Friday, August 16, 2013

Day 7---- Blogging Quirks!!

Blogging According to Amanda!!
So I've been book reviewing for a long time. However being new to the blogging world. I'm going to share my process with you in pictures.
Dramatic Moment before starting!

Being responsible ready to write with my notepad.

Sigh! Brain why must you forget every detail of a book right now?

Come on Book remind me of why all your greatness!

Characters! Characters! Characters! Yes!!! Now I remember!!!
That was fun actually!

Time to Publish this for the world to see! Or that one loner in the corner.







Thursday, August 15, 2013

Day 6---- How I SHOP FOR BOOKS???

How I shop for books???

Well I'm addicted to used bookstores. I love walking into the one down here in Jacksonville,Florida. It's this huge Wearhouse of used books. The front is a worn down theater and the inside is rows and rows of floor to celing books. There are rooms of these shelves. I love to get 

lost in the YA/Teen Room or The Children's Chapter Books. I always am on the look out of something different something that might not be the “in” thing. I also am looking for the “in” thing for a realistic price.
My kids love books too so I can their books at half the price it's a good day. They read as quickly as I do and fall for series books. So I like that there are PLENTY to choose from.





Back home we have a used bookstore in Greenville,SC that I like a good bit too. It's not my favorite but, they do have a good selection of “IN” books all  of the time.




My other ways are Amazon for my kindle I look for the 00.0 deals or ones that are under 5 dollars. I know those are normally indie authors and if you haven't noticed I love those books.







Thrift Stores are a great place to search out books. Sure their selection is limited but sometimes you can luck out and find something really great.






Final and last place is Books-A-Million Clearence Aisles I always find something there.





So those are my secerts to buying books what are yours?

Aversion by kenechi Udogu

Aversion
Written by: Kenechi Udogu
reviewed by: Amanda Peake


Aversion is a novella it's 133 pages. Kenechi manages to pack quite a lot into that small amount of space though. I've often wondered weather there are people who have the powers of influence over society. This book takes that curiosity and runs with it. As you know any book I read I have to talk about the characters.

Gemma-
This girl takes risk without being stupid. She's smart, funny, and loveable. The best thing about Gemma is she puts others before herself. In her life that is not the easiest thing to do. I would like to see her dive a little deeper emotionally. Over all she is a well written character.

Russ-
He is sweet and smart. I like that he is to smart to fall for Gemma's lies. His instinct is to not believe Gemma so he ends up head first mixed up in everything. When he finds out the truth is becomes protective without being pushy. He's written a little to perfectly for my taste buds. I'm sure he's just right for Gemma though.

OVERALL-
This book has a great concept and is well written. It does lack depth but it makes up for that in fun and mystery. The romance is sweet without being over the top.


I give this book according to my new rating standards a 



8

Good to Go!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Day 5 ... Recommend a Tear Jerker.




As you can see I don't do fiction tear jerkers. I do real life ones things we can get passionate about and do soemthing to stop. 

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Day 4: What was the last book I threw?

Day 4.. The last book I threw?

Sigh, I am not a book thrower. I at some points feel like throwing them. I just have this huge issue with not taking care of books (ask my kids). I think of books as works of art and even if I don't enjoy them someone will. So the one I wanted to throw was


THE 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. 

Read the review to find out why...... 

Sunday, August 11, 2013

The Book blogger Challenge Day 2

Day 2... What is my bed time book reading routine?

This one is funny to me. I have horrible routines period right now. My health makes it impossible to have one really. I go to be when I'm ready to SLEEP not read. I read when I'm in situations where I need an escape. chemo treatments.. etc... bed is for turning on some TV show and falling asleep. I read at night when I tired but can't sleep. Books keep me way to invovled. So there is my non- answer..


Saturday, August 10, 2013

The challenge.


If you check out my Current Challenge Page you are going to find this picture along with some explanation to why I'm doing this and what to expect. 

Day 1.

