Chasing Boys by Karen Tayleur

Publication Date: January 6^th, 2009

Walker & Company

Format: Hardcover, 256 pages

RATING: 2 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

An insightful coming-of-age novel for girls with no interest in being "Pretty in Pink."

El Marini just isn't fitting into the new life she's been forced to create without her dad. Her mom and sister have accepted his absence and moved on, but El is convinced things will get back to normal if she just keeps her feelings of loss to herself and waits it out.

Life at her new public school would have been unbearable if weren't for Eric Callahan. As her crush grows to epic proportions, she'll do anything to be more like the popular girls he notices, even buying the first pink top she's ever owned. But then she meets Dylan, a quiet artistic-type who is both unnerving and annoying as he shines a light on El's misguided attempts to attract Eric. El's need for acceptance will hit home with teens as she finally sees that chasing boys has distracted her from making peace with the past and finding herself.

CHASING BOYS is one of those books where you either instantly embrace the character or completely hate her. I for one, had a hard time connecting with El. She's an acquired taste who required the right amount of understanding in order for the reader to enjoy the story.

Struggling from her father's disappearance in their lives, Ariel was living life on automatic. But deep inside, she refused to accept the status quo. Confused and angry, she bottled up her feelings in the hopes that sooner or later, she'll stop feeling so much. In the meantime, she turns her focus on the unattainable hottie, Eric Callahan. She holds on to the little signs that he knew she existed because then she can ignore all the things that's been plaguing her since her father left. But Angelique Mendez entered into the picture and snapped up the only thing that's been constant in her life. She's resolved to chase the boy but for some reason, quiet, tortured, artistic Dylan keeps getting in her way. All of a sudden he seems to be paying more attention than usual, most of all, thwarting her attempts of getting Eric to notice her. She'll end up making a choice - not just between the boys but with some important decisions about her life. Will she remain bitter and angry? Or will she accept their lives now that her father is gone?

This book was a fast read but it wasn't a pleasant one for me. I really had a hard time with El. She was just so angry and blasé at the same time (if that's even possible). This is basically my main problem with this book - the lack of depth and more often, Ariel's detachment from everything else. She's very focused on herself, her crush on Eric, and her anger that she lacked any other layers to her character. I just had a hard time liking her. I find myself thinking that it's how the author want to portray her and unfortunately, I just found her distasteful.

The writing was intentionally juvenile, reflecting the voice of El. But there are also insightful writings in which Aussie authors are known for. Props to the author for the twist and the lack of clues leading up to it.

VERDICT: Let me be honest here and say that the reason I bought Chasing Boys was because I'd seen a snippet of this book on one of the blogs I follow. I thought that little bit was so romantic that I didn't think twice about getting a copy right away. Unfortunately, that scene didn't seem as romantic when I consider the entire book as a whole. This book just felt incomplete and at times, inconsistent.

This is Not A Test by Courtney Summers [G!veaway Alert]

Publication Date: June 19^th, 2012

St. Martin’s Griffin

Format: Paperback, 326 pages

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.

To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.

But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

There are not a lot of authors who I consider a sure thing; even fewer books that I knew I'd love soon after reading its synopsis. This is Not A Test is a book that I've pined over for months now, so you can just imagine how high my expectations were.  It always amazes me when a book meets that standard and then some. From the creepiest, prettiest cover I've ever laid eyes on, to the tactile allure of the summary, Ms. Summers delivered a novel heaped with terror and suspense. This book decimated every other zombie book I've ever read so far, which is surprising because this book wasn't a gore-fest by any stretch. Courtney Summers veered away from the zombie novel norm by highlighting her characters' emotions as they struggle and deal with their own demons, new and old, all while the world was on the cusp of zombie apocalypse. In a way, it was like The Forest of Hands and Teeth series by Carrie Ryan - books that focused on the human element sparsely peppered with the carnage of living in a world overrun by zombies.

From the get go, Courtney will overcome you with fear - and no, I'm not talking about your fear of the undead. I'm talking about something a bit closer to the disturbing reality of abuse. Sloane Price had planned to escape the violence of living with her father. The only way she thought she could go was to kill herself. So goes Sloan's soliloquies about the ways she wanted to go. Swallowing pills would've been the easiest way but her sister took that choice away when she abandoned her to their abusive father. A contagion struck; turning the entire population into rabid, flesh eating monsters and Sloan, feeling abandoned and alone, succumbed to the reality that the only way out is to give up the illusions of surviving.

Six kids - stranded in a school surrounded by zombies. That is the simple plot line this book was about. But come on, Summers is known for creating some pretty angst-filled characters, so you know it won't be as simple as a story about six kids battling the undead with baseball bats and crowbars. You know she'll twist your guts and it won't be because the character ended up swathed in zombie matter and you're feeling like you want to spill your own guts - literally. You know she'll squeeze your heart and it's not because you just witnessed a thirteen year-old boy bashed the head of his undead English teacher. The lady knows how to write broken characters and Sloane Price was quite possibly one of the messiest. It's not enough that Sloane's character is abused, bruised and battered. Summers had to go and throw in some zombies just for fun. Or perhaps it's the other way around. Either way, be prepared for a heart-ripping read.

