What is you paradise?

Oooh Lala...

Disclaimer: this book series is not for everyone, may be a little too sensual for certain readers... And FYI to my male readers, pretty sure you should just skip this entry...You have all been warned. 

Okay now that I have set my disclaimer let's talk about getting a little seductive in our book life. I believe we all need a little spice in our life, and our book life. This series promises to be that kind of book. I have yet to read it, they only had the second in the series at my library so I am on call for the first, 

I was sucked into Fifty Shades of Grey, like a lot of women were. I am unsure if I will see the movie though...seeing that kind of action is different in my head than sitting and watching it on a extremely large screen. But I enjoyed the inside look of some extreme love. And I am not ashamed to say that it aided my personal love life, not in toys but in other ways. (I will leave it at that for personal purposes) 

The following is the synopsis of the book from Goodreads.com I hope it facinates you as it does me. If you have read this book share with me how you felt about it? Good? bad? You know I love hearing from you!

Happy Reading!

"Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness… 

He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires.The bonds of his love transformed me, even as i prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart..."

BookNote

Start of a new school year

As schools resume and life starts to get back into a routine, I have to go back to work. It has been wonderful having the summers off to read until my little heart was content and to write and share books with you all often. 

I will still be writing and sharing the books I am reading with you and posting discussion questions about the current book of the month, but when it comes to other posts they are going to probably slow down to once or twice a week here in the next few weeks. Some weeks will be better than others, but I will be striving to get out 2 posts a week at minimum so please bare with me as I get back into the groove of waking up at 4:30am, going to work, coming home and taking care of my family. 

Please keep sharing with me the books you are reading or want to read. I enjoy hearing from all of you and finding new books to go on an adventure with.

I appreciate your understanding!! And as always...

Happy Reading!

Time is up!

Hello Bookworms!
 Time is now up to finish The Time Traveler's Wife! What did you think? Go to the Book of the month page and post any and all comments about this book so we can all share our feelings!

Happy Discussing! :)

Did you like the Hunger Games?

Were you a fan of The Hunger Games series? I was, and still am. I came across a list via (none other than) Pinterest and I have looked it over and feel like it is good enough to share with you. 

15 books to read if you enjoyed The Hunger Games

We actually have discussed a few of these series already so it makes me proud that I have already scoped a few of these out. But check it out and maybe there are a few books that you want to read to feed your Hunger from the withdrawal of The Hunger Games (Before the movie comes out. Even though they may butcher it compared to the book I will still be there to see it happen.)

Happy Reading!

Anyone ever feel like a bad person when you start having feelings for the "bad guy" I know I have a hard time sometimes. Like with the Shatter Me series, I started liking Warner a lot after the second book in the series, and not just the small one about him but in Unravel Me the legit 2nd book in the series...

I do think it is a good thing though because it makes you step back in real life and think before you judge. Because you never know what someone went through to make them the way that they are. Something somewhere down the line made them the person they are today and you have no idea the daily struggle they go through.

Good life lesson. 

Series vs non-series

I have been finding myself reading a lot of different series lately. And though I like the fact that the author does not have to rush through the events that the main characters go through, I am finding it hard for the author to keep my interest for more than a few books. I feel like they mess with the main characters too much that it goes beyond believable and tries my patience. 

I do understand that it is part of the main characters job description is to have the story line revolve around them. But in the books I am finding myself reading, The Mortal Instruments Series, the author puts the main two characters in a series of difficult situations. Can she please just let them be in love for at least one book without messing it up? Allow someone in their inner circle to get in trouble and have them fight to make it right. I feel like some authors get captivated with the main love interests and try to figure out how they can mess with them and only them. I say let the love birds stop proving their love to each other and show how dynamic they can be as a couple and take on the world!! That's the hard part in life, am I right? It is the living as two people not the showing that you are desperately in love with that person no matter what evil comes their way that makes a real story.

Anyone else ever feel like this? 

I find a book that is not part of a series to be a breath of fresh air sometimes when I do not want to have an anxiety attack about the characters. It is sometimes short and sweet and able to be finished between 300-600 pages. You are given a plot and it is beautiful to see the beginning and the end in a timely manner. 

I do not think this applies to all series, I want to make that clear. Harry Potter would not have been the same if there was not 7 books. It would have been quite a let down in my opinion, kind of like the movies. But the way Rowling wrote the stories and events around Harry were exciting to read about. It was like an adventure with every turn of the page. I do not feel that way with a lot of series, I feel like some authors are reaching to find something to make more money...