1. I like bad boys in theory but I have a huge soft spot for the best friend or sweet guy.

2. I am a book collector as well as avid reader. I can't help myself if I go into a store of any kind and it has a book section I'm there. I don't always buy them but I gaze longingly at them for sure. Even though I have like 90 books I need to read.

3. I have a system to organizing my books that NO ONE but me would understand. However if you ask if I have a book I know YES or No and where to find it. 

4. I have four favorite authors currently and though I'm awaiting a print edition of a debut novel it already has a place saved. My husband once moved my books around and I got really upset lol.

5. If I read a series of books that I really like I will slowly want all of them in print which leaves the issue of where to put them all. I really like what some authors end up doing making one big book with 3 or 4 of the series in one. Saves so much room :-)

6. My mom started my reading addiction quite young. I have since I can remember always had books. My mom told me once I would read them so fast that she didn't quite believe I had read them. She would quiz me on them. Then she would shake her head and say go find a library I can't afford to keep buying you all these books.  I love that about her. I in turn have done the same for my boys. My youngest started reading at 3 and loves books under the table or the middle of the doorway are his favorite places to drop and open a book. 

7. Sometimes when I go to a friends home I judge them by their bookshelves. They don't have to like what I do but, a lack of books is never a good thing (unless moving). Also if the Twilight series is out front ready to be seen I generally have a sarcastic comment.

8. One of my favorite reading experiences was this year.  My mom, my two sons and I were in a restaurant in TX  and the boys were being loud. So I saw a bookshelf and grabbed The Children's Illustrated Classic  Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens willing to try anything to settle them. I didn't expect what happened next though they were so sucked into the book that they started begging for me to read it. I so enjoyed watching them here a classic for the first time. Next was Pippi Longstockings and we've read everyone so far. I love that during family story time they can hear some of the old "classics" and love them.

9. I have to admit it really annoys me when I'm reading a book and the science doesn't add up. For example if there is a lack of Oxygen and there are huge fires I kinda need an explanation. 

10. I am so happy that there are books that are geared toward boys now. I remember for a long time boys weren't encouraged to read as much as girls. I'm so glad that's changed. 

11. I'm a Young Adult/ New Adult fanatic because I find most adult books so slow and boring. I fall asleep a lot when I'm reading something like Nicholas Sparks.. don't laugh.

12. My absolute favorite books are Dystopian or Paranormal with a twist. Like Kaitlyn Davis vampire books.

13. I see the movie of the book as I read. My mind is completely a theater in and of itself. So when a book I love goes to the big screen I must watch it knowing the whole time they are totally ruining what could have be EPIC. LOL I'm worried about Divergent.

14. I hate jumpy out scary things or thrillers that are to real. Ghosts, Vampires, Zombies for the most part are fine. Give me killer bees, people, ants etc.. NO. I abhor horror movies for this reason. The blood and guts don't phase me the suspense and jumpy stuff does. 

15. I read all the Vampire Diaries books and loved them. However in this instance I love the TV show and it's vastly different story for the same reasons. No it's not Damon.. It's the other brother. LOL

Legend by Marie Lu

Legend

Written by: Marie Lu
reviewed by: Amanda Peake


To begin with, I couldn't tell if this was really going to be my sort of book... Sure, I love dystopian epics... But this one seemed a bit, you know, cheesy. After reading the first few chapters, I was still uncertain – it didn't seem extremely special or attention grabbing. Actually it seemed predictable and blah to tell the truth. Then I was captured by this amazing story. I was wrong, so very, very wrong. LEGEND turned out to be a fast-paced ride full of twists, turns, adventure and with secret conspiracies too! I couldn't put this one down. I honestly haven't been this captivated by a straight dystopian book since HUNGER GAMES and STEEL LILY

The novel is told through two different perspectives: Day and June. Each of the characters has their own back stories and reasons for why they are motivated that are both relate able and understandable. Day is a criminal from the slums of the Republic’s Lake Sector. He is trying to get a cure for his dying brother who is dying from a disease that is killing off the poor at an alarming rate. June, a prodigy living in one of the Republic's wealthy sectors, and is trying to avenge her brother's death. She has no clue how he died or who did it. She only gets told what the Republic wants her to hear to turn her into another military official. Now add in a eclectic bunch of side characters with there own needs and personalities and you can't go wrong! I am going to go ahead and put this book along side my favorites. Legend will now hold a place of honor on my constantly changing book shelf.