The book focused on how these six kids would behave and their state of minds as they dealt with the helplessness of their situations. It was easy to get lost in the emotions and psyches of the characters that I sometimes forget the book was also about zombies. Therein lies my dilemma; because sometimes, it was easy to ignore the fact that outside, the world succumbed to people who were once alive but now dead - reanimated, if I may. This zombie book was pretty tame by Jonathan Maberry standards. But the emotions and terrors were intensified somehow. The characters (especially Sloane) were very adept in making you feel their horror - whether imagined or not. You'll see the shadow that they see, you'll feel every single trickle of dread, every pump of blood and at the same time, you'll agonized about all the could've beens and what will not be. Even if the majority of the book didn't focus on the gore, the last ten pages more than made up for it. It was intense.

VERDICT: This book rocked in the most un-zombie way possible. Courtney Summers took the rudimentary zombie apocalypse story elements and added just the right perfectly flawed characters to take her readers on a higher (but different) level of zombie awesome. Emotional, gripping, and superb. Words that best described what I'd just read. What I want to know is, Ms. Summers, tell us what happens next. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Throwback Thursday [Two] Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Original Publication: 1955

Version: 2005

As a mother of a ten year-old girl, this book was hard to get through. And being a passionate reader that I am, I sometimes have a hard time distancing myself from what I was reading. Going into this book, I just knew that I had to try harder than usual. 

Quick synopsis: Lolita is a story of a man's obsession over a twelve-year old girl and his subsequent sexual relationship with her. He used every power he had over the girl to satisfy what was a disgusting curiosity that quickly turned into lust, packaged in the guise of love. I'd give you an en pointe play-by-play but I don't want this review to be overdrawn. 

Humbert Humbert was an unscrupulous, morally-bankrupt man who took advantage of a girl who was too young to know that she'd become a victim of a manipulative sick bastard. We can all sit here and argue that though this book has been published ages ago, the lingering effect and scars left is the sad reality of child sexual abuse. 

I do want to place some of the blame on Dolores but it's difficult when she was only a twelve year-old girl when HH caught her eye and that right to the end, she could no longer see the truth. As for HH, the weakness of a man is his ultimate demise and it couldn't be any truer than what was depicted in this novel. 

Nabokov focused on Humbert's characterizations, leaving his readers very little insight into Dolores. As such, I found her to be a child through and through - one that never matured even if she grew to be woman in the novel. It's unforgivable to romanticized such a relationship and reading this book in Humbert's voice practically glorified the idea of Lolita.

My opinion: This book is heralded as one of the classics - controversial and a courageous portrayal of a man's immoral love for a young girl. The narrative voice of Humbert tried so hard to capture the audience's understanding and sympathy through complicated but beautiful prose. In the end, I felt what was expected: utter disgust at the impropriety of the relationship, overwrought with the need to understand and disappointment with the failure to do so. 

Flounced.

It's nearly July. I'm seven books behind on my goal of 300 books for 2012 and I have read a total of 137 - not too shabby, I say. Out of those 137, I've only ever flounced on five books. Pretty good percentage, considering. These are those five books and why I couldn't finish them.

Between by Cindi Tefft
Publication Date: April 21st, 2011, Read on January 8, 2012
My Review:

This is one of those times when I know I'm not giving a book a fighting chance and for that, I apologize. It bothered me that the MC didn't give her life a second look back. She was killed in a car accident and when she realized she's dead, she cried...then there was an abundance of swooning over the kilted grim reaper. I just can't continue.

Instant-love relationship is not my thing and this book has it.

Pyxis by K.C. Neal

Publication Date: November 4th, 2011, read on January 4, 2012
My Review:

Unfortunately, I think I was on the outside looking in with this book. A lot of my GR peeps loved Pyxis. I, on the other hand was bored the entire time. I can't remember now what it was that bored me; perhaps it was whatever the book was about - which is primarily the problem.  At the time, it just wasn't grabbing me.

Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
Publication Date: March 6th, 2012, read in March sometime.
My Review:

Illuminate is one of those hefty books that could've used a trimming. It was incredibly long. I believe it took me three weeks to get through 164 pages and after that, I quit. The plot moved painfully slow with characters who were just as exciting as plain rice cakes. It's becoming increasingly difficult to get through angel books for me lately; Illuminate certainly tried hard to be original but the long-windedness of the story just bored me.

Soldiers (1980 - 1989) A Special Forces Novel
Aleksandr Voinov
Publication Date: March 14th, 2010, read in May 11th, 2012
My Review:

One word: DISTURBING. I read, skimmed, got through about a couple chapters of this book then quit. I'll tell you, it's one of the most graphic, violent and gory reads I've had yet. And it's not because this book dealt with war nor because the male characters were on the verge of getting involved in gay relationships. I'm not all disturbed with the latter topic but more so the circumstances in which these two men got involved. I'm not about to divulge how it happened but theirs was definitely nothing to be romanticized about.

