? No boy is perfect. He’s a teenage boy! I doubt a girl’s nailpolish or purse is the first thing boys think of when they meet a beautiful girl for the first time.
• The authors centralized this tale around the superficiality of Gaitlin County. It seems EVERYONE was tan and blonde and if you weren’t — you were a Loser with a capital L. I don’t know about you — but my high school wasn’t that superficial. Granted I live in Florida so — sure, tans would be a given. But if you weren’t tan, it wasn’t a big deal. If you didn’t have big boobs, or short shorts — or designer purses. No one gave a rat’s @#$.  However in Beautiful Creatures — it was an important fact that if you weren’t Miss. Teenage Barbie, you were automatically thrown into the Loser category. (Great message, by the way – Ladies). There was this one instance in which this girl was trying to attempt to start a conversation with Lena (the mystery girl) and Miss. Popular Emily (nice stereotypical name for a popular girl, by the way..) shot her a dirty look and she retreated. Where on EARTH do “popular” people have this much power? Therefore, this made the story all the more unbelievable.
• Ethan says “Lena Duchannes” over and over and over again. Just like that. Whole name. It’s as if the authors did that because they figured the readers were too stupid to remember who she was. Then add on top that they keep reminding you how to pronounce it, “Like rain.” — I wanted to throw the book at the wall. Who the hell cares how I pronounce it in my head? That is the beauty of books — you can visualize things how YOU visualize them. The author should guide you, but not tell you how to read. But anyway, it seemed to be a popular trend in Beautiful Creatures, to call a person by their whole name. After hearing “Ethan Waite” and “Lena Duchannes” for the 80th time in 100 pages, I said, “That’s it. This book stinks.”
• Ethan starts hearing voices in his head, which Lena is communicating with him. He immediately assumes it is her and it doesn’t freak him out. Then they  hold hands and la-di-dah they are in this together. *GAG* *GAG* *GAG*

Those are just my issues in the first 100 pages — to name a few. Beautiful Creatures was superficial, unbelievable, and the pacing was entirely way off. They would spend 90 pages on his first day of school (okay over-exaggeration) and then in two pages, him and Lena were a team. OH COME ON! There was no build up– it’s just one minute she’s there and the next they’re together.

The book was entirely way too predictable, way too cheesy, way too superficial — and way too boring for my taste. I couldn’t imagine putting myself through almost 500 more pages of this mess.

Any book that spreads the wrong message to our youth and can’t even eloquently do so is an automatic on my bad list. This book is bad. Seriously. And the fact that it was written by TWO grown women is just downright pathetic.

Synopsis: (Taken from back of book)

An upstairs gentleman and a downstairs servant share a secret love. The saga begins. In Victorian England, a young girl named Emma is rescued from a life of destitution and raised to become a proper British maid. When she meets William, the eldest son of a wealthy family, their love seems destined. But in this world, even matters of the heart are rules by class distinctions.

Review:

Emma is another popular series that keeps popping up around the blogosphere. I’ve seen it on many blogger’s websites; bloggers with varying tastes. Something about this book was attracting readers of all sorts — and I was determined to find out what it was.

Last week I ordered Emma Volume 1 by Kaoru Mori from Barnes and Noble. When it arrived later in the week, I was very excited. After finishing up some other books, I opened this one and found myself quickly hooked.

Kaoru Mori manages to make Victorian London seem anything but trivial and boring. Instead, there was humor and intrigue — and romance.

We are introduced to Emma — a beautiful but shy maid who works for a former governess, Kelly Stownar (who I believe is to be in her late 40′s/50′s).  Kelly is widowed and known to be on the “tough love” side but very quickly, you grow to appreciate her for her little comments and her intentions.

One day — a young man by the name of William (who comes from a wealth family) comes to visit his former governess, Kelly — who he hasn’t seen in quite a bit of time. Upon arrival, William’s face meets the door as Emma is on her way out, slamming him to the ground. William, ego in tact, is not at all disrupted by his fall — which is caused by a “maid”. Instead, he finds something about her — something captivating. He just has to know her.