Favorite Quotes:

I will hunt you down. I will scour the streets of Los Angeles for you. Search every street in the Republic if I have to. I will trick you and deceive you, lie, cheat and steal to find you, tempt you out of your hiding place, and chase you until you have nowhere else to run. I make you this promise: your life is mine.” 

If you want to rebel, rebel from inside the system. That's much more powerful than rebelling outside the system.” 

They never found out who did it, and I never came forward. There was, after all, no evidence. I had committed my first perfect crime. My mother used to hope that I would rise up from my humble roots. Become someone successful, or even famous.
I’m famous all right, but I don’t think it’s what she had in mind.” 

I've actually read the next book in the series too and Prodigy does not go through the same sequel issues at all. I'm finding so many great books lately.








I don't think I need to even say this at this point but, LEGEND gets

5 STARS!! 



Thursday, August 8, 2013

Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton


Ghost Hand
Written by : Ripley Patton
Reviewed by: Amanda Peake

Ripley Patton funded this book through Kickstarter. That tells me she had enough interest before the book was written to begin this journey. She had a fan base and with good reason. This story is wonderful. She writes about a medical condition that I googled just to make sure it wasn't real (I didn't think so but..). That's how amazing of a job she did explaining how this worked. Now Let's dive into the character Olivia a bit.......

Olivia is a teenage girl who is funny, sarcastic, snarky, and a bit over the top at times. I don't know of any teenagers that aren't over the top about something. Her's is her Gothic looks and likes. She's into cemeteries, black clothes and coffin book bags. While I might be more interested in the dead if the living were scared of me because of a birth defect I had oh, and my dad died. Olivia has Psyche Sans Soma otherwise know as PSS. She has a hand that is metaphysical. This hand takes things out of people that is beyond Olivia's control. As the author put it she can “pick pocket the soul”. Olivia's story is full of action, unexpected twist, dramatic, suspenseful and thrilling moments.

I'm going to be waiting impatiently for book number two. I really want to know if she and Marcus are going to make it as a couple. How is she going to help the others. Most of all what exciting twist are around the next corner for our characters.

I say this a lot and mean it every time. Do yourself a favor and get this book. 



5 Stars 

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Awesome giveaway!!

Appreciation Month - Gift Card/Kindle Giveaway- by Mia Hoddell!!












Her new book Elemental Killers deadly to love is out on amazon for $2.99. It's a great read and you get entered to win an amazon giftcard. Well worth the low cost of the book TRUST me. 



Tuesday, August 6, 2013

INK: Fine Lines by Bella Roccaforte



INK: Fine Lines

Written by: Bella Roccaforte
Reviewed by: Amanda Peake


I was given this book not for a review but, because this author was kind enough to offer me an escape form my doctor ridden day of Chemo. I didn't once tell her I was going to review it so surprise Bella here's your review. LOL! Admittedly I was told I would either love or hate this book that had me intrigued to say the least. I'm going to use a movie example for this book Donnie Darko. I hated the movie so much I mean OMG hated it. However that speaks volumes for the love I actually had for it. THIS BOOK IS THE SAME WAY FOR ME. I was yelling at the it then laughing I swear it made me CRAZY!! (shh.. I know I am already)

This story is a New Adult Paranormal story. I do not recommend it for teens. That being said this story mixes some of my favorite things murder and romance. There is enough Murder with gory details without being gross and enough love to have the triangle and square too? This is a whole new concept and world we are exploring it's honestly really interesting. The love triangle is interesting instead of OMG choose already. The characters are fun too. Speaking of characters ….