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta
Publication Date: July 3rd, 2012, read in May, 2012
My Review:

This book did a wonderful job in making me feel complacent. For a moment, I thought, "wow, this is so fantastic!" And then a fast moving train out of nowhere slammed me flat into the ground. I was left picking up the pieces of my brain, wondering what the hell had happened to the amazing book I was reading. One thing's for sure, this book will never make it to my bookshelf. Between the characters' disturbing dependency relationships, to the female lead's inability to say "no", I just couldn't continue. I was angered by this book for the last quarter of it. So much so that I didn't finish. It would take a wide-open mind to accept some of the concepts in this book that I simply couldn't. And I questioned why the publishers thought this was an acceptable YA. Just because the characters are in their teens does not warrant a YA stamp on a book, especially if you consider the actions and the female lead's state of mind.

Hot Off the Press!

New releases for the week of June 25th - June 30th, 2012.

June 26, 2012

 Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

One Moment by Kristina McBride

Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter

A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young

Bound by Erica O'Rourke

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins 

Once Burned by Jeanine Frost

June 29, 2012

The Dream Slayer by Jill Cooper

Damn. There goes my book budget. 

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rockstar by Heather Lynn Rigaud

Publication Date: August 31^st, 2011

Sourcebooks Landmark

Format: Paperback, 432 pages

RATING: 1 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

"Darcy's as hot as he is talented." 

Fast music, powerful beats, and wild reputations-on and off stage-have made virtuoso guitarist Fitzwilliam Darcy's band into rock's newest bad boys. But they've lost their latest opening act, and their red-hot summer tour is on the fast track to disaster. Now Darcy and bandmates Charles Bingley and Richard Fitzwilliam are about to meet their match...

 "But she's about to rock his world..."

Enter Elizabeth Bennet, fiercely independent star of girl-band Long Borne Suffering. Elizabeth, her sister Jane, and friend Charlotte Lucas have talent to spare and jump at the opening band slot. Elizabeth is sure she's seen the worst the music industry has to offer. But as the days and nights heat up, it becomes clear that everyone is in for a summer to remember.

If you're expecting a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice, you'll be sorely disappointed. This is fan fiction; I can't even say it's a retelling because it's not. It's set in an alternate universe where Will Darcy is a rock god. I must admit, I was sold on this book right off the bat because of this premise. After all, the Darcy I know fits the perfect rock star: surly, snobby, and yeah sexy. Hundred pages into the book, I was laughing rather, sarcastically at the mostly cheesy dialogues, the characters'  lack of personalities and the awful realization that the author took a couple of the most revered characters in the literary world and basically trashed them. Rigaud was better off naming her characters with something she came up with on her own (a novel idea!) because as a fan of Jane Austen, I kid you not, I feel disprespected. And in any case, the plot had nothing at all to do with Pride and Prejudice; she just used everyone's names.

I was teeming with excitement when I first heard of this book last year; so much so that I bought a copy right away. For whatever reason, I've put off reading it for as long as I can. And as fate would have it, there was a reason why. It turns out, this book was a complete waste of my time. This plot was nonexistent as it is over-drawn. If that doesn't make a lick of sense then let me explain further. Four hundred and twenty four pages of a whole lot of nothing. It's a story about two bands, touring and consequently, developing feelings for each other. Seriously? Couldn't the author pick a better plot? Something...less juvenile, original and more creative? Long story short: The three members of the boy band got together with the three members of the girl band. And they lived happily ever after. The End.

I've read (free) better fan fictions than this book. The characters are loathsome and one-dimensional. She took Darcy's snotty attitude and amped it to new heights; so much so that I severely detested this guy. Elizabeth Bennett is a package of misplaced, and more often, irrational anger. She was angry for the sake of being angry. You will not read about a well-read Lizzie here. She's more like the over-sexed, potty-mouthed version of Ms. Bennett. Charles Bingley fell in love with Jane so freaking fast, I needed chiropractic help to set my neck in place again. The man also could've used a bit of toning down in the cheesy dialogues department because damn, he was dripping in Cheez Whiz. And oh-em-gee. Jane readily admitted that all she could offer the world was her beauty. Are you for real? PLEASE. The highlight of this book was Caroline Bingley. She wasn't the *itch that she was in P & P.

This was so out of the ball park and completely out of character. I give the author props for trying but unfortunately, it just didn't work. Why bother using Pride and Prejudice when you're not even going to parallel with the original? The only thing that made sense to me was that the author wanted to incite interests from Jane Austen fans.

VERDICT:  Elizabeth and Darcy having sex was not as hot as I'd imagined. Elizabeth giving Darcy a bl** job? That's just...wrong and traumatizing. I need a gallon of hydrochloric acid to erase that scene from my memory. I originally gave this book a two but the more I sit here and fume about it, the less I'm feeling the love. Sorry.

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Publication Date: June 26th, 2012

Format: ARC, 358 pages courtesy of Simon & Schuster Canada

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

What happens when happily ever after…isn’t?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.