Emma, even a low class maid, is no stranger to having men fall in love with her. Used to turning possible suitors down, there is something about William that prevents her from turning down his attentions. Emma, Volume 1, is a light-hearted and interesting tale set in Victorian England that will have you wanting to read more! I just loved it and cannot wait to read more.

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Review:

I wasn’t sure about starting this one. Although I’ve heard so many good things about it — it just didn’t sound like something I would normally pick up and read. However, when I asked Twitter what I should start reading, this got the vote. So – with that, I began my journey into this fantasy-fiction novel.

Katsa is this young woman who has her guard up – literally. Trained and Graced to kill — Katsa has little room for human relationships. Being her King’s personal “go-to-killer”, Katsa is one of the most feared woman in all of the kingdoms. But — many people fear what they don’t understand.

Tired of killing innocents, Katsa decides to start a rebellion against her king and leave on a journey to discover and kill and even bigger threat — King Leck.

Katsa, head-strong in her decisions and feelings knows what she has set out to do.. but what she doesn’t ready herself for is falling in love with another Graceling, a Prince.

The only thing I did not like about this book was the beginning – the introductory of characters. I absolutely hate when books feel the need to introduce every possible character in a matter of pages. Especially when it’s fantasy characters with unique names. It’s very hard to keep track of who is who unless you have some substance to their character. There was a lot of opportunity to introduce characters throughout the book that I do not believe Cashore HAD to introduce them all at once.

This is the ONLY issue I had with Graceling, as it may be discouraging to those who aren’t NORMALLY fantasy-fight type book readers.

Overall the book was really good — and I read it in a matter of about 2 days. You’ll come to know Prince Po and fall in love with him as he’s so gallant and charming and it’s so obvious when he’s in love. The match in personalities between Po and Katsa is ideal as she is not much of a communicator of feelings or emotions, and he does all the talking. He knows what she’s feeling and seeks out to make her life happy and comfortable in any way he can, even at the expense of his own un-happiness. (How can you NOT love a man like that?)

I recommend this novel to anyone who wants to be introduced to this type of genre, as well as anyone who enjoys sort of a medieval-type fighting life with kingdoms — and timeless romance!

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

Madison Stanton doesn’t know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this—she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can reexperience—and sometimes even change—moments from her life.

Her first kiss.

A trip to Disney World.

Her sister’s wedding.

A disastrous sleepover.

In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life—and death.

This is a haunting and ultimately hopeful novel about the beauty of even the most insignificant moments—and the strength of true love even beyond death.

Review:

This novel was short – so immediately I didn’t expect it to be incredibly detailed or even that meaningful. How much of a story can be told in less than 300 pages?

The Everafter was an easy read, although – like I had anticipated, not incredibly deep. Although it had every intention of being an inspirational life-after-death tale, I felt that it didn’t quite capture my reading loyalty. The relationships were semi-flat although it was obvious Huntley had intended for each character to be a meaningful and memorable one.

But truth be told, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve read this book and I can’t remember a single name. So – so much for being memorable.

Basically Madison (who appears to be of teen age in the novel) “wakes up” in an area of supreme nothingness. In my opinion, this is probably the catholic version of limbo. There is nothing here. No scenery. No company. No feeling of love or fear. Though Madison knows that she’s dead.

Before her are a series of random objects that have all been “lost” in life. Much like the butterfly effect, each item played a roll in how her life was shaped. Each time she touches one of the objects, she’s taken back in time to her life where she learns to control the outcome. But what happens when she finds the objects? What in her life changes? Is it for the better?

For me, the objects were pointless other than taking the reader down memory lane to gauge what he life was like before death. There was nothing particularly special about her. Madison was just your typical American teenager. And in doing so, this book was nothing particularly special – just your average, American, young adult read.

While it wasn’t awful – it’d be a good read for a beach day or a rainy day inside. But I wouldn’t expect to walk away with a feeling of a changed life. You may not remember it a week later, anyway.