Shay this girl made me want to smack her one minute and hug her the next. She can't make up her mind. She is so real you can literally imagine meeting her in the real world. She has these moments of saying things that are completely self destructive. Then she's loveable and you find yourself laughing when she won't take crap from anyone. Oh Shay how I wish I could meet you.

The guys...

Aiden- This guy cracked me up a lot. I was sitting in the doctors office this morning reading this book and literally laughed out loud. Not something people expect when going through chemo treatments. I loved the well written sarcasm and humor.

Gabe- Ehhhh... Yes my whole thought sorry.

Eli- I WANT MORE!!!


This book ends in a Cliffhanger and you should know by now that I love those. I like being left to speculate about how it's going to turn out. I like the unknown. I give this book a resounding great review because any book I can read quickly and run that gambit of emotions is amazing. 






4-5+ Stars I can't decide!!!

Monday, August 5, 2013

Perfect Chemistry

Perfect Chemistry

Author: Simone Elkeles
reviewed by: Amanda Peake

I bought this book at a used book store months ago because it had been recommended to me by a friend. I was then asked to write this review for a guest post on someone's blog. LOL! I don't know what's funnier that This book is so full of Cliches or that I liked the Cliches. This book is a story that has been told time and time again. Bad boy from the wrong side of town falls for the rich white girl from the rich side of town. This story is ageless take Romeo and Juliet, Grease, West Side Story, A walk to remember, and many many more for example. So?????

How does Simone Elkeles change it up? Well she has a mexican gang member as the bad boy and the white girl from the rich side of town as the good girl. She also switches POV extrememly well so we get a well rounded view of the story from both Alex and Brittany. Though I will say Brittany gives more depth to things. Let's check out these lovely characters now.

Alejandro, Oh wait we have to call you Alex. He's our “hero” of this story. He's got the reputation of a serial killer and dope head all mixed up. He joined the gang to keep his family safe. Apparently joining gangs means you family won't be harmed (UM. NO) She throws in a good bit of Latin Culture too. Which most of realistic. Anyway he makes a bet with a friend he could sleep with Brittany (Beauty of School) before Thanksgiving. What he didn't expect were FEELINGS. After all kinds of flirting, fights, and gang activity he tells her the truth. He doesn't want his life for her so he pushes her away..... UNTIL.....

Brittany is Ms. Perfect she has the best clothes, shoes, car and everything else too. At least that's what it seems to the outside world. In reality this chick has it bad her sister has celbral Palsy and requires constant help. Brittany loves her sister very much and literally spends most of her days dealing with her sisters needs. Her mom comes across as BI-Polar because one minute she loves Brittany the next she hates her. She has “Moods” to say the least. Brittany's father is a bussiness man who uses his family and home like a hotel. He's never engaged in anything within the house. Brittany's parents are so worried about apperances that they can't see past their own outside. So Ms. Perfect starts off with the “perfect” boyfriend AKA the douche who is only intersted in sex and cheated on her all summer. Her life is far from what it seems.

I love this quote- “We are actors in our lives, pretending to be who we want people to think we are”
These two are a great story in and of themselves but I can't leave without mentioning my favorite castmates.

Paco- He is Alex's best friend when you first meet he's all ganged out with the best of them. As the story progresses you realize Paco's life SUCKS. His dad beats him all the time and he joined the gang for protection. Alex is like a brother to him not just a best friend. He makes the ultimate sacrifice to help his friend.

Mrs. P. The Chemistry teacher. Since these two met in Chem class you can bet she was tough as nails but actually cared about Alex. She really wanted him to suceed in school and life. She was a hard butt too though. I loved that she made a difference as an adult to Alex. In the Epilogue I love her words. GO READ THE BOOK ALREADY.


So while this story has been told fifty million ways it is still a classic and one worth reading. I'm giving this book a 3 star review because I think that Alex's character was dumbed down. I didn't like how much it kept repeating itself. I also think that having someone so loyal to their families some of the hardships wouldn't have happened. While it's only 3 stars if you like this classic story it's well worth the read. 