I don't know how much input Jodi had on this book, but if Samantha did majority of the writing, then I say, well done. I don't care what everyone says, Samantha's writing is still a hundred times better than some of the authors out there. The plot is ingenious, clever and highly imaginative. The mother and daughter duo truly cooked up a story that will push readers to stretch their imagination.

Have you ever wondered what the characters of the book you just read do when you finish reading? Well, nothing of course. The book has ended. It's over. FINITO. But what if that's not really the case? Have you ever wondered how tedious it is to be saying and doing the same things over and over like some Groundhog Day nightmare? And what if there was a way to leave the fantasy and they're able to come to life? I've never really given it much thought until I started reading this book.

I have to admit that it threw me off at first, but a few pages later, it wasn't so confusing as I'd thought it would be. Basically, there are two stories running at the same time; the fairy tale and behind the scenes of the fairy tale. And in the backdrop of the story is Delilah McPhee - a teen who primarily lives in her head. It's hard not to blame the girl when her real life doesn't really offer her much. She's a loner and to some, a loser. Typical teenage angst, you say? No. Not really. Her struggles are pretty mild compared to some novels with the same theme. She just couldn't fit in. But the other kids left her well enough alone. Unfortunately, that is her problem. The loneliness. So why wouldn't she take the company of a book instead of real people? Things got weird when, as if by playful illusions, the prince in the book started conversing with her.

You'd think that this novel would be a mess, considering all the stories that are going on at the same time. But it's not. I didn't have a hard time separating the real story from the fairy tale. Like I said, I don't know how big of a contributor Jodi was, but I'm guessing she had a lot of input in the direction of where the story should go. So it was a surprise to me when I'm a little disappointed by how some of the elements to the story were sort of left frayed and un-seamed. Oliver was supposed to be gutless, having not been bestowed the gift of courage. But I don't know, he seemed pretty gutsy to me. Sure he used his smarts with every challenges he faced but it still showed plenty of bravery just to even attempt to save the princess. Edgar was a random character who ended up being the hero. It didn't make sense to me that after all of what Oliver and Delilah have been through, it turned out that they weren't the one who'd be able to save themselves after all. I don't know, I thought that this could've been handled in another way. Ultimately, the ending became a rush job because of the insertion of this character.

VERDICT: Over all, I think Between the Lines would be an appropriate MG read. In fact, I think my daughter, who's ten, would be probably enjoy this. Regardless of my complaints, I maintained that this book is highly entertaining and unique. I just wish that we're able to see how Oliver and Delilah's fairy tale ends though.

Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe

Publication Date: August 30^th, 2010

Text Publishing

Format: Paperback, 288 pages

RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

The first time we met, Jewel Valentine saved my life.

Isn’t it enough having your very own terminal disease, without your mother dying? Or your father dating your Art teacher?

No wonder Sacha Thomas ends up in the lake that Saturday evening…

But the real question is: how does he end up in love with Jewel Valentine?

With the help of quirky teenage prodigies Little Al and True Grisham, Sacha and Jewel have a crazy adventure, with a little lobster emancipation along the way.

But Sacha’s running out of time, and Jewel has secrets of her own.

Girl Saves Boy is a hugely talented debut novel, funny and sad, silly and wise. It’s a story of life, death, love… and garden gnomes.

This book was written when the author was sixteen years old. I'm serious. And if you ever have the chance to read it, you'll never know that it was. Steph Bowe's writing seems so mature and it's scary that she's so young and have this much talent already. I can't wait to read more of her stuff. I wish it wasn't so expensive to acquire books from Australia. One thing's for sure, she'll be added on to my growing list of Aussie authors to watch for.

Though my rating for this book seems like it's middle of the bar, Girl Saves Boy is still so much better than some of the contemporary fiction that I've read this year. For such a young author, Steph Bowe penned a very insightful novel tackling one of the most sensitive and difficult of topics: Death. We have a couple of characters who's got first-hand experiences and had to make their own choices about how their lives must go on while grieving.

In my honest opinion, the weak point of this novel is the lightning-fast romance. And perhaps the main reason was because Sacha was terminally ill and he owed Jewel his life; or because Jewel has been a misanthrope most of her life that she'd grab at the first opportunity to love someone. But I can't fathom falling in love that quick in a matter of less than a week (give or take). It just doesn't seem all that realistic.

The ending left a lot in the open. It's a good thing and a bad thing. Ultimately though, I think it was a cop-out ending. As much as I hate to see a character die, I think that ending the book the way it did, didn't really fulfill my expectations. When I read the synopsis, I readily knew what was in the offing. But upon finishing the book, I was just left with all these feelings that I had no outlet for. It's weird to psych yourself up for a gruelling, tear-jerker of a read and finding out that it was all for naught.