I will always read both I enjoy the idea of a series  I fancy the attention to detail the authors are at liberty to give because they are not confined to 300 pages. But unless the series author offers up some kind of imagination as to the plot of a story I do find myself, as of late, leaning towards non-series types of books.

What do you think? Do you prefer series or a stand alone book? 

Happy Reading!

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick  

Now I know that I wrote about this book before, (though I was mistaken about the number of books in this saga, I originally posted that there were 3 and there are in fact 4.)

However that was from a "Hey I think I want to read this and share with you to see if you may want to read this too" stand point. Now that I have read it I want to share my views of the book with you.

 I enjoyed this book because though it deals with the supernatural, it goes beyond the vampire and werewolf supernatural creatures. And deals with fallen angels (reminiscent of the movie City of Angels, but not the same premise) 

Nora Grey is having a hard time trying to figure out who in her life to trust. She just had her best friend, Vee, moved away from her in class and has to partner with a guy named Patch who is attractive but has a major attitude that makes him less than desirable...or so Nora wished. But when a series of events begins to make her question who is trying to harm her all signs point to Patch, but her instincts are telling her they are wrong.

While Nora tries to find the truth, and furthers her relationship with Patch she is surprised to find herself immersed in a world that she did not even know existed on Earth and surrounded by people she thought only resided in Heaven. 

Since this is the first of the saga there is a lot of setting up. So though the story was good and captivating I am looking forward to the next book (I am currently like 16 in line for this book at the library) because there will not be as much explanation needed because we already know the main characters and their back story so it will be easier to just jump in.

I do recommend that you check it out. And if you do let me know what you think!

Happy Reading!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth

This book has been popping up all over my radar. I have gotten emails about it from Barnes and Noble and from GoodReads.com. So I have taken the hint and have placed it on my ever growing books I want to read list. (I swear I will never finish my list before I die because it just keeps getting longer and longer) 

I want to share this book with you before I read it then once I read it I will share my thoughts on the book as well. 

As you may have figured out I am apparently a fan of the dystopian style books. I enjoy a good story of ordinary people overcoming the obstacles that life has thrown at them and coming out on top. I do believe I truly fell in love with this style after reading the Hunger Games.

Without any more explanation from me here is the description if this soon to be best seller.

According to goodreads.com the synopsis of this books is as follows;

"In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her."

What books are your memories?

I love this quote because it is so fitting to my bookshelves. I have so many books that were a piece of my childhood that I refuse to give away. A few of my favorites are A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin, And most anything having to do with the infamous Nancy Drew.

Do you have any books that you cannot get rid of due to emotional attachment? 

BookNote

Am I too old?

It always makes me laugh when I see something that accurately reflects the thoughts I have been having that day. And this picture that I saw on Pinterest did just that.

I was thinking today about this book club and about the books I have been reading recently and the age appropriateness of them. 

I have always kind of hung my head a little as my 30 year old mother self purchases or checks out the books that are not clearly in my age range. (Thank God for self check out at the Library am I right?) Though I feel like the people who are true readers who assist me in my purchase or checking out at the Library truly understand and do not judge me. Well, if they do they do not show it on their face, I cannot attest to the goings on after I leave the premises. 

I began thinking of my Aunts who read some of the books with us, and my Grandmother who also reads some of these books with us. And I began to wonder if there will come a day when these types of books will no longer interest me.

Let me clarify that by "these types of books" I mean Hush, Hush Series, The Mortal Instrument series, Beautiful Creatures Series and so on. I know my interests have been expanding the more I look into books to write about and to share with all of you. But I wonder if some of it is because I am now 30 that I tend to start thinking "would I want my daughter reading these books and feeling the way I do while I read them?" The answer is no. I do not want my unmarried teenager thinking about those feelings, like ever. But I do always find myself loving the fact they do not always fall into bed with one another. Thank the Lord. 

However all my ranting done, what do you think? Are we getting too old? Or should we just enjoy these books as long as they interest us and act like these teenagers are our age and not still in high school.

FYI my stance on the whole issue is that I am going to read these as long as they interest me. I like all types of books and I love the escape they provide to be honest. I just thought I would see if I am alone in this.

Booknote

I

Nap-time Reading...

