I am not even sure how many books I've read in the last 41 days since I last wrote here. I have been extremely busy with the kids, my 2 jobs and a visit from my brother-in-law and his family. It's spring in North Carolina and I am excited to be spending more time outside with the kids, and less time on the couch. That being said, I have a long list of books that I've completed since Water for Elephants...and here it is:
Dead as a Doornail (#5 in the Sookie Stackhouse series) by Charlaine Harris
Summer at Willow Lake (#1 in the Lakeshore Chronicles) by Susan Wiggs
The Winter Lodge (#2 Lakeshore Chronicles) by Susan Wiggs
Undercover in High Heels (#3 High Heels series) by Gemma Halliday
Alibi in High Heels (#4 High Heels series) by Gemma Halliday
Mayhem in High Heels (#5 High Heels series0 by Gemma Halliday
The Demon Girl by Penelope Fletcher (can't wait for #2 to come out this summer)
I think that might be it! Can you tell I like to read series? I'm surprised that the list is so long, given my hectic schedule the last 6 weeks. I'm currently reading Switched (Trylle Trilogy #1) by Amanda Hocking. I'm less than 100 pages into it, but so far, I'm intrigued. Hopefully it picks up soon and really hooks me!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Water for Elephants
I read this book for a couple of reasons. First of all, my best friend recommended it quite highly and reminded me it was only $4.99 on barnesandnoble.com for the Nookbook. Secondly, the movie is about to come out, with Robert Pattinson playing the lead role of Jacob. Inevitabley, my best friend and I will be among the first people with our butts in a movie theater seat waiting to watch this movie, and she is going to want to talk about the book. So I decided it was in my best interest to go ahead and read it, even though I typically prefer to see the movie first, and then read the book.
I have to say that I enjoyed the book, but hope they take some creative liberties with the movie. There were times in the book where I found myself getting a little bit bored. Picturing Jacob as Robert Pattinson usually helped me pull through it though! The last 75 or so pages were great! I just couldn't put it down. I also really enjoyed the note from the author at the end. It's always nice to know what parts of a historical book are real, and where those stories came from.
The best thing about this book for me was that you could actually imagine what it was like to be in a travelling circus during the depression. The details were vivid and I feel like Gruen did a great job at filling in the holes that other authors might have left empty. I do wish we got to see a little more of the storyline between Jacob and Marlena though. It's nice that we know what happened to them, but I would have liked to read at least some of it from Jacob's point of view, as we did the rest of the book.
In reading the questions for book club discussions at the end of the book, I learned that one layer of the story follows the book of Jacob from the Bible. I am not a religious person, so I did not make that connection, but I'd love to hear from any of you who did realize that. Maybe you can fill me in!
The best thing about this book for me was that you could actually imagine what it was like to be in a travelling circus during the depression. The details were vivid and I feel like Gruen did a great job at filling in the holes that other authors might have left empty. I do wish we got to see a little more of the storyline between Jacob and Marlena though. It's nice that we know what happened to them, but I would have liked to read at least some of it from Jacob's point of view, as we did the rest of the book.
In reading the questions for book club discussions at the end of the book, I learned that one layer of the story follows the book of Jacob from the Bible. I am not a religious person, so I did not make that connection, but I'd love to hear from any of you who did realize that. Maybe you can fill me in!
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
I finally read book #4 in the Sookie Stackhouse series, Dead to the World. I would probably have read the entire series by now if I had them all on my Nook. Unfortunately, I borrowed the books for the rest of the series in paperback, and I keep forgetting that I have them. When I finish a book on my Nook, I tend to start another one right away...so the rest of this series may have to wait a bit. The good news is that it's only going to be a a few more months before True Blood is back on TV! That alone will encourage me to keep reading!
So I enjoyed this book, mostly because I already know that Sookie doesn't end up with Bill, so I was happy to see her and Eric finally connect. I had been forewarned by my friends that this book was one of their favorites because of the sex scenes between Sookie and Eric. Now if you're looking for a lengthy, explicit sex scene, you need to find a romance novel. Charlaine Harris gets the job done with few words and even fewer details. It works though, and the scenes in this book are no exception. I really hope to see a few of them play out in the TV series though. Alan Ball has the ability to give readers what they were missing in the books.