              3 Stars

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Five Summers by Una LaMarche



    Written by: Una LaMarche
 reviewed by:Amanda Peake




I had high hopes for this book. I received it as an ARC and have been reading it SLOWLY for a while now. This book is an attempt to take four “best” friends back to the camp where they all met and became the inseparable J.E.M.S every summer. The book floats back and forth in time and changes POV from 1st to 3rd person. All of this makes this cute book frustrating to read. The storyline itself isn't a bad idea. However as a reader knowing how the book going to turn out by the end of chapter two doesn't leave a lot of desire to read it. I would also go on to say this story idea is so good it's been done before and really well too, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Ms. LaMarche changes the pants into this artistic journal that they all write rules to being best friends called “The Pact”. Despite all of that she did make me nostalgic for summer camp days gone by, So much so that I went and looked up a couple of my summer friends. Speaking of friends the girls in this book each have secrets and struggles so lets get to them.


Jo- The J in J.E.M.S comes from a broken home and spends all year with her mom but, the summers are for Camp. Her Dad (Mack) is the owner and Leader of the camp. Jo herself is basically his second in command and gets called Mini-Mack which is something she hates. She comes across as having no sense of humor and never breaking the rules. However as the story progresses she starts changing, She starts liking a guy who's been in love with her for years, breaking a few rules, and deciding she wants more than just camp for the rest of her life. She changed in the best ways and by the end seemed to really have it together.


Emma- The E in J.E.M.S is who our story starts with. She's an Ivy-League College Bound girl who has had to fight tooth and nail to get the grades and recommendations to get into her choice schools. As a young camper she had a crush on Adam another camper who was known as a flirt. Her last year of camp he tried to kiss her and she turned her head. The reason was because she didn't want her friendship with him to change. (seems really unrealistic since she was twelve and liked him for four years.) Now as a senior in High School she comes back to camp to reconnect with her friends and re-do that last night with Adam. Things have changed and secrets kept which leads this innocent crush into a drama filled reunion weekend.


Maddie- The M in J.E.M.S. She is the sweetest liar you'll ever meet. She comes from a broken family too. Her mom and step dad are constantly fighting and at nine she wanted to find her biological father to escape her home. After writing a letter to Mack, Maddie finds herself in an escape called CAMP. She reinvents her life and before long it's to late to tell the truth. Now back at the reunion she wants to set the record straight but is it to late?


Skylar- You guessed it the S in J.E.M.S. This chick is just trying to hard in all aspects of her life. She's starved for attention and love. She's heartbroken and reacting horribly. She betraying her best friends and gets swept away as the girl who “gets around” at camp. This isn't who she really is inside she has an artistic soul and is really hurting and confused. She changes through the book and by the end I don't hate her. I will say I wouldn't be able to do what Emma has...


I'm not going to go into the guys because while Adam stirs up the drama and almost kills a friendship he was just boring to me. His best friend Nate is far more interesting and talked about far less.



This book over all was a good attempt at showing how friendships you make when your young will either thrive while you change and they do too or they will fail. It's a good reminder that sometimes your best friends are the ones that are right in front of you. That being said this book could have been a cute tween novel and hit it's mark well. As a late teen book with the running theme of sex I think it's a miss. I am going to give this book two stars. 





                2 Stars

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Rules of Summer

Rules of Summer
Written by: Joanna Philbin
Reviewed by: Amanda Peake

Jonanna Philbin  was born in Los Angeles and grew up in New York City. She spent her summers hanging out in The Hamptons. Her last name sounds familiar because her father is the famous Regis Philbin. She has helped her father co write The daughter Series. This is her first time writing solo.