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf–her wolf–is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human–or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Review:

It took me about a month (??) to finish this book. 80% in part due to the lovely thing I call “morning sickness”. It sort of creates an apathetic feeling towards doing anything that you’ve enjoyed doing it before. Luckily I am feeling better and was able to finish the book this week – finally.

Grace has this odd fascination by wolves, even though she was almost killed by them as a young child. Even though one pulled her from her swing one day in her backyard and savagely started biting her – she recovers quickly only to have this obsession with watching them, especially one wolf with yellow eyes, who she believes saved her from the others who attacked her.

The wolf is Sam, a boy her age who is werewolf. When the temperatures are hot, he is able to take his human form again, but when they drop below 50 degrees, he changes into his wolf counterpart and watches Grace from afar. The part I did enjoy about this  book is that it showed it is possible to develop a connection with a species other than yourself. Something that involves mutual respect and understood boundaries.

What I didn’t understand is how (psychologically speaking) she was drawn to the wolves after her attack. Why and how did she not get some form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Personally, after almost being run off the road by a Winnebago last February on Valentine’s Day, I still have a terrible visions of almost running into a cement wall. When cars drive too close, or begin to sway towards my direction, my heart starts beating fast and I verge on freaking out – as if I am going to relive it all over again. What I don’t get – is, how does Grace not have some sort of anxiety with the wolves?

I hope that Maggie Stiefvater has some sort of explanation for this in the book that is to follow. Over all, Shiver was an enjoyable (although not particularly thrilling, suspenseful or life altering read). It was simply – entertaining. The characters were a bit flat.. as Grace did not seem to have much of a personality, and going in between view points between Sam and Grace was difficult as there were no particular differences in voice.

I enjoyed Shiver, but more than likely will look into borrowing the sequel from the library rather than purchasing it.

If you have read & reviewed Shiver, please feel free to add to Mr. Linky below. Please keep in mind that I am using the more modern Mr. Linky on this review which requires that you leave a comment and click on the box that will include you in participating in this Mr. Linky.

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Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She’s never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora’s not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can’t decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen – and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Review:

I am going to be really honest. I wanted to hate it. Hush, Hush was so hyped up I thought it would for sure be just another Twilight disaster in terms of selfish lust-filled teenagers ditching their friends for a guy (oh what a lovely message!) Anything severely hyped, I enter it with an even more critical eye. With Hush Hush, though – I was pleasantly surprised.

Nora seems like your average girl in school. Although she wasn’t necessarily described as beautiful – she didn’t appear to be lacking. I think because of her natural girl next door appeal -  Nora seemed like a real person.  It wasn’t a typical “fall in love with the most gorgeous girl in high school” story. There was some realism to the love story, even if it was about a fallen angel. On the down side, Nora’s home life seemed a bit dramatic. Her father was recently murdered (although we never really find out why – and I thought for sure this would be solved by the end of the story) and Nora’s mother is as absent as they come. Enter the stereotypical housekeeper to be makeshift mother. But – that’s besides the point.

Vee is her best friend – and reminded me of girls I knew in high school. Typically boy crazy, flirtatious, and pretty much threw caution to the wind on most occasions. Although I’ve read that some reviewers found Vee to be unlikeable or flat, I felt that she was in fact likeable – but in moderation. Her character, I felt- was one that could be developed in future installments if Becca Fitzpatrick decides to continue on with this group of characters. Like many girls her age, she has moments where her judgement is lacking – but so did Nora, and in a big way.

There were many times in the novel I wanted to tell Nora to stop being such an idiot. Someone tells her to go from point A to point B, so she decides to go to point C. It’s like watching a horror movie and seeing the half naked girl running barefoot away from the monster who she clobbered with her stiletto heel – and she stops. You yell at the screen, “Run away! Run away!” but for some reason the stupid girl always go back. It reminded me of this. Nora seemed to make some very stupid decisions. (Shakes head).

Even so, I couldn’t stop reading the book. Seriously – I just kept on reading and reading.

Enter the fallen angel, Patch. Although he is supposed to be this big, bad, and tough character – I never truly saw him in that light. I felt he was protective and witty and the kind of person that could easily put someone in their place. He also seemed many years older than his years (obviously) and I had no doubt why Nora found herself attracted to him in the first place.