VERDICT: The best thing about contemporary fiction from Aussie authors is their ability to tell a story the way it is but not for the purpose of shock value. Some of the situations that come up as part of the character's identity wasn't really what could be classified as the norm. Her writing is very gutsy, refreshing and more often very intelligent. I'm really excited to see how far Steph would go. Based on her debut, her future in writing seems endless.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Publication Date: July 31^st, 2012

Harlequin Teen

Format: E-ARC from the publisher, courtesy of Net  Galley

RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.   

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.  Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Is it possible to read a book, not necessarily in its entirety but still able to follow along with the story?

Is it possible to select which people you want to read about and still consider the book, read?

Is it possible to hate secondary characters so much that I nearly pulverized my teeth from gritting them?

YES.

YES.

YES…NO. But my jaw hurts like a mutha.

I’m a ball of frustrated mess with this book. Obviously, there are a lot of sensitive topics that were tackled here. But again, it’s one of those reads where every single insipid, shallow, empty, hollow character overshadowed how great this book is.  

It’s a rarity when you find a book that has the power to make you realize just what kind of person you are. Pushing the Limits is that book for me. I realized a couple of ugly truths about myself: I can hold on to a grudge like it’s the last copy of Melina Marchetta’s book in the entire universe and secondly, I don’t forgive easily.

This book reminds me of my reaction to The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. And although there was nothing fluffy about this book that I was led to believe at first, the character’s familial conflicts and resolutions made me mad. Echo’s father infuriated me beyond belief. He was a controlling figure who excused his behavior all in the name of protecting his daughter. I should understand where he’s coming from; he did what he had to do to protect her from remembering. I simply didn't care that Echo forgave her dad easily because at the end of the day,  he still put his daughter second every. Single. Time. Oh and I'm also not a fan of cheating fathers. Personal experience, personal problem...moving on. 

Echo’s father wasn’t the only one who needed to be basted with honey, tied to a tree, left to be devoured by fire ants from the surrounding anthills. Her so-called friends’ goal in life is to be popular and to be popular, Echo has to go back to “normal”. I raged, ranted, and violently cursed the day each of these characters came across my path - figuratively. I literally skipped the pages where her friends schemed on the ways she could be popular again. I mean, seriously? The girl went through a traumatic event and all you care about was how to make her part of the high school upper echelons again? Please. Granted, they didn't really know what happened to her. But come on, get a clue. She came back from a break a totally changed person. And instead they speculated and started the rumours that she was cutting herself because that was way better than everyone knowing her mother's finally lost her sense of reality? 

/Rant over.

VERDICT: I am conflicted with this book, hence the middle of the bar rating. I do love how well evolved the plot was. The intricate way in which their pasts unravel was done in a perfect progression. I also loved the two main characters, no matter how much they frustrated me constantly. I loved the romance – the couple made sense. In a way they reminded me of Alex and Britney of Perfect Chemistry. It's the bad boy and the straight and arrow girl pairing that though, overdone, is still a favourite of mine.  

I wish I wasn’t so consumed with severe frustration with the secondary characters. In the end, there was a lot of douche-baggery that went on. I just couldn’t get past it. Maybe if I hadn't skipped the parts that anger me, I would be more understanding. I just...couldn't. 

Throwback Thursday [One]: Quiet Days in Clichy by Henry Miller

Quiet Days in Clichy by Henry Miller

Original Publication Date: 1956

Version: 1994 Publication

Format: Paperback, 154 pages

If you're not familiar with Mr. Miller's works (as am I), you'll have a hard time discerning whether what you're reading is his memoirs or if it's fiction. Seemingly, this book was like a day in the life of Miller - a struggling American writer in Paris, honing squandering his craft through booze and women.  There's very little plot to speak of. It was sex, booze, sex...and more sex. The most cringe-worthy being, sex with a minor. But this is the 1920's Paris - where everything goes and you'd get a pat on the back for violating a minor simply because you're a writer.

I started Tropic of Cancer many moons back but had to quit before I got to the 'good parts'. Back then, I wasn't sure if I was ready to dive in to his world - where a woman is only good for one thing, and one thing only: SEX. But I realized that sooner or later, a girl needs to pull up her bloomers and conquer the rest of the literary world. And what better way to venture out to the dark side but read Henry's works?

I've had this image of old Paris in my head - beautiful, classy, grand and worthy of being aptly named, The City of Love. But then again, maybe I'm being naive; because Miller's representation of Paris was far from it. In his words, I imagined Paris to be the cradle of the decline of morality as we know it; where the streets and cafés are inhabited by prostitutes. He managed to sullen the beauty of the city through his words. If I sound like a judgemental prude, then I apologize. I'm just calling it for what it is. But just remember, my opinion is not a fact. It's neither right nor wrong. The way I see it, reading someone's novel is like looking at an artist's work: What's beautiful to some may be nothing but ugly and meaningless bauble to others. 

I was amazed by how little his opinions about women were. To Miller, we're nothing but soft caches of flesh for which he could stick his you-know-what in (yes, I do realize that perhaps Henry Miller's works are not appropriate for someone who can't even say "penis" with a straight face, but I'm broadening my reading horizon here - bear with me).  This man is also very generous with four letter words; those that would fill up a swear jar (*unt,*ock,*uck...you get the picture). 