Rules of Summer takes us through a summer in the hamptons. We meet our narrator Rory McShane as she is packing to take a job working in the hamptons for The Rule family as an errand girl. She quickly learns that not all things are as they seem when working for the rich. The Rule family is very kind and sweet except for the youngest daughter Isabel. Isabel spends the summers breaking rules and getting into all kinds of trouble. However after spending a year away from her family she is finding it harder and harder to fit back in her old role. Mr. Rule is away for most of the summer working in the city. He pops in for the weekends to spend time at the Country Club. The two older Rule children are picture perfect sequels to their parents. The oldest son works with his father during the week and golfs with him on the weekend. The oldest girl is going to be an interior designer like all hampton wives are. Connor is the exception to his families rules. He does things to appear to be the perfect son while quietly living his own life. Rory quickly finds out that the demands for her time and attention will also lead her to life long friendships and possibly love. Yet the secrets she keeps aren’t the only ones going on in the Rule house.  A quote from the book that sums it up ..”Not every picture is as pretty as it seems.”
The good of this book is it’s a fun easy beach read which is what Joanna Philbin was aiming for. It’s easy to see right from the start that our author knows first hand how the country club scene at The Hamptons works. The settings are perfect right down to the cracks in the pretty polish. The main characters are believable they aren’t always written to be liked which is refreshing. I love the way she takes the house manager almost a parody of what she should be with the fact she watches The Downton Abbey during dinner. The stories within stories of this book are funny to offset the semi serious tone that the major story takes.
The thing that Philbin misses with this novel is story plot. The main story is way too predictable. I knew from twenty pages in what the end was going to be. She gets going strong on the secrets the family keeps. However how the big secret is revealed falls horribly flat and not believable at all.
I am going to say that this novel gets two out of five stars because the characters are interesting enough that I finished the predictable story anyway. I don’t plan on searching out Philbin's next book. However if it pops into my hands for free like this one did I’ll read it anyway.
  As always HAPPY READING!!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Fallen

Fallen
by Lauren Kate
Reviewed by Amanda Peake
Lauren Kate is an international bestselling author. Her novel, Fallen, spent over a year at the top of both the national and international bestseller lists.  The Fallen Series has become very well-known the world over and has been translated into 30 languages. The sequel to Fallen, Torrment ranked number one on New York Times bestselling list for over eight months. Fans and critics alike hail Kate as “the voice from the shadows”.