Aside from the short, vague love scenes, I feel like Harris leaves a lot of other stuff out of this book too. It is in this book that we meet witches for the first time, and I don't feel like she gave us enough description and background. That part of the book lacked depth and I really think the book could have been better if she had gone deeper with those characters and that plot line. I'm guessing that she kept it to a minimum to keep the book at a similar length to the previous books. I would have been much happier with a longer book that did a little more explaining.
That said, I did enjoy this book and look forward to book #5!
So I enjoyed this book, mostly because I already know that Sookie doesn't end up with Bill, so I was happy to see her and Eric finally connect. I had been forewarned by my friends that this book was one of their favorites because of the sex scenes between Sookie and Eric. Now if you're looking for a lengthy, explicit sex scene, you need to find a romance novel. Charlaine Harris gets the job done with few words and even fewer details. It works though, and the scenes in this book are no exception. I really hope to see a few of them play out in the TV series though. Alan Ball has the ability to give readers what they were missing in the books.
Aside from the short, vague love scenes, I feel like Harris leaves a lot of other stuff out of this book too. It is in this book that we meet witches for the first time, and I don't feel like she gave us enough description and background. That part of the book lacked depth and I really think the book could have been better if she had gone deeper with those characters and that plot line. I'm guessing that she kept it to a minimum to keep the book at a similar length to the previous books. I would have been much happier with a longer book that did a little more explaining.
That said, I did enjoy this book and look forward to book #5!
The High Heels Series by Gemma Halliday
The thing I loved about these books is I could totally see Katherine Heigl or Drew Barrymore playing the lead character in a romantic comedy movie based on the books. Her best friend would be someone like Cameron Diaz and the cop would be any really hunky Hollywood actor who could pull of a slight Spanish accent.
I haven't decided if I'm going to read the 3rd book in the series. While I enjoyed the first two, I am worried that the 3rd will be a little too predictable. My best friend already downloaded it to her Nook though, so I may ask her to "lend" it to me. I guess I'll let you know! :)
Catching Up
I've done quite a bit of reading in the last few weeks, but not a lot of writing. I find myself engulfed in other peoples' blogs and it takes away from my allotted writing time. I also seem to have a lot less allotted writing time these days, since my son is no longer going to preschool (financial decision) and I am now working 4-5 nights a week. I have a lot less down time!
Anyway, the books I've read since I last wrote here are (in no particular order):
Water for Elephants
Killer in High Heels (#1 in the High Heels series)
Spying in High Heels #2 in the High Heels series)
Club Dead (#4 in Sookie Stackhouse series)
Christmas Stalking
I really thought I had read more than that! Hmmm...I'm about 10 weeks/books behind where I should be. Time to buckle down! :)
I don't necessarily have a ton of things to say about each of these books, so I'm going to lump the obvious ones together in the next few posts. The book I am currently reading is Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. It's the book that followed Eat Pray Love and I'm having a tough time getting through it. It is nowhere near as interesting to me as its predecessor, but I am a little more than half way through, so I should be done soon.
Anyway, the books I've read since I last wrote here are (in no particular order):
Water for Elephants
Killer in High Heels (#1 in the High Heels series)
Spying in High Heels #2 in the High Heels series)
Club Dead (#4 in Sookie Stackhouse series)
Christmas Stalking
I really thought I had read more than that! Hmmm...I'm about 10 weeks/books behind where I should be. Time to buckle down! :)
I don't necessarily have a ton of things to say about each of these books, so I'm going to lump the obvious ones together in the next few posts. The book I am currently reading is Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. It's the book that followed Eat Pray Love and I'm having a tough time getting through it. It is nowhere near as interesting to me as its predecessor, but I am a little more than half way through, so I should be done soon.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
The 3rd book in the Sookie Stackhouse series is just as good as the first 2, and it's even more different from the show, True Blood, than the first 2 were.
What I like most about this book is Bubba, the vampire Elvis. It's totally cheesy, and funny at the same time. Supposedly he wasn't quite dead when he went to the morgue the night he "died," and the vampire on duty turned him. Unfortunately, the massive amount of drugs in his system made him a less than intelligent vampire, and he is traded between Areas to prevent him from returning to Graceland and causing a "sighting." They call him Bubba so he isn't constantly reminded of his human life.
In this book, Bubba is commissioned to protect Sookie, and he does just that. In the process, he kills a Were and hides him in the apartment where Sookie is staying, forcing her to hide the corpse. Like I said, it's a bit much, but it's kind of funny.