This bitty is not a review. I can't pretend to sit here and critique a guy who's known for his legendary misogynistic writing. Admittedly, Miller's ability to write so crassly was both the source of my admiration and disdain. He has little regard for emotions of others and yet he gets just the right air for what he's trying to accomplish: Complete detachment from his characters. 

A lot more could be said about Mr. Miller. Heck, love him or hate him, the man wrote the most realistic of fictions. What I can say, however is that, had he lived in our times, he'd probably get a lot of flack from feminists everywhere. But who's to say he hasn't been?

Introducing: Throwback Thursdays and Other Blog News

Once upon a time, I was a big reader of gothic novels. And it's not the comtemporary kind either. I was stocked with Daphne du Maurier's books and of course, the prerequisite, Brontë sisters'. But that's not all I was interested in; from time to time, I can be seen with an autobiography of some obscure quasi celebrity. Lately though, I'm afraid I seemed to be stuck with young adult and romance. There's nothing wrong with that, but you and I know how vast the literary world is. I thought it was high time I broaden my reading spectrum.

So I decided to create a new feature on the blog called, THROWBACK THURSDAY. This is where I allow myself to read a classic once a week and write a brief note of what I thought of it. I started a book last week by Henry Miller as my initiation to this venture. And let me tell you, I was a bit awe-struck by how different it is; there are no coy looks exchanged between boys and girls, no mind games between men and women on a quest to one-up the other. This book was as adult-themed as can be and aside from some rough stops and starts, I managed to enjoy the brief moment of fulfillment when I finally finished an age-appropriate book. Quiet Days in Clichy was worlds different from all the other books I've ever read, for sure. 

It's not that I'm weaning myself from YA; I just want to have a versatile selection of books at home. I feel a twinge of guilt every time someone would ask what type of books I read. Don't get wrong, I am not embarrassed to be reading books geared toward the teens audience, but sometime in one person's life will come a realization that you can't be living out a life that you've missed out on. And this, my fellow book lovers, is why I love reading YA so much. It's to make up for the teenage life that I never had [sniffs]. 

Anyway, I still love YA and love all the scintillating thrills of reading a good romance novel. But I'm diving into the deeper end and who knows, maybe I'll finally find my niche that's actually appropriate for this mom of 2, wife of 1, 37 year-old book nerd. :)

In Other News...

Last week marked the last time that the blog participated in In My Mailbox. I will be implementing HOARDERS, Books Edition which means that I will not be posting my book hauls every week. In order for me to give the meme's title justice, the haul has to be enormous. And yeah, I realized that mine has been usually big as it is, but I decided that I needed to do my own thing. This change has nothing to do about whatever happened in the past and I stand by my opinions about The Story Siren. 

Another reason why I'm not doing this weekly is that, I find that my schedule has been booked solid and I can no longer find the time to do book haul posts weekly. I know that having this post weekly gives the blog regular traffic but I haven't really been posting links of my IMMs to The Story Siren's blog and am still garnering hits. I think I have awesome followers who regularly checks the blog anyway. 

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You! 

SHELF ENVY! Specifics to be revealed soon. 

Talk to you all later! 

-Joy-

Hot Off the Press!

Well, there's not much on my list as far as what's out today. But boy, I've drooled over two of these books since I've gotten a whiff of them. 

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Just Flirt by Laura Bowers

Blood Moon by Alyxandra Harvey

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Cover Reveal and Excerpt of All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen

All the Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen

Publication Date: December 11th, 2012

Entangled Teen

Format: Trade Paperback, eBook

Genre: Young Adult

Goodreads

Amazon

Summary

What if your life wasn't your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

Excerpt

Olivia reached up, feeling the tender spots on her head. Her fingers brushed across a row of—were those little ridges made of metal?

            “Careful. The staples are almost ready to come out, but it’s still going to be sore for a while.”

            Staples?!Her stomach rolled. I have staples in my head? She lowered her now-shaking hand. “Can I get a mirror?”

            Mom looked at Dad, then back at her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not until you’ve healed a little more.”

            Mom patted Olivia’s leg. “You just relax. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

            The two of them left the room, but when Mom swung the door closed, it didn’t latch. Olivia could hear their voices in the hall.

            “I still think we should…” She couldn’t make out the rest of Dad’s muffled words. “…know if I can do this.”

            “…late for that,” Mom said. “We’d lose everything, including…” Her voice faded as they got farther away. “…have to move.”

Olivia could tell the conversation was tense, but the words were impossible to decipher now. Holding a hand in front of her face, she turned it back and forth. A plastic tube ran from her arm to a machine next to her bed. She peeked into her nightgown and stared in horror at the long red stripe running down her chest.

            Sick.

            You’re alive. You shouldn’t be thinking about looks.

            Lowering her hand, she scanned the room. I wonder how my face looks. From the way Dad stared at me, plus the fact Mom won’t let me see a mirror, it must be bad.

            Brains are more important than looks.

            That’s what ugly people say.