I rarely review bestsellers because so many others already have.  I like to dig through the shelves of a used book store and stumble upon a book I've never heard of and hopefully fall in love with the words written between the cover. With that being said, Fallen crazily captivated me from the prologue to the very last sentence.
The story starts with the prologue titled IN THE BEGINNING…  It's set in Helston, England in September of 1854. The scene is about a man and woman who are in love but shouldn't be.  I was especially taken by the last page of the prologue: Their Kiss... He knew... He saw the spark of recognition... then there was nothing, nothing at all.
     Then we promptly switch to present day. Our narrator is also the main character, Lucinda or Luce for short. She's being introduced to The Sword and Cross boarding school, a reform boarding school that’s out of date, as most of the buildings are from the Civil War era. The staff members are called Reds and all the students are dressed like the dead in all black. We are rushed through the opening welcome and quickly learn the rules:  no cellphones, no leaving campus at all, no summer or spring break, and only school scheduled "socials" are permitted.  Luce is at the school because she was involved with a fire at her last school that left her crush dead. She has no memory of how it all went down, so the details are super sketchy. Arriane is next on the scene. She's the skinny girl with the sassy mouth that knows everything about everyone and is widely popular. She takes Luce under her wing by "claiming" her and she escorts Luce around the school. Next up is Cam, the smooth talking, good looking, “big man on campus” who quickly finds every chance to grab at Luce's attention. Then we "meet" Daniel whom Luce quickly shares an intense stare down and just as fast crush on. Daniel is aloof and broody. He flips Luce off, and that is the start to her borderline obsessive behavior over Daniel. He is so hot and cold we spend the majority of the book wondering just who Daniel is and why is he so quiet? Penn, another character we meet, quickly becomes a loyal friend to Luce. Penn is the only student at this school who isn't there because she’s gotten in trouble. Her father was the groundskeeper until he passed away and now she is the most trusted student at the school, which comes in handy if you need to break in the school records room.  
      As the story progresses we find out that Luce is being chased by the shadow people. They are dark and seem to cause nothing but destruction in their wake. She's been chased by these things since she was twelve years old. We learn this about mid-way through the book and kind of randomly too.  There is a fire where another student, Todd, dies. There are a lot of unknowns surrounding the fire, but the school seems to quickly brush it away, as does our author. However, Lauren Kate's writing is full of imagery and suspense. It was hard not to want to skip to the end and find out how it all turns out. Though, when I did that I still had more questions than answers.
    My overall impression of this book was three out of five stars. While Kate has great imagery and suspense, the timing in the book is off. It's really fast in the beginning and then slows way down. The characters are connecting and we don't really have a reason of why they would be; it's awkward to read.  Then it's dreadfully slow with the “does he like me or not”. The main characters are written in such a way that it's hard to understand why we should or shouldn’t like them. Luce for example lists her own greatest attributes as being super-smart and friendly. Yet she rarely goes to class? She's a good friend, but comes off as self-centered, walking off from friends and not showing up to meet them. She is supposed to be the love story heroine, but doesn't have a backbone at all. Daniel is constantly being a jerk to her yet she's helpless to say anything. Daniel's character is aloof and standoffish right off the bat. We know nothing about him or why he's so broody all the time.  We don't know enough about him, yet we as readers are supposed to want him and Luce to get together. There’s not enough information for me to like or not like him.
           The side characters are much more relatable. They are the girl next door, the mean girl, the guy who can get anything and everything, and the hopeless outsider who just needs a friend. Arriane is my favorite because she speaks her mind and seems not to give a fig about all Luce's inner turmoil over Daniel. She is sassy and dependable even when she acts the opposite.  We actually get more of their stories than the three main characters. They all show up for each other and the main characters like friends should. I have reason to support them in their quest or desires.
     Like I previously stated, it's not a bad book to read by any means. I'll probably read the rest of them at some point.  When you have the extra five dollars, this book is definitely worth that price tag.  If Lauren Kate ever writes a book about Arriane, I'll be one of the first to pre-order.  



Go grab a book or your kindle and tell me what impresses you.  Happy Reading!!



DECENT READ!


3 Stars.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Tarnish

Tarnish
Author- Katherine Longshore
Reviewed by Amanda Peake
(Advance Reader's Copy)

Synopsis (book jacket) - Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court—and to convince the whole court they’re lovers—she accepts. Before long, Anne’s popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice—but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart's desire and the chance to make history.
First line- "A deep breath is all it takes to enter a room."
Reviewer’s Notes --First off I must say to the world, Katherine Longshore writes some of the most emotional historical fiction novels I have ever read. Vivid, heartbreaking, and incredibly human, TARNISH constantly tugged on heart strings. You may think you know Anne Boleyn, but you haven't heard anything yet. I read this book on a day long car trip cover to cover and I can't wait to read it again.

       TARNISH may be the story of Anne Boleyn, but this is her story before she became queen. I loved Longshore's spin on Anne's relationship with Thomas Wyatt. In this book, it's not just some fling or rumored affair; it's a story about love and inevitable heartbreak. I anticipate Wyatt's poetry as well as Anne's reactions to not only Wyatt but also to Percy and The King. They're so insanely human that I could feel her tears and emotions just soaring out the book and slamming right into me. To say this novel took me on an emotional journey is an understatement.

      Throughout the book Anne believes the only reason people can see her is because of Wyatt's poetry. This is somewhat true but what I found fascinating was how she couldn't see how beautiful she was or why men would literally go to war over her. I always thought of Anne Boleyn as this confident seductress, but now I see her more as an insecure girl stuck between love and duty. Even though I knew the end result, I still hoped that the story would change somehow. I guess it's just the girl in me who still believes in love and good people coming out on top.

