Slow reading

Usually when it takes me forever to read a book, it's because I find it boring and stagnant. This wasn't the case with this book. I just found myself too busy and distracted to actually sit down and read it all the way through.

Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff
A young adult novel with a mystery undertone
4 STAR RATING

This book took me too long to read. That's not to say that I found it uninteresting. I really liked this book. I was distracted by...life, I guess. Too much going on with me but this book was a welcome distraction from that. The main character is a bit young for a young adult novel but her tone was definitely grown up. She seemed borderline genius at times but still relatable. It would make no sense for the story but I would love to read more books from this character. The story is open and shut in this book but she was one of the best characters I have read about in a  while. Meg Rosoff is one of the best young adult authors out here. This is one of her best books.


Next time I read a book by Rosoff, I'll be sure to take the time that I need to fully enjoy it.

Unexpected plot twist

I just love when a book throws me for a loop. I did not see the twist coming in the first book I'm reviewing. I was totally blindsided. The second book I read this weekend was just awful. It's a case of a good series ending on an extremely bad note.

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
The second book in the Burn for Burn trilogy
5 STAR RATING

The story itself was great. I loved revisiting these characters and I was happy to see that they were still up to no good. I had read the first book of this series a while ago and was hazy on the events that took place. Fortunately for me, all previous plot points are touched on in this book so I was completely caught up. It was your typical high school revenge plot until the last 20 pages or so. Then shit hit the fan, my mind melted, and nothing was what it seemed. I mean, DAMN! I really did not see that plot twist coming. It was handled so beautifully. But it also made perfect sense. I wasn't just attached onto the end for shock value. It flowed right into the story. Now all I can do is wait for the third book to come in from the library. I just know that it's gonna be a bloodbath.  


Take Me On by Katie McGarry
The fourth and final book in the Pushing the Limits series
2 STAR RATING

This book was...not good. It was deja vu all over again with the second book in this series, Dare You To. I wasn't interested in the drama, concerned about the characters, or relieved when everything was resolved. I was just not into it. I hate to end this series on such a sour note but it is what it is. Hopefully with the new series McGarry is writing, I'll fall in love with her books all over again, just like I did with Pushing the Limits.

Again, it's a hit or miss with these series I read. Now I'm off to read a stand alone novel. I know! I'm breaking all the rules :)

A children's classic

Entertainment Weekly composed a list of the greatest children books ever. It groups them together by age and this is the first book for 3-5 years old.

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
The first book in the beloved Madeline series
3 STAR RATING

It always surprises me when I realize that I have never read something that is considered a classic. Obviously, I know about Madeline. I owned the VHS copy of the movie version for years. It was my go to movie when I wanted a cute funny kids film. Now that I've read the original material, I can't help but feel underwhelmed. I know it was only a picture book, but I was still expecting to feel some nostalgia towards my inner child. But I got nothing. It's still a cute book and I could see myself reading this to a child and then popping in the tape to watch the movie. 

This is one of those rare cases when I'd rather watch the movie.

With the good comes the bad

So, I spoke too soon on being on a good novel streak. The first book was amazing, it even made me cry. The second one had the same affect, it bored me to tears. I guess you win some, you lose some.

Messenger by Lois Lowry
The third book in the Giver Quartet
5 STAR RATING

With my less than satisfactory experience with Gathering Blue, I wasn't expecting to like this book too much. It was looking like all the books after The Giver would fall flat to how awesome it was. Messenger is up to par with the first novel of this series. In my opinion, it even surpasses The Giver in its storytelling and character development. It's not really fair to compare the two in that way though, since the characters from this novel were in the previous books. It felt like revisiting old friends. I was completely devastated with how this ended. I hate when books make me cry and this one had me seriously crying. I hope the last one answers some questions that I have about this dystopian world. I;d love to know how these different villages are all connected and how/why certain people have powers.  


Edge of Dawn by Lara Adrian
The 11th book in the Midnight Breed series
2 STAR RATING

I had read this series about 2 years ago. I completely forgot about it but I did add this installment of the series to my to-read shelf. I get around to reading it and...was severely underwhelmed. I just was not feeling this book. It was dry and boring. I didn't care about the characters or their dilemmas. I had to go back and look how I rated the other books and the results were a mix of 2 and 3 star ratings with a 4 star anomaly for only book novel. I'm putting this paranormal romance to rest. I don't feel any need to continue with this story, no matter how this book ended and tried to leave me wanting more.

I just realized how many series I actually read. So it's good that I only have one more to read for the Giver series and that I'm giving up on the romance one. I have so many books to read and so little time, it seems.

Revisiting old friends

I love when an author writes another book for a series that I love. Especially when that new book is freaking amazing. I also love it when a romance is so quick and easy to read. Thankfully, I had the good luck to read two books that fit these descriptions to a tee.

yolo by Lauren Myracle
The fourth book in the Internet Girls series
5 STAR RATING
A FAVORITE BOOK

I was almost a bit scared that this book would mess up my fond memories of this series. Typically, when an author revisits a series after a few years, the newest book sucks. It's obvious that the author is just in it for a paycheck and could care less about developing the story along in a way that makes sense. Myracle does none of these things. It felt like she was just waiting for the right time to start up this series again. I fell right back into Maddie, Zoe, and Angela's world like I had never left it. I hope to high heaven that there will be another book for each semester of their college years. That may seem too excessive for some but I just want more books from this series. At least give me a book for each year they're in college. That's all I ask!


Any Rich Man Will Do by Francis Ray
The second book in the Invincible Women series
3 STAR RATING

I wasn't really feeling the ending but I liked this book. The redemption story of Jana was written really well. I'm just not a fan of people suddenly getting married to wrap up the story line so everyone gets a happy ending. It still would have been a good story if the couples had just...continued to date. It would have been more realistic that way.

I'm on a roll with reading good books! Hopefully I can keep up the momentum.

Incomplete reading

This book was won through Goodreads for a honest review. Unfortunately, I couldn't even finish the damn thing in order to properly review. Anyway, here are my thoughts on the little that I did read

Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight by M.E. Thomas
A memoir taking you through the mind of a sociopath
COULD NOT FINISH READING, NO RATING

A copy of this book was won through Goodreads

I don't like when I have to call it quits on a book. Especially when it's a free book from a publisher or an author. But that's what I had to do with this one. I gave it 100 pages to make an impression and it failed miserably. I knew that this memoir wasn't about a sociopath killer or anything else crazy like that. I was expecting an intimate look at someone realizing that they were a sociopath and how that effected their every day life. I got none of that. Granted, maybe it appeared somewhere after page 100, but I couldn't stand the voice of the narrator anymore. If I had listened to this on audio, I'm sure my ears would have bled.

Cool cover though.

Movie/Book combo

Gone Girl blew me away. Both the movie and book was amazing. I could see myself revisiting both in the future whenever I wanted to feel like my life wasn't so bad and that I wasn't so crazy.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A mystery novel about a missing wife
4 STAR RATING

Finally, I got around to reading this book. Seeing the movie inspired me to bite the bullet and order the book from the library. I'm glad I did because this book was awesome. The first half didn't really grab my attention the way I was hoping it would. It wasn't slow but it definitely was dry and boring. The second half was when shit got real. I was blown away with the twist and how it was revealed. Watching the movie, I already new the 'second act" of the story. But I was still impressed and was loving every minute of it. 

I think that the first half of the story was better told by the movie but the twist and ending was better from the novel itself. Seeing as the author wrote the screenplay for the movie, she approved what was changed and left out to better tell her story. I feel like she did an excellent job and I'd watch any movie that she wrote. I'm planning on reading her other novels soon to see if they hold up to this one. I have no doubt that they do.