            Olivia put her hands on her head and squeezed. “Stop it,” she whispered to her arguing thoughts, hysteria bubbling up and squeezing the air from her lungs. What was happening to her? Why didn’t she recognize her parents or know where she was? Who she was? Tears ran warm trails down her cheeks. “Just make it all stop.”

This book sounds so amazingly good and the cover equally so! It's too bad this won't be out till December. Seems like such a long freaking wait! 

You can find Cindi here:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

GOODREADS

WEBSITE

Double Shot of Jill Shalvis III

Publication Date: June 26^th, 2012

Grand Central Publishing

FORMAT: E-ARC courtesy of publisher and Net Galley

RATING: 3 out 5 Stars

SUMMARY

HER LOVE HAS COME ALONG . . .
Amy Michaels loves her new life in Lucky Harbor. A waitress in the local diner, she's looking forward to her first weekend hike through the mountains. But when a wrong turn takes her off the trail, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers. And even though she's tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won't make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob.

A former cop whose life went south, Matt doesn't let anyone get too close. But something about the feisty beauty caught his eye the moment he first saw her in the diner. After a hot night under a starry sky, Matt can't deny their attraction-or the fact that for the first time in a long time, he feels the stirrings of something more. Now it's up to Matt to help Amy see that, no matter what is in their past, together they can build a future in Lucky Harbor.

Book number five of the Lucky Harbor series tells the story of Amy and Matt "Ranger Hot Buns" Bowers. While I enjoyed their innate chemistry, this pairing wasn't as enjoyable as the others from the previous books.

Amy Michaels have spent most of her adult life trying to forget a painful and tumultuous past. She'd learned how to keep people at bay - especially men. But Matt Bowers was a test; one look and she's easily reminded of what she's been missing. She's been succesful at putting distance between them for the most part, but when she got lost on a hike, and with her BFF playing cupid, she found herself in the company of the hot forest ranger - sharing a cramped tent, no less! There began a song and dance in which the tempo is all about sex and not a relationship...at least, that's what they tried to tell themselves.

As I mentioned previously, this book was the least favorite of mine in the entire series. There's just something about Amy that I couldn't connect with. But just because I didn't enjoy it, doesn't mean the book wasn't good. The plot, in my own opinion was more evolved here than the previous books. It was more than romance this time. Jill Shalvis' personification of her characters is still her greatest attribute. I love watching them develop from merely a name to someone I actually know. And that's the power of her writing; she conjured up people and suddenly they're this 3D characters that I slowly grew to love.

As far as the romance goes, Amy and Matt has this built-in sizzle that comes through the page as soon as they're together. I can't explain how Jill does it but it's the look and how they feel as they're acting out a scene.

VERDICT: It sucks that I didn't enjoy this as much as everybody else. If anything, I think Matt Bowers  gave Ty Garrison some serious competition for the hottest guy in Lucky Harbor. Contrary to popular assumptions, I'm not ALL about hot, fictional characters, I also look for substance. Unfortunately, Amy's and Matt are characters that didn't really do much for me in that department. Their reasons for keeping people at a distance didn't outright convince me. Amy also was so quick to forgive Matt, which drove me nuts because I'm one of those readers who enjoy reading the hot guy chase the playing-hard-to-get girl. Still, I think this book would still be enjoyable to most. Please don't pass up on this series.

Publication Date: July 31^st, 2012

Grand Central Publishing

Format: E-ARC courtesy of publisher and Net Galley

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

LOVE CAN HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT.

Grace never thought she’d be starting her life over from scratch. Losing everything has landed her in Lucky Harbor, working as a dog walker for overwhelmed ER doctor Josh Scott. But the day his nanny fails to show up, Grace goes from caring for Josh’s loveable mutt to caring for his rambunctious kids. Soon Grace is playing house with the sexy single dad…

With so many people depending on him, Josh has no time for anything outside of his clinic and family–until Grace arrives in town. Now this brainy blonde is turning his life inside out and giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “good bedside manner.” Josh and Grace don’t know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one day…

[Sigh] All is right in the world again. After having a lacklustre reaction to At Last, I was pretty hopeful that book #6 would set me right out. Well, I'm happy to say that Forever and a Day did exactly that! I'm not sure if there'll be more books to the series but I really hope Jill will continue writing stories about this town and its residents.

Anyway, Forever and a Day is the story of Grace and Dr. Josh Scott. Having lost her executive position in a financial company based out of New York, Grace made a decision to head west. She found herself in Lucky Harbor; a quaint little sea-side town where the locals are genial to everyone. It was meant to be a brief stop; but Grace ended up staying for a while, making friends, staying at the B & B, and looking for a job. When an opportunity to make a quick $40 arises, Grace didn't think twice about taking it regardless of her lack of dog-walking experience. As fate would have it, Tank the dog came with a five year-old Jedi wannabe, a paraplegic with a nasty attitude and a hot doctor with a linebacker's body. Who could ask for anything more?