The other thing I love about this book is the way Sookie begins to move away from Bill, both emotionally and physically. While she still loves Bill, Sookie experiments with letting herself think about and feel for Alcide and Eric. She makes out with Alcide and fantasizes about going further, and then to third base with Eric! I like the way Harris wrote those scenes, but hope we'll see a little more description in later scenes.
What I like most about this book is Bubba, the vampire Elvis. It's totally cheesy, and funny at the same time. Supposedly he wasn't quite dead when he went to the morgue the night he "died," and the vampire on duty turned him. Unfortunately, the massive amount of drugs in his system made him a less than intelligent vampire, and he is traded between Areas to prevent him from returning to Graceland and causing a "sighting." They call him Bubba so he isn't constantly reminded of his human life.
In this book, Bubba is commissioned to protect Sookie, and he does just that. In the process, he kills a Were and hides him in the apartment where Sookie is staying, forcing her to hide the corpse. Like I said, it's a bit much, but it's kind of funny.
The other thing I love about this book is the way Sookie begins to move away from Bill, both emotionally and physically. While she still loves Bill, Sookie experiments with letting herself think about and feel for Alcide and Eric. She makes out with Alcide and fantasizes about going further, and then to third base with Eric! I like the way Harris wrote those scenes, but hope we'll see a little more description in later scenes.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Slacker Girl by Alexandra Koslow
I just happened upon this book when I was searching for more books by Sally Koslow, author of The Late Lamented Molly Marx. It sounded like just what I needed at the time, and I was right! I started with a sample downloaded to my Nook, and had to buy it immediately so that I could finish reading it. I couldn't put it down, and it took me less than 24 hours to read all 232 pages.
The best thing about this book is that it could be me and my best friend...if we lived in NYC in our late 20's and didn't have the families we have now! The slacker, Jane, is a lot like me. She really appreciates her leisure time, and plans her work life accordingly. I have more responsibilities than she does, but if I could, I would be her! She is also a little bit artistic (she embroiders, I sew), and she believes in the power of the universe. She has lots of friends, but one everyday friend (Rebecka) with whom she shares everything with. Together they are wild and unstoppable.
The banter between Jane and Rebecka is what really makes this book appeal to me! They tell each other everything, including when the other one is being a b*tch. They go out together, and help each other pick up men, like my best friend and I used to do. They help each other get over break-ups and re-focus on what's important, like drinking and having fun!
By the end of the book, the slacker, Jane, is no longer a slacker. She figures out that her current job (and her boss) is exactly what she needs to feel fulfilled. She basically receives all that she has been asking for from the universe, and in turn learns to stop asking. I have to say that that sounds like heaven to me! I would love to be so happy with the universe and the hand that it's dealt me, that I no longer felt the need to ask for help! I feel as lost as Jane does at the start of the book!
I definitely recommend this book for a fun, light hearted, easy read. However, there are several f-bombs throughout the book, and a hilarious passage describing the difference between a dick and an @sshole (page 72). So if that kind of stuff bothers you, you have been warned!
The best thing about this book is that it could be me and my best friend...if we lived in NYC in our late 20's and didn't have the families we have now! The slacker, Jane, is a lot like me. She really appreciates her leisure time, and plans her work life accordingly. I have more responsibilities than she does, but if I could, I would be her! She is also a little bit artistic (she embroiders, I sew), and she believes in the power of the universe. She has lots of friends, but one everyday friend (Rebecka) with whom she shares everything with. Together they are wild and unstoppable.
The banter between Jane and Rebecka is what really makes this book appeal to me! They tell each other everything, including when the other one is being a b*tch. They go out together, and help each other pick up men, like my best friend and I used to do. They help each other get over break-ups and re-focus on what's important, like drinking and having fun!
By the end of the book, the slacker, Jane, is no longer a slacker. She figures out that her current job (and her boss) is exactly what she needs to feel fulfilled. She basically receives all that she has been asking for from the universe, and in turn learns to stop asking. I have to say that that sounds like heaven to me! I would love to be so happy with the universe and the hand that it's dealt me, that I no longer felt the need to ask for help! I feel as lost as Jane does at the start of the book!
I definitely recommend this book for a fun, light hearted, easy read. However, there are several f-bombs throughout the book, and a hilarious passage describing the difference between a dick and an @sshole (page 72). So if that kind of stuff bothers you, you have been warned!
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