Hush Hush isn’t a mind blowing powerful read – but it’s incredibly entertaining and at times, quite romantic. It portrayed teen love in a non-cheesy way, which I appreciated. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a young adult novel about forbidden love and dark romance.

Hush Hush in Pictures:

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

It’s spring—a time for new beginnings. This is Miki Yoshida’s final year of high school, and she’s determined to make this the best year yet. Miki is in control . . .

. . . until Hiro Sakurai shows up.

The tall, handsome new student is hiding something, and Miki wants to know what. As she breaks down Hiro’s defenses, she is unnerved by how much she cares about him. Too bad he is the one guy who can’t care for her back. But Miki is falling for Hiro, and nothing is going to stop her from getting close to him—not even his dangerous secret.

Review:

We begin what seems like a suicidal girl, throwing herself out of a window to fall. Although she said she jumped to just get away, I began to wonder her true motives. What drove her to become so desperate as to flee the company by throwing herself out of a window? I wanted to know! I had to know!

This glimpse into the literary future had me hooked. We are then brought back a year prior, to the Spring when we meet Miki and discover she is determined to change her life. Her best friend, Yumi, is insistent that Miki stop being so picky and just choose someone already (after all, she’s settled – so why shouldn’t Miki?) At least, for now. Miki, a strong willed school girl said she’s too busy for boys and instead drowns herself in extra activities and studies.

One day, while at an archery practice- Miki loses an arrow into a large rice patch. Shins deep in water, she is told she must find that arrow. It is, after all, the rules. You lose it – you find it. While looking for the arrow she finds the new kid, in a jacket – standing by himself doing something. But what? Miki startles him, and he looks terrified that she has spotted him. She comes up with some excuse, as to not worry him but he answers her in a very cold, rude manner. Miki just doesn’t understand it! For the new guy, he just has no interest in fitting in! Not at all!

Book 1 creates a lot of romantic tension and mystery. Why is this new guy, Hiro, so distant? What is his deal? I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this series at first – but I honestly loved it. It was well written and entertaining. The only thing that bothered me was Mark Crilleys illustrative style. Sometimes Miki’s face (and other characters) looked too flat, and her eyes too wide apart. I have no idea why that bugged me, because they are great illustrations – I guess, it just wasn’t aesthetically pleasing to me.

For manga lovers who enjoy a good story, I definitely recommend Miki Falls – Spring (Book 1).

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)
When Sookie’s brother Jason’s eyes start to change, she knows he’s about to turn into a were-panther for the first time. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population-and Jason’s new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who’s behind the attacks, unless the killer decides to find her first.

Review:

I finished this book sometime mid last week – but haven’t gotten around to actually reviewing it yet.  I guess I didn’t really want to come to terms with the fact that this was by far my least favorite out of the series. Was it horrible? Of course not. But – It just wasn’t thrilling.. edgy.. passionate.. sexy – as the other ones were. The plot itself, I could “take it or leave it”.

Reading this book, it’s true – I read it pretty quickly. I didn’t really put it down, for the most part. But it was like attending a business meeting with a bunch of close friends who you don’t get the chance to see. Although what you’re doing is boring and you really could stand to do something else — you’re still there with friends. That’s how I viewed this book. I enjoyed it because it was about Sookie, and all the cast of characters I have come to love.. but it still didn’t do much for me.

Sure things happen – but nothing truly interesting. Sookie is torn by so many different men in this one, that it verges disgusting. First she’s having a moment with Sam, then daydreaming about Bill, Alcide, Eric .. you name it. The girl is so very confused.  Although it didn’t bother me too much in the past where there was tension between her and others.. this time it was just way too many in the same book.  The girl needs to decide how she feels about every single one of these guys because I am beginning to not take her feelings too seriously.

After Dead to the World, this one fell flat. I will try not to judge the entire series on this one novel as it has already given me hours and hours of entertainment and discussion with others – but I do hope the next one, Definitely Dead, is much, much better.