Ever wonder what it is like when I read during nap-time? This is it in a nutshell. :) When my sweet boy would nap every day, and by nap I mean actually fall asleep, I would place him up in his room close the door and walk downstairs and clean some then read. Now that his nap-time does not always mean actual sleep I have been taking him for "rest time" into my bed and sitting with him while he watches a movie or show on my nook and I read a few chapters in my current book choice. So I have been getting a lot of wonderful reading time in...however my house is starting to reap the consequences. :) I will find balance I am sure of it...but then I will be headed back to work and will have to start all over again.

Happy Reading!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I had a few people tell me about this book, and after seeing it on the 14 Books to read before they become movies that I posted in a previous post on June 25th, I realized this is a book that has to be read. So I placed a hold on it at my local library, which by the way is becoming a second home I feel like these days. I was number 15 in line for this desired book, which is nothing to the wait I am currently experiencing for John Greens The Fault in our Stars I am number 150 in that wait! And that is no joke. Anyways when I finally was able to hold this book in my hands I was thrilled to open and discover what the fuss was about. Let me tell you, it was worth the fuss and the wait.

Gone Girl is about a couple Amy Elliot Dunne and Lance Nicholas Dunne (Nick) it shares how they meet and the triumphs and failures of their marriage, from dealing with layoffs to having to move to Nicks home town in Missouri away from New York City the only place Amy has ever known and loved to help Nicks twin sister Margo (Go) take care of their mother who was dying from cancer and his Alzheimer ridden father. Amy seemed, according to the pages in her diary that we are being privileged to read, to be acclimating. She was visiting with her mother in law, aiding in taking care of her, visiting her father in law in the nursing home, and taking acre of the house. Then on their 5th wedding anniversary Amy goes missing.

This book had a lot of twists and turns and I am afraid to divulge too much for fear of giving something vital away. I loved the writing and the skill this book exhibits. Flynn had be constantly thinking of the possible outcomes. Once I had my mind made up of how I believed the story would finish, Flynn was one step ahead of me making me change my mind. This is a fantastically enthralling thriller of a book. Filled with plot twists that will make you go "Oh heck no!!" I cannot say enough about this book except be prepared to be enthralled and unable to place the book down.

**Let me make a quick note to those readers out there who are not fans of vulgar language. This book has some explicit language and talk of explicit behavior. So be warned this book is not for everyone.

Happy Reading!

The Time Traveler's Wife

Happy Sunday! 

Are you as excited as I am to start our new book, The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger? This is a book about love and devotion. It is amazing how Niffenegger can take something so extraordinary and make it seem as if it is a normal part of life. 

I have actually read this book once before, I will not deceive you, but I believe it is worth a second read, and maybe even a third! It is that good. I hope you enjoy this book the first time around as much I dd. And I look forward to hearing from you!!

Happy Reading!

BookNote

The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett

The Bookman's Tale: A Novel of Obession is a story that grabs your attention from the first chapter. I found out about this book while I was looking up different books on goodreads.com and because of the synopsis given on the website of the book I knew it was something I was going to enjoy reading. 

This tale is a story that takes place in 3 separate places in time, you start out the story in the year 1995 with broken hearted widower Peter Byerly. He has lost his wife Amanda to a brain tumor at a young age and he is trying to cope with his new reality. Peter packs up their home in North Carolina and moves to his cottage in the English Countryside and tries to get back into being a reputable antiquarian bookseller. He stops in a small bookstore in a nearby village and is take aback when flipping through an eighteenth-century study of Shakespeare forgeries when old watercolor portrait of his wife falls out of one of the pages.  

This event starts Peter on a trail that leads him to answers to the questions he had and has the potential to make him quite famous. Has he really found the proof that Shakespeare did in fact write his own plays? And was not just a pen name for another source, such as Christopher Marlow? 

I enjoyed this book because it involved a few passions of mine, books and theater. As a Theater major in college the story and history of Shakespeare's identity has always and still does intrigue me. I like the fact that there is mystery surrounding a playwright  a play around the writer. It adds some mystery and it is just so fun to think that things are not always what they seem, but sometimes they are. 

Like in The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness this book is surrounded by actual literary facts, mixed with fictional characters and as I have stated before that makes a book highly enjoyable for me. It is like a history lesson within a captivating story. If my previous History teachers could teach history using stories like this, I would have learned a heck of a lot more, and actually paid attention in class! 

I definitely encourage you to check this out from your local Library, head over to Barnes and Noble, or to download it onto your e-reader as soon as you can. This is one book I know I will be purchasing to add to my collection of books on my shelves because I know I am going to want to read this again.

Happy Reading!