     Though this book does focus a lot on Anne's secretive affairs (and her not so secretive ones), it also focuses on her family and the relationships she has with her siblings. Anne's relationships with Catherine and Mary were complex (to say the least), but her relationship with her brother George was brilliantly written and just truthful in general. I loved how much he adored her and refused to show it, yet everyone else could see it. Keep in mind his life wasn't easy either. His family relationships were no more stable than Anne's. He's supposed to be there to advise Anne as well as carry the Boleyn name; even if that means marrying someone he doesn't want to love. The one thing that stayed true was his obvious adoration for his sister and her love for him, written in a voice all siblings can relate too. Everyone should have a brother like George or mine.

     My only fault with this novel was that I wished it were longer. I wish we could've seen Anne as the queen and everything that unfolded after. With that being said, will there be a sequel? PLEASE?

     All in all, I highly recommend TARNISH to all Tudor fans, historical fiction buffs, and anyone else who loves a great story. If you're not a fan of historical fiction, I still recommend checking out TARNISH. It reads like a contemporary novel, and believe me, you don't want to miss out on all the relatable characters that you thought you knew. They will make you soar, right before they break your heart.



Loved It!!!

5 Stars!

Ignite

Written by- Kaitlyn Davis
Reviewed by- Cover of Paradise (Amanda)


Book Synopsis-        "With one last look, one final search of the lines of his face for some sign, Kira turned and ran away from the sound of the man she loved laughing in the face of her death."
    When Kira Dawson moves to South Carolina, she meets Luke, a blonde goofball who quickly becomes her best friend, and Tristan, a mysterious bad boy who sends shivers down her spine. Kira knows they're keeping secrets, but when she discovers Tristan's lust for blood and her own dormant mystical powers, Kira is forced to fight for her life and make the heartbreaking decision between the familiar comfort of friendship and the fiery passion of love.


Book Quote-  “Do you actually believe that’s possible?” His squinted eyes caught hers at that moment and she knew there was more to this question, some deeper meaning. Her heart skipped a beat. Was it possible?


Reviewers Note-  Ignite is Kaitlyn Davis’s first book and she came in with a bang. I have read this book three times since October, 2012. I found this gem on Amazon for free. The cover caught my attention but the story kept it. Kaitlyn isn’t someone I know personally however, she now has my friendship and support. I wrote her an email thanking her for creating a book that helped me escape the pain that is chemo treatments. I didn’t expect to get a reply at all, I just thought sometimes authors get discouraged and I wanted her to know her work matters. She not only replied but kept replying. Recently she sent me some books to share and also a one of a kind copy of her book with the sweetest note. She’s not only a talented author but a kind person. With all that being said I am reviewing this book like I would any other book.


  I picked this book up on Amazon because it was free and the cover art quickly grabbed my attention. I support you checking out the book for much different reasons.


What a refreshing way to get the story we all secretly love. It's the typical love triangle with so many twist. It's what you're expecting from a paranormal YA romance with so much more. First it's not a knock of Vampire Diaries or Twilight book. It's like more like Buffy mixed with X Men thrown in. No I'm not kidding. Just when you start to think you have the story figured out another twist comes your way.


This story will have you rooting for Luke your guy next door/ best friend one minute and then Tristian this Vampire who doesn't follow the rules another. Kira is our heroine/main character. She's back home to South Carolina from boarding school in NY. She starts a new school and meets Luke they become close friends fast. The interesting thing about them is they have the same eye color which is very unique. She has Strawberry blonde hair something she "shouldn't" have. Without giving too much away because I want you to read it for yourself. These seemingly small things actually are the start of something so much bigger.
Our other love interest is Tristan he's got his own share of secrets. He shouldn't be interested in Kira for a lot of reasons. Yet as we all know somethings are way too hard to resist. He comes across strong and stand offish but, that doesn't last long. His story is just getting started really.
Kira our heroine has been born into a world in which she is in danger without even knowing it. As secrets unfold her world takes a dramatic change. Something tells me her story is just getting started.


As a fan of YA fiction and especially YA paranormal this book is a must read. Fast paced and great cliff hangers that have you searching your favorite digital book shop for more.



LOVED THIS BOOK!!

Five Stars!!