I think this is by far, the funniest of the series. The flirtatious banter between Grace and Josh felt so easy and not at all manufactured. The other thing about Jill's writing is that she's not all squeamish about using the F-word while the couple are in the er, throes of passion. Which, in my opinion makes her contemporary romance more real and believable. I mean, don't get me wrong, the sex scenes are done in such a way that it can't be considered pornographic but it always amazes me when writers shy away from using that word. Especially when their characters are apparently so lost in the moment. I don't know about you but it just makes perfect sense to me.

I love this pairing; they didn't play a lot of games (except near the end), they both knew where they stood and there wasn't any ridiculous expectations from each other. I also love Grace's relationship with Josh's son and his paraplegic sister, Anna. Though, at times I wanted to strangle Anna because she was a frustrating character. But frustrating or not, Anna brought another layer to their story.

VERDICT: As usual, Jill combined just the right humor and drama to make this contemporary romance an absolute hit in my bookshelves. I'm so glad that I decided to feature her on the blog as my June Addiction reads. And you know what? I was completely, utterly, addicted!

The Painted Boy by Charles de Lint

Publication Date:  November 11^th, 2011

Viking Juvenile

FORMAT: Hardcover, 431 pages

RATING: 3 out 5 Stars

SUMMARY

James Li should be in Chicago, finishing high school and working at his family's restaurant. Instead, as a born member of the Yellow Dragon Clan, he is on a quest even he does not understand. Jay's journey takes him to Santo del Vado Viejo in the Arizona desert, a town overrun by gangs, haunted by members of other animal clans, perfumed by delicious food, and set to the beat of Malo Malo, a barrio rock band whose female lead guitarist captures Jay's heart. He must face a series of dangerous, otherworldly-and very human-challenges not just to survive, but to prove his worth to the clan. This is Charles de Lint at his best!

This book started out great for me; there was just enough mystery within its opening pages that got my attention right away.  Unfortunately, books heady with folklore and myths tend to be heavy on the narrative as well and The Painted Boy suffered from the same symptoms and quickly lost its initial appeal. I finished the book but it took me quite a bit longer. Sadly, it couldn't maintain the interesting beginning. It lagged and dragged until the seemingly rushed and convenient ending.

The Painted Boy is the story of James Li and his quest to find his purpose and stake on life. The dragon that mysteriously appeared on his back when he was eleven years old held the key to his destiny. Some  say that the dragon and James Li were one in the same; but he needed to understand just how vast the spectrum of his power was. When he ended up in Santo del Vado Viejo, he was comforted by the fact that for the first time in a long time, he felt like he belonged. Never having any life to speak of when he lived in Chicago, the desert town offered him friends, a job, and talks of destinies and training did not exist.

It didn't take long however, until the violence of living in a barrio, overrun by gangbangers, soon bled into a life he wanted to build for himself. After witnessing a senseless killing of a girl in the hands of a gang banger,  the dragon in him woke up, incinerating the murderer and decimating a building in a fit of uncontrollable rage. Suddenly, he didn't have a choice but to continue on with the quest on finding himself and controlling the great power within him before it destroyed everything in its path.

My major problem with this book is the switching styles of narration; diarized entries is something that I haven't been able to enjoy and this book has that along with first and third POVs. There were also several point of views but that didn't bother me as much as the former.

With the lack of lead Asian characters in YA nowadays, reading about James Li was refreshing. But it was a bit disappointing because I read so little about his Oriental heritage. He was a character in a town populated by Mexican-Americans and aside from mentions of his Paupau (grandmother), don't expect much mention of his culture. I was looking forward to reading about that element of his character but sadly, it was pretty much nonexistent.

He was also a bit tame, in my opinion. I mean, the primary reason why I picked this book off my Mt. TBR was that I'd expected a bad-ass, kick-ass, defender of the oppressed, hero. He eventually assumed the character, but it took him awhile. Because this is a stand-alone book and James' wasn't able to undestand and harness his powers until close to the end, The Painted Boy left me a bit unsatisfied. I'd have loved to read more about this boy and how he'd utilize his powers. The ending was sort of, kind of, open ended but apparently, there'll be no sequel.

There was also an awkward, out-of-place romance that I felt was forced. This book could've gone without it, in my opinion. There was a first meeting and the matter-of-fact description of how pretty the girl was and then it suddenly went into details about how much James was pining for her. I understand boys will be boys but I expected a slow development of attraction not a whiplash. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't an instant-love syndrome; James's attraction just happened way too fast for me. But in the end, the romance didn't really go anywhere so I guess my point is...well, what the hell is the point?

The best thing about this book is the myth that we're all related to animals somehow. I love how Charles spun it in the most believable way possible. Arizona, once again, proved to be the source of the Earth's teeming life. I've read some books regarding the mystical power of the desert and the land and I'm more convinced of its magic.

VERDICT: This book fell a bit flat for me.  I'm not that familiar with Charles de Lint's work but I'm willing to read more of him. I think he's got a great talent for story telling based on this book's original plot alone. If you're interested in a novel rich with environmental and social issues, give